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JOHN E. THAYER,
LANCASTER.

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VOLUME I.




ORNITHOLOGICAL MISCELLANY.
EDITED BY
GEORGE DAWSON ROWLEY, M.A., F.Z.S.,
MEMBER OF THE BRITISH ORNITHOLOGISTS' UNION.
VOLUME I.
LONDON
TRÜBNER AND CO., LUDGATE HILL, E.C. BERNARD QUARITCH, 15 PICCADILLY.
R. H. PORTER, 6 TENTERDEN STREET, HANOVER SQUARE, W.
1876.
[All rights reserved.]

ALERE
FLAMMAM.
PRINTED BY TAYLOR AND FRANCIS,
RED LION COURT. FLEET STREET,

museuns
Zoology.
Pauke
11-23.42
اما ما 4
3 V.
NAMES OF THE CONTRIBUTORS,
WITH THE TITLES OF, AND REFERENCES TO, THE SEVERAL ARTICLES OF EACH.
VOLUME I.
DRESSER, H. E.
Page
185
On Falco labradorus
147
FINSCH, Dr. O.
On Trichoglossus arfaki (A. B. Meyer)
On Trichoglossus pulchellus (G. R. Gray)
On Nasiterna geelvinkiana and its Allies
149
157
3
18
20
.
23
ROWLEY, GEORGE DAWSON.
On Apteryx haastii, Potts
On Apteryx australis, Shaw
On Apteryx owenië juv.
On Apteryx maxima, Verr.
On Feathers of Struthionidae
On Nestor meridionalis, Verr.
On Sceloglaux albifacies
On Porphyrio stanleyi
On British Birds
24
28
35
37
51
On Falco tinnunculus
135

iv
NAMES OF THE CONTRIBUTORS.
Page
145
.
152
164
ROWLEY, GEORGE DAWSON (continued).
On Trichoglossus arfaki (A. B. Meyer)
On the Subfamily Nasiternino
On Psittacus erithacus, Linn. .
On Tanysiptera riedeli, Verr.
On Falconry
On the Birds of the Fiji Islands
On Ammomanes deserti (Licht.), A. isabellina (Temm.), and Isabelline
Birds
176
213
259
263
SALVIN, OSBERT.
On Dendroca chrysoparia
Critical Notes on Procellariidae. Part I.
181
223
Part II.
249
SEEBOHM, HENRY.
On the Migration of Birds in North-east Russia
239
SHARPE, R. BOWDLER.
A Revision of the Family Indicatoridæ
On the Geographical Distribution of Barn-Owls
192
269

LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS,
VOLUME I.
Page
18
3
Apteryx australis, Shaw: young
haastii, Potts : adult female
: adult male and young female
owenii, Gould: adult male
8
3
20
264
-: young
Austria, Archduchess of
Barn-Owl (Aluco flammeus)
Dendroca chrysoparia, Sclater & Salvin
Desert scene: Ammomanes deserti
62
182
263
Falco labradorus
185
218, 220, 221
89
90, 118
203
298
Falconry
Glass for shooting Larks
Gular abnormal variation, examples of
Indicator barianus
Maps (three) of Distribution of Barn-Owls
Myiagra azureocapilla
Nasiterna geelvinkiana, Schlegel
pusio, Sclat.
pygmæa, Quoy & Gaim.
Nestor meridionalis, var.
260
157
163
161
28

vi
LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS.
Page
252
255
251
253
37
256
164
Estrelata arminjoniana
defilippiana
magenta
trinitatis
Porphyrio, the White (Porphyrio stanleyi)
Puffinus elegans
Richmond, Duchess of, and her Parrot
Sceloglaux albifacies (Laughing Owl)
Sore Sparrow-Hawk
Struthionidæ, Feathers of
Trichoglossus arfaki (A. B. Meyer)
aureocinctus, Layard
pulchellus (G. R. Gray)
Whittlesea Mere, Regatta on
Stalking-horse on
35
58
24
145
261
149
121
124

ERRATA IN VOL. I.
Page 30 :-
For “Duchess of Devonshire," read “ Duchess of Richmond.”
9
Page 221 :-
For “ Tuberville," read “ Turbervile."

12

ERRATA IN VOL. I.
Part II.- Page 118, lines 9 and 10 from bottom, for “ of the Bramble-
Finch” read “ of the Goldfinch."
PART III.-- Page 167, line 13, for “ only one nest in each tree; but” read
more than one nest in each tree; and.”
66


BIRDS
OF
N E W Z E A L A N D.
PART I.


APTERYX HAASTII,
Potts.
(Dr. Haast's Apteryx.)
ooi te yàp Traidwv ti del ;—Eurip. Med. 565.
Ad. A. oweni similis, sed multò major, plumis dorsi nigro tinctis.
The restlessness of man, spurning telluric bounds, for whose aspiring genius
his little planet is almost too small (witness the frantic attempts to leave it
by balloons and artificial wings, fortunately without success), urges him to
improve (?) off the face of the earth many a race of his fellows and numbers of
species of subordinate animals. The group of islands called New Zealand*,
that metropolis of Apteryginity, presents such a scene in our time :
English bees and flies, English birds, plants, and, no less, English men, drive
into extinction their representatives in New Zealand. “Of the valuable Kauri
gum-tree in Auckland very soon there will not be one left” (Trollope's
‘Australia and New Zealand'). Many a moan has been raised by the humane
and scientific observer over the fact t; and a cry for help, ere help is vain,
frequently ascends. As well might one try to stop the ocean's tide. This is
* Dr. Haast, in his article in “The Ibis' on its extinct birds (3rd series, vol. iv. July 1874,
p. 217), says of New Zealand, “ Although it may have been formerly of larger extent, it has never
been more than an oceanic continental island from a zoological point of view-a theory first pro-
pounded by Darwin and Wallace, and with which I fully agree.”
+ In his paper, read before the Philosophical Institute of Canterbury, at a Special Meeting,
Sept. 15, 1874, Dr. Julius Haast, F.R.S., the President, gives the result of his labours in the Moa-
bone-Point Cave, Sumner, Banks Peninsula, where he secured a multitude of fine remains of all
B 2

BIRDS OF NEW ZEALAND.
a decree and a fiat, coming from a quarter which none can resist. A hand is
writing upon the wall; surely he that runs may read. On that day in 1642
when Abel Jansen Tasman cast his anchor into the sea off their shores,
down went the Maoris; soon will they join the woolly-haired Tasmanians,
whose last man only died in 1869. This they know. Shortly will the family
of the Apterygidæ follow Nestor productus of Philips Island, Alca impennis
(the Gare Fowl of the north), and a host of others. Little did Bullock,
when he chased the latter in the sounds of Papa Westra, dream of what he
was doing. Less did he suspect that he was then only a blind instrument for
a purposive object in working out a law—in the case of the Gare Fowl, since,
alas ! too well fulfilled. These departing species flutter round civilization
like moths at a candle, or hawks over the flames at the battle of Amoaful.
The Apteryx conveys to one's mind something peculiarly mysterious;
and though not yet extinct, it seems as if it ought to be. It has lingered on
in a world where its place is gone. It has no business here; it lags behind.
Dinornis went before; and had Apteryx been a trifle larger, it would long
since have been a thing of the past. In confirmation, if any such is required,
of how a smaller species can survive while a larger succumbs, I can quote a
fact, coming under my own observation in May 1869, on which I sent a note
to the Field,' which appeared on June 5. Many Swifts (Cypselus murarius)
flew about Brighton in a very weak state, and were taken in numbers.
Among them I saw a few Martins (Hirundo urbica), which appeared lively
enough. How was this? There had been severe and unusual cold, with
heavy rains for some days—a kind of glacial period. The insects in the lofty
regions where Swifts delight to dwell could not exist; those nearer the
earth's surface, finding more warmth, were out and about. Consequently
kinds, many of them ornithic, extinct and recent. This paper (which, by his kindness, I have now
before me) contains subjects of much interest. I can only here mention that 2797 objects were
discovered; among them, many fine Moa-bones and those of “the large Kiwi or Roa (Apteryx
australis)” prove that “these birds inhabited the peninsula and its neighbourhood, from which they
have now disappeared a long time.”


pe
1
J.G.Keulemans del.
T. Walter lith.
APTERYX HAASTII, POTTS.
q 오
​


J.G. Keulemans del
Mintern Bro imp
APTERYX OWENII
ADULT


BIRDS OF NEW ZEALAND.
5
the Swifts got no food, while the Martins found abundance, or, at least,
enough. This little incident is a key to much greater events.
The dates of the several species of Apterys are as follows :-An A.
australis, Shaw, then the only one, or part of one, in Europe, was in the
Earl of Derby's Museum at Knowsley, 1833, and described in an elaborate
memoir, ad hoc, by Professor Owen (Trans. Zool. Soc. vol. ii. p. 257). Mr.
Gould says, in his ‘Handbook to the Birds of Australia,' a work which is
a great saving of time to an author (vol. ii. p. 567) :-“For our first
knowledge of the existence of an Apteryx we are indebted to the late Dr.
Shaw, to whom the specimen figured by him in the 'Naturalist's Miscellany
was presented by Captain Barclay of the shipProvidence,' who brought it
from New Zealand about 1812. Dr. Shaw's figure was accompanied by a
detailed drawing of the bill, foot, and rudimentary wing, of the natural size.
After Dr. Shaw's death, his at that time unique specimen passed into the
possession of the late Earl of Derby, then Lord Stanley. His Lordship's
being a private collection, and no other specimen having been seen either on
the continent or in England, the existence of the species was doubted by
naturalists generally for upwards of twenty years . . . . . . . In June 1833
Mr. Yarrell published a paper on it, in the Transactions of the Zoological
Society.”
Mr. Gould, on the 8th June, 1847, in the Transactions of the Zoological
Society, vol. iii. p. 379, figured and described Apteryx owenii, adult; and in
the “Proceedings of the same Society, January 12, 1864, Mr. Leadbeater
is stated to have exhibited the young of that bird.
Apteryx mantelli was specifically differentiated from A, australis by Mr.
A. D. Bartlett (Proc. Zool. Soc. 1850, p. 274).
Lastly, A. haastii, Potts, was described by Mr. T. H. Potts in a paper
read before the Philosophical Institute of Canterbury, 2nd August, 1871 ;
and a series of adult and young of both sexes was exhibited in London at
the Zoological Society's first Meeting of the present Session (3rd November,
1874), by myself.

6
BIRDS OF NEW ZEALAND.
The discovery of a fresh and very distinct species in 1870 (thirty-seven
years after the first Apteryx australis, Shaw, stood in Lord Derby's Museum)
was a thing I, in common with others, did not believe. “ Dies diem docet,"
says Cuvier. I instructed the person who undertook, on my behalf, to make
a search for A. maxima, to hunt diligently for A. haastii as well. After more
than two years a tin case arrived, containing, among other things, four fine
skins, the adult male and female, and the young male and female. These I
took to the Meeting of the Zoological Society in Hanover Square, together
with the male and female Sceloglaux albifacies, the rarest of the two endemic
forms of New Zealand Owls, being the only examples of the latter ever
brought alive to England. Apteryx haastii (named by Mr. T. H. Potts after
Dr. Julius Haast) is due to the zeal of the former gentleman, whose account,
extracted from the Transactions of the New Zealand Institute,' vol. iv. 1871,
art. xxxiii. p. 204, is as follows :
“ In the collection of the Canterbury Museum the Apterygidæ are
well represented, more especially in the species which are peculiar to the
Middle Island. Some time last summer, amongst a consignment of skins
received from Westland was a specimen of a large Apteryx, which presented
such peculiarities that it was considered to be a new species by the writer,
and named Apterys haastii, in compliment to Dr. Haast. From a note by the
collector it appears to have been obtained on the high ranges. Subsequently
a second specimen was procured, the precise locality not given, but probably
from the ranges above Okarita. The first specimen (no. 1), which we take
to be that of an adult female, may be described thus :-Face, head, and neck
dull brown, darkest in a line from the gape to, and immediately behind, the
ear, and on the nape; upper surface indistinctly barred with blackish brown
and rich fulvous, each feather crossed with marks of dark brown and fulvous,
approaching to chestnut on the apical bars; chin greyish brown; throat dull
brown, indistinctly marked with fulvous ; breast and abdomen dull brown,
barred with pale fulvous ; straggling hairs about the base of the bill black,
some produced to the extent of 3.5 inches; bill yellowish ivory, measuring

BIRDS OF NEW ZEALAND.
7
from the gape to the end of the upper mandible 5.6 inches; upper mandible
overreaching lower mandible by 0:3 of an inch ; tarsus 2.5 inches; middle
toe, with claw, 2:6 inches. Specimen no. 2.-Face, head, and neck dark
brown, blackish brown on the nape ; entire plumage richer in colour than
specimen no. 1; on the back of the thighs a chestnut bar, a bar of chestnut
crossing the plumage above the tarsal joint ; upper mandible measuring,
from the gape to point, 54 inches; tarsus 2:5 inches; middle toe, with claw,
2.75 inches.
“ Note.-In the ‘Catalogue of the Birds of New Zealand' (Hutton,
Colonial Museum, Wellington, 1871), the compiler appears anxious to refer
the new species to Apteryx maxima, Verr., on the strength of a foot and tarsus
of a very large species of Apteryx, the plumage and other characteristics of
which are unknown. It is there stated that the bird to which the said tarsus
and foot pertained was as large as a Turkey, and weighed nearly 14 lbs.
Now, for A. haastii we cannot claim the possession of such grand proportions ;
both the specimens of the new species described in this paper are equalled,
sometimes excelled, by fine examples of A. australis, Shaw, which, in the flesh,
would not exceed 7 lbs.; this, an outside weight, is given on the authority of
the collector, who has literally slain his thousands of Apterygidæ, and
through whose exertions colonial and foreign museums have been supplied
with examples of the Middle-Island Apterygidæ.-Nov. 23.".
Mr. Potts, in the “Zoologist,' S. S. No. 105, June 1874, p. 4014, says as
follows :-“HAAST's Kiwi.-During a visit to the west coast last summer
the localities were pointed out to the writer whence the specimens now in
the Canterbury Museum were procured. One was found in the bush far
up the Okarita river, the other in the dense bush between the eastern shore
of Lake Mapourika and the snowy range of which Mount Cook is monarch.
Mr. Docherty stated that both of these birds appeared wilder than Apteryx
australis, and made somewhat more resistance during their capture.”
He adds, in the · Zoologist,' S. S. No. 108, September 1874, p. 4158, “I
have much pleasure in communicating the fact of the occurrence of this

8
BIRDS OF NEW ZEALAND.
9
rare bird after a very long interval. Five very fine specimens, old and
young, have been lately obtained from the west coast : efforts were made
to secure these much-prized specimens for the Canterbury Museum ; but
although a considerable sum was offered it was declined by the owner of
the skins. Till the present time the only known examples were the two
in the Canterbury Museum."
Four of the above mentioned are now in my possession ; the fifth was
much torn by dogs, and was to be made a skeleton of. I have therefore
male and female adults and male and female young, all taken on the South
Island, at an altitude of 7000 feet above the level of the sea, thirty miles up
the Okarita river, in the mountains on the west coast. Received by me
in 1874.
In this species I find the colour to be quite different from that of
Apteryx owenii. The trivial name of Large Grey Kiwi has been given to it ;
but though that is applicable to A. owenii, it is not to this; there is no
grey about it. Large Brown Apteryx would have been more suitable, if
colour is mentioned.
Dr. Haast's Apteryx evinces a much greater thickness in the metatarsal
segment of the leg than Apteryx australis, which it rivals in size, and perhaps
surpasses.
Apteryx australis may be described as streaked in perpendicular lines,
while the marks in A. haastii are horizontal, and its spots or, more properly,
blotches are much bigger than those in A. owenii. The three species of New
Zealand (those, in fact, which will stand as species) differ much in colour. I
do not accept A. mantelli as a species, nor A. fuscus,-one of which, or what
I suppose to be A. fuscus, is now before me; and I take it for a partial
melanism of A. owenii, than which it is much darker.
In the adult female figured here the bill along the ridge is 5 inches
long, under the under mandible 5.25 ; tarsus 3; middle toe and claw 3.5.
In a very large Apteryx australis, picked out of a series, I find the bill
along the ridge 5.5 inches long, the tarsus 3, middle toe and claw 2.5.

J.G Keulemans del
T. Walter hth
APTERYX HAASTII, POTTS. ADULT 8. JUY. O


BIRDS OF NEW ZEALAND.
9
This bird, whose sex I unfortunately cannot give with certainty, is evidently
much less robust than A. haastii ; and the phalanges of the foot are much
smaller, the scutella also, and consequently more numerous.
In Apterys haastii the bill is a dirty ivory in colour, the feet and legs
dark brown-black, claws horn-colour.
The adult male is like the female, but smaller, the light spot in the
feather is narrower than in the female ; hence the whole bird looks darker
than she does, and the plumage affords a decidedly sexual difference, which
is constant and strongly observable in both adult and young.
There are two other specimens of this Apteryx in the Canterbury
Museum; and these six are all at present known; the fifth one of my series
was said to have been destroyed by the dogs.
It appears to me, on reading Dr. Buller's description of the two birds
now in New Zealand, that the lighter one is a female and the darker a male.
He says, “ They are supposed to be females. If they are males it may
reasonably be inferred that the female of this species is considerably larger
than Apteryx australis.” It is, however, clear that they are certainly not
both of the same sex.
The dimensions given by Dr. Buller of the largest bird are as follows:-
“ Total length 25.5 inches; bill, along the ridge 4:75, along the edge of the
lower mandible 5'4 ; tarsus 2:75; middle toe and claw 3:1; hallux or hind
tarsal claw •75.” He remarks, “The form appears to be an intermediate
one, combining in some degree the distinguishing characters of both," i. e.
Apteryx australis and A. owenii. This is in some respects the case; but the
characters are well marked and distinct: no suspicion of hybridism can
attach to Apteryx haastii ; it appears a conspicuously well-marked species.
Perhaps Apteryx haastii may fairly be allowed, from its size and beauty,
to stand at the head of the others. Though the anatomy of Apteryx attests
its relation to the Struthious group, yet the female is larger than the male ;
while in Struthio camelus, on the contrary, the male slightly exceeds the
female. A reason for this may be found in the enormous size of the egg of
c

10
BIRDS OF NEW ZEALAND.
وو
the Apteryx, which in the case of that of A. mantelli, as laid in the Zoological
Gardens, weighed 141 oz., while the contents were 13} oz., and the living
female herself 60 oz., her egg being nearly one fourth the weight of the
parent.
In “ The Ibis' (3rd ser. vol. iv. July 1874, p. 215), Dr. J. Haast, in his
article on the extinct birds of New Zealand, makes mention that “Of
Meionornis casuarinus [rectius Mionornis] we have a series of four clearly
defined sizes in our possession.” The same variation is spoken of in other
fossil species. He goes on to observe, “ If we compare two skeletons of
Apteryx australis, male and female, and two of A. owenii, male and female,
with each other, a similar distinct gradation is observable.”
In their memoir on the Solitaire, the Didine bird of Rodriguez, Pezophaps
solitaria (Gmel.), Professor Newton and his brother Mr. Edward Newton
express themselves “much embarrassed by the wealth of their materials.”
They allude to the extraordinary variation in size. This variation had
previously deceived even such experienced persons as Strickland and
Mr. Bartlett, and it extended to “ the relative proportion of divers parts of
the bones.” I have observed in various living birds of the same species, for
many years past, an extraordinary variation in size. But this subject is
too long
The defenceless condition of these birds, deprived of any volant power,
renders it necessary that the newly hatched young, like all those called by
Professor Owen “Aves præcoces,” should run about and provide food for
themselves as soon as they leave the shell. At p. 257, vol. ii. of his ‘Anatomy
of Vertebrates,' he gives the number of days of incubation in thirty-two
species of different orders; they vary from the Wren (Troglodytes vulgaris),
which sits ten days, to the Emu (Dromaius nova-hollandiæ), which takes fifty-
four. Dr. Buller mentions a female Apteryx in his aviary which for forty
days before extrusion of her egg moved with difficulty; and though the
exact time cannot be given, yet it is certain that it is unusually long, perhaps
as much so as in any known species.

BIRDS OF NEW ZEALAND.
11
Mr. A. D. Bartlett has written a valuable account of the incubation in
the Proc. Zool. Soc. 1868, p. 329, from which, as these volumes may not be
accessible to all my readers, I give the following excerpt :-“In 1851 Lieut.-
Governor Eyre presented to the Society an Apteryx. This proved to be a
female of Apteryx mantelli. In the year 1859 she laid her first egg, and has
continued to lay one or two eggs every year since that time. In 1865 a male
bird was presented by Henry Slade, Esq. During the last year these birds
showed symptoms of a desire to pair. This was known by the loud calling
of the male, which was answered by the female in a much lower and shorter
note. They were particularly noisy during the night, but altogether silent
in the daytime. On the 2nd of January the first egg was laid, and for a day
or more the female remained on the egg ; but as soon as she quitted the nest,
the male bird took to it, and remained constantly sitting. On the 7th of
February the second egg was laid, the female leaving the nest as soon as the
egg was deposited. The two birds now occupied the two opposite corners
of the room in which they were kept, the male on the two eggs in the nest
under the straw, the female concealed in her corner, also under a bundle of
straw placed against the wall. During the time of incubation they ceased
to call at night, in fact were perfectly silent, and kept apart.
I found the
eggs in a hollow formed on the ground in the earth and straw, and placed
lengthwise side by side. The male bird lay across them, his narrow body
appearing not sufficiently broad to cover them in any other way; the ends
of the eggs could be seen projecting from the side of the bird. The male
continued to sit in the most persevering manner until the 25th of April, at
which time he was much exhausted, and left the nest. On examining the
eggs I found no traces of young birds. Notwithstanding the failure of
reproducing the Apteryx, I think sufficient has been witnessed to show that
this bird's mode of reproduction does not differ essentially from that of the
allied Struthious birds, in all cases of which that have come under my
observation the male bird only sits. I have witnessed the breeding of the
Mooruk, the Cassowary, the Emu, and the Rhea ; and the mode of proceeding
C2

12
BIRDS OF NEW ZEALAND.
of the Apteryx fully justifies me in believing the habits of this bird to be in
no way materially different from those of its allies.”
Mr. Potts says, in an article of much interest on New-Zealand birds
("Transactions of the New-Zealand Institute,' 1872, vol. v. p. 187), concerning
Apteryx australis, Shaw:-“It is probable that the Rowi” (name given by the
natives) “pairs for life, for there appears to exist between the sexes a lasting
companionship. For a nesting-place it selects a hole in some tree or log,
or amongst roots : sometimes the hole is excavated in a soft bank, where the
soil is light; but in every case care is taken that the site shall be on a
ridge or dry ground. The breeding-season extends over some months, from
October to February. Two eggs are usually laid, on which the old birds
rather lie than sit. The mode of roosting is very peculiar; they squat
opposite each other with their legs bent under them, each with his head
tucked under the scanty apology for a wing. If there are young in the hole
they also assume a similar position, on either side a young bird between the
two parents ; thus the result of this singular arrangement of the family is
a nearly perfect hemisphere of feathers. They often appear torpid or very
drowsy when surprised in their homes, sometimes remaining quite undis-
turbed by noise, and are very rarely discovered except in a hole. In good
condition a bird will average from 5 to 6 lb. in weight.”
Owen describes the Apteryx as having “no air in its bones;” conse-
quently it is heavier in proportion to its size than it otherwise would be if a
bird of flight, though there are certain exceptions.
Respecting the sitting of the Struthionidæ, an interesting letter appears
in the Field’ as I write (December 12, 1874, p. 324), in reply to the
observation of a previous correspondent, who says,
66 the Ostrich is as careful
a mother as any domestic fowl.” The writer remarks:—“ The truth is, the
careful father does most of the work, as he takes his turn at 4 P.M. or there-
abouts, and sits till about 8 o'clock next morning, is far more jealous than
the hen, and resents any intrusion in a very unpleasant manner, by letting
out with his right or left such kicks (forwards) as would send the strongest
وو

BIRDS OF NEW ZEALAND.
13
man spinning a dozen yards, following up the same if the unlucky intruder
should be able to get on his pins again ; if not, the bird hammers him on the
ground. Only a week ago a man near Capetown got a kick in the back
which dislocated his shoulder. To show how little they care about being
found out, a few days ago I was visiting a pair of birds that were sitting :
there had been some heavy rain ; and, to my surprise, both birds were
away from the nest. Thinking there was something wrong, I went to the
nest, having previously given the cock bird a good feed of Indian corn at a
distance to keep him employed. The nest was full of water, and the eggs
were stuck fast in the mud. I had just taken them out when the cock per-
ceived me, and came down the field thirty miles an hour, giving me just time
to dive into the hedge, where I remained until he thought of his food again
and went off ; the hen then came down, and the cock seemed satisfied that
she would look after the business, and took little or no notice of my scooping
out the mud and water with my hands as best I could. The hen seemed
much interested in the proceedings, and when I had replaced the eggs she at
once sat upon them; and the pair have been sitting alternately ever since.-
W. D. DUMBLETON, Oakhurst, George, Cape-colony.” It was thought a
curious thing at first that the male Ostrich should incubate; but I suspect
is more common for cocks to do so than is supposed. I was much amused
(May 6, 1869) while observing a female Melizophilus dartfordiensis which
had left her nest containing eggs. The cock bird did not like this neglect of
duty; and he drove her back again, after some trouble ; for she was not
obedient. If he does not sit, he has the control.
Dr. Buller remarks, in his “ Birds of New Zealand,' speaking of Apteryx
mantelli (p. 362) :-“While hunting for its food the bird makes a continual
sniffing sound through the nostrils, which are placed at the extremity of the
upper mandible. Whether it is guided as much by touch as by smell I
cannot safely say ; but it appears to me that both senses are called into
action. That the sense of touch is highly developed seems quite certain,
because the bird, although it may not be audibly sniffing, will always first

14
BIRDS OF NEW ZEALAND.
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touch an object with the point of its bill, whether in the act of feeding or of
surveying the ground ; and when shut up in a cage or confined in a room it
may be heard, all through the night, tapping softly at the walls. The sniffing
sound to which I have referred is heard only when the Kiwi is in the act of
feeding or hunting for food; but I have sometimes observed the bird
touching the ground close to or immediately round a worm which it had
dropped without being able to find it. I have remarked, moreover, that
the Kiwi will pick up a worm or piece of meat as readily from the bottom of
a vessel filled with water as from the ground, never seizing it, however, till
it has first touched it with its bill in the manner described. It is probable
that, in addition to a highly developed olfactory power, there is a delicate
nervous sensitiveness in the terminal enlargement of the upper mandible.”
Professor Owen, in the Transactions of the Zoological Society,' vol. ii.
p. 287, observes :-“ The relations of the modifications of the skull of the
Apteryx ” (southern) “to its peculiar habits and kind of food are well
marked and very easily traced ; . . . . . the anchylosed condition of all the
parts concerned in the formation of the upper mandible is more complete
than in the larger Struthionidæ, and relates to the greater force with which
the beak is used in obtaining food. The nocturnal habits, combined with
the necessity for a highly developed organ of smell, which chiefly com-
pensates for the low condition of the organ of vision, produce the most
singular modifications which the skull presents; and we may say that those
cavities which, in other birds, are devoted to the lodgement of the eyes, are
here almost exclusively occupied by the nose. The spinal column is relatively
stronger, especially in the cervical region, than in the larger Struthionidæ.”
Mr. Yarrell, in the “Transactions of the Zoological Society,' vol. i. p. 72,
in his article on Apteryx australis, makes the following observations :—The
beak has “the upper mandible grooved on each outer side, near the margin,
throughout its whole length; at the end of this groove, on each side, the
nostrils are pierced, the apertures elongated and covered by a membrane, so
suspended on the outside of each of them like a valve, that the slightest
وو

BIRDS OF NEW ZEALAND.
15
pressure against the outer surface, when flexible, as during life, would render
the nostrils impervious and effectually defend and cover them. A bristle
introduced into the nostril, under and behind this defending membrane,
passes up the whole length of the beak. The upper mandible terminates in
a blunt truncated knob, projecting a little downwards, behind which, on its
under surface, the end of the lower mandible ranges when both are closed.
The lower mandible is also grooved slightly near the outer edges throughout
its whole length. Both mandibles are broad and flat at the base. Through-
out the whole length of the upper mandible and the distal three fourths of
the under one the inner or opposed surfaces of both are perfectly flat,
producing, when pressed together, uniform and entire contact, and well
adapted for compressing or crushing such substances as may be selected for
food. The proximal fourth of the lower mandible is concave on its inner
surface, affording space for the tongue, which must, in proportion to the
beak, be small and short.”
This matter of the nostrils may have been tedious; but their very remark-
able and unusual situation in the family now under consideration demands
attention. I have seen a horsehair passed up them through the whole
length of the bill in Apteryx haastii and A. owenii ; and in both the orifice is so
concealed that, unless pointed out, it would hardly be discovered by an
ordinary observer. The knob at the end of the bill is admirably adapted for
the purpose of preventing any foreign substance entering the gape without
the will of the owner.
The above remarks are, no doubt, correct; but it is not necessary that
a vertebrate should be guided either by smell or sight. The blind man
reads by touch alone. In the 'Academy,' Jan. 15, 1871, under the head of
“Natural History and Physiology," appears a digest of a most exhaustive
and interesting paper on the structure of the Bat's wing. This paper, by
Dr. Jos. Schöbl of Prague, appears in Max Schultze’s ‘Archiv,' Band vii.
tes Heft. “Long ago Spallanzani discovered that Bats which had had their
eyes put out were able, nevertheless, when allowed to fly about the room, to
1

16
BIRDS OF NEW ZEALAND.
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avoid threads stretched across it. This faculty he attributed to some highly
developed sense of touch possessed by the wing. Dr. Schöbl has repeated
these experiments; but for the putting-out of the eyes he has substituted the
less painful method of covering them with sticking-plaster. He has kept
Bats thus treated for a year alive in his room, and has entirely confirmed
Spallanzani’s results. To account for these phenomena, the wings of Bats
have been examined for peculiar nerve-endings by Cuvier, Leydig, and
Krause, but without any success.
The author's discoveries are therefore
quite new to science.” I cannot give at length Dr. Schöbl's proofs that the
sense of touch is obtained “ through hairs, the bulbs of which widen out and
enclose certain organs (the “ Tastkörperchen'), one of which is connected with
each hair,” but must refer the reader to the original. After the above, the
numerous long hairs of the Apteryx are quite understood. Mr. Potts says
(^ Transactions of the New-Zealand Institute,' 1872, vol. v. p. 192), “It is
probable that, as in the case of Struthious birds, the gizzard-stones are
disgorged; but we have no evidence thereof; it would be most interesting to
ascertain if such regurgitation takes place.” That the extinct Dinornithidæ
swallowed stones is well known to the New Zealand naturalists. These
pebbles are seen in little heaps by the side of the bones; such a lot found
together, and therefore, we may suppose, belonging to one bird, I have in my
possession, by the favour of Dr. Haast, who sent them, at my request, to me
direct. They are beautifully polished, pretty, and fifty in number, and vary
in magnitude--the largest being one inch and three eighths long by three
quarters of an inch wide and in weight half an ounce, and the smallest
the size of a pea. I have the contents of the gizzards of various birds,
notably of the King Penguin (Aptenodytes pennantii), through the kindness of
Mr. Bond; but I must reserve my observations on this subject, and will only
remark that the Struthionidæ sometimes pick up, when stones are not at
hand, various deleterious substances—for instance, the unfortunate Ostrich
who died at the Zoological Gardens from the effects of the copper pence so
cruelly given by the unthinking visitors, who, if they had witnessed the
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BIRDS OF NEW ZEALAND.
17
sufferings of the poor animal before its lingering death, painful even to
read of, perhaps would have had some remorse. A post mortem was made
by Mr. A. H. Garrod, the Prosector to the Society, and an able account of it
published by him and Mr. Frank Darwin (Proc. Zool. Soc. 1872, p. 356).
Mr. Potts writes, “The sitting pose assumed by various species of
birds is in itself a study not devoid of interest, either to the naturalist or
physiologist.” The strength and thickness of leg in Apteryx haastii, as
compared with its body, is in direct proportion to the atrophy of the
aborted wing. In repose different attitudes are assumed by birds. The
Apteryx rests upon the tarsi, the converse of the practice of standing on one
leg common to many and opposite species, such as the Barn-Owl (Aluco
flammeus) and the common Heron (Ardea cinerea), to whose habit Tennyson
refers in “ Gareth and Lynette :”.
“When the lone Heron forgets his melancholy,
Lets down his other leg, and, stretching, dreams
Of goodly supper in the distant pool.”
D

APTERYX AUSTRALIS, Shaw, juv.
(Native name, “Rowi.")
dià vúkta.
و
I RECEIVED the specimen here depicted in 1872. It was captured in May
the same year, on the western slopes of Mount Cook. Mr. Potts states
(“Transactions of the New Zealand Institute,' vol. v. 1872, p. 187):—“The
general colour of Apteryx australis, young, is greyish brown, streaked with
black in the young and adult states ; in some fine old birds a glint of golden
chestnut edges part of the plumage. Not unfrequently specimens have the
aural feathers of dull yellowish white or grey, the same hoary tone of colour
being sometimes found on the occiput, chin, neck, and front of the thighs.
These marks are not confined to sex.”
The same writer (vol. ii. p. 66, 1869) says of Apteryx australis :-“ An
egg received at the Canterbury Museum from Okarito or its neighbourhood
is believed to be an undoubted specimen of this species. It arrived in a fresh
state in November. It was white, much blunted at each end, and presented
a very smooth surface. This enormous egg gives the following measure-
ments—through the axis 5 inches 1 line, with a breadth of 3 inches 4 lines.”
Comparing these dimensions with the egg of Apteryx owenii next given
(namely, 4 inches 6 lines by 2 inches 7 lines, though some are a trifle larger),
we find that the great size of the egg is common to both species and to

It Kenlemans del
Mintern Brot imp
APTERYX
AUSTRALIS
JUV.

6

BIRDS OF NEW ZEALAND.
19
Apteryx mantelli also, where we have 5 inches 4 lines in length by 3 inches
3 lines.
The egg of Apteryx haastii has yet to be found; but not much will be
made out from this perhaps, as they apparently all follow the same law. I
have before me the egg of a Moa of some kind, attributed to Dinornis ingens,
Owen; its length is about 9 inches, and its transverse diameter about
6 inches. As the exact species of this example cannot be determined to my
satisfaction, I do not propose to attempt to draw conclusions from it. The
shell is thin in proportion to the size. The history of this great egg is well
known. Fragments of the egg-shells of two species of Æpyornithidæ
(which I possess through the kindness of M. Grandidier), on the contrary,
are of extraordinary strength and thickness
Captain F. W. Hutton, F.G.S., has an article on the eggs of the Moa and
Apteryx (* Transactions of the New Zealand Institute,' 1871, vol. iv. p. 166).
He
says,
the
egg of the latter shows none of the prismatic structure of that
of Dinornis ; therefore the Moa belongs to the Struthious type, while the
Kiwi, in the structure of its egg-shell, belongs to the Carinate type of birds.
“ Note. August 29, 1871.-Since reading this paper I have found the
following notice in the “Zoological Record' for 1869, pt. i. p. 103 :-
‘Dinornis.- The structure of its egg-shell is essentially similar to that of
other Struthiones, and agrees most nearly with Rhea. W. von Nathusius,
Zeitschr. wissensch. Zool. xx. p. 118.' Also on p. 104-Apteryx, in the
structure of its egg-shell, does not much agree with other Struthiones.'
D 2

APTERYX OWENII juv.
(Lesser Grey Kiwi.)
MR. LEADBEATER appears to have been the first who did any thing respecting
the neossology of this Apteryx; he exhibited the young of the bird at the
Zoological Society's Meeting, January 12, 1864. The chick of which the
present illustration is a faithful likeness was brought over to me in 1874, and
came from the Ohono peaks near Greenstone Creek, Feramakou river; a
second example, a trifle larger, was from the western slopes of Mount Cook,
renowned for its glaciers, “whose snowy peak rises 13,200 feet above the
sea, and is visible in clear weather at a distance of more than one hundred
miles to the mariner approaching New Zealand” (Sir George Bowen, in
Trollope’s Australia and New Zealand'). The first could hardly have left
the shell very long; and I have a series of eight, ascending like the steps of
a ladder from this to the adult, figured by Mr. Keulemans, and placed next
to Apteryx haastii (as A. haastii is the nearest affine of A. owenii), in order that
the reader may see for himself, as well as lithography can give it, the marked
difference between the two forms. The two illustrations thus afford the
extremes of the chain.
Mr. Potts says (“Transactions of the New-Zealand Institute,' vol. v.
p. 187), “The young are well clothed when they leave the shell; with
them the bill is not curved." This relates to the young of Apteryx australis ;

J.G. Keulemans del
Mintern Bros imp
APTERYX OWENII JUV.


BIRDS OF NEW ZEALAND.
21
in the adult it becomes curved. I have a very fine series of the adult
A. australis, one of very large size, picked out of many; the beaks present
no particular characters, the difference in length being sexual. In the young
of A. owenii, as may be seen, the bill is straight, and continues so always, or
is very slightly curved in the adult. Looking at the little flightless creature
here depicted, it cannot surprise any one if told that dogs will shortly, with
the aid of man, exterminate the species. Mr. Potts states that Mr. Docherty
the Kiwi-hunter informed him “ that up to the close of 1871 he had killed
about 2200 of these and the Rowi” (A. owenii and A. australis)!
Mr. Keulemans has drawn the adult Apteryx owenii from an example in
my own collection, a male bird, taken in May 1872 at Martin's Bay, under
the Humboldt Mountains (near the Wakatipu Lake, which is fifty-two miles
in length and two or three in width), on the west coast, in the province of
Otago, South Island. Here only a few settlers struggle to make a home.
I have one very dark A. owenii, said to be a male, but unfortunately without
locality. A. fuscus is spoken of; but I cannot say what that may be. This
specimen instead of grey is nearer black.
The coloured illustration which appeared in the Transactions of the
Zoological Society,' vol. iii. p. 380, together with Mr. Gould's first paper on
the discovery of the bird, has, to the eye of an Apterygist, a somewhat
paradoxical air about it, as the beak is curiously short and curved, whereas
Apteryx owenii has received the name of “straight-billed” from the cir-
cumstance of its bill not being curved as in A. australis.
however, take into consideration at what an early period this was done, and
how little was then known of the species.
In the “Proceedings of the Zoological Society,' 1850 (plates xxx.
& xxxi.), the heads, feet, &c. of Apteryx australis and A. mantelli are well
done. In Gray's Genera of Birds,' vol. iii., there is a fine plate of
A. australis ; but the beak is not curved as it ought to be. Dr. Buller has
figured A. mantelli and A. owenii; all these are adults, as are also those in
the two fine and large plates of Gould's Birds of Australia,' vol. vi. In
We must,

22
BIRDS OF NEW ZEALAND.
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these the beaks of A. australis are more true to nature than those of
A. owenii, which remain too much curved.
Mr. Potts says (Transactions of the New Zealand Institute,' p. 190) :-
“They" (the young) " are quaint-looking little animals, with not too much
of the savour of youth about them, being nearly exact miniatures of the
adult. The well-known ornithic characteristic change of colour troubles
them not. There is no young state of plumage with them, none of that
half-pronounced variation in tone or tint of coloration which calls for the
nice discrimination of practised ornithologists when questions of age have to
be settled. They assume not seasonal distinctions of dress; in winter and
summer they adhere to their sober colours with quaker-like pertinacity.
Kiwis suffer from two races of parasites.
Dr. Buller, in his “ Birds of New Zealand,' p. 369, mentions one of my
chicks of A. owenii as of “a uniform yellowish-brown colour, with the tips
of the feathers lighter.” He goes on, “ Dr. J. F. Knox has a younger
specimen, obtained at Nelson in November 1858—a Kiwi chick, just escaped
from the egg, or rather, in all probability, taken from the egg. Weighed
exactly 2 ounces; bill straight, soft, and measuring 1.25 inch in length;
feathers few in number; wings exceedingly small, and no claw observable."
Another specimen of mine, lately received, most probably a male, has
the beak rather less than an inch and a half long. I take this bird to have
been just hatched.
22
>>

APTERYX MAXIMA, Verr. .
Apteryx maxima, Verreaux, Bp. Compt. Rend. Acad. Sc. xliii. p. 841.
In 'The Ibis,' 1862, vol. iv. p. 104, Mr. J. Haast speaks thus :-“ On the
summits of Papahaua the tracks in the snow showed me that the native
description of a large Kiwi, like a Turkey, could not be well exaggerated.”
Dr. Buller says, “There is no proof whatever that the bird here
described ” (viz. Apteryx haastii) “is the same as that for which M. Jules
Verreaux proposed the name A. maxima ; on the contrary, the evidence, so
far as it goes, would seem to indicate the existence of a much larger species
of Kiwi . . . . . in fact, a bird equalling in size a full-grown Turkey.”
The recent discovery of a really new form leads one to suppose that it
is not impossible that another may yet turn up. To this end, which every
faunist must approve, I have laboured for some years; but there is unluckily
one significant fact—that, among the various ornithic remains, both recent
and fossil, mixed with the bones dug up in 1872 at Moa-bone-Point Cave,
Sumner Road, through Dr. Haast's exertions, though Apterys australis
appears, A. maxima, unless overlooked, does not. There are, however, the
reports of the natives ; but' perhaps these do not stand for much. Then
we hear of the foot in the Museum at Wellington.
If Apteryx maxima is to be found, it must be, I think, on the west coast,
either in a fossil or recent state. It may be alive; if so, of course it will not
remain very long. I trust, for the benefit of science, every part of it will be
properly made use of-feathers, bones, and flesh.

FEATHERS.
In a
Much stress has been laid upon the harshness and softness of plumage in
the several species of Apteryges—so much so, that two forms are attempted
to be specifically differentiated thereby; and one person goes the length of
saying he can distinguish Apteryx australis (with soft plumage) from A.
mantelli, the North-Island bird (with harsh), having his eyes shut.
series of these and others, I have tried to establish this difference, and am
bound to say I do find it, but only in a slight degree. Dr. Buller says, in his
‘Birds of New Zealand,' that of the two specimens of Sceloglaux albifacies in
the Canterbury Museum, the one from the North Island is darker than the
one from the South Island. In this case appears a slight climatal and local
variation, which may be constant, but hardly is of importance enough to
establish a species. Mr. Potts remarks (" Transactions of the New Zealand
Institute,' vol. v. 1872, p. 193) :-“Specimens” (A. owenii) “ obtained south
of the Waitaroa river, in Westland, present some differences of plumage by
which they can readily be distinguished from skins in the Canterbury
Museum, which were obtained in the neighbourhood of Hokitika. The
birds from the northerly districts have a more flocculent plumage,
lighter in tone than those which are found in the country lying under the
shadow of Mount Cook.” Now Dr. Finsch pronounces the harshness of
plumage in a series to have “different degrees observable.” He regards the
difference as “only that of a race or local form” (“Transactions of the New-
Zealand Institute,' 1872, vol. v. p. 212). I have myself observed this
وو

5.
4.
3.
o
1.
6.
J.G. Keulemans del
Mintern Bros imp
1. APTERYX HAASTII FEMALE.
4. APTERYX AUSTRALIS.
2. APTERYX HAASTII MALE.
5. AP TERYX MANTELLI.
3. APTERYX OWENII.
6. DROMÆUS IRRORATUS.
7. CASUARIUS WESTERMANNI


BIRDS OF NEW ZEALAND.
25
harshness in Apteryx owenii, and also different degrees of it-in A. haastii
certainly, caused by the prolongation of the rachis. There is a sexual
difference of colour in my specimens of A. haastii, the females being
lighter than the males. I have perhaps, therefore, though open to conviction,
yet to admit the specific difference of the two insular forms, northern and
southern (A. mantelli and A. australis), the ups and downs of which
deserve a place in Burke's “Vicissitudes of Families.' Mr. Bartlett
first made them two (Proc. Zool. Soc. 1850, p. 274). Dr. Sclater next
restores unity (Proc. Zool. Soc. 1871, p. 496). Mr. Potts (* Transactions of
the New-Zealand Institute,' 1872, p. 194) now again splits them. Dr. Finsch,
as above, leans to Dr. Sclater's view ; while Dr. Buller, in his “Birds of
New Zealand,' sides with Mr. Potts. On examination, for my own part, of
my series, I doubt this variation in plumage (if it constantly exists) to be
sufficient as a diagnostic distinction to ground a specific difference upon ;
and I found my opinion on facts bearing on climatal change observed on
the south coast of England. There is something peculiar (shall I say almost
mammalian) in the way in which the covering of the Apteryx is placed upon
its body. Let me here remind my readers that in most birds there is not an
uninterrupted covering of feathers, but they grow in tracts. It is not,
however, my purpose here to go into this subject in the way it deserves.
Those who wish to follow it out, replete with interest as it is, can consult
Nitzsch’s ‘Pterylography,' edited by Philip Lutley Sclater, M.A., Ph.D.,
F.R.S., in English, published by the Ray Society. I may nevertheless
remark that the feathers grow all over the body of the Apteryx ; the skin
is like leather and does not much vary in thickness, it is very difficult to
relax, and water has little effect upon it. Christian Ludwig Nitzsch had not
an Apteryx to study; but he says, “an uninterrupted covering of feathers
occurs in the genus Aptenodytes, Linn., in which I have found it particularly
complete; also in the Cassowaries, in which, besides the naked parts of the
head and neck, only the pectoral callosity has no feathers. Most birds have
an incomplete feather-covering. .... Birds usually have spaces between the
E

26
BIRDS OF NEW ZEALAND.
66 the
feather-tracts. .... Those birds which exhibit no spaces have the wings
rudimentary and useless for the purpose of flight.” The Apteryx corre-
sponds to the above dictum in Nitzsch’s ‘Pterylography.' He further
remarks (p. 17), “The causes of the interrupted plumage” are
weight of the feathers and the bending and movements of the limbs and
neck.”
In the illustration, feathers of the Spotted Emu of Western Australia
(Dromæus irroratus, Bartlett) and Casuarius westermanni (the unique speci-
men of which was named by Dr. Sclater after the distinguished Director of
the Zoological Gardens at Amsterdam) are given, to show their bifid
character, which does not appear in the family of the Apterygidæ; they have
no accessory plume to their feathers. There is a beautiful portrait of
Dromæus irroratus (Trans. Zool. Soc. vol. iv. pl. lxxvi.) in Dr. Sclater's
article on the Struthious birds in the Gardens of the Society; and he says :-
“ The feathers of D. irroratus are barred alternately with silky white and
darkish grey throughout their length, terminating in a black tip margined
posteriorly with rufous. Those of D. nove-hollandiæ are uniformly blackish
grey from the base to the extremity, which is black with a broad sub-
terminal band of rufous." This Emu was first described by Mr. Bartlett
in 1859.
Casuarius westermanni, Sclater, is figured under the name of C. kaupi
(Proc. Zool. Soc. 1872, p. 147, pl. ix.), and is again mentioned (1874, p. 247).
Mr. Keulemans has well given the terminal spot in the feather of D. irroratus.
Professor Huxley makes the genus Apteryx represent the fifth division of the
Ratitæ (Proc. Zool. Soc. 1867, p. 423). He states that 66 the feathers
are without any after-shaft, while in Casuarius and Dromæus” they are
long as the principal shafts."
Mr. W. S. Dallas, in the Proc. Zool. Soc. 1865, p. 267, on the feathers of
Dinornis, writes :-“ The accessory shaft is of a pale horn-colour, and appears
to be nearly cylindrical. The structure of the web is somewhat different
from that which occurs in the Emu and the Cassowary.” This refers to
as

BIRDS OF NEW ZEALAND.
27
Dinornis robustus, Owen, which, with its feathers, is in the Museum of the
Yorkshire Philosophical Society. They “ are all very imperfect, consisting
only of the basal portions of the shaft and accessory shaft, with here and
there some traces of the barbs ... ... the longest fragment existing in the
skin is only about 2 inches in length.” An illustration is given.
In the Transactions of the New Zealand Institute,' 1871, vol. iv.
pl. ix., a very fine feather of the Moa (species not known) is figured, from
which I should infer that in this family the accessory plume is equal to the
other, as in Casuarius and Dromaus, thus demonstrating the affinity of these
latter with the Dinornithidæ.
E 2

NESTOR MERIDIONALIS, var.
(The Kaka.)
μάλιστα δε Νέστορι δίω
Είδός τε, μέγεθός τε, φυήντ', άγχιστα εώκει.-Homer.
This New Zealand Parrot runs into so many varieties that the specimen here
given may assist in forming an opinion as to the propriety of retaining the
other various scansorial forms (Nestor superbus, N. esslingii, &c.) as specifically
distinct. The example so well figured by Mr. Keulemans appears to come
nearest to variety e of Dr. Buller, who has well enumerated and described
the several plumages. At first I had some doubt as to the species ; but it
clearly is of the Nestor family: if not Nestor himself without his aged head,
he must be Thrasymedes. I received it in 1874 direct from New Zealand,
where it had been kept in captivity at Wellington, North Island. It was
represented to me as being very tame and with considerable powers of
speech, restless, and as active at night as in the daytime. The call was said
to be shrill. I consider this to be an illustration of albinism. The feet and
I
legs, which are usually black, are here white.
Albinism and melanism are things requiring investigation. The “Times'
of January 19, 1874, quoting the “Graphic,' gives some interesting obser-
vations from M. Milne-Edwards. This “ well-known Parisian naturalist has
been studying melanism, or the influence of climate in producing black hue
in the plumage of birds. He observes that the quantity of black in their

J.G Keulemans del
Mintern Bros in
NESTOR MERIDIONALIS VARIETY.


BIRDS OF NEW ZEALAND.
29
feathers is regulated by the regions in which they live, the tendency to
melanism being chiefly noticeable in the southern hemisphere, and par-
ticularly in New Zealand, Madagascar, and New Guinea. The Swan furnishes
a marked example of this, as its white plumage of the northern hemisphere
becomes of a pure raven hue in Australia; while in Terra del Fuego and the
adjacent portions of South America some of the wing-feathers only are black ;
and in Chili the head and neck are alike jet, the remainder of the body
remaining snow-white. This is again visible in the Perroquets in New
Zealand, their plumage showing only small portions of bright red and yellow,
and the rest being of a dingy green, deepening into black; while the same
species in those islands of the Pacific near Africa display similar signs. In
Madagascar and the Mauritius, the Seychelles and the Comoro Islands, black
Parrots are frequently met with. Other examples, such as Ducks, Kingfishers,
&c., can be easily quoted; and it has been found that, in the Southern Indo-
Pacific region, those birds which elsewhere present the most brilliant colours
are either there darkened to black or fade away to white.”
New Zealand presents many examples of the latter; and Dr. Buller
mentions its occurrence in eleven species. Difference of colour, produced
by climatic change, is a long subject. We can always tell a bird which has
just landed at Brighton from one of the same kind which has passed the
winter here, from the superior freshness and brightness of its colours. I
have examples in my own collection to show this distinction.
It is an
interesting topic, on which I could be tempted to run off, but must not. I
may, however, mention that there are several ways by which changes in the
appearance of the plumage of birds may be produced. Owen gives them as
follows :-“By the feather itself becoming altered in colour; by the birds
obtaining a certain number of new feathers without shedding any of the old
ones; by the wearing off of the lengthened lighter-coloured tips of the
barbs of the feathers on the body, by which the brighter tints of the plumage
underneath are exposed; by an entire or partial moulting, at which old
feathers are thrown off and new ones produced in their places. The first

30
BIRDS OF NEW ZEALAND.
three of these changes are observed in adult birds at the approach of the
breeding-season ; the fourth change is partial in spring and entire in
autumn.”—Anatomy of Vertebrates, vol. ii. p. 241.
In captivity the Kaka is a most amusing and interesting bird, whose
merits as a companion, if better known, would cause a demand for it to arise
in this country among those who like pets. Dr. Buller mentions that a
native refused £10 for an old one in bad plumage. He says also, “I have
never seen a pure albino; but I am assured by the natives that they are
occasionally found. One very nearly approaching that condition was shot
at the Whauwhau (in the county of Marsden) in the summer of 1863. The
value set on these rare varieties by the natives may be inferred from the
following circumstance :-A ‘Kaka-korako' was seen by a party of Rangitane
in the Upper Manawatu, and followed through the woods as far as the
Oroua river, every effort being made to take it alive. The Oroua people
(of another tribe) then took up the chase, and followed the bird to the foot
of the Ruahine range; and although carrying guns, to their infinite credit
they allowed it to escape rather than shoot it, in the remote hope that it
might hereafter reappear in their district.”
The most famous Parrot, perhaps, was the one Humboldt saw in South
America, being the sole living creature which could speak the language of a
lost tribe (Darwin, 'Descent of Man,' vol. i. p. 236). It, however, has
fallen, as far as I know, to but one Parrot to arrive at that distinction which
animated England's illustrious Admiral, a place in Westminster Abbey.
This belonged to the Duchess of Devonshire of Charles II.'s time, widow of
the last of the race. This bird's effigy was placed close by its beautiful
mistress, in wax, “as well done as could be.” The loving creature had
“ lived with her Grace for forty years, and survived her only a few days”
(Dean Stanley's 'Memorials of Westminster Abbey,' p. 213). It would be
easy to multiply Psittacine anecdotes ; but I am anxious to avoid the smallest
soupçon of gossip, and shall therefore add very little more.
A Kaka which came over to me direct from New Zealand in ordinary

BIRDS OF NEW ZEALAND.
31
plumage was extremely gentle, quite free from vice, never attempting to use its
formidable bill. When requested to dance it would begin to bob its head up
and down and jerk its body to and fro in the most ludicrous manner; and
this performance never failed to please every observer. Restless at night, he
would traverse his cage all over and give utterance to some curious sound
every now and then. I fear the cause of this bird's death was eating paint ;
and his extreme amiability of temper caused his loss to be a subject of great
regret, almost as much so as that of the famous Parrot mentioned by Miss
Strickland, in her · Princesses of the House of Stuart,' p. 63, belonging to
the daughter of King Charles I., then consort of William II., Stadtholder of
Holland (this bird bore some faint resemblance to the White Kaka, but
had a red neck and tail, though otherwise a white Parrot), to which its owner
was much attached. “One day she left it under the care of her maids of
honour. On her return all her damsels fell at her feet in silence. Where
is my Parrot?'
Parrot?' 'Alas, madam! the cage was opened and he flew away.'
The Princess said kindly, “You are very foolish, my children, to weep for
this bird ; beautiful though he was, he was not worthy of the tears of
christians. Comfort yourselves and me, and let it not be mentioned again.'
After all it was a light loss to that which her father and great grandmother
sustained.
It is said that Onesicrites, the Admiral of the fleet of Alexander the
Great, first brought from the island of Ceylon a green Parrot with a red
neck. Probably the Alexandrine Parrakeet (Palæornis alexandri) is meant,
as Jerdon (in his 'Birds of India') says “this bird is abundant in Ceylon."
Aristotle evidently knew nothing of Parrots, and is doubtful about their
talking
Mr. Potts (Transactions of the New-Zealand Institute,' vol. iii. pl. vii.)
gives an interesting illustration of the nest of the Kaka in the hole of a tree,
where, he says, “it lays four white eggs on the decayed wood.”' He also
states the following condensed particulars :-" It finds its living on and
amongst trees, which it is often accused of injuring by stripping down

32
BIRDS OF NEW ZEALAND.
the bark.” Evidently it is much more dendritic than the Kea (Nestor
notabilis); nor has it the ferocious quality and sheep-killing habits which
the mountain-species at times exhibits. It stands in the place of “the Wood-
peckers, which are absent from the avifauna of the country.” Here, however,
I may observe that it may be called rather a bark-stripper than a wood-
hewer, which is particularly the function of the Woodpeckers.
In captivity it is described as very mischievous, injuring the furniture
&c., in which, no doubt, its powerful beak would assist; and as all the
houses are built of wood, it might make sad havoc in a short time.
Mr. A. R. Wallace remarks, in his instructive article on the Parrots
(Proc. Zool. Soc. 1864, p. 272):—“The Psittaci or Parrots are an extensive
and very isolated group of birds ranging over the tropics of the whole
world, but, with the exception of those lands of anomalies, Australia and
New Zealand, rarely found in the temperate and cooler regions."
Dr. Buller says MM. Blanchard and Pelzeln first determined “ the true
affinities of the genus Nestor, assigning it a station in the subfamily Tricho-
glossinæ. It bears a close relation to the Australian Lories; and the New-
Guinea form, known as Pecquet's Parrot (Dasyptilus pecqueti), appears to
exhibit the transitional or connecting link between these two well-marked
groups.” By some means an error arose respecting the name of this bird,
belonging to the mysterious region of Papua (or, as a correspondent of
the Times,' Dec. 16, 1874, says it should be, “ Daudai”). Mr. Wallace
(Proc. Zool. Soc. 1864, p. 287) calls it D. pequetii, Less. Bull. Univers. 1831,
p. 241, remarking that the natives of Salwatty said it was very rare." Again,
it has been written D. pesqueti. In the 'Bulletin des Sciences Naturelles &c.,'
vol. xxv. p. 341 (misprinted 241), it is given “ Psittacus pecqustii, Less.," and
the account of the bird begins by saying that Lesson had it from M. Pecquet.
Placing my own specimen of D. pecqueti by the side of a series of Nestors, I
observe the remarkable difference in the feathers on the head and neck of
the former from those of the latter. In D. pecqueti they are very lanceolate,
quite sharp at the points, and stiff-in fact, much resembling those of
وو

BIRDS OF NEW ZEALAND.
33
66 That
Apteryx ; in Nestor the feathers on the same region are round and soft. But
I have long been of opinion that to attempt, as systematists do, to place
a bird correctly by either internal or external characters alone, is rash.
Ornithic taxonomy requires us carefully to examine both, and, as regards
the internal, not the osteological only, but the myological as well. In
short, an aggregate of characters is the true ground-bearing also in mind
what St. George Mivart says (Proc. Zool. Soc. 1873, pt. ii. p. 506),
similarity of structure necessarily implies genetic affinity can no longer be
ranked as a biological axiom.”
Respecting the place of Nestor, and therefore of the present indi-
vidual, the Prosector to the Zoological Society, Mr. A. H. Garrod, F.Z.S.,
says (Proc. Zool. Soc. 1872, p. 787) :-“ As the tongue of Nestor does not in
reality resemble that of the Trichoglossi at all, it may be of interest to
describe it more fully.” He then gives drawings of the tongues of Stringops,
Nestor, and Lorius, and states that “it is evident that the structure of
this organ” (the tongue) “would lead to the placing of Nestor among the
typical Parrots, though an aberrant one, and not with the Trichoglossinæ ;
and other points in its anatomy favour this conclusion.” This instructive
article of the Prosector's, however, should be read; I cannot do justice to it
here. Nevertheless I must always feel regret at the banishment of our bird
from a family composed of what Mr. A. R. Wallace calls “undoubtedly the
most highly organized form of Parrot."
I forgot to mention that Rutherford, the Englishman who was captured
by the New Zealanders in March 1816, and who lived among them till
January 1826, is said to have become very expert in taking birds with a
noosed string, after the manner of the natives, and that he thus caught
thousands of Ground-Parrots with a line about fifty feet long” (Library
of Entertaining Knowledge '—“The New-Zealanders,” p. 187). What a
chance came to this man if he had only been an ornithologist !
ور
F



J.G. Keulemans del
Mintern Bros.imp.
SCELOGLAUX ALBIFACIES.

SCELOGLAUX ALBIFACIES.
(White-faced Owl.)
This Owl, first described by Dr. Gray in his 'Voyage of the Erebus and Terror,'
and named Athene albifacies, was afterwards placed by Dr. J. J. Kaup (Trans.
Zool. Soc. iv. p. 219) in his fifth genus (Ieraglaux) and subgenus Sceloglaux, of
which latter it was (and, as Dr. Buller states, is) the sole representative.
He proceeds to call it “one of our rarest, and a fast-expiring species.” The
two birds in the illustration were brought over from New Zealand to me, with
others, and exhibited alive at the meeting of the Zoological Society, Novem-
ber 3rd, 1874. They vary somewhat in appearance. One is dark, having
the facial disk more rufous, and the other light. In making the drawing,
Mr. Keulemans has had the advantage of giving portraits of living indivi-
duals, by which means all the soft parts can be correctly ascertained ; and it
is for this purpose alone that I figure the bird, which in previous instances
could only be drawn from skins (an obvious disadvantage). The eyes differ
greatly in colour from those of Spiloglaux nova zealandiæ : the pupils are
prussian blue with a strong light upon them, at night looking quite black;
and while in the above species the yellow iris is conspicuous and bright, in
Sceloglauw albifacies, though it still exists, it is so faint and dirty as to be
hardly worthy of the name, and it is only on a close inspection that you see
it; it might be described as brown-yellow. As regards other Owls, the eyes
G

36
BIRDS OF NEW ZEALAND.
in Nyctea scandiaca, Linn. (Snowy Owl), have a black pupil and straw-coloured
iris. In Bubo ignavus, T. Forster (Eagle Owl), the iris is orange-yellow; and
I observe in a bird of this species known to be eight years old, the colour of
the iris is much darker. The eyes of these individual birds vary in colour.
The Wood-Owl (Syrnium stridula) has eyes like Sceloglaux albifacies, with a
reddish eyelash. In the Mottled Owl (Strix asio) the pupil is black, the iris
straw-colour. The Little Owl (Carine noctua) has eyes like Strix asio.
Dr. Buller says (Birds of New Zealand, p. 18) of Spiloglaux nove zealandiæ :
“On the approach of night its whole nature is changed: the half-closed
orbits open to their full extent, the pupils expand till the yellow irides are
reduced to a narrow external margin, and the lustrous orbs glow with
animation, while all the movements of the bird are full of life and activity.”
All this is quite the case with the White-faced Owl, except that its irides are
not yellow. The bird is strictly nocturnal; and the two here depicted sit
all day in a corner on the ground, close up together. More gentle animals
could not be ; they allow themselves to be handled without any resentment.
On March 1st last I tied their legs together, and put each bird into the
scales; the dark one weighed i lb. 4} oz., the light one 1 lb. 5. oz. I fancy
the facial disk of the lighter bird has become whiter since I received it. New
Zealand possesses many fine forms, which to me, who confess to some enthu-
siasm in these things, are intensely interesting; but few are more so than
Stringops habroptilus and Sceloglaux albifacies—both being strictly nocturnal,
the one an Owl-like Parrot, the other an Accipitrine Owl. I do not make
out the latter to be such a bad flyer, judging from these specimens ; but
it is not always easy to speak on this point. Nocturnal species seldom show
much in captivity—the Laughing Owl, for instance, being provokingly mute.


20
.
-
ORA
SER
LIN
ASS
SO
3
2
J.G. Keulemans del.
T. Walter lith.
PORPHYRIO
STANLEYI.

PORPHYRIO STANLEYI. .
(The White Porphyrio.)
WING 8 inches 7 lines ; tarsus 3 inches 4 lines ; naked part of tibia 1 inch
3 lines; middle toe, without the claw, 3 inches, outer toe 2 inches 43 lines,
inner toe 2 inches 2 lines, hind toe 1 inch ; bill from gape 1 inch 21 lines,
under mandible 1 inch 4 lines ; upper mandible, from point to end of plate
2 inches 4} lines, to the beginning of the plate 1 inch 6 lines. No total length
can be given ; the tail is in bad condition, and the skin so old and thin that
it will not bear much handling.
This unique, perhaps extinct, and most interesting bird is now in the
Liverpool Museum ; and I have to express my obligations to Mr. T. J. Moore
and the Committee for permission to draw it for this work. I have also
to thank Mr. Keulemans for the trouble he had in going to Liverpool
expressly for that purpose and for taking the measurements. To Professor
Newton's kindness I owe the use of his Catalogue of William Bullock's sale.
The specimen now has this label on it :-“White Gallinule, Lath. Syn. (2 edit.
pp. 428-40); Gallinula alba, Ind. Orn. 2.768. Bullock's Museum, 1645.
27 May, 1819.” Another small label, tied round the leg, has “D” and the
3213.” The “D,” of course, means Derby, and the figures on
the reverse the number of the specimen in the Derby Museum, as the
“1645” was its designation in the Bullock one. In Bullock's priced sale-
catalogue, on the seventeenth day, p. 103, Thursday, May 27, 1819, I
observe :-“ Lot 60. White Gallinule (F. alba). New Zealand, rare; brought
reverse
G 2

38
BIRDS OF NEW ZEALAND.
by Sir J. Banks. Lord Stanley, £3 3s.” This was the son of the 12th Earl
of Derby, Edward Smith, who in 1834 became 13th Earl and was President
of the Linnean and Zoological Societies. The bird is not a Gallinule; and
as Porphyrio alba, Temm., applies to the Vienna specimen (Notornis alba),
also unique and perhaps extinct (of which presently), I have given it the
above name.
There are three birds concerning which I propose to say a word or two.
These are
Notornis mantelli, Owen. 2 known, in the British Museum.
Notornis alba, Pelzeln and Salvin. i known, in the Vienna Museum,
formerly in the Leverian Museum.
Porphyrio stanleyi. i known, in the Liverpool Museum, formerly in
Bullock's and Lord Derby's Museums.
It may be well to take Notornis mantelli first. Dr. Buller has given of
this bird so good a portrait, made from the better specimen of the two in the
National Collection, that, in conjunction with Mr. Gould's fine illustration
(Birds of Australia, Suppl.), every one who has these works can judge for
himself. There is, however, one important particular which I may mention,
viz. that Notornis mantelli possesses a spur or nail on the shoulder of the
wing, which escapes observation, being covered with feathers. The example
figured by Dr. Buller in his 'Birds of New Zealand' has this nail broken off
on the left wing; it is very distinct on the right one. The other specimen
has smaller spurs or nails (query, the female ?). Dr. Buller has written a
full account of Notornis, to which I refer my readers; also to Gould’s ‘Hand-
book to the Birds of Australia,' vol. ii. p. 576. The following excerpts from
various authors apply to one or both of the last two birds.
In “ The Ibis ’ (3rd ser. vol. i. Oct. 1871, p. 443), Messrs. Sclater and
Salvin speak of a pamphlet by Edward S. Hill (Sydney, 1870) on Lord
Howe's Island. In this pamphlet" mention is made of a white bird like
a Guinea-fowl, which, if not actually extinct, seems on a fair way to become

BIRDS OF NEW ZEALAND.
39
p. 328)
so;" and the Editor adds this note :-“ This bird is very probably the
same as the species from Norfolk Island, described by Latham as Gallinula
alba (Ind. Orn. p. 768, and Gen. Hist. ix. p. 428), the type of which is
now in the Imperial Cabinet at Vienna (cf. v. Pelz. Sitz. Ak. Wien, xli.
Von Pelzeln has no doubts as to its specific distinctness, and
considers that it should be referred to the genus Notornis rather than to
Porphyrio, in which view he is probably correct.”
' Ibis,' vol. ii. 1860, p. 422, we find :-“ Notornis alba is established on
a specimen acquired at the sale of the Leverian collection, which was,
without doubt, the type of Fulica alba of White's Voyage (White's
' Journal of a Voyage to New South Wales, p. 238, cum tab.), and the
Gallinula alba of Latham. This bird has been considered by Temminck
and G. R. Gray to be an albino variety of the well-known Porphyrio
melanotus ; but Herr von Pelzeln regards it as certainly distinct, and
probably referable to a second species of the highly interesting quasi-
extinct genus Notornis.”
Again (Ibis, vol. iv. 1862, p. 240), in Mr. G. R. Gray's “ List of the
Birds of New Zealand and the adjacent Islands,” we have :-
“PORPHYRIO ALBA, Temm.
Fulica alba, White's Journ. App. pl. p. 238; Phill. Bot. Bay, pl. p. 273 ; Callam, Bot.
Bay, 1783.
Gallinula alba, Lath. Ind. Orn. ii. p. 768.
Porphyrio melanotus (albino var.), G. R. Gr. Voy. Ereb. & Terr. Birds, p. 14. .
Porphyrio melanotus, var., Pr. B.
Notornis ? alba, v. Pelz. Sitz. Akad. d. Wiss. Wien, xli.
“ Hab. Norfolk Island and other places.
Entirely white; but some differ in having bright blue between the
shoulders, and spotted on the back with the same.
“ In Vienna Museum, from the Leverian Museum.
“It is stated that a similar bird was found on Lord Howe's Island,
which was incapable of flight. The wings of the male were beautifully
mottled with blue.
p.
331.

40
BIRDS OF NEW ZEALAND.
“ The young are said to be black; then they become bluish grey, and
afterwards pure white (Lath. Gen. Hist. ix. p. 428).” (Note) “What is the
· Coot’ of Lord Howe's Island, Phill. Voy. Bot. Bay, p. 226 ?”
Also (Ibis, 3rd ser. vol. iii. Jan. 1873, p. 44)
A. von Pelzeln, on birds in the Imperial collection at Vienna, after refe-
rences, says :—“Our collection is in possession of White's type (Fulica alba,
Norfolk Isl.); the identity of the bird is proved by White's remark in the
preface to his book, that the birds from which the drawings were taken are
deposited in the Leverian Museum. In a letter on Lord Howe's Island
(P. Z. S. 1869, p. 471), Dr. G. Bennet says that the White Gallinule figured
in Phillip's “Voyage to Botany Bay,' and found only in Norfolk and Lord
Howe's Islands, is now extinct, as it has not been seen recently on either of
these islands ....To Mr. A. Newton (Ibis, 1866) we owe the notice that,
besides the specimen in the Imperial Museum at Vienna, there is a second in
the Derby Museum at Liverpool, from Bullock's collection." (Note) “ Herr
von Pelzeln has just forwarded us a drawing of this species, from which it is
our intention to have a plate prepared for our next Number.”
Accordingly, in The Ibis,' 3rd ser. vol. iii. July 1873, Mr. Salvin pub-
lishes the plate (x.), and says, in a “Note on the Fulica alba of White :" —
“On comparing the coloured drawing with the specimens of Notornis
mantelli in the British Museum, it appeared evident that the bird in the
Imperial Cabinet at Vienna must belong to Notornis. The short wings and
the short toes, as well as the outline of the back, indicated clearly a far
greater generic affinity with Notornis than with Porphyrio.
“ I therefore (depending, of course, upon the accuracy of the drawing
sent me, which has been placed on stone by Mr. Keulemans on a slightly
larger scale than the original sketch) have little hesitation in adding this
species to the genus Notornis, thereby confirming the position pointed out for
it by Herr von Pelzeln (anted, p. 44).”
At the risk of being tedious I make the following extracts from White,
Phillip, and Latham, Gray's Voyage of the Erebus & Terror,' and state my
own view.

BIRDS OF NEW ZEALAND.
41
Journal of a Voyage to New South Wales, by John White, MDCCXC.
Appendix, p. 238, with coloured plate of the White Fulica ;' in the corner,
“S. Stone Delin.” In the preface Mr. White says, " The public may rely,
with the most perfect confidence, on the care and accuracy with which the
drawings have been copied from nature, by Miss Stone, &c. The engravings
with equal correctness. The birds &c. from which the drawings were taken
are deposited in the Leverian Museum.”
“ THE WHITE FULICA.
Fulica alba.
“Fulica alba, rostro fronteque rubris, humeris spinosis, pedibus flavis ?
“ Corpus magnitudine fere gallinæ domesticæ. Humeri spina parva incurvata. In specimine
exsiccato pedes flavi ; sed fortasse in viva ave rostro concolores.
“ White Fulica, with the bill and front red, shoulders spined, legs and
feet yellow ?
“ The body is about the size of a domestic fowl. The shoulders are
furnished with a small crooked spine. In the dried specimen the legs and
feet are yellow, but perhaps in the living bird might have been of the
same colour with the beak. This bird is the only species of its genus yet
known of a white colour. The birds of this genus rank in the order called
by Linnæus Grallæ ; and most of the species frequent watery places. To this
genus belongs the well-known bird called the Moor-hen, or Fulica chloropus ;
as also a very beautiful exotic species called the Purple Water-hen, which is
the F. porphyrio of Linnæus, and which in shape most resembles the White
Fulica now described.”
The Voyage of Governor Phillip to Botany Bay, Lond. 1789 :-
P. 181-82. “There is no danger in approaching Lord Howe Island. No
vegetables were to be seen. On the shore there are plenty of Ganets, and
a land-fowl of a dusky brown colour, with a bill four inches long, and feet
like those of a chicken ; these proved remarkably fat, and were very good
food ; but we have no further account of them. There are also many very
large Pigeons, and the white bird resembling the Guinea-fowl, which were

42
BIRDS OF NEW ZEALAND.
found at Norfolk Island, were seen here also in great numbers. The bill of
this bird is red, and very strong, thick and sharp-pointed.”
P. 225. “ The inhabitants of this island were all of the feathered tribe...
a new species, apparently of the Coote, and also of the Rail, and Magpie.”
P. 273, with plate of“ White Gallinule. A. L. pinxit,” which I take to be
A. Latham. “ White Gallinule. This beautiful bird greatly resembles the
Purple Gallinule in shape and make, but is much superior in size, being as large
as a dunghill fowl. The length from the end of the bill to that of the claws
is 2 feet 3 inches; the bill is very stout, and the colour of it, the whole top
of the head, and the irides red; the sides of the head round the eyes are
reddish, very thinly sprinkled with white feathers; the whole of the plumage
without exception is white. The legs the colour of the bill. This species is
pretty common on Lord Howe's Island, Norfolk Island, and other places, and
is a very tame one. The other sex, supposed to be the male, is said to have
some blue on the wings.”
Latham's plate in the above work is that of a completely different bird
from that represented in Miss Stone's plate in White's work and the ‘Ibis ?-
plate of Mr. Salvin ; while, again, the last two vary.
We come now to Latham's' General History of Birds,' vol. ix. p. 428,
Lond. 1824 :-
66 WHITE GALLINULE.
Gallinula alba, Ind. Orn. ii. 768.
Fulica alba (White Fulica), White's Journal, p. 135, pl. p. 238.
White Gallinule, Phil. Bot. Bay, pl. p. 273; Gen. Syn. Suppl. ii. 327.
“Size of a hen ; length two feet. Shape and colour of the bill as in the
purple species, with also the crown red and bare; irides red; round the eye
scarcely covered with feathers, so that the skin is visible, appearing somewhat
rough; the whole of the plumage pure white; the legs red, claws brown;
on the bend of the wing a sharp spur. Some of these birds, supposed to
differ in sex, are of a bright blue between the shoulders, and spotted on
the back with the same.

BIRDS OF NEW ZEALAND.
43
“ These inhabit Norfolk Island, are very common, and so extremely
tame as to be easily knocked down with a stick; they feed on various things,
and have more than once been observed to eat the ejected food of the Booby
Pelican. It is to be suspected that this is no other than a casual variety
of the Purple Gallinule, particularly as that bird is in sufficient plenty in
Tongo taboo, Tanna, and other islands of the Pacific Ocean . . . . . It is
probably the same met with in Lord Howe's Island, said to resemble a
Guinea-hen in make, and to weigh four pounds, and that the cock's wings
were beautifully mottled with blue. None of them could fly, but were run
down by the seamen.
“ The Purple Gallinule of New South Wales is probably different from
the Indian one, and is said to undergo extraordinary changes during its
progress to maturity; that of Howe's Island, when young, is entirely black ;
from that becomes bluish grey, and afterwards pure white.”
Zoology of the Voyage of H.M.S. ` Erebus' and Terror,' by John Edward
Gray, 1844. Birds, p. 14. Subfamily Gallinulinæ. Birds of New Zealand :-
“ PORPHYRIO MELANOTUS.
Porphyrio melanotus, Temm. Man. d’Orn. ii. 701.
Fulica alba, Lath. White's Journ. t. 138 (albino variety).
Head, back, and wings deep shining black ; neck, breast, and outer
margins of wings indigo blue; abdomen sooty black; under tail-coverts
pure white. Length 1 foot 5 inches ; bill from gape 1 inch 7 lines ; wings
10 inches ; tarsi 3 inches 8 lines. The head of the female or young is blackish
grey.”
Diagnoses.
NOTORNIS MANTELLI, Owen.
Hab. New Zealand.
و
Differs from Porphyrio. Middle toe shorter than tarsus, hind toe
short. Tibia feathered close to junction with the tarsus. Claws short
and curved. Frontal plate reaching the eye. On the bend of the wing
a sharp spur in one sex; and if the only two specimens known, and now
H

44
BIRDS OF NEW ZEALAND.
in the British Museum, are different sexes, then both sexes have the spur.
Body heavy. Wing-feathers soft. Supposed to be flightless. Secondaries
longer than the primaries.
Colour : one dress blue-green; beak red, with yellow tip; legs red.
For further description vide :-Buller's Birds of New Zealand ; Gould's
Birds of Australia ; Owen, Trans. Zool. Soc. vol. iii. p. 377.
Compare with Porphyrio.
Porphyrio.—Middle toe longer than tarsus ; body slender ; tibia feathered
about three parts down to tarsus. Frontal extending beyond the eye. Wing
pointed, sharp, and feathers hard; toes longer, claws less curved than in the
Notornithidæ.
On the bend of the wing a sharp spur in some species, in one sex
(query, in both ?).
NOTORNIS ALBA, Pelzeln.
Hab. Norfolk Island, Lord Howe's Island ?
Differs from N. mantelli. Middle toe shorter than tarsus, hind toe short.
Frontal plate going beyond the eye; tibia feathered as in Porphyrio, not as
in Notornis. Feathers of wing soft. Said to be flightless. Secondaries longer
than primaries. Colour in one dress white. Legs (in Ibis ’-plate) yellow,
beak red; but probably in the flesh both red, with yellow tip to beak. Not
so heavy in body as Notornis. On bend of wing a sharp spur (vide Miss
Stone's plate in White's 'Voyage,' also his description as above). Miss Stone's
plate differs from the Ibis'-plate in certain particulars. A tender regard
for ornithic taxonomy causes me to leave this bird alone; but the circum-
stance of a Notornis out of New Zealand appears to me suspicious, and I
consider this a very aberrant species in that genus !
PORPHYRIO STANLEYI.
Hab. Lord Howe's Island ? or New Zealand.
Differs from Notornithidæ. Middle toe equal in length to tarsus. Tibia

BIRDS OF NEW ZEALAND.
45
feathered three parts down. Frontal plate going to back of the eye, as
usual in this genus; hind toe relatively longer than in Notornis. Claws
short and curved. Body lighter than in Notornis ; figure quite different.
Wings longer than in Notornis, sharp, and feathers pointed. Primaries
nearly 2 inches longer than secondaries, hard. Apparently a bird of good
flight. On bend of wing, concealed by feathers, a sharp spur. Differs from
Gallinula, in which the wing-spur is sometimes found as a knob only.
Colour: indications of first dress being brown or black, perhaps
second dress blue, third dress white; but all these uncertain.
Now in Liverpool Museum, formerly in Lord Derby's Museum, first
in Bullock's Museum.
The present example is probably a young bird.
Description of the Plate.
As it is commonly impossible to tell the colour of the soft parts, legs,
beak, &c. from a faded skin (from which this Plate was taken), these are not
to be regarded as of any authority in the present illustration*. The bill is so
badly broken in both mandibles that it would have looked an absurdity to
copy it; therefore this has been drawn as it is supposed it should be. There
are some brown feathers on the occiput; and it appears quite a young
bird.
The legs were in a very soft condition and swollen when the bird was killed
and skinned, there being several folds in, and air-spaces under, the skin of the
tarsus. It seems to have lost its original colour by moulting. When placed
in a good clear light, the entire plumage appears to be yellowish white; but
the parts most turned away from the light present a beautiful bluish gloss : a
reflection is much enhanced by placing a sheet of white paper under it as a
reflector; then the so coloured parts assume a brilliancy almost equal to
phosphoric light, like mother-of-pearl. On the right side of the head are
* Dr. Buller says,
in the Birds of New Zealand, of Porphyrio melanotus, p. 186 :-"The colours
of the bill and legs are regulated by conditions of age and sex; but they likewise differ somewhat
in richness in individual examples of the male.”
H 2

46
BIRDS OF NEW ZEALAND.
several brown feathers, which are wanting on the left side. The three or
four brownish and bluish feathers on the scapularies and wing-coverts are
very symmetrical in their distribution. The middle tail-feathers are bluish,
the outer white, though many of the tail-feathers, particularly the under ones,
are lost. There is a very sharp nail on the inside of the wing, quite con-
cealed by feathers, about 14 inch from the bend of the wing.
I have been particular in these details because this unique skin is very
old, was never in very good condition, and cannot be expected to last.
Therefore this attempt to lay before the readers of the Ornithological
Miscellany' an account of it and rescue it from the obliterating grasp of
time will, I hope, be looked upon with a lenient eye.
There is no notice of the Leverian bird (the Notornis alba of Pelzeln and
Salvin) in the Museum Leverianum ' by George Shaw, published by James
Parkinson, 1792.
Several Gallinules are mentioned in Bullock’s ‘Catalogue;' but there
is no doubt as to the identity of the bird under consideration. On the
twenty-first day's sale (Thursday, June 3), p. 128, lot 54, appears “Common
Gallinule, from Tristan D'Ancunha; and the Red-necked Grebe. Ryall, 7s. Od.”
This, most likely, is the same species as the Island-Hen of Tristan d'Acunha,
Gallinula nesiotis, Sclater (P. Z. S. 1861, p. 260, pl. xxx.), which example is
now in the British Museum and is stated to have been the first of its kind
that reached Europe alive or dead.” Bullock's bird, if my conjecture is
correct, is a previous one.
As this Gallinule is probably extinct, it would be desirable to know what
became of Bullock's specimen. In G. R. Gray's 'Catalogue of Grallæ &c. of
the British Museum' (1844) there is no mention of a Water-hen from Tristan
d'Acunha being in the Museum ; so that Leach probably did not buy it.
It is stated, in the above account of Gallinula nesiotis, “ As far as can be
judged from the specimen in the Gardens, the bird can flutter a little, but
obviously uses its legs and not its wings as a mode of escape.” The power
وو

BIRDS OF NEW ZEALAND.
47
of flight is not always easily determined. We had a domestic fowl at my
father's which brought up a sitting of Pheasants, went off with them into the
plantations, and became quite wild, rose up and flew well, exactly as a
Pheasant. This hen, next season, had a lot of eggs, of which I now retain
one, clearly a cross between a cock Pheasant and herself; she unfortunately
deserted the nest, from being looked at. The eggs were of the colour of a
Pheasant's egg, but larger. Mr. Robert O. Cunningham, in his ‘Straits of
Magellan, 1871, p. 94, says of the Steamer Duck (Anas brachyptera, Lath. ;
Micropterus brachypterus, Quoy & Gaimard):-“ Undoubtedly some Steamer
Ducks fly, and others appear to be either wholly incapable of flight or do not
make use of their faculties in this respect; it is nevertheless my belief there
is only one species of the genus Micropterus, and that the variations in size,
capability of flight, and colouring of plumage are chiefly dependent on the
age of the birds ; secondly, it is my opinion that it is the young birds that
can fly, and that the power of flight or the disposition to fly diminishes with
age.” Captain King had made a volant and a non-volant species ; now
Latham distinctly says of the birds of Lord Howe's Island, “none of them
could fly.” This description never could have reference to Porphyrio stanleyi,
which appears to me to have escaped notice, and to be a distinct bird, unique.
Though I have upon consideration called the Liverpool bird Porphyrio
stanleyi, yet it must be under grave suspicion of having come from New
Zealand and being only an albino variety of the Porphyrio melanotus of that
island, in which case Bullock's Catalogue’ as to the habitat and Mr. Gray's
dictum as to the genus and species are correct. It appears, however, that
he alluded to the Vienna bird, or confounded the two. It is true that the
claws are short and curved, while in P. melanotus they are long and less
so; but claws are very fallible, of which I have had some experience; and
if my readers will refer to the changes in the young in P. melanotus re-
corded in Dr. Buller's Birds of New Zealand’ and the albino varieties of
that bird which he speaks of, I think they will agree with me.
Porphyrio stanleyi, volant, is quite distinct from Notornis mantelli, non-

48
BIRDS OF NEW ZEALAND.
volant; and if the plates of Miss Stone in White, Latham in Phillip, and
the Ibis ’ one can be in the least depended upon, it is a different species from
the Vienna bird, now called Notornis (?) alba. It is difficult, however, to judge
from a plate. Porphyrio melanotus is a bird of flight. It is strange that
so many authors, acute observers, should never mention the spur on the wing,
which I find present in P. melanotus, P. stanleyi, and Notornis mantelli, as well
as in the Vienna bird. Messrs. Hartlaub and Finsch, on birds from the Pacific
Islands (P. Z. S. 1871, p. 27), speaking of Porphyrio vitiensis, say “its size,
as usually in Porphyrio, varies a good deal.”
Just as this was going to press I received the following, for which I have
to thank the Rev. George Weare Braikenridge, of Claremont, Clevedon :-
CATALOGUE OF THE LEVERIAN MUSEUM.
PART III.
Page 118.—Twenty-fourth day. Saturday, 31st May, 1806. 2782. White
Fulica (Fulica alba). New Holland.
PRICE-CATALOGUE OF THE LEVERIAN MUSEUM.
Page 26.-Twenty-fourth day. 2782. 14s. Od.

PART II.
No. 2
BRITISH BI R D S.
“ The feathered songster, Chanticleer,
Has wound his bugle-horn,
And told the early villager
The coming of the morn."
CHATTERTON's Poems of Rowley.


GYPS FULVUS. .
(Griffon Vulture.
Vultur fulvus, J. F. Gmelin, Syst. Nat. i. P.
249 (1788).
The old controversy about the smelling-power of this bird is well known.
Canon Tristram has made some remarks (quoted in the 4th edition of
Yarrell) which appear to me convincing. Mr. Darwin (Origin of Species,
p. 197) says :-“ The naked skin on the head of the Vulture is looked upon
as an adaptation for wallowing in putridity; why is the skin naked on the
clean-feeding Turkey?” I don't know if he has ever answered his own ques-
tion; nor do I profess that the present reason is certain ; but when we
look at Talegallus Lathami (the Wattled Talegallus of Australia), we may see
a cause for its bare head and neck.
So necessary is it to preserve its plumage when heaping up rubbish,
that Mr. Gould, the first to make known these singular habits, states
( Handbook to the Birds of Australia,' vol. ii. p. 152) as follows :-“ The
materials composing these mounds are accumulated by the bird grasping a
quantity in its foot and throwing it backwards to one common centre.”
Nevertheless the head must be frequently pushed in among the dirt and
stuff of the mound; and then the feathers would be injured. Doubtless
the wild Turkey is not an Australian Brush-Turkey, neither does it make
a mound for its eggs; but it is by nature a forest-bird, and may require
to thrust its head among fallen leaves &c. However that may be, it
appears to me that in the Brush-Turkey we have an apparent cause, other
than putridity, but yet reasonably probable, for the naked head and neck.
I

HALI ÆETUS ALBICILLA.
(Sea-Eagle.)
“I chose an Eagle, and did avoid a Puttock.”
Cymbeline, Act i. Sc. 2.
John WOLLEY, the naturalist, in the Ootheca Wolleyana,' recommends any
man who wishes to enjoy the beauties of a wild coast in perfection to seat
himself in the nest of the Sea-Eagle. After having served his time and risen
to fame in the Alpine Club he could not do better.
Mem.—“27 Aug. 1869. To-day saw a Sea-Eagle on the wing at Talisker
Head, Skye. Here was its nest last spring, which the shepherds destroyed
by means of throwing burning peats into it from above. On the other side
of the same cliff is a raven's nest, which I remarked as being in a situation
quite impossible to get at even with a rope. The Eagle soon left us; and
we entered a famous cave, the abode of otters ; but though we had two good
otter-dogs, both named Doran (father and son), we did nothing: the cairn
was closed, and otters gone: There was so much swell that we had great
difficulty in getting into the boat; a sea-fog came on, and a very large old
Gull (Larus marinus), a bird we had winged, seized young Doran, when a
general scramble took place. Sept. 2. Observed the same Eagle round Wia
Island, rather near, and watched it a long time: saw it skim along without
motion of the wing, and then flap slowly away. We found plenty of Grouse
notwithstanding. The rabbits, which are abundant, must fatten this bird.”
“A large Eagle, which has been flying about in the vicinity of
Arundel, to the terror of many, was shot on Friday last by Mr. W. Ottley,
the head gamekeeper of His Grace the Duke of Norfolk. Since the
singular visitor has been in the neighbourhood he has been aimed at by
>

BRITISH BIRDS.
53
many sportsmen, who have been unsuccessful in bringing him down. We
believe His Grace has, on more than one occasion, had an unsuccessful
shot. Being a strong bird, and usually flying very high, it required some
considerable force to kill him. On Friday last, however, Mr. Ottley, who
was in a plantation near Arundel Park, between Bevis's grave and the
walnut-trees, had a good shot, and succeeded in wounding him. The bird
struggled considerably, and at length perched upon a tree, from which he
was soon levelled and taken to the Castle, where, by direction of His Grace
the Duke of Norfolk, he was laid out, to be shown to any one who chose to
go and see him. After this the Eagle was sent to Mr. Leadbeater, the orni-
thologist, of London, to be stuffed. He turns out to be a young male of the
White-tailed Sea-Eagle, and not a Golden Eagle as was supposed. Mr. Lead-
beater is also of opinion that it is a bird of the first year. Although the bird
is of such a large size (measuring, with its wings expanded, 7 feet 5 inches),
it weighs barely 10 lbs. The length from the beak to the tail is 3 feet, and
the breadth across the shoulders 1 foot. The beak is 31 inches long, and
the centre talon 2 inches; the quill-feather, from the pinion-joint, measures
23] inches. Its principal haunt was near the South Wood and Houghton
chalk-pit ; and many mutilated rabbits have been picked up which have been
killed by the distinguished visitor since he has been in the neighbourhood. -
West Sussex Gazette.” (" Times,' February 24, 1868.)
February 23, 1860, the Rev. R. N. Dennis writes to me that “a Sea-
Eagle, an adult, with the white crest, was shot near the lighthouse, Seaford,
Sussex, some time since ; curiously enough, it was drawn within shot, at
least, by the carcass of a large turtle which had drifted on the beach."
The last two birds both appeared on the south coast, in the month of
February
“Chase after an Eagle.—A few days ago, while several dogs and a lot of
ravens were enjoying a feast on the carcass of a horse at Braehour, they were
suddenly disturbed by the presence of a fine large Eagle, at whose appearance
the dogs ran off and the ravens flew away, one of the latter carrying off a
I 2

54
BRITISH BIRDS.
portion of the entrails, part being swallowed. The raven being unable either
to separate or disgorge her booty, she had to fly away with about half a yard
dangling out of her mouth. The Eagle, observing this, instantly gave chase,
and soon after succeeded in seizing hold of the end of the piece and in
dragging both it and the raven to the ground, on reaching which he struck
and killed the raven, and soon after made a meal of it and the carrion,
returning towards the carcass. In the mean time, however, two of the dogs
had returned; and possession being nine points of the law, they growled
defiance at the invader and prepared to defend their rights. The Eagle, bent
on obtaining possession, for a short time hovered near the spot, and suddenly
descending gave the dogs two blows with its wings and expelled them. It
fed for a short time, and then flew off with a large piece of carrion, which it
deposited on a distant eminence, thereafter descending into the neighbouring
loch and enjoying a bathe with evident relish. This, however, did not finish
the Eagle's adventures of the day. After slowly rising out of the loch
it descended upon a flock of sheep and lambs and carried off in its talons a
young lamb from the stock of Mr. Gunn, Braehour, and disappeared on the
top of Dorrery. Mr. Gunn, having observed the theft, gave chase, accom-
panied (strange to say) by the ewe whose lamb had been taken away.
Whether the mother had observed the direction the Eagle took, or merely
followed Mr. Gunn after being deprived of its lamb, it is impossible to say ;
but it is certainly singular that she should have at once, without invitation,
accompanied him in the chase after her young one. On arriving at the top
of Dorrery the Eagle was observed resting, while the lamb was skipping
about uninjured. The Eagle maintained its position till Mr. Gunn was within
fifty yards of it, when it took to flight, and Mr. Gunn, with ewe and lamb,
returned to Braehour, the lamb being none the worse for its aerial voyage in
the talons of the Eagle. -Northern Ensign.” (“Times,' Monday, March 21,
1864.)

PANDION HALIÆETUS, Linn.
(Osprey.)
“Mr. SWAYSLAND says he saw an Osprey off Brighton, Sept. 23, 1862. It
was pursued by many Starlings and a Rook, and went along slowly.” The
Rev. R. N. Dennis, rector of South Blatchington, writes the same day,
“ The Osprey was shot by a coast-guardsman as it was flying over the
Castle hill, Newhaven; he brought it over here directly. It seemed very
gentle and inoffensive, and not inclined to use its formidable claws. It had
been seen about the Newhaven and Cuckmere rivers for three days; and a
coast-guardsman watched it while it captured a fish in the mill-pond. The
stomach contained a few pieces of shingle, two or three bones of a small fish,
and a seed-capsule of a common seaweed, doubtless swallowed accidentally.
It was in very good condition, and measured 5 feet 45 inches from tip to
tip of the wings.”
FALCO CANDICANS, J. F. Gmelin.
(Greenland Falcon.)
Falco candicans, J. F. Gm. Syst. Nat. i. p. 275 (1780).
PROFESSOR NEWTON has given three forms of Gyrfalco (vide Yarrell's Brit.
Birds, 4th ed., revised by Alfred Newton, M.A., F.R.S.). Mr. R. B. Sharpe,
in the P. Z. S. 1873, p. 414, attempts to establish a fourth. To which of them
the following birds, mentioned by Lord Lindsay, belong, cannot, I think, be
safely determined. In former days two of these noble Falcons were deemed
a fitting present for a king. It is stated, in the Lives of the Lindsays,' by
Lord Lindsay, vol. i. p. 181, edition 1858, that Earl John, son of the
Lindsay, Duke of Montrose, was fond of horses, dogs, and falcons, &c.
Payments occur in the treasurer's accounts “To the Earl of Crawford's
falconer "_" to the Earl of Crawford's man that brought twa gere-falcons
to the king ”—“ bridle-silver of two horses, giffin ” by the Earl“ to the king.”

56
BRITISH BIRDS.
as
Payments to “the Countess of Crawford's harper" also.-Haigh Muniment
Room. This was James IV. of fatal Flodden, where Crawford so vainly
expended his life in defence of that master whose impetuous folly caused the
streams of sorrow to trickle alike down the cheeks of childhood and of age,
s with the maiden so with her mistress,” through the length and breadth
of the land.
Mr. Henry Stevenson, in his · Birds of Norfolk,' vol. i. p. 12, mentions
that the Bishop of Ely, in the reign of Edward III., excommunicated
certain persons for stealing his Hawk,“ sitting on her perch in the cloisters
of Bermondsey in Southwark.” But this bird yields in honour to the
Parrot mentioned in Part I., which, even in post-Reformation times, was
buried in effigy with a duchess in Westminster Abbey.
ASTUR PALUMBARIUS, Linn.
(The Goshawk, or Goose-Hawk.)
SiR JOHN OGLANDER says, in his MS. now preserved at Nunwell, Isle of
Wight, written “with his own blude” when languishing in prison for King
Charles I.'s sake, bearing date 1624, “If thou delightest in hawkinge, kepe
raythor a Lanard or Gosehawlke ; for by them thou shalt reape as mutch
profite as pleasure ; and a grey hound for a hare."
In the History of Sign-boards, by Jacob Larwood and John Camden
Hotten,p.398, is an extract from “Mercurius Publicus,’Aug.30 to Sep.6,1660:-
“Richard Fenny Esquire of Alaxton" (now called Alexton) "in
Leicestershire, about a fortnight since, lost a lanner (?) from that place; she
has neither Bells nor Varvels; she is a white hawk, and her long feathers
and sarcels are both in the blood. If any one give tidings thereof to Mr.
Lambert at the Golden Key in Fleet Street, they shall have 40 shillings for
their pains.” It is probable that by “lanner” was meant a young female
Goshawk.

FALCO PEREGRINUS, J. F. Gmelin.
(Peregrine Falcon.)
Aug. 17, 1869, I saw a Peregrine rise from the cliff of Wia Island, near Skye,
and attack a Crow, probably a Grey Crow, making the most splendid stoops
at it; but the Crow always turned on its back and with its beak open repulsed
the Falcon,which, after a long battle, attacked another, and then, weary, lighted
upon the ground. The beauty of this treat in natural falconry cannot here be
described ; it charmed even the sailors of the gig in which we were being rowed.
The Peregrine sometimes condescends to prey on small birds. One,
opened Jan. 5, 1864, a male, contained a Greenfinch, the legs of a common
Bunting, and portions of four other small birds.
Two nests were taken in the Isle of Wight in the spring of 1859—one
at Culver Cliffs, one at Freshwater. In the latter were four eggs. The two old
birds were caught both in one day; and the eggs sold for fourteen shillings
each. At Culver were two young birds, and two addled eggs, and, strange
to say (though quite true, as I heard it from two witnesses who agreed in
the story), a Partridge's egg. The two addled eggs were purchased for five
shillings each.
The Rev. W. S. Symonds, F.G.S., says, in the “ Records of the Rocks,
p. 61:-“When King John invaded Wales, A.D. 1210, he made the Bishop
Robert of Shrewsbury pay a fine of 200 Hawks ; which Hawks, or Peregrine
Falcons, the Bishop is supposed to have obtained from Stackpole rocks, near
Pembroke.” Again, p. 343,“ Giraldus Cambrensis gives an account of the
death of a Norwegian Hawk which was let fly at a Peregrine Falcon by
Henry II., and was struck dead by the Peregrine 'at the feet of the king.'
From that time the king sent every year, about the breeding-season, for the
Falcons of this country, which are produced on the sea-cliffs.” Richard III.
endeavoured to obtain popularity by "liberal grants and allowances to the
masters of his hounds and hawks” (Biographical and Critical Essays, by
A. Hayward, Esq., Q.C., vol. ii. p. 121).
و

FALCO VESPERTINUS, Linn.
(Red-legged Falcon.)
The Red-legged Falcon paid the Brighton downs a visit on May 20, 1873,
when an adult male arrived, of which I sent an account to the ‘Field,'
May 24. I received two sorts of beetles on which it had been feeding. This
bird two days after death became very high, as is usually the case with
those which live on beetles and some other insects. This pretty little
Falcon breeds in flocks.
ACCIPITER NISUS, Linn.
(Sparrow-Hawk.)
>>
This bird is named Nisus after a king of Megara, who was slain through the
treachery of his own daughter. Ovid states he was changed into an Eagle (?)
while his daughter became some other, a small species not known. The
author of the 'Synopsis of the Newcastle Museum,' Mr. Geo. Townshend Fox
(1827, Newcastle), says Linnæus did not give the name, “ as the Sparrow-
Hawk had been called Nisus by earlier writers (see Ray, Willughby, Frisch,
&c.).”
In ancient times it was common to pay“ a sore hawk," as a fine, at the
termination of a fictitious suit. In "Shakespeare's England,' by G. W.
Thornbury, p. 379, we find “ From August to November hawks were called
sore hawks, and were in their prime for beauty and use; their first feathers
were moulted at the end of the first year. From January to April the
Italians said that hawks were peculiarly subject to disease."
Of a sore
Sparrow-Hawk thus used, an instance is recorded by the Rev. R. W. Eyton
in his ' Antiquities of Shropshire,' vol. i. p. 376 :-

A SORE SPARROW HAWK.
ACCIPITER NISUS, 8.


BRITISH BIRDS.
59
“On 6 March, 1258, Giles de Erdington is deputed to try a suit of novel
disseizen, which Philip de Roulle (Rowley) and his wife had against John de
Chastell, about a tenement in Bruges. Pat. 42 Hen. III. This suit seems
to have led to a final concord at Westminster, whereby on July 8, 1259,
Philip de Roweley and Isabella his wife, conceded, as of their own gift, to
John de Chastel de Brugg and Alice his wife, 19 acres in Nortleg (Nordley),
Dunfowe, Brugg, and Aldebyre (Oldbury), whereof had been a plea of war-
ranty. To hold to John and Alice and their heirs, of Philip and Isabella
and the heirs of Isabella at id rent, and services due to the chief Lords.
John gave for this a sore Sparrow hawk. Pedes finium, 43 Hen. III. Salop.”
Again, p. 82. “A sore hawk was one in its first plumage (from the
French sor or saur, English sorrel, i. e. reddish brown). A stag in its
fourth year was also called sore—a similar allusion to its colour.”
In the letter of John Paston to Sir John Paston, Sept. 21, 1472, we have :-
“I pray God send you all your desires and me my mewed goss hawk in haste,
or, rather than fail, a soar hawk; there is a grocer dwelling right over
against the Well with two Buckets, a little from St. Helens Church, hath
ever hawks to sell.” (Larwood & Hotten’s ‘Sign-boards,' p. 374.)
Mr. R. B. Sharpe remarks, P. Z. S. 1873, p. 418:-“The general character
of the species of Accipiter is to have a striped plumage when young and a
barred dress when old. But it is not generally known that this is effected
by a gradual change in the markings of the feather, and not by an actual moult.
. . We can tell the age of a young Sparrow-Hawk by the extent of the
rufous edgings to the feathers of the upper surface : if these are very broad and
distinct, the bird is quite young; for they gradually wear off as it progresses
in age. On the first appearance of the feathers from the downy covering of
the nestling, the markings on the chest are longitudinal drops of a pale rufous-
brown colour ..... Hence, when the bars are perfectly developed, a shade
of darker brown overspreads the upper margin, gradually eclipsing the rufous-
brown shade, which remains the evidence of the previous plumage.” Mr.
John Hancock, in his Catalogue of the Birds of Northumberland and
K

60
BRITISH BIRDS.
Durham,' p. 10, states, “ Not only do all the true Falcons acquire their adult
plumage in the first moult, but many of the ignoble species do so likewise,
as the Honey-Buzzard, the Goshawk, the Sparrow-Hawk, and the Harriers.
The fact cannot be too strongly pressed on the attention of ornithologists ;
for it leads to a correct understanding of the variations of the plumage of
the Falconida.”
The musket is said to have derived its name from this hawk. Baring
Gould, in his book on Iceland, gives, p. 205, “ Latin muscatus (speckled) ; and
from its spotted plumage the Sparrow-Hawk was called mousquet in French,
moschetto in Italian, and musket in English.
How now my eyas musket.'
Merry Wives of Windsor.
When firearms took the place of these birds in the chase, the name was
transferred to them.” Mr. Harting, in his Ornithology of Shakespeare,
p. 74, mentions the same “eyas,” signifying nestling.
eyas,” signifying nestling. He calls attention,
however, to the fact that it is asserted also that the musket was invented by
the Muscovites in the fifteenth century. Thomas Pennant, in the ‘British
Zoology,' vol. i. p. 240, “Falconry,' gives the following :-“In those days”
(i.e. Henry VI.) “it was thought sufficient for noblemen's sons to wind
their horn and to carry their hawk fair, and leave study and learning to the
children of mean people. (Biog. Brit., article Caxton.)” Now Accipitrine
birds have lost their interest; guns and hedgerows have done away with
hawking. At Brighton the following Hawks have all been brought to me
captured in clap-nets, drawn in by the decoy-bird :—Hobby, Merlin, Sparrow-
Hawk, Kestrel, Montagu's Harrier. Curiosity sometimes takes birds into the
net, which ends to them as fatally as did the expedition of that Kingfisher
who attempted to explore the courts of the British Museum, Dec. 23, 1874,
and there met a glorious and historic death.
99

MILVUS ICTINUS (Savigny).
(The Kite or Glead.)
Perhaps in few other places was the Kite more abundant than in Hunting-
donshire. The 4th edition of Yarrell states that the famous breeding-places,
the woods of Alconbury Hill, were cleared about 1844 or soon after. I have
an egg, perhaps nearly the last ever laid, which was found in that locality.
A good observer writes to me concerning Whittlesea Mere, the great
Huntingdonshire lake, now vanished :-“I once saw there a flock of
Starlings, which extended for miles and completely darkened the air ; in the
midst of them were three Kites.” Puttock, the name of this bird in
Shakespeare, is still applied to a manor in Eynesbury, near S. Neots,
Huntingdonshire, to this day known as Puttock's Hardwick.
PERNIS APIVORUS, Linn.
(Honey-Buzzard.)
OCTOBER 20, 1863, William Pearson, my father's keeper at Priory Hill,
S. Neots, shot a male. The female was also seen, but escaped. May 22,
1871, I saw a male bird, which had been caught in a trap the day before,
baited with a Moorhen's egg, and set for a Magpie.
K 2

CIRCUS CINERACEUS, Montagu.
(Montagu's Harrier.)
I REMEMBER boxes full of the eggs of the three species of Harriers, taken
round Ramsey and Whittlesea, used to be brought to me, and sold at ls. 6d.
and 2s. each, perhaps less. I did not think much of them at that time.
This species appears to have struggled on, after the others were all
destroyed in the fen-district.
On November 8, 1867, was brought me a female alive, which had been
caught the day before in a clap-net outside Brighton : a pair flew in; but
the male bird escaped. I presented her to the Zoological Society.
August 22, 1870. To-day the same bird-catcher captured another female,
at the same place where he took the first, also in a net. With rare birds
this kind of coincidence frequently occurs.
ALUCO FLAMMEUS, Linn.
(Barn-Owl.)
Strix flammea, Bewick,
The editor of the 4th edition of Yarrell's · British Birds' has adopted Aluco
for this genus instead of Strix. The editor of the 3rd series of “The Ibis
(vol. v. Jan. 1875, p. 66, note) demurs. Each gives his reasons, which,
between such good authorities, leaves me in doubt. The beautiful variety in
my collection, which has been well drawn by Mr. Keulemans, was captured

J.G. Keulemans del
T Walter litt
ALUCO FLAMMEUS, LINN.


BRITISH BIRDS.
63
alive in a pigeon-house near Brighton. There were two; but the other
escaped, reminding one of the ale-house sign and inscription-
" A bird in hand is better far
Than two that in the bushes are.”
Mr. Henry Stevenson, in his ‘Birds of Norfolk ’ (vol. i. p. 53), gives an
instance of a similar specimen killed near Norwich, December 13, 1864, and
calls attention to the figure in Kjærbölling's ‘Danmarks Fugler,' pl. vii. He
adds, “ It is rather rare in all parts of Denmark.” As, however, the above
illustration is small and, perhaps, not in the hands of all my readers, and this
is (as far as I know) the first occasion of this Owl's appearance on the south
coast of England, a representation of such a remarkable deviation from the
usual type is not out of place. These Danish birds, as they are called, have,
I suspect, come across from the Continent; Professor Reinhardt appears
first to have noticed them. At present no authority makes a new species ;
neither shall I. Mr. Hancock states, in his ‘Birds of Northumberland,
p. 21, that an example was shot in his district a few years ago. The Barn-
Owl has a tendency to stand upon one leg ; and I have seen seven in a row
asleep, each with one leg up, looking very funny.
Speaking of the attitudes of Owls, in every illustration of the Long-
eared species (Asio otus) the ears are sticking up; but they are frequently
down, and sometimes one is up and the other down. The difference of the
bird drawn up to its full height and puffed out is very great. Mr. Gould has
not missed this in the beautiful plate in his ‘Birds of Great Britain.'
We have seen instances, mentioned as above, of this Danish variety on
the east and south coasts, from Northumberland to Brighton. It will be a
matter of interest to trace it inland and record it; and I hope to give more
information respecting it in a future Part of this work.

STRIX ALUCO, Linn.
(The Tawny Owl.)
May 22, 1867, observed that a couple of Tawny Owls have cleared the
Starlings off pretty well all round as food for the young owls; but the
Nuthatches maintain their safety in the vicinity (which is a line of elm trees
in Huntingdonshire).
TURDUS MERULA, Linn.
(Blackbird.)
و
و
IN “A Book about Clergy,' by John Cordy Jeaffreson, B.A., vol. ii. p. 296,
note, appears :—“In his “Life of Cranmer,' Strype says, “In the year 1541
the Archbishop and most of the Bishops and divers other Deans and Arch-
deacons made a constitution for moderating the fare of their tables ; viz., of
birds &c. of lesser sorts (as capons, pheasants, conies, woodcocks) but two
in a dish; of lesser sorts still (as of partridges) an Archbishop three,
a Bishop and other degrees under him two. The number of blackbirds was
also stinted to six at an Archbishop's table, and to four for a Bishop; but
of little birds (as larks, snipes, &c.) the number was not to exceed twelve.”
Here it is worthy of remark that Snipes, being so common, took rank with
Blackbirds-somewhat contrary to the changed state of things now. Also
we cannot fail to observe (for which we have the authority of the song) that
four and twenty Blackbirds baked in a pie, made a dainty dish for a king.
It is pretty certain that the enclosures and hedgerows have greatly increased

BRITISH BIRDS.
65
the number of Blackbirds, which formerly were highly esteemed. In The
Ibis,' new series, vol. v. 1869, p. 358, Mr. W. Boyd Dawkins says, regarding
Pheasants :-“ The bill of fare drawn up by Harold for the Canons' house-
holds of from six to seven persons, A.D. 1059, and preserved in a manuscript
of the date of circa 1177*, was as follows (p. 16):- Erant autem tales
pitantiæ unicuique canonico: a festo Sancti Michaelis usque ad caput jejunii
[Ash-Wednesday] aut xii merulae, aut ii agauseæ [Agace, a magpie ()
Ducange] aut ii perdices, aut unus phasianus, reliquis temporibus aut ancæ
[Geese ; Ducange] aut gallinæ.” Harold only allows xii Blackbirds (!)
among seven people. It would appear from this that the Blackbird was not
plentiful.
Mem. Saw to-day (May 22, 1871) a Blackbird's egg in spirit, having
two well-formed and distinct young ones in it. Severe frost is very
destructive to Blackbirds ; if not too hard, they shelter themselves in ditches.
In 1407 dreadful frosts took place, and all the small birds perished.
The ‘History of Sign-boards,' by Hotten and Larwood, p. 202, quotes
the following stanza, “ which Allan Ramsay gives as a favourite old Scotch
song.” “The black boy,” it appears, was a nickname for Charles II.
“Once in fair England my black bird did flourish;
He was the chief black bird that in it did spring :
Prime ladies of honour his person did nourish,
Because he was the true son of a king.
But since that false fortune,
Which still is uncertain,
Has caused this parting between him and me,
His name I'll advance
In Spain and in France,
And I'll seek out my black bird wherever he be.”
The Blackbird will pair with the Thrush. A mule of this kind is mentioned
at the Crystal Palace bird-show (vide “Times,' Feb. 10, 1872). This species
very
much follows the rule of the Sky-Lark; at certain times foreigners cross
* See De inventione Sanctæ Crucis nostre in Monte Acuto et de ductione ejusdem apud
Waltham.' By William Stubbs, M.A. Oxford and London, 1861. 8vo.

66
BRITISH BIRDS.
over to the British shores; but the foreign Larks rarely remain with us or
pair with the Britishers. The Merulida do not require any sanitary act of
Parliament to preserve their dwellings clean. Blackbirds swallow the
droppings of their young and keep their abode free. On May 24, 1862, I
found a nest of Turdus musicus (Thrush) with one addled egg. The birds
had flown; and the nest was half full of the stones of the ivy-berry, which had
been the food of the young. It is probable that these stones had all passed
through the young; but, being in their nature clean, they were not taken away
by the old birds. Mr. Henry Stevenson, in his 'Birds of Norfolk,' vol. ii.
p. 275, records “ the large flights of Blackbirds that make their appearance
on our coast in October, so regularly that the gunners are accustomed to
search for Woodcocks when the Blackbirds are over.” Mr. John Cordeaux,
in his Birds of the Humber District,' p. 24, says, “ in October I have some--
times found our marsh hedgerows near the coast literally swarming with
Blackbirds, where the day previously scarcely one could have been found.”
وو
ORIOLUS GALBULA, Linn.
(Golden Oriole.)
APRIL 20, 1872, saw a cock bird in fine plumage which had been shot at
Shoreham the day before. Mr. J. G. Keulemans writes to the “Field ’ of
Oct. 31, 1874, thus :—“The Baltimore and other Hang-nests, probably on
account of their black and yellow plumage, are usually named Orioles ;''
these, however, “may be easily recognized by the invariably dark red eye,
which in all the Icteri is yellow. Orioles have short legs, long wings, and
a broad Thrush-like bill; Hang-nests have the tarsus as long as a Song-
Thrush, and stand high upon their legs; their wings are comparatively
short; and their bill is Starling-like and sharp-pointed. Orioles are lazy,

BRITISH BIRDS.
67
ravenous, and far from clean ; they never learn, and in confinement rarely
utter a note. The Icterus group is the reverse; it is exceedingly clever.”
I can confirm these facts as regards Icterus vulgaris, of which I have two.
They are excellent guards and give notice of the approach of each stranger,
whistle several tunes ; and one, before I had him, saved by his vigilance a
house in the West Indies from being plundered. Three negroes got in ; but
the master heard the bird's note of alarm and caught them.
DAULIAS LUSCINIA, Linn.
(The Nightingale.)
This, with proper care and knowledge, is a very easy bird to keep in a
cage; and I have known some instances of aged pets of the species, and
heard the Nightingales sing in a wild state in the darkest nights. As to the
dates of going and returning, the first bird at Brighton and Eastbourne in
1859 was seen Saturday, April 16. Aug. 2, 1860, young ones were passing
on a voyage they had never been before, i. e. across the sea. The following
letter (to the Editor of the “ Times,' June 14, 1872) from a practical man
is so interesting that I give it nearly in full :-
“ Nightingale-Trapping.
“Sir,--Respecting bird-trappers, I hope you will give an old trapper
an opportunity to give the public the benefit of his experience. With the
exception of Epping Forest, I think I have explored nearly every spot of
brushwood large enough for a Nightingale to live in within a radius of about
twelve miles from London. For nearly a quarter of a century I have spent
my Sundays, weather permitting, in the accessible woods, to catch or watch
birds, according to the season; and I should be glad if birdcatchers could be
L

68
BRITISH BIRDS.
6
و
stopped during the breeding-season. However, my present object is to
state my experience about the Nightingale.ro
“Now my quarter-of-a-century's experience is this. In springs of
ordinary mildness the avant-garde of the cock Nightingales arrives in Kent
and on the Surrey hills from the 10th to the 14th of April, at Highgate and
Hampstead a few days later. These outposts are generally found in a few
favoured spots, known to every trapper of experience. During the next few
days the arrivals increase, and between the 18th and 24th comes a kind of
ugly rush,' because they are all making for the favoured spots. For a few
days it appears on these spots as if the world were to be eaten up by Night-
ingales; and all the time a very obstinate fight is going on for the possession
of the favoured spot. Whether birds have any notion of mine and thine I
will not undertake to say ; but most birds keep during the breeding-season a
certain space free from any other bird of their own kind. The Nightingale
that maintains itself in the favoured spot must at least for a fortnight defend
it against all comers and rout them. I saw one morning four cocks in
deadly combat on Shooter's Hill. They were entangled in each other's
legs and wings, biting away all the time, and rolling for some distance like a
feathered ball along the high road. Well, those that get the worst in the
fight have to retire to less-favoured spots. The fight for place is pretty well
decided by the 26th of April, which is about the time when the ladies
put in an appearance; and then another fight begins. The cock has secured
an abode to receive his lady; but sometimes several neighbouring cocks are
after the same lady, and she invariably goes with the conqueror. There are
always a few fast hens among the last batches of cocks, and there are always
a few slow cocks among the first batches of hens; and if there be any thing
like abundance the slow cocks have to put up with what abodes they can get.
Being worsted in the fight or coming too late, they are induced to sit down
in out-of-the-way places; but Nightingales will not stop in every place. I
never heard one on the Eltham side of Shooter's Hill nor on the Dulwich side
of Sydenham Hill, while on Penge Common they hung on as long as there was
ܪ

BRITISH BIRDS.
69
bush left; but when brick and mortar finally crowded them out, they rather
left the neighbourhood altogether than go to the other side of the hill.
Round Shooter's Hill and Combe's Wood they make themselves as happy in
the gardens as in the woods ; but not so at Highgate and Hampstead; all I
ever heard in the gardens there was one close to the Seven Ponds.
“And now for the young ones.
The first batch leaves the nest at the
beginning of June, and the second about the middle of July. After that
the Nightingales seem to have vanished. Now and then, if you come too
close to be pleasant, you may hear an old hen raising a cry of alarm.
She gets very dilapidated during the hatching; her wing- and tail-feathers
fall out so fast that she is almost disabled from flying for a few weeks.
The young ones disperse themselves and are exceedingly quiet. About the
end of August they become noisy and roam about in flocks, and in September
they depart for their winter quarters. On their road through Italy a great
many are caught for the spit of the Neapolitan epicures. The catching-
season is in spring before the hens arrive; and in the autumn a few (but very
few) young ones, called branchers, are caught. Neither young nor old begin
to sing audibly before the end of the year ; and then the poor things are
far beyond the reach of the London trappers; they are beyond the Mediter-
ranean.
“A word about birds in gardens. Professor Huxley, in a lecture to
working men on the struggle for existence, stated once that humble bees
were more numerous in the neighbourhood of human dwellings than in
distant fields, because the cats kept the field-mice down. The field-mice
are very fond of eating the larvæ of the humble bees. Now the cats are as
fond of birds as of field-mice. The small Insectivora stand a very bad chance
with the cats. They not only build their nests close to the ground, but their
young ones leave the nest before they are able to fly. But there is some-
thing else that may make birds scarce in certain gardens. Not long since
the advisability of destroying birds to save the raspberries was publicly dis-
cussed. All insectivorous birds are fond of berries, and some gardeners may
L2

70
BRITISH BIRDS.
have more love for their fruit-beds than for their destroyers.
The trappers
who go about Highgate on Sunday mornings are chaffinch-peggers, and their
decoy birds without eyes are stuffed Chaffinches, fastened on a short stick,
which is provided with a steel prick, so that it can be stuck on to a tree or
a wooden rail. For nearly 50 years I have heard the tale of blinding birds ;
but I never saw one blinded, and never knew any one that practised it. I
maintain that where bricks and mortar have not crowded them out, as on
Penge Common, birds are as plentiful this spring as ever. The only thing
that really makes a sensible diminution is long-continued hard frost in
winter.
“I am, Sir, yours respectfully,
“London, S.W.”
“ J. GEORGE ECCARIUS."
Respecting the thorn theory connected with this bird, mentioned by
Shakespeare (vide Mr. Harting's book, p. 126), I can only say that when
finished I never found any thorn in a Nightingale’s nest; and I have looked
into a great many. In the case of a Kestrel's eggs laid in the old habitation
of a Magpie in an oak tree, May 7, 1864, one out of four had a curious hole
in the shell, and it appeared to me that while soft a thorn went through the
shell. The claw of the parent, however, might have caused the perforation.
MELIZOPHILUS UNDATUS (Boddaert)*.
(Dartford Warbler.)
May 1, 1869. Went to a hill outside Brighton. Took a nest and four
eggs, the last laid this morning; the hen was on. It was placed about
one and a half foot from the ground in the furze near a cut or ride. A
* “ Motacilla undata, Boddaert, Table des Planches Enluminées, p. 40. no. 655, fig. 1 (1783).”
Newton's Yarrell, vol. i. 398.
p.

BRITISH BIRDS.
71
stranger might easily wander about and say there were no birds; they alight
on a small bit of gorse, immediately disappear inside, and are no more seen.
One cannot help admiring the industry and patience of the oologist who in
1838, as recorded in Yarrell, found a nest of this species after watching
several hours every day for a fortnight-though how such exertions were
necessary is not understood. It is a mistake to suppose that very thick
gorse is selected; a thin place is chosen. Dartford Warblers fly a long
distance to get materials (horse-hair &c.), and are very hard to see; they dive
under so quickly, after darting suddenly down from the air. To-day there
was no sun; they did not sing or spread their tails.
Mem.-—“May 6, 1869. At the hill again ; saw three nests containing four
fresh eggs each ; though four is the proper number, if the first be taken, it
very frequently lays five. These were about the same distance from the ground
as the one above mentioned. They were in the dead part of the bush and of
materials to imitate it, not in very thick parts. This nest is earlier than that
of the Whitethroat, which, passing, looks on the wing almost like a white bird,
while the Dartford Warbler looks black. The materials of the three nests are
roots, a little moss, some wool, and a few hairs, perhaps. The owners
fly a long way to gather food. The cock sits on the top of a bit of furze
(Ulex europæus). Now he flirts his long tail, putting it up like the Common
Wren. Look! he is blown almost round by a gust; he is obliged to sit
head to wind. Observe how he swells his throat and puts up his crest,
looking red in front and black behind. The yellow flower of the furze
appears quite hot in the sun, and flaring. We have driven the hen off the
eggs, which the cock soon finds out and is after her, to inquire what she
means by it and send her back. This kind of thing must be seen to be
understood.”
With the breeze of the English south downs in his face and the tinkle
of the distant sheep-bell in his ear, the ornithologist basks in the sun of a
May morning and shares the joy of the little birds. Care, if any such he
had, seems so no longer ; Nature has banished it from his heart. Such an

72
BRITISH BIRDS.
وو
effect knew also Sir James Emerson Tennent while listening to the "soft
melodious notes of the Pigeon of Ceylon " (Chalcophaps indicus, Linn.); for
when“ irritated by the perverseness of his native followers, the feeling almost
instantly subsided by hearing suddenly the loving tones of these beautiful
birds" (book on Ceylon, p. 174).
To understand the delight in ornithology which animates many persons,
I quote the account of Wilson's end from “Men who have risen,' p. 219:-
Wilson, the ornithologist, met his early death thus. Sitting one day con-
versing with a friend, a rare bird which he had long desired to have flew past
the window. Wilson seized his gun, and after an arduous pursuit, during
which he swam across a river, killed it. A severe cold, followed by an attack
of dysentery, came on and after ten days ended his mortal career, August 23,
1813.” John Wolley had a like enthusiasm.
To return to the Dartford Warbler. This species catches gnats in
summer; in winter it remains at the same place, and, I think, sometimes digs
in the ground under the bushes. On April 6, 1859, I examined one with the
feathers worn off the mandibles. The spring plumage is much darker than
the autumn one. The hen is smaller and rather lighter in colour (vide The
Ibis,' vol. i. 1859, p. 329, where I have described this bird).
The winter of 1874–75 was very destructive to the Dartford Warbler ;
and, in consequence, the bird is scarce on the Brighton downs. I fancy this
came about thus: the snow fell heavily from the south-east and at night
suddenly changed to the north ; thus the little birds were shut in a trap at
their roosting-places under the furze. A sudden chop of this sort kills the
ditch-seeking birds also, by filling both sides. As the Dartford Warbler is
local, it will take several years to recover. There are not above half the usual
number of Stonechats this season.

PARUS CÆRULEUS, Linn.
(Blue Titmouse.)
The Tom-Tit of country people. “In former times, in compliment to the
great Saint Thomas-à-Becket, Tom was a more common name than now.
We have Tom Tit, Tom cat, Tom foolery, Tom boy, Tommy shop, Tommy
(slang for bread), double Tom (a sort of plough), Tom the piper (in the
morris dance), Tom Tiddler, Tom of Bedlam, Tom of Westminster (a bell),
Tom and Jerry, Tom Tell-truth, Tom Hick-a-thrift, Tom (the knave of
trumps), Whipping Tom (an itinerant flogger of wandering maids), Tom
Tapster, &c.” ( History of Sign-boards,' by Jacob Larwood and John
Camden Hotten, p. 397).
June 4, 1858. To-day saw a nest of a Blue Tit, containing six eggs
much
incubated, on the bough of a fir tree. It was a plain open nest, like that of
any other bird.
Holes are scarce, which I take to be the cause of this
divergence from the usual habit. The number of green caterpillars I have
seen a pair of these Tits bring to their young in a quarter of an hour is
incredible. A very interesting example in caliology is a nest in my own
collection of the Blue Titmouse, with eight eggs, formed in the bottom of a
Blackbird's.
ALAUDA ARVENSIS, Linn. .
(Sky-Lark.
UNDER this species it might be convenient to say something on migration
and movement of birds.

74
BRITISH BIRDS.
This subject is surrounded by difficult questions—difficult to every
biologist who is true to scientific method ; and I cannot hope, even with
twenty-five years' experience of my own and the aid of that of other
persons, to afford even an approximative solution which will secure a general
consensus of opinion on this recondite subject-one not unknown to Jeremiah
(viii. 7), and by the Romans held in superstitious awe.
Still something may
be said, some light thrown upon it. Would that we had the books of the
College of Augurs to search, from the time of Romulus downwards—a college
chiefly devoted to the observance of birds and migration; or even if we could
cross-examine the “ magister,” he could tell curious facts. It was Berryer
who stated that the Roman augurs could not look each other in the face
without laughing (Hayward’s ‘Critical Essays,' n. s. p. 394). Allowing
this to be the fact, it was because they were acute individuals and above the
superstition of the vulgus, having had their intellects sharpened by the study
of ornithology, and because they were so frequently obliged to defend their
false and fallacious raison d'être !
I imagine the following are some of the heads of inquiry :-
1. Why do birds migrate ? From what cause ?
2. What makes the first bird move ?
3. How do they find their way?
4. Where do they migrate to?
5. Why do they return, in defiance of the principle in Nature of
least action ?
When considering these questions, I hope, instead of receiving only a
supercilious negation, to obtain a fair hearing of the facts.
1. Why do birds migrate?
To this question we might add, why do fish migrate-herrings, for
instance, &c. ? and how do they find their way in the pathless ocean? It
may be divided into others, thus :-Is it hunger and thirst? is it cold or
heat ? is it å tloTOPYin an ordinary season, or excessive multiplication in an

BRITISH BIRDS.
75
extraordinary one? is it migratory impulse, not the want of any thing ? and
what may migratory impulse be? Is it safety ? is it want of light ? is it to
breed ? is it wind which causes it ? Spawning has a great deal to do with
piscine migration ; and I agree with Dr. Jerdon, in his Introduction to the
' Birds of India,' p. xxii, vol. i., “ Cuvier's explanation, the variations of the
atmosphere,” is not an efficient reason alone for migration. It may arise
from all these causes : various men do the same thing from many motives.
Each species of bird may migrate from its own motive. Sometimes it is
hunger, for example; strictly, Larks, Snipes, Woodcocks are moved by frost
and nival impulse. Insect-eating birds, as a rule, perhaps come under the
head of food rather than cold, though cold destroys their food. Yet the
Nightingale goes when it would appear that its food is abundant.
’Avrlotopy» (that wonderful change from intense affection to coercive
violence, so necessary for Nature's balance) is the cause of the appearance of
most of what are called rare birds, which are those of the year seeking new
habitations. Huntsmen know a travelling fox; and we, not only a travelling
bird, but more—a lost bird. Mice and rats sometimes lose their way, as do
birds. I recall to my mind now instances which have come under my notice
of each. Of excessive multiplication, from a combination of circumstances,
in a peculiar season favourable to production, we have a notable example in
the irruption of Syrrhaptes paradoxus from beyond the Great Chinese Wall,
1863, and, of insects, in the swarms of S. pyrastri (a fly) which appeared in
Brighton some years ago.
Regarding migratory impulse one speaks tentatively and cautiously. I
apprehend it to be a restless, uneasy sensation, driving the bird into action-
the converse of the sitting impulse, a warmth in the breast which causes a
wish to incubate and creates an aversion to movement:-at one time forced to
sit, by the ease obtained by sitting ; at another urged to travel, by a feeling
similar to that which causes lambs and foals to disport themselves. The
evidence of one very competent dealer and respectable man to me is this :-“I
M

76
BRITISH BIRDS.
had a Nightingale, which I reared by hand; it would eat meat out of my fingers,
and was quite tame. When the time of departure arrived it became restless,
beat about the cage, and knocked its tail to pieces.” Now first the bird,
which had known no parents and looked to the old bird-catcher for both,
discovered that it was a captive, and, feeling the migratory impulse, endea-
voured to respond to Nature's lead, which wires and prison bars prevented.
A human being might have thought, though the poor bird could not, of the
beautiful lines of Lovelace-
• Stone walls do not a prison make,
Nor iron bars a cage;
Hearts innocent and quiet take
These for a hermitage.”
This bird was not moved by instinct; it suffered from positive corporeal
pain, i. e. migratory impulse.
А vague sense of danger sometimes causes movement. Want of light has
been said (by a Swedish author, I think) to send birds south. Many come to
this country to breed; others leave it for that purpose: Woodcocks do so,yet
not all. The reason why some go and some stay I take to be partly persecution
and partly want of food. Also northern visitors stop for a time, while British-
born birds move south. When Nature wishes to cause any action, she uses
pain and pleasure as agents, which always, as a rule, produce the required
result.
The migratory impulse must be very strong. It is blindly followed by
the Quail, which will, if possible, fly through a house or over a mountain
rather than turn from its course. “In this respect it resembles the Norwegian
Lemming, whose onward journey is stopped neither by lakes nor hills, and
some species of ants, whose movements are equally undeviating” (Mr. Gould's
Introduction to the Birds of Great Britain,' 8vo edit. p. 8).
All animals have an instinct of self-preservation ; but in the above
instance the migratory impulse overcomes it, and is the stronger of the two.
Nevertheless the single individual would not run into danger of its own accord;
وو

BRITISH BIRDS.
77
near
92
it is pushed on by the crowd behind, and is unable to get out of the
way. Mr. R. Gray - Birds of the West of Scotland,' p. 122) saw
Girvan, about eight or nine years ago [i. e. from 1871], numbers of Larks,
which were incalculable, crossing one of the roads; the mass of birds was
so compact that none of those in a line with the telegraph-wires escaped.
As soon as the flock passed, dozens were picked up dead or mutilated,
portions of wings, torn from the living bird, being even found adhering to
the wires.”
Mr. W. H. Hudson says (P. Z. S. 1872, p. 845) of the Swallows of
Buenos Ayres :-“When the season of migration approaches, they begin to
congregate,... but seem preoccupied or preyed upon by some anxiety which has
no visible cause.... The birds seem to forget their songs and aerial recreations;
the attachment of the sexes, the remembrance of the spring is obliterated ;
they already begin to feel the premonitions of that marvellous instinct that
urges them hence : not yet an irresistible impulse, it is a vague sense of dis-
quiet; but its influence is manifest in their language and gestures, their wild
manner of flight, and listless intervals. The little Atticora cyanoleuca dis-
appears immediately after the other, larger species. Many stragglers continue
to be seen after the departure of the main body; but before the middle of
March not one remains, the migration of this species being very regular.”
The writer in the above speaks of instinct; but I attribute the cause of “the
irresistible impulse” to a corporeal sensation, a fever which I name
“ migratory impulse”-irresistible, no doubt. Mr. Hudson says, in addition,
of H. leucorrhoa, “Late in April, after almost all the other passage birds had
ceased, these continued to appear: the weather was already cold ; and all
these late comers flew with great celerity and as directly north as if their
flight had been guided by the magnetic needle.”
Mr. George Henry Lewes, in Problems of Life and Mind,' in the
chapter on " Psychological Principles," vol. i. p. 168, says :-“ An animal
suffers from a physical calamity, seeks to escape from it, but never to under-
stand and modify its causes. He has only the logic of feeling to guide his
* M 2

78
BRITISH BIRDS.
actions; he observes, concludes, and never explains. Man has, besides this,
the logic of signs; he observes and explains the visible series by an invisible
series. The one has knowledge of particular facts; the other a knowledge
of general facts. The knowledge of the one is fixed; that of the other,
facultative."
وو
2. What makes the first bird move ?
In reply to this, I observe there is no first bird, When a flock of
Starlings of many thousands hear a gun, fear causes them to start : query,
which is the first bird?
the first bird ? The action is simultaneous. I might as well be
asked, when (as often is to be seen on the south downs) a flock of
sheep are driven to feed, what makes the first sheep move into the clover?
There is none : hunger moves the flock. But if the question is, what makes
a number of birds travel at once ? then I say, one of the various causes
enumerated in the reply to question 1.
3. How do they find their way?
This is much more difficult ; and a satisfactory answer cannot be given.
I can only hope to throw a little light upon the subject. But, in the first
place, though they do find their way as a rule, they sometimes do not. Many
instances of lost birds have come under my observation ; and exceedingly
frightened they are, weak and starved usually, very much like other animals
under similar circumstances. If any one supposes that birds have a super-
natural and extraordinary method of finding their way, of such a mysterious
kind as has often been ascribed to dogs and cats, it certainly shows a very
lively imagination, a soaring into the realms of fancy too much for my com-
prehension ; in short, it is directly in violation of Comte's first law of
Primary Philosophy and Rule XV. of Lewes, viz. “Always to prefer the
simplest hypothesis compatible with the observed facts” ("Problems of Life
and Mind,' vol. i. p. 106).
It is a mistake to suppose that in ordinary cases there is great fatigue

BRITISH BIRDS.
79
or difficulty in a bird migrating. Sometimes there may be; but this is
exceptional-perhaps when caught by a storm, exactly as a vessel may be ;
but in general they come pleasantly along. The Cuckoo has been seen at
Brighton singing over the sea as she reaches the land.
“ She is a fine bird,
She sings as she flies ;
She brings us good tidings,
She tells us no lies.”
In crossing over from the Continent to this country, Swallows when
reaching the land do not stop to rest; though Mr. W. H. Hudson
(P. Z. S. 1871, p. 327), on the birds of Buenos Ayres, says :-“In April
1869, several days after all the Swallows of our five species had totally dis-
appeared, flights of Hirundo leucorrhoa began again to arrive, passing north.
Many of them appeared quite tired with their journey, rising reluctantly.
Probably the migration of this species extends very far south.”
Mr. R. O. Cunningham (in the Straits of Magellan,' p. 26), on the
voyage to Rio, fell in with Swallows " which revived temporarily on being
fed with flies, but died in a few hours.”
Wagtails go straight across the land from the sea. The Willow-Wren
may be observed in April, just arrived, sitting on a bit of seaweed singing with
joy. I find this note :-“23rd April, 1859, 20 minutes past five o'clock in
the morning, opposite Brunswick Square, Brighton. Observed a Willow-
Wren just come; he went straight from the sea. Nearer to Shoreham
harbour I found another."
Again, a veteran lark-catcher says :-“One morning in April I went
shrimping by Shoreham harbour. I was standing in the sea; and on turning
up the net, I could hardly find the shrimps, because the light was just coming
on. A Willow-Wren (query, that or a Chiff-chaff?) perched upon the handle.
I tried to catch it with my hand, but it flew away. The sun had not risen; it was
very cold.” Titlarks come, perhaps, in a fog; they “keep the touch ” by their
voices. This is still more observable in flocks of birds arriving at night over

80
BRITISH BIRDS.
و 2
the streets of Brighton ; their cries are incessant, evidently for the purpose
of keeping together. Without ascribing a supernatural power to birds, which
we cannot understand, amounting to superstition in the believer, it is a fact
that they can see in a way which man does not, unless aided by science. In
the first place, from a lofty elevation even man can discern to a much greater
distance than when on the earth—for instance, when in a balloon. In the
‘Nile Tributaries,' by Sir Samuel Baker, ch. xix. p. 493, he says:
:-" The
atmosphere contains regular strata of birds of prey; each species keeps to its
own particular elevation : No. 1, the Black-and-White Crow, is never far from
the ground; No. 2, the common Buzzard ; No. 3, the Red-faced Vulture;
No. 4, the large Bare-throated Vulture; No. 5, the Marabou Stork, sometimes
accompanied by the Adjutant.” The larger birds require to look further and
ascend higher. Certain species see at night; otherwise, being nocturnal
feeders, how could they find any thing to eat. But it is not at night, or high
in the air only, that their vision is of a marvellous character. On the 14th
Oct. 1859, I lent a cock Siskin as a call-bird, and watched the effect.
Assisted by some remarkably sharp eyes in addition to my own, not a bird
could be seen in the air : of a sudden the Siskin called ; and like a shot
descended, from an immense height, quite out of sight, a wild Siskin straight
into the net and was caught. Next day six Siskins came down at once. Of
course I have been present frequently at this kind of thing; but I always like
to give chapter and verse. Now the first wild Siskin mentioned was the
second one caught that season ; for they do not come here every year ; but
the little bird from his place on the ground was able to discover high up in
the air what we could not, though intently on the look-out. He called his
friends. This was not chance on his part; it was design: he called at the
right time; he saw the wild bird.
Hence I
say that birds in migration have the benefit of superior vision ;
they see their way. In the Arabian Nights Entertainments' mention is made
of the speaking bird in a cage, which no sooner began to warble than he was
surrounded by Nightingales, Chaffinches, Larks, Linnets, Goldfinches, and

BRITISH BIRDS.
81
1
every species of birds of the country. It is clear that these stories, divested
of the incrustations of time, had a residuum of truth; Sinbad's voyages
clearly so, like our nursery songs, as I have shown in the “ four and twenty
Blackbirds baked in a pie.” The speaking bird was simply a call-bird, which
is nothing very curious to us, to them strange enough.
Migrants follow each other in a stream—that is to say, those which flock
for safety and guidance, which Warblers do not, as a rule. If a person stand
a few hours early in the morning in the autumn watching their departure,
perhaps a Swallow will pass, in two or more minutes another after him, and
so on; but they all go the same road, as clearly as we should do with hedges
and guide-posts. I mean, if you have a group of trees on one side, and a
house on the other, if the line of migration travels between these two, all the
birds will keep to it in a way which is perfectly astonishing. This I have
often seen. Let us now suppose a young Nightingale, whose food is
abundant, to be urged by migratory impulse to go where he has never been
before, about July 7, by himself; for the old birds have not yet moulted, and
are not ready to start till the middle of August. He feels restless; he cannot
go north; why? because the same reason prevents him which regulated his
father and mother. The conditions of life are not suitable. Nightingales
cannot go north beyond a certain point, because the conditions of life are not
suitable. It is vain to ask what are these? what is meant by the expression ?
Every thing in which is the breath of life, nay more, every plant, I may almost
say every living thing acts in the same way as this Nightingale under discussion.
It knows by many indications if the conditions of life are to be found in the
place where it happens to be. If they are not, the plant, as it cannot move,
dies; the bird goes away.
If he starts north, finding matters worse, he
turns. We have now shut him out of the north, and we will suppose that
our young bird sets off to the east. He is brought up by the sea ; following
the coast-line he travels south, till the wind being suitable permits him to
But imagine a bird to turn west and to proceed towards Wales, what
then? It is not brought up by the sea, because it never reaches it; but it is
cross.

82
BRITISH BIRDS.
hindered and turned by unsuitable ground, which acts as does the sea.
We
know that the Great Sahara desert is such a barrier to the Sylviide ; and
the mountains and rough ground of Wales in the same manner form boun-
daries.
Mr. Blyth appears to attribute a northern and southern knowledge to the
Nightingale (vide Thompson’s ‘Birds of Ireland,' vol. i. p. 426, note ; Yarrell,
ed. 4, p. 318). If this knowledge exist, it may arise from the double system of
respiration in birds, more developed in some than others. Dr. Jerdon says :-
“In the Hornbills the very phalanges of the toes are hollow and communicate
with the lungs. A high and rapid aeration of the blood is thus maintained;
and the great energy and irritability of the muscular system of birds is a direct
consequence of this amount of respiration." Query, true of the phalanges ?
Atmospheric influence has certainly considerable effect : one constantly
sees that. In my flock of Gulls their motions correspond exactly to the
weather-cock over their heads; they point more truly to the wind.
On some
days every bird is sitting down, as sheep and horned stock may be observed to
repose, each individual being on the ground. Shepherds will tell that some-
times a sort of jumping fit runs through the whole flock, and their antics are
very pretty. This is atmospheric.
The above remarks do not apply to old Nightingales ; they know their
way. I have taken the most difficult case, that of the young bird without
a guide, who does not moult his primaries.
Thus we see how he finds his way; his right path in England is south, and
to it he must come.
The difference between him and the old birds of expe-
rience and strong flight may be observed by the eye of one accustomed to
watch migration, in Larks particularly : the veterans travel with such a
determined shoot forward.
Why do some go and some stay, as among Larks and Goldfinches in
England, and (as stated by Darwin) the Mocking Thrushes (Mimus polyglottus)
in Louisiana, of which some are harbour birds and the rest migrate to the
Eastern States ? To understand this we must look a little into their respective

BRITISH BIRDS.
83
habits. Let me here do justice to a previous writer. In the 4th ed. of Yarrell,
part vii. p. 546, the editor, in a note, says :-“Mr. Knox” is “the first English
ornithologist who pointed out the essential difference of the mode of
emigration and immigration.” I had not read Mr. Knox's remarks when I
made a note of what I am about to say; but I am pleased to find that he
had already stated many facts in which I agree.
I also observe that
immigration goes on along the N.W. coast of England almost at the same
time as emigration on the S. coast. Our British-born Larks are largely
recruited in early winter by arrivals from the north of Europe, while those
bred in the north of England are obliged to travel south. The Gold-crest
comes in and goes out in the same way. This is not migratory impulse :
hunger, frost, and snow force them down. Mr. John Cordeaux, in his
“ Notes from North Lincolnshire," *Zoologist,'2nd series, March 1875,
p. 4362, says :-“ On the 29th, 30th, and 31st December, 1874, the cold was
extreme. I heard of one instance in which as many as fifty Larks were
found all in a heap in a turnip-field, frozen to death ; they had apparently
collected together for warmth, but had not been able to withstand the intense
severity of the night.” Two reasons would cause a return: those who came
would go back to their old haunts when the pressure was removed; the
Britishers, however, having hatched and brought up young in England,
always return to their English homes, as Pigeons once having bred in
a dovecote rarely desert it. I have the evidence of Lark-catchers, who state
that they know the foreigners, which go by the name of “ Dutch Larks,” and
that they are larger ; they can tell the English birds directly, and pick them
out. Mr. R. Gray, in his 'Birds of the West of Scotland,' p. 122, has noticed
the extraordinary variation in size of some of the Larks. “ Out of two
dozen examined, six or seven specimens were not much over half the bulk of
the others. It is strange that the difference in size is so very decided.”
This was in severe weather. The larger birds were, according to our
experience on the south coast, the foreigners. Again, Mr. R. B. Sharpe
(P. Z. S. 1874, p. 637), “On Larks of Southern Africa,” says of Calendula
و
N

84
BRITISH BIRDS.
وو
crassirostris, “ As in other South-African Larks, great variation in size of bill
exists in the present species.” Great variation in size exists in so many birds
when you have a large series of each, that I suspect it would be discovered
in the great majority of species could the opportunity of comparison be
obtained. An enormous stream of Dutch Larks landed somewhere about
Beachy Head during the snow of 1874-75; and these birds, joined by ours,
passed Brighton, December 16 and 17, 1874.
The “ Dutch Larks” never stay here; they return when the pressure
is over.. Of Goldfinches some go, some stop : many more go than remain ;
about three fourths of the whole depart. There is a plant called button-weed
found in moist situations in meadows, the seeds of which no Goldfinch can
resist. Darwin says the Goldfinch eats “ the seeds of teazle (Dipsacus) and
betony or Scrophularia.” During the summer and autumn this bird feeds upon
these plants; but in winter, as all the seeds are shaken out, the Goldfinch is
a ground-bird as far as food is concerned. I have, indeed, seen it in flocks
in oak trees at that period; but commonly it must get its living below. Food
must then be scarce; and only those remain which the land can support.
Therefore hunger perhaps is the chief incentive; but migratory impulse may
act also. Before leaving this species, I may say that it is a rapidly decreasing
one in the south of England: formerly the Goldfinches passed Brighton in
flocks; now they come a few together. It is not, however, here only that the
slaughter goes on; in every part it is the same.
A man who had been fifty years a birdcatcher told me that before eight
o'clock one morning he caught 25 dozen, all hens, long ago. At that time
there was no railway. He sold them all at Shoreham, and they went to the
north in ships. They fetched 2d. each. He caught 10 dozen at one pull
once, being the whole flight as it came along. I do not indorse these
statements; but great numbers used to be captured.
It does not appear that our people eat the Goldfinches; but Lieut.-
Col. L. Howard L. Irby, in the ‘Ornithology of the Straits of Gibraltar,
p. 122, says that in West Andalucia they appear in countless flocks and

BRITISH BIRDS.
85
are caught (as here) in clap-nets. “It is not unusual to see a man with
bunches of several hundreds, which are sold at a ridiculously low price.”
4. Where do they migrate to ?
Of course some return to the north, as Redwings and other winter
visitants; some go south. Livingstone says, in his last Journals, vol. i. p. 336 :
,
-“Swifts, Senegal Swallows, and the common Dark-bellied Swallows appeared
at Kizinga in the beginning of October 1868.” This place is situated on
Lake Moero, 3000 feet above the sea, just to the west of Lake Tanganyika,
and far below the equator; but Hirundo rustica, our common Swallow, is
stated to reach the Cape.
5. Why do they return ?
Their return is perhaps hardly less marvellous than their departure,
being contrary to the principle in Nature of least action. The love of home
(a feeling common to birds, beasts, and fishes-may I not say, to all
creatures ?) probably operates in a great degree. Cosmos is constituted on a
nice balance of forces. If migratory impulse and other causes draw a bird
away, one of the greatest attractions takes him back: this is the law of
natural location-one which causes every creature to wish to remain round
a certain spot. Without it the earth would be nothing but confusion, like
the meeting in a road of several flocks of sheep belonging to various owners.
The most deadly fights would ensue; for every animal, man included, would
do battle for the best situation. By means of this law each thinks his own
the pleasantest; and it has had more influence on species than “ natural
selection,” because it keeps the breeds and races from mixture. In short,
it preserves order; without it all would be chaos.
Buckland says (Curiosities of Natural History,' vol. ii. p. 285):-
Strange things are heard at midnight by fishermen from Dover drifting
along far out at sea. All of a sudden a curious rushing and rustling sound
comes over the boat, accompanied by low musical twittings; it passes
N 2

86
BRITISH BIRDS.
away, and in a few minutes is again repeated. This is called the “ Herring
Piece;' the Folkstone people call it the herring Spear.' These are the
Redwings, who choose a dark still night to cross the channel, which is
always about the herring-fishing time. No harm follows. Not so with the
Seven Whistlers;' they come all of a sudden, singing “ Ewe, Ewe.' It is
the noise of the Long-billed Curlews; there is always an accident when
they come."
C
General Remarks.
There is one thing which has often been noticed, viz. that a suitable
spot will almost always contain a species. There is a place near Brighton
where a pair of Wood-Wrens have been shot and their eggs taken every
season till lately for thirty years or thereabouts. Nevertheless each year
finds a fresh pair in that situation.
From a different cause (the advance of houses on Brighton beach) the
Ring-Dotterel has been driven back to Shoreham ; yet I have myself taken
a nest on a spot where scores and scores of persons passed daily. Probably
the species had bred there hundreds and hundreds of years, and it clung with
tenacity to its traditions.
Capt. F. W. Hutton, in his article “On the Geographical Relations of
the New Zealand Fauna” (“Transactions of the New Zealand Institute,' 1872,
vol. v. p. 235), says :- “ That we should have two Cuckoos which migrate
regularly to other countries, each more than a thousand miles distant, is a
fact that deserves special attention, for I know of no parallel case in any
other part of the world, the distance across the Mediterranean being less than
half that travelled over by our summer visitants. The phenomenon of a bird
at a certain season of the year flying out to sea to an island more than a
thousand miles distant is remarkable enough, but is rendered still more so in
the case of the little Shining Cuckoo (Chrysococcyx lucidus, which is supposed
to come from Australia), by there being no apparent necessity for it ; for this
bird migrates east and west, and not from a warmer to a colder climate, and
وو

BRITISH BIRDS.
87
two other closely allied species which inhabit Australia never leave the
country at all. The Long-tailed Cuckoo (Eudynamis taitiensis), which comes
to us from the equable climate of the South-Sea Islands, cannot be supposed
to have its migrations caused either by alteration of temperature or by want
of food.
“ Another remarkable fact that has been quite lately brought to light is
that the shining Cuckoo of the Chatham Islands is not the same variety as
that visiting New Zealand, but is almost, if not quite, identical with an
Australian species (C. plagosus). This curious fact proves how strong must be
the force of habit; for these birds, in their migration to and from the Chatham
Islands, must pass over, or at least in sight of, New Zealand; but instead
of stopping, after a journey of 1400 miles, they continue on for 450 more,
until they reach the little island that they have selected as their home.”
Mr. Harting, in his ‘Handbook of British Birds,' p. 124, gives five
instances of the occurrence of the Yellow-billed Cuckoo (Cuculus americanus,
Linn.); of these, two are in Ireland, and three on the western coast of England.
Query, did these birds fly straight across from America, as their several
localities would appear to intimate ? or how did they get to the British Isles ?
In the P. Z. S. 1872, p. 496, “Mr. Sclater exhibited a skin of the Yellow-
billed Cuckoo of the U.S. of America (Coccyzus americanus), which had
been shot by Mr. W. H. Hudson at Quilines, Buenos Ayres, April 21, 1870,"
the only example of this bird he had ever obtained. “Mr. Sclater exhibited
specimens of this widely wandering species from Jamaica, Mexico, and the
U. S. of Columbia.”
One thing appears clearly, that migratory impulse is not climatal: it
affects birds alike in the Arctic regions, perhaps even to the pole, and on the
equator; and how far to the south, our knowledge of the Antarctic regions
is too small for us to determine. The limits of its action are unknown; if it
has any other than those of this planet. Mr. Robert O. Cunningham states,
Strait of Magellan,' p. 319 :-“We often saw specimens of a tiny Humming-
bird (Trochilus forficatus) in the channels, in strange contrast with the gloomy

88
BRITISH BIRDS.
nature of the climate. I believe it extends to the southern extremity of
Fuegia, while northwards, if I am not mistaken, it ranges as far as Peru-
thus passing through every variety of climate, from an intensely humid cold
region to a tropical one where rain hardly ever falls.” It is remarkable that,
for certain purposes, Nature has instituted migration; for another purpose,
as the converse, she has taken away flight. The loss of volant power is as if
a man tethered his cow in a clover-field; he wishes it to stay there to keep
down the abundance in that spot; the cow must not go away, but act on that
particular place with regularity. To prevent migration in a locality where the
bird is always wanted, volant power is absent. It was so with Alca impennis,
which has been, as all flightless species will be, quite destroyed. Of Apteryx and
Dinornis &c. it is said that when they were segregated from others, they
lost the power of flight from disuse of their wings; but if we contemplate
the Ostrich and different members of the family, there does not appear to be
much governing value in the argument.
Mr. A. R. Wallace states, in the Malay Archipelago,' vol. ii. p. 66 :-
From a small island a hundred miles north of New Guinea, a Nicobar Pigeon,
which must have come from New Guinea, fell into the water exhausted before
it could reach the shore.” He proceeds to argue that it was safer for a
ground-feeding bird in New Zealand not to fly at all than to fly badly, because
of the distance of New Zealand from other land; “ while in a vast archipelago
strewn with islands, it was advantageous to be able occasionally to migrate;
then the long and strong-winged varieties maintained their existence longest,
and ultimately supplanted all others.” His argument gives safety to the birds
as a cause of volant and non-volant power. My idea is, natural location was
the cause, viz. the necessity for creatures to remain in allotted spots to carry
out the work required of them in the chain of life in those places. Safety to
the animal is always made, as I view things, subordinate to its use and duty,
though without doubt its safety has been guarded. I can understand the
theory that a bird in an oceanic island, far from other land, might, with no
enemies, cease to use its wings, being a ground-feeder, and thus at last lose


To face page 89.]
A LARK-GLASS.

BRITISH BIRDS.
89
the power of flight; but as there are flightless birds which inhabit continents,
the same argument does not apply to them. How the loss of flight came
about I do not say; “the how,” that is; but “the why,” according to my
theory, is as I state. Birds should be looked upon in connexion with all other
life, animal and vegetable, and their work with reference to the earth, most
parts of which require their presence to preserve a proper balance in nature.
In my view, this globe requires birds, beasts, fishes, insects, poi-
sonous serpents, &c. If we ask the reason, we may not always be ready to
answer; and man constantly in his effort to improve, by destruction of what
he thinks useless, blunders. By an invisible law those creatures which are
required are found in suitable situations.
But to return to the Larks. The mode of shooting them on these downs
has been so well described by Mr. A. E. Knox in the 'Ornithological Rambles,'
under the head of “Chasse au miroir,” that I cannot well add any thing,
but will only give a woodcut of “a Lark-glass," and state that during “ the
flight,” when the sun shines on the revolving implement, the poor birds come
and are shot as fast as a gun can be loaded and fired-which I imagine to arise
partly from curiosity, and partly from the well-known attraction which fire
or flame has for birds, beasts, insects, and fishes : the sparkle of the sun
in the glass looks like flame. But, of course, this is only a theory of my own.
I have seen other birds attracted (Rooks, for instance), but not so much as
Larks ; and I do not assign the above cause as other than a possible one.
In confirmation, I may call attention to the mode of taking Larks in Andalucia
at night with a bell and lantern by a boy. Lt.-Col. L. Howard L. Irby, in
the 'Ornithology of the Straits of Gibraltar,' p. 112, says he has “known a
boy bring in six or seven dozen Sky-Larks at a time ” in this way. He adds,
“ Calandras, Buntings, Larks, in fact any birds that sleep on the ground, can
be thus taken.” Finally, a watch has one regulator, animal life has two,
pleasure and pain. Of these, pain is the root and basis of migration. With
certain exceptions, migration is occasioned by uneasiness.

EMBERIZA PUSILLA, Pall.
(Small Bunting.)
MR. GOULD calls this 66 one of the most ubiquitous Buntings in existence.”
An example of this species was found alive at Brighton, Nov. 2, 1864, and
placed before me. Mr. Gould took it to the Zoological Society's Meeting,
Nov. 8, and figured it in his fine work the ‘Birds of Great Britain.' A notice of
it appeared in a letter of mine to the ‘Ibis,' 1865, new ser. vol. i. p. 113. No
second British specimen has been seen, as far as I know. The editor of Stray
Feathers,' vol. ii. no. 6, p. 497, says, “ Lieut. Wardlaw Ramsay shot a female
of this species on the 28th March below M. de Roepstorff's house on Mount
Harriet. Davidson saw and noted it. Lord Walden confirms the identifi-
cation. It must now be included in the avifauna of the Bay of Bengal.”
FRINGILLA MONTIFRINGILLA.
(Bramble-Finch.)
A CURIOUS instance of gular melanism occurred in two cock Bramble-Finches
during the grand flight of Larks and other birds after the heavy snow,
Dec. 17, 1874, to which I drew attention in the Times,' Dec. 24, 1874.
The throat was quite black, with the exception that the brown tips of the
feathers, which would have come off in the spring, had not yet done so.
A cock with the ordinary throat is shown in the illustration. A similar
case in a Quail (Coturnix dactylisonans) is also figured. It has not yet
been determined if this arises from age or abnormal variation. It is only
when masses of a species arrive that this kind of difference is observable.

1.
2.
GO
4.
3. COTURNIX DACTYLISONANS.
1. FRINGILLA MONTIFRINGILLA, 8.
2. FRINGILLA MONTIFRINGILLA, 8, VARIETY.
4. COTURNIX DACTYLISONANS, VARIETY


1.
2.
C
3.
TEXANUS. 0.
TEXANUS. $. VARIETY.
J.G. Keulemans del.
Mintern Bros imp
1. EMBERIZA HORTULANA. 0.
2. EMBERIZA CÆSIA.
3. ORTYX
4. ORTYX


BRITISH BIRDS.
91
Messrs. Sharpe and Dresser, in their ‘Birds of Europe,' pt. vii. Oct.
1871, p. 9, mention a specimen with the black throat in the collection of
Mr. John Henry Gurney, jun., also of Mr. Bond. Latham, in his
'Synopsis,' likewise says, in some the throat is black.
Another example in my own cabinet, obtained about Dec. 1, 1874, is a
cock supposed to be assuming the plumage of the hen. The chin is as usual;
but the grey cheeks, like those of the female, are conspicuous.
As a contrast to the melanism in the throat of the Brambling and Quail,
I have given two illustrations of abnormal gular albinism in the Goldfinch
(Fringilla carduelis), and one also in the Lark (Alauda arvensis). The latter
bird has been kept in my aviary for some five or six years; it has never changed
in any way; the white throat was exactly the same when it was caught;
and a famous singer it is.
On the 12th Oct., 1858, I was present when one of these Goldfinches with
a white throat was taken in a clap-net. The birdcatchers will tell you that
this sort always breeds well with a Canary; but it is rare. This is probably
only fancy, though there is a general and widely spread belief in the idea
among the class. The gular albinism which occurs in this species is not
confined to England only; for though Thompson does not notice it in his
' Birds of Ireland,' Mr. Robert Gray, in the ‘Birds of the West of Scotland,'
says, p. 185 :-“The Goldfinch seems to vary greatly in size. A specimen
from Ireland now before me is 43 inches in length; another from Dumfries
is 5 inches. The first-named has a white throat; both were killed in April :
the Irish bird looks as if it must have been, when in the flesh, only half the
size and weight of the other.” Of the two Goldfinches with the white throats
in the illustration, the best, the more marked case, was a specimen killed the
last week in October 1874, an old bird; the claws are quite white, and the
skin of the throat also : both are in my collection. These white specimens
are said to be more delicate in constitution than others, which is what one
would expect to find. The white appears to commence close up to the base
of the under mandible usually, but not always; and there is great difference
o

92
BRITISH BIRDS.
9
in the size of it. Mr. John Cordeaux, in the 'Birds of the Humber district,
p. 64, says of the Rook, “A not uncommon variation shows a few white
feathers on the throat.” I have a similar example in the Pied Wagtail.
We all know well the seasonal changes affecting the throat in many
birds—black to white, and vice versâ,—not to multiply instances, as in the
Razor-bill (Alca torda); but there appears to be, over and above this, a
tendency in a weakened constitution (from which I apprehend abnormal
variation in colour frequently springs) to attack this part more than some
others, as in man.
Mr. Dresser has kindly lent me several specimens from his collection,
which I have figured side by side, viz. :-
Ortyx tesanus, variety (male), collected by himself: locality, San
Antonio, Texas, December 1863. Normal bird of the same
species (male), December 1863. Also
Emberiza hortulana, normal male: Sweden. Emberiza cæsia, variety.
Mr. Dresser has also been so good as to provide me with the following
translation from Severtzoff’s ‘Fauna of Turkestan'(Turkestanskie Jevotnie):-
Severtzoff, speaking of Emberiza hortulana and E. cæsia, writes (Tur-
kestanskie Jevotnie, p. 118) as follows :-“The latter is certainly not a mere
climatic race of the former, which in Turkestan is precisely similar to what
it is in Europe, having a greenish-grey head and a yellow throat. But we
have here two forms or races of E. cæsia, and in several instances I have seen
intermediate specimens showing a gradual passage between the two forms.
These forms are E. cæsia ; which has a whitish throat, and E. rufibarba, which
has a light-brownish throat; but this difference in the throat is not of specific
value. E. hortulana inhabits the bushes, whereas E. cæsia inhabits the rocks
and stony hills. Both forms are common during the breeding-season, and
are not found far apart; therefore the differences are not to be attributed to
climate.'
66

PYRRHOCORAX GRACULUS.
(The Chough.)
Of all British birds the “ Cornish Chough” is the one of my affections. It
becomes now more and more scarce.
Shakespeare speaks of
Russet-pated Choughs, many in sort,
Rising and cawing at the gun's report.”
Midsummer Night's Dream, Act iii. Sc. 2.
Nature' says (December 28, 1871) :-“Russet-pated Choughs,' i. e.
having red pattes or feet (cf. the heraldic crois pattée), not a red pate
or head.”
I have kept several of this species in captivity; but they are very
expensive to buy, and do not live long. In July 1859 I saw two in the
Regent's Park, at the Zoological Gardens. The man who obtained them
lost his life shortly after, in a fresh attempt for more. No one who has only
known stuffed specimens can imagine the brilliancy of the colours and the
agile and graceful movements of these most charming birds.
In the History of Sign-boards,' by Larwood and Hotten, 7th edition,
p. 203 :—“The three black birds (Choughs, Crows, and Ravens) are a common
sign;
then there is the Chough at Chard, in Somerset, and the Three Choughs
at Yeovil.” “On Friday, August 27, 1770, at the Three Crows in Brook
Street, Holborn, the coroner sat on the body of Thomas Chatterton, and ten
jurymen returned a verdict of felo de se.” Such was the sad termination of
the career of the “ marvellous boy,” the gifted Chatterton.
02

CUCULUS CANORUS.
(Common Cuckoo.)
“If the Cuckoo came when the tree was bare, pasture would be bad and corn good ; (if the tree
was in leaf, the reverse. - Old Saying."
Shakespeare's England, by G. W. THORNBURY, p. 276.
This species has a wide range. Mr. Allen O. Hume found Cuculus canorus,
Linn., at an elevation of 11,000 feet, close to the snow, in June 1870, in
Ladak. Mr. R. Swinhoe heard it in May on
66 the hills round Chefoo,”
province of Shantung, North China (^ Ibis,' 3rd series, vol. v. January 1875,
p. 125). I do not say any thing here on the Baldamine theory of Cuckoos'
eggs, but refer my readers to “The Ibis ' and Zoologist,' in which I have
stated nearly all I can. Some Cuckoos' eggs are hatched very late; I have
one egg taken July 19. Now it is manifest that an egg on July 19 could not
turn out a bird which would be ready to cross the sea before the middle of
September. Accordingly we find, when out shooting, young Cuckoos hanging
about; and I have done so. The Swift, which comes late and goes early,
does not moult in England. A bird has plenty to do after its nesting-duties
are over to get through the moult and prepare for migration, particularly one
which has two sets of eggs and young.
Our Cuckoo is often spoken of as an example of the “mimicry” of
Bates and Wallace; and the fact cannot be denied that it resembles some
Hawks. This even has attracted the attention of keepers &c. Usually the
creature that mimics is supposed to derive an advantage by its resemblance
و

BRITISH BIRDS.
95
66
to the one mimicked. Now, June 17, 1874, I saw a cock Blackbird in full
pursuit of a Cuckoo. They passed close to my face, the Cuckoo being much
alarmed. The resemblance here did not avail the Cuckoo as any defence,
on the contrary. If a person goes out hunting he puts on a red coat; but
another about to commit a burglary would hardly clothe himself in so con-
spicuous a garment. The Cuckoo breaks into, so to speak, the nests of other
birds, who, if they saw a Hawk, would invariably direct their attention to it
at once ; whereas concealment is necessary to the operations of the Cuckoo,
and the less its plumage creates observation the better. Theory on these
subjects is always dangerous ; nevertheless to both Hawk and Cuckoo the
plumage may tend to safety in a resemblance to the bark of trees.
Mr. Proctor, quoting Voltaire, in ‘The Orbs around us,' observes that
theory is like a mouse which passes through nineteen holes and is stopped
at the twentieth.” I should not wonder if, instead of the Cuckoo being a
mimic of a Hawk, both should be found to mimic something else.
In the Common Heron, which perches on the top of a wood, its form
standing out against the light, the plumage of course matches the blue of the
skyscape; and I have observed how difficult it is to discern the bird in such
a situation. I would not, however, say any thing against mimicry, wbich
appears to be an established fact and can be read about in Mr. Wallace's
'Natural Selection,' in which moths resembling birds, dung, and mortar, and
Mr. Salvin's case of mimicry among Hawks, are salient examples and afford
room for very interesting speculation.
Colonel Irby (* Straits of Gibraltar,' p. 36) gives the Moorish name of
the Sparrow-Hawk, “Bou-umeira takouk” (Cuckoo-Hawk).

otoboo
MEROPS APIASTER.
(The Bee-eater.)
Totaron
Mr.TRISTRAM (in his 'Catalogue,' 1857,) says, “Merops apiaster breeds socially
in the banks of the desert 'wadys,' where the soil is not too hard. It
pierces a very narrow hole horizontally for a yard or more, frequently with
most sudden turnings, and then forms a most spacious chamber, and often a
second, each about a foot in diameter, where it deposits from four to seven
eggs. It is looked upon by the Algerians as the favourite harbinger of
summer.”
The Times' correspondent states, Aug. 28, 1854 :—“Near Varna, on
the Black Sea, a thin flickering cloud was observed advancing from the sea;
presently over our heads, at the distance of a few yards, passed millions of
locusts; as far as the eye could reach they spread over the country. After
going by in sheets for a quarter of an hour, they became less dense; at last
the rear-guard of tired stragglers came, many of whom settled upon the grass.
A whole flight of Bee-eaters, Locust-eaters, &c. followed. They in their turn
were pursued by Hawks, Kites, Falcons, &c."
HIRUNDO RUSTICA.
(The Swallow.
What is there about the Swallow which has caused it to be connected with
two such events as the Deluge and the Crucifixion by the Assyrians and the
Scandinavians respectively? Mr. Smith translates from the Izdubar

BRITISH BIRDS.
97
Legends' (dating at least two thousand years before the Christian era),
“I sent forth a Swallow and it left. The Swallow went and turned, and a
resting-place it did not find, and it returned.” “This was from the ark, and
I refers to Hasisadra, the Noah of this terra-cotta tablet.”—Nature, April 8,
1875, p. 441. Again, in Lloyd's Scandinavian Adventures,' we find, "The
Swallow is looked upon with a sort of love and reverence, and it is considered
sinful to destroy the bird or its nest. This feeling thus originated :-When our
Saviour was crucified a little bird came and perched upon the cross, peered
sorrowfully down upon the sufferer and twitted, Hugsvala, svala, svala
Honom '--that is, Console, console, console Him. Hence it obtained its name
Svala. In consequence, Heaven ordained that blessings and prosperity should
ever afterwards attend those who protected it and its nest. For a long time
after, it would sit upon the cross; but when this was taken down by the
enemies of Christendom and buried in the earth, it flew sorrowing from the
spot.”
A doubt has been entertained about the specific difference, if any,
between H. rustica and H. cahirica. Mr. Sharpe and Mr. Dresser have an
article on Hirundo rustica (P. Z. S. 1870, p. 244); and at p. 305 the former
gentleman says :-“There cannot be the slightest doubt that the bird sup-
posed to be Hirundo cahirica by ornithologists, from Western Africa, is only
H. rustica shot in full spring plumage on its way northwards.” Mr.
Dresser, in his · Birds of Europe,' part xxxvii., figures H. rustica and
H. Savignii=H. cahirica, Licht., side by side ; and I cannot do better than
refer my readers to that work, one of our standard repertories of ornithology
and indispensable to all ornithologists. Mr. Dresser gives us the benefit of
his opinion thus :-“I can only trace the occurrence of the present species
(H. Savignii) “in Palestine and North-east Africa. Messrs. Finsch and
Hartlaub go so far even as to unite this species with Hirundo rustica—a view
which I cannot for a moment indorse; but I think it more than probable that
examples of the common Swallow in full spring plumage, having the under-
parts tinged with rufous, have been mistaken for the present species; and

98
BRITISH BIRDS.
hence it has been recorded as occurring in various parts of Europe, and even,
by Mr. Gurney, in Great Britain ; but I have as yet failed in finding any
example of Hirundo Savignii from a locality north of the Mediterranean.”
Amid the diversity of opinion among those whose dicta are of the best,
I shall not pretend to decide, and will only say that the variation in colour
between the two species, as seen in the Plate, exactly corresponds to that
between the two Owls now hanging against my wall, viz. the Barn-Owl and
the Danish Barn-Owl, the latter figured in this work. These two Owls are
declared to be the same species, and the two Swallows to be different-
which appears somewhat paradoxical. The Swallow which arrives at
Brighton in April certainly has its underparts strongly tinged with rufous.
CYPSELUS MURARIUS.
(Swift.)
I HAVE always heard Swifts called Devellings by the country people. In
August, on the Downs and beach near Shoreham harbour, many are observed
on their departure.
Every now and then there comes a season most fatal to Swifts and
Swallows. Mr. Henry Stevenson, in his “ Birds of Norfolk,' vol. i. p. 345,
mentions that" on the mornings of the 5th and 6th June, 1816, the gardeners
could have picked up hundreds of these birds (Swallows) in their hands.
They were collected in knots, and sat on the grass in parcels of thirty and
forty. This, there is reason to believe, was owing both to cold and hunger.”
May 20, 1859, a pair of Swifts were taken in a semitorpid state from under
the eaves of a church.”
May 29, 1869, I observed a great mortality in
Swifts; there was snow in Yorkshire May 28, and several clipped sheep were
starved to death.” In June 1855 hundreds of Hirundo rustica were found dead

BRITISH BIRDS.
99
from the unusual cold ; some scores were picked out of the river Ouse,
Huntingdonshire, near S. Neots; others settled on the heads of men; and
their eggs were deserted.
Bishop Pontoppidan says, “Everybody knows that, towards winter,
Swallows plunge into freshwater lakes.” If he had seen the Swallows in the
Ouse, how triumphant would he have been! Nevertheless he was a very
fine old fellow, and, for his time, did good service. Even in the present day
his works are read with pleasure.
As regards the ornis of Great Britain, the Swift resembles the Garefowl
(Alca impennis, Linn.) in the abnormality of its members of locomotion.
One is a fowl of the air, rarely coming to the ground; the other is a fowl of
the sea, which seldom resorts to the shore: one, therefore, has abnormal wings;
the other, abnormal feet. Concerning Alca impennis I say nothing; but of the
Swift, a word or two. Owen states that “ birds tread on their toes only:
not more than three toes are directed forward; the fourth, when it exists, is
backward and is shorter, usually rises higher from the metatarsal, and takes
less share of the superincumbent weight. No two toes in the same foot of
any bird have the same number of joints ; also, there is a constant numerical
progression in the number of the phalanges or toe-joints from the innermost
to the outermost toe. When the back toe exists, it is the innermost of the
four toes, and has two phalanges; the next has three ; the third (or middle
of the front toes) has four ; and the outermost, five phalanges. When the
back toe is wanting the toes have three, four, and five phalanges respectively.
When the toes are two, as in the Ostrich, their phalanges are respectively
four and five in number, thus showing those toes to answer to the two outer-
most in tridactyle and tetradactyle birds."-North British Review, no. lxiii.
p. 247, art. 10, Feb. 1860.
In an article by P. L. Sclater, M.A., Ph.D., F.R.S. (P. Z. S. 1865, p. 593),
he says, “I consider that the Swifts have no relationship whatever with
the Swallows (Hirundinidae).” He proceeds to describe the form of the
sternum of the former, and then comes to the phalanges of the toes :—“The
P

100
BRITISH BIRDS.
medial and external digits have only three phalanges, like the inner digit, as
was first pointed out by Nitzsch in 1811. This is the case, I believe, with
all the species of Cypselus and Panyptila.... In all the other genera of Cypse-
lidæ, as far as I have been able to ascertain, the normal rule is followed, the
medial digit having four phalanges, and the outer digit five."
“One of the most remarkable points in the structure of the Cypselidæ is
the great development of the salivary glands. In all the species of which the
nidification is known, the secretion thus produced is used more or less in the
construction of the nest. In most cases it forms a glue by which the other
materials are joined together, and the whole nest affixed to the rock, wall, or
other object against which it is placed. In some species of Collocalia, how-
ever, the whole nest is made up of inspissated saliva, and becomes the edible
bird's-nest so well known in the East."
The same author (P. Z. S. 1866, p. 123) mentions a deviation in the
Caprimulgida from the normal rule as regards the phalanges of the toes.
COLUMBA PALUMBUS.
(Wood-Pigeon.)
MEM.—Nov. 9, 1859. We had a flight this morning for two hours from
seven o'clock A.M.... Thousands of this bird passed Brighton, slowly going
west.
May 23, 1861. My father's holts at S. Neots, Huntingdonshire, have
just been cut, which enables the Wood-Pigeons to feed upon the potato-
like portion of the round-leafed ranunculus (Ranunculus rotundifolius), of
which they are very fond. The local name of this small fruit is king-cob;
it comes at the joints of the stem, not the root, and is of the size of a small
pea; it looks like a new potato. The flower of the plant is exactly the same
as that of the buttercup. The Pigeons come in numbers to feed. Waterton,

BRITISH BIRDS.
101
though friendly to the Ring-Dove, says that it injures the rising crop of
clover considerably.
“The ‘Pigeon' was a tavern at Charing Cross in 1675 (- City Mercury,'
Nov. 4, 1675). The Three Pigeons' were very common : there still exists
an inn of this name at Brentford. It is a house of interest-in all likelihood
one of the few haunts of Shakespeare now remaining—as being, indeed, the
sole Elizabethan tavern existing in England, which, in the absence of direct
evidence, may fairly be presumed to have been occasionally visited by him
(Halliwell's ‘Local Illustration of the Merry Wives of Windsor'). It was
kept at one time by Lowin, one of the original actors in Shakespeare's plays,
and is often named by the old dramatists. Bat Pidgeon, the famous hair-
dresser, immortalized by the Spectator,' lived at the sign of the Three
Pigeons' in the corner house of St. Clement's Churchyard, next to the
Strand. There he remained as late as 1740, when he cut the boyish locks
of Pennant.”---History of Sign-boards, by Larwood and Hotten, p. 218.
Mr. W. B. Tegetmeier, in the ‘Field' (Sept. 7, 1872, p. 248), in an
article on Gallinaceous and Columbine Birds, corrects Mr. Yarrell, and says:
-“If the reader will turn to Yarrell's ‘British Birds' (vol. ii. p. 280) he
will find it stated that the parent birds feed their offspring by *inserting
their own beak between the mandibles of the young bird, and thus furnish
them with a soft pulpy mass which is already half-digested.' The old
bird does not insert its beak between the mandibles of the young one, but
vice versâ ; and the food is never half-digested, for the crop is not a diges-
tive organ; it is either the curdy secretion or pulse or grain, that is dis-
gorged as soon as possible after the old bird has fed.” Mr. Tegetmeier
says also in this instructive article :-“Pigeons lay never more than two*,
and in many cases only one egg. This paucity of eggs is connected with
the mode of nourishing the young.”
* “The Passenger Pigeon, and the fruit-eating Pigeons of the genus Carpophaga, as far as
has hitherto been observed, lay one egg, forming an exception to the general rule which obtains
in this group, called Bipositores.”—Guide to the Zoological Gardens, 1875, p. 6.
P 2

102
BRITISH BIRDS.
Mr. Yarrell, in his first edition, gives a quotation from Booth's Ana-
lytical Dictionary,' which states that Pigeons “have no gall-bladder; and
therefore the secretions of the liver are, as it is supposed, never converted
into black bile, a fluid which has been in all ages associated with the irritable
passions of mankind.” We know with what the Dove has been associated.
With reference to the gall-bladder, Mr. A. H. Garrod (P. Z. S. 1874, p. 249)
states that “Nitzsch mentions the want of cæca to the intestine and gall-
bladder in Goura. Hunter notes the same facts. Professor Owen (Ana-
tomy of Vertebrates,' vol.ii. p. 177) says that the gall-bladder is constantly defi-
cient. This is so in most of the Columbæ; but, besides being developed in
the Pteroclidæ, it is found in all the species of Ptilonopus, Lopholæmus, and
Carpophaga."
Dr. Otto Finsch (P. Z. S. 1874, p. 94), “ On a new Fruit-Pigeon, Ptilo-
nopus huttoni, from the Pacific Island of Rapa or Opara,” among other things,
says :—“The geographical distribution of the Fruit-Pigeons in the numerous
islands of the Pacific is very interesting, and confirms the rule that insular
regions produce a great quantity of species, peculiar in many cases to very
small islands.” He then gives numerous instances, and adds :-“In those
island groups where two species occur, these are totally different and
confined in their distribution to certain localities. ... So small an island as
Rapa produces one of the most remarkable of the group. We find it
extremely difficult to explain what has caused such extraordinary phenomena.”
The article should be read in full.
OTIS TARD A, Linn.
(The Great Bustard.)
The account of this bird, now unfortunately lost to England, has been so
well and exhaustively written by Mr. Henry Stevenson, in the Birds of

BRITISH BIRDS.
103
Norfolk,' vol. ii. p. 1, with the advantage of reference to Professor Newton's
notes, that I shall only mention one anecdote in addition.
About 1811 (though this date is uncertain) a shooting-party was held
at Kingston Lacy, eight miles from Blandford, Dorsetshire, belonging to Mr.
Henry Bankes, of Corfe Castle. Among the gentlemen was the late Sir
William Oglander, Bart., who pursued a different beat to the rest. At the
end of the day each recounted his experience; and the question being put,
Well, Sir William, what have you shot?” he answered, ONLY seven
Bustards.” Clearly at that time the seven Bustards, though becoming, we
must suppose, rare, were not thought much of by a Dorsetshire shooter, or
as very wonderful !
Mr. Stevenson puts the extermination of the bird in Norfolk as taking
place in 1838 According to Dietrichsen and Hannay's Nautical and
Astronomical Almanacs, Bustard-shooting commences September 1, and
ends S. Chad's day, March 2nd,-a circumstance no longer necessary, alas !
for insertion in any thing of the kind. The bird appears to have been
thought something of in 1512; for in the “ Percy Household Book' of that
date, though no price is fixed, it is named, “ but for my Lord's own mess at
principal feastes, and none other tyme, except my Lord's commandment be
otherwise" ("Antiquarian Repertory,' vol. iv.: Thompson's Hist. of
Boston,' p. 676).
In “Musæum Tradescantianum, published 1656, p. 4, we have :-
“The Bustard, as big as a Turkey, usually taken by greyhounds on New-
market Heath."

GRUS CINEREA.
(Common Crane.
The Hon. Robert Curzon, in his “ Armenia,' p. 145, says:-“Of the great
cinereous Crane, which runs faster than a horse, I shot one at full gallop with
a rifle. My game was about 5 feet high. A man brought a Crane which
he had winged into the poultry-yard, where he stalked up and down with
a proud indignant air. He soon eat his corn with the rest, while he had
a deep bucket of water for his own use, into which he used to poke his head
continually. One day a servant, not knowing the bucket was placed for the
Stork, took it up, when the bird flew at him, and seized him tightly by the
nose, and there he held him a good while. He tried to hit his enemy with
the bucket, but, owing to its long neck, the Crane could not be reached.
The man's nose was sore and swelled for a long time.” One of the Gulls
kept in my garden also took hold of a man by the nose.
“The Three Cranes’ was formerly a favourite London sign. With
the usual jocularity of our forefathers, an opportunity for punning could
not be passed ; so, instead of the three Cranes, which in the Vintry used
to lift the barrels of wine, three birds were represented.”—History of
Sign-boards.
The beautiful illustration of the nest of the Cranes in West Bohemia,
Ootheca Wolleyana,' pl. E, is well known, and the account of it, ' Ibis,'
1859 (vol. i. pp. 191-198).

CICONIA'' ALBA.
(The White Stork.)
“ACCORDING to Arab tradition, Storks are Mirabuts turned into birds for a
great sin; and therefore they, even now, like to dwell on the cupolas of the
mosques, and to sit upon the crescent. All over the East they are hurt by
nobody.” (“The Tricolor on the Atlas in Algeria,' by Francis Pulszky,
p. 109.)
on.
“In Holland, Denmark, and Northern Germany it is everywhere a
welcome guest, and is known as a fire-fowl and baby-bringer. It is a bird of
passage, coming with the storms, departing with them. He is the attendant
and messenger of the goddess, with whom he arrives in spring; and his red
legs mark him also as a servant of the fire-god. In Hesse a waggon-wheel
(emblem of the sun) is laid upon the roof for the Stork to make his nest
The house on which he builds is safe from fire, even though the neigh-
bourhood be burned down. He must not be killed, for he is a sacred
bird; nor should his nest be disturbed, lest the house be struck with
lightning.” (Indo-European Tradition and Folk-lore,' by Walter K.
Kelly, p. 89.)
During the late war between France and Germany, the following appeared
in the Times,' Oct. 25, 1870 :-“ We heard a story of communication
between Old and New Breisach having been, up to within the last few days,
entirely dependent on a Stork, who had a home in both towns, and who
was in the habit of flying from one place of abode to another, burdened
with letters and newspapers; but the Prussian commandant discovered the
existence of this novel postman, and clipped his wings.”
In the Nile Tributaries of Abyssinia,' by Sir S. Baker, ch. xxii. p. 547,
is the following remarkable statement :-“We made a direct cut across the
flat country, to cross the Rahad and arrive at Abou Harraz on the Blue Nile.

BRITISH BIRDS.
107
had got its leg entangled and broken in a chink of the ruin, where it had
perished miserably.” Again (p. 247), “ There is a well-authenticated account
of the devotion of a Stork, which at the burning of the town of Delft, after
repeated and unsuccessful attempts to carry off her young, chose rather to
remain and perish with them. Well might the Romans call it pia avis !”
This latter bird was an unfortunate instance of the fallacy of the popular
notion of immunity from fire ascribed to the species ; neither had it made as
felicitous a choice as Juvenal's Stork, which built its nest on the Temple of
Concord at Rome (Sat. i. 116).
In the History of Sign-boards,' by Jacob Larwood and John Camden
Hotten, p. 203 (Chatto and Windus), concerning the curious sign of the
Storks, of which the vignette below is a copy, by permission, Coryatt thus
speaks :-“There (at Fontainebleau) I saw two or three birds that I never
did before; even Storckes. It is written of them that when the old one is
become so old that it is not able to helpe itselfe, the young purveyeth foode
for it, and some time carryeth it about on his backe; and if it is so destitute
of meate, that it knoweth not where to get any sustenance, it casteth out that
which it hath eaten the day before, to the end to feede his damme. This
bird is called in Greeke πέλαργος, whence cometh the Greeke word αντιπελαργείν,
which signifieth to imitate the Stork in cherishing our parents."
This fabled virtue of the Stork suggested the sign to many continental
booksellers and printers. The Two Storks was the sign of Martin Nutius
of Antwerp, 1550, and his son, Philip Nutius. Their colophons all represent
a young Stork feeding an old one, sometimes carrying him on his back, with
the motto, “ Pietas homini tutissima."
* Two Storks.' (Antwerp, 1639.)

106
BRITISH BIRDS.
During the march over a portion of the country which had been cleared by
burning, we met a curious hunting-party. A number of the common black-
and-white Storks were hunting for grasshoppers and other insects; but
mounted on the back of each Stork was a large copper-coloured Flycatcher,
which, perched like a rider on its horse, kept a bright look-out for insects,
which, from its elevated position, it could easily discover upon the ground.
I watched them for some time. Whenever the Storks perceived a grass-
hopper or other winged insect they chased them on foot; but if they missed
their game, the Flycatchers darted from their backs, and flew after the insects
like Falcons, catching them in their beaks, and then returning to their steeds
to look out for another opportunity.”
In the Heart of Africa,' by Dr. George Schweinfurth, translated by
Ellen E. Frewer, vol. i. p. 119, we have, on the White Nile :-“ It does not
admit of a doubt that men and beasts exhibit singular coincidences and cer-
tain agreement in their tendencies. The Shilooks, the Nueis, and the Dinka
tribes, stationed on the low marshy flats which adjoin the river, 'give the
impression,' says Heuglin, 'that amongst men they hold the same place
as Flamingoes do with reference to the rest of the feathered race.' The
dwellers in these marsh-lands would probably have a web between their
toes, were it not compensated for by the flatness of their feet and the unusual
prolongation of the heel. Another remarkable similarity is the way in which,
like the birds of the marshes, they are accustomed, for an hour at a time, to
stand motionless on one leg, supporting the other above the knee. Their
leisurely long stride over the rushes is only to be compared to that of
a Stork. Lean and lanky limbs, a long thin neck, on which rests a small
and narrow head, give a finishing touch to the resemblance.”
Mr. Canon Tristram, whose works are always pleasing, from the healthy
tone which pervades them, and the sound spirit in which they are written,
gives a pelargic anecdote (“Nat. Hist. of the Bible,' p. 245), viz. :-
“On the highest point of a large mass of ruin at Rabboth Ammon were the
remains of a deserted pile of sticks, an old Stork's nest. One of these birds

ARDEA STELLARIS.
(The Common Bittern.)
Common formerly, but not now. Pishey Thompson, in his Hist. of Boston,'
p. 676, says :-“We well remember hearing that singular and solitary bird,
the Bittern, which the country people used to call the butter-bump, uttering
its melancholy booming' from the low reedy parts of the then unenclosed
ings, or open meadows, of this neighbourhood." Now “we might almost
as soon expect to find a Bustard on Lincoln Heath as a Bittern in the Fen
district of Holland.” About 1812, a gentleman staying at Priory Hill, St.
Neots, shot Bitterns right and left in my father's holts. Since that day,
though a stray one was captured alive on St. Neots Common in the winter of
1849-50, the Bittern, like the otter, has ceased to inhabit that part. Though
not belonging to the subject, I may say that otters abounded in the Hunt-
ingdonshire Ouse, particularly in the holts and islands round St. Neots Mills.
About 1809 a keeper, and my informant, found a female otter and cubs on
one of them. She bravely ran at them with her mouth open, but was shot.
The cubs were taken home and kept. Young ones were often found in bow-
nets; it was common at night to hear their cries: they bred in the old
pollards, which grew then over these holts. Persons used to come for a
fortnight in boats to shoot Wild Geese ; the barge-horses often stuck in the
mud, and the boys were washed off their backs and drowned. The islands
were much lower in the water formerly, and boats went all over them. The
above were probably the last otters bred in the St. Neots holts. When the
holts are cut, with sharp points sticking up about a foot high, and the little
drains are quite blind, it requires some practice not to lame yourself, on the
one hand, or tumble into a ditch on the other. Yet a man who is accus-
tomed to the locality will run across easily enough. He might here set
at defiance a whole regiment of foreign invaders by swimming from island
to island; and their chance of catching the native would be small.

BRITISH BIRDS.
109
Round Whittlesea Mere, before the draining of that fine lake, Bitterns
appeared to be numerous, seven having fallen to the gun of J. M. Heath-
cote, Esq., of Connington Castle, in one morning, on the land adjoining his
fen-farm.
SCOLOPAX RUSTICOLA.
(The Woodcock.)
On April 7, 1873, I saw a nest of four eggs (quite fresh) of this bird,
taken in Sussex two days before, and not blown. In Brighton we find
one now and then, in some little garden, perhaps, when the Woodcocks
come over.
The final vignette in Yarrell’s ‘Birds,' vol. ii. edition 1, of Chantrey's
two Woodcocks killed at one shot, and the verses, are well known. In
' Notes and Queries’ (5th ser. iii., Feb. 6, 1875) appear other lines on the
same event, in a communication signed “C. A. Ward.”
“ He hit the birds, and with an aim as true,
And hand as skilful, hit their likeness too."
F. P. Muirhead.
“ With gun or chisel thou art doubly clever ;
Chantrey! thy twins in death are twins for ever.
Boulton.
»
“ Shall Chantrey be called a destroyer, or not?
He slaughters, indeed, his two birds at one shot;
But, pitying his victims, with gen'rous endeavour
To make more amends by his chisel so clever,
He revives them to live on in marble for ever." »
Mr. Sergt. Wrangham.
In the same publication (5th ser. iii., March 13, 1875) the last epigram
is stated by “H. P. D.” to belong to Francis Wrangham, Archdeacon of
Q 2

110
BRITISH BIRDS.
66
the East Riding; and reference is made to an elegant book published by
Prof. Muirhead, 1857, entitled “Winged Words on Chantrey's Woodcocks,'
which contains, including translations, nearly 200 epigrams on the sculp-
tured birds.” “Gen. Oglethorpe, who died 1785, frequently killed Woodcocks
where Conduit Street, London, now stands. He was the best shot at birds on
the wing in his day" ("Round about Piccadilly,' by H. B. Wheatley, p. 189).
وو
ANSER FERUS.
(The Grey-legged Goose, or Grey Lag Goose.)
-66 The same
COMMONLY supposed to be the ancestor of our domestic Goose.
Sir J. Emmerson Tennent, in his “Ceylon,' p. 487, says:
word appears to designate Goose in the most remote quarters of the globe.
The Pali term, ‘hansa,' by which it is known to the Buddhists of Ceylon, is
still the 'henza' of the Burmese and the 'gangsa' of the Malays, and is to
be traced in the xnv' of the Greeks, the 'anser' of the Romans, the 'ganso,
of the Portuguese, the ansar' of the Spaniards, the 'Gans' of the Germans
(who, Pliny says, called the White Geese 'ganza'), the 'gas' of the Swedes,
and the ' gander' of the English.”
The following excerpt from S. Hill's Siberia' (vol. ii. p. 211), though
it does not refer to Anser ferus, is valuable, as derived from original observa-
tion :-“I had chanced to have many opportunities of observing the habits
of Geese in North America whilst feeding, on their passage towards the south
before the setting-in of winter. Resting and sleeping on the edge of the ice
when it is breaking up as they are proceeding north in the spring, we had
occasion to witness their high order of instinct in Siberia. I happened to
reside where the windows looked upon an open bay, frozen during the winter.
In the spring, as the weather broke, the rapid current always first opened a long

BRITISH BIRDS.
111
channel, on both sides of which the ice remained intact some weeks. I have
passed hours together watching with a telescope a number of Geese sitting
at the edge of the ice, sometimes sleeping with their heads under their wings,
save two, which always remained on the watch. Their universal practice
was to form a line, at each extremity of which, at about one dozen yards
from the rest, stood one of the watchers with his head erect. The flock
would thus sit, sometimes basking in the sun, or sleeping, for hours together,
during which, while there was no cause for alarm, there would hardly be a
motion perceptible among them, save at intervals of half an hour, but some-
times more frequently, when the watchers were now relieved, almost as
methodically as the sentinels of the outposts of an army.
When this
took place, a single Goose at each extremity of the line (whether
called to his duty by the watcher before him or not, it was impossible to
ascertain) roused himself and marched to take his turn, and was met always
halfway by the sentry he was about to replace. It was not possible to
find out whether there were any particular watchers, or whether all the birds
took their turn. When a log or a branch of a tree floated down, the birds
nearest the sentry first rose up, and were the first which slept again. If
the whole line rose, the first to get up was near the centre. The habits of
the Asiatic bird appeared exactly the same as those of the American. There
were from 300 to 500 in a flock in Siberia, whilst in North America they
were only about one fifth or one sixth of that number.”
Before proceeding to speak of the tame Goose, however, it may be well
to account for his destitution of volant power—though in the Isle of Skye a
flock of domestic birds of this kind, which came under our observation, were a
living refutation of the following legend. The Hon. Robert Curzon, in his
' Armenia,' 1854, p. 149, says :—“In former days [query, those of our ape-
like ancestors ?] the Geese agreed to take a long journey together. One said
to the other, Mind you are ready, my friend; for inshallah I shall set out
to-morrow morning.' 'And so will I,' replied he, whether it please God or
not.' The sun rose next day; and the pious Goose, having breakfasted and

112
BRITISH BIRDS.
وو
quenched his thirst in the waters of the stream, rose lightly on the wing, and
soared away to a distant land. The impious bird also prepared to follow, but
found himself unable to rise from the ground; and his evolutions having
been observed by a fowler, he was presently caught and reduced to ser-
vitude, in which his race have continued, while the descendants of the
religious goose still enjoy that freedom in which they were created.”
Having thus established the Goose as a domesticated bird, let us look a
little into his history in his servitude. The famous Nottingham Goose-Fair
is held on the first Wednesday in October, and is said to be an institution
six hundred years old (vide ' Daily News, Oct. 3, 1870).
Sir Walter Scott has rendered immortal the office of the gosherd, or
goose-boy, in the person of Goose Gibbie; and his warlike behaviour at the
wappenschaw of the Upper Ward of Clydesdale has become historic. He is
not the only soldier, however, who has followed that useful occupation, if
what is stated of Gneisenau, Blucher's friend, whom he called “his head,” in
the Life and Times of Louisa, Queen of Prussia,' by Elizabeth Harriet
Hudson, vol. i. p. 170, is true. That authoress states that “his first occupa-
tion in life was driving geese,” till “ the goose-boy was claimed by his rela-
tions and educated for the army.” She also adds (chap. i. p. 142):
Mecklenburg-Strelitz is watered by several rivers and chains of small bright
lakes. Large straggling flocks of geese, each of them tended by a young
woman of the lowest class, called Gänsmädchen, or goose-maiden, form a
characteristic and also picturesque feature in the rural scenery. It has been
said, with some exaggeration, that half the quill pens used in Europe come
from Mecklenburg : certainly in no other part of the continent are geese
so well fed and so numerous. The country people cure and smoke the breasts
of these birds like bacon. All over Germany, a goose stuffed with chestnuts
takes almost as important a place in the cuisine as roast beef holds in that of
Old England."
Again, Thompson, in his ' History of Boston, Lincolnshire,' p. 675,
says :-“ Previous to the inclosure of the fens several persons kept each a
99
66

BRITISH BIRDS.
113
flock of more than 1000 Geese; and an instance is recorded of a cottager,
whose rental did not exceed £5, who kept 1500 breeding Geese. The atten-
tion during incubation required much judgment; houses were erected con-
taining tiers of wicker nests, each bird having a separate nest. From these
parties were called down to feed and go to water. On their return the
gosherd replaced each Goose on her nest. To do this required a surprising
exercise of memory and observation."
The scarcity of the Wild Goose now prevents the cheat mentioned
by Pennant and repeated by Bewick :—“The old Geese which are shot
are plucked and sold in the market as fine tame ones, and readily
bought, the purchasers being deceived by the size ; but their flesh is
coarse.”
Latham, in his General History of Birds,' vol. x. p. 253, note, says
(Sept. 2, 1783), “A drove of about 9000 Geese passed through Chelmsford,
on their way to London from Suffolk. They travel about eight or ten
miles per day.” Also, “ Henry V. attributes his victory at Agin-
court to the archers, and directs the sherives of many counties to pluck
from every Goose six wing-feathers, for the purpose of improving the
arrows."
The cruel plan of nailing the Geese to the floor by the webs of the
toes, in order to fatten them, no longer exists; it would not be allowed
in the present day.
In ‘A Hundred Years Ago,' by James Hutton, 1755 to 1756, p. 307,
the following anecdote occurs :-“My Lords Rockingham and Orford made
a match against each other for 500 guineas, as to whether five Turkeys or
five Geese would in the shortest time perform the journey from Norwich to
London.” Rome was not saved by the Turkey, but by the Goose; and the
author proceeds :-“The result vindicated Lord Orford's sagacity!... for at
the first the Turkeys had it all their own way; the Geese, however, waddled
past them at night, while they were lazily roosting in the trees beside the
hedgerow.”

114
BRITISH BIRDS.
Mr. Harting, in his Ornithology of Shakespeare,' gives :-
92
“The spring is near, when green geese are a-breeding.”
Love's Labour Lost, Act I. Sc. 1.
King, in his “ Art of Cookery,' has :
“ So stubble-geese at Michaelmas are seen
Upon the spit; next May produces green.”
66
The Goose would be an endless theme; so we had better leave him
on the spit. Before I bid good-bye to the Grey Lag Goose, however, I
would say, as respects Mr. Skeat's solution of the word lag (“Ibis,' n. s.
vol. vi. 1870, p. 301), this appears to me to be the real notion. Truly it
lagged behind” to “breed in our fens;” but lag, as I fancy, had refer-
ence to leg. “Lagged: imprisoned, apprehended, or transported for a crime.
From the old Norse, lagda, laid by the leg” (“Slang Dictionary,' p. 169, note).
The slang and provincial expressions of the lower orders are far older than
printed books; and this is one.
In the manor of Leake, Lincolnshire, this was the custom relating to
waifs and strays, and among them to Geese :—They were first taken to the fold
or pen, where they must stay during “six suns," i.e. three risings and three
settings. Thence they passed to “the rout-piece, a grass-field. Here they
remained one month; but sheep had to stop twelve months and one day, and
could not be shorn. After the termination of the above periods they were
sold. My informant mentioned to me that one of the best mares his father
ever had was a “rout mare,” i. e. obtained from the “rout-piece.” In those
times men were known by their success in taking fowl; one, in particular,
was called “ Billy Ducks" (pronounced "dooks"). An old man, between
eighty and ninety, a fine specimen of a hearty fen-man at that age, mentioned
to me that he had assisted in catching Ruffs and Reeves and Plovers in nets
with stuffed decoys. The captured birds were made fat, as he said, with
boiled wheat, and then sent to market.

CYGNUS OLOR.
(Mute Swan.)
In the Field' newspaper, Nov. 10, 1860, “E. W.” remarks :-“The male
and female Swan are called the cob and pen; but Vigorina says, in the
Curiosities of London,' edited by John Timbs, under Dyers Hall, there
is an account of Swan upping; the male is called a cob and the female
a plu.”
In the Memoirs of the Court of Austria,' by Dr. E. Vehse, we find
(p. 5):-“Maximilian, son of the Emperor Maximilian III., was shut up in
prison at Bruges by the citizens. Conrad von der Rosen made an attempt
to rescue him (he held the office of jester to Maximilian), and plunged into
the ditch of the Castle of Bruges with two swimming-belts, one for himself
and one for his master; but the Swans attacked the faithful jester, and drove
him back with their wings.” This must have been before 1493, the date of
the death of Frederic III. In consequence of this durance, when Maximilian
did get out, he put forty burghers of Bruges to death. As nothing is said of
the Swans, we may suppose they escaped punishment.
May 18, 1863. I saw four Cygnets in the Ouse, S. Neots, Huntingdon-
shire, apparently not long hatched-funny little brown birds with black
beaks, which crept under the old one's wings.
“So doth the Swan her downy cygnets save,
Keeping them prisoner underneath her wings.”
Henry VI. Part 1, Act V. Sc. 3*.
The very ancient idea, that the Swan sings before its death, has
* Harting's 'Ornithology of Shakespeare.'
R

116
BRITISH BIRDS.
not, as far as I can find out, any foundation in fact. In Earl Stanhope's
Miscellanies,' second series, we have :
6
“Swans sing before they die; 'twere no bad thing
Should certain persons die before they sing.”
In the Morning Advertiser,' August 26, 1872, occurs :—“Repeal of
Magna Charta.—Two acts for the revision of the statute law were passed
during this session of Parliament. A great number of ancient and obsolete
enactments are repealed, including a portion of the Great Charter of the
Liberties of England, signed by King John at Runnymede, and confirmed by
King Edward V. Among the other acts abolished are these : house boot and
key boot within the forest, purveyance for the King's dogs and horses &c.
(Richard II.); Labourers to be sworn or put in the stocks (Henry V.); No
one but a lord's son shall possess Swans (Edward IV.).”
Henry VII. granted the office of Keeper of the Swannery of Whittlesea
Mere, for seven years, to David Cecill in 1507. Charles II. made Edward,
Earl of Sandwich, Master of the Swans within the whole kingdom of Eng-
land (1662)
On January 29, 1859, the Times' announced :—“ The ancient tavern, so
well known all over England as the 'Swan with Two Necks,' Lad Lane, is being
razed to the ground. Since the improvements (so-called) in that serpentine
line of buildings designated Gresham Street have been carried out, from
time to time the ‘Swan with Two Necks' has been spared.
For some years
past both the old booking-office and the remnant of the tavern adjoining the
ancient gateway have been shored up; in a few days not one stone will be
left upon another.”
If 66 Two Necks is a corruption of “two nicks,” as I am still
inclined to think, from a perusal of the evidence, the corruption took
place before 1556; for in that year Machyn, in his diary, mentions the
sign of " the Swane with the ij nekes, at Mylke Street end” (Hotten's
History of Sign-boards,' p. 217). Pishey Thompson, in his ‘History of

BRITISH BIRDS.
117
Boston' (p. 678), says, on the roll of the swannery formerly on the Witham,
“ the King's Swans were doubly marked, and had what is called two nicks or
notches.” The Rev. Stephen Weston, in a note respecting this roll, supposes
that from this has arisen the well-known sign of the ‘Swan with Two Necks,'
originally the ‘Swan with Two Nicks,' the King's Swan. The Swan with
two nicks clearly was the Royal Swan, which every one would know.
Also the ordinances which refer to the Swannery on the Witham, made
24th May, 1524 (Henry VIII.), give the penalty for “destroying a Swan's
nest, breaking their eggs, or killing a Swan, £5," a large sum for those days;
while the statute 11 Henry VII. ordained that “ stealing or taking of Swans'
eggs shall have a year's imprisonment, and make fine at the King's will.”
“ The King's swannerd, with two others, to row anywhere to look for Swans
without interruption."
Also power was given to the King's swannerd, or his deputy, to “ seize
and distrain for forfeitures ; and persons giving information of finable offences
to have one moiety of the fine” (Henry VIII.).
“At the wedding-dinner of Gervas Clifton and Mary Neville, 1530, there
were 12 Swans at 6 shillings each.”
款
​CYGNUS MUSICUS.
(Whooper.)
The fine plate of John Wolley looking at the nest of these birds in Russian
Lapland (“Ootheca Wolleyana ') gives the real thing. The “Old Bushman”
says, “I never saw the Wild Swan in the vicinity of Quickiock; but I obtained
two full nests from lockmock, the one containing seven, the other five eggs.
They appear never to go right up on the snow-fells, but to breed in the
inland lakes that lie in the meadows at their feet” (Spring and Summer in
Lapland,' p. 360).
R 2

ANAS BOSCHA S.
(The Wild Duck.)
• Then after one long slope was mounted, saw,
Bowl-shaped, thro' tops of many thousand pines, ,
A gloomy-gladed hollow slowly sink
To westward in the deeps whereof a mere,
Round as the red eye of an Eagle-Owl,
Under the half-dead sunset glared.”
Gareth and Lynette.
In the 'Field,' October 24, 1874, appeared the following :-“ Duck assuming
Drake's Plumage. I have now what I think an extraordinary freak of nature
in my yard-namely, a four-year-old tame Wild Duck, the plumage of the
neck, breast, and back being almost that of the Mallard, with a curled feather
over its tail. These peculiarities have only developed themselves upon its
moulting this year.-Rev. J. Chaloner, Newton Kyme, near Tadcaster.” This
bird was kindly presented to me by the owner; and her portrait, “taken
from the life” by Mr. Keulemans, is given with the throats of the Bramble-
Finch.
The male assuming the plumage of the female appears to be more rare
than the converse ; yet it is done every year by the drake in this species, for
which Yarrell assigns a reason in his 1st edition, vol. iii. p. 179.
Mr. Harting, in his ‘Birds of Middlesex,' says (p. 8):—“Mr. Bond
informs me that he has more than once shot a Sparrow-Hawk in the male
plumage, which proved on dissection to be a female.” Mr. Gould, on the
authority of Mr. Blyth, mentions the Brown Linnet as a species in which
this occurs.

2
1
3
4
JR
5
J.G Keulemans del
T Walter lith
1. CARDUELIS ELEGANS, VARIETY. 3. CARDUELIS ELEGANS, VARIETY
2. CARDUELIS ELEGANS, TYPE 4. ALAUDA ARVENSIS, VARIETY.
5. ANAS BOSCHAS

lood

BRITISH BIRDS.
119
Darwin says (“Descent of Man,' vol. ii. p. 180) these are cases in which
diseased or old females assume masculine characters, or those in which per-
fectly fertile females, whilst young, acquire, through variation or some
unknown cause, the characters of the male. [Note] Mr. Blyth has recorded
(translation of Cuvier's Règne Animal,' p. 158) various instances with
Lanius, Ruticilla, Linaria, and Anas. Audubon has also recorded a similar
case (“Ornith. Biog.' vol. v. p. 159) with Tyranga æstiva.” These and the
normal course, in ultimately becoming like the male, “have so much in
common, that they depend, according to the hypothesis of pangenesis, on
gemmules derived from each part of the male being present, though latent,
in the female, their development following on some slight change in the
elective affinities of her constituent tissues” (vol. i. p. 291). “The beautiful
green speculum on the wings is common to both sexes, though duller and
somewhat smaller in the female; and it is developed early in life, while
the curled tail-feathers and other ornaments peculiar to the male are deve-
loped later."
An experienced keeper has assured the author that he has observed,
among Pheasants, young females assuming the plumage of the male shortly
after leaving the hen-coops, i. e. in a very early stage.
It is strange that captivity should make the difference of turning a
species from a monogamous one into a polygamous; yet such is the case
with Ducks.
Pishey Thompson, in his ‘History of Boston' (p. 676), says :—“A good
account of these decoys in the East Fen is given in Oldfield's ' History of
Wainfleet.' In one season, a few years previous to the inclosure of the Fens,
ten decoys, five of which were in the parish of Friskney, furnished 31,200
Ducks, Widgeon, and Teal for the London market. Oldfield's . Wainfleet'
(p. 180, and Appendix p. 2) mentions that in these times a flock of Wild
Ducks has been observed passing along from the north and north-east into
the East Fen, in a continuous stream, for eight hours together.'
Fuller says :-“ Lincolnshire may be called the aviary of England for the

120
BRITISH BIRDS.
wild fowl therein : 3000 Mallards have been taken at a draught.” Mr. John
Cordeaux says, in his 'Birds of the Humber District' (p. 163), “ The most
captured at Ashby in any one year was in the winter of 1834-35, 4287 ducks
and drakes."
In the Morning Herald ' appeared a letter containing the following :-
“ Black Sea, H.M.S. - Expedition to the Crimea, Sept. 9, 1854. Just
before 4 o'clock a water-spout, or what seemed to be one, was reported ahead
at about nine miles distant, and all hands remained admiring the immense
height, size, and dark appearance of the phenomenon, which moved rapidly
to the south. But our wonder and astonishment were increased tenfold when
a nearer approach showed us that it was not a water-spout, but a flight of
Wild Ducks in countless myriads. The great mass, like a dark cloud, was
situated at an immense altitude, from which it gradually lessened away
towards the sea in a point of 20 or 30 feet diameter. After this, many
flights of Geese, Storks, and Starlings passed over the ships, going south like
black clouds."
Lewes, in his “Studies in Animal Life' (p. 29), states that “under the
eyelids of Geese and Ducks may be constantly found a parasitic worm (of
the Trematode order), which naturalists have christened Monostomum muta-
bile. Single mouth changeable. This worm brings forth living young in the
likeness of active Infusoria.”
The Wild Duck appears to decrease in England. As an article of food
it varies greatly; some birds are hardly eatable. It was Madame Victoire
who, to quiet a conscientious scruple, requested a bishop to decide whether a
particular description of waterfowl could be properly eaten during Lent.
He gravely informed her that in such cases “the bird should be carved upon
a cold dish, and that, unless the gravy congealed within a quarter of an
hour, it might be eaten at all seasons without sin.” This was in the reign of
Louis XV. (* Biographical Essays,' by A. Hayward, Q.C., vol. ii. p. 149.)
In old times Whittlesea Mere was famous for its Wildfowl- and Snipe-
shooting. As it has now become a thing of the past, the engraving of the


32 AM
M.&N.HANHART LITH
ma
28
REGATTA
ON WHITTLESEA MERE, JUNE
14.TUH 184-2
O

BRITISH BIRDS.
121
regatta upon it (June 14, 1842), from the original oil-painting by Barwick,
now in my possession, is of interest. This was done from sketches taken on
the spot, and is an exact representation of the scene, on the site of which
nothing but corn-fields at present exists, as the mere was drained in 1851.
A violent thunder-storm came on while the regatta was in progress; and the
provisions were floated away; the man in the canoe was upset, and covered
himself with his boat for shelter.
On another occasion thousands of persons were skating upon the mere :
the ice was perfectly transparent and smooth, and the fish could be seen. The
pike were hunted down, and, holes being cut, were caught by hand.
I have a very old painting, on oak panel, of a great pike, with an inscrip-
tion saying that his weight was 52 lbs., and that he was caught in Whittlesea
Mere. It was much dilapidated when I first had it. This water is men-
tioned in Domesday,' and had a reed-shore a quarter of a mile deep. Within
the memory of living persons, 19; brace of Snipe have been killed in one day,
from 16 to 20 Coots at one shot, from 7 to 10 Wild Ducks, and three bushels
of Starlings—these latter to protect the reeds. It would almost seem as if
the ghost of the departed mere again flits before the eye of the Fenlander, as
in the days of his fathers, the fen-slodgers; and the Huntingdonshire pea-
sants may see in the mirage the restoration of a long-vanished time; while a
deception of vision induces them to reconstruct the history of the forgotten
past.
In 'Nature,' July 3, 1873, appeared an account of a mirage in the Fens,
which took place on Thursday, May 29, previously. A person standing “on
the parapet of the bridge of the March and Spalding Railway, to view the
Fens, observed a beautiful lake spread out a few miles distant. The illusory
waters were of a bluish grey colour, and being apparently raised from the
level, presented the perspective of a mere of considerable breadth. Islands
were dotted here and there."..."The mirage was stretched out from Eastern
Fen over Prior's Fen, to the west of Thorney, i. e. three or four miles. It
was 11 o'clock.” ...“A similar phenomenon was witnessed from another

122
BRITISH BIRDS.
point of view (see ‘Nature,' vol. ii. p. 337) in 1870.–Wisbech, June 5.
Saml. H. Miller."
My old comrade, John Wolley, the naturalist, assured me that in his
rambles in the Huntingdonshire Fens he has seen the grass growing under the
table. Now there is a scarcity of water.
Many fine bones might have been discovered, one would think, in the
cuttings made in 1851: perhaps British Beaver, which, according to W. Boyd
Dawkins's Cave-hunting' (p. 78), was only lost circa A.D. 1100-1200.
There does not appear to have been a floating island to this mere, though
it has claims to a ghost. But the beautiful legend of one in Cheshire is
prettily told in a Cambridge Prize Poem, called “The Island on the Mere: a
Cheshire Tale.' The hero of it is thus described :-
“ It was the gallant Davenport
Who, when the might of France
Swept o'er the plain of Agincourt,
With hauberk and with lance,
By Henry's side, received the tide
Of men upon his shield,
And won the spurs of knighthood on
That glorious battle-field.”
The heroine follows, of course.
-
“ On the pleasant plain of Siddington,
Beside the lonely Mere,
There dwelt a maid of noble birth,
The fairest daughter of the earth,
Sweet Isabel de Vere."
When valour and beauty meet, but one result ensues-
“ So through the pleasant summer days
They wander'd by the Mere,
Sir Reginald de Davenport
And Isabel de Vere,”—

BRITISH BIRDS.
123
the course of true love, as usual, not running smooth :
“Yes, here I swear by all I hate,
And all that I revere,
Until that island moves along
The waters of the mere,
I will not look upon the face
Of Isabel de Vere."
Long repentance follows rash resolve, till a tempest comes to their relief.
For, lo ! the wildly swelling waves
The little isle upbore;
And, lo! the fierce, tempestuous breeze,
Careering o'er the bending trees,
Propell’d it to the shore.
So, ere the sturdy husbandmen
Had reap'd the early corn,
The maid of Calveley was led,
With the bride's veil upon her head, ,
In Marton's holy aisle to wed
The Lord of Capesthorne.
Then o'er the county palatine
Was feasting far and wide ;
And this the toast men loved the most,
"The bridegroom and the bride!'
But not by hospitality
At the bridal-feast alone
The kindly and the gen’rous heart
Of Davenport was shown.
No! with a lib'ral open hand,
And sympathizing voice,
He strove to heal the stricken heart
And bid the sad rejoice.
And thus within his father's hall,
And o'er his wide domains,
At Capesthorne and Calveley,
And Marton's fertile plains,
He won a noble victory-
A more enduring fame
s

124
BRITISH BIRDS.
And so throughout broad England
He won the poor man's love, ,
While on his path look'd kindly down
The God who dwells above !
Nor, when forgotten was the might
That fought at Azincour,
Did men forget the gentle knight
Who stood up boldly for the right
Of the friendless and the poor.
Now still, although the times are changed,
And many a year has fled,
And Reginald de Davenport
And Isabel are dead,
Yet on the winter evenings,
When round the blazing fires
The peasantry of Cheshire hear
The legends of their sires,
While tears are in their eyes, they love,
With grateful words, to tell
Of the good knight Sir Reginald
And Lady Isabel !
And still, whene'er the floating isle
Moves o'er the lonely Mere,
Remember how one angry word
Caused many a bitter tear
To Reginald de Davenport
And Isabel de Vere!”
The illustration of the “Stalking-horse on Whittlesea Mere” is a reduced
copy which I made, from a beautiful water-coloured drawing by J. M. Heath-
cote, Esq., of Connington Castle, Huntingdonshire, done by him in 1835, and
kindly lent for the use of this work. Though mine does not do justice
to the original, it is interesting as representing a real thing and not an effort
of imagination.
Mr. Harting, in his 'Ornithology of Shakespeare' (p. 238), gives several
references to this most ancient device (e.g.
“Stalk on, stalk on, the fowl sits."
Much Ado about Nothing, Act ii. Sc. 3),

[To face page 124.
meny potrze
* *
x x
THE STALKING-HORSE ON WHITTLESEA MERE.

Smo

BRITISH BIRDS.
125
and states that in the “Privy-purse expenses of Henry VIII. are various
entries relating to stalking-horses, all of which appear to refer to the live
animal.” It seems that one was sometimes made of a piece of old canvas, in
form of a horse; and the name is thus applied to any screen from observa-
tion used to shoot fowl.
COLYMBUS GLACIALIS.
(Great Northern Diver.)
The Great Northern Diver is sometimes killed off Brighton. I saw one shot,
January 10, 1859 : it was a young bird ; and the chase after it lasted an hour.
It contained several sprats and bits of fish; these probably had been picked
up at sea, as it swallows its prey whole.
The following curious story appeared in the Times,' Tuesday, Nov. 13,
1860:-
“ Extraordinary Capture.--On the forenoon of Saturday last some of
the fishermen resident at Ackergill, while pursuing their avocation in the
bay, had their attention directed to a large fish struggling and plunging on
the surface of the water, at no great distance from their boat. Presuming
that the fish had got attached to some of their lines, and that in consequence
it could easily be secured, they at once directed their course towards it; but
a closer approach revealed to their surprise the true source of its annoyance.
The fish, while swimming near the surface in search of prey, had seized hold
of some large bird, which it had partly swallowed, but which it was unable,
from the size and energetic resistance of its victim, to drag beneath. The
singular appearance of the widely extended wings of the bird, which franti-
cally thrashed the water, at one extremity, and the occasional glimpse which
s 2

126
BRITISH BIRDS.
was obtained of the tail of the fish at the other, induced the fishermen to
believe that they had fallen in with some rare nondescript; and the sea-staff'
was immediately put in requisition to secure the interesting prize. By a
dexterous use of this effective weapon the fish was hooked and secured, and
the whole affair incontinently hauled in triumph over the gunwale. The
principal actor in this scene was then at once recognized as an old acquaint-
ance by the boat's crew: his jaws were unceremoniously wrenched open, and
the bird, still alive, released from its uncomfortable position. The victim of
this novel strait proved to be a fine specimen of that large and powerful
species the Great Northern Diver (Colymbus glacialis), a bird unsur-
passed for its speed and power in the water, which it only leaves occa-
sionally in the breeding-season. It is generally known on the north-east
coast of Scotland, where it occurs at intervals, as the “Loon' or 'Ember
Goose.' The fish, which measured between three and four feet in length, is
the Lophius piscatorius of the scientific naturalist, but known on the Caithness
coast as the 'Mersgam' or 'Oof,' the latter probably a corruption of 'wolf.'
It is also known as the Fishing-frog or Angler, the latter name derived from
the singular manner in which it entices its prey within reach. The mouth of
this fish is of extraordinary width ; and from the top of its head rises a series
of delicate, stalk-like appendages, terminated by glistening filaments, bearing
a pretty close resemblance to certain marine worms. The animal remains
stationary in some favourable position, and the vibration of these appendages
attracts small fishes, which are at once seized upon and deposited in the
capacious maw of the Lophius. It is probable that the bird in this instance
had been deceived by this tempting lure into thrusting its head into such
dangerous proximity, and that the fish had suddenly closed its jaws upon it,
and refused or was unable to relax its hold until it was secured in the manner
related above. The flesh of the Lophius is held in no repute.—John O'Groat
Journal.”

MERGULUS MELANOLEUCOS.
(The Little Auk.)
Capt. M'CLINTOCK, R.N., says, in the 'Voyage of the Fox' (1859), p. 139 :
-" The Little Auk lays its single egg upon the bare rock, far within the cre-
vice, beyond the reach of Fox, Owl, or Burgomaster Gull. We shot a couple
of hundred during our stay on shore, and, by removing the stones, gathered
several dozen of the eggs.” This was July 2, 1858. Again, “steep slopes
of rocky débris, which screen the bases of the most precipitous cliffs, form
secure nurseries for the Little Auk: they popped in and out of every crevice,
and sat in dozens on every large rock. I saw countless myriads.” This was
in Melville Bay, Baffin's Bay. On the west side of Baffin's Bay they are
very rare visitors.
Harting, in the ‘Polar World' (p. 126), states that Beechey saw a
flock of Little Auks three miles in length. Thirty fell at a shot. He esti-
mated their numbers at 4,000,000. When they took flight they darkened
the air ; at the distance of four miles their chorus could be distinctly heard.
James Lamont mentions, in “Seasons with the Sea-Horses' (p. 93), “ I
saw, on an island near Spitzbergen, the singular appearance called “red
This is caused by the colouring-matter of millions of Little Auks.
These birds feed upon shrimps entirely." What they void is red. “It may
be that minute reddish fungi afterwards grow on the droppings; but I totally
disbelieve in fungi growing on the snow per se, as some distinguished observers
have remarked.” The “Old Bushman,” in his ‘Lapland” (p. 373), names a
species of alga (Protococcus nivalis, Grev.) as its origin.
Mem.—December 11, 1861. I saw a white specimen of the Little Auk in
the British Museum.
snow.'

PHALACROCORAX CARBO.
(The Cormorant.
" Thence
ир
he flew, and on the tree of life,
The middle tree and highest there that grew,
Sat like a Cormorant."
Paradise Lost, B. IV.
Why Milton should have selected the poor Cormorant as the emblem of
the evil spirit is not clear. The Dove, from its gentle nature, having been
taken for the third person of the Trinity, has been adopted by all persons.
Jack, on the other hand, calls the Cormorant an “Isle-of-Wight parson”
(Doran’s ‘Saints and Sinners,' vol. ii. p. 139). This latter designation
doubtless arises from the plumage. One of these birds was captured in a
curious manner at Parnham, Dorsetshire. When the housemaid opened the
shutters a Cormorant was seated on the window-ledge, and she put her apron
over it and secured it. The sea is about eight miles off, Bridport being the
nearest point.
The best account of Cormorant-fishing that I have met with is from
Life in China,' by the Rev. William C. Milne, M.A. (p. 306):-
“At the foot of the Tung-tsze-shan rapid, on the left hand, there rises a
high precipitous rock called the Tsiang-keun, or Commander-in-chief Cliff.
Here for a while I had an opportunity of watching a couple of fishermen
engaged in fishing by Cormorants. It has been reported by some foreigners
that these are not used in summer; but here, on the 14th of July, they were
at work with them in the river. The boat was small, with two men in it
and some twenty of these aquatics. There is nothing remarkable in their

BRITISH BIRDS.
129
appearance; the marvellous thing about them is their docility, in which
they quite equal the hounds, spaniels, and hawks of Europe, each being
at the bid and beck of the boatman.
“Several were perched on the edge of the boat, looking as if satisfied
they had done a day's work, yet watching the eye of their master to dash into
the river at his signal. The others were dispersed across the breadth of the
river, diving about in search of prey, and working indefatigably, either till
they succeeded, or till they were called in by the well-known voice of the
keeper. Many had not to dive long before they caught large or small fish,
which they immediately brought in their bills to their master.
One or
two, although as obedient to the orders as the rest, were observed not to
be so trusty as their messmates. The fisherman, who kept a sharp look-out
on his charge, perceiving that these had, on the sly, swallowed the fish they
seized, by a stroke of his guiding-rod on the water and a shout of his voice,
brought them up to the side of the skiff. He at once caught them by the
neck, and made them disgorge the fishy contents of their stomachs, whole
and undigested fishes of no mean dimensions. He then dismissed them
to double work. They had neither ring nor cord round their necks.
Wherever the boat moved they followed, as quick at interpreting the
pointing of the fisherman's rod as they did the variations of his voice. They
were well fed on eels, fish-refuse, bean-curd, &c., but are sent a-fishing
before feed-time, or only when very hungry."

LARUS EBURNEUS.
(The Ivory Gull.)
JAMES LAMONT, in his “Seasons with the Sea-Horses' (p. 162), says:
“Whenever a life is taken there is an immediate assemblage of the vultures
of the North, the Ivory Gull (Larus eburneus), this most beautiful of the tribe
being of a snowy whiteness, except his feet and eyes, which are black. They
are perfectly tame and fearless, and flutter impatiently about, or sit on the
ice, and even on the boat, making a harsh, disagreeable scream, until the
flensing is concluded, when they make an immediate onslaught on the car-
cass; but so greedy and rapacious are they, that they always commence by
fighting and squabbling among themselves, as if the huge body of a seal
or a walrus was not sufficient for them.”
A captain R.N., who had been to the arctic regions, mentioned to me
(Jan. 1860) that this species is always on the ice, and is a great runner,
while most Gulls only run, as he observed, when about to fly.
I have kept four or five or more species of Gulls, some for many years ;
and, as my window looks out upon them, they are ever before my eyes. The
result of my long observation is, that their intelligence may be increased by
association with man, within certain limits. I will not, however, in proof of
this, introduce anecdotes connected with them, but only remark of birds in
general that, having at times. reared them from the nest, I have seen at a
very early period differences of disposition in each individual, which dif-
ferences have continued through life, and were, as I believe, hatched with
them.
Mr. Darwin, in his · Descent of Man' (vol. ii. p. 108), says :-“Their
reason is generally, and perhaps justly, ranked as low; yet some facts could
be given leading to an opposite conclusion. For instance, Mr. Yarrell states

BRITISH BIRDS.
131
(Hist. British Birds,' vol. iii. 1845, p. 585) that a Gull was not able to
swallow a small bird which had been given to it. The Gull paused for a
moment, and then, as if suddenly recollecting himself, ran off at full speed to
a pan of water, shook the bird about in it until well soaked, and immediately
gulped it down. Since that time he invariably has had recourse to the same
expedient in similar cases.”
This anecdote appears in the 1st edition of Yarrell; and it had been better
left out. It is stated of the Lesser Black-backed Gull. To me, who have
seen Gulls constantly duck their food, ever since I began to keep such birds,
this very common incident is by no means sufficient to warrant the inference
attempted. I have watched one of the larger sort catching a sparrow, and
seen him, having killed it, wash his prize as described; but the same Gull
always did so, in the blindest and most useless manner, with any little scrap
of food, as do his comrades. Therefore the “ since that time he invariably has
had recourse to the same expedient” is most true, because BEFORE that time,
unless he was different from all the rest, he did the same, as did his ancestors,
time out of mind. This little transaction, quoted to prove the intelligence
and reasoning of Gulls, quantum valeat, shows the reverse to a person know-
ing their habits. Errors will inevitably creep into a great work, such as Mr.
Darwin's Descent of Man;” but he is always a most honest observer.
Bewick says in his preface, “ When these books shall become obsolete,
may some more able naturalist arise equally inclined to produce better to
supply their place.” William Yarrell was the very man. I was much struck,
however, with the truth of the following passage :-“Of all kinds of dog-
matism the materialistic is the most dangerous, because it denies its own
dogmatism, and appears in the garb of science (but it professes to rest on
fact, when it is but speculation), and because it attempts to annex territories
to the domain of natural science before they have been fairly conquered.”—
P. H. PYE-SMITH (from Virchow’s ‘Gesammelte Abhandlungen,' p. 18),
Nature, Nov. 12, 1874.
T

STERCORARIUS LONGICAUDUS, Briss. .
(Buffon's Skua.)
I shot one of these birds in a large arable field at Wintringham, near
S. Neots, Huntingdonshire, October 20, 1848. It appeared to be nearly
starved. No wonder; for it would hardly find any of the common crow-
berry (Empetrum nigrum), of which it is so fond—certainly not a single
lemming, though beetles might be got. I believe I discovered the skeleton
of its mate on a dung-heap where the living one had been feeding. This
was a fine adult, with a beautiful yellow ring round its neck, and was by no
means wild, affording an easy shot. The feathers in the ring had thin hair-
like ends to them.
The first egg of this Skua obtained by Mr. Wolley sold for £6.
breeds inland on mountain moors," as stated in his Catalogue.
There was a flight of all four Skuas over the Eastern Counties in
the end of October and beginning of November, 1857, as Mr. Newton
informed me.
Mr. Gould gives, in his “ Birds of Great Britain,' the good account of
Buffon's Skua published by Mr. Wheelwright in the “ Field,' July 4, 1863,
where it can be read.
66 It
too

THALASSIDROMA PELAGICA.
(Storm-Petrel.)
In the first week in May 1859 twenty-eight of these poor little birds were
killed three miles off Brighton, eighteen in one day. The yelk of the egg,
as I am informed by the Rev. R. N. Dennis, is peculiarly thick and oily, unlike
that of any other species. They hold their egg under their wings, whence it
falls out if the bird is drawn from its hole.
Robert Mudie, in his ' Feathered Tribes of the British Islands' (vol. ii.
p. 391), gives a vignette of the Alata flamma—the Stormy Petrel with a
wick drawn through it and lighted, instead of a lamp, as used by the
Faroese.
The inhabitants of British Columbia use a fish for this purpose, instead
of a bird. They draw a piece of rush-pith, or strip from the inner bark of
the cypress tree, through it by means of a needle of hard wood. It is then
lighted, and burns steadily; any one can read comfortably by its light.
This is the Candlefish, Osmerus pacificus (Salmo (Mallotus) pacificus), Richard-
son, Fauna Borealis-Americana ;' Thaleichthys pacificus of modern authors.
The Indian name is Oulachan, or Eulachon.
I am indebted to the kindness of Dr. Günther, of the British Museum,
for a sight of a paper by Robert Brown, F.R.G.S., reprinted from the
Pharmaceutical Journal' for June, 1868, containing a full account of this
fish, “which is small and delicate-looking, about the size of a smelt, and
is found in most of the rivers on the coast of British Columbia. ... It cannot
be cooked in a pan; for it will blaze up like a mass of oil. The Indians
assemble from far and near and make a holiday of the fishing. Three shoals

134
BRITISH BIRDS.
arrive, of which the last is poorest, but so fat that if lighted in the dry state
they burn. The oil is even of greater value than the fish itself: its taste is
not unpleasant, and the odour by no means disagreeable. It is found very
beneficial for pulmonary disease, and has all the property of cod-liver and
other fish-oils. Curiously enough, superstition is connected with the fish by
the Indians, as well as with the Petrel by the sailors.”
Dr. Henry Saxby says, in the ‘Birds of Shetland” (p. 368) :-“ Many
an ill-fated Petrel now meets its death by concussion against the lantern
of the Flugga lighthouse, sometimes not less than a score and upwards being
picked up in one night by the light-keepers, who complain loudly of
the trouble the birds give them by vomiting oil upon the glass as they
strike. It is scarcely ever at any other season than spring and autumn
that the Petrels thus come into collision with the light.”

FALCO TINNUNCULUS, Linn.
(The Kestrel or Windhover.)
BY MR. G. D. ROWLEY.
The social habits of this Hawk are mentioned by most writers, which habits
I imagine arise from the nature of its food; for it is manifest that a raptor,
requiring flesh, must usually traverse a large extent of country. The Kestrel,
living on beetles and mice, is able to keep in flocks.
“In Egypt,” Mr. E. C. Taylor says, “it regales itself on a lizard” (Ibis,
1859, vol. i. p. 45); and in the Handbook of the Birds of Egypt,' by G. E.
Shelley (p. 194), we have locusts mentioned as its food :—“I saw at least
one hundred in a single clump of palm trees, doubtless attracted there by
the locusts, which were passing in dense continuous clouds beneath them.”
As a result of the Wild-Birds Protection Bill, the nature of which
the rustic population does not understand, the Kestrel has increased in
numbers. The bill has frightened the birds-nesters; and the tax on guns has
also probably added to the general safety. Lincoln Cathedral has for many
years been a breeding-place of Kestrels, which enter the ventilating-holes
in the triforium, between the stone and wooden roof. Here they live, in
company with Pigeons and Jackdaws. The Hawks sit on the small towers-
one of which is called the Lady-Tower, and the other Hughe's Tower (the
latter contains the bells); the Pigeons fly round. Between the stone and
wooden roof are cartloads of sticks, carried up by the Jackdaws.
On Saturday, May 14, 1859, I went to a Kestrel's nest in Huntingdon-
shire, in the middle of a rookery on a very high elm; the young Rooks were
in close proximity. There were four young Hawks in the nest, and an egg
U

136
BRITISH BIRDS.
much incubated. The old Rooks did not appear to trouble the young Hawks;
nor did the old Hawks molest the young Rooks.
Thursday, May 12, 1859, I found another Kestrel's nest, in a deep hole
of a pollard elm, with five eggs; there was a nest of young Starlings just
below.
Though on Lincoln Cathedral the above happy family exists, yet the fact
that there are very few Bats would seem to indicate that they do not like
the vicinity. This year (1875) three Sparrow-Hawks were observed
departing from the large tower; they would not be so amicable if they
established themselves on the cathedral.
Mr. Thompson ('Birds of Ireland,' p. 55) speaks of the tower of Bally-
lesson church, Belfast, as a residence of the Kestrel. In Stevenson's Birds
of Norfolk' (vol. i. p. 10) the spire of Norwich Cathedral is mentioned, on
the authority of Hunt's British Ornithology,' vol. ii. p. 9) now becoming
a scarce book), as an abode of the Peregrine Falcon. Mr. Stevenson states,
quoting the same author (vol. i. p. 63), "A Mr. Kittle, of this city, particu-
larly noticed a bird of this species, which arrived at the Cathedral by the
middle of September and left it about the first week in March, and continued
to do so for eight successive years. He also remarked that it was generally
to be seen near the top of the spire, and invariably on that side which by
sailors is called the leeward, from whence it used to fly at Pigeons and other
birds.” Mr. Lubbock says, a pair of these birds used to breed in the steeple
of Corton Church, the clerk having a regular fee for their preservation.”
Dean Stanley, in ‘Memorials of Westminster Abbey,' p. 688, quotes Sir John
Sebright on Hawking (1826), thus :—“Peregrine Falcons take up their abode
from October or November until the spring upon Westminster Abbey : this
is well known to the London Pigeon-fanciers, from the great havoc they make
in their flights.” Again :-" In the south-western tower, piles of skeletons
of Pigeons killed by Hawks were found.” Mr. Harting ( Birds of Middle-
sex,' p. 3) says, "A pair of these birds [Peregrines] for many years fre-
quented the top of St. Paul's, where it was supposed they had a nest.”
At

BRITISH BIRDS.
137
Madrid, Lord Lilford tells us (Ibis, 1866, n. s. vol. ii. p. 180) that a Peregrine
generally took up its abode on the palace-roof in winter, and committed great
havoc amongst the Pigeons. As respects the Kestrel, Falco tinnunculus (Ibis,
1865, n. s. vol. i. p. 175), the same writer observes :-“Every church-
steeple, belfry, and tower, every town and village, every ruin swarms with
them.”
The number to be seen round the Giralda or tower of the Moorish
Cathedral of Seville-so called from the vane, que gira (“ which turns round”)
(Murray's 'Handbook of Spain ')—is also great; and I very much wish that
the authorities of our English Cathedrals would, by protecting these pretty
and harmless birds, afford us the pleasure of watching them. There would
be little difficulty. In “Land and Water,' October 23, 1875, p. 322, we find :
.“ Our Pigeons are just as safe in the heart of the city as the Storks in
Holland or the Geese of ancient Rome. There are colonies of them at the
Guildhall, the Royal Exchange, and at the Great Eastern Station. Whence
they come no one knows; but their ancestors evidently had taken up their
freedom centuries ago. The most audacious city Arab dare not touch them ;
and in perfect safety they partake of their favourite food, viz. ‘nose-bag?
provender. Those of them which have a taste for art, build in the crevices
behind the statues in the British Museum,”—but not so numerously as in the
Piazza San Marco, Venice, and other cities abroad. If Pigeons are untouched
in London, surely poor little Kestrels might dwell in peace on our churches !
Thus every edifice of the kind would be greatly enhanced in interest. That
ornithologist who has not seen the numerous Swifts (Cypselus murarius)
chasing each other in circles round the lovely west front of Peterborough
Cathedral has a pleasure to come ; so have also those of my readers who
may not be familiar with the lofty gyrations of the dozens of the larger species
(Cypselus alpinus) round the rich and massive tower of the Cathedral of Berne.
The Swifts are as harmless as their flight is beautiful, while the Kestrels are
a positive benefit. England has its Society to prevent cruelty to animals ;
would that the pen of this writer could prevail on his countrymen to reflect
U 2

138
BRITISH BIRDS.
before they use the power of inflicting death! Then, instead of “ What shall
we kill ?” rather let us think, “ What can we keep alive?”
It is not, however, a fresh Act to which he who loves birds would
appeal, but to what is far better-the inner feelings, the hearts of English-
What has saved the lives of millions of Robins? No Act of Parlia-
ment, but the fact that the people believe that
men.
- The Robin Redbreast and the Wren
Are God Almighty's cock and hen."
So did they regard that historic bird which, when Mary II. (Stuart Mary),
Queen of England, came to her last resting-place in Westminster Abbey, kept
guard over her coffin ; for we are told, in Stanley's Memorials of West-
minster Abbey,' p. 197 (edit. 1869), that “a Robin Redbreast which had
taken refuge in the Abbey was constantly seen on her hearse, and was looked
upon with tender affection for its seeming love to the lamented Queen.”
Mr. C. T. S. Birch Reynardson says, in ‘Down the Road,' p. 74 (a book
written in a hearty and genuine spirit), “On one occasion I remember
counting twenty-seven Kites [Milvus ictinus] in the air at the same time.”
This was over “ Monk's Wood, famed in the Fitz-William country.” These
are gone. Is our country to lose all such scenes as this ?
Few species, perhaps, present more variations in plumage than the
present one. These have all been worked out in Dresser’s ‘Birds of Europe,
part 2. Every lady knows that rough weather, sea-air, hot sun, rain, &c.
spoil her choicest clothing. It is very nearly the same with the plumage
of birds, which life alone keeps, by continual restitution, in their pristine
beauty. Dead feathers never can be like living feathers: their gloss
وو
is gone.
Mr. Dresser says, in “ some southern latitudes, where the Kestrel is a resi-
dent species, the bird assumes a dark phase of coloration, and thus is represented
by several local races.” Again,“ in a series of specimens which Lord Walden
was kind enough to submit to us from India, Ceylon, and Burmah, we noticed
many very pale-coloured specimens along with other individuals which it

BRITISH BIRDS.
139
would have been impossible to distinguish from British-killed Kestrels." The
account should be read; it is too long to quote. The author mentions the
very deep rufous tints of the Kestrels of Madeira and Abyssinia.
In the Birds of Shetland,' by Henry L. Saxby, M.D. (p. 28), we find
the following :-“I was at first not a little surprised on observing the
exceedingly pale and faded appearance of the plumage of Kestrels killed in
Shetland, especially in autumn; but this may easily be accounted for by their
constant exposure to the damp sea-mists, both during the time of incubation
and while hovering about the country in search of prey, the red colours in the
plumage of birds being most liable to fade.” Something is to be ascribed to
the extra beauty of the breeding-dress, the plumage being commonly brighter
at the breeding-season; but a mere climatal variation, as I suspect, does duty
and takes rank as a specific difference in certain cases.
In the Proceedings of the Zoological Society,' 1874, part iv. p. 580,
plate lxviii., Mr. R. Bowdler Sharpe has an article upon the common Kestrel,
and in particular a female, which he figures.
On March 29, 1873, a male was killed at Polegate, Sussex, which I
purchased. It had evidently only just arrived, and was then a beautiful and
bright specimen, which attracted my attention from being shot with blue all
over the back and breast, faintly washed, as it seemed, over the other
markings—the same sort of blush which I have observed in various colours
pervading birds at the breeding-season. The specimen is now before
me; and I remark how much even this short lapse of time has caused
it to fade.

1

PART III.
BIRDS OF NEW GUINEA. ,
&c.
“O Birds, that warble in the morning sky,
O Birds, that warble as the day goes by,
Sing sweetly; twice my love hath smiled on me.”
TENNYSON's Gareth and Lynette, p. 67.


PREFACE TO PART III.
WISHING to give the Readers of the Ornithological Mis-
cellany’ more variety than my own efforts can afford, I have
sought and obtained help from some other writers, whose
well known names are a sufficient guarantee of the benefit
this Work derives from their kind and able assistance.
GEORGE DAWSON ROWLEY.
Chichester House, East Cliff, Brighton,
January 1st, 1876.


TRICHOGLOSSUS ARFAKI (A. B. Meyer).
By Mr. G. D. ROWLEY.
THE Arfak mountains, in New Guinea, from which this species takes its
name, cannot be classed with Æsop's range, which brought forth nothing but
“ridiculus mus ;” for, in addition to the bird under examination, we have
Ægotheles dubius, Chrysococcyx splendidus, Orthonyæ novæ-guinea, Artamus maximus,
Strix tenebricosa, Chatorhynchus papuensis, &c. (Ibis, October 1874, 3rd ser.
vol. iv. pp. 416 et seq.). Schlegel, in ‘Muséum des Pays-Bas,' livraison ii.
p. 70 (1874), adds Nestor pecquetii, “tué le 15 Avril, 1870, Hattam, monts
Arfak.”
This place, which I cannot find marked in any map, is called on all my
specimens "Hattam ;” in the Proceedings of the Zoological Society,' 1873,
pp. 691 et seq., it is mentioned frequently as “Atam, apud montes Papuanos
Arfak.” Schlegel, as above mentioned, speaks of “Hattam.” This is trying
to an author not wishing to be false to his aspirates; probably Hattam is
correct. The best map I can procure of this part of New Guinea is in
' Reistochten naar de Geelvinkbaai op Nieuw-Guinea in de jaren 1869 en
1870,' door C. B. H. von Rosenberg (1875). The chart at the end of this
beautifully illustrated work shows the Arfak range, and in addition gives a
good plate of the Baron himself, gun in hand, with various birds which he
encountered and scenes in the country. The book has portraits of the
inhabitants of “ Hattam."
The Arfak mountains run along the north-western coast of New Guinea ;
and their green tops are to be seen when approaching Havre Dorey. The
Dutch visited them in 1858. Their elevation is put at 9000 feet above the
sea-level. Dr. Meyer went up to about 3500 feet. They, however, cannot
vie with the magnificent Owen-Stanley range, 12,000 or 13,000 feet high,
situated on the southern coast.
x 2

146
BIRDS OF NEW GUINEA.'
66
In a letter in the Spectator' (October 16th, 1875, p. 1293), by Robert
H. Armit, Lieut. R.N., the Owen-Stanley mountains are thus described :
Commencing at Sud-est Island, we find a chain of mountains which, gradually
rising from the sea, enter New Guinea, and in lat. 8° 55' S. and in long.
147° 33' E. attains in Mount Owen Stanley a height of 13,205 feet, at a
distance of about forty miles from Redscar Bay on the west. This range
appears to traverse the whole island in a north-westerly direction, and to
terminate in the Charles-Louis mountains, on its north-western extremity,
which, rising perpendicularly out of the sea to an altitude of 5000 feet, soon
attains that of 17,000 feet. As yet the altitude of the range has not been
ascertained further inland, owing to the fact that where visible from the coast
its summits are obscured by clouds, and in other parts it is hidden
from view, both on the southern and northern sides of the island, by the
great height to which its spurs, forming the other ranges, attain. These,
in some portion of the northern and southern shores, have been computed
by trigonometrical observations at from 5000 to 14,000 feet within fifty miles
of the coast.”
Mr. A. R. Wallace speaks ( Malay Archipelago,' vol. ii. p. 312) of “ the
great mass of the Arfak mountains, said by French navigators to be about
10,000 feet high, and inhabited by savage tribes.” At page 310 he gives a
description of the natives.
Perhaps no country now existing has a better claim to the title of romantic
than the terra incognita called New Guinea, the true shape of the eastern
extremity having been only lately determined by Capt. Moresby, R.N., of
H.M.S. ‘Basilisk,' in the cruise of that vessel in 1872 and 1873, when he
corrected the mistakes of D’Entrecasteaux and the old navigators. It is
more strange that so little is known of New Guinea, since it is described by
Mr. Wallace as “perhaps the largest island on the globe, being a little larger
than Borneo and nearly 1400 miles long by 400 miles broad in the widest
part;" while Capt. Moresby says, in an interesting illustrated paper read
before the New Zealand Institute on the 20th of September, 1873 (in its
99


T.Walter. lith.
J.G. Keulemans del
TRICHOGLOSSUS AR FAKI V.

BIRDS OF NEW GUINEA.
147
* Transactions,' vol. vi. p. lxxxi), that the island was discovered prior to any
other in the Australasian seas, no less than 347 years ago.
The Plate is taken from a female in my collection, marked “VII. ?73.
Arfak, Hattam, N. Guinea, 3500 feet. Dr. Adolf Bernhard Meyer.”
In the following article, sent me by Dr. Otto Finsch, of Bremen, a
description of the male bird is given. By contrasting the Plate of the female,
by Mr. Keulemans, with the description of the male, the difference of the
sexes can be seen.
I
may
here add that the illustration of the following bird, Trichoglossus
pulchellus (G. R. Gray), also by Mr. Keulemans, represents a male in my own
collection, with this label :-“ Type o. VII. '73. Trichoglossus pulchellus,
Hattam, Arfak, N. G., 3500 feet. B. Meyer.”
TRICHOGLOSSUS ARFAKI (A. B. Meyer).
By Dr. O. FINSCH, Hon. MEMB. B.O.U.
Trichoglossus (Charmosyna) arfaki, A. B. Meyer, Verhandl. k. k. zool.-botan. Gesellsch. in Wien,
1874, February.
Front and forehead to the middle of the crown deep cinnabar-red, remaining
parts of the head and the upper surface dark grass-green; lores, cheeks, and
ear-region dark blue, with longitudinal silvery white shaft-stripes, the base
of the feathers purplish brown; underparts grass-green, somewhat lighter
than above; sides of breast, axillar feathers, and under wing-coverts cinnabar-
red; greater under wing-coverts dull black ; under tail-coverts with partially
visible yellow base; quills dull black, the first primary unicolor, the second,
third, and fourth on the outer web margined with dark blue, the fifth and
sixth lighter blue, the remainder dark green on the outer web; the inner web

148
BIRDS OF NEW GUINEA.
of the remiges is marked with a yellow median patch, which becomes larger,
broader, and darker on the secondaries; two middle tail-feathers dark green,
on the apical portion black-blue, shining, with the extreme tip yellow; the
remainder of the tail-feathers scarlet on the apical half, black on the basal
half, and dark green at the base of the outer web; the four external tail-
feathers with narrow blackish green apical margins; bill black; feet and legs
blackish.
Long. tot.
al.
caud.
rect. ext.
culm.
alt. rostr.
tars.
lin.
in.
3
in. lin.
3 3
lin.
11
34
lin.
41
lin.
5
millim.
12
dig. ext.
lin.
5 (English).
millim.
11 (French).
millim.
180
millim.
76
millim.
82
millim.
24
millim.
8
millim.
9
The above description was taken from a typical specimen collected by
Dr. Meyer, which (although the sex is not noticed) we consider to be that of
an old male. This specimen agrees in every respect with the description
given by Dr. Meyer, who does not mention the sexual differences.
Dr. A. B. Meyer discovered this extraordinary and fine species in July
1873, during his visit to the Arfak mountains in North-western New Guinea,
at an elevation of about 3500 feet above the level of the sea. He gives no
account of its habits.
Trichoglossus arfaki is not only one of the rarest but also the most
peculiar species among the members of the Trichoglossinæ or brush-tongued
Parrakeets. The markings of the tail, the uniform black and unusually
slender and hooked bill, but especially the singular colouring of the lores and
cheeks, render this species distinct from any other. With respect to its
systematical position, Tr. arfaki ranges among the small cuneate-tailed
group to which Tr. placens, Temm., Tr. rubronotatus, Wall., and Tr. kordoanus,
Meyer, belong; but we must remark that in Tr. arfaki the tail is more cuneate,
having the external feather very short.


TRICHOGLOSSUS PULCHELLUS, G.R. GRAY. $

BIRDS OF NEW GUINEA.
149
TRICHOGLOSSUS PULCHELLUS (G. R. Gray).
BY DR. OTTO FINSCH, Hon. MEMB. B.O.U.
Charmosyna pulchella, G. R. Gray, List of Birds Brit. Mus., part 3, sect 2. Psittacidæ, 1859, p. 102
(female).
Charmosyna pectoralis, Rosenberg, Cab. Joum. f. Orn. 1862, p. 64 (descript.) ; id. Natuurk.
Tijdschr. voor Nederl. Ind. 1863, p. 144 (descr. inacc.); id. Cab. Journ. f. Orn. 1864,
p. 112 (descr. inacc.).
Charmosyna pulchella, Wall. P. Z. S. Lond. 1864, p. 292 (sine descr.).
Eos pulchella, Schleg. Dierentuin (1864), p. 69 (sine descr.).
Trichoglossus pulchellus, Finsch, Papageien, ii. (1868) p. 877 (descr. female and young male).
Charmosyna pulchella, Sclat. P.Z. S. Lond. 1874, p. 697 (Atam).
Trichoglossus pulchellus, A. B. Meyer, Sitzb. der k. Akad. der Wissensch. Band lxix. (1874) p. 76
(male).
Nanodes pulchellus, Schleg. (nec Vig. & Horsf.), Mus. d'Hist. Nat. Pays-Bas, livr. xi. (1874) p. 52.
MALE.--Head and the whole under surface, including the under tail-coverts,
beautiful dark carmine-red; the feathers on the breast with narrow shaft-
stripes of bright yellow; occiput and nape covered by a longitudinal patch
of a dark violet-black; upper parts and wings dark grass-green, the quills
black on the inner web; middle part of rump and upper tail-coverts also
green, but lighter ; sides of rump and thighs vivid carmine-red, each feather
of these parts with a concealed narrow yellow cross line on the basal portion;
flanks also vivid red, some of the longest feathers with narrow dark yellow
shaft-stripes ; inner part of tibia violet-black; under wing-coverts red, the
larger ones dull blackish; the two middle tail-feathers dark olive-green at
the basal portion, otherwise dark red, with yellow tips; the remaining tail-
feathers are yellow on the apical half, green on the outer web, and red on the
basal half of the inner web, having the red bordered by a blackish marginal

150
BIRDS OF NEW GUINEA.
spot; bill light red, with blackish tip; legs flesh-coloured ; nails black; iris
whitish yellow. (After Von Rosenberg.)
The female differs a good deal. The violet-black occipital patch reaches
only the beginning of the nape; the nape itself is red; the feathers of the
rump are green, with dark margins; but the sides are vivid yellow and the
flanks and thighs green, with single yellow-shafted stripes; the secondaries
show a yellow mark on the middle of the inner web; the outer tail-feathers
are narrowly margined with red on the outer web, along the shaft.
Long. tot.
al.
caud.
rect. ext.
in. lin.
3 81
in. lin.
3 81
in. lin.
1 6
culm. alt. rostr. tars. dig. ext.
lin. lin. lin. lin.
57 43
41 51 (English).
millim. millim. millim. millim.
12 10 10 12 (French).
millim.
94
millim.
94
millim.
38
The above measurements are taken from the male. The female is a
little smaller; but the differences are so trifling that we need not notice them.
For the discovery of this fine and elegant species, science is indebted to
Mr. Alfred Russel Wallace, who got a pair during his stay at Havre Dorey,
on the north-west coast of New Guinea. The Baron H. von Rosenberg found
it at the same place, and says that it was more plentiful than Tr. papuensis.
Nevertheless he seems not to have collected many specimens, as even the
Royal Museum at Leyden did not get one from him. It is still one of the
rarest in our collections. Dr. Adolf Bernhard Meyer, so fortunate in his
researches in New Guinea, collected specimens at Passim, on the west coast
of Geelvinks Bay, at Amberbaki on the north coast, and at Hattam, or
Atam, a native village in the Arfak mountains, about 3500 feet above the
level of the sea, the same place where Signor Luigi Maria d'Albertis also
found this rare bird. The species seems therefore confined, in its geogra-
phical distribution, to the north coast of New Guinea.
Nothing is known of its habits; but we owe thanks to Dr. Meyer for
having first made us acquainted with the difference of the two sexes. The
type specimen in the British Museum, described by G. R. Gray and in the

BIRDS OF NEW GUINEA.
151
monograph of Dr. Finsch, is a female, with the sides of the rump yellow; but
in the same monograph a young bird in the British Museum, with the sides of
the rump red, is described, the author being at that time unaware that this
difference is a constant character belonging to the male. Through Dr. Meyer
we learn that even young males, which have the breast still green, show these
red rump-stripes very distinctly. We must mention, besides, that young birds
of Tr. pulchellus have the violet-black occipital patch mixed with green.
The late George Robert Gray placed this species in Wagler's genus
Charmosyna, apparently on account of the resemblance in the marking and
colours, in which red prevails. This arrangement, based only on the colour-
ing, would be apparently more correct since we know through Dr. Meyer
that Tr. pulchellus shows the same sexual differences as Tr. (Charmosyna)
papuensis, Gmel., and the newly discovered Tr. (Charmosyna) josefine, Finsch ;
the sides of the rump, which are in the female bright yellow, are dark red in
the male : but a careful comparison of the generic characters convinces us
that Tr. pulchellus does not belong to the true Charmosyne. Its smaller size,
and principally the form and length of the quills and tail-feathers differ consi-
derably from those in Charmosyna : in the latter the two middle tail-feathers
are extremely long, with the apical portion narrowed and the next middle
pair projecting very much; but the shape of the wings is still more singular
--the first four primaries being abruptly attenuated at the terminal portion
of the inner web, forming a narrow point, nearly like the first primary in the
genus Ptilopus. This significant character is peculiar to both species of the
section Charmosyna.
Y

SUBFAMILY NASITERNINÆ.
Genus NASITERNA.
BY MR. G. D. ROWLEY.
This genus was “established by Wagler in 1830 (Abhandl. Akad. München,
1832). Micropsitta of M. Lesson (1831) is synonymous ” (Gray's Genera,'
vol. ii.). It now consists of three species. Doubt has been expressed as to
the position of these remarkable forms, which can never be properly cleared
away till we have an examination in the flesh. Mr. Wallace says (Ibis, 1874,
3rd ser. vol. iv. p. 407), in a valuable article on the Passeres :—“There are
great objections to the use of characters drawn from the fleshy parts of birds.
It is only in comparatively few instances that they have been accurately
observed ; and they are for this reason of little use to the naturalist who
possesses even the most extensive collection of skins and skeletons.” This
is most true; but when they have been accurately observed, as by the Prosector
of the Zoological Society, for instance, they are of considerable benefit. The
author proceeds to say:—“There
“ There is reason to believe that the larynx, the
intestines, and the other internal soft parts are liable to much modification,
even in closely allied forms. In order to be practically useful, the characters
on which genera, families, and groups of families are founded must, whenever
possible, be drawn from those parts which can be examined in every well-
preserved skin, supplemented in critical cases by a reference to the sternum,
the cranium, or other parts of the skeleton.” There is much weight in these
observations; but the point is not what is “ practically useful,” but what is
the real fact respecting the subject under examination. We cannot change
the fact, if it exists. If we shut our eyes to the light afforded by myology
and the fleshy parts, we travel in an unsafe road, and may fall into error.

NASITERNA.
153
In
Mr. Wallace does not advise this; he only says that in ordinary practice the
observation of the fleshy parts is not useful. The remedy is for students of
ornithology to understand them better. Even habits, though perhaps ranking
much lower in the scale, are valuable when known. Mr. R. Swinhoe says of
the Creeper-coloured Grasshopper Lark, Locustella certhiola (Pall.) (Ibis,
3rd ser. vol. iv. no. 16, Oct. 1874, p. 440), it “ had its tibial tendons fleshy,
and not osseous as in all our other Chinese species of Grasshopper Lark.
So constant did I find this character that I began to think it generic.
plumage, it is true, this species has a tendency towards Cisticola ; but in
habits it is nevertheless a true Locustella.” Here we have a superficial
resemblance corrected by a knowledge of habits. Oology does something :
two species of Ostrich have been differentiated by their eggs; and in 1867,
when only one species of Æpyornis had been discovered, I pointed out the
former existence of certainly another from a fragment of the shell, which, by
subsequent discovery, was found to be the case (P. Z. S. 1867, p. 892). In
so difficult a subject as ornithology, let us not reject any assistance to be
obtained from a legitimate source.
The examination of the carotid artery in Nasiterna would be of the
greatest interest, as helping to establish the genus in its true position—at this
time, even with the best authorities, somewhat a matter of doubt. For though
at present the cause of these differences of the carotids has not been assigned,
yet their aid should be regarded. What we want, then, is a few examples in
the flesh for examination.
DESCRIPTION OF THE PLATES OF NASITERNÆ.
The male and female of Nasiterna geelvinkiana are from two specimens of
mine, exhibited at the meeting of the Zoological Society, June 15, 1875
(P.Z. S. 1875, pt. 3, p. 470), and are thus marked :--the female, “Rosenberg,
No. 231. 13 Feb. 1869. Nufoor. Nasiterna geelvinkiana f;" and the male,
Rosenberg. No. 229,” with the same date &c.
Y 2

154
NASITERNINÆ.
Of my specimens of N. geelvinkiana the male is much larger than the
female. Both appear to me to be old birds, and, as compared with a pair
of N. pygmæa of my own (the ones figured), are a trifle smaller. But I
will not say that N. geelvinkiana is a smaller species than N. pygmæa, because
it is never safe to judge without a series of examples. I take “ Nufoor” as
above written to be intended for Mefoor, the great island on the north-
eastern coast of New Guinea, opposite the Arfak mountains-between that
shore and the three greater islands called Schouten-Eilanden (or Misory), in
English maps lumped into two. Mefoor appears to be nearly all mountains ;
for in the beautiful map belonging to C. B. H. von Rosenberg's work,
Reistochten naar de Geelvinkbaai op Nieuw-Guinea, 1875, there is a range
from one end to the other. I suspect that Nasiterna in each species is a bird
of the mountains ; but of N. pusio, the largest, one knows nothing.
Dr. Finsch says (in his subsequent article), of the male N. geelvinkiana,
the two middle feathers of the tail are deep sea-blue, with a small patch of
black near the apical portion.” The male bird in the Plate has no black on
the two middle tail-feathers; moreover the blue is apparent on four tail-
eathers instead of two. The two central feathers are quite blue; the next
two blue, with a patch of black along the inner side of the rhachis. In N.
pusio, according to the Plate, the two central tail-feathers are exactly as
described by Dr. Finsch. I think perhaps mine is an older specimen than
the one he took his description from.
The total length of my male is 3] inches, female 3} inches.
و
own.
Nasiterna pygmæa.—The male and female are from specimens of my
The male is thus marked :-“VII. '73. Andai, New Guinea. Dr. A. B. Meyer.
1000.” Andai stands close to the sea-shore, on the banks of, or very near a
small nameless river at the foot of the Arfak mountains, at the entrance of
Great Geelvink Bay (for there is Little Geelvink Bay also). There is a
beautiful plate of this river in Baron Rosenberg's work; and the country looks
a perfect paradise for rare birds! Geelvink means “ Yellow Finch.”

NASITERNA.
155
Nasiterna pusio.—The Plate, by Mr. Keulemans, was taken by permission
from the specimen (drawn a second time) in the British Museum, first figured
by Mr. J. Wolf (P. Z. S. 1865, p. 620, pl. 35). This is the only one known,
except that preserved in spirits and now in the Royal Zoological Museum in
Berlin.
All the Plates of these Nasiternæ are of life-size. It appears almost a
pity to produce a second Plate of the same bird; but I in vain tried to hunt
up another example to complete the genus. This specimen is not sexed; and
as the Solomon Islands appear to be a rather extensive group, its habitat is
defined by Dr. Finsch's statement of the exact island-New Georgia.
Dr. Sclater remarks, in the above-named article :-“ Hitherto this very
peculiar genus of Psittacidæ was supposed to be restricted to New Guinea
and the Papuan Islands, affording an additional proof, if any such were
needed, that the Salomon Islands belong strictly to the Austro-Malayan as
distinguishable from the Pacific subdivision of the Australian region.
“ Obs. Major quam N. pygmæa, et colore pilei et faciei, necnon forma et
colore caudæ, facile distinguenda.”
As regards the tail common to all the three species, Mr. Wallace says
(P. Z. S. 1864, p. 281), “ Its spined tail would indicate some peculiar habits
of which we have no account.” Putting on one side the Picidæ, one naturally
thinks of the American genus Chætura and the Australian species Acanthylis
caudacuta. This genus, consisting, according to Dr. Sclater (P. Z. S. 1863,
pp. 98-102), of eight species, presents salient examples of the same thing.
Speaking of Chætura pelasgia, Temm., the American Chimney-Swallow
or Swift, Audubon says ( Birds of America,' vol. i. p. 164, edit. 1840) :
“ It has abandoned its former abodes in hollow trees, and taken possession
of the chimneys. In Lower Kentucky &c. many resorted to excavated
branches and trunks for the purpose of breeding—sycamores of gigantic
growth, and having a mere shell of bark and wood to support them. They
never alight on trees or on the ground. In the cities these birds make choice

156
NASITERNINÆ.
of a particular chimney; entering the aperture they cling to the wall with
their claws, supporting themselves by their sharp tail.”
Mr. Wallace (as above quoted) continues, respecting Nasiterna pygmæa,
According to the observation of my collector, Mr. Allen, it makes a hole in
arboreal white-ants' nests.” Query, therefore, does it use its tail to keep
itself up against the side of the hole, as described in Chætura pelasgia ?
At all events it is suggestive that two birds, structurally so diverse,
should resemble each other in these spinous tail-feathers, which, in Nasiterna,
are so remarkably different from any other Psittacine form. In the Chimney-
Swifts (Chætura) the mucronate rhachis is strongly displayed; but in Nasiterna
the rhachis projects so far from the barb, and is proportionally so strong, as
to become quite exceptional. There is nothing to equal it in the Rice-Troopial
(Dolichonyx oryzivorus), though called the Sharp-tailed Finch. In fact the
genus Nasiterna, both as regards its beak and tail, is a very remarkable one.
The example of N. pusio in the British Museum was stuffed by “the
artistic hands of Mr. Bartlett;” and Dr. Murie gave the following notes,
inserted by Dr. Sclater in his article :-
“ Muscles: Pectoralis major.–Very strong and well developed. Origin,
whole front of sternum, overlapping the outer edge and clavicular interspace.
Insertion, by tendon into forearm.
66 Pectoralis minor.-Smaller and narrower. Origin, anterior edge of
sternum, tapering to a point at the clavicle.
“ Subclavius.—Narrow below the bone; anterior muscles of neck long
and strong
" Contents of Stomach. - Only a number of minute dark-coloured stony
particles, but no other food ” [or, rather, no food].
99
It might be well to mention that “Geelvink” was the name of a
Dutch exploring vessel which, in 1705, first entered the bay. Willem
Schouten and Jacob le Maire, however, in 1616 apparently touched it, as they
landed on Soek and Biak, the Schouten Islands in the north of the bay.


0
NASITERNA GEELVINKIANA, SCHLEG. $ & P.

NASITERNA GEELVINKIANA AND
ITS ALLIES.
BY DR. OTTO FINSCH, Hon. MEMB. B.O.U., CURATOR OF THE
BREMEN MUSEUM.
Among the numerous members of the extensive family (or, as some ornitho-
logists prefer, order) Psittacidæ which have been elected types of genera, none
has more right to stand separated than the small genus Nasiterna, established
by Wagler on the Psittacus pygmæus of Quoy and Gaimard. The characters
which distinguish this dwarf form are the following :-
Bill very strong in proportion to the general size, much higher than
broad; maxilla at the basal portion enlarged and fornicated, at the apical
portion compressed, with the culmen carinated; the culmen curved strongly
downwards, a deep acute angulated excision just before the tip, which is
very faint and prominent; mandible much higher than the maxilla, laterally
aplanated, gonys broad; margins of mandible deeply emarginated. Nostrils
large, free, placed in a cere, with swollen prominent margins surrounding
the circular aperture. A narrow, but distinct, naked ring round the eye.
Wings long, acute, reaching nearly to the end of the tail ; second remex the
longest; ten primaries and nine secondaries. Tail short, rounded, and most
singularly distinguished in having the feathers with rigid and, at the apex,
somewhat projecting spinous shafts; the three outer are but slightly rigid,
and only the third from the outside has the spinous apex of the rhachis
slightly projecting; the six middle feathers are more rigid, and have the
rhachis sharply pointed and projecting 0:5 inch beyond the barb. Feet
with extraordinarily long digits, of which the anterior and posterior external
ones are equal in length and just as long as the tarsus; nails feeble. Tongue

158
NASITERNINÆ.
thick and fleshy, nearly cylindrical in shape, somewhat truncated at the
apex; the upper surface with a rather deep median sulcus running from the
apex to the base. Oil-gland very distinct, although small, feathered at the
apex. Furcula wanting. Sternum with a strong prominent crista; the two
posterior foramina are well marked.
In regard to systematic position, in my Monograph of Psittacida'
(vol. i. 1867, p. 321) I have placed Nasiterna amongst the Plictolophinæ, or
Cockatoos, following in this respect Professor Schlegel (vide “Journal für
Ornithologie,' 1861, p. 377) and Prince Buonaparte (Compt. Rend. de l'Acad.
1857), who based on it the subfamily Nasiterninæ.
There can be no doubt that although Nasiterna has no crest (which
distinguishes so much the Cockatoos), it bears, by its external characters, a
close relation to this group. The shape of the bill corresponds so very
exactly with that of the great black Cockatoos of the genus Calyptorrhynchus
(especially C. solandri, Temm., and C. banksi, Lath.) that, in respect of this
organ, Nasiterna may be considered as a very diminutive form of Calyptor-
rhynchus. The long pointed wings and the unusual long digits are also
characters peculiar to the members of the subfamily Plictolophinæ.
Opposed to these views just named are those of Dr. Sclater, who,
describing the second discovered species of Nasiterna (Nasiterna pusio), gives
valuable remarks in regard to its systematic position. Although the
osteology of Nasiterna is not yet thoroughly known, Dr. Sclater, chiefly
in respect to the sternum, which has the usual characteristic form of that of
the Psittacidæ, rather inclines to place Nasiterna as an aberrant form of the
true Parrots (Psittacinæ), and does not agree with those who have placed it
with the Cockatoos. The latter have mostly, as Dr. Sclater points out, the
top of the head bare of feathers and covered by a crest of elongated plumes,
which rise from the front of the head. The Cockatoos have also a well
developed furcula, and no foramina in the posterior end of the sternum. In
Nasiterna the foramina are present, and the furcula is absent, which is

NASITERNA.
159
usually also the case in the Broad-tails (Platycercinæ), to which Nasiterna
in other respects presents but little resemblance either in form or in habits,
as the Platycercinæ are mostly ground-loving birds, whereas Nasiterna is
stated to be exclusively arboreal. Although we know nearly nothing of the
habits of Nasiterna, there can be no doubt that they are chiefly attached to
trees, which is indicated by the peculiar form of the tail-feathers. Whether
these are used in the same manner as by the Woodpecker, as a means to
sustain the bird in climbing, we do not at present know; but we may
suspect that their peculiar structure will subserve a corresponding manner of
life. In every case there can be no doubt that Nasiterna forms a most
singular generic group, which perhaps it would be more correct to constitute
(as Prince Buonaparte already did, and as Dr. Sclater recommends) the
type of a distinct subfamily.
The genus Nasiterna is a characteristic form of the avifauna of
New Guinea or the Papuan region, and may be considered the most
characteristic among the members of the family Psittacidæ peculiar to
these countries, as the singular genus Microglossus occurs also on the
north point of the Australian continent, where Nasiterna has not yet been
found. Since the year 1827 (when Quoy and Gaimard discovered, by a very
singular chance, near Havre Doreh, the oldest known species- Nasiterna
pygmæa), a second species (N. pusio), from the Solomon Islands, was
described in 1865 by Dr. Sclater; and a few years since the indefatigable
Dutch traveller, Baron von Rosenberg, was fortunate enough to discover
a third species on Mysore (or Méfoor) and Soek (islands in the north of
the extensive Geelvink Bay), which Professor Schlegel, in his peculiar
manner, introduced into science as Nasiterna pygmæa geelvinkiana, although
he has since admitted the bird as a distinct species.
The above description is taken from a pair (male and female) collected
in April 1873 by Dr. A. B. Meyer at Kordo, a place on the island of Mysore,
Geelvink Bay.
Z

160
NASITERNINÆ.
[Kordo is also the name of the island better known as Soek, the
more northern of the three marked in Rosenberg's map as “Schouten-
Eilanden, Groote Geelvink Baai.”—G. D. R.]
NASITERNA GEELVINKIANA, Schleg.
Nasiterna pygmæa geelvinkiana, Schleg. Nederl. Tijdschr. voor de Dierkunde, vol. iv.
(1871) p. 7.
Nasiterna geelvinkiana, Schleg. Mus. Pays-Bas, 11° livraison ; Revue de la Collection des
Perroquets etc. (Mai 1874), p. 71.
Male.-Feathers on the front, forehead, and fore parts of cheeks brown,
with narrow apical margins of light brown ; crown of the head indigo blue ;
hinder part of cheeks and below the ear-coverts obscure brown, the apical
margins washed narrowly with blue; occiput, temporal region, and upper
surface dark grass-green ; upper wing-coverts black along the shafts; quills
dull black, primaries with a narrow margin of green along the outer web;
secondaries green on the whole outer web, base of the inner web changing
into pale olive-yellow; small under wing-coverts yellow, the greater ones
blackish grey; underparts of body olive-yellow; under tail-coverts distinct
dark yellow; flanks and thighs grass-green; two middle tail-feathers deep
sea-blue, with a small patch of black near the apical portion, the remaining
tail-feathers black, on the outer web with a green, on the inner web with
a yellow end, which becomes broader on the outer feathers; bill greyish
black, culmen and ridge of mandible lighter; feet grey-brown.
The female differs in having the vertex dark olive-brown, the sides of
head and chin being dirty olive-brown, the under surface, instead of yellow,
being olive-green, the two middle tail-feathers uniform dark sea-blue; bill
pale hornish brown, with dark tip.
al.
Long. tot.
in. lin.
3 2
circa
in. lin.
2 11
caud. culm. alt. rostr.
lin. lin. lin.
3 41
millim. millim. millim.
27 7. 10
123
tars. dig. ext. ant.
lin. lin.
37 5} (English).
millim. millim.
7.5 12 (French).
millim.
80
millim.
54
circa


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NASITERNA.
161
This excellent species is nearly allied to N. pusio, from the Solomon
Islands, having also a blue crown; but this blue is more vivid and distinct.
Besides, in N. pusio the front, tempora, and cheeks are ochreous brownish,
and the feathers of the lower ear-region lack the blue tips. N. pygmæa has
the crown yellow and a red longitudinal stripe along the breast. We must
remark, however, that Professor Schlegel notices one specimen which has the
vertex adorned with a yellow patch. The specimen with the blue on the
vertex replaced by brown, mentioned by Professor Schlegel and said to be a
male, is most likely a female.
As already mentioned, Baron H. von Rosenberg discovered N. geelvinkiana
in February 1869 on the island of Mysore, or Méfoor, the Willem-Schouten
Island of the older Dutch maps. This island is situated north of the large
island of Jobi, and separates the large Geelvink Bay to the north from the
Pacific. Dr. A. B. Meyer collected the species on the same island-more
precisely at Kordo, which is the chief kampong or village of it. H. von
Rosenberg besides got specimens at Soek, a small group of islands in the
neighbourhood of Kordo. The geographical distribution is, as far as our
knowledge reaches now, confined to these two islands.
With respect to the habits of N. geelvinkiana nothing is known; but
we may trust that Dr. Meyer, who collected so much valuable biological
information, will add to our knowledge also in regard to this species,
I append the characters of the other known species of Nasiterna.
NASITERNA PYGMÆA, Quoy & Gaim.
Psittacus (Psittacula) pygmæus, Quoy & Gaim. Voy. de l’Astrol. Zool. i. (1830), p. 232, pl. 21.
f. 1 (0), f. 2 (+).
Nasiterna pygmæa, Wagl. Mon. Psitt. (in Abhandl. der Kön. Baier. Akad. d. Wissensch. zu
. d.
München (Band i. Jahrgang 1829–30), 1832*, p. 631.
* Although the first volume of the Munich-Academy Transactions bears the years
1829-30 on its
titlepage, it did not appear until 1832. It is therefore difficult to settle which year must be
quoted; if 1832, Lesson's generic appellation “Micropsitta ” will have priority.
Z 2

162
NASITERNINÆ.
Micropsitta pygmæa, Less. Tr. d’Orn. (1831), p. 646. og allo
Micropsites pygmæus, Bourj. Perr. t. 100.
dobil
Psittacula pygmæa, Schleg. Mus. P.-B. Psitt. (1864), p. 74.
Nasiterna pygmæa, Finsch, Papag. i. (1867) p. 325 ; Schleg. Mus. P.-B. 11° livraison (1874),
p. 71.
Male.- Grass-green, underparts lighter ; under tail-coverts bright
yellow; along the middle of the breast a longitudinal stripe of light
red; loral and eye-region ochreous brownish ; forehead and crown oil-
yellow; quills black, primaries narrowly, secondaries more broadly margined
externally with green ; tectrices black, margined with green ; tail-feathers
black, the inner web tipped with yellow, the two middle ones marine blue,
with black shafts, the next pair to the middle ones at the base of outer web,
the outermost at the apex of outer web, margined broadly with green ; bill
dark, blackish ; feet horny brown.
Female corresponds with the male in every respect; but the bill is light
hornish yellow.
al.
caud.
culm. alt. rostr.
tars.
dig. ext.
Long. tot.
in.
circa 31
lin.
in. lin.
2 5
in. lin.
1 01
lin.
3
lin.
5
lin.
27
53
The manner in which this species was discovered is very singular.
During the stay of the French frigate ' L'Astrolabe' at Havre Doreh, one of
Quoy's hunters fired at a bird in a tree, and, instead of the one aimed at, the
shot brought down a male and female of this novelty.
This species has a wide range :-New Guinea, Doreh on the north-east
coast (Quoy & Gaimard, Wallace); Sorong, opposite to the island of Salawatti
(Von Rosenberg); Utanate river on the west coast (Salomon Müller); islands
of Mysol (Wallace, Von Rosenberg, Hoedt) and Salawatti (Hoedt) ; Aru islands
(Von Rosenberg), Waigeu and Guëbe (Bernstein).
In regard to the habits, all observers agree that N. pygmæa is very shy,
and extremely difficult to observe among the foliage of tropical trees,
Mr. Wallace notices that Nasiterna breeds in holes of trees.
co

J. G.Keulemans del
J. Walter mp
NASITERNA PYGMÆA, QUOY & GAIM. O.

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J.G. Keulemans del.
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NASITERNA
PUSIO. SCLATER

NASITERNA.
163
NASITERNA PUSIO, Sclat.
Nasiterna pusio, Sclat. P. Z. S. Lond. 1865, p. 620, pl. 35 (opt.) ; Finsch, Papag. i. (1867)
.
Nasiterna pygmaa salomonensis, Schleg. Nederl. Tijdschr. voor de Dierk. vol. iv. (1871) p. 7.
p. 327
Grass-green, underparts lighter; middle of breast and vent light
greenish yellow ; under tail-coverts yellow ; front lores and cheeks ochreous
yellow, eye-region and tempora more brownish ; crown of head dull dark
blue, the same as the two middle tail-feathers, which have a large black
patch at the tip ; remaining tail-feathers black, with a yellow apical patch on
the inner web, and externally margined very narrowly with green ; quills
black, margined externally with green; tectrices black, margined with green;
bill horny orange, with dark tip ; feet horny brown.
al.
caud.
culm.
alt. rostr.
tars.
Long. tot.
in.
circa 31
in. lin.
2 51
in. lin.
1 03
lin.
23
lin.
5
lin.
31
dig. ext.
lin.
5)
This species is confined to the Solomon Islands. Dr. Sclater obtained
the types through Mr. Gerard Krefft, of Sydney, who received them in spirits
from the island of New Georgia.

PSITTACUS ERITHACUS, Linn.
(The Common Grey Parrot.)
)
BY MR. G. D. ROWLEY.
ola
THE genus Psittacus was established by Linnæus in 1725 (“Systema
Naturæ '). Gray, in his “Genera,' vol. ii., thus describes it :-“ Bill large
and rather compressed, with the culmen biangular and much arched to the
tip, near which the lateral margin is strongly emarginated, that of the under
mandible much sinuated, and the anterior part sharply edged; the gonys
advancing upwards and angular; the nostrils basal and lateral, with the
opening small and rounded. Wings mostly reaching to the end of the tail,
with the first quill nearly as long as the second and third, which are the
longest. Tail short and even. Tarsi very short and covered with small
scales. Toes long, the lateral ones equal, and all covered with small scales;
the claws short and slightly curved."
Dr. Otto Finsch gives (Die Papageien,' vol. ii.):—“Pterylosis (after
Nitzsch) quite different from the American Chrysotis, which agrees more
with Conurus and Domicella ; the uropygial gland is present, which is wanting
in Chrysotis; the sterna are alike in both; the lateral aperture is present,
but small, and in one specimen absent. The orbital ring is not closed the
same as is the case in Eclectus grandis, E. polychlorus, &c. The skeleton of
Parrots comes nearest to that of Rapaces, except in the arrangement of the
toes, which is two in front and two behind.”'
Of the African species Psittacus erithacus (which I may perhaps call the
type of the Parrots, though this word is not defined) little appears to be

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PSITTACUS ERITHACUS.
165
known. I borrow freely from Dr. Finsch's exhaustive work for such things
as have been ascertained. It is strange, however, that so little can be said
respecting a bird extremely familiar to us in captivity. Anecdotes of its
talking-powers, temper, &c. are abundant, and it would be useless to
introduce fresh ones here. An attempt is sometimes made to assign to
the bird a reflecting knowledge of the meaning of the sounds uttered ; but
in all such cases it is to be supposed that the partiality of the owner has
run away with his or her judgment—the wish being father to the thought.
Varieties do not appear to be common, in which P. erithacus is unlike
Nestor, of New Zealand. Dr. Finsch gives three :-
Variety 1. Red; head, neck, and quills grey.
2. Grey ; quills, tail, and rump red.
3. Grey, spotted and sprinkled with red.
Diagnosis.-Dark ashy-grey; head, neck, throat, and crop with narrow
light-grey edgings to the feathers; rump, lower wing-coverts, thighs, vent,
and lower tail-feathers whitish grey; quills black; tail and tail-coverts
scarlet; bill black, naked eye-space white; iris from pale yellow to white,
in the young brown, perhaps the only character which distinguishes them
from the adult. Both the sexes are alike. In confinement some variation
appears at times (vide Levaillant, pl. 101).
The white powder which comes upon the fingers on touching certain
Parrots is strongly developed in this species ; but the cause of it is not yet
determined.
s that a pair in confinement bred and hatched their young for
a series of five or six years. Later observation has not confirmed this
remarkable circumstance, though it is not unusual for eggs to be laid.
These are white, and slightly shining. I do not know in any collection an
authenticated specimen of an egg taken in a state of nature.
Habitat.-The geographical distribution of P. erithacus is very extended .
I cannot do better than remind my readers of the admirable coloured map
in Dr. Finsch's work (Die Papageien,' vol. i. p. 114), which gives a clear
Buffon says

166
PSITTACUS ERITHACUS.
view, at one glance, of the range of all the Parrots known at the time of
publication (1867). This map afforded me when I first opened it, and still
affords me, much information and the greatest pleasure.
Mr. Alfred R. Wallace's map of the Malay archipelago, with the red
line enclosing the area of the Crimson Lories, and his article on the Parrots
of the Malayan region (P.Z. S. 1864, p. 272) afford the greatest assistance
to the student.
On the west coast of Africa P. erithacus is found from Senegambia to
Benguela (Ladislaus Magyar observed it in the Bihe country). Du Chaillu,
apparently, did not bring the species from the Gaboon; but Reichenow found
it there. It appears to be very numerous on Prince's Island, but not on the
larger one of St. Thomas. This has been accounted for by the reason that
there are no rapacious birds on Prince's island, as mentioned in the following
excerpt (P.Z.S. 1866, p. 324).
Dr. H. Dohrn, C.M.Z.S., in his Synopsis of the Birds of Ilha do Principe,
says:-“During six months' stay in Ilha do Principe I have collected birds,
and notes upon their habits. It seems to me the most remarkable feature
that not a single bird of prey exists on the island, whilst they are abundant
on the other two islands and on the nearest part of the continent. I saw
hundreds of Milvus parasiticus in San Thomé; Gypohierax angolensis and some
other species are not uncommon in Fernando Po ; but the whole tribe avoids
Principe. The inhabitants of the latter place and of San Thomé assert that
there is a deadly hatred between the Grey Parrots (Psittacus erythacus) of
Principe and the Kites of San Thomé, and that, if ever a Milvus visits the
neighbouring island, hundreds of Parrots fall upon him and kill him, and that
the Kites take revenge if perchance a Parrot should venture a trip to their
kingdom. There must be some family reason for this strange degree of
enmity; for they seem to live in tolerable peace together on the coast.”
In a north-eastern direction Psittacus erithacus reaches Lake Tchad,
as Denham and Clapperton tell. To the eastern centre Heuglin found it in
the Wau and Bongo or Mbango country, between the rivers Djur and

PSITTACUS ERITHACUS.
167
season.
Kosanga. The bird is still more numerous in the Niam-niam district, where
Schweinfurth discovered it. Dr. Schweinfurth gives many interesting
particulars in his work on Africa, too long to mention.
Psittacus erithacus has, by mistake, been placed in the Cape Verd
islands by Schmidt. According to Brehm it was formerly introduced into
the islands of Mauritius and Bourbon, but again exterminated, because it was
so dangerous to plantations.
Mr. Keulemans gives the best account of the habits of the bird in
question, and says it is very numerous on Prince's Island, that it eats seeds
and fruits (chiefly palm-nuts), and breeds in December, after the rainy
Its nest is situated in a deep hollow tree, where it lays five eggs;
and this being in the thickest wood renders discovery difficult. There is
only one nest in each tree; but in the same area are often many hundred
pairs breeding. The parents defend their nests; therefore the natives catch
the young ones just after leaving it, thinking their fingers might be in danger
before. In the evening the Parrots go to their roosting-places, and associate
in hundreds. This species is not friendly with other birds.
Mr. Keulemans's zeal in watching this species entailed a severe fever.
I cannot do better than quote a few observations of his, from his · Natural
History of Cage-birds' (part i. p. 7):-
The food of P. erithacus “ consists of the palm-nut, the avocat (Laurus
persea), the banana (Musa paradisea), goyave, mango, and many other fruits
of a smaller size; but it always gives the preference to palm-nuts. These
birds drink little. Both sit by turns; and while one is sitting the other
often comes and feeds it out of its crop. The young ones are fed in the
same way.
“ The Grey Parrot delights to dwell in companies. Many nests are
found within a few feet of each other; and often in one tree two or more
holes may be seen occupied by hatching pairs.
“ The young birds are covered with a long and fluffy down, which
afterwards (when moulting) falls off. Their first plumage is darker, and the
2 A

168
PSITTACUS ERITHACUS.
و
iris dark grey instead of pale yellow. They leave the nest when about four
weeks old, but may be seen looking outside the hole some time before they
are able to fly. They grow quickly; and the feathers get gradually paler.
When two months old, the first moulting begins, which lasts about five
weeks, after which the plumage is similar to that of the old birds, although
the edges of the feathers are not so pale and the cheeks and forehead not so
white as in old individuals. The iris changes gradually and slowly; the
eyes are dark for more than seven months. The feathers, when wet, appear
of a dark bluish grey with a purple gloss.
“ The value of a Grey Parrot on Prince's Island is one dollar (4s. 2d.)
for an old bird, and half that sum for a young one. There are not many sold
on the island, owing to the heavy freight charged, being about 5s. for each
individual as soon as it is shipped.”
Again, “ On Prince's Island is a very lofty mountain, reaching some
1200 feet above the level of the sea, and called by the natives' Pico de
Papagaio,' or Peak of the Parrots. On the slope of this mountain, and
extending far up its side, is a magnificent forest. The trees are of great size
and height; and their trunks and branches give support to the Lianos
and other climbing plants, which hang about them in luxuriant folds. The
density of the forest is so great that it is only with the greatest difficulty and
toil the explorer can force a passage through it; while to the Parrots, who
come up there every night, it presents no obstacle, but gives them, under the
shelter of its thick foliage, a secure and pleasant resting-place.”'
In “The Ibis,’ Jan. 1874, 3rd ser. vol. iv. p. 56, Mr. Herbert Taylor
Ussher (who did not observe the bird nesting), in his Notes on the Gold
Coast, speaks as follows:-
“PSITTACUS ERYTHACUS, L.: Sharpe, p. 19.
“ The finest specimens of the Grey Parrot are brought down from the
distant forests of Akim, in Fantee, to the towns of the Cape Coast and Accra,
where they meet with a ready sale and are purchased in considerable
numbers at prices varying from half a dollar to one dollar a piece by the

PSITTACUS ERITHACUS.
169
sailors in merchant vessels and mail-steamers. This price only applies to
wild birds (generally young ones), mature and accomplished Parrots
fetching large sums. I have seen them whilst up the river Addo, near
Lagos, crossing at sunset from their feeding-grounds to their roosting-places.
They present the appearance of one continuous flock passing at a great
distance overhead, their screams and chattering being heard long after
darkness has set in. They do terrible mischief to the maize-crops, as they
waste much more than they consume. They are occasionally eaten when
young, and are considered not unpalatable food.”
Reichenow ("Journal fur Ornithologie, 1875, p. 10, “Vögelfauna
Westafrica's”) makes some valuable remarks, which are thus condensed. He
states it to be very numerous on the Gold Coast, on the Niger, at Cameroon
and Gaboon, and that it breeds in the low lands along the streams, and groves
of mangrove. As these localities are swampy and muddy, they are difficult
to traverse, if not impossible ; consequently the birds are not molested by
man (“and this is the chief reason why no one has observed them while
breeding”). He adds :-—“I had never an opportunity of observing nestling
birds; but I feel sure they have dark grey tails at first; for a Nigger told
me this, assuring me that he had himself taken the birds from the nest. I
have myself seen young specimens which had the base of the tail-feathers
dark grey just colouring into red, as also the tail-coverts. The young has
not so clear a grey as the old, but a more faded and brownish one, and
shows a grey iris instead of a yellow one. After the breeding-season, these
Parrots unite in troops and roost upon a certain tree during night, where they
often congregate in hundreds. They arrive here in small bands; and their
noise is terrible. In the morning they divide, and visit the fields of Indian
corn of the Niggers, where they make great havoc. In going to and fro they
always take the same direction ; so we could watch them and shoot them
when flying overhead. But this could only be done a few times, as the
clever birds changed their direction. The flesh is only good for soup”
(Dohrn says the contrary). " The flight of this Parrot is bad, and it goes
2 A 2

170
PSITTACUS ERITHACUS.
وو
/
with a short quick motion of its wings. Varieties with the primaries red are
common. Gypohierax angolensis appears to be its chief enemy."
Psittacus erithacus was observed by the German expedition in Western
Africa, Loango (Correspondenzblatt der Afrikanischen Gesellschaft,' 1875,
no. 10, p. 185).
In “ The Ibis,' April 1874, 3rd ser. vol. iv. no 14, p. 185, we read :
“Dr. Kirk has brought with him, on his return from Zanzibar, a Grey
Parrot (Psittacus erithacus). He informs us that this Parrot was brought
from the Manyuema country, on the west of Lake Tanganyika, opposite
Ujiji, where, according to Dr. Livingstone's information, the chief is called
Mana-kos,' or 'King of the Koskos' or Parrots.
- The existence of Psittacus erithacus in the Niam-niam country, on the
western watershed of the White Nile, was already known (cf. Heuglin,
· Ornith. Nordost-Afrika’s,' p. 745); but the fact of its occurrence on Lake
Tanganyika is, we believe, new. Dr. Kirk says it is often brought down to
Zanzibar by the dealers in ivory.-P. L. S.”
Livingstone, in his ' Last Journals,' vol. ii. p. 95 (1871), mentions an
unpleasant custom in reference to this bird. * The Manyuema are the most
bloody, callous savages I know. One puts a scarlet feather from a Parrot's
tail on the ground, and challenges those near to stick it in their hair ; he who
does so must kill a man or woman.” Again, vol. ii. p. 98, “ Some kill
people in order to be allowed to wear the red tail-feathers of a Parrot
in their hair.”
Livingstone is in error when he says (chap. iv., vol. ii. p. 85)
Parrots all seize their food and hold it with the left hand. The lion, too,
left-handed; he strikes with his left; so are all animals left-handed, save
This idea postulated by Livingstone is not the fact as regards
Parrots in captivity. I consulted Mr. Bartlett on this subject ; and he
thinks they become right- or left-handed in some cases on board ship from
being chained up, and continue so. In a pair of the King Parrakeet
(Aprosmictus scapulatus), New South Wales, the male commonly used the
66 the
man."

PSITTACUS ERITHACUS.
171
right foot, the female the left. There is no rule. Of course, if a bird is
fastened by the foot it usually employs, it is greatly inconvenienced.
In Psittacus erithacus we find a difference in the colour of the iris,
arising from age. Mr. Bartlett is much of opinion that in some of the
Cockatoos (Cacatuinæ) a sexual variation exists; and in this he is confirmed
by John Goss, the keeper at the Zoological Gardens, who after forty years'
observation must have had good opportunity of knowing. They express
their belief that this is the case in a pair of Citron-crested cockatoos, Timor
(Cacatua citrino-cristata), thinking them to be male and female because they
agree well together. In the Lesser Sulphur-crested cockatoo (Cacatua
sulphurea) an instance was pointed out to me where the male had a blue-
black eye, while in the female the iris was red.
In the three British Harriers (Circus), Mr. J.H. Gurney states (“Notes
on Mr. R. B. Sharpe's Catalogue of Accipitres,'” “Ibis,' April 1875, 3rd
ser. vol. v. p. 222), “the colour of the iris in the adult is always a clear
yellow in the males, and usually a yellowish brown in the females; but it
would seem that in the latter, as they become aged, the colour of the iris
approaches nearer to that of the male bird; and this is especially the case in
Montagu's Harrier.”
Dr. Otto Finsch has given a fine Plate of the skeleton of this Parrot
( Die Papageien,' vol. i. p. 240), with skulls of Plictolophus sulfureus and
Euphema pulchella.
Mr. A. H. Garrod, in the Proceedings of the Zoological Society' (1873,
p. 557), on the carotid arteries of birds, says :-“The Parrots are peculiar
for the variation which occurs in their carotids, which show four different
arrangements: first, there may be two in the normal position ; secondly, the
right may (as it usually does) traverse the hypapophysial canal, whilst the
left, in a manner quite exceptional, runs superficially along the side of the
neck in company with the left pneumogastric nerve and the left jugular vein ;
thirdly, the right may be very small and blend with the much larger
normally situated left (in Cacatua sulphurea, according to Meckel); and,

172
PSITTACUS ERITHACUS.
fourthly, the left may alone be developed, as in the Passeres. The first of
the four conditions is only found in the Old-World Parrots; and the last
two are restricted to the Cacatuinæ. Psittacus erithacus belongs to the
second division, the right carotid running normally, whilst the left runs up
the side of the neck, together with the left pneumogastric nerve and jugular
vein."
In another elaborate article (P. Z. S. 1874, p. 586), Mr. Garrod gives a
list of Parrots with two carotids (the left being superficial), an ambiens
muscle (the tendon of which crosses the front of the knee-capsule from above
downwards and outwards, and ultimately forms part of the flexor perforans
digitorum), a furcula, and an oil-gland. In this the Psittaci are included.
Mr. J. G. Keulemans has given a beautiful Plate of this Parrot in his
· Natural History of Cage-birds,' vol. i. p. 1. As, therefore, it was not
desirable to repeat that, I have instead had a faithful portrait taken of the
individual of this species (Psittacus erithacus) which has attained the honour
(unique as respects the feathered tribe) of a resting-place, in post-Reformation
times, in Westminster Abbey, where it may now be seen by the side of its
mistress, the Duchess of Richmond, and where I recommend my readers to
go and look at it. In Part I. p. 30, I spoke of “this bird's effigy;" but
I should have said the bird itself. Cassell mentions a case of a grey
Parrot which died of grief at parting with its master; and the one here
represented survived her Grace only a few days, after living with her for
forty years.
This Duchess of Richmond is buried in the Richmond vault, in the
southern side of the central aisle of Henry VII.'s chapel in the Abbey.
Her effigy, at her own request, was placed close by her after death, as well
done in 66
wax as could be,” “under crown glass and none other," in the
robes she wore at the Coronation of Queen Anne (Stanley’s ‘Memorials of
Westminster Abbey,' pp. 213 & 343, edit. 1868). According to Burke's
Peerage,' her Christian names were Frances Sophia, though, as will
presently appear, she is sometimes mentioned as Frances Theresa. Her

PSITTACUS ERITHACUS.
173
younger sister, the only other child of Walter Stuart, M.D, is by Burke
named Sophia
The dress, as will be observed, is most elaborate and was difficult
to draw.
In the lacework alone, 12,000 points and curls have been
marked; this has been done twice, with tracing-paper, black stone, and tint
stone (one of the two), being 24,000 touches for lace alone. Then come the
embroidery and the diamonds, each of which had to be drawn by itself.
Her picture appeared, in the 'Catalogue of National Portraits in the
South-Kensington Museum, thus :-
“875. FRANCIS THERESA, Duchess of Richmond and Lennox. Duke of
Richmond.-Sir Peter Lely.
“ " La belle Stuart ;' dau. of Dr. Walter Stuart, son of La Blantyre;
Roettier, the King's engraver, admired her beauty, and placed her portrait,
as Britannia, on the coins he designed ; mard 1667, Charles Stuart, 6th and
last Duke of Richmond and Lennox; 3rd wife of the Duke ; d. 15 Oct. 1702.
Bust ; low dress, red and dark blue drapery, veil. Canvas 29 x 24 in.”
It would appear that Charles Stuart was not sixth Duke of Richmond
and Lennox, as above stated, but sixth Duke of Lennox in Scotland, fourth
Earl of March, and third Duke of Richmond. Also, as Burke says, the
marriage took place privately, and was publicly declared April 1667.
Miss Agnes Strickland, in her ‘Lives of the Queens of England' (vol. v.
p. 406, note), says :-“Many scandals touching this lady are afloat in the
Court-history of Charles II. ; yet it is certain that she might have played Anne
Boleyn if she had not possessed a better heart than that Queen. She was
very poor; for her father, Walter Stuart, Lord Blantyre (a younger branch
of the legitimate line of Lennox, and of course a near kinsman to the Crown),
was a gallant cavalier who lost his all in the defence of his royal relative
Charles I. La Belle Stuart was born just before the death of Charles I. She
was educated in France, and very early became one of the train of Henrietta
Maria. Her charms drew the attention of Louis XIV.; and when she was
about to return to England, after the Restoration, with Queen Henrietta

174
PSITTACUS ERITHACUS.
>
ور
Maria, Louis endeavoured by flattering promises to induce the young beauty
to stay at his court. The Queen, however, insisted on carrying her off with
her. Louis presented her with a rich jewel at her departure. She was
appointed Maid of Honour to Queen Catherine.
Pepys mentions “Mrs. Stuart’s” dancing as “mighty fine.” This was
not in the “brantle,” but the “corant.”
Clarendon is supposed to have promoted her marriage with the Duke of
Richmond; and (at page 427) Miss Strickland's note runs thus :—“Frances
Stuart had never accepted any thing from the king beyond a few jewels; and
these she returned to him after her marriage. The Duke of York presented
her with a jewel worth £800 when he drew her for a valentine. Her
husband, unfortunately, had a bad habit of drinking, which perhaps shortened
his life; he died in 1672, at the Court of Denmark, where he was sent as
Ambassador. The small-pox, that disease so fatal to the life or beauty of
the Royal house of Stuart, had destroyed the matchless charms of the
Duchess of Richmond and Lennox two years after her wedlock; she bore the
infliction with philosophy. Although the Duke of Richmond and Lennox
had impaired his property, his widow was enabled by economy to save a
fortune from her dower. She purchased with it the estate of Lethrington,
and bequeathed it to her impoverished nephew Alexander, Earl of Blantyre,
with a request that it might be called ' Lennox's Love to Blantyre.' It is
called Lennox-love to this day. She seems to have valued the title of her
Scottish duchy more than that of Richmond.”
The likeness between the wax effigy and the portrait above mentioned,
of which a photograph is now before me, is apparent, though the nose in the
former is made more aquiline. In the latter a profusion of curls hang from
the head, but the countenance, though certainly pleasing, does not convey
the idea of such extraordinary beauty. Miss Strickland says, one of the eyes
of the Duchess was injured after the small-pox, and she looked ill for a long
time (p. 421).

PSITTACUS ERITHACUS.
175
I have said so much of this lady, both because she was an instance of
one who with nothing but evil around, under circumstances of very great
difficulty, in the courts of Louis XIV. and Charles II., escaped, while many
did not, and also on account of her historic bird. Moreover the kindness of
her disposition is evinced by the name of the estate, “Lennox-love,”
continued to the present time,
Returning to the Grey Parrot, and Parrots in general, at page 170 I have
mentioned Livingstone's opinion as to their being left-sided. Mr.R.A. Proctor,
in Science Byways,' p. 328, has the following note :-“Birds, and especially
Parrots, show right-sidedness. Dr. W. Ogle has found that few Parrots perch
on the left leg. Now Parrots have that part at least of the faculty of speech
which depends on the memory of successive sounds, and of the method of
reproducing such imitation of them as a Parrot's powers permit; and it is
remarkable that their left brain receives more blood and is better developed
than the right brain. So far, Dr. Brown Sequard on this point.” The
author goes into the discussion of the duality of the brain ; but the subject
is too long to follow here.
Parrots appear to have been held in general estimation in the time of
Charles II.; for his Queen, Catherine of Braganza, had a Parrot-keeper at a
salary of £36 per annum, while the Maids of Honour received only £10 a
year each, and “the Mother of the Maids ” £20 per annum. Therefore the
custodian of the Parrots was better paid, by £16, than the lady who held the
very responsible post of care-taker of the Maids of Honour-as I gather from
Miss Strickland (p. 439).
2 B

TANYSIPTERA RIEDELI, Verr.
(Riedel's Kingfisher.)
BY MR. G. D. ROWLEY.
وو
With certain other skins from the same region I received this, and proposed
to give a Plate, the birds of this genus being all very beautiful. But Mr.
Keulemans's figure in Mr. Sharpe’s ‘Monograph of the Alcedinidæ ' is so
good that I refrain, though the sex is not stated. The sexes, however, appear
much alike in this species ; for if mine is correctly marked it is a female :-
“III. '73. Kordo, Mysore : Dr. Adolf Bernhard Meyer."
A Plate, half size of life, of Tanysiptera riedeli (male) is given Reis-
tochten de Geelvinkbaai op Nieuw-Guinea') by C. B. H. von Rosenberg.
Comparing my bird with this Plate, I observe no difference; nor do I see
any variation between the portraits afforded by Mr. Sharpe and the Baron.
The former says the exact locality of T. riedeli is unknown; and the habitat
Celebes is mentioned with a caution.
Persons need not be ornithologists to be struck with the morphology of
the genus Tany siptera : the wonderful tail, with its ten feathers (pertaining,
we are told by the Alcedinidist above named, to this genus alone), the two
centre ones elongated and “ ornamented with a more or less distinct spatula
or racket,” strikes every one.
I quite agree with Mr. Sharpe that Tanysiptera "embraces the most
elegant and beautiful of all the Kingfishers.” The trivial name “ fisher” is
certainly most unhappy in this instance, as in many others in which the birds
وو

TANYSIPTERA RIEDELI.
177
have nothing to do with fishes; and Mr. Wallace, quoted by Mr. Sharpe,
speaks of the Kinghunters (Dacelo) of Australia.
But concerning the tail and its peculiar termination I recommend a
perusal of Mr. Osbert Salvin's article (P. Z. S. 1873, p. 429) on the tail-
feathers of Momotus. This article is illustrated by examples of tails in process
of becoming spatulate, and gives a letter from Mr. A. D. Bartlett, in which he
says, “I have seen this bird [a Motmot] in the act of picking off the webs
of the central feathers of its tail. ... The Motmot frequently threw up
castings, after the manner of the Kingfishers and other birds that swallow
indigestible substances."
Mr. Salvin says, after an elaborate argument :-“This character.
may not be traceable directly to 'sexual selection ;' still it may be that an
attractive peculiarity in one sex has subsequently been adopted as equally
attractive by the other, and hence the habit of nibbling their tail-feathers
universally practised by both sexes alike..... In other birds, such as Steganura,
Loddigesia, and Discura amongst Humming-birds, similar features prevail, and
also in such cases as Prioniturus amongst Parrots and Tanysiptera amongst
Kingfishers ; but in these last, as in the Motmots, the character is common
to both sexes. . . . . In Steganura cissura the lateral feathers are simply nar-
rowed. ...." Lastly, “ Whether the same cause has produced the racket-
shaped tails in Prioniturus and Tanysiptera is more difficult to trace, as it would
appear that in these birds the rhachis becomes more and more denuded in
each successive moult, showing other causes at work.”
These short extracts do no justice to this very interesting article, which
should be read.
I shall not plunge into Darwinism, of which Huxley has given the
clearest description. He says, “ The Darwinian hypothesis is this : all
species have been produced by the development of varieties from common
stocks, by the conversion of these, first into permanent races, and then into
2 B 2

178
TANYSIPTERA RIEDELI.
و و
new species by the process of natural selection—the struggle for existence
exerting in the case of natural selection a selective action.”
Now Agassiz says, “whenever a new, startling fact is brought to light
in science, people first declare it is not true, then it is contrary to religion,
lastly that everybody knew it before.”
Leaving out the two first, and making application of the last to the
Darwinian theory, something of it would appear to have been known to the
Greek chorus in ‘Hecuba,' which Euripides causes to express itself thus :-
« δεινός χαρακτήρ, κάπίσημος εν βροτοίς
έσθλών γενέσθαι.”
But regarding the tails of our birds, remembering Comte's Law of
Philosophy, can a more simple hypothesis than sexual selection account for
the continual nibbles in question? The class Aves, in the Animal Kingdom,
now almost in danger of being abolished * as a separate one at all, has no
doubt affinities with others. Take horses; a crib-biter is one of the
commonest instances of the fidget,—which prevails amongst men also; our
American cousins have invented the word “whittle” for a like process.
Now, in order to be sure that sexual selection is the cause of these birds
picking out and destroying their tails, we must first satisfy ourselves that the
tail is improved thereby, and next that the birds themselves think so-two
rather difficult propositions ; for if we say the tail is more beautiful in its
spatulate form, this arbitrary declaration reminds one of the dogs' and horses'
tails mutilated by our ancestors (without natural or sexual selection certainly)
to improve the animals' appearance! Nervous irritability appears to me a
more likely cause of this tail-picking; but I by no means wish to be
* Professor H. G. Seeley, F.G.S., in a lecture on “ Fossil Forms of Flying Animals,” thus
informs us :—“That birds were descended from Pterodactyles in a direct line, he held to be highly
improbable. He thought they were one of those parallel lines of which we have so many in nature.
He did not think they became extinct because they were unfitted to live, nor that existing birds
were a higher group of animals or better adapted to the world in which they exist. This he
attributes to the changes in the world's geology.”—Morning Post, October 13, 1875.
وو

TANYSIPTERA RIEDELI.
179
dogmatical. If, however, irritability has any thing to do with it, sexual
selection in this case vanishes, tenues vanescit in auras ! Instead, then,
of a case of sexual selection, we should have a case of sexual rejection ; we well
know that a mutilated bird is scouted by all the rest.
That birds are nervous, so to speak, I have constantly found. A
Palæornis of my own trembles all over at times when I talk to her; she is
not afraid of me, but excited. I have a Snowy Owl (Nyctea scandiaca, Linn.)
which shakes frequently in the same way; this is a nervous individual; and
a comrade of the same bird (another Snowy Owl, now living in Brighton) is
free from this peculiarity. Persons have said to me, “ That bird is ill; look
how it shakes," not knowing the cause, but observing the effect
Mr. Sharpe divides the Kingfishers into Piscivorous, Omnivorous, and
Reptilivorous ones, and quotes Mr. Wallace on Tanysiptera thus :—“ These
birds are all inhabitants of thickets or forests where there is soil free from
dense vegetation, from which they can pick up insects, small mollusks, or
crustacea. They rest on branches three or five feet from the ground, and
dart down on their prey, often with such force as to stick their bill into the
ground, as shown by its being covered with mud. Theyare said to nest in
deserted white-ants' nests, in caves, or holes in banks.”
In the 'Proceedings of the Zoological Society,' 1872, p. 1, we have the
following :-“ An extract was read from a letter addressed to the Viscount
Walden, President of the Society, by Mr. T. G. Riedel, Assistant Resi-
dent, Gorontalo, Celebes, with reference to the true locality of Tanysiptera
riedeli : - Having been informed of your intention of publishing a complete
description of the birds of Celebes, and seeing that Mr. G. R. Gray, in his
“ Hand-list of Birds,” has placed Tanysiptera riedeli as an inhabitant of this
island, I think it right to mention to you that this bird, described by M. Jules
Verreaux in the “Nouvelles Archives du Muséum d'Histoire Naturelle for
1866, is really from Kordo, an island in the Bay of Geelvink, and not from
Celebes.'"

180
TANYSIPTERA RIEDELI.
Mr. Sharpe informs me that the original specimen was sent to the Paris
Museum, and named after M. Riedel, an attaché of the French Government.
Coming from Celebes, it was supposed to belong to that island.
Mr. Sharpe remarks in his monograph, “ It will most likely be found to
be an inhabitant of one of the Moluccas, and had been brought to Celebes by
some native trader.”
In 1870 Rosenberg, the Dutch traveller, went to Soek (the other name
for Kordo), and brought away a considerable number of specimens of his
Tanysiptera, which he called Tanysiptera schlegeli in his letters home to Prof.
Schlegel ; the latter has, very properly, in his recent revision of the King-
fishers, united the latter species with the older one, T. riedeli.
Mr. Sharpe has furnished me with the synonymy:
Tanysiptera riedeli, Verr. Nouv. Arch. Mus. ii. Bull. p. 23, pl. 3. fig. 1 (1866); Gray,
Hand-1. B. i. p. 90 (1869); Sharpe, P. Z. S. 1869, p. 631; id. Monogr. Alced. pl. 111
(1871); Riedel, P. Z. S. 1872, p. 1; Walden, Tr. Z. S. viii. p. 45 (1872); Schl. Mus.
P.-B. Revue Alced. p. 40 (1874); Rosenb. Reist. Nieuw-Guinea, pl. xiv. fig. 2 (1875).
“ Tanysiptera schlegeli, Rosenb. in Schl. Obs. Zool. N. T. D. iv. p. 12 (1871).
“ Hab. Soek Island, Geelvink Bay.”
The total length of my Queenhuntress is, from tip of the beak to the end
of the tail, exactly 14 inches. It is observable that the tail has short webs
along the rhachis, all the way between the spatulæ and the rump; while in
the feathers of Parotia sexpennis, springing from the head of the bird (out of
its reach, therefore), there is nothing but the bare rhachis and the spatula
at the end.


mo
Mintern Bros.Imp.
J.G. Keulemans del et lith
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​DENDRÆCA CHRYSOPARIA, Scł. & Salv.

DENDRECA CHRYSOPARIA.
(The Yellow-cheeked Warbler.)
BY OSBERT SALVIN, M.A., F.R.S.
The only time that I met with this bird was during my first visit to
Vera Paz, in Guatemala, in 1859. I was riding to Coban, the chief town
of Alta Vera Paz, on the 4th of November, and had just surmounted
one of the ridges of the mountainous road that leads to the village of Tactic,
where I intended passing the night, when two birds attracted my attention,
and I secured both. They, on examination at home, proved to belong to an
undescribed species; and the name of Dendræca chrysoparia was bestowed
upon it by Mr. Sclater and myself.
The altitude above the sea where I shot these birds is about 4500 feet,
or a little more; and the district belongs to that termed Alta Vera Paz, in
contradistinction to the rest of the Province, most of which lies at a lower
elevation. This portion of the country is a very wet one, the rainy season
being of much longer duration than in the district lying further to the south-
ward. The line of demarkation between this region of excessive wet and
the ordinary climate of Guatemala is very well defined-so much so, that the
line is passed in an hour's ride. It was just about this boundary that I met
with Dendræca chrysoparia. The birds were, after the manner of their con-
geners, hopping about the lower branches of the forest trees, which are
there not very high. But I was too intent upon securing the specimens to
observe much of their movements and habits.
A few years after this (in 1863-64) Mr. H. E. Dresser, during his stay
in Texas, obtained a single specimen of Dendroca chrysoparia. He did not

182
DENDRECA CHRYSOPARIA.
shoot it himself, but received it with other Mniotiltidæ from a man of the
name of Ogden, who shot it at Howard's rancho, on the river Medina.
These three specimens are all that have hitherto been obtained, so far as
I know, by any naturalist. The two shot by myself are neither of them quite
in fully adult plumage, though the female is perhaps so. The male has not
assumed the wholly black back seen in Mr. Dresser's Texan specimen,
which doubtless represents the full breeding-plumage of this handsome
species.
Some misstatements have been made respecting the number of specimens
of this species. Mr. Sclater at one time attributed a second specimen in Mr.
Dresser's collection to D. chrysoparia ; but on further examination this proved
to be a young male of the common D. virens.
Again, in Messrs. Baird, Brewer, and Ridgway's recently published work
on North-American birds (vol. i. p. 261), I find it stated that the species
was originally described from a single specimen obtained in Guatemala by
myself, and that I subsequently obtained another pair on the highest point
of the road between Salama and Tactic. From what I have already said it
will be observed that the “ single specimen” here referred to never existed.
They also state that specimens of this species were captured at San Antonio,
Texas, by Dr. Heermann, and on the Medina river by Mr. Dresser. Only
one, however, was really taken at the latter place, viz. that already mentioned.
At one time a closely allied species, D. occidentalis, was mistaken for this
bird ; but the synonymy, both of these and their allies D. virens and
D. townsendi, have been correctly given by recent writers who have had
occasion to refer to them.
The latest and most ample, as well as correct, account of the four allied
species just enumerated will be found in Messrs. Baird, Brewer, and
Ridgway's work above named.
The Plate accompanying these notes includes representations of the

DENDRECA CHRYSOPARIA.
183
three known specimens of this rare species. The upper figure is taken from
the female shot near Tactic. The central figure is from the adult male in
Mr. Dresser's collection, and represents, no doubt, the full breeding-plumage
of this bird. The lower figure is from the second Tactic specimen, which
is probably a male in autumnal plumage--in which the black of the back is
not quite so pure as in the spring bird, each feather having a dark greyish
edging
References :
Dendroca chrysoparia, Scl. & Salv. P. Z. S. 1860, p. 298 ; Ibis, 1860, p. 273; Scl. Ibis, 1865,
p. 89 ; Dresser, Ibis, 1865, p. 477; Baird, Rev. Amer. B. i. p. 183; Baird, Brewer, &
Ridgway, N.-Am. B. i. p. 260.
.
The following carefully drawn characters, by Prof. Baird (Rev. Am. B.
i. p. 184), serve to distinguish this and its closely allied species :-
“COMMÒN CHARACTERS. ---Upper parts more or less olivaceous green, with the feathers streaked
centrally with black (sometimes concealed). Sides of head yellow. Chin and throat
black; rest of the underparts (including inside of wings) white, with or without yellow
on breast. Wings with two white bands. Inner web of lateral tail-feather almost
entirely white from the base.
"Above bright olive-green, with concealed black streaks; tail-coverts ashy. Sides
conspicuously streaked with black; crissum unspotted. Jugulum some-
times faintly tinged with yellowish. An obscure dusky olive stripe through
the eye and a crescentic patch of the same some distance beneath it. . . virens.
“Above olivaceous ashy (rump pure ash), with more distinct black spots. Top and
sides of head clear yellow, the feathers of the crown tipped with black or
clouded with dusky plumbeous. No dark markings or stripes on side
of head. No distinct black streaks beneath ; black of throat restricted
to front of neck.
occidentalis.
Prevailing colour of upper part black, with olivaceous edgings to back; rump and
upper tail-coverts pure black. Sides and crissum streaked with black. A
simple black stripe through the eye, no patch beneath it
chrysoparia.
2c

184
DENDRECA CHRYSOPARIA.
"Above olive-green. Upper tail-coverts ashy, with central black streaks. Feathers
of head above black, with olive-green edges. A broad olivaceous black
stripe through the
eye from lores, involving the ears, in which is a yellowish
crescentic patch below the eye. Black feathers of throat and chin edged
with yellow. Jugulum and sides of breast also yellow. Sides streaked
with black. No distinct black streaks on crissum
townsendi."
In conclusion I must ask American ornithologists to join me in thanking
Mr. Rowley for enabling me to lay before them an illustration of a very
beautiful and interesting member of their fauna, and at the same time so rare
that up to now a single individual alone has been detected within the limits
of the United States, and only two others elsewhere.


mimari
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FALCO LABRADORUS. AD.


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FALCO LABRADORUS. JUV.

FALCO LABRADORUS.
(Labrador Falcon.)
By H. E. DRESSER, F.Z.S. &c.
Falco labradora, Aud. B. Amer. pl. cxcvi. (1831).
Falco islandicus, Aud. Orn. Biogr. ii. p. 552 (1834, nec Lath.).
Falco (Hierofalco) gyrfalco, var. labradora, Ridgway, N.-Am. Birds, iii. p. 117 (1874).
Hierofalco gyrfalco, Sharpe, Cat. of Accipitres, i. p. 416 (1874, partim nec Linn.).
Falco labradorus, Aud., Dresser, P.Z. S. 1875, p. 115.
Figura unica.
Audubon ut suprà.
Ad. corpore suprà saturatè fumoso-nigrofusco, uropygio vix schistaceo tincto, pileo fere nigro:
remigibus nigro-fuscis immaculatis, nec in pogonio interno ut in F. islando conspicuè pallidiore
notatis : caudâ saturatè fusco-fumosâ vix cervino apicatâ, sed aliter immaculatâ : corpore
subtùs nigro-fusco, abdomine et corpore imo vix ochrascente cervino notatis: subcaudalibus
cervino guttatis : subalaribus et margine alæ vix cervino notatis : rostro plumbeo, versus
apicem nigricante : iride fuscâ : pedibus plumbeis.
Juv. corpore suprà saturatè brunneo, plumis pallidiore marginatis : pileo conspicuè albicante cervino
striato : remigibus fuscis, in pogonio interno vix cervino marmoratis : rectricibus centralibus
fuscis immaculatis, reliquis in pogonio interno ochrascente albido guttatis fascias formantibus :
cauda albido apicatâ : gulâ albâ fusco striatâ : corpore reliquo subtùs brunneo, conspicuè
albido et cervino striato et notato: subalaribus fuscis, cervino guttatis.
SPECIMEN A (adult, Labrador).-Upper parts uniform dark sooty-brown, unspotted; head blackish;
lower back and rump slightly washed with a slaty tinge; upper surface of the wings like the
back, but rather darker, and with scarcely perceptible lighter edges to the wing-coverts ;
tail uniform dark brown, slightly tipped with buff; under surface of the body dark brown,
but rather lighter in shade than the upper parts; chin and upper throat rather lighter, these
and the breast uniform in colour; abdomen, flanks, edge of the wing, and under wing-coverts
sparingly marked with pale buff spots or dashes; inner webs of the primaries very slightly
(scarcely perceptibly) marbled with pale buff; under tail-coverts rather boldly marked with
2 c 2

186
FALCO LABRADORUS.
roundish warm buff spots; bill bluish, becoming black on the ridge and towards the tip;
legs lead-blue, soles yellowish ; iris dark brown. Total length about 24 inches, culmen 1:5,
wing 15.7, tail 10, tarsus 2.8, middle toe (with claw) 3.25, middle claw 1.
SPECIMEN B (Labrador).—Upper parts deep clear brown, with a slight slate-tinge when held in
certain lights; nuchal feathers edged with buffy white, but all the rest of the upper parts
uniform in colour, except that the feathers on the crown and some on the wing-coverts have
a scarcely perceptible lighter margin ; quills of a darker brown than the rest of the upper
parts, and with narrow light tips, inner webs dark like the outer ones, and not marked with
a lighter colour as in the other Jerfalcons ; under wing-coverts marked with circular light
buff spots, and washed with slaty plumbeous; tail deep brown, with a few obsolete markings
on the central rectrices and the outer webs of the remaining feathers; but the inner webs of
these latter are marked with yellowish buff or buffy white spots, forming thirteen transverse
bars; tail narrowly tipped with buffy white; underparts blackish clove-brown, the tibiæ
slightly washed with plumbeous; feathers on the underparts laterally edged with buffy white,
which on the flanks, tibiæ, and under tail-coverts takes the form of roundish spots; throat
most conspicuously marked with white, the markings on the rest of the underparts being far
less in amount as compared with the dark colour. Culmen 1:45 inch, wing 15:1, tail 10,
tarsus 2.9, middle toe with claw 3.25, middle claw 1.
SPECIMEN C (young, Labrador).—Resembles the bird last described, but has the upper parts lighter
and browner, and the feathers on the back and wing-coverts have lighter margins; the head
is also much marked with buffy white; wings as in specimen B, but lighter and the inner
webs slightly marbled with buff; tail paler than in specimen B, but more uniform in
colour, the central rectrices being uniform unspotted; underparts as in specimen B, but
paler, more marked with buffy white, the throat being white streaked with dark brown.
Culmen 1.45 inch, wing 16.2, tail 10:3, tarsus 2.9, middle toe with claw 3.2, middle claw 1.
وز
Obs.—At the first glance the young bird is not unlike a very dark young Iceland Falcon; but,
irrespective of other differences, the best character, perhaps, by which it may be distinguished is the
absence of light bars on the inner webs of the primaries, these being only slightly marbled with buff.
Unfortunately the above-described specimens were not sexed; but the measurements would tend to
show that specimen C and probably also A are females, and specimen B a male.
d
It is somewhat remarkable, although the Raptores have been so frequently
and carefully worked out, and the Jerfalcon group more especially have been
treated of by various ornithological authors, that so distinct a bird as the
Labrador Jerfalcon should only lately have been acknowledged as being a
good species. Though figured by Audubon in 1831, and by him considered
distinct, yet he discarded the specific name he had proposed, and in his

FALCO LABRADORUS.
187
Ornithological Biography,' and the octavo edition of his · Birds of America,
he refers to it under the name of Falco islandicus, believing that the specimens
obtained by him in Labrador, and figured I. c.), were merely dark specimens
of the Iceland Falcon in immature dress; and as such the species has been
referred to by almost all American authors; for the Labrador Falcon is
referred to neither in Baird, Cassin, and Lawrence's ‘Birds of North
America'nor in Dr. Elliott Coues’s ‘Key,' though Mr. Ridgway carefully
discriminates it in the recently issued work on the birds of North America
(North-American Birds, vol. iii. p. 115), and gives most accurate descrip-
tions of the specimens in the Smithsonian Institution ; but he treats of it
as merely a variety of the Jerfalcon. Mr. Sharpe also (1. c.) lacked the
necessary materials to enable him to discriminate the present species, and
treated of it as a variety or the immature of the Norwegian Jerfalcon. I
must confess that when I first saw a specimen I believed that it was only a
young melanistic variety of the Iceland Falcon (Falco islandus); but when in
Brunswick in 1873 I had an opportunity of seeing and examining the rich
series in the museum of that town, and then convinced myself, without the
shadow of a doubt, that it is a perfectly distinct species, and, I should judge,
is more closely allied to the true Jerfalcon (F. gyrfalco) than to any other of
the Jerfalcons, as the immature bird is lighter in colour and markings than
the adult or very old bird. Directly I saw the series of specimens at
Brunswick I used every endeavour to obtain one for my own collection, and
have been fortunate enough to procure three, one of which is extremely dark
and has the upper parts almost uniform in colour. This bird is the specimen
figured on one Plate, that on the second Plate being what I take to be the
youngest of the three examples.
Nothing appears to be known respecting the range and habits of the
present species, beyond what was published by Audubon and has been more
recently given by Mr. Ridgway in the work on North-American birds on
which he has, with Professor Baird and Dr. Brewer, been lately engaged.

188
FALCO LABRADORUS.
Labrador, south and westward in winter,
Mr. Ridgway gives its range as
and shores of Hudson's Bay."
As so little is known respecting the present Falcon, I need make no
apology for transcribing all that Audubon writes (Ornithological Biography,
vol. ii. pp. 552–556) respecting its habits, as follows :-
“On the 6th August, 1833, while my young friends Thomas Lincoln
and Joseph Cooledge, accompanied by my son John, were rambliug by the
rushing waters of a brook banked by stupendous rocks, eight or ten miles
from the port of Bras d’Or, on the coast of Labrador, they were startled by
a loud and piercing shriek which issued from the precipices above them. On
looking up, my son observed a large Hawk plunging over and about him. It
was instantly brought to the ground. A second Hawk dashed towards the
dead one, as if determined to rescue it; but it quickly met the same fate, the
contents of my son's second barrel bringing it to his feet.
“ The nest of these Hawks was placed on the rocks, about fifty feet from
their summit, and more than a hundred from the base. Two other birds of
the same species, and apparently in the same plumage, now left their eyry
in the cliff, and flew off. The party, having ascended by a circuitous and
dangerous route, contrived to obtain a view of the nest, which, however, was
empty. It was composed of seaweeds, sticks, and mosses, about two feet in
diameter, and almost flat. About its edges were strewed the remains of their
food ; and beneath, on the margin of the stream, lay a quantity of wings of the
Uria troile, Mormon arcticus, and Tetrao saliceti, together with large pellets
composed of fur, bones, and various substances.
My son and his companions returned to the Ripley towards evening.
The two Hawks, which they had brought with them, I knew at once to be
of a species I had not before seen, at least in America. Think not that I
laid them down at once. No, reader ! I attentively examined every part
of them. Their eyes, which had been carefully closed by the young hunters,
I opened, to observe their size and colour. I drew out their powerful wings,

FALCO LABRADORUS.
189
distended their clenched talons, looked into their mouths, and admired the
sharp tooth-like process of their upper mandible. I then weighed them in
my hand, and at length concluded that no Hawk that I had ever before
handled looked more like a Peregrine Falcon.
“At day-dawn, the same party, highly elated with their success of the
former day, were despatched in quest of the other two; but although a third
specimen was shot, it flew off to a great distance, fell among the deep moss,
and was never found. Several visits to the nest proved fruitless. The
parents I had; and the last young had probably for ever abandoned the
place of its birth.
“ While we remained in Labrador I was ever on the watch for Hawks ;
and I frequently inspected the country around with a telescope, to try if I
could discover some object worthy of my attention. I several times observed
the individuals which I have portrayed, ranging high in the air over an island
where multitudes of Puffins were breeding. Many were the instances in
which I saw these warriors descend like a streak of lightning, pounce on a
Puffin, and carry it off in their talons. Their aërial course I also marked,
and was thus enabled to trace them to their habitation.
“ Their flight resembled that of the Peregrine Falcon, but was more
elevated, majestic, and rapid. They rarely sailed when travelling to and fro
between their nest and the island mentioned, but used a constant beat of
their wings. When over the Puffins, and high in the air, they would hover
motionless, as if watching the proper moment to close their pinions; and
when that arrived, they would descend almost perpendicularly on their
unsuspecting victims.
“ Their cries also resembled those of the Peregrine Falcon, being loud,
shrill, and piercing. Now and then they would alight on some of the high
stakes placed on the shore as beacons to the fishermen who visit the coast, and
stand for a few minutes, not erect like most other Hawks, but in the position
of a Lestris or Tern; after which they would resume their avocations, and
pounce upon a Puffin, which they generally did while the poor bird was.

190
FALCO LABRADORUS.
standing on the ground at the very entrance of its burrow, apparently
quite unaware of the approach of its powerful enemy. The Puffin appeared
to form no impediment to the flight of the Hawk, which merely shook itself
after rising in the air, as if to arrange its plumage, as the Fish-Hawk does
when it has emerged from the water with a fish in its talons.
“ The four Falcons mentioned were all that were seen of this species
during our expedition ; and I am inclined to think that these birds must be
rare in that part of Labrador. On dissecting them, I found them to be a
male and a female, and saw that the latter had laid eggs that season.
“ It is probable, therefore, that the two which left the nest at the
approach of the party were the young birds.
“« From the account which I received from my son and his companions,
I would willingly suppose that no one had ever before disturbed their
solitude. They flew about and close to them, as if altogether unacquainted
with the effects of a gun. The young appeared full-grown, and, as if aware
of the fate of their parents, alighted only on the highest and most inaccessible
parts of the rocks around.
“ On inquiring of a Mr. Jones, who had been a resident in Labrador for
twenty years, I was informed that these Hawks feed on and destroy an
immense number of Hares, Rock-Partridges, and Willow-Grouse; but he
could not give me any information as to the change of plumage, never having
seen them in any other state than that of the individuals represented in my
Plate, which I showed to him. The fishermen called them Duck-Hawks ;
and some of them reported many exploits performed by them, which I think
it unnecessary to repeat, as I consider them exaggerated.”
و و
I
may
here remark that the present species is not the only Jerfalcon
found in Labrador; for with the three examples forwarded from that country
a fine adult Iceland Falcon (Falco islandus) was also sent, and is now in my
collection; and in a collection forwarded to Mr. H. F. Möschler, also from
Labrador, was a tolerably old Greenland Falcon (Falco candicans), which I

FALCO LABRADORUS.
191
also purchased and still possess. But, so far as I can judge, the Labrador
Jerfalcon is resident, whereas the other two species only occasionally straggle
to that country.
Excepting the series in the Brunswick Museum, I have only had an
opportunity of examining four examples of this rare Falcon, viz.:—the three in
my own collection, above described; and one from Fort Nescopeć, Labrador,
belonging to the Smithsonian Institution, and lent to me by Professor Spencer
F. Baird. It appears, moreover, to be even much rarer in American than in
European collections ; for Mr. Ridgway was only able to examine three
examples when writing his article on the Jerfalcons—two of which were in
the Smithsonian Institution, and one in the Boston Museum.
2 D

A REVISION OF THE
FAMILY INDICATORID Æ.
By R. BOWDLER SHARPE, F.L.S., F.Z.S., &c., SENIOR ASSISTANT,
ZOOLOGICAL DEPARTMENT, BRITISH MUSEUM.
IN “The Ibis' for 1870 (p. 176) Dr. Sclater has given an instructive paper on the
position of the Honey-guides in the Natural System ; and, even from the scanty
material at his command, he shows pretty clearly that these birds constitute a
separate family, rather more nearly allied to the Barbets than to the Cuckoos;
and he establishes the family name “Indicatoridæ ” for them. This proposal
appears to have been acquiesced in by subsequent writers. About the same
time Mr. Blanford (Geol. & Zool. Abyss. p. 309) advocated the placing of
the Honey-guides with the Barbets or with the Colies rather than with the
Cuckoos, arriving at this conclusion quite independently and from the study
of specimens shot by himself. In regard to the affinities of the family with
the Coliidæ, as suggested by Mr. Blanford, Dr. Murie is silent in his paper
on the latter birds (Ibis, 1872, p. 262); and at present their position may be
said to be established in the neighbourhood of the Capitonidæ. But they
must also have a certain affinity with the Cuculidæ ; for there are decidedly
Cuculine characters, such as are found in the tongue (cf. Sclater, l. c.), the
nostril (cf. Blanford, I. c.), and also in the presumed parasitic habits of the
bird (cf. Finsch & Hartl. Vög. Ostafr. p. 515).
I need not dilate on the "honey-guiding” propensities of the Indica-
toride-a fact so well known to us from the writings of African naturalists,
but one which has never been credited to the Indian species (cf. Jerdon, B.
Ind. i. p. 306). Information on this subject can be found on reference to the

INDICATORID Æ.
193
following books and papers :-(1) Verreaux, in Lefebvre, Voyage Abyss.
Oiseaux, p. 177*; (2) Livingstone's ‘Missionary Travels in South Africa,
p. 547; (3) Heuglin, in the 'Journal für Ornithologie' for 1862, p. 32; and
(4) in the 'Ornithologie Nordost-Afrika’s' (pp. 766-772) of the same author.
An interesting letter is also contributed by Mrs. Barber (Ibis, 1869, p. 373).
In the present paper I have attempted a revision of the family, and only
regret that there are still some species which have not fallen under my
notice.
Family INDICATORIDÆ.
Key to the Genera.
INDICATOR
.
-
.
a. Bill stout, rather deeper than broad; culmen not nearly so long as the middle
toe without its claw ; feet stout
b. Bill slender, about equal in depth and breadth; culmen about equal to middle
toe without claw ; feet very slight
PRODOTISCUS.
Genus 1. INDICATOR.
Indicator, Vieill. Analyse, p. 28 (1816)
Prodotes, Nitzsch, Pterylogr. p. 131 (1840)
Melignothes, Cassin, Pr. Philad. Acad. 1856, p. 146
Melignostes, Heine, J. f. 0. 1860, p. 192 (nom. emend. pro Melignothes).
Type.
.
I. minor.
1. sparrmanni.
1. conirostris.
Range.-The whole of Africa below the desert; Himalayan Mountains ;
Borneo.
Key to the Species
a. Rump and upper tail-coverts uniform with the back.
a'. Size small; throat uniform greyish.
a''. Wing 3.5-3.7 inches ; breast grey.
a'". Bill stout; no yellow shoulder-spot
B!". Bill slender ; a distinct yellow shoulder-spot.
B''. Wing 2.5 inches ; breast washed with olive.
S
minor.
conirostris.
archipelagicus
exilis.
2 D 2

194
INDICATORIDÆ.
variegatus.
.
maculatus.
b'. Size larger; throat mottled with white, with which the feathers are edged.
d''. Flanks streaked with dusky brown, the whitish mottled feathers not
continued below the breast, the abdomen being nearly uniform
whitish ".
d'. Flanks nearly uniform dusky brown, the entire under surface
mottled with whitish like the throat
b. Rump and upper tail-coverts more or less white, not uniform with the back.
c'. Least wing-coverts bright yellow, forming a shoulder-patch; throat in
male black ; rump streaked with brown and white; flanks streaked
with brown
d'. No shoulder-patch; rump entirely white, not streaked with brown; flanks
uniform, without brown streaks; head washed with yellow.
e''. Ear-coverts pale brown; bill pale brown .
f". Ear-coverts blackish ; bill black
c. Hinder back and rump yellow
sparrmanni.
.
major. .
barianus.
xanthonotus.
1. INDICATOR MINOR.
196
Le Petit Indicateur, Levaill. Ois. d'Afr. v. pl. 242 (1806); Sundev. Krit. om Levaill. p.
50
(1858).
Indicator minor, Steph. Gen. Zool. ix. part 1, p. 140 (1815); Bonn. et Vieill. Enc. Méth. iii.
p. 1351 (1823); Less. Man. d’Orn. ii. p. 125 (1828); Swains. B. W. Afr. ii. P.
(1837); Rüpp. Syst. Uebers. p. 96 (1845); Gray, Gen. B. ii. p. 451 (1847); Bp. Consp.
i. p. 100 (1850); Heugl. Syst. Uebers. p. 48 (1856); Hartl. Orn. W.Afr. p. 196 (1857);
Grill, Zool. Anteckn. p. 43 (1857); Gurney, Ibis, 1859, p. 247, and 1860, p. 205 ; Cab. .
& Heine, Mus. Hein. Theil iv. p. 3 (1862); Schl. Mus. P.-B. Cuculi, p. 2 (1864); Kirk,
Ibis, 1864, p. 327; Layard, B. S. Afr. p. 243 (1867); Finsch, Tr. Z. S. vii. p. 287 (1870);
Blanf. Geol. & Zool. Abyss. p. 307 (1870); Gray, Hand-1. B. ii. p. 205 (1870) ; Sharpe,
Cat. Afr. B. p. 14 (1871); Gurney in Anderss. B. Dam. Ld. p. 223 (1872); Heugl.
Orn. N.O.-Afr. p. 771 (1872).
Indicator minimus, Temm. Pl. Col. 542. fig. 2 (1832).
Indicator buphagoides, Leadb. Tr. Linn. Soc. xvi. p. 85 (1833).
Indicator diadematus, Rupp. Neue Wirb. p. 61 (c. 1840).
Indicator apivorus, Licht. Nomencl. Av. p. 78 (1854).
Adult male.—Head and neck greyish, slightly washed with olive, the
crown indistinctly streaked with the dark brown bases to some of the
feathers; the rest of the upper surface golden or olive-yellow, the inter-

1. INDICATOR.
195
scapulary region slightly streaked by reason of the dusky bases to the
feathers; wing-coverts and quills dusky brown, broadly margined with
golden yellow, the inner webs white for nearly their entire length; four
centre tail-feathers dark brown, slightly washed on the margin with olive-
yellow, all the rest of the feathers white, tipped with dark brown, the tip being
larger on the outer feathers, where the brown also extends a little way up the
outer web; sides of face grey, the lores with an inclination to white, the
cheeks darker brown, forming an indistinct moustache; rest of under
surface of body ashy grey, the chin, centre of the abdomen, and under wing-
and tail-coverts white; lower flanks and sides of vent dull white, broadly
streaked with ashy brown ; “iris very dark brown ; upper mandible and the
extremity of the lower one dark horn-colour, the rest of the lower mandible
livid ; legs and toes lead-colour, tinged with green in front” (Andersson);
“bare space round the eye lead-colour” (Heuglin). Total length 5*4 inches,
culmen 0:5, wing 3:7, tail 2:6, tarsus 0 6.
The specimen described is from Otjimbinque, in Damara Land. In
another specimen from the same locality, and again in another, from Natal,
there is an inclination to a few dusky feathers across the throat.
Habitat.—SOUTH AFRICA. Extending all along the east coast (Layard),
from the Knysna (Victorin) to Natal (Ayres), and occurring in the interior of
the colony also-Eland's Post (Atmore); Damara Land and Great Namaqua
Land (Andersson); Zambesi (Kirk). N.E. AFRICA. Bogos Land (Blanford);
Sambar, Abyssinia, East Senaar, Galabat, Upper White Nile, and Gazelle
River (Heuglin). W. AFRICA. Senegambia (Swainson).
Specimens examined.
E mus. Brit.-a, 6. Natal. c, 9. Natal. d. Natal.
E mus. R. B. S.--a, o. Otjimbinque, Damara Land, June 27, 1866 (C. J. Andersson). 6,4. Ot-
jimbinque, Oct. 2, 1866 (C. J. A.).
E mus. G. E. Shelley.-a. Durban. 6. Eland's Post (T. C. Atmore).

196
INDICATORIDÆ.
2. INDICATOR CONIROSTRIS.
Melignothes conirostris, Cass. Pr. Philad. Acad. 1856, p. 156, et 1859, pl. 2; Hartl. J. f. O.
1861, p. 264.
Indicator conirostris, Hartl. Orn. Westafr. p. 184; Cab. & Heine, Mus. Hein. iv.
p. 4, note.
Indicator occidentalis, Verr. in Hartl. Orn. Westafr. p. 185.
3
Head above dark cinereous, every feather nearly black in the middle ;
back, rump, upper tail-coverts, and wing-coverts with every feather brownish
black in the middle and edged on both sides with golden yellow ; quills
brownish black, edged externally with the yellow of the back-narrow on the
primaries, wider on the secondaries; feathers of the throat white at base,
dark at their tips ; small space of the abdomen and flanks white, with
longitudinal stripes of dark ashy brown; other underparts and sides of the
head and neck clear dark cinereous; under tail-coverts slightly edged with
white; under wing-coverts ashy; tail with the four central feathers
brownish black, narrowly edged with yellow, others yellowish white tipped
with dark brown; bill and feet bluish black. Total length (of skin) 5 inches,
wing 3), tail 27, bill 3 (Cassin).
Habitat. — Gaboon ; Cape Lopez (Verreaux); Moonda river (Du
Chaillu)
و
The above is Cassin's original description, which I am obliged to
transcribe, not having seen the bird myself. He says :-“ This species is
about the size of I. minor, and somewhat resembles it. In addition to the
differences already pointed out, this bird has the bill entirely bluish black,
not white at the base of the under mandible as in I. minor and as carefully
represented in Temminck’s ‘Planches Coloriées,' pl. 542. The colours are
much clearer, and different from that species. The bill in the present
bird is remarkably short and thick. Dr. Hartlaub describes the Gaboon
specimen sent to him by Verreaux (Ornith. Westafr. p. 185), and considers
it distinct from I. minor. Dr. Otto Finsch is inclined to unite with I. coni-

1. INDICATOR.
197
rostris (cf. Tr. Z. S. vii. p. 287) Heuglin's I. pachyrhynchus *, and believes
that they are both referable to the ordinary species. Judging from Cassin's
figure and Hartlaub's description, I should say that the Gaboon bird is
brighter in colour than birds from either South or N.E. Africa, and is more
striped in appearance by reason of the dark centres to the feathers of its
upper surface. Dr. von Heuglin (I. c.) objects to his Melignostes pachyrhynchus
being extinguished as a species. He says that it is allied to Indicator exilis,
and has no brown terminal spot to the outer tail-feather. The type is no
longer to be found in the Stuttgart Museum; so he contents himself with
giving a description in a footnote ; but the species is very probably distinct.
He found it in the wood-region of the headwaters of the Gazelle River during
the rainy season.
3. INDICATOR ARCHIPELAGICUS.
Indicator archipelagicus, Temm. Pl. Col. 542, fig. 2 (1832); S. Müll. Natuurl. Gesch. Land-
en Volkenk. p. 234 (c. 1840); Bp. Consp. i. p. 100 (1850); Cab. & Heine, Mus. Hein.
iv. p. 4, note (1862); Schl. Mus. P.-B. Cuculi, p. 2 (1864); Gray, Hand-l. B. i. p. 205
(1870); Heugl. Orn. N.O.-Afr. p.773 (1872); Salvad. Ucc. Born. p. 61 (1874).
ز
Adult.—Entire upper surface, wings, and middle tail-feathers brown,
each feather having a small green border ; bend of wing and a part of the
bastard wing beautiful yellow; throat whitish; chest and flanks grey;
stomach and abdomen whitish, marked on the flank-feathers with long
brown stripes ; the external tail-feathers white, with brown tips. The skin
in this species is thick and hard, like that of the others. Total length
6 inches 3 lines.
Habitat.-Borneo, Pontianak (Diard); Karou river (Schwaner).
* INDICATOR PACHYRHYNCHUS.
Melignostes pachyrhynchus, Heugl. J. f. O. 1864, p. 265; Finsch & Hartl. Vög. Ostafr.
p. 517, note (1870); Heugl. Orn. N.O.-Afr. p. 773 (1872).

198
INDICATORIDÆ.
Professor Schlegel gives the following diagnosis of the species, which I
reproduce. (The description is translated from Temminck.)
“ Underneath white, more or less inclining to greyish ; above brown,
passing to greyish on the neck and head, the feathers bordered with yellow;
shoulders yellow; upper mandible brown ; the lower one white, brown at the
tip. Wing 3 inches 6–7 lines, tail 2 inches 4 lines.”
4. INDICATOR EXILIS.
Melignothes exilis, Cass. Pr. Phil. Acad. 1856, p. 157, et 1859, p. 142, pl. 1. fig. 1; Hartl,
J. f. 0. 1861, p. 264.
Indicator exilis, Hartl. Orn. Westafr. p. 185; Gray, Hand-l. B. ii. p. 205.
Melignostes exilis, Heine, J. f. O. 1860, p. 192.
Adult.-Head greenish grey, with distinct streaks of black on the fore-
head; rest of the upper surface olive golden, the centres of the feathers
blackish brown, giving a distinctly streaked appearance to the back and
wing-coverts ; quills brown, the feathers margined with olive golden, broader
on the secondaries ; four centre tail-feathers blackish, margined with olive,
the rest of the feathers white, the two outer ones tipped with brown, the
bases of all but the outermost brown on the outer web; sides of face, neck,
and underparts ashy grey, the breast strongly washed with olive-green;
feathers below the ear-coverts and cheeks greyish black; sides of vent
distinctly streaked with brown, the edges to these plumes being white;
under wing-coverts whitish, slightly shaded with brown near the tips, the
feathers near the edge of the wing greyish. Total length 4 inches, culmen
0:35, wing 2:5, tail 1.75, tarsus 0:5.
Habitat.-Gaboon, Moonda and Camma rivers (Du Chaillu).
Specimen examined.
E mus. Brit.—a, ad. Camma river (Du Chaillu).

1. INDICATOR.
199
5. INDICATOR VARIEGATUS.
Le Grand Indicateur femelle, Levaill. Ois. d’Afr. v. pl. 241 (1806); Sundev. Krit. om Levaill.
p. 50 (1858).
Indicator major , Steph. Gen. Zool. ix. part 1, p. 140, pl. 27. fig. 2 (1815); Guér. Iconogr.
Règne Anim. Ois. pl. 32.
Indicator sparrmanni, Leadb. Tr. Linn. Soc. xvi. p. 91 (1833, nec Steph.).
Indicator variegatus, Less. Traité, p. 155 (1831); Pucher. Rev. Zool. 1853, p. 71; Cab. &
Heine, Mus. Hein. Th. iv. p. 6 (1862); Grill, Zool. Anteckn. p. 43 (1857); Schl. Mus.
P.-B. Cuculi, p. 2 (1864); Layard, B. S. Afr. p. 242 (1867); Gray, Hand-l. B. ii.
p. 204 (1870); Heugl. Orn. N.O.-Afr. p. 773, note (1872).
Indicator maculicollis, Sundev. Efv. k. Vet. Akad. Förh. Stockh. 1850, p. 109.
Indicator levaillantii, Bp. Consp. i. p. 100 (nec Temm.).
Adult -- Above yellowish olive, the rump and upper tail-coverts uniform ;
the head rather greyer, the forehead and crown, as well as the sides of the
face, throat, and fore neck, black, the feathers all tipped with yellowish
white, producing a mottled appearance; the rest of the under surface yellowish
white, the bases to the feathers of the flanks being grey and appearing
mottled, the lower flanks and under tail-coverts white, narrowly streaked
with brown, much more obsolete on the latter; under winy-coverts whitish,
mottled with greyish black near the outer edge of the wing ; quills blackish,
edged with olive-golden, rather brighter than the colour of the back; four
centre tail-feathers blackish, edged with yellowish olive and inclining to
greyish white along the inner webs of the two centre ones, the next two with
a greyish white spot near the tip, the rest of the feathers white, the two
outermost tipped with dark brown, the next one pure white, and the next
inclining to brown along the inner web and towards the base. Total length
6:7 inches, culmen 0:5, wing 4:05, tail 2:9, tarsus 0:65.
Habitat.—SOUTH AFRICA. Knysna (Victorin), George (H. Atmore),
Beaufort (T. C. Atmore). E. AFRICA. Mombas (Wakefield).
The late Professor Sundevall (I. c.) has amply shown that the idea of
this bird being the female or young of 1. major or I. sparrmanni is quite
2 E

200
INDICATORIDÆ.
erroneous, as he received examples of both sexes, determined by dissection,
from Wahlberg in South Africa. On the western coast it is replaced by the
succeeding species.
Professor Schlegel considers Temminck’s Indicator levaillantii to be
referable to this bird; and he indicates two specimens in the Leyden
Museum as being the types of Temminck's species. This can hardly be the
case, as the latter expressly states that his name of levaillantii was intended
for a bird seen but not procured by Levaillant in South Africa, and of which
he gave a description as follows :-“Il est de taille moyenne entre le grand
et le petit Indicateur ; dessus de la tête brun ainsi que le dos, les ailes et le
croupion ; gorge roux-clair, et tout le dessous du corps blanc-roussâtre; pieds
et bec brun. Habite vers les bords de la rivière Orange.”
Specimens examined.
E mus. Brit.—a. Mombas (Wakefield).
E mus. R. B. S.-a. George (H. Atmore). 6. South Africa.
E mus. G. E. Shelley.-a. Beaufort (T. C. Atmore).
6. INDICATOR MACULATUS.
Indicator maculatus, Gray, Gen. B. ii. p. 451, pl. cxiii ; Bp. Consp. i. p. 100 (1850); Cassin,
Pr. Philad. Acad. 1859, p. 142; Heine, J. f. O. 1860, p. 192.
Indicator major (juv.), Hartl. Orn. Westafr. p. 183 (1857).
Adult. — General colour greenish, brighter and more golden on the wings;
the rump and upper tail-coverts uniform with the back ; head ashy brown,
slightly mottled with tiny whitish spots; entire under surface dusky grey,
everywhere thickly mottled with greenish white spots, a little less distinct on
the lower flanks, the feathers of which are dusky brown with a few whitish
edgings to the feathers ; under tail-coverts white, with dusky olive-brown
spots near the tips ; four centre tail-feathers brown, edged with olive, and
rather lighter on the inner web; the next two pairs white, with a small brown
tip, and inclining to brown towards the base of the inner web, the two outer-

1. INDICATOR.
201
most quite white, with an oblique spot of brown near the tip of the outer
web; bill brown, reddish on the under mandible. Total length 6.5 inches,
culmen 0:55, wing 4:05, tail 2:8, tarsus 0:7.
Habitat.-W. AFRICA. Senegambia (Mus. Brit.); Gold Coast (Pel);
Gaboon, Ogowè river (Du Chaillu).
This species is here described for the first time, though well figured by
Gray and Mitchell in the Genera of Birds. As with I. variegatus, it has
been considered to be the young of I. major, and was so described by Dr.
Hartlaub (I. c.). To this view Mr. Cassin objected, as he received specimens
of either sex from the Gaboon; and it is beyond much doubt that the mottled
birds are adult, and constitute a perfectly distinct species from I. major. By
this identification the range of the latter is much curtailed, as its supposed
occurrence in Sierra Leone, Dabocrom, and Gaboon rests entirely upon
“young ” birds ; and these, of course, are I. maculatus, and not I. major
at all.
Specimen examined.
E mus. Brit.--a. River Gambia. Presented by F. Campbell, Esq. Type of species.
7. INDICATOR SPARRMANNI.
Honey-Guide, Sparmm. Phil. Trans. lxvii. p. 38, pl. 1 (1777).
Le Coucou Indicateur, Montb. N. H. Ois. vi.
p.
392 (1779).
Honey Cuckoo, Lath. Gen. Syn. i. part 2, p. 533 (1782).
Cuculus indicator, Gm. S. N. i. p. 418 (1788); Lath. Ind. Orn. i. p. 218 (1790); Wald. Ibis,
1869, p. 337.
Indicator sparrmanni, Steph. Gen. Zool. ix. p. 138 (1815); Bp. Consp.i. p. 100 (1850); Horsf.
& Moore, Cat. B. Mus. E.-I. Co. ii. p. 680 (1854); Cab. & Heine, Mus. Hein. Theil iv.
p. 6 (1862); Schl. Mus. P.-B. Cuculi, p. 2 (1864); Gray, Hand-l. B. ii. p. 204 (1870);
Blanf. Geol. & Zool. Abyss. p. 307 (1870); Finsch, Tr. Z. S. vii. p. 286 (1870); Sharpe,
Cat. Afr. B. p. 14 (1871); Heugl. Orn. N.O.-Afr. p. 766 (1872); Antin. & Salvad.
Ucc. Bogos, p. 46 (1873); Buckley, Ibis, 1874, p. 368.
Indicator major 7, Bonn. & Vieill. Enc. Méth. iii. p. 1350 (1823).
Indicator albirostris, Temm. Pl. Col. 367 (1825); Less. Man. d'Orn. ü. p. 125 (1828); id.
2 E 2

202
INDICATORIDÆ.
Traité, p. 155 (1831); Des Murs, in Lefebvr. Voy. Abyss. Ois. p. 139 (1849); Bp. Consp.
p. 100 (1850); Heugl. Syst. Uebers. p. 47 (1856); Hartl. Orn. Westafr. p. 186 (1857);
Layard, B. S. Afr. p. 242 (1867).
Indicator leucotis, Swains. B. W. Afr. ii. p. 139 (1837).
Indicator flaviscapulatus, Rüpp. N. W. Vög. p. 60 (c. 1840).
Indicator archipelagicus, Rüpp. Syst. Uebers. p. 96 (1845, nec Temm.).
Indicator albirostris (?), Heugl. J. f. O. 1862, p. 272, undè
Indicator pallidirostris, Heugl. J. f. O. 1864, p. 265; Gray, Hand-l. B. ii. p. 204 (1870).
Adult male.—Above dark cindery brown, the feathers of the lower rump
brown in the centre with broad white edgings, the middle feathers of the
upper tail-coverts white, streaked with brown down the centre, the outer
upper tail-coverts uniform brown like the back; wings dark brown, with a
large cubital spot of golden yellow ; all the wing-coverts edged with white,
more or less inclining to whity brown, the quills externally edged with dull
olive-yellow; two centre tail-feathers dark brown, the next two brown,
inclining to white along the inner web, the rest of the tail white tipped with
ashy brown, somewhat increasing in extent on the two outer rectrices ; sides
of neck ashy grey like the back, the ear-coverts inclining to greyish white and
contrasting with the cheeks and throat, which are black; lower throat, fore
neck, breast, and sides of the body pale ashy, the abdomen and under tail-
coverts pure white, the lower flanks with a few narrow streaks of brown;
under wing-coverts white, slightly marked with brown near the edge of the
wing; bill sometimes red, sometimes yellowish white; bare space round the
eye and feet dusky lead-colour; iris umber-brown. Total length 8'3 inches,
culmen 0:55, wing 4.25, tail 2:9, tarsus 0:65.
According to Dr. von Heuglin, the female wants the black throat, but
has the cheeks slightly spotted with dusky; ear-coverts dull ashy brown;
the margins of the wing-coverts less distinct; bill pale fuscous; the
mandible livid, tinged with blood-red. Such a specimen, marked a female
by Mr. Atmore, is in my collection, from Eland's Post.
Habitat.-S. AFRICA. Swellendam (Cairncross), Eland's Post (Atmore),

1. INDICATOR.
203
from the north of the Transvaal to the Matabili country (Buckley); Gambos,
Mossamedes (Anchieta). N.E. AFRICA. Country near the sources of the
Gazelle River and to the southward, Abyssinia, Bogos, Galabat, Wau, and
Bongo (Heuglin); Bari-Negro Land (Mus. Wien). W. AFRICA. Gambia
(Rendall); Casamanze (Verreau).
Specimens examined
E mus. Brit.-a. Gambia. b, c, d, e. River Gambia (Rendall). f. South Africa (Sir A. Smith).
E mus. R. B. S.-a. Casamanze (Verreaux). b. Bogos Land (Esler). C, f. Eland's Post, May 20,
1870, "iris hazel” (T. Atmore).
E mus. T. E. Buckley.-a, o ad. Limpopo, Nov. 16, 1873.
8. INDICATOR BARIANUS. (Vide Plate.)
Indicator barianus, Heugl. Syst. Uebers. p. 48 (1856); Hartl. Om. Westafr. p. 274, note
(1857); Heugl. J.f. O. 1862, p. 33 (descr. princ.); Cab. & Heine, Mus. Hein. Theil iv.
p. 5, note (1862); Finsch, Tr. Z. S. vii. p. 287 (1870); Gray, Hand-1. B. ii.
p.
205
(1870); Finsch & Hartl. Vög. Ostafr. p. 518, note (1870); Heugl. Orn. N.O.-Afr.
p. 771 (1872).
Indicator major, Sharpe, P.Z. S. 1873, p. 711.
Adult.-Above dusky brown, with an olive shade, much yellower and
brighter on the head and neck; the lower back, sides of rump, and outer
upper tail-coverts dull ashy brown ; the rump and central upper tail-coverts
yellowish white, some of the lateral coverts brown on the outer and white
on the inner webs; wings entirely brown, narrowly margined with olive-
yellow, inclining to whitish on the greater series ; tail brown, the two centre
feathers lighter on the inner web and inclining to white near its base, the
next pair brown, white along the inner web, the next pair brown with scarcely
any inner margin of white, the next pair white inclining to brown along the
basal half of the inner web, the two outer feathers white tipped with brown,
the penultimate one brown at base of inner web; ear-coverts blackish
brown; cheeks and throat bright yellow, becoming paler on the breast and

204
INDICATORIDÆ.
shading off into white on the belly and under tail-coverts; outer aspect of
thighs blackish, streaked with yellow; bill black. Total length 7 inches,
culmen 0:55, wing 4:3, tail 3, tarsus 0:7.
The above description is taken from a Mombas skin, collected by the
Rev. J. M. Wakefield, and now in the British Museum. I was at first inclined
to consider it undescribed, as Dr. Finsch has not admitted Von Heuglin's
Indicator barianus as a species. The latter author, however, in his latest work
on the birds of North-eastern Africa, has insisted once more on the recognition
of I. barianus; and I find that the Mombas skin agrees so well with Von
Heuglin's description that I cannot doubt their identity. I. barianus must
therefore be considered a good species ; and for the sake of comparison I
reproduce the diagnosis given by the original describer :-
“ Like I. major; bill stronger, more elongate, dusky black ; lores and
ear-coverts smoky brown; shoulder-spot bright yellow. Upper surface smoky
brown, washed with olivaceous ; lores and ear-coverts darker ; underneath
white, the throat and breast shaded with a wash of buffy yellow: middle
upper tail-coverts pure white. Total length 6 inches 10 lines, wing 4 inches
2) lines, tail 2 inches 8 lines.
Habitat.-Bari-Negro Land (Heuglin); Mombas (Wakefield).
و
Specimen examined.
E mus. Brit.----a, ad. Mombas (Wakefield).
9. INDICATOR MAJOR.
Le Grand Indicateur, Levaill. Ois. d'Afr. v. pl. 241. fig. 1 (1806); Sundev. Krit. om Levaill.
p. 50 (1858).
Indicator major, Steph. Gen. Zool. ix. pt. 1, p. 140, pl. 27. fig. 1 (1815, ex Levaill.); Vieill.
et Oud. Gal. Ois. i. p. 39, pl. 45; Lefebvr. Voy. Abyss. Ois. p. 138; Verr. t. c. p. 177a;
Gray, Gen. B. ii. p. 451 (1847); Bp. Consp. i. p. 100 (1850); Hartl. Orn. Westafr.
p. 183 (1857); Cab. & Heine, Mus. Hein. iv. p. 5, note (1862); Gurney, Ibis, 1862,
p. 33; Heugl. J. f. 0. 1862, p. 35; Schl. Mus. P.-B. Cuculi, p. 2 (1864); Layard, B.
و

1. INDICATOR.
205
S. Afr. p. 241 (1867), id. Ibis, 1869, p. 373; Gray, Hand-I. B. ii. p. 205 (1870);
Sharpe, Cat. B. p. 14 (1871); Heugl. Orn. N.O.-Afr. p. 770 (1872); Gurney, in
Anderss. B. Dam. Ld. p. 224 (1872).
Indicator levaillantii, Leadb. Tr. Linn. Soc. xvi. p. 85 (1833, nec Temm.).
Indicator flavicollis, Swains. B. W. Afr. ii. p. 198 (1837).
Indicator proditor, Licht. Nomencl. Av. p. 78 (1854).
Indicator archipelagicus, Heugl. Syst. Uebers. p. 47 (1856, nec Temm.).
Adult.—Above pale brown, the lores, ear-coverts, and sides of neck
uniform with the back, the head strongly washed with olive-yellow; wings
brown, all the feathers edged with olive-brown, the least coverts slightly
washed with olive-yellow, but not sufficient to form a shoulder-patch ; rump
and upper tail-coverts pure white, the outermost of the latter brown, some
of the centre ones brown on the outer web and white on the inner ; central
tail-feathers brown, paler on the inner web and white at the extreme base, the
next pair brown, whitish along the base of the inner web, the next pair entirely
white, excepting a brown tip and a little brown at the base of the inner web,
the two outer feathers on each white with pale brown tips; cheeks, throat, and
breast yellow, with a few scattered brown feathers on the former ; the rest of
the lower parts white, the outer face of the thighs brown; under wing-coverts
white; bill dusky horn-brown ; iris pale crimson ; feet dusky (Heuglin).
Total length 7.8 inches, culmen 0:6, wing 4:55, tail 3-2, tarsus 0:65.
Habitat.-SOUTH AFRICA. Along the south-eastern coast as far as
Caffraria (Levaillant); Swellendam (Cairncross); George (H. Atmore);
Natal (Ayres) N.E. AFRICA. Abyssinia, and probably on the Upper
White Nile (Heuglin). W. AFRICA. River Gambia (Rendall); Casamanze
(Verreaux).
Specimens examined.
E mus. Brit.-a, b. River Gambia (Rendall).
E mus. R. B. S.--a. South Africa. 6. Bejook, Bogos (Esler).
10. INDICATOR XANTHONOTUS.
Indicator xanthonotus, Blyth, J. A. S. B. xi. p. 166 (1842), xiv. p. 198 (1845); Jerd. Ill. Ind.
Orn. pl. L. (1847); Blyth, Cat. B. Mus. A. S. B. p. 65 (1849); Bp. Consp. i.
p. 100;

206
INDICATORIDÆ.
Jerd. B. Ind. i. p. 306 (1862) : Cab. & Heine, Mus. Hein. Theil iv. p. 5, note (1862);
Blyth, Ibis, 1866, p. 357; Gray, Hand-l. B. ii. p. 205 (1870); Jerd. Ibis, 1872, p. 10;
Stoliczka, Str. F. 1873, p. 425.
Indicator radclyffii, Hume, Ibis, 1870, p. 529.
Pseudofringilla xanthonotus, Hume, Str. F. 1873, p. 314.
Adult male.— Forehead, chin, and cheeks silky golden-yellow; back and
sides of the head and neck, and interscapular region, blackish brown, every
feather margined with olive-yellow. If the feathers of the head and neck
(but not of the interscapulary region) are lifted, their basal halves will be
found to be yellowish white. The wings and scapulars are black, or at any
rate so deep and black a brown that most people would call them black; and
all the coverts and quills, except the first few primaries, are conspicuously
margined with bright olive-yellow; the tertiaries and longer scapularies with
a conspicuous marginal white stripe on the inner webs; the tail black, the
outermost tail-feathers (which are narrow, pointed, and 0.8 inch shorter than
the next pair) broadly tipped with white or greyish white, and with a streak
of the same running up the shaft, the next pair (which are about 0:3 inch
shorter than the rest of the tail) similar, except that the white tipping is
confined to the inner web. Central portion of middle and lower back and
rump bright orange-yellow, the basal portions of the feathers paler, and many
of them with a dusky streak or spot; sides, rump, and upper tail-coverts
black, some of the longest of the latter margined with yellowish white.
Breast dusky, with an olivaceous tinge, and the feathers obscurely margined
with olive-yellow; edge of wing, wing-lining, and axillaries silky yellow to
yellowish white. Abdomen dull brown, the feathers broadly margined with
brownish white; flanks, vent, and lower tail-coverts blackish brown, the
feathers conspicuously margined with dull somewhat yellowish white; the
third quill is the longest, the second a hair's breadth at most, and the first
and fourth less than 0.1 inch shorter than the third; the tarsus is between
0:5 and 0:6 inch in length, and is feathered in front for its upper three fifths
(Hume); eye small, the iris dark brown, the naked space round the eye a

2. PRODOTISCUS.
207
very pale green; bill yellow, somewhat dusky towards the tip; at the base
of both the upper and lower mandible as well as on the chin there are black
bristles ; but none exist above the nostrils, which are large, triangular, and
swollen ; feet pale greenish horny. Total length a little above 6 inches,
wing 4, bill at front 0:31, from gape half an inch (Stoliczka).
Habitat.-Himalayan Mountains, from the borders of Afghanistan to
those of Bhotan (Hume).
Never having examined a specimen of the Indian Honey-guide, I have
compiled the above description from the excellent accounts of the bird given
by Hume and Stoliczka.
The latter gentleman gives notes (I. c.) on the anatomy of a specimen
shot by him near Murree; and he comes to the conclusion that Indicator is
properly placed near Megalæma.
The bristles near the mouth of the Indian species, and its more feathered
tarsus (as described by the above-mentioned naturalists), make me think
that very probably the Asiatic Honey-guides may turn out to be distinct from
the African, in which case Mr. Hume's name of Pseudofringilla (potius
Pseudospiza) must be retained
Genus 2. PRODOTISCUS.
Prodotiscus, Sundev. Efv. K. Vet. Akad. Förh. Stockh. 1850, p. 109.
Heterodes, Cassin, Pr. Philad. Acad. 1856, p. 157
Type.
P. regulus.
P. insignis.
Range.-Africa: Natal, and the Gaboon district on the west coast.
Key to the Species.
a. Brown, with a large patch of white feathers on each side of lower back; wings brown,
the secondaries edged with whitish
b. Dark olive, tinged with yellow ; quills dark brown, externally edged with yellow,
broader on the secondaries
regulus.
insignis.
2 F

208
INDICATORIDÆ.
1. PRODOTISCUS REGULUS. (Vide Plate.)
Prodotiscus regulus, Sundev. K. Vet. Akad. Förh. Stockh. 1850, p. 109; Hartl. Orn. Westafr.
p. 186, note; Cab. & Heine, Mus. Hein. Theil iv. p. 5, note.
Indicator regulus, Licht. Nomencl. Av. p. 78 (1854); Gray, Hand-l. B. ii. p. 205 (1870).
Adult female.—General colour earthy brown, including the sides of the
face and neck; a tuft of white feathers on each side of the lower back;
underneath rather more ashy brown, the centre of the body and under tail-
coverts yellowish white, the latter with a few hair-like shaft-streaks ; under
wing-coverts white, the feathers near the edge of the wing brown; wings
brown, the quills darker, the secondaries edged with whity brown; tail dark
brown, the three outer feathers white on the outer web, extending for more
than half of the two outermost, but less extended on the third ; bill and feet
blackish. Total length 5 inches, culmen 0.5, wing 3, tail 2:15, tarsus 0:45.
Habitat.—“Upper and Lower Caffraria” (Wahlberg); Natal (Wahlberg,
Mus. Brit.).
This plain-coloured Honey-guide is certainly rare in collections, and
does not seem to be abundant even in Natal, as neither Mr. Ayres nor Capt.
Shelley have met with it. Owing to the indefinite character of Wahlberg's
locality for the species, it was entirely omitted from Mr. Layard’s ‘Birds of
South Africa. The description is taken from a specimen received by me in
exchange from the Stockholm Museum.
Specimens examined.
E mus. Brit.-a, b, c. Natal.
E mus. R. B. S.-a, p. Port Natal, Aug. 25, 1840 (Wahlberg).
2. PRODOTISCUS INSIGNIS.
Heterodes insignis, Cass. Pr. Philad. Acad. 1856, p. 157, & 1859, p. 142, pl. 1. fig. 2; Heine,
J. f. 0. 1860, p. 192 ; Hartl. J. f. O. 1861, p. 192.

2. PRODOTISCUS.
209
Indicator insignis, Hartl. Orn. Westafr. p. 185; Gray, Hand-l. B. ii. p. 205.
Prodotiscus insignis, Cab. & Heine, Mus. Hein. Theil iv. p. 5, note; Heugl. Orn. N.O.-Afr.
p. 774, note.
Entire upper parts dark olive, tinged with yellow, the latter prevailing
on the lower back and rump; quills dark brown, edged externally with
greenish yellow-narrow on the primaries, wider on the secondaries-and
internally with yellowish white. Underparts ashy olive, darker on the
breast, paler and nearly white on the abdomen and under tail-coverts.
Under wing-coverts yellowish white. Tail with the four middle feathers
dark olive-brown, outer feathers yellowish white edged with pure yellow. Bill
and feet bluish black. Total length (of skin) 4} inches, wing 23, tail 13
(Cassin).
Habitat.—Camma and Moonda rivers (Du Chaillu).
I am not aware that any specimen of this interesting species is to be
found in any European museum. I myself have never seen the bird, and
only know it from Cassin's figure ; this, however, is so good that there is no
difficulty in referring the bird to Prodotiscus, or in separating it specifically
from P. regulus.
[The Plate will appear in Part IV.-G. D. R.]



c
T. Walter lith
J.G. Keulemans del.
INDICATOR BARIANUS.
PRODOTISCUS REGULUS.

PART IV.
FALCONRY, ETC.
“O brother birds,' S. Francis said,
'Ye come to me to ask for bread;
But not with bread alone to-day
Shall ye be fed and sent away.
“Ye shall be fed, ye happy birds,
With manna of celestial words ;
Not mine, though mine they seem to be,
Not mine, though they be spoken through me.'»
LONGFELLOW: Masque of Pandora and other Poems, p. 122.
2 g


FALCONRY.
By Mr. G. D. ROWLEY.
“Why slight your king,
And lose the quest he sent you on, and prove
No surer than our falcon yesterday,
Who lost the hern we slipt him at, and went
To all the winds?"
TENNYSON's Elaine, p. 181.
Nothing in the present time affords a parallel to Falconry in the days of
our ancestors. It formed a common bond between the inhabitants of all
countries, and pervaded the law, custom, domestic and religious life, prayer
and commerce, war and peace, tenure of land ; and every thing in which men
and women alike were mixed was full of it. Second only to the Roman
religion, its influence penetrated the palace and the cottage. It has now
ceased—is gone! Instead, we have cricket, boating, hunting, shooting, &c.;
but not with one of these can I truthfully compare Falconry ; none has
produced, or ever will produce, such an effect on the life of us islanders. The
above bear no more resemblance to Falconry than the modern frequenter of
a St. James's or Pall-Mall Club, or the Stock Exchange, does to the baron,
knight, esquire, or gentleman of coat armour of ancient times. Each exhibits
merits, though of a different kind ; and the English men of this day are not
degenerate from those who won Cressy, Poictiers, Agincourt, and many
another well-fought field. But though our men preserve their vigour, I
much question if the few remaining Falcons have done so.
2 G 2

214
FALCONRY.
66 the
Mr. Robert Gray, in the Birds of the West of Scotland,' remarks,
p. 28, “Some of the Skye Peregrines are very powerful birds—the males, in
many cases, being larger than females from other districts ;' yet in Part II.
p. 57, I record how a Corvus cornix (the Grey Crow) beat off the Peregrine
Falcon.
The Rev. Richard Lubbock, in his “Fauna of Norfolk,' p. 31, says,
L'Estrange Household-book shows how superior the training of the old
falconers was; six rabbits are noted as killed by the Sper-Hawke. Now in
these days a Sparrow-Hawk, at the best, can barely take Partridges ; when
in full flight these birds are too strong for the Hawk.”
I think the Partridge appears to have increased in strength and numbers,
like the Blackbird ; in Skye the former is poor and small at the present
time.
The constant importation of the best blood of other countries must have
had a tendency to improve the strain of British Falcons. This went on
continually. Mr. Tregonwell Frampton wrote between 1670 and 1680 :-
“ Send me down by my man the largest and handsomest Hawkes that are
brought over in the Russian shipps.” Again, the same person, May 1682,
speaks of "a beautiful Moscowy Hawke to be parted with. She is every
bodis munney, from the marchant she is worth £10.”
In Burton's · Falconry of the Indus,' p. 8 et seq., after a fine battle the
Laghar (a large kind of Hobby ?) is beaten and nearly killed by the com-
panions of the Crow attacked. “I never heard of any good coming from
these káng' (Scindee for Crow), said the Ameer, as we slowly retraced our
way towards the encampment; 'one of them, I am sure, killed my poor
brother at Meeanee. All the night a huge black crow sat upon the apple
of his tent-pole, predicting the direst disasters to him. We drove away
the beast of ill omen half a dozen times; still he would return.'”
Fear regarding Crows and Ravens is noticed by Shakespeare. But
superstition is now fast waning from the minds of men, and the time is
different from that when Bruce's spider decided the fate of a kingdom, or
و و و

FALCONRY
215
that Saturday (August 28, 1346) when the Crows of Cressy gave victory to
England, to France defeat*. Let not the grim spectre of scepticism, taking
intellect on the rebound, step into the vacant space.
In Part II, p. 58 the legal payment of a sore sparrow-hawk at the
close of fictitious suits is noticed. A similar fine, the result of a suit of
warranty, January 27, 1276, is mentioned in Eyton's 'Antiquities of Shrop-
shire,' vol. vi. p. 144 : Robert Burnell, Bishop of Bath and Wells, grants
the Manor of Langley and the Chapel of Rokleye &c., the consideration
being a sore sparrow-hawk.
Again (p. 167), “In September 1199, William de Bikedon was impleaded,
under writ of mort d'ancestre, by William fitz Geoffrey, when he conceded
to the Plaintiff a virgate and messuage to hold in fee, rendering therefore
one sore falcon yearly, in lieu of all, except forinsec services” (forinsec
meaning foreign, or out of the manor).
Messrs. Salvin and Brodrick, p. 55, mention an advertisement in 1665:-
A Sore Ger Falcon of His Majesty, lost the 13th of August, who had one
varvel of his keeper, Roger Higs, of Westminster, Gent. Whosoever hath
taken her up and give notice to Sir Allan Apsley, Master of His Majesties
Hawks at St. James's, shall be rewarded for his paines.
“Back stairs in Whitehall.”
Hawks and Falcons appear to have been associated with the transfer of
land in very early times more than any other birds. Yet, at p. 275 in the
above vol. of Eyton, we read that “Roger de Mortimer grants to William de
Spyneto, for his homage, the land of Rockehull ; the grantee to pay six
Woodcocks at the feast of S. Andrew [November 30].” In a note, “Withe-
cocos is the word " which Mr. Eyton, at a guess, translates “Woodcocks.”
* «The sky was darkened, and the horror was increased by the hoarse cries of crows and
ravens, which fluttered before the storm, and struck terror into the hearts of the Italians (the
Genoese cross-bowmen), who were unaccustomed to the northern tempests.”-STANLEY's Memorials
of Canterbury, p. 136, edit. 1865.

216
FALCONRY.
In Ray's 'Willughby' (1678), p. 52, it is stated, by the 34 Ed. III.
22, “A hawk taken up shall be delivered to the sheriff, who, after
proclamation made in several towns, (if challenged) shall deliver her to the
right owner. If the hawk were taken up by a mean man, and be not
challenged in four months, the sheriff to have her, satisfying the party for
taking her ; but if by a man of estate, who may conveniently keep a hawk,
the sheriff shall restore her to bim again, he paying for the charge of keeping.'
I am not aware that a sheriff adds much to his collection in these days by
such means, however fond he may be of feathered Raptores, or effective as
regards others; no lovely Greenland Falcon arrives, but a simple “ bill of
cravings.”
“In 1265, Swinfield, Bishop of Hereford, as appears from his household
roll, paid his falconer 3s. 4d. half yearly; while his butler had 2s. 6d.”—MARK
LEMON's London Streets, p. 48.
وو
In the privy-purse expenses of King Henry VIII., from November 1529
to December 1532, by Nicholas Harris Nicolas, Esq., I read that “the wages
of a falconer were generally a groat a day; and he was allowed one penny a
day for the food of each hawk intrusted to his care. But those of Nicolas
Clampe, one of the principal falconers, were £10 per annum.”
The board wages of the said Nicolas I find to be 4d. per day.
It appears from the following entry that all the falconers were paid alike
for their dress, 258. :-“ On April viij 1530 paid to Hewe Elys, Richard
Elys, Phillip Clampe, Nicholas Clampe, Old Hew, Young Hew, Thomas
London, John Evans, Walter fawcõn, and Humfrey Raynzford, for their
liverays eðy of them. xxv. S.” From this it appears that this king employed
ten falconers at least. How many suits of livery he gave to each during the
year is not apparent. His mother, Elizabeth of York, paid rather less, as
we find in her privy-purse expenses, by the same author, p. 94:-“ Itſ to
Oliver Aulferton, keeper of the Quenes goshauke, for his diettes out of the
Courte, and for mete for his hauke and spanyelles for the yere last passed.

FALCONRY.
217
xxvj š. viij d.” This truly Royal lady, the daughter, sister, niece, wife,
mother, and progenitrix of kings of England, the legitimate heiress to the
throne, by whose marriage with Henry VII. the Wars of the Roses were
ended, does not seem to have indulged greatly in falconry. Among the
presents made to her we find a Crane, Woodcocks, Quails, and other birds.
Of the low value of money at this period, many striking instances occur in
these accounts. Henry VIII., her son, paid £23 6s. 8d. to the bearer of a
cast of Falcons presented by the Duke of Ferrard. Francis I. sent the King
several Falcons while he was at Calais.
The difference of taste produced by falconry may be estimated by the
fact that in the Earl of Northumberland's household book, Snipes were
ordered to be bought, so they be good,” at three a penny; whereas Hearon-
sewys were valued at twelve pence a bird. Now Herons are not eaten ; but
full Snipes fetch in Brighton this 22nd day of November, 1875, two shillings
each.
It is not necessary to repeat here all the terms used in falconry; Mr.
Francis Henry Salvin and Mr. William Brodrick have rendered that useless;
their work on the Falconry of the British Isles, profusely illustrated,
contains all these matters. There is a passage in ‘Shakespere's England,'
by G. W. Thornbury, p. 376, which conveys a good idea of what went on :-
“The jargon of the hunting and hawking field was much of this
fashion :- Well cast off aloft, ah! well flown,' says one, leaping into his
saddle, ‘now she has taken her at the souse, and strikes her down like a
thunderbolt.’ ‘Now she hath seized the fowl,' says another, and ’gins to
plume her; rebeck her not, rather stand still and check her.' “Aye, but
our merlin first plumed the fowl, and twice remewed her from the river;
though her bells had not one weight, one was a semitone above the other;
it sounded too full, and spoiled her mounting: “Mine too,' says a third,
'seized a fowl within her talons : you saw her claws full of feathers, both

218
FALCONRY.
her petty singles and her long singles ; the terrial of her legs was stained
with blood.' *You lie, Doddy peck, your hawk's but a kestrel.' 'Scurvy
patch, you have not a good hawk on your perch, or a good hound in your
kennel.' “All that love Singleton draw;' all that stand for Trevilian lug
out.' Petty singles were the toes. Such a conversation we might suppose
to arise in the scene depicted in the illustration, taken from La Venerie de
Jacques du Fouilloux, seigneur dudit lieu, gentil-homme du Pays de Gastine,
en Poictou. Dedié au Roy. À Paris, chez Pierre David, sur le Pont Neuf
deuant la Samaritaine, 1640.'”
to me.
It is not every Falcon which turns out a success as a means of sport.
In the first edition of Yarrell (1843), Captain Green, of Buckden, in
Huntingdonshire, is stated to have taught a Golden Eagle to capture hares
and rabbits. I remember this bird well. His master used to carry him on
a pole, and found the weight to be an obstacle. Captain Green tried the
same thing with a White-tailed Eagle (Haliæetus albicilla), but could make
no hand of the latter,—the nature of the species being different; and the
particular individual was too fierce and wild to be trusted, as he mentioned
The Golden Eagle, in Yarrell's first edition (p. 10), is said to
inhabit Iceland ; this is corrected in the fourth edition.
Mr. W. Thompson says (in the ‘Birds of Ireland,' vol. i. p. 30), speaking
of the Moor-Buzzard (Circus æruginosus), “ A brood of these birds, taken
some years ago from a nest on the mountains of the county of Monaghan,
was reared by Captain Bonham, of the 10th Hussars, for the purpose of
being tried in falconry; but they proved very intractable.'
One would not imagine the Raven to be a very suitable subject for the
falconer's skill; yet Hollinshed mentions (vol. i. “England,' p. 382),
“ buzzards, kites, and such as annoie our countrie dames by spoiling their
young breeds of chickens, duckes, and goslings, whereunto our verie rauens
and crowes haue learned also the waie ; and so much are our rauens giuen
to this kind of spoil, that some idle and curious heads, of set purpose, have

SD


FALCONRY.
219
mauned reclaimed and used them in steed of hawkes when other could not
be had.”
Historic anecdotes on falconry might be given in great numbers, and
notices of Falcons. Perhaps the most famous is the oft-told one mentioned
by Scott--the dialogue between Mary of Lorraine (mother of the Queen of
Scots) and the Earl of Angus. When she urged him to give up his strong
castle of Tantallon to her, he answered indirectly, as if to the Hawk which
he held upon his wrist and was feeding at the time: “The devil,” said he,
"is in the greedy Gled [Kite]! will she never be full?” As the Queen
still declined the hint, he replied, “ The castle, madam, is yours at command;
but by St. Bride of Douglas I must be the Captain ; and I will keep it for
you as well as any one you will put into it.”
Miss Agnes Strickland, in the ' Queens of Scotland,' vol. ii. p. 188, 2nd
edit., gives the authority for this tale (Hume of Godscroft’s ‘ History of the
Douglases '), and recites it in much the same terms, adding that the bird was
a Goshawk.
The Duke of Gloucester, at an early period of his life, used to enjoy
flying his Hawks on his manor of Notting Hill. This fact does not stamp his
character as evil; and the light of modern research has changed Richard III.
from a hump-backed sinner almost into an historic saint (‘Athenæum,' Sept. 4,
1875, p. 302: critique on “ Tewkesbury Abbey. By John Henry Blunt”).
Every one knows the origin of our London mews. “ The Royal mews
stood between St. Martin's Lane and Hedge Lane, where the Falcons of the
Sovereigns were kept as early as 1319; and Chaucer was one of the Clerks
thereof” (Mark Lemon's Streets of London,' p. 260). Messrs. Salvin and
Brodrick, in their book on Falconry, p. 27, speak of the Mews at Charing
Cross as established in 1377 by Richard II.
Though “ the Blessed bird,” as Sir David Lindsay calls her, belonging
to James V. of Scotland was not a Falcon, but a Parrot or Papingo, yet, since
the King “wherever he went carried her on his wrist, as other gentlemen did
2 h

220
FALCONRY.
their falcons," I trust I may not (to use an expression of the editor of “The
Ibis,' n. s.) be considered too much of a psittacophilite if I give Miss Strick-
land's account of what was then a rare bird (Queens of Scotland,' vol. i.
p. 175, edit. 1840) :-“Sir David Lindsay took charge of it, with other
animal dependents of his young monarch ; and the creature was an especial
favourite. Indeed she did not rely on the mere possession of what Sir David
calls 'her angel-feathers, green and gold, and of all the colours of the
rainbow.' The papingo could whistle the tunes to which the gymnastics of
that period were performed, changing her measure from 'plat’ or flat foot'
to ' foot before,' or from the first to the fourth dancing position. She could
sing like the blackbird, crow like a cock, pew like the gled or kite, and chant
as the lark, bark like the dog, and cackle as a hen, bleat as the lamb, and
bellow as the bull; she could wail like the gowk or cuckoo, and cry and sob
if she was vexed; besides,
“She could climb on ane cord, and laugh, and play the fool;
She might have been a minstrel against Yule.”
“The poor papingo escaped into the Park, and was killed by the wild
birds. Sir David Lindsay's Complaint of the Papingo' was written in 1529.
He took this poetical opportunity of satirizing the abuses of the Regular
Canons, the monks, and friars. From the child's play of James V., his
parrot and his poet, was the impetus given to the religious revolution of
Scotland.”
و
The two illustrations are taken from "The Booke of Falconrie of
Hauuking ; for the onely delight of all Noblemen and Gentlemen : collected
out of the best Authors, as well Italians as Frenchmen, and some English
practises withall concerning Falconrie; Heretofore published by George
Tubervile, Gentleman. And now newly revised, corrected, and augmented,
with many new Additions proper to these present times. Nocet empta
dolore voluptas. At London, printed by Thomas Purfoot, An. Dom. 1611.'


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FALCONRY
221
This date might be 1641. It is torn away in my copy; but I think 1611 is
intended.
One cannot help remarking on the way the human body was changed
for the worse by the dress. In the reign of a female Sovereign this formed
the subject of regulation ; for “under Mary, to make the English more like
human beings,” as James Anthony Froude states (^ History of England,
vol. v. p. 120, note), a regulation appears thus“ (MS. Domestic, Mary, State
Paper Office) :-
“ Provided also for these monstrous breeches commonly used, none
under the degree of a Lord or a Baron shall wear any under pain of three
pounds'a day; none, to have any stuffing of haire, wool flocks, towe, or other
ways; and no man of little stature to have a bowe more than a yard and a
half in the outer side, and the bigger men and the guards two yards, upon
pain of twenty shillings a day the wearer, and forty shillings the maker of
the hose.”
Quaint old Tuberville mentions “the names of those authors, from
whome this collection of Falconrie is borrowed and made, both Italians and
French.
“ Italians.-M. FRANCESCO SFORZINO DA CARCANO, Vicentino.
M. FREDERIGO GIORGJ.
MYCHELYN.
French. -TARDISSE.
MARTIN
MALOPIN.
AMÉ CASSYAN.
ARTELOWCHE.”
It appears to be rather a scarce, and is a costly work.
Falconers were very clever in former times in the practice of “imping”
or, in other words, mending the feathers of their birds. This was done by
means of the imping-needle (an instrument figured in Francis Henry Salvin
and William Brodrick's work on this sport, plate xxvi.), which was secured
2 h 2

222
FALCONRY.
with cobbler's wax in the quill; and no doubt a very neat job could be made
thus in the plumage of the living bird. In a skin the process is more
difficult; for in this, which Professor Owen calls “ the most exquisite and
complex of all tegumentary coverings, common to the Kiwi and the Ostrich
with the Eagle and the Swift ” (Monograph on British Fossil Reptilia,'
part ii. p. 89, Palæont. Soc.), after a life-long manipulation of skins, the most
experienced birdstuffer cannot replace a feather when once it has been
pulled out ; nor if he cuts out a bit of skin, say with twenty feathers on it,
can he put that back again so as to make them fit into their places. What
he is obliged to do is to pare the skin down and replace perhaps ten or
fifteen. No doubt many a taxidermist will say “I have done this,”—but not
so that an experienced eye failed to detect the factitious portion. In this,
man cannot imitate nature.
The decay of Falconry, produced by the perfection of firearms, brought
with it the loss of various members of our ornis. When men killed Bustards,
for instance, six or seven at a shot, and knocked over flying birds with very
little failure at every discharge, there was an end to many fine forms.
England became a rapid spender of species; and little but regret remains.
That this was the case respecting Bustards is a fact; we have only to
read Mr. Stevenson’s ‘Birds of Norfolk,' vol. ii. p. 24 :-“ Mr. Lubbock,
referring to the wholesale slaughter committed by that notorious otidicide,
George Turner, of Wretham, states .... that he succeeded in killing seven
at one discharge.” It appears, however, by the subsequent account, that
Mr. E. Abbott really shot these Bustards.
Again, in the History of Lynn,' by William Richards (vol. i. p. 196,
note), we have :-“ The late Mr. Carr, a merchant of Lynn, used to say that
his father once killed six Bustards at one shot. They were probably then
much more numerous than now (1818). A respectable gentleman of Lynn,
however, assures the writer that not many years ago he saw no less than
eight or ten of them together in the neighbourhood of Stanhoe." All this
was the result of powder's rise and falconry's fall.

CRITICAL NOTES ON PROCELLARIID Æ.
BY OSBERT SALVIN, M.A., F.R.S.
Having Mr. Dawson Rowley's kind permission to contribute to the
* Ornithological Miscellany' some articles on Procellariidæ, I may state that
I propose that at first these notes should relate to obscure points in our
knowledge of this difficult family of birds, and that I hope finally to gather
my scattered fragments into something like a revision of the whole group.
But as Mr. Rowley, in issuing his first Number, declared his freedom from
all ties as regards his publication, so my proposition and hope must not be
construed into promises, but each article taken as it stands—an instalment
towards the end in view.
Part I. Banks's unpublished Drawings.
In dealing with the subject now before me, I must state at the outset
that “Banks's Drawings” have little direct bearing upon the nomenclature
of this family of birds. Still, when their history is considered, and their
association with the first voyage of the illustrious circumnavigator Cook, the
interest they arouse cannot fail to be considerable. Fortunately perhaps for
future workers, the names associated with these drawings are unaccompanied
by any published descriptions, and therefore carry no authority. But as
these names, extracted from the MS. of Dr. Solander, have been introduced
into our literature by Kuhl, Bonaparte, and Gray, an attempt to apply
them to the species to which they properly belong may not be unprofitable
as a step towards clearing up the uncertainty which hangs round some of the
descriptions of Procellariide in the works of certain authors of the last
century.

224
PROCELLARIIDÆ.
He was
When the ` Endeavour,' under Captain Cook's command, was dispatched
to observe the transit of Venus in 1769 at some point in the South
Pacific Ocean, Sir Joseph Banks volunteered to sail in her, with the object of
collecting such objects of natural history as fell in his way.
accompanied by Dr. Solander; and his Natural-history Staff comprised
two artists, Mr. Buchan and Mr. Sydney Parkinson. Buchan, who was
especially engaged to draw the scenery of the places visited, died at Otaheite;
and Parkinson, by whom a number of drawings were made, both of fish,
birds, and other zoological subjects, also died after the ‘Endeavour' sạiled
from Batavia on her way home. His numerous drawings became the
property of his employer, Sir Joseph Banks, and they are now extant in the
British Museum.
Those relating to the Petrels are sixteen in number. They all bear
the signature of Sydney Parkinson; the date when, and frequently the
latitude and longitude where they were made, are also written upon them.
This much is entered in ink; but besides these marks they have notes in
pencil inscribed upon them in another handwriting, and evidently by
some one who was present at the time the sketches were executed. These
pencil-notes always include a generic and specific name, which correspond
with those employed in Solander's MS., to which I have had access.
The particulars of Cook's first voyage are fully given in the second and
third volumes of Dr. Hawksworth’s • Collection of Voyages '*, and, being
compiled from materials supplied by Captain Cook himself, and also by Sir
Joseph Banks, must be considered authentic.
An Account of the Voyages undertaken by order of His present Majesty for making
Discoveries in the Southern Hemisphere, and successively performed by Commodore Byron, Captain
Wallis, Captain Carteret, and Captain Cook, in the 'Dolphin,' the 'Swallow,' and the ‘Endeavour.'
Drawn up from the Journals which were kept by the several Commanders, and from the Papers of
Joseph Banks, Esq. By John Hawksworth, LL.D. In Three Volumes. Illustrated by a great
variety of Charts and Maps relative to the Countries now first discovered or hitherto imperfectly
known. London : 1773. 4to.

PROCELLARIIDÆ.
225
Parkinson kept a journal* himself, which was published by his brother,
Stansfield Parkinson, who obtained, after no little difficulty at the hands of
Sir Joseph Banks, a copy of his brother's MS. The details of the controversy
are given at length in the Preface to Parkinson's "Journal; but they have
no bearing upon my present subject.
All the drawings of Petrels were made during the voyage out,—the first
on the 22nd of December, 1768, in lat. 39° 37' S., when the “ Endeavour' was
off the coast of South America, on her way from Rio Janeiro, which she left
on the 9th of December, to Cape Horn, which she reached early in January ;
the last were taken on the 15th of February, 1769, in lat. 48° 27' S.,
long. 93° W., some way out in the South Pacific Ocean, off the extreme
south of South America, opposite a point between the Chonos archipelago
and Tierra del Fuego.
In rounding Cape Horn the ` Endeavour' proceeded as far south as
beyond the 60th degree of S. latitude; and here several drawings were
taken.
It will be seen, then, that all the birds depicted in this voyage frequent
the seas surrounding the southern extremity of the South-American continent.
No drawings were taken during the subsequent part of the voyage, when the
expedition visited the Society Islands, New Zealand, and the coast of
Australia.
The notes on Petrels in Parkinson's Journal' are very meagre; and no
mention is made of drawings having been executed on any particular dates.
The drawings of the Petrels themselves are little more than outlines, most of
them only in pencil, a few being coloured in one tint, evidently to show the
distribution rather than the actual tint of the plumage.
* A Journal of a Voyage to the South Seas in His Majesty's Ship The Endeavour.'
Faithfully transcribed from the Papers of the late Sydney Parkinson, Draughtsman to Joseph Banks,
Esq., on his late Expedition with Dr. Solander round the World. Embellished with views and
designs delineated by the Author and engraved by capital Artists. London: 1773. 4to.

226
PROCELLARIIDÆ.
On the other hand, the drawings of fish are carefully executed; so also
are some of other birds, a sketch of a Tropic-bird being highly finished.
With the exception of one or two allusions to these drawings by Latham,
no ornithologist seems to have examined them until Kuhl endeavoured to
identify some of them when elaborating his celebrated article on Procellariidæ,
published in his · Beiträge zur Zoologie und vergleichenden Anatomie in
1820. Prince Bonaparte, in his. Conspectus Avium,' assigns a place to most
of the names on these drawings and in Solander's MS.; and Gray, in his
· Hand-list,' includes many of Solander's names, but omits (as he often did)
to state that they were only names, unaccompanied by any published
description by which they could be identified.
Solander's MS. notes, which I have been enabled to examine in the
British Museum through Dr. Günther's kindness, extend over a variety of
subjects, but include comparatively few on birds. The original notes on the
Albatrosses we succeeded in finding; but with those on the Petrels we were
not so fortunate. This loss is in a great measure remedied by notes in an
interleaved copy of the twelfth edition of Linnæus’s ‘Systema Naturæ'
formerly in Solander's possession, and evidently compiled by him from
his own manuscripts. These notes consist of concise Latin diagnoses, to
which generic and specific names are attached, of no less than thirty-two
species of Petrels and Albatrosses. When a drawing of Parkinson's exists,
the fact is mentioned; so that by the help of these notes the task of
interpreting the crude unfinished sketches is rendered easier and more
certain.
I now take the drawings as they are numbered, and add such notes as I
think will either place the names attached to them in their proper position, or
else assign them to the limbo of unrecognizable titles with which this family
of birds is so heavily encumbered.

PROCELLARIIDÆ.
227
No. 12.—“Dec. 22, 1768. Parkinson” (ink MS.).
“The head, neck, and back soot-colour, which gradually grows paler
on the coverts of the wings to their edges, which are bordered with white.
The large wing-coverts and the tail of the same sooty colour, but shaded with
black; the upper coverts of the tail and the sides pure white. The beak
black, as are the feet, a spot of yellow on each web. P. oceanica” (pencil
MS.).
Solander's MS. note reads as follows:-
“ Proc. oceanica nigra uropygii albi pennis totis albis palma nigra disco luteo. Mscr.*
Fig. pict.
“ Hab. in Oceano Atlantico intra Tropicos et non procul ab America australi."
This is Procellaria oceanica, Kuhl (Beitr. p. 136, f. 1), who described a
bird in Temminck's collection, now at Leyden (Schlegel, Mus. des P.-B.
Procell. p. 6), and to it referred Parkinson's drawing No. 12. It is also
the species commonly known as Procellaria wilsoni, and is now placed in a
genus (Oceanites) distinct from that including the common Stormy Petrel
(Procellaria pelagica). This generic name was proposed by Keyserling and
Blasius, and is adopted by Dr. Coues in his monograph of this family (Proc.
Acad. Philad.). The species thus stands as OCEANITES OCEANICUS (Kuhl).
The bird referred to in the drawing was obtained off the east coast of
South America, in the South Atlantic Ocean, opposite the mouth of the Rio
de la Plata.
Parkinson, in his ‘Journal,' p. 5, remarks, under the date December 22,
“We saw a great many birds of the Procellaria genus in lat. 39° 37' S. and
long..49° 16' W.; and we also met with shoals of Porpoises of a very singular
species."
The drawing is only an outline in pencil.
21
2.

228
PROCELLARIIDÆ.
No. 13.-—“Dec. 23, 1768. Lat. 37° South. S. Parkinson” (ink MS.).
“ The throat, breast, and belly white; the remiges, rectrices, and beak
black; on the webs marks of yellow, as marked out in the figure No. 6.
Procellaria equorea” (pencil MS.).
“Proc. æquorea fusco cinerea subtus alba area supraoculari albida pedibus nigris, palma disco
lutea. Mscr.*
“Fig. pict.
“ Hab. in Oceano Americæ australis” (Solander's MS.).
Upon this drawing Latham, in his ‘Synopsis,' founded his “ Frigate
Petrel,” called afterwards by him Procellaria marina. Kuhl, though he cor-
rectly describes and figures a bird under Latham's title, ascribes this drawing
to “P. fregata, Banks,” considering it to represent the young of the next
species. The so-called P. fregata, Banks, however, is the bird Solander
supposed to be P. fregata of Linnæus, as is clearly seen in his MS. notes.
The correctness of this identification is discussed under Drawing No. 14.
These two sketches, Nos. 13 and 14, really represent two very different
birds; and their fusion by Kuhl probably led Bonaparte to place P. marina,
Lath., as a synonym of P. fregata, Linn. In this identification he was
followed by Gray and, for a time, by Coues.
The synonymy of the species will stand thus :-
PELAGODROMA MARINA.
Procellaria æquorea, Solander, MS.; Parkinson, Icon. ined. No. 14.
Frigate Petrel, Lath. Syn. iii. p. 410.
Procellaria marina, Lath. Ind. Orn. p. 826 ; Kuhl, Beitr. p. 137, t. 2.
Pelagodroma fregata (Linn.), Bp. Consp. ii. p. 198 (nec Proc. fregata, L.).
Pelagodroma marina, Coues, Pr. Acad. Phil. 1866, p. 192.
As regards the distribution of this species, its occurrence in the Atlantic
Ocean has not so frequently been recorded as its abundance in the seas of
Australia and New Zealand. But, as Procellaria hypoleuca of Webb and

PROCELLARIIDÆ.
229
Berthelot (Orn. Canarienne, p. 45) is really the same as this species, its
range in the Atlantic Ocean extends north of the Equator to the neighbour-
hood of the Canary Islands.
The specimen obtained during Cook’s voyage, the subject of Parkinson's
drawing and Solander's note, was secured off the east coast of South America,
about opposite the mouth of the Rio de la Plata.
No. 14.-“ Dec. 23, 1768. Lat. 37° South. S. Parkinson ” (ink MS.).
“The large feathers of the wing, the tail, beak, and feet are black; the
belly and coverts of the tail white. No. 7. Procellaria fregata” (pencil MS.).
“ Proc. fregata nigra abdomine medio uropygioque albis pedibus totis nigris. Mscr.*” (Solander's
MS.).
The sketch is partly in pencil outline, partly coloured.
Whether this bird really represents Linnæus's Procellaria fregata may
be open to question, though I think it answers better to the description
than any other known species. That it is P. leucogaster of Gould, and
P. grallaria of Vieillot, I have little doubt. Its synonymy will therefore stand
as follows:-
FREGETTA* GRALLARIA.
Procellaria fregata, Linn. Syst. Nat.i. p. 212? Solander, MS. ; Parkinson, Icon. ined. No. 14;
Kuhl, Beitr. p. 138.
.
Procellaria grallaria, Vieill. N. Dict. d'Hist. Nat. xxv. p. 418.
Procellaria leucogaster, Gould.
The subject of Drawing No. 14 was procured in South America, off the
mouth of the Rio de la Plata.
* Scribe FREGATA.
2 1 2

230
PROCELLARIIDÆ.
No. 15.-“ Feb. 1, 1769. Lat. 59° S. S. Parkinson” (ink MS.).
“ The beak a pale bluish lead-colour; the legs and toes pale blue, with
a cast of purple, the webs dirty white. 14. Procellaria turtur” (pencil MS.).
“Proc. turtur supra cærulescenti-cana subtus alba pedibus cæruleis palma albida. Mscr.* rostro
toto angusto plumbeo.
Fig. pict.” (Solander's MS.).
66
Concerning this drawing there is no difficulty. Kuhl recognized it as
representing a species of which he found specimens in the Paris Museum and
that of M. Temminck, and upon which he bestowed Solander's MS. title.
The synonymy of the species, which belongs to the genus Prion, therefore
stands thus :-
PRION TURTUR.
Procellaria turtur, Solander, MS.; Parkinson, Icon. ined. No. 15; Kuhl, Beitr. p.
143.
Prion turtur auctt. recentt.
وو
No. 16.—“ Feb. 15, 1769. Lat. 48° 27', long. 93º. S. Parkinson”
(ink MS.).
“The beak black; the legs and toes pale violet grey on the outermost
toe, the webs dirty white, partly grey, veined, and dirty purple. 22. Pro-
cellaria velox" (pencil MS.).
“Proc. velox supra a cinereo nigricans subtus nivea pedibus cæruleis digito externo nigricante.
Mscr.*
“ Hab. in Oceano australi” (Solander's MS.).
Kuhl refers this drawing, which is only a pencil sketch, to Prion turtur.
I think, however, that it more properly belongs to Halobæna cærulea, though
Solander's character “supra cinereo-nigricans” hardly applies.
The specimen from which the drawing was taken was obtained in the
Pacific, after the ` Endeavour' had borne up from rounding Cape Horn and

PROCELLARIIDÆ.
231
was steering for the Society Islands. I have a skin of H. cærulea, from Mr.
Gould's voyage, labelled “In the Pacific, near Cape Horn,” which would
therefore be from a point near that indicated on the drawing.
The proper application of the name P. velox must continue doubtful.
66
No. 17.—“Feb. 2, 1769. Lat. 59° S. S. Parkinson” (ink MS.).
Procellaria gigantea ” (pencil MS.).
No. 18.—“Dec. 23, 1768. S. Parkinson” (ink MS.).
“ Procellaria gigantea. Mem. The feet are grey” (pencil MS.).
The first of these drawings is an outline, in pencil ; the second a sketch,
coloured all but the feet. Both are referable to the well-known Ossifraga
gigantea.
Solander's MS. concerning this species is as follows :-
" Proc. gigantea
“ (a) tota fuliginosa rostro sordide a flavicante virescente tubo narium extra medium
producto. Mscr.*
Fig. pict.
“ Hab. in Oceano antarctico.
(B) corpore toto cinereo subtus pallidiore rostro sordide a flavicante virescente tubo
narium extra medium producto. Mscr.*
Fig. pict.
"Hab. in pelago Atlantico."
60
The first of these descriptions evidently refers to Drawing No. 17; the
latter to No. 18. Both doubtless represent OssIFRAGA GIGANTEA.
No. 19.—“ Feb. 2, 1769. Lat. 58º. S. Parkinson” (ink MS.).
“ Procellaria fuliginosa” (pencil MS.).
“ Proc. fuliginosa toto fuliginosa mento albo rostro cereo suturis nigris. Mscr.*
Fig. pict.
“ Hab. in Oceano Antarctico et Oceano Pacifico” (Solander's MS.).
60

232
PROCELLARIIDÆ.
An outline in pencil, with the bill carefully coloured.
This drawing is referred by Gray to a New Zealand species, called by
him Procellaria parkinsoni (Ibis, 1862, p. 245) (Fulmarus parkinsoni, Hand-l.
iii. p. 108). But as Gray's description expressly states and correctly so)
that the New Zealand bird he described was whole-coloured, Solander's bird
(having the chin white) belongs more probably to Procellaria æquinoctialis
(Majaqueus æquinoctialis).
Kuhl fits Solander's name to a specimen in the British Museum (no
longer to be traced); but his description says of the bill,“ rostro compresso,
,
nigro,” which is at variance with Solander's character. Kuhl's bird is
doubtless an Estrelata, and is the bird usually known as E. fuliginosa
(Kuhl). This much-abused specific name, the various applications of which
in this family of birds are hard indeed to trace, and harder still to remember,
seems, then, in this case to become a synonym of the long-known Majaqueus
cequinoctialis, and to stand thus :-
MAJAQUEUS ÆQUINOCTIALIS.
Procellaria æquinoctialis, Linn. Syst. Nat. i. p.
213.
Procellaria fuliginosa (nec Lath., nec Kuhl, nec Forst., nec A. Strickland !), Solander, MS. ;
Parkinson, Icon. ined. No. 19.
No. 20.—“ Dec. 23, 1768. S. Parkinson” (ink MS.).
“ Procellaria sandaliata, No. 4. Mem. The head is black; the legs and
upper part of the feet pallid white, where marked off pallid brown; the claws
black ; the under part of the whole bird is white” (pencil MS.).
وو
“Proc. sandaliata, corpore supra fusco-nigricante subtus albo collo cinereo cauda rotundata utrinque
nigricante pedibus albidis palma antice nigra. Mscr. *
Fig. pict.
“ Hab. in Oceano Americæ australis” (Solander's MS.).
66

PROCELLARIIDÆ.
233
This drawing, which is roughly executed and tinted in dark brown,
appears never to have been certainly recognized. Kuhl says (Beitr. p. 145)
that he could not decipher the name inscribed on it. This I cannot under-
stand; for it is plainly written.
Bonaparte hesitatingly refers it to Estrelata mollis (Gould). Gray,
with doubt, places it near E. mollis as a distinct species, but gives as its
habitat the Pacific Ocean-clearly a blunder, so far as the evidence on the
drawing goes.
With the types of Signor Giglioli and Count Salvadori's Estrelata
armingoniana before me, I have little difficulty in recognizing the long-lost
Procellaria sandaliata, Solander. The drawing, however, may lay claim to
represent the White-breasted Petrel of Latham, who, in his ‘Synopsis,' states
that such a species existed in the collection of Sir Joseph Banks. This might
be considered to refer to a specimen; but in the 'General History' Latham
uses the words “ From the drawings of Sir Joseph Banks.” Now, as no other
drawing at all answers to Latham's description, the inference is that it must
be considered to represent the White-breasted Petrel, and hence Procellaria
alba of Gmelin, who, in this as in so many cases, affixed a Latin name to
Latham's description.
There are some points connected with Latham's description which do
not quite agree with the drawing and Solander's brief diagnosis, but which
are to a considerable extent lessened by comparing the specimens of
Estrelata arminjoniana with the text of the "Synopsis. The chief discrepancy
lies in the colour of the legs, which Latham describes as “black-brown, the
fore part of the toes halfway black;" whereas the note on the sketch says,
“ the legs and upper part of the feet pallid white, where marked off pallid
brown," rendered in Solander's MS. “pedibus albidis palma antice nigra.”
Both descriptions clearly point to a species of Estrelata ; and the difference,
being one of the perishable colour of soft parts, is not of much consequence.

234
PROCELLARIIDÆ.
Latham gives, as the localities of his White-breasted Petrel, Turtle and
Christmas Islands—the former of which lies to the westward of Tonga-tabu,
and the latter is situated in the centre of the Polynesian archipelago, nearly
under the line. Whence he derived this information he does not say; but
Captain Cook touched at neither place during his first voyage, when Sir
Joseph Banks accompanied him.
Procellaria sandaliata was taken off the South-American coast, between
Rio Janeiro and Cape Horn.
Procellaria alba has, up to the present time, remained a name of doubtful
application, if we except Gray's assignment of it to a species of Estrelata
from the Kermadec Islands, identical with Procellaria neglecta of Schlegel.
Gray's view appears to me to be inadmissible, the bird answering but very
imperfectly to Latham's description.
A certain amount of doubt hangs round the application of very many of
the names of the old authors which are now generally accepted. In the
present case, by applying Latham's name to this Petrel of the South Atlantic,
we should probably be not wider of the mark than in a host of other cases.
Still the golden rule in questions of nomenclature, never to relinquish
certainty for uncertainty, should, I think, not be departed from in the present
I therefore consider it best to write the synonymy of this species as
follows:
case.
ESTRELATA ARMINJONIANA*.
Procellaria sandaliata, Solander, MS.; Parkinson, Icon. ined. No. 20.
? White-breasted Petrel, Lath. Syn. iii. p. 400, et Gen. Hist. x. p. 186?
? Procellaria alba, Gm. Syst. Nat. i. p. 565 ?
Procellaria --?, Kuhl, Beitr. p.
145.
Æstrelata arminjoniana, Gigl. & Salvad. Ibis, 1869, p. 62.
* Sed quære potius TRINITATIS.
Ad hoc confer posteà.

PROCELLARIIDÆ.
235
No. 21.-“Feb. 1, 1769. Lat. 59º. S. Parkinson” (ink MS.).
“Procellaria lugens. The bill entirely black ; the iris of the eye brown,
pupil black” (pencil MS.).
No. 22.—“ Feb. 3, 1769. Lat. 57° 30'. S. Parkinson” (ink MS.).
“ Procellaria lugens (sketch made by mistake). The beak black; the
legs and that part of the foot next them dirty white, the remainder black”
(pencil MS.).
“Proc. lugens fusco-cinerea gula crisso alisque subtus albis pedibus glaucis palma nigra basi
pallida. Mscr.*
Fig. pict.
“ Hab. in Oceano Antarctico et Oceano Australi” (Solander's MS.).
(6
Outlines in pencil, drawn in different attitudes.
I am at present unable to attach this name with certainty to any known
species of Petrel. The colour of the bill and feet shows that it refers to an
Estrelata.
Kuhl, followed by Gray, thinks that it is the same as the bird called by
him P. grisea (not P. grisea, Gmel., which is a Puffinus—but Estrelata kidderi,
Coues, or, rather, E. brevirostris (Less.), which is the proper name this
species should bear, as a recent examination of Lesson's type in the Paris
Museum has proved to me beyond a doubt), and the same as P. tristis, Forst.,
and P. amaurosoma, Coues. The white throat, crissum, and under wing,
however, indicate another species.
Bonaparte places the name doubtfully with P. atlantica, Gould ; but this
cannot be right.
This name of P. lugens, then, had best be left in abeyance until such time
as a species answering Solander's description, given above, be procured.
No. 23.-“ Feb.15, 1769. Lat. 48° 27', long. 93°. S. Parkinson” (ink MS)
“Nectris fuliginosa. The beak is fuscous, the lower mandible paler and
bluish ; the feet of the same colour” (pencil MS.).
2 K

236
PROCELLARIID Æ.
(6
“Nectris fuliginosa supra nigricans subtus fusco cinerea. Mscr.*
Fig. pict.
"Hab. in Oceano australi” (Solander's MS.).
The drawing is a pencil outline, the bill and tarsus being drawn sepa-
rately in detail.
I feel convinced that this drawing and description refer to the true
Procellaria grisea of Gmelin and Latham, the synonymy of which is as
follows:-
PUFFINUS GRISEUS.
Nectris fuliginosa, Solander, MS.; Parkinson, Icon. ined. No. 23.
Grey Petrel, Lath. Syn. iii. p. 399.
Procellaria grisea, Gm. Syst. Nat. i. p. 564 (nec Kuhl).
Procellaria fuliginosa, G. Forst. Icon. ined. No. 94 (nec A. Strickl.).
Procellaria tristis, J. R. Forst. Descr. Anim.
p.
23.
Nectris amaurosoma, Coues, Proc. Ac. Phil. 1864, p. 124.
Puffinus griseus, Finsch, J. für Orn. 1874, p. 209. .
No. 24.-“ Feb. 15, 1769. Lat. 48° 27', long. 93°. S. Parkinson” (ink
MS.).
“Nectris munda. The beak blue-grey towards the back, and the point
black ; the legs and feet the same colour as in the Procellaria cyanopeda"
(pencil MS.).
وو
“Nectris munda supra cinereo-nigricans subtus nivea. Mscr.*
Fig. pict.
“Hab. in Oceano australi” (Solander's MS.).
A pencil-drawing made from a bird taken in the Pacific westward of
the southern extremity of Chili. I cannot fit the description and drawing
to any known species with certainty. It may apply to P. gavia, Forst.
(=P. opisthomelas, Coues); but this is doubtful. The bill, as drawn, is too
stout for P. assimilis or its near allies.
Giglioli and Salvadori suppose that a bird obtained in the South Atlantic

PROCELLARIIDÆ.
237
during the voyage of the “Magenta' should perhaps bear the name of
P. munda. They give their bird, however, the title of P. elegans. In so
doing they were, I think, fully justified; for even if it could be proved to be
the same as P. munda, the description given of the drawing by Kuhl (Beitr.
p. 148) is by no means sufficient for the recognition of the species.
The application of the name Procellaria munda must still remain in
doubt. Solander's brief diagnosis, given above, may help to its ultimate
recognition
No. 25.—“ Dec. 23, 1768. Lat. 37° S. S. Parkinson” (ink MS.).
“Diomedea exulans. The face and throat white as marked on the
figure; the whole body above fusco pallido; the belly and feet whitish, with
a cast of blue; the nails white” (pencil MS.).
“Diomedea exulans alis pennatis pedibus æquilibribus tridactylis rostro albido lateribus mandibulæ
inferioris integris alis subtus albis. Mscr.*
Fig. pict.
“Hab. in Oceano antarctico et Oceano australi” (Solander, MS.).
A half-coloured drawing representing a young D. EXULANS.
No. 26.-“Feb. 1, 1769. Lat. 59º. S. Parkinson.”'
“Diomedea antarctica. The bill entirely black; the iris of the eyes
yellow-brown, the pupil black; the skin that goes along the beak from the
head pale violet coloured, clouded with pale brown” (pencil MS.).
“Diomedea antarctica alis pennatis pedibus æquilibribus tridactylis rostro nigro lateribus mandibulæ
inferioris fissis alis utrinque fuscis. Mscr.*
Fig. pict.
“Hab. in Oceano antarctico” (Solander's MS.).
A pencil drawing, not recognizable with certainty. Bonaparte (Consp. ii.
p. 186) considers that it refers to Diomedea fuliginosa, Gmelin ; and in this
he may be right.
2 K 2

238
PROCELLARIIDÆ.
No. 27.—“Feb. 3, 1769. Lat. 57° 30'. S. Parkinson” (ink MS.).
“Diomedea profuga. The beak black, except the back of the upper
mandible and part of the under one, which is dirty greenish white (pencil
MS.).
“Diomedea profuga alis pennatis pedibus æquilibribus rostro nigro supra et infra (interdum) pallido
mandibulæ inferioris lateribus integris. Mscr.*
"Hab. in Oceano australi et Oceano antarctico” (Solander's MS.).
Considered by Gray (Hand-l. iii. p. 109) to represent Diomedea chloro-
rhyncha, Gmelin, in which view he is probably correct.
My determination, as far as it goes, therefore, of the sixteen species of
Procellariidæ sketched by Parkinson in Banks's drawings, is as follows:
No. 12. Procellaria oceanica
-
No. 13.
وز
No. 14.
æquorea
fregata
turtur
Oceanites oceanicus (Kuhl).
Pelagodroma marina (Lath.).
Fregata grallaria (Vieill.).
Prion turtur (Kuhl).
Halobena cærulea (Gm.) ??
وو
No. 15.
No. 16.
velox
No. 17.
gigantea
}= Ossifraga gigantea (Gm.).
No. 18.
وو
No. 19.
fuliginosa
sandaliata
Majaqueus equinoctialis (L.).
Estrelata arminjoniana, Gigl. & Salvad.
No. 20.
-
}
sp. inc.
No. 21.
lugens
No. 22.
No. 23. Nectris fuliginosa
No. 24.
munda
-
Puffinus griseus (Gm.).
ور
>
sp. inc.
No. 25. Diomedea exulans
No. 26.
antarctica
Diomedea exulans (L.).
fuliginosa, Gm.?
chlororhyncha, Gm.
No. 27.
profuga
ور
In conclusion, I must record my thanks to Dr. Günther for his kindness
in allowing me freely to consult both Banks's drawings and Solander's
manuscripts, which are now in the Department of the British Museum
under his charge. Concerning the manuscripts, I hope to have more to
say on another occasion.

ON THE
THE MIGRATION OF BIRDS IN
NORTH-EAST RUSSIA.
BY HENRY SEEBOHM, F.Z.S.
WHEN my friend J. A. Harvie-Brown and myself planned our excursion to the
valley of the Lower Petchora, in the spring of the year 1875, we were under
the impression that this remote corner of Europe was virgin ground for the
ornithologist. We discovered, however, whilst preparing for our journey in
Archangel, that this district had been visited many years ago by Hencke
and Hoffmannsegg; but so far as we have been able to ascertain, it does not
appear that these naturalists published any thing respecting the ornithology
of the Petchora. The information which we obtained may therefore be
practically regarded as new.
Upon a subject so difficult as the migration of birds it is impossible to
speak very definitely from the observations of a single season ; but the facts
which we obtained may serve as a valuable basis for the researches of future
ornithologists.
The journey to the Petchora is beset with peculiar difficulties. There
are two ways of travelling from Archangel to Ust Zylma—the winter road,
and the summer route. The winter road is by sledge, sometimes on the ice
of the frozen rivers, sometimes across swamps covered over with snow, but
generally through the forests. As soon as the sun becomes powerful enough
to melt the frozen crust of snow upon these roads the winter post ceases,
and the horses at the stations upon the last two hundred and fifty versts,
where there are no villages, are withdrawn, and the valley of the Lower
Petchora is as effectually cut off from all communication with civilized

240
ON THE MIGRATION OF BIRDS
Europe as if it were in the moon. This lasts for about two months, until
the floods in the rivers Peza and Zylma, caused by the melting of the snow,
have sufficiently subsided to make it possible to row against stream. The
summer post between Mezen and Ust Zylma is by boat up the former river,
across the watershed (a distance of fifteen versts), and down the latter river.
The summer route is a very difficult one with much luggage, and would bring
the traveller to the Petchora too late for the breeding-time of many of the
most interesting birds.
We left Archangel on the 6th of April, and reached Ust Zylma in eight
days. The ground was covered with from two to three feet of snow; and no
continuous thaw set in until the 16th of May, when we suddenly plunged
into midsummer ; the snow thawed rapidly night and day; the great river
rose thirty feet in height; and on the 21st of May the ice broke up and
marched past Ust Zylma in a stream a mile and a half wide, at the rate of
four miles an hour for ten days. The eight weeks which we were obliged to
spend in waiting for the short arctic summer were somewhat tedious; but
they enabled us to make some interesting observations on the arrival of
migratory birds.
The Snow-Bunting is probably the first bird of passage which visits the
Petchora. We found small flocks of these birds at Ust Zylma on our
arrival, and were told that they had preceded us by a fortnight. They were
feeding upon the droppings of the horses on the roads, in company with the
Lesser and Mealy Redpoles. We may therefore assume that these three
species of birds arrive about the 1st of April ; and for some weeks the streets
of Ust Zylma were quite lively with their presence. As soon as the peasants
began to cart their manure onto the land, they left the village for the
hillsides, where it had been deposited by the sledges ; but fresh falls of
snow drove them back again into the streets.
In spite of the abundance of the Snow-Bunting, we could not help
looking upon it with all the interest attaching to a rare bird. The brilliant

IN NORTH-EAST RUSSIA.
241
contrast of the black and white on the birds, now rapidly assuming their
summer plumage, was especially beautiful as they fluttered from place to
place, and no doubt assisted to give to the flight its wild butterfly-character,
as if the bird altered its mind every few seconds as to which direction it
should take. They looked very pretty as they ran, like Wagtails, from one
manure-heap to another over the snow. Occasionally, but not often, we saw
them hop. They were particularly fond of perching upon the roofs of the
houses and on the rails which the peasants use for drying their corn, hay, or
flax ; and we were somewhat surprised to find them frequently perching in
trees. As soon as summer came they all disappeared. The last flock we
saw was on the 18th of May. The Redpoles, on the contrary, distributed
themselves over the forests, and probably remained to breed.
We also found two other species of birds on our arrival at Ust Zylma-
the Bullfinch and the Yellowhammer, which were in small flocks and com-
paratively rare, but may possibly be early migratory birds in this district.
Although we rarely missed a day without making long excursions on
our snow-shoes in the forests or along the banks of the great river, we did
not succeed in identifying another migratory bird until the 4th of May, when
we saw a Hen-Harrier, and on the following day a Merlin. These birds had
evidently come to feed upon the Snow-Buntings. We generally saw one or
two birds of both these species, as long as the Snow-Buntings remained,
whenever we made a long excursion; and all three species disappeared
about the same time.
The next migratory birds that we saw appeared on the 10th of May.
By this time the sun had thawed the snow off a few of the steeper slopes, and
here and there, especially on an island in the river, a thin stream of water
flowed over the frozen mud. This seemed to be the signal for the appearance
of the Bean-Goose and the Shore-Lark. Neither of these birds probably
breeds south of the arctic circle ; and two or three weeks later, when the
snow had melted on the tundra, they had all disappeared from Ust Zylma.
On this day we saw our first Snowy Owl; and on the following day our list

242
ON THE MIGRATION OF BIRDS
was further increased by the Wild Swan and the Herring-Gull. There are
two species of Swan which pass through Ust Zylma on their way to the delta
to breed—the Hooper or Wild Swan and Bewick's Swan; but we found it
impossible to identify them upon the wing. The Herring-Gull might fairly
be called the Arctic Herring-Gull: the mystery of its Latin name I must leave
my friend Mr. Howard Saunders to unravel. The colour of the mantle is
intermediate between that of leucophæus and fuscus. The colour of the soft
parts is the same as that of the Mediterranean bird.
The 12th of May was distinguished by the first shower of rain and by
the arrival of the first strictly insectivorous birds—the White Wagtail, the
Redstart, and the Meadow-Pipit.
On the 13th we saw the first flock of Ducks (probably the Pintail), and
a Peregrine Falcon; on the following day we saw the first Reed-Bunting; and
on the 15th the small flock of Gulls on the Petchora was reinforced by a
large flock of common Gulls (Larus canus), and we saw fourteen large ones
flying up the great river, which were, no doubt, Glaucous Gulls, as we after-
wards found this species common at the Golievski Islands.
The arrival of summer was the signal for birds of passage to appear en
On the 17th of May flocks of Golden Plover, as well as of Fieldfares
and Redwings were seen. Small flocks of geese and swans, and large flocks
of ducks, were continually observed flying down the great river. Flocks of
Meadow-Pipits continually passed; and for the first time we noticed flocks
of the Red-throated Pipit. Snow-Buntings and Redpoles were no longer
seen in the streets ; but their place was taken by flocks of White Wagtails, and
for the first time we saw the Grey-headed Yellow Wagtail (Motacilla viridis).
On the 18th the Lapland Bunting, the Whimbrel, and the Teal appeared.
The last flock of Snow-Buntings was seen; but the Shore-Larks were as
common as ever.
On the 19th we identified the Shoveller, the Golden-eye, and the
Widgeon ; but these birds may have arrived on the 13th, as flocks of ducks
were common after that date. We also identified a Greenshank.
masse.

IN NORTH-EAST RUSSIA.
213
On the 20th the Willow-Warbler was first heard, nearly two months
later than it usually appears in the south of England.
On the 21st we added the Wheatear and the Crane to our list. If the
Wheatear had been a rare bird in this district we might have concluded that
we had hitherto overlooked it; but after this date it became comparatively
common; so that we were obliged to conclude that this season, at least, it
arrived after the Redstart and Willow-Warbler : the Wheatear generally
appears upon the moors in the neighbourhood of Sheffield at least a fortnight
earlier than either the Willow-Warbler or the Redstart is heard in our
woods. We saw another pair of Cranes on the 25th, but did not meet with
them again.
The 22nd was one of our red-letter days ; for at that date we shot
our first Siberian Chiffchaff (Phylloscopus tristis), hitherto known principally
as a winter visitor to India. This bird afterwards became a great favourite
with us; and many are the times that we have turned out of our hammocks
at four in the morning to listen to its merry chi-vit', chi-vet', from the top of
a larch or spruce. We afterwards found it still commoner on the willow-
swamps of the islands of the delta. On this day we also added three other
species to our list--the Sky-Lark, the Tree-Pipit, and the Stonechat. The
two former birds were very rare; but the Stonechat soon became common.
All the specimens of the latter which we obtained were the Asiatic form,
with pure white upper tail-coverts. On the other hand, birds which I shot
two years ago in the Parnassus were of the usual European type, with black
spots on the rump.
On the 23rd we shot our first Short-eared Owl and the first Blue-
throated Warblers.
On the 24th the Brambling and the Pine-Grosbeak arrived.
On the 25th the Lapland Buntings and the Shore-Larks had con-
siderably lessened in numbers, whilst Motacilla viridis had become much
more plentiful than Motacilla alba.
On the 26th, although the ice was still marching down the river,
2 L

244
ON THE MIGRATION OF BIRDS
numerous waders arrived, and were busily feeding upon the banks. We
saw a pair of Oystercatchers, and shot some Ringed Plovers, Wood-Sand-
pipers, and Temminck's Stints. On this day we also saw the first Barn-
Swallow.
On the 29th we shot the only Sparrow-Hawk we saw during our
journey, and consequently cannot attach much importance to the date.
On the 31st we made the acquaintance of the first Little Bunting
(Emberiza pusilla)
On the 1st of June we identified a Black Scoter, a duck which we
afterwards found very common.
The 3rd, 4th, and 5th of June we spent at Habariki, twenty-five miles
down the river, and added a dozen fresh birds to our list. Some of these,
as the Hobby and the Waxwing, were so rare that they might have arrived
some time before we saw them. Others, as the common Snipe, the Ruff,
the Goosander, the Smew, and the Golden-eye, had probably been some days
comparatively common in this locality, but, from their extreme rareness at
Ust Zylma, had escaped our notice. On the other hand, the Cuckoo,
Double Snipe, Terek Sandpiper, and Black-throated Diver may fairly be
supposed to have arrived about the 3rd of June.
On the 7th of June we saw a pair of Scarlet Bullfinches, on the 8th
a Little Ringed Plover, and on the 10th a Sand-Martin ; but as these were
the only examples we saw in the district, we cannot speak with any certainty
as to the earliest date of arrival. This completes the list of birds which we
had good reason to believe to be migratory in the Ust-Zylma district.
Leaving out those to which, from their rarity or localness considerable
doubt attaches as to the date of arrival, we obtain the following list :-
April 1. Snow-Bunting.
1. Lesser Redpole.
1. Mealy Redpole.
May 4. Hen-Harrier.
5. Merlin.
10. Bean-Goose.
May 10. Shore-Lark.
10. Snowy Owl.
11. Wild Swan.
11. Bewick's Swan.
11. Arctic Herring-Gull.
12. White Wagtail
.
وز
ور

IN NORTH-EAST RUSSIA.
245
>
May 12. Redstart.
12. Meadow-Pipit.
13. Pintail and other Ducks.
13. Peregrine Falcon.
14. Reed-Bunting.
15. Common Gull.
17. Golden Plover.
17. Fieldfare.
17. Redwing.
17. Red-throated Pipit.
17. Grey-headed Yellow Wagtail.
18. Lapland Bunting,
18. Whimbrel.
May 22. Siberian Chiffchaff.
22. Stonechat.
23. Short-eared Owl.
23. Blue-throated Warbler.
24. Brambling.
24. Pine-Grosbeak.
26. Oystercatcher.
26. Ringed Plover.
26. Wood-Sandpiper.
26. Temminck's Stint.
26. Barn-Swallow.
31. Little Bunting.
June 3. Cuckoo.
3. Double Snipe.
3. Terek Sandpiper.
3. Black-throated Diver.
މި(
18. Teal.
20. Willow-Warbler.
}
21. Wheatear.
.
23
21. Crane.
This list is necessarily very imperfect. In addition to the difficulty of
ascertaining the date of arrival of rare or local birds, we had a still greater
difficulty to contend with. There can be no doubt that Ust Zylma lies
somewhat out of the line of migration, which is probably determined largely
by the direction of the great valleys. Birds from the Mediterranean might
fairly be supposed to reach the Volga viâ the Bosphorus, the Black Sea,
the Sea of Azov, and the river Don to Sarepta. The natural course of birds
from India and Persia would be to the Volga by way of the Caspian Sea.
The line of migration would probably follow the Volga to Kasan, and thence
along the Kama to Perm and Tcherdin, close to the source of the Petchora.
The course would then continue down the Petchora as far as its junction
with the Ussa. It would then be reasonable to conclude that the hardy
species, which migrate early, might have plenty of time to go round by Ust
Zylma ; whilst the later arrivals would leave the Petchora at Ust Ussa, and
cross direct to the tundra. For example, the Snow-Bunting, Hen-Harrier,
Merlin, Bean-Goose, Shore-Lark, Snowy Owl, Wild Swan, Bewick's Swan,
and Herring-Gull are probably amongst the earliest breeders on the tundra,
2 L 2

246
ON THE MIGRATION OF BIRDS
and pass through Ust Zylma, whilst the later breeders on the tundra are
not seen there at all. The following birds are all summer migrants to the
tundra, but were not seen passing through Ust Zylma during migration :-
Dunlin.
Richardson's Skua.
Dotterel.
Yellow-headed Wagtail (M. citreola).
Arctic Tern.
Petchora Pipit (Anthus seebohmi, Dress.).
Red-necked Phalarope.
Long-tailed Duck.
Buffon's Skua.
Grey Plover.
Sanderling.
Curlew Sandpiper.
Little Stint.
Most of these are very late-breeding birds. We found eggs of the
Little Stint 27th of July, Long-tailed Duck 23rd of July, Richardson's
Skua and Grey Plover 12th of July. That many of these birds do migrate
along the valley of the Volga the following remarks will prove. They are
translated from a work published in Russian, at Kasan in 1871, entitled
Descriptive Catalogue of the High School of the Imperial University at
Kasan, edited by Messrs. KOVALEVSKI, LEVAKOVSKI, GOLOVINSKI, and
BOGDANOFF.' The information is extracted from vol. i., part 1, Chapters
2, 3, and 4, which are headed “ Materials for making a biography of the
birds of the Volga.
“Little and Temminck's Stints are seen in flocks during the first fort-
night in May on the Volga from Ssimbirsk to Kasan, and on the Kama as
far as Ufa. In summer they are not seen, but are found in the middle of
August again at Ssimbirsk,
“ Curlew Sandpipers are seen at Kasan in spring and autumn only, both
on the Volga and the Kama.
Sanderlings are found in autumn at Kasan, and have been seen in
spring on the Sarpa.
Grey Plovers are observed in small flocks in May and September near
Kasan; but not every year.
“ Yellow-headed Wagtails arrive at Kasan, whilst the common species
66

IN NORTH-EAST RUSSIA.
247
have young in the middle of April, and a few pairs remain till the beginning
of June.”
The extent of country through which the Petchora flows is so great
that the meagreness of my information almost requires an apology. To
write upon the subject is equivalent to attempting a history of the migration
of birds in Great Britain from the observations of a single tour. I offer
these remarks merely as a skeleton, hoping that the details may be filled
up and the errors corrected by future ornithologists, who will find in the
Petchora a rich field for work for a long time to come.

Otto

CRITICAL NOTES ON PROCELLARIIDÆ.
BY OSBERT SALVIN, M.A., F.R.S., &c.
Part II. The new Species of Petrels obtained during the Voyage of the Italian
Corvette 'Magenta' round the World.
In the year 1869 Dr. H. H. Giglioli and Count Salvadori described in The
Ibis ' five species of Petrels, skins of which formed part of the collections
made during the voyage of the “ Magenta' by the first-named gentleman, who
occupied the post of naturalist to the expedition. These descriptions were
afterwards published in the 'Atti della Società Italiana Sc. Nat.' xi. pp. 450-458.
Though described with great care by the authors of these papers, such is the
difficulty surrounding the species of this family that ornithologists have been
scarcely able to do more than grant them a nominal place in the system.
Thinking that an important step might be established in the knowledge of
these birds if figures of them were published, I wrote to Count Salvadori
asking for the loan of the type specimens for this purpose-a request he most
obligingly acceded to. From these type specimens the five plates accom-
panying this paper have been drawn by Mr. Keulemans.
Before proceeding to give a detailed account of the five species described
by the above-named Italian naturalists, I must say that though I have searched
the British Museum and the galleries of the Museum of the Jardin des Plantes
in Paris, Mr. Gould's collection, as well as Mr. Godman's and my own, I have
not succeeded in finding representatives of any one of these species. More-
over my present knowledge of the literature of the Procellariidæ leads me
to believe, with Dr. Giglioli and Count Salvadori, that the species are really as
novel as they supposed them to be when they described them

250
PROCELLARIIDÆ.
The exceedingly extensive range of many species of this family of birds
adds to the difficulties of their study when the evidently close specific relation-
ship between many of them is considered. But could we compare specimens
taken from breeding-stations, much of our perplexity would, I believe, vanish,
and the slight differences observable in specimens captured at various points
on the high seas would at once assume a greater value, and definite laws of
geographical distribution would be found to prevail in these as in other birds.
It is on certain islands that the Procellariidæ assemble in the breeding-season,
sometimes in countless numbers, and after the duties of incubation and
rearing their young are accomplished these colonies disperse at large over a
vast tract of ocean, to assemble again the following year. Thus, then, for a
considerable portion of the year birds of closely allied species may be found
flying together ; but they separate to their respective breeding-quarters at
the proper season.
From this it may be gathered that the fact of two or more closely allied
Petrels being found together on the open ocean is not by any means so strong
a proof of their specific identity as would be the case in most other birds.
It is to the uniformity or otherwise of birds when assembled at their breeding-
stations that characters of real specific value are to be traced.
At present our knowledge is defective in this important respect; but,
with some exceptions, I am disposed, at least in the genus Estrelata, to
consider even slight differences of colour and dimensions as of specific value.
To some of these exceptions I shall refer under the species described below
as E. arminjoniana and E. trinitatis.
I have gone carefully over the descriptions of each bird given in The
Ibis ' by Dr. Giglioli and Count Salvadori, and compared them with the
types themselves. In the descriptions given below I have adhered closely to
the original text, making the fewest possible changes. The measurements
have been retaken in English inches and decimals.


הם כבר לא יודע
3
J,G,Keulemans lith.
M&N.Hanhart im
ESTRELATA MAGENTE

PROCELLARIIDÆ.
251
ESTRELATA MAGENTÆ.
Pl. XXX.
Æstrelata magenta, Gigl. & Salvad. Ibis, 1869, p. 61; iid. Atti Soc. Ital. Sc. Nat. xi. p. 451;
Gigl. Distr. Faun. Vertebr. nell'Oceano, p. 41 (1870).
E. supra intense fusco-nigra, plumis sub quadam luce pallide marginatis ; alis, cauda, lateribus,
subalaribus ac torque jugulari fusco-nigris; regione anteoculari intensiore; fronte albido-
sericea fere argenteo colore perfusa, lateraliter magis conspicue; gula, pectore abdomineque
albis ; subcaudalibus lateraliter cinereo tinctis, scapis parte apicali fuscis; rostro nigro, pedibus
carneis, digitis palmisque nigris excepta parte basali interna tarso concolori; iride brunnea :
long. tot. 14:0, alæ 12:0, caudæ 5:0, rostr. a fronte 1.25, a rictu 1.85, tarsi 1:6, dig. med. cum
ung. 2.2 poll. Angl.
Hab. in Oceano Pacifico australi (Giglioli).
The single example of this species brought home by the Expedition was
shot on the 22nd of July, 1867, in the Pacific, in lat. 39° 38' S., long. 125° 58' W.
(of Greenwich). Another specimen was seen on the 3rd of August, in
lat. 32° 23' S., long. 92° 39' W.; and on the 31st of August a third, in
lat. 26° 7' S., long. 88° 50' W.
The authors of the paper in “The Ibis' compare the species with
CE. rostrata of Peale ; but its relationship seems to me to be rather with
C. mollis and its allies. It is, however, a considerably larger species than
E. mollis, approaching in dimensions E. lessoni.
The chief characteristics of this bird, besides the dimensions given
above, are the dark undersurface of the wings, and the uniform dark colour
of the primaries below. The light lateral margin to the frontal feathers, too,
forms almost a superciliary mark. The wings project fully an inch and a
half beyond the end of the tail.
The colouring of E. rostrata of Peale is much browner than in this
species, judging from the specimens so called by Bonaparte in the Paris
Museum, which I have recently had an opportunity of examining. Indeed,
2 M

252
PROCELLARIIDÆ.
if the members of this genus are capable of being grouped in different
sections, as would seem to be the case, I should certainly place E. magenta
in a different section from E. rostrata.
ESTRELATA ARMINJONIANA.
Pl. XXXI.
Æstrelata arminjoniana, Gigl. & Salvad. Ibis, 1869, p. 62 ; iid. Atti Soc. Ital. Sc. Nat. xi.
p. 452; Gigl. Distr. Faun. Vertebr. nell'Oceano, p. 42.
E. supra fusco-nigra, plumis totis pallide fere griseo colore marginatis, in fronte magis conspicue;
gula alba, plumis anguste griseo-fusco marginatis; pectore abdomineque pure albis; torque
jugulari, lateribus, axillaribus tectricibusque alarum inferioribus nigro-fuscis; subcaudalibus
mediis albis, lateralibus cinereo-nigris apicibus albicantibus ac minutissime albido variegatis,
scapis nigris ; remigibus nigro-fuscis, intus basi albicantibus ; rectricibus nigro-fuscis ; rostro
nigro; tarsis carneis, digitis ac membrana interdigitali nigris, excepta parte basali interna
tarso concolori; iride brunnea : long. tot. 13:0, alæ 11.2, caudæ 4.75, rostr. a fronte 1.12, a
rictu 1:63, tarsi 1.3, dig. med. cum ung. 1.83.
Hab. in Insula Trinitatis, Oceano Atlantico meridionali (Giglioli).
Dr. Giglioli found this species pretty common near Trinidad Island, in
the South Atlantic, in about lat. 20° S., on the 23rd of January, 1868, when
two specimens were prepared.
The specimen described as adult is that depicted on the left hand in
the Plate; the second, supposed to be a younger example, is that figured on
the right hand. This latter bird is described as having the sides of the head
whitish, the white of the basal portion of the feathers showing itself; the
gular collar is not so well developed ; and the lower series of the under wing-
coverts, together with the basal portion of the remiges, are decided white.
The age of these specimens, as shown by their plumage, is, I think, a
point upon which we are at present not able to speak with certainty. For
my own part I am disposed to think that the plumage furnishes no evidence
whatever of age, as will be seen from what I have said concerning the next
supposed species (CE. trinitatis).

2
M& N Hanhart um
J.G. Keulemans lith.
ESTRELATA ARMINJONIANA.



4
MEN.Hanhart imp
J.G. Keulemans lith.
CESTRELATA TRINITATIS.

PROCELLARIIDÆ.
253
E. arminjoniana is compared to E. neglecta (Schl.); but it has in
reality little relationship with that bird. To E. magenta it bears a general
resemblance, differing in being smaller in all its dimensions, in the absence
of the silky white of the forehead, and the dark anteocular spot; besides,
its lateral under tail-coverts are greyish-black, and their tips bordered with
white.
I have already stated (anted, p. 233) my reasons for believing the bird
called in Solander's MS. P. sandaliata to be the same as that here described,
and that of all the claimants to Gmelin's title Procellaria alba this has perhaps
the strongest right to it. I have also shown that P. sandaliata cannot be
used as the name of this species, being a MS. title, and therefore inad-
missible, and that the uncertainty hanging about the application of the name
P. alba renders it inexpedient that it should be made to supersede that given
with so full a description by the Italian naturalists.
ESTRELATA TRINITATIS.
Plate XXXII.
Æstrelata trinitatis, Gigl. & Salvad. Ibis, 1869, p. 65; iid. Atti Soc. Ital. Sc. Nat. xi. p. 454;
Gigl. Faun. Vertebr. nell'Oceano, p. 40.
E. ex toto fuliginoso-nigra, subtus vix pallidior, remigibus nigricantioribus, basi intus pallidioribus ;
fronte ac capite supra plumis distincte griseo marginatis; rostro pedibusque nigris; iridibus
brunneis : long. tot. 13:0, alæ 11.2, caudæ 4:55, rostri a fronte l'l, a rictu 1.62, tarsi 1.25,
dig. med. cum ung. 1.80.
Hab. in Insula Trinitatis, Oceano Atlantico meridionali (Giglioli).
This species was found pretty abundant around Trinidad Island, in the
South Atlantic; and several specimens were procured on the 23rd January.
The bill and feet were noted as deep black, and the irides as brown.
The bird on the left hand of the Plate, which is described as perhaps
not adult, has the underparts (especially the throat) lighter, the pure white
of the basal portion of the feathers showing amidst the fuliginous brown of
the rest.
2 M 2

254
PROCELLARIIDÆ.
In every respect except colour this bird resembles E. arminjoniana, the
dimensions agreeing very closely. This, coupled with the fact that the spe-
cimens of both these species were secured on the same day in the vicinity of
the same island, prompts the supposition that, notwithstanding the great
difference in colour, they really belong to one and the same species.
If this be so, the question arises, What is the meaning of the great
disparity in the colouring of the plumage observable in different individuals
of this species?
In answer to this question it may be urged that there is reason to
believe that in some species of Petrels, just as in some Skuas (Stercorarius),
there prevails a dimorphism as regards the colour of the plumage, which is
not dependent on age or sex, and that the colouring of each individual is
assumed with the first plumage and retained through life. The evidence that
such is the case in some species of Petrels is at present, perhaps, hardly
sufficiently precise to justify the union of E. trinitatis with E. arminjoniana ;
and the question can only be decided by actual observation ; still it is a point
to be borne in mind by future explorers. The truth of the suggestion has
some support from analogy with what appears to prevail in other species of
this group. Macgillivray (Zoologist, 1860, p. 7133) speaks of some such
diversity of plumage being observable in a colony of E. torquata observed
by him in Aneiteum Island, one of the New Hebrides. Moreover the
difference exhibited in the birds figured by Mr. Gould, in his ‘Birds of
Australia,' as “young” and old of E. mollis is another case in point. I
recently stated (Ibis, 1875, p. 376) that the young of E. externa assumed
the full livery of the adult bird with its first feathers and exhibited no inter-
mediate or “young” stage ; so that, if analogy may be trusted, the " young
of E. mollis according to Gould is not really or necessarily the young, but
simply one of the two forms in which E. mollis presents itself when adult.
Then, again, with the bird called E. phillipi by Gray. The bird figured as
the Norfolk-Island Petrel in Phillip's •Voyage,' upon which Gray founded
the species, is in ashy-fuliginous plumage; whereas the specimens so called
وو
و 2


ERS,
2
J.G Keulemans lith.
M&N.Hanhart imp
ESTRELATA DEFILIPPIANA,

PROCELLARIIDÆ.
255
by Gray, in the British Museum, are quite differently coloured, and, if Gray's
view be correct, represent the white-breasted form of this bird. Other
possible instances will suggest themselves of members of this family of birds
presenting this double form of colour. But, as I have already said, the whole
question is eminently one that must be solved by observation rather than by
speculation; and so, with the hint here thrown out, I leave it for the
present.
The describers of E. trinitatis state that it belongs to that section of
the genus distinguished by Bonaparte as Pterodroma ; but if there be any
truth in what I have just said, this determination must be reconsidered
ESTRELATA DEFILIPPIANA.
Plate XXXIII.
Æstrelata defilippiana, Gigl. & Salvad. Ibis, 1869, p. 63; iid. Atti Soc. Ital. Sc. Nat. xi.
p. 453; Gigl. Faun. Vertebr. nell'Oceano, p. 43.
C. pileo, collo supra, dorso ac supracaudalibus pulchre cinereis, uropygio ac regione periophthal-
mica, presertim infra oculos, nigricantibus, plumis dorsalibus obsolete albescente marginatis;
sincipitis plumis albo marginatis, fronte fere ex toto alba; subtus omnino pure alba, lateribus
pectoris cinereo tinctis; alis cinereo-nigricantibus, remigibus secundariis magis cinereis,
fasciam obliquam fere constituentibus ; tectricibus alæ inferioribus candidis ; margine carpali
ac linea sub margine radiali candido cinereo-nigricantibus ; remigibus nigricantibus, duabus
tertiis partibus pogonii interni abrupte albis, intus apicem versus fusco-nigricante marginatis;
rectricibus sex mediis fere ex toto pure cinereis, quarta et quinta utrinque albo variegatis,
extima alba pogonio externo minutissime cinereo-punctata, interdum pure alba; rostro
nigro, tarsis pallide cæruleis, digitis nigris, palamis flavidis apicem versus fuscis; iride
brunnea : long. tot. 11:0, alæ 9:0, caudæ 3.8, rostri a fronte 1:04, a rictu 1:4, tarsi 1:07, dig.
med. cum ung. 1.4.
Hab. in Oceano Pacifico meridionali orientali (Giglioli).
Dr. Giglioli first saw this species on the 5th of August. It followed the
wake of the ‘Magenta' up to the 10th of the same month, in lat. 18° 4' S.,
long. 79° 35' W., not far from the Peruvian coast. It reappeared more
numerously, following the ship's wake, during the cruise from Callao to

256
PROCELLARIIDÆ.
Valparaiso, in September. Its flight is described as resembling that of a
Prion.
In the four specimens collected, the describers noticed, besides slight
differences in size, some discrepancies in colour, especially in the external
rectrices, which were more or less spotted with greyish, the outermost being
sometimes quite white.
E. defilippiana is rightly referred to the group containing E. cooki of
Gray, to which must be added E. leucoptera of Gould, its affinity, as regards
the stoutness of its bill, being perhaps nearer to the last-mentioned species.
It may easily be recognized from both these species, as a comparison of
the accompanying Plate with that of . cooki in the “Voyage of the Erebus
and Terror' on the one hand, and with that of E. leucoptera in the seventh
volume of Gould's “Birds of Australia' on the other, will show.
When describing the species I called E. externa (Ibis, 1875, p. 373), I
at one time supposed that it might be allied to the bird now under consider-
ation ; but since seeing the types of C. defilippiä, it is clear to me that the
two are widely distinct species.
PUFFINUS ELEGANS.
Plate XXXIV.
Puffinus - ? et P. elegans, Gigl. & Salvad. Ibis, 1869, pp. 67, 68; iid. Atti Soc. Ital. Sc.
Nat. xi. p. 457; Gigl. Faun. Vertebr. nell'Oceano, p. 32.
P. supra ex toto cinereo-plumbeus, plumis totis angustissime albo limbatis ; tectricibus alarum
mediis, majoribus ac remigibus secundariis albo limbatis, fascias tres trans alam formantibus ;
subtus, tectricibus alæ inferioribus remigibusque intus candidis ; capitis ac colli lateribus
albo-cinereo-mixtis ; cauda brevi ex toto cinereo-plumbea; tarsis postice nigris, antice cæru-
lescentibus; digitis subtus nigris, supra cærulescentibus, palamis albidis, unguibus nigris ;
rostro tenui, cærulescente, culmine et apice nigris; iride brunnea : long. tot. 11:5, alæ 7.3,
caudæ 2.7, rostri a fronte 1.07, a rictu 1:4, tarsi 1:7, dig. med. cum ung. 1.95.
Hab. in Oceano Atlantico meridionali (Giglioli).

19
J.G. Keulemans lith.
M&N Hanhart imp
PUFFINUS ELEGANS.


PROCELLARIIDÆ.
257
The only specimen of this species seen was shot on the 2nd of March,
1866, in the South Atlantic, lat. 43° 54' S., long. 9° 20' E.
In describing this species the authors suggest that it may be the bird
indicated in Banks's Drawings as Nectris munda (cf. anteà, p. 236); and there
appears to be some reason for this suggestion, though, after looking carefully
at the drawing and Solander's MS. note attached to this name, I see little
chance, from such incomplete materials, of coming to any decision respecting
it. Under these circumstances I think that the name P. elegans had best be
adhered to for this bird-i. e. supposing it to be a species distinct from all
others.
That this may ultimately prove not to be the case is suggested by the
fact that the single specimen yet known is a young bird that has just thrown
off its down, the remains of which are still visible; moreover the white
edgings to the feathers of the upper plumage in this specimen are so unusual
in this genus that I am disposed to doubt their being characteristic of the
adult bird. Still, apart from this point of doubtful value, there remains the
clear cinereous colouring of the upper plumage, which corresponds with that
of no other species of Puffinus that I am acquainted with. It is thus quite
likely that Puffinus elegans will stand as a distinct species.


THE BIRDS OF THE FIJI ISLANDS
BY MR. G. D. ROWLEY.
THE Viti archipelago is situated to the east of Wallace's line; and the
Fijian, Tongan, and Samoan groups form, to speak in zoogeographical
language, the third or Central-Polynesian province of the third (Polynesian)
subregion of the Australian Region, which latter is one of Mr. Sclater's six
(cf. Encyclop. Brit. 9th edit. p. 741, “ Birds”).
The Fiji Islands (discovered by Tasman in 1643) are said to be the
finest group in the South Seas, comprising about two hundred reef-bound
islets and rocks, of which sixty-five are inhabited by a population of about
200,000, and are of volcanic origin, generally hilly and well wooded. Viti
Levu is the largest and most populous. This is eighty-seven by fifty-seven
miles in area.
The ornis of these islands, now belonging to the dominions of Her
Majesty, does not appear to be numerically great. Mr. Edgar L. Layard
says :-“ On Ovalau we have nothing but hills, among which dwell the only
birds really worth seeking; the whole country, however, is singularly
destitute of them. Pigeons may be heard all round; but they are very
difficult to see. They are the commonest of all our birds. I suppose
seventy species may be set down as the number inhabiting an area of 7400
square miles, but scattered over a space five times as large as Wales.”
The species, however, if not numerous, are of considerable interest; and
I propose to select a few for illustration in this work.
2 N

260
THE BIRDS OF THE FIJI ISLANDS.
MYIAGRA AZUREOCAPILLA, Layard, sp. n.
(The Blue-headed Flycatcher.)
This new addition to the genus Myiagra* was made by Mr. E. L. Layard,
Administrator of the Government of the Colony of Fiji, who says (Ibis,
3rd ser. vol. v. Oct. 1875, p. 434):-
“MYIAGRA AZUREOCAPILLA, sp. n.
General colour above dark sombre blue ; tail and wing-primaries
black, the latter externally edged with the blue of the back; top of the head
and cheeks from below the eye rich azure-blue; a black band extends from
over the nostrils and passes round the nape of the neck, including the eye
in its breadth; chin, throat, and chest dark rich chocolate-brown, reddest
on the chin; remainder of the underparts bluish white. Length 6' 3'',
wing 3" 3", tail 3", tarsus 10'', bill 9''. Beak orange; legs slate-colour;
iris dark horn.
“f. General colour above chocolate-brown; top of head bluish ; cheeks
chocolate and white; tail and wing-primaries brownish black, the latter
edged externally with the chocolate of the back, the former more or less
tipped with white, most visible on the underside; chin, throat, and chest as
in the male, but not so dark, being almost red. This colour extends down
the flanks and tinges the remainder of the underparts, which are white. In
the bill the upper mandible is dark horn, the under orange.
“I propose to call this pretty Flycatcher Myiagra azureocapilla, from
the lengthened azure-coloured feathers on the top of the head. It was first
obtained by Mr. Liardet, in the north of the island Taviuni in this group, and
near the same locality by my son, Mr. Leopold Layard. The latter informs
* From uvia, a fly, and äypa, a capture.

JG Keulemans lith
M&N Hanhart imp
MYIAGRA AZURE O CAPILLA, L ayard



M& N.Hanhart imp
J.G. Keulemans lith.
TRICHOGLOSSUS AUREOCINCTUS.

THE BIRDS OF THE FIJI ISLANDS.
261
me that they frequent the forest, perching on the lower trees. He never
found them in the low country, but at an elevation of 600 or 800 feet. This
is all covered with forest. They feed on insects, in search of which they
are very restless and active. They were sometimes in pairs, at others
solitary.”
TRICHOGLOSSUS AUREOCINCTUS, Layard.
This species appeared in the 'Annals and Magazine of Natural History,
November 1875, p. 344 :-
“XLVI.—Description of a new Species of Trichoglossus from Fiji.
By E. L. LAYARD, Esq., F.Z.S., Consul for Fiji and Tonga.
66
Trichoglossus aureicinctus, Layard.
“Upper parts all green, except the tip of the tail-feathers, brightest on
the rump, cheeks, and forehead; body below green; a deep crimson patch
extends from the base of the bill as far as, but below, the eye, down the chin
and throat to the chest, where it is bordered by a golden band, the feathers
between this and the green of the body being more or less scale-like in their
markings : tail-feathers-three outer ones red at the base, yellow on the
point, half black markings on outer webs; fourth black at base, with red
spot, and yellow at point; rest black at base, yellow at point : bill and feet
red ; eyes dark buff; wing-feathers, inner web black, outer broadly
bordered with green.
“Length 65 inches, wing 3), tail 31, tarse 4 lines, bill 6 lines.
“ This species was first indicated by my son, Mr. Leopold Layard, who
2 N 2

262
THE BIRDS OF THE FIJI ISLANDS.
saw flocks of them at Taviuni in company with Lorius solitarius, but could
not obtain one. A few were subsequently shot (I believe, on Ovalau) by
some one; and one passed into my possession.”
و و
The illustration is taken from a fine male and female collected by
Mr. E. L. Layard at Ngila, Taviuni, Fiji, 1st August, 1875, the food of
which is stated to have been flowers. Both are in my collection.
Length of the male 64 inches ; female 61 inches. There appears to be
no difference between the sexes except that of size.
[TO BE CONTINUED.)


J.G. Keulemans lith.
M&N Hanhart imp
AMMOMANES DESERTI.
DESERT
LARKS

AMMOMANES DESERTI (Licht.), AMMOMANES
ISABELLINA Temm.),
AND ISABELLINE BIRDS.
By Mr. G. D. ROWLEY.
CABANIS, the founder of this genus, gives the derivation (Mus. Hein. i.
p. 125, 1850):-—“Ammomanes: th. õupos, ov, “, sand; and uaivo" or uaivojai,
I madly wish for, dote upon. Thus hippomanes.
Amomanes (1853) et Annomanes (1855), Bp., were probably, both of
them, printer's errors. They are mentioned in Gray's 'Hand-list of Genera
and Species,' part ii. p. 121. no. 1941 (1870).
Type A. pallida.
Mr. R. B. Sharpe (P. Z. S. 1874, part iv, p. 626) says :-“The characters
given in the synopsis define the relations of this genus, in which a system of
uniform dorsal coloration appears to be a point of no small generic
significance.” Plate Lxxvi. fig. 2, Ammomanes grayi, is a very pretty
example of a light-sandy, isabelline bird.
Mr. Alfred Russel Wallace, in his "Natural Selection,' quotes the
Rev. H. B. Tristram (Ibis, vol. i. 1859, p. 430) thus :—“In the Desert,
where neither trees, brushwood, nor even undulation of surface afford the
slightest protection from its foes, a modification of colour, which shall be
assimilated to that of the surrounding country, is absolutely necessary.
Hence, without exception, the upper plumage of every bird, whether Lark,
Chat, Sylvian, or Sand-grouse, and also the fur of all the small mammals,
and the skin of all the Snakes and Lizards, is of one uniform isabelline or
sand colour."

264
AMMOMANES DESERTI, AMMOMANES ISABELLINA,
Of course the term “isabelline,” and its origin, is well known to
ornithologists; but for the sake of those who are not, it might be of use to
mention that the lady who gave rise to the epithet was Clara Eugenia
Isabella, daughter of Philip II., King of Spain, and Isabella of France. She
was Infanta of Spain and wife of the unfrocked Cardinal Albert, Archbishop
of Toledo, youngest of the three surviving brothers of the Emperor Rudolph,
and married by the Pope himself (officiating in his triple crown) at Ferrara,
1598, by proxy
This colour (in French, “isabelle ”) is a brownish yellow—the hue
of unwashed linen, the Infanta having made a vow, in 1601, not to change
her under-garment until her husband captured Ostend. Though the siege
began at the above date, the town was not taken till 1604, when the linen of
which this portion of her clothing was composed had assumed the above-
named hue (vide Webster's Dictionary).
In the United Netherlands,' by John Lothrop Motley, D.C.L., vol. iv.
pp. 72-84, she fires off “a forty-pounder, with her own serene fingers, to
encourage the artillerymen,” and appears “ magnificent in ruff and farthingale
and brocaded petticoat, attended by a cavalcade of Ladies of Honour in
gorgeous attire.” No mention is made here of the vow, or of the condition
of her clothing, which, however, had not then (1601) changed to what it
became in 1604; for not till that time was she released from her vow, not-
withstanding her Pilgrimages to our Lady of Hall.
I here record my thanks to Mrs. Bury Palliser and Messrs. Sampson
Low & Son, and Marston, for permission to copy the portrait of this Arch-
duchess from the History of Lace,' which I have done, thinking that the
features of the lady whose name appears so frequently in the pages of science
throughout the world must be interesting. Great heiress as she was (for
she had the Low Countries for her dower), and granddaughter also of the
Emperor Charles V., these facts are less known than the isabelline colour to
the name of which she gave origin.

TOYO
ISABELLA CLARA EUGENIA,
DAUGHTER OF PHILIP II., ARCHDUCHESS OF AUSTRIA, GOVERNESS OF THE NETHERLANDS,
DIED 1633,
ORIGINATOR OF THE ISABELLINE COLOUR.


AND ISABELLINE BIRDS.
265
In “The Ibis' (N. S. vol. ii. 1866, p. 283), “On the Ornithology of
Palestine,” part iv., Mr. Tristram says, “ the only egg of this Cuckoo
[Cuculus canorus, L.] we found was near Jericho, in the nest of a Desert-
Lark (Ammomanes isabellinus).” Again (p. 286), “the next group, Ammo-
manes, is an exclusively desert form, and very closely allied to the typical
Alauda. While in the Sahara it is represented by four species, we found
but two in Palestine, both confined to the Dead-Sea region and the southern
wilderness. Of these, A. deserti (Licht.) is the least common, being
met with only in the highlands close to the Dead Sea, in very small
bands."
That colour has for its object, at least in some birds, the safety of the
owner, has been pointed out by Mr. Wallace. He mentions also the coat of
the arctic bear and the American polar hare, which, he says, are white all the
year round. In the ptarmigan of Scotland we have an example of a
plumage which changes as the danger arrives, with equal step. Mr. Sharpe,
in his lecture delivered in the Hulme Town Hall, Manchester, November 10,
1875, says “the Hoopoes (Upupida), by reason of their sandy colour,
might be known almost certainly to be inhabitants of a desert region.
It is said that this sandy colour is a great protection to the Hoopoe;
for, on seeing a Hawk, he throws himself flat upon the ground, turns his
wings round, and sticks his bill up in the air, so as to look as much as
possible like a bit of old rag.”
Here let me remark on the tendency which desert birds appear to have
to run instead of fly. Of course the Ostrich occurs to one's mind; but
Mr. Dresser observes of Cursorius isabellinus, the familiar Cream-coloured
Courser of our British lists, now, alas ! turned into Cursorius gallicus ( Birds
of Europe, Sept. 1875, C. GALLICUS, p. 5):-“By those who have had an
opportunity of observing it in a wild state, it is said to be a true desert-bird,
and to a certain extent local in its distribution even there. Before taking

266
AMMOMANES DESERTI, AMMOMANES ISABELLINA,
wing it runs a short distance, and seldom far or high, preferring to trust
to swiftness of foot for safety.” By the way, according to the latest
theory, this species should have lost the power of flight. Dr. A. L. Adams,
on the birds of Egypt and Nubia (Ibis, vol. vi. 1864, p. 25), says of
Ammomanes pallida, “it runs at great speed, and, like the other Sand-Larks,
stops every few steps.”
99
The superstition of the Spanish Princess reminds us of the dirty hair shirt,
swarming with vermin, worn next to the skin by Thomas à Becket, under
his rich robes, and found after his death on his body, December 29, 1170,-
a fact which vastly added to the sanctity of the Archbishop in the opinions
of that age, and raised such transports of enthusiasm that the monks
“kissed the hands and feet of the corpse, and called him by the name of
· Saint Thomas,' by which, from that time forward, he was so long known
to the world” (STANLEY's Memorials of Canterbury, p. 97).
The like want of cleanliness produced perhaps not so potent an
influence on the soldiers of the two Archdukes, as the Infanta and her
husband were always called ; men's feelings had changed, and this kind of
piety was out of date. Yet we see both science and religion alike affected
by two dirty articles of dress.
The number of species of animals named after this Spanish lady, and
particularly of birds, rendered it necessary to relate a not very agreeable
anecdote. Mr. George Robert Gray, in his ‘Hand-list of Genera and Species
of Birds,' part iii. Index, p. 251, mentions twenty-seven instances; and
the isabelline colour is spoken of, and so called, by the scientific in both the
Old and New Worlds. When, however, a Fellow of the Linnean Society
sends out a list of plants, and among them Phlox isabellina, he perhaps
knows not the story of the Infanta.
Through the kindness of Canon Tristram the two birds in the Plate
have been presented to my collection; he shot them both himself. The male

AND ISABELLINE BIRDS.
267
is from Marsaba, in the Wilderness of Judæa, and the female from Ain
Feshkhah, on the north-western shore of the Dead Sea. He adds in a letter
to me, dated 22nd of December, 1875:-“I used to think that the Ammo-
manes of Palestine might be separated from the African one.
It is not so
ruddy in hue, but that is all; and I attribute it to the fact that the sand of
the Sahara is of a ruddier hue than the Arabian. There is no desert-bird
which is more difficult to detect on the ground than this Lark.
The adap-
tation of colour for concealment by nature has here reached perfection.
Very often the neighbourhood of a little flock is only discoverable by a slight
cloud of sand as they scratch and dust themselves. Confident in the pro-
tection of their garb of quaker drab, when the traveller nears them they
simply remain quiet; and it is only if he stops that they take wing. I never
heard them sing, though they carry on a rapid chatter in a monotone at all
times; but then I only once came across the nest, formed merely of a few
bents in a camel's footprint. The eggs are as much paler than those of
other Larks as is the plumage of the parents. Their food seems to consist
principally of small sand-burrowing beetles; and the species is strictly
confined to sandy deserts, never frequenting rocky districts or visiting the
oases and patches of cultivation.”
Comparing such specimens as I have at hand (three in number) with
the British Sky-Lark, I find that Ammomanes deserti has a peculiar flocculent
feather, extremely soft and beautiful. This appears to me to arise from the
circumstance mentioned to me by Mr. Keulemans, that the atmosphere is
filled with “sand-powder, fine as meal.” He adds that he has seen “the
Egyptian Vulture seemingly of a bright golden-yellow, produced by the
dark brown sand-fog.” The feathers of birds of our more northern clime are
usually hard, not having gone through the process of pulverization, if I may
use such a term to express the continual impression produced by blown sand.
Mr. Tristram says (P. Z. S. 1864, p. 434), in his report on the birds of
Palestine, "Alauda arvensis, L., common in the maritime plains and northern
uplands in winter. Not observed afterwards.” It is remarkable that the
2 o

268
ON AMMOMANES AND ISABELLINE BIRDS.
paleness of the plumage of the Desert-Lark extends to the eggs, which
means to the colouring-matter belonging to them.
It is not possible to notice all the isabelline birds, such as Saxicola
isabellina, the Isabelline Chat, Dresser's Birds of Europe' (part xxviii. May
1874, p. 19), and the several species of Sand-Grouse, &c. Some are com-
pletely, and others only partially affected, by the colour in question.
Perhaps the most interesting is Caprimulgus isabellinus, Rüpp.
C. ægyptius, Licht., Shelley’s ‘Birds of Egypt' (p. 175, with plate). Here
we have a case of double mimicry in one bird, or mimicry upon mimicry.
First there is the ordinary plumage, resembling C. europeus, Linn., which
imitates the bark of a tree-over which comes the isabelline hue of the desert
to wash that into sand.
Among British species none is more valued than Cursorius isabellinus,
Flem, now, alas ! turned into Cursorius gallicus—a sad wrench to one's
feelings, much like a visit to the dentist, but, I suppose, a stern necessity.
This is a true desert-bird; and isabellinus, from the colour, is very appropriate.
British-killed specimens fetch high prices ; but perhaps none exceeded the
Leverian example ; for, at the sale of the Museum, “it was purchased from
Fichtel, who had bought it, by that zealous naturalist Donovan, for the sum
of eighty-three guineas. It is now deposited in the British Museum
(Shaw's 'General Zoology,' vol. xi. Aves, p. 501).
Doubtless this price, a strong one even in our time, secures so interesting
à skin the utmost care and attention. According to Montagu, Mr. William
Harnmond, its first owner, presented it to Dr. Latham, who figured it. I
have not seen the bird.
و
و
وو
Mr. Keulemans has drawn a desert scene for this article, which at least
has one merit, there is no camel in it, dead or alive! The reader must
endeavour kindly to enter into it: the sleepy half-closed eye of the bird, the
glare, the drought, &c. are placed before him. If, as I hope, he will lend
himself to a state of things which I cannot describe, not having been in the
Sahara (while probably he has, and knows it much better than I do),
imagination will assist both the artist and myself.

ON THE GEOGRAPHICAL DISTRIBUTION
OF BARN-OWLS.
By R. BOWDLER SHARPE, F.L.S., F.Z.S., &c.,
ZOOLOGICAL DEPARTMENT, BRITISH MUSEUM.
In the second part of this Journal Mr. Dawson Rowley has given a short
note on the dark or Danish race of the Barn-Owl, accompanied by an
excellent figure of the bird by Mr. Keulemans. Having drawn attention to
the occurrence of this dark form in England, Mr. Rowley was so kind as to
ask me to supplement the details there given by a few observations as to the
distribution of Barn-Owls over the earth's surface; and this I have now
the pleasure of doing. I have already stated (Cat. Birds, vol. ii. pp. 294-296)
my general views on the subject of Barn-Owls; but as in a technical
volume like the British-Museum Catalogue it was impossible to go very
deeply into the reasons which guided my ultimate conclusion, I am glad to
have a further opportunity for ventilating the subject, and for publishing a
considerable mass of notes which I had accumulated during the compilation
of my article on Strix flammea and its allies.
Most Owls have two distinct phases, a light and a dark one; and the
Barn-Owls are no exception to the rule, although the fact has not been
brought into any great prominence by English writers on ornithology.
Mr. Stevenson, however, in his 'Birds of Norfolk,' p. 53, refers to a very
dark-coloured bird killed in that county on December 13th, 1864; and on
comparison with a Danish example sent over by Professor Reinhardt, it was
pronounced to be identical with the deeply coloured form resident in that
2 o 2

270
ON THE GEOGRAPHICAL
country. Mr. Hancock mentions a Northumberland specimen ; and, lastly,
we have Mr. Rowley's Brighton bird*.
There are therefore three occurrences of the Danish Barn-Owl in
England, all of them having taken place on the eastern and south-eastern
coasts; and in this fact consists the great interest of their visit, when taken
in connexion with the occasional appearance of other Scandinavian birds in
the same part of Great Britain—such, for instance, as Acredula caudata,
Cinclus melanogaster, &c.; but announcements of Danish Barn-Owls in
England must be received with extreme caution, inasmuch as our own
species has a natural dark phase which scarcely differs from the ordinary
bird of the continent of Europe ; and I believe that a thorough examination
of the Barn-Owls of all countries would show that in every district,
excepting in the few localities mentioned below, both phases are found in
equal proportions. I must observe at least that several examples killed in
England recently, and brought to me as Danish Barn-Owls, have not been
so really, but have turned out to be the dark phase of our resident bird.
The materials on which this paper is founded are contained in the
collection of the British Museum ; and I cannot contemplate the noble series
which we now possess in the National collection without acknowledging the
efforts of Dr. Günther, the Keeper of the Zoological Department, who has
procured on every side the specimens necessary for a complete study of
these difficult birds.
I will now proceed to consider the range of Barn-Owls; and for this
purpose I may divide them into two groups/true Barn-Owls and Grass-
Owls; of the latter three species (two African and one Asiatic) are known,
of which more presently. We commence with the Palæarctic region.
Great Britain. In its light phase the English Barn-Owl presents such
* Another, probably a male, was taken alive in the same dovecote, February 22, 1876.-G. D. R.

DISTRIBUTION OF BARN-OWLS.
271
a strongly marked character in its white tail, that were it not for the
existence of the dark phase it would almost deserve to be separated as a
distinct race from the Barn-Owl of the continent; the only other Strix
which seems to have a similar white tail is found in Jamaica and Columbia.
S. flammea seems to be generally distributed over Great Britain.
Mr. A. G. More gives it as a general breeding-bird all over the country;
but he says it is “very rare in the north of Scotland, and nests only
occasionally in Ross and Caithness. Low states that it used to breed in
Hoy; but the bird has not been recently seen in the Orkneys” (Ibis, 1865,
p. 15).
Mr. Robert Gray (´ Birds of the West of Scotland,' p. 58) writes as
follows :-“ Judging from the numbers of this beautiful Owl which are sent
to the shops of the Glasgow bird-stuffers, it would appear to be one of the
commonest 'feathered mousers ' in the neighbourhood of that city. There
is scarcely, indeed, a ruined building of any consequence within a radius of
thirty miles of Glasgow, but what is frequented by one or two pairs. Yet
it is by no means widely distributed as a Scottish species, some of the more
northern counties being totally destitute of the associations which its
presence has given rise to. In the western islands I have been able to trace
it only in Mull and Islay; in the former locality it is rather rare, but in the
latter it is well known in two districts at least-the woods at Islay house
and Port-Askaig, as I have been informed by Mr. Elwes.”
“In Iona,” says Mr. Graham, “where we have a venerable ruined
belfry and a moon, we have no Owl to live in the one or mope her melan-
choly at the other.” “In the east of Scotland the white Owl is common
enough from Berwickshire to Aberdeenshire, with the exception of perhaps
Forfarshire: it is likewise found in many of the midland counties, especially
those south of Perthshire. In Banffshire it is rare : but westward it becomes
more common, and is by no means rare in Ross-shire.”
It is not mentioned in Dr. Saxby's work on the birds of Shetland.
According to Mr. Thompson (' Birds of Ireland,' p. 92) it is the most common

272
ON THE GEOGRAPHICAL
species of Owl in Ireland, and takes up its abode in towns as well as in
country districts. It is very rare in the island of Rathlin (Dr. Marshall).
My notes on the British-Museum series are as follows :
A. The adult male described in the Catalogue' is from Shropshire,
where it was procured by Mr. Gould. It is pure white below, the wings
being perfectly uniform underneath and the quills and the tail not banded.
Total length 13 inches, wing 11:9, tail 5'0, tarsus 2:2, middle toe 1.1.
B. A female bird, also from Shropshire (October 16th, 1868), has the
under surface white, but shows a few tiny spots on the flanks and under
wing-coverts; chest slightly washed with buff; quills barred, though not
very distinctly, except on the inner web near the shaft, showing four dark
spots on the lower surface of the quills; tail orange, tipped with white, and
having four distinct bands of ashy-black. The upper surface much greyer
than in the preceding bird. Total length 13.5 inches, wing 11:8, tail 5'4,
tarsus 2:3, middle toe 1:15.
C. Another female, from Sarsden, Oxfordshire (November 18th, 1868),
is very pure white below, but has numerous small dots on the sides of the body
and under wing-coverts ; quills with indications of bars, but none perfectly
formed; tail also barred, the centre feathers completely, but the others
imperfectly; face white, with a rufous patch in front of the eye; the ruff
white, very distinctly tipped with orange-buff, especially on the upper parts.
Total length 14 inches, wing 12:0, tail 5•2, tarsus 2.2, middle toe l'15.
D. A second female, killed at Sarsden on the 7th of October, 1868, is
very dark-coloured both above and below, especially on the lower parts, which
are deep orange-buff, covered with numerous small brown dots on the chest
and flanks, as well as on the axillaries and under wing-coverts ; quills with
remains of bars below, represented by blackish spots on the inner web; tail
rich orange-buff mottled at the tip with greyish and crossed with four dark-
grey bars; ruff very rich orange, the lower plumes whitish and tipped with
brown ; face silvery white, the feathers round the eye rufous, deeper in front
1

DISTRIBUTION OF BARN-OWLS.
273
seen.
of the eye. Total length 12 inches, wing 115, tail 5:0, tarsus 2.2, middle toe
1:05. This specimen is a typical example of the dark phase of the English bird.
E. A female from Esher, in Surrey, presented by Mr. Bond and
supposed to be a Danish Barn-Owl, is very little darker than the foregoing
Sarsden specimen, belonging, like that bird, to the dark phase of our
ordinary species, and not to be mistaken for the deeply coloured Owl of
Silesia; it is, however, the darkest English-killed specimen I have yet
The breast is thickly though minutely spotted with triangular dots
of brown, a little larger on the flanks ; ruff deep orange, with dark brown
tips to the lower feathers; facial aspect greyish white, the feathers rufous
all round the eyes, inclining to dark brown in front of the latter ; wing-
coverts and quills deep orange, very distinctly barred with grey; tail deep
orange, with four distinct greyish bars, besides the greyish mottled tips;
bands on quills four. Total length 12.5 inches, wing 12:0, tail 5-2, tarsus
2.2, middle toe 1:15.
F. A very pale bird, from Epping, presented by Mr. H. Doubleday,
has the markings of the upper surface coarse and very light grey; face
dusky greyish white, inclining to silvery white on the hinder margin, here
resembling the ruff, which is also white, with a few tips of orange-buff ;
in front of the eye a patch of rufous feathers; under surface of body pure
white, with a few tiny specks of brown on the side of the breast scarcely
visible; primary-coverts rich orange, mottled only at the tip ; quills very
pale, with no distinct bars on the upper surface, but exhibiting here and
there irregular freckled vermiculations; the lower surface of the wing per-
fectly uniform; tail very light buff, inclining to white on the outer feathers;
no complete bars on it anywhere, nothing but a few faint vermiculations
of brown, with a small irregularly shaped brown spot near the base of
many of the rectrices. Total length 13.5 inches, wing 12:1, tail 5'4, tarsus
2:3, middle toe l'15.
G. A bird from Combe Wood, obtained from Mr. Leadbeater, has the
wings and tail narrowly barred, the latter tipped with white and crossed with

274
ON THE GEOGRAPHICAL
four bars, but with scarcely any mottling at the tip; under surface white,
with a few tiny dots of brown on the sides of the body and on the breast ;
the chest washed with orange. Total length 13 inches, wing 11:4, tail 5:0,
tarsus 23, middle toe 1:15.
H. Cambridgeshire (Mr. J. Clark : Specimen D of Mr. G. R. Gray's
* List of British Birds,' 1863). Richly coloured above, and pretty thickly
mottled with grey ; underneath white, the chest tinged with orange, with a
few tiny spots on the lower breast and sides of the body; quills nearly
devoid of bars on the outer web, but distinctly marked with brown on the
inner; tail pale orange, inclining to white on the outer web and crossed with
five rather narrow bars of brown, the tip of the tail whitish, not mottled with
grey; face greyish white, rufous round the eye, deeper in front of the latter;
on the quills remains of four bars. Total length 12:5 inches, wing 12:4, tail
5.2, tarsus 2.2, middle toe 1.15.
I. Devonshire (Colonel Montagu). Even allowing for the length of time
since this specimen was preserved, it must, when freshly killed, have been
a very pale-coloured bird, judging from its nearly uniform quills and facial
disk, the latter blending with the ruff, which is silvery white, excepting for
a slight tip of brown to some of the lower feathers; under surface pure
white; tail pale orange-buff, with four narrow dissolving bands; the tail
without mottlings at the tip, and the breaking-up of the bands showing that
these become gradually dissolved when the species gains its fully adult
plumage. Middle toe l'1 inch.
K. Cambridgeshire. A male preserved by Mr. Baker, from whom some
of our best British specimens have been received in the British Museum.
Breast pure white, but plentifully spotted with greyish black; upper
surface very grey on the back, but not particularly marked on the head,
which is rather clearer orange; five bars on tail, rather narrow, but
distinctly indicated, the tip slightly mottled with greyish brown; remains of
four nearly obsolete bars on the quills. Total length 13 inches, wing 11:8,
tail 5:4, tarsus 2:3, middle toe about 1.2.

DISTRIBUTION OF BARN-OWLS.
275
L. A female, also from Cambridgeshire (Baker), has much fewer spots
on the breast, and the general aspect of the bird is paler; the gular feathers
of the ruff distinctly tipped with black, forming a gorget; bands on tail
four in number, very distinct, the feathers more mottled with brown at the
tip than in the foregoing male ; remains of three bars on the quills. Total
length 12.5 inches, wing 11:7, tail 5:0, tarsus 2.3, middle toe 1.2.
The following is a summary of my observations with respect to Strix
flammea in Great Britain :
1. Two phases of plumage in the Barn-Owl are met with in England.
2. In the light phase the old bird gets a perfectly white tail, sometimes
with a few remains of bars.
3. The bird in its dark phase is always more richly coloured, and has
the wing and tail distinctly barred. Every portion of the plumage is darker,
and the ends of the quills and of the tail-feathers are mottled with dull grey.
4. In the light phase the tail is often white at the tip, with some bars
which, from their generally imperfect condition, seem to indicate that they
disappear gradually, leaving the tail white.
5. In the dark phase these bars are always retained, and the tail never
gets white or uniform.
6. The amount of spotting on the breast is a worthless and variable
character, for it is found in both phases, but perhaps gets less with age.
7. There is a tendency to a more distinctly rufous facial disk in the
dark phase.
8. The number of bars on the quills and tail is a variable character.
The general number in both phases is four, but on two occasions I have
found five. This difference does not depend on sex.
The Barn-Owl is found in most parts of continental Europe, but does
2 P

276
ON THE GEOGRAPHICAL
Illustrative of its distribution I give the
not occur in the northern parts.
following remarks :-
Scandinavia. It seems to be a very rare visitant to Sweden, as only
one instance of its occurrence is known, at Ystad, in the south of the country,
in October 1834. The bird figured by Prof. Sundevall (Sv. Fogl. pl. lxxi.
fig. 1) seems to be of the dark race, albeit somewhat white in the visage.
Denmark. As Professor Newton states, “it is rare in Denmark, and its
distribution is limited to the mainland and some only of the islands that form
that kingdom” (ed. Yarr. Brit. Birds, vol. i. p. 197). As might be expected,
the specimen figured by Kjærbölling is of the darkest possible coloration
(Dan. Fugle, pl. vii.).
It has not been known to occur in Finland, and is not included in Von
Wright's book on the birds of that country.
Germany. Borggreve (Vogelf. Norddeutschl. p. 62) records it as a
resident bird in North Germany, but nowhere very common. In Pomerania
it is pretty plentiful, and breeds (Hintz, J. f. O. 1868, p. 297); very common
in Mark (Vangerow, J. f. O. 1855, p. 184); Anhalt (Pässler, J. f. 0. 1856,
p. 35); Münster, where both varieties occur, but the white one is the
commonest (Altum, J. f. 0. 1863, p. 116); Bavaria (Jaeckel, J. f. O. 1854,
p. 484); Saxony (Moeschler, mus. Lugd.).
N.B. The above are a few references to show the general distribution,
taken from the local lists published in the Journal für Ornithologie.' It
is to be noted that the birds figured by Meyer and Wolf in their ‘Vögel
Deutschlands' (pl. x. p. 185) and by Naumann (V. D. Taf. 47. fig. 2) are
both of them of the dark form. Brehm (V. D. p. 106) recognizes the white-
and tawny-breasted phases, which he separates into species, calling the
former Strix guttata, Brehm ; and the latter he refers to as the true Strix
flammea of Linnæus. The dark-coloured bird he figures (pl. vii. fig. 3).

DISTRIBUTION OF BARN-OWLS.
277
Afterwards he admitted two more forms, S. adspersa, Brehm, and S. mar-
garitata, Paul v. Würtemburg.
M. An adult male from Westphalia is very dark above, but still not
nearly so richly coloured as the preceding bird; below, however, there is no
difference in the deep tint of the orange-buff, the whole of the underparts
being spotted with dark brown, most of the spots having a conterminous
white spot attached to them; the ruff not so deeply coloured, nor are the
brown tips to the feathers so distinct ; face whiter, with a strong shade of
rufous, but not so deep as in the male bird from Silesia ; bands on
primaries five, on the tail four. Total length 12.5 inches, wing 11:0, tail 5'1,
tarsus 2:35, middle toe 1:15.
Frisian Islands. Von Droste records it as a rare visitor to Borkum
(J. f. 0. 1864, p. 423).
Belgium. Common and breeding in this country (De Selys-Longchamps,
Faune Belge, p. 61).
Holland. It is plentiful in this country, and breeds plentifully, to judge
by the large series of old and young birds contained in the Leiden Museum,
from the neighbourhood of that town. Schlegel figures the dark race in
his pretty series of plates in the “Vogels van Nederland’ (pl. 41); but the
specimen seems to have a peculiarly light visage. In the illustration of
the head given by him in the ‘Dieren van Nederland' (pl. 4. fig. 3), the
ordinary rufous tinge round the eye is exhibited.
France. Degland and Gerbe say that of all the Owls it is the most
common resident in France (Orn. Eur. i. p. 133). The same is recorded of
it by Lemetteil, in his list of the Birds of the Department of the Seine-
Inférieure (i. p. 28). Messrs. Jaubert and Barthélémy-Lapommeraye (Rich.
Orn. p. 87) mention that the young birds are always more rufous, but that
2 P 2

278
ON THE GEOGRAPHICAL
there is no difference between the sexes, and that every variation between
white and rufous birds can be found, as is evidenced by a series in the
Museum at Marseilles. They state that, either as a resident or a migrant,
it is common over the whole of the south of France.
When in Paris I managed to secure three French specimens of the
Barn-Owl from my friend M. A. Bouvier. One had been killed in the
neighbourhood of Paris ; the other two were sent to him in the flesh, but he
did not remember the exact locality.
The following are my notes on these birds :-
N. Light phase, with white breast, slightly tinged with orange on
the sides of the chest and having a few dots of brown on the sides of
the breast ; wings with indications of bars on the outer web, represented by
dark spots on the inner ; tail orange-buff tipped with white, and inclining to
white on the outer web; no bars on the tail, but all over is an irregular
greyish mottling, thicker at the ends of the feathers. Total length 13 inches,
wing 11:9, tail 5:4, tarsus 2:5, middle toe l.2.
0. Dark phase. This specimen agrees best with Mr. Bond's dark bird
from Esher; but it is of a rather richer orange on the breast, though not
so thickly spotted with brown ; on the primaries are five greyish bands, on
the tail four ; facial disk white, the gular plumes of the ruff being less tipped
with brown than in the English specimens. Total length 13 inches, wing
11:5, tail 5:4, tarsus 2:5, middle toe 1.2.
P. Near Paris. Very dark in colour, the mottlings of the upper surface
being of a beautiful slaty grey, paler on the head, the ends of the quills and
tail also mottled with slaty grey; bands on quills and tail four ; under surface
of body rich orange-buff, numerously spotted with brown. Total length
12.5 inches, wing 11:3, tail 4:8, tarsus 2:4, middle toe 1.2.
Switzerland. M. Léon Olph-Galliard includes it in his list of the birds
of Le Valais, and says (under the heading of Stris splendens) :-“Without
discussing the specific value of the Barn-Owl, whose dominant colour of

DISTRIBUTION OF BARN-OWLS.
279
plumage is white, it is interesting to note that this form is found in La
Gruyère, where a fine example was taken some years ago at the chateau of
the town of Bulle.” Bailly says it is the most common of all the Owls in
Savoy (Orn. Sav. p. 189).
Austria. Fritsch records it as resident and breeding in Bohemia
(J. f. 0. 1872, p. 379), and he figures a moderately light-coloured specimen
in his 'Vögel Europa's' (tab. xi. fig. 4). Count Wodzicki notices it in the
Tatra Mountains and the Galician Carpathians (J. f. 0. 1853, p. 432).
Messrs. Danford and Harvie-Brown (Ibis, 1875, p. 296) relate that it
seems to have been formerly very common throughout Transylvania, but
is now becoming much scarcer. We obtained one near Bogát, on the Maros.
That, and all the stuffed specimens which we saw, varied from our British
type considerably, and were much darker in plumage. Herr Ottó says it has
established itself among the rushes at the lake of Katona. It is common
about Hermannstadt.”
Our two Austrian specimens in the Museum we owe to the kindness
of Mr. Howard Saunders, who allowed me to have them out of his private
collection in order to complete our series.
Q. A female from Silesia, bearing date July 26, 1870, is rather dark
above, quite as dark as the Esher and Paris specimens ; below it is very
pure white, thickly marked with triangular spots of ashy brown, the chest
with a slight tinge of orange; five bands on the primaries, four on the tail.
Total length 11.5 inches, wing 11:8, tail 5:0, tarsus 2:4, middle toe 1:35.
R. A male from Silesia : a beautiful dark specimen described by me
in the catalogue. Entirely grey above and deep orange below; bands on
primaries five, on tail five. Total length 13:0 inches, wing 118, tail 5.5,
tarsus 2:3, middle toe 1.15*.
Poland. Dr. Taczanowski tells us that it is common.
* These two specimens were registered, by inadvertence, as from Schleswig.

280
ON THE GEOGRAPHICAL
Russia. Our information respecting the bird in Eastern Europe is
excessively meagre, as is generally the case with Russian ornithology. We
are informed that it breeds in Curland by Goebel (J. f. O. 1873, p. 14); and
Fischer records it as found at Smolensk, in the St. Petersburg district
(J. f. O. 1872, p. 386), Dr. Taczanowski says that it is not mentioned in
any of the well-known Russian lists, but is known to occur in the Government
of Kiew, though Prof. Kessler himself has not seen it.
Von Nordmann states that it is rare in Southern Russia. He accounts
for its absence by the unsuitability of the country to the species. He
mentions a specimen which was captured near Odessa in September 1837,
and remarks that it was of the pale form, with the under surface white. It
is not mentioned by Ménétriés in his list of the birds of the Caucasus.
Greece. Lord Lilford says that he never heard of it on the mainland,
but he found it common in the island of Corfu, where it breeds in the old
fortifications about the town (Ibis, 1860, p. 133). Dr. Lindermayer (Vög.
Griechenl. p. 33) has never met with it himself; nor is it included by Erhardt
as occurring in the Cyclades. Count von der Mühle obtained a single
specimen, which was caught in open daylight by hand in the rocks at
Palamides, near Nauplia : the bird was white on the lower surface.
Italy. Salvadori (Ucc. Ital. p. 27) states that it is found in every part
of the country
Sicily. According to Doderlein (Avif. Sicil. p. 48) it is common and
resident.
Sardinia. Very common, teste Cara (Orn. Sard. p. 20).
Malta. Mr. Wright observes (Ibis, 1864, p. 49) :—“A few of these
birds are to be seen at all seasons, for the most part about the battlements
of Valetta and the Three Cities, where they breed in the ruined walls. Fresh
arrivals appear to arrive in spring and autumn.”

DISTRIBUTION OF BARN-OWLS.
281
Balearic Islands. A. von Homeyer (J. f. O. 1862, p. 252) mentions its
occurrence near Palma, Mahon, and Ciudadela.
Spain. Mr. Howard Saunders (Ibis, 1871, p. 64) says that it is
resident throughout the year in Southern Spain, and common everywhere.
Colonel Irby also says that on the Andalusian side of the Straits of Gibraltar
it is common and resident, nesting at the latter place in the Moorish castle
(B. Gibr. p. 57).
S. In the British Museum is a specimen collected by Mr. Howard
Saunders in Granada. It is an orange-coloured bird, the grey mottlings
being distributed over the upper surface, and the white spots tolerably
distinct ; on the quills remains of five bars; tail with four bars, and some-
times the trace of a fifth ; face white, rufous in front of the eye, the feathers
of the ruff adjoining the disk also white; the upper feathers of the ruff
orange, the lower ones tipped with blackish brown. Total length 12 inches,
wing 12, tail 5.1, tarsus 2:55, middle toe l.2.
Portugal. Professor Barboza du Bocage records it as very abundant in
Portugal; and the Rev. A. C. Smith also says that it is the commonest of all
the Owls in that country (Ibis, 1868, p. 437). Schlegel mentions that a
specimen from near Lisbon is very pale-coloured (Mus. P.-B. Revue Accipitr.
p. 15).
NORTHERN AFRICA.
Morocco. Favier's notes, as given by Colonel Irby (B. Gibr. p. 56), are
as follows:
66
This Owl, resident near Tangier, is nearly as abundant as the Little
Owl, inhabiting ruins and holes in rocks, and nesting twice a year, between
April and November.”
I have seen many specimens sent from the neighbourhood of Tangier by
M. Olcese; and the British Museum contains four of his collecting. The
first appearance of these birds is small; but I believe that this arises from
the peculiar "make-up” of the skins; but they are certainly very pale.

282
ON THE GEOGRAPHICAL
T. This is the darkest of the four, or, at least, it is the most coarsely
marked; the mottlings very large and coarse, especially on the head ; facial
disk white, with the usual rufous patch before the eye; feathers of the ruff
whitish on the throat, subterminally washed with orange and tipped with
dark brown, the upper feathers rich orange ; lower breast white, the chest
and sides of body washed with orange-buff and triangularly spotted with
dark brown, these spots being larger on the abdomen; bars on primaries
five, on tail four. Total length 13 inches, wing 11:7, tail 5:3, tarsus 2:7.
U. Is a very light grey bird above; below white, spotted with blackish,
the spots larger on the sides of the body and under wing-coverts, and
disappearing on the under tail-coverts and lower abdomen ; bars on primaries
five, on tail five, all very distinct; the tips of the tail-feathers very profusely
mottled with grey. Total length 11.5 inches, wing 12.0, tail 4:9, tarsus 2.5.
V. Similar to the foregoing ; bands on primaries four, very faintly indi-
cated, on tail four, the last one indistinct. Total length 12 inches, wing 11:8,
tail 5:0, tarsus 2:5.
W. This is the palest of all four specimens, and appears more orange
than any of them ; below pure white, with a few greyish-brown dots on the
sides of the body and under wing-coverts ; bands on primaries four, on tail
four, the last one dissolving ; ruff very pale creamy white, inclining to orange
only above the eye, the gular plumes only slightly tipped with black. Total
length 11.5 inches, wing 11:8, tail 5:0, tarsus 2:8.
Compared with English birds, these Tangier specimens are undoubtedly
more thickly mottled above and have much longer tarsi and toes.
Algeria. Mr. J. II. Gurney (Ibis, 1871, p. 72) says he shot a specimen
near Algiers, but saw no others. It is, however, common in the country,
according to Loche (Expl. Sci. d’Algér. Ois. p. 91), and Dr. Taczanowski
found it everywhere in Province Constantine (J. f. 0. 1870, p. 39).
Madeira. Breeds (Vernon Harcourt, P.Z. S. 1851, p. 142).

DISTRIBUTION OF BARN-OWLS.
283
Canaries. Recorded by Bolle (J. f. 0. 1874, p. 450) and by Mr. Godman,
who says that it is thinly scattered throughout the three Atlantic groups of
islands. He writes :-“Examples that I have seen from the Azores and
Canaries are rather darker-coloured than continental specimens, but in other
respects they do not differ” (Ibis, 1872, p. 168).
Azores. Mr. Godman observes :-“It is occasionally met with in the
eastern and central groups of the Azores. In Flores and Corvo I did not find
any one who either knew the bird or the Portuguese name for it; hence
conclude it does not extend to these outer islands. Several people in
St. Michael's and Terceira told me they had seen it; but I was unable
to procure a specimen. The captain of a whaling-vessel told me that one
flew on board his ship when about five hundred miles south-west of the
Azores” (Ibis, 1866, p. 94).
Palestine. Canon Tristram remarks :-“I started this bird once in the
daytime from a thicket of trees on the banks of the Jordan ” (Ibis, 1859,
p. 26). He adds, later on (Ibis, 1865, p. 263):-“There can be no doubt,
however, of its being by no means uncommon, as it is well known to the
Arabs of Jericho, and also near the Lake of Galilee, under the name of
· Boomeh abiad' (White Owl).”
Persia. It is not noticed by any one as occurring in this country, so far
as I can learn. Commander Jones procured one specimen in Mesopotamia
during the Euphrates expedition.
Turkestan. Dr. Severtzoff states that it has nearly the same range as
the Tawny Owl, occurring in the north-western district of Turkestan,
comprising Karatau, the western Thian-Shan mountains, the upper portions
of the Aris, Keless, Chirchik, and their tributaries, the lower Syr-Daria, from
the sources of the Aris to Lake Aral and the delta of the Syr-Daria ” (cf.
2 Q

284
ON THE GEOGRAPHICAL
Dresser, Ibis, 1875, p. 111). “It is rare and may be sedentary in the above
district, and is met with sporadically on the Chatir-kul and in the mountains
near the Aris river."
وو
ETHIOPIAN REGION.
Egypt. Mr. Stafford Allen states that it is a resident bird in Egypt
(Ibis, 1864, p. 236), and it was found breeding in that country by Mr. E.C.
Taylor (Ibis, 1867, p. 55). Captain Shelley (B. Egypt, p. 176) writes :-
“ This species is frequently to be met with throughout Egypt and Nubia,
generally in thick-foliaged trees or in ruins.” He describes an Egyptian
skin as being white below, slightly tinted with buff,
X. An Egyptian skin, presented to the British Museum many years ago
by Mr. Turnbull, is an ordinary bird of the light-plumaged type, the disk
being white, with a rufous shade in front of the eye; the ruff pale orange,
the lower feathers tipped with brown, more broadly on the gular plumes ;
breast white, tinged with orange on the chest, and everywhere minutely
spotted with brown, these spots forming a longitudinal streak on some of the
feathers ; five bands on the quills, very indistinct on the outer web; tail with
five bands. Total length 12:5 inches, wing 12:1, tail 5:1, tarsus 2.4.
Arabia. Von Heuglin (J. f. O. 1863, p. 14) mentions the Barn-Owl as
an inhabitant of this country; and the British Museum possesses a specimen
caught in the Red Sea, near Aden.
Y. It is a curious-looking bird, remarkable for the yellow tone of its
plumage, indicating probably that the ordinary Barn-Owl of Arabia is a
peculiar desert form. The mottlings and spots on the upper surface are very
scanty; under surface of body white, with a few tiny spots or streaks of
brown ; quills with remains of four bars; bars on tail four ; wings very deep
orange, the markings everywhere very few and apparently dissolving. Total
length 13 inches, wing 114, tail 5:1, tarsus 2:55.

DISTRIBUTION OF BARN-OWLS.
285
Abyssinia and adjacent countries. Von Heuglin states that it is “found
in the whole of North-eastern Africa, being more common in the mountains
of Abyssinia and the virgin forests, as also in Egypt and Nubia. The form
generally met with is white underneath, spotted with black. A male, shot
in Bogos, was remarkable for its small size and entirely black ruff. Vier-
thaler found it in December on the Blue Nile.” Von Heuglin also adds
that he received a good many examples at the end of January 1854, collected
in the Belanian mountains and in Olibó (5° N. lat.) (cf. Orn. N.O.-Afr.
p. 124). Mr. Blanford does not appear to have fallen in with it ; but Mr.
Jesse shot a specimen in the mangroves on the shore of Annesley Bay (cf.
Finsch, Tr. Z. S. vii. p. 211).
Z. This specimen, marked “ Zoulla, March 12, 1868,” is now in Lord
Walden's collection, and was kindly lent to me by him. It is very dark
grey, like the Senegambian bird collected by Marche, and mentioned below,
and is profusely spotted underneath, with here and there an indication of a
bar; on the quills five bars, and the same number on the tail. Total length
12:5 inches, wing 12:1, tail 4:8, tarsus 2.5, middle toe 1'2.
N.B. - Most African birds resemble this Abyssinian specimen in being
thickly spotted below. It was doubtless this peculiarity that induced Brehm
(Naum. 1855, p. 270) to name the bird from N.E. Africa S. maculata.
WEST AFRICA.
Senegambia. Verreaux has received it from Casamanze (Hartl. Orn. W.-
Afr. p. 21); and more recently M. Marche has procured a specimen at
Ruffisque (cf. Bouvier, Cat. p. 8).
A'. The last-named example is now in the British Museum. It is of small
size, and of a very rich dark grey above, with coarse mottlings and large ovate
spots of white; the orange colour, where apparent, is also very rich. The
small appearance of the bird is perhaps apparent from the fact of the wing
not being fully grown. Bars on primaries four, on tail four ; chest orange-
2 Q 2

286
ON THE GEOGRAPHICAL
buff; the rest of the under surface white, with very large triangular spots ;
face silvery grey, with a strong shade of vinous; gular plumes of the ruff
very conspicuously tipped with black. Total length 11.5 inches, tarsus 2:45,
middle toe 1.15.
B. Another Gambian skin in the Museum, bought of Mr. Whitely,
appears to be an ordinary pale-coloured European bird, and is perhaps
a migrant from Europe. (N.B. — Messrs. Jaubert and Barthélémy-
Lapommeraye speak of a migration taking place in the south of France,
as also does Mr. Wright in Malta.) It has more orange on the upper
surface than either of the other two Senegambian specimens in the National
collection ; the mottling is rather brown than grey, and the spots are small;
face white; ruff pale, almost buffy white, the gular plumes broadly tipped
with brown ; under surface pure white, the spots on the breast small but
distinct; bars on quills four, the end one dissolving ; bars on tail four.
Total length 12:5 inches, wing 11:4, tail 4:8, tarsus 2:7.
C. A bird presented to the Museum by the Rev. D. F. Morgan, differs
from the other two Gambian examples, and approaches the small form of
the Cape-Verde Islands (Strix insularis of Pelzeln). It is peculiarly brown
in coloration, being, in fact, as remarkable for its brown plumage as the
Ruffisque bird is for its rich grey one. The spotting on the upper surface is
small, and the spots on the breast are likewise minute, the colour of the
under surface being a very deep rich orange-buff; quills very deep orange,
the bars four in number (three only on first primary), very broad, bands on
tail four, not counting the terminal brown mottling, which here forms a fifth
paler band ; face buffy white, rufous round the eye; ruff deep orange, the
gular plumes of it tipped with brown. Total length 13 inches, wing 11:0,
tail 4:4, tarsus 2:35, middle toe 1:15.
This specimen is exactly like the Cape-Verde Islands Owl, called Strix
insularis, which we shall next consider.
Cape Verde Islands. The Barn Owl of these islands has been separated

DISTRIBUTION OF BARN-OWLS.
287
as Strix insularis by Von Pelzeln, who received specimens from St. Vincent.
We have in the Museum three specimens from the archipelago-two (D', E')
collected by M. Bouvier and one (F) by Mr. Darwin, the latter at Porto
Praya, Santiago. These measure as follows-total length 13 inches, wing
11:7–12:9, tail 4:9–5:4, tarsus 2:55, middle toe 1.25-1:3. Bars on quills
five, on tail five ; one of M. Bouvier's skins has only four bars on the tail, but
remains of five on the wing. All the Cape Verde examples are very dark
both above and below; and on one of them a decided trace of vermiculated
cross bars is apparent.
Fernando Po. Fraser characterized the Barn-Owl from this locality as
Strix poensis (P. Z. S. 1842, p. 189). Dr. Hartlaub, in his Ornithologie
West-Afrika's,' says that he does not know where the type is to be found;
nor have I been able to discover it: The British Museum has not got the
specimen, nor is it in Mr. Eyton's collection, where a great many of Fraser's
birds went.
River Quanza, Angola. G. Mr. Monteiro obtained a single skin in
this locality (Ibis, 1862, p. 336), and it is now in the National collection.
The general shade of colour is brownish grey, the spots not strikingly
distinct; bands on quills five, on tail five ; facial disk pale, rufous, as usual,
in front of the eye; all the lower plumes of the ruff broadly tipped with
brown, the general colour of the ruff pale orange; under surface of body
white, washed with pale orange-buff, much spotted with brown, forming
arrow-shaped or longitudinal streaks on many of the feathers. Total length
12 inches, wing 11.4, tail 4.5, tarsus 2:4, middle toe 1.3.
The Lisbon Museum contains specimens from Angola-viz. Bengo
(Welwitsch), Ambaca (Anchieta), and Loanda (Toulson).
S.W. Africa. Señor Anchieta has obtained the Barn-Owl in two localities
in Mossamedes, to wit, Huilla and Gambos. It is abundant about Benguela,

288
ON THE GEOGRAPHICAL
according to Mr. Monteiro. Mr. Andersson says that it was widely distri-
buted over all the countries through which he travelled, but is scarce to the
north of the Orange River ; south of that river it is exceedingly common (B.
Damara Land, p. 36).
South Africa. Mr. Layard records it as common all over the Cape
Colony; and it is included in Mr. Rickard's list of birds both from East
London and Port Elizabeth. Specimens of Jules Verreaux's collecting, from
the Knysna and Hout Bay, are in the Leiden Museum.
The following notes refer to three skins in the British Museum :-
H'. Cape Colony. A specimen, presented by myself, is rather dull grey
above, not unlike the dull Westphalian specimen of the dark European race
before mentioned, but shows a little more orange on the upper surface;
below pale orange-buff, shading off into white on the abdomen, everywhere
distinctly spotted with brown, a few of these spots being in the shape
of longitudinal streaks, while on the sides of the body are apparent some
partially broken zigzag bars of pale brown; bars on quills five, on tail-
feathers four. Total length 13 inches, wing 12:4, tail 5-2, tarsus 2:7, middle
toe 1.3.
I'. Another skin, collected by Mr. Layard, is very dark-coloured, of a
deep grey shade, distinctly spotted on the upper surface; below white, washed
with pale orange-buff on the sides of the body; all the under surface spotted,
many of the feathers with zigzag bars of an arrow-shaped form on the
flanks and axillaries ; bands on quills and on tail five. Total length 13.5
inches, wing 12:1, tail 5:0, tarsus 2:75, middle toe 1:3.
K'. A third specimen, received from the South-African Museum, is
dark-coloured above and very much spotted below, with numerous irregular
cross markings; bars on wings six, on tail five. Total length 12.5 inches,
wing 11:9, tail 5.0, tarsus 2:35, middle toe 1.2.

DISTRIBUTION OF BARN-OWLS.
289
S.E. Africa. It does not seem to have been procured in Natal by Mr.
Ayres or by any other collector; and Mr. T. E. Buckley only met with one
specimen during his journey to the Matabili country, when a male was shot
at Palatzi, Bamangwato, on the 20th of October, 1873 (Ibis, 1874, p. 362).
The British Museum contains an example from the Transvaal, presented by
Mr. Foresman. Dr. Dickinson also met with it at Quilimane, in the Zambesi
country (Ibis, 1864, p. 307).
L'. Mr. Foresman's Transvaal skin is in many respects a very remark-
able one, on account of the large size of the black spots on the upper surface.
These are generally of about the same size as the white ones; but in the
present example they are about double the size of the latter. The general
colour of the bird is dark grey above, white below, slightly washed with
orange-buff; the whole under surface distinctly spotted, the spots very large
and triangular, especially distinct on the under wing-coverts and axillaries,
several of the feathers on the chest and flanks with wavy bars; bands on
quills four, dissolving towards the base ; bands on tail four, the subterminal
one the narrowest. Total length 13 inches, wing 12:1, tail 5:0, tarsus 2:75,
middle toe l.25.
EAST AFRICA.
Zanzibar. Dr. Kirk procured a specimen here (cf. Hartl. P. Z. S. 1867,
p. 823).
Madagascar. Messrs. Pollen and Van Dam found the Barn-Owl common
in Madagascar. It was noticed everywhere in abundance in the forests which
fringe the river Congoni, at the base of the bay of Passandara, as well as in
the little island of Sacatia, situated near Nossi-bè. Messrs. Roch and
E. Newton noticed it near Antananarivo (Ibis, 1862, p. 269), where also Dr.
Meller found it “living in the rocks ” (P. Z. S. 1863, p. 162).
Messrs. Finsch and Hartlaub, in their review of the geographical range

290
ON THE GEOGRAPHICAL
of the Barn-Owl in Africa, give Mauritius as one of its habitats ; but this
requires confirmation (cf. Vög. Ostafr. p. 113)
The British Museum contains three specimens from Madagascar :-
M'. A male, collected in the north-eastern part of the island by Messrs.
Pollen and Van Dam, resembles South-African birds in general appearance,
but has very broad dark tips to the plumes of the lower ruff; it is plentifully
spotted below, and on the flanks and axillaries are indications of the same
brown horseshoe bars which are seen sometimes in African specimens; bars
five, both on the quills and tail. Total length 13 inches, wing 11:8, tail 5:0,
tarsus 2:6.
N'. A specimen procured from Mr. Whitely, is not nearly so dark as the
foregoing example, but is much more orange on the upper surface ; bands on
quills five, on tail four ; under surface of body washed with rich orange,
plentifully spotted with brown, some of the feathers streaked and others
irregularly barred with brown; the tips of the feathers on the lower part of
the ruff dark brown. Total length 13 inches, wing 128, tail 5:4, tarsus 2:7.
O'. A third skin, sent to the Museum by M. A. Bouvier, is dark in
general appearance, the under surface being very thickly spotted and showing
here and there indications of wavy bars ; bands four on quills and on tail.
Total length 15 inches, wing 12:4, tail 5*2, tarsus 2.5.
INDIAN REGION.
India. Without denying that Indian Barn-Owls present certain differ-
ences from the European ones, a series shows them to be intermediate
between S. flammea and S. delicatula of Australia, especially in the nearly
uniform light grey of the upper surface; and they form one of the many
races of the Barn-Owl found in the world ; but while in the grey shade of
plumage they approach the Australian form, in the frequent tendency to

DISTRIBUTION OF BARN-OWLS.
291
vermiculated or wavy bars on the lower parts they also approach the Javan
Barn-Owl (S. javanica), which, again, leads on to the large race of Celebes
(S. rosenbergi). Before commenting on our series in the Museum, I give a
few notes on the distribution of the bird in India.
Mr. Hume (Rough Notes, ii. p. 345) says it is found "throughout
India, Ceylon, and Burmah.” He gives dimensions as follows :—“ Total
length 13-15-2 inches, wing 11:1-12-2, tail from vent 5.8–6:12, tarsus
2:45–2.85, middle toe 1:3–1.6."
His notes on the Barn-Owl in Scindh are as follows:-“ This Owl is
by no means common in Scindh. The only place at which I saw it was
Larkhana, and there I shot a pair. The female measured :-Length 14:25
inches, expanse 39.5, tail from vent 5.2, wing 10:8; weight 1 lb. 3 oz. ;
wings, when closed, reached to within one inch of end of tail ; tarsus 2.75.
Male :-Length 13-25, expanse 37.5, wing 10:7, tail from vent 5-2 ; wings,
when closed, reached to within 1.25 of end of tail ; tarsus 2:6; weight 1 lb.
In both the bills were pearly white, the feet horny grey, claws blackish, and
irides brown. The two specimens illustrated admirably the different stages
of plumage of this species. Above, the female was so closely speckled and
pencilled with blackish brown and grey as to leave scarcely any buff colour
visible from the forehead to the tips of the upper tail-coverts, and the black
and white spots were very large and numerous.
In the male the buff pre-
dominated on the nape, back of the neck, and upper back, and was abundantly
visible over the whole surface, and the black and white spots were small and
inconspicuous. The whole lower surface of the female, from the ruff down
to the points of the lower tail-coverts and the tibial plumes, was tinged pale
buffy and profusely spotted with comparatively large triangular brown spots ;
the whole lower surface of the male, on the other hand, was pure white,
with a few minute brown speckles on the breast and down the sides. The
male I take to be an old bird, the female quite a young one.”
Mr. Adam records it as very rare in the neighbourhood of the
Sambhur lake, where he has never shot the bird. A birdcatcher, how-
2 R

DISTRIBUTION OF BARN-OWLS.
293
was induced to change his opinion and to agree as to the identity of these two
Barn-Owls; and he restored the name of javanica for the Indian bird, sinking
his own previously proposed name of indica (cf. Ibis, 1870, p. 160).
Mr. Hume, commenting in 1870 on the first essay of Mr. Blyth's
respecting these birds, writes :-“I have a few remarks to make on this
interesting note. In the first place, although the amount of spotting on the
lower surface of an Indian bird varies much, yet out of the fifty odd specimens
that I have seen I have never found one with the perfectly spotless, almost
indescribably pure white which so often characterizes the whole under surface
of the adult European bird. In S. indica there are always, I believe, some
few spots and some faint trace of fulvous tinging ” (Rough Notes, ii. p. 344).
It is probable that Mr. Hume was speaking of ordinary English
specimens, and not those of the Continent, though we now know that
British examples are often spotted. A propos of Indian Barn-Owls, however,
his observations are much to the point.
The following notes refer to the series in the British Museum :-
P. India (Capt. Johnstone). Very delicate grey, the white spots nearly
obsolete ; face white, with very little rufous in front of the eye ; below pure
white, with a few triangular dusky spots on the flanks, being remains
of irregular dusky vermiculations; remains of four bars on quills ; on the tail
also four bars, disappearing towards the tip. Total length 14 inches, wing
12:2, tail 5'4, tarsus 2:75, middle toe 1.4.
Q. India (Dr. Burns). Coloured above in the same way as in the
preceding bird ; spots on the breast larger, but showing no traces of bars;
on the quills traces of two bars only remaining ; tail with five bars. Total
length 125 inches, wing 12:1, tail 5.5, tarsus 2:65, middle toe 1:35.
R'. India (presented by Mr. Gould). Greyish above; below pale buffy
white, with a few dusky brown spots rather longitudinal in shape; on the
lower parts decided remains of freckling, imparting a certain vermiculated
appearance to the lower parts, especially on the chest; on the quills remains
2 R2

292
ON THE GEOGRAPHICAL
ever, brought him two live birds, which he caught in the hills close to
Mata Pahar (S. F. 1873, p. 369). Colonel Irby states that it is very
common in Oudh (Ibis, 1861, p. 226); and Mr. Hodgson's collections
contained examples from Nepal. In the Calcutta Museum is an example
from the neighbourhood of that town (Blyth, Cat. p. 41); and according
to Mr. Ball (S. F. 1874, p. 381) it is occasionally obtained in Chota
Nagpur, but is not very common.
Mr. Blanford did not observe it in
the Wardha valley, but considers that it may possibly occur there (J. A.
S. B. 1871, p. 269). Sykes procured it in the Deccan, whence also a
specimen is preserved in the British Museum.
“ The Indian representative of the European Barn-Owl,” writes Mr.
Hume (Rough Notes, ii. p. 342, and Nests and Eggs Ind. B. p. 59),
“lays (apparently) in Upper India from the middle of February to the
middle of June. Mr. R. M. Adam obtained the eggs on the 10th of June,
near Agra ; Mr. Brooks procured them near Etawah on the 17th of
February; and I have obtained them on three occasions in March-in
Allygurh, near Jeypoor, and near Lucknow. In the Central Provinces
they lay from November to January.”
Some interesting notes are then given by Mr. Blewitt on the breeding
of the species near Toomgaon, in the Raepore district ; and this gentleman
states that they are common in the districts of Raepore and Sumbulpore.
Mr. Blyth long ago separated the Indian Barn-Owl as a distinct species
from the European ; and in The Ibis ’ for 1866, p. 250, he gives his views
at full length. “It differs,” he says, confirming Jerdon's opinion, “ by
being larger, with more robust feet and toes, and in being more spotted
beneath. The last character, however, is by no means of constant occurrence.
.... The distinction I have ever since found to be constant; and the
difference of the two races is so very conspicuously apparent, upon comparison
of specimens, that I cannot understand Prof. Schlegel's identifying a Nepalese
example with his Javan race.” Subsequently, however, after a visit to Leiden,
where the Museum contains a good series of Javan specimens, Mr. Blyth

294
ON THE GEOGRAPHICAL
of four bars; on the tail also four bars. Total length 13 inches, wing 117,
tail 5.2, tarsus 2:7.
S. India (presented by Mr. Gould). Of the same grey Indian type
as the others; below orange-buff, with tiny little dusky spots ; on the flanks
scarcely any remains of vermiculations; remains of four bars on the quills and
on the tail. Total length 15 inches, wing 11:6, tail 5:3, tarsus 2:6.
T'. Seetapore (presented by Mr. Gould). Dull grey above, coarsely
vermiculated; white below, with a few spots; on the quills remains of four
bars; tail with four bars. Total length 13.5 inches, wing 1l'l, tail 4.9,
tarsus 2:45.
U'. Deccan (obtained from Mr. Whitely). Pale grey above, with very
minute frecklings and little or no orange showing; under surface pure white,
with numerous spots of ashy brown, some diamond-shaped and some trian-
gular; the under surface here and there mottled with greyish brown wavy
bars, apparently the remains of vermiculations; inner lining of quills whitish,
the bands having nearly all disappeared; bands on tail four. Total length
14.5 inches, wing 12:4, tail 5•3, tarsus 2:7.
V. Nepal (presented by Mr. Hodgson). Very pronounced grey above,
the frecklings extremely small; under surface pale orange, with a considerable
number of spots, and having remains of vermiculations on the sides of the
body and flanks; bars on quills four ; on the tail five bars. Total length 14
inches, wing 11:7, tail 5.0, tarsus 2:5.
W'. Nepal (Hodgson). Grey above; below pure white, the belly much
spotted, but not so numerously on the chest ; on the flanks a slight indication
of vermiculations; on quills remains of three bars, on tail four. Total length
13 inches, wing 12:4, tail 5.0, tarsus 2:3.
X'. Nepal (Hodgson). Similar to the preceding, but less spotted
below; remains of four bars on the quills, nearly obsolete; four bars on the
tail. Total length 12.5 inches, wing 11:0, tail 5:0, tarsus 2.2.
N.B.—The tendency to a slightly waved under surface (the character of
the Javan Barn-Owl) is noticeable in the Indian bird. Taken with Mr.

DISTRIBUTION OF BARN-OWLS.
295
Hume's dimensions, given above, we may regard the Indian Barn-Owl as
varying to the following extent in its measurements :—Total length 125 to
15:2 inches, wing from 11:0 to 12 5, tail from 5:0 to 6:12, tarsus from 2:2 to
2:85, middle toe from 1:3 to 1:45.
Ceylon. Mr. Holdsworth (P. Z. S. 1872, p. 415) observes :—“The
Barn-Owl is very local in Ceylon, and is confined to the north of the island.
Layard gave the fort of Jaffna as the only locality for it; but I have since
obtained it at Aripo, where a pair of these Owls were resident.” Mr. Holds-
worth kindly lent me one of the Aripo birds, killed on the 28th of May, 1866.
It is rather more orange than the majority of Indian examples, with coarser
mottlings; the under surface is strongly washed with orange-buff, with large
dusky spots and here and there remains of vermiculatory bars; on both quills
and tail four bars. Total length 11.5 inches, wing 11:6, tail 5-2, tarsus 2.5,
middle toe 1:4.
Burmah. I am indebted to Lord Walden for the loan of a specimen from
Tonghoo. It seems to be of precisely the same form as the Indian bird, with
no remains of vermiculations on the under surface; remains of bars on wing
three, on tail four. Total length 12 inches, wing 11:8, tail 5:0, tarsus 2.4.
Mr. Blyth (B. Burm. p. 68) says it is a common bird in Burmah and
generally diffused. Mr. Oates (S. F. 1875, p. 37) states that it is very
common in the Thayetmyo cantonment, occupying the space between the ceiling
and roof of the wooden barracks; as far as he knows, it is not found in the
thick jungles nor far away from the larger villages. Mr. Hume observes
that specimens from Upper Pegu, sent by Captain Feilden and Mr. Oates,
are precisely identical with Indian examples. A female measured—total
length 14.75 inches, tail from vent 4.8, wing 113, tarsus 2:7.
Siam. It was collected in this country by Sir Robert Schomburgk (cf.
Gould, P. Z. S. 1859, p. 151).
Y. A male bird collected by Captain Conrad near Bangkok on the 28th
of March, 1872, is in the Museum. It is rather darker above than Indian

296
ON THE GEOGRAPHICAL
birds, the mottlings very fine and the spots small; below pure white, with a
few spots but no trace of bars ; remains of three bars on quills, on tail four.
Total length 13.5 inches, wing 12:4, tail 5:0, tarsus 2:9, middle toe 1:45.
It is not yet recorded from any part of China or Formosa by Mr. Swinhoe.
Andaman Islands. Mr. Hume has just characterized a very small Barn-
Owl from these islands as Strix de-roepstorffi, with a wing measuring only 9.8
inches. Not having seen a specimen, it is impossible to say if it be a good
species; but it will probably turn out to be the extreme example of a resident
insular race of small size, approaching C. insularis of the Cape-Verde Islands
(cf. Hume, S. F. 1876, p. 390).
Java. Dr. Horsfield says the Barn-Owl is distributed over the island of
Java. Dr. Bernstein found it at Gadok (cf. Schlegel, Revue Accipitr. p. 15),
and the Vicomte de Bocarmé records it as very common in the island (cf.
Schlegel, Striges, p. 4).
Z. The individual collected by Dr. Horsfield (cf. Horsf. & Moore, Cat.
p. 82) is now in the British Museum. It is much darker than Indian
birds, the spots on the upper surface large and coarse ; face white, with the
usual rufous patch; under surface of body pale orange-buff, with very distinct
spots on the flanks, less pronounced on the chest, with remains of dusky bars on
the fore neck, chest, and sides of the neck; bars on wing and tail four. Total
length 12 inches, wing 11:6, tail 5:3, tarsus 2:9, middle toe 1.4.
a. Lombock. Mr. Wallace obtained a single specimen, which is remarkably
dark grey above; the under surface orange-buff, with numerous small spots and
vermiculated bars, the latter more plentiful than on any Old-World specimens
yet examined by me; face greyish, shaded with vinous, especially before the eye,
the plumes in front of which are black; bands on quills and tail four. Total
length 14 inches, wing 11:6, tail 5.2, tarsus 2:55 (cf. Wall. P.Z. S. 1863, p. 484).
Flores. The Leiden Museum received a specimen from Larantouka, in
this island, from Heer Semmelink in 1863 (cf. Schlegel, Revue Accipitr. p. 16).

DISTRIBUTION OF BARN-OWLS.
297
AUSTRALIAN REGION.
Celebes. The Barn-Owl of this island has been separated as a distinct
species (Stris rosenbergi of Schlegel), on account of its large size and powerful
feet. Mr. Wallace obtained a specimen (B) in bamboo-thickets near Macassar
in 1856, Von Rosenberg at Modelido, Bonè, and Gorontalo ; while examples
from Menado are in the Leiden Museum and in Lord Walden's collection
(cf. Walden, Tr. Z. S. viii. p. 41). The large size of this bird has caused it
to be compared with S. nove-hollandiæ ; but it is really only a large edition
of the Javan Barn-Owl, possessing, like that species, a distinctly vermiculated
or rather waved under surface; bars on quills five, on tail five. Total length
17 inches, wing 12:9, tail 6:3, tarsus 2:85.
Mr. Wallace's specimen is described at full length in the Catalogue of
Birds' (vol. ii. p. 298), where a second example is also noticed by me, as
follows:-
“ Another specimen (Y), collected by Dr. Meyer, measures--total length
18 inches, wing 13, tail 6.5, tarsus 2:9. It is very much the same in colour
as the one described, but is darker, so that the white spots show everywhere
more distinctly; on the underparts there are remains of circular bars on many
of the feathers, particularly those of the chest.”
We have now to consider the Australian Barn-Owl-Strix delicatula of
Gould. The general facies of this bird is different from any of the forms hitherto
noted by us ; and it may, as a rule, be recognized by its pearl-grey plumage
and distinctly spotted secondaries, the white subterminal spot on these quills
being strongly pronounced. The tail, too, is generally very white; but some-
times a dark phase occurs, when the Owl is scarcely to be told from true S.
flammea. On this account it is impossible to accord specific rank to the
Australian bird, even if the intermediate nature of Indian examples did not
render such a separation hazardous. The facial ruff and disk in S. delicatula
is usually of a very delicate and silvery white; the absence of orange on the

298
ON THE GEOGRAPHICAL DISTRIBUTION OF BARN-OWLS.
former, as well as on the inner webs of the secondaries (which, in consequence,
show very white), are additional points; while the feathers on the side of the
neck bordering the interscapulary region are white in the Australian, and
usually orange in the European Barn-Owl.
Mr. Gould (Handb. B. Austr. i. p. 67) says that it is the most generally
distributed species of Strix in Australia. “I have observed it,” he says, “in
almost every part of New South Wales that I visited ; it is a common bird
in South Australia, and I have also seen specimens from Port Essington.
It has not yet been found in the colony of Swan River, nor can it be included
in the fauna of Tasmania."
Mr. Ramsay (P. Z. S. 1875, p. 580) observes:—“I obtained one specimen,
shot near the township of Cardwell. It does not appear to differ from the
usual New-South-Wales form of this species.” He likewise records it as
occurring at Port Denison, Queensland (Ibis, 1865, p. 84).
Specimens collected in North-western Australia, on the Victoria and
Albert rivers, by Mr. Elsey are in the British Museum.
Oceania. It occurs in many of the groups of islands. Forster (cf.
Finsch & Hartl. Faun. Centr.-Polyn. p. 16) records it from the New Hebrides
(Tanna), and Mr. Gurney notes its occurrence at Aneiteum. The British
Museum has also just received a specimen from the island of Manikollo, New
Ilebrides, presented by Mr. Wykeham Perry. It is an inhabitant of New
Caledonia, where it is said to live in the woods (cf. Verr. & Des Murs, Rev.
et Mag. de Zool. 1860, p. 421). In the Friendly Islands it is known from
Tongatabu (Forster), Vavao (Graeffe), Lefuka (Graeffe); in the Fiji group
from M'bao (Brenchley); in the Samoa group from Upolu (Stair, Peale,
Graeffe), Savai (Graeffe, Kubary); while, lastly, Mr. Dole (Pr. Bost. Soc. N. H.
xii. p. 294) includes it as a bird of the Sandwich Islands.
و
ܪ

ON THE DISTRIBUTION OF BARN-OWLS.
EXPLANATION OF THE MAPS.
Map I. shows the range of the different races of Strix flammea (yellow).
The parts coloured lighter are intended to indicate the probable
or occasional range of the species.
Map II. shows the ranges of Strix nova hollandia (yellow) and Strix tenebricosa
(blue), which coalesce in Queensland, Strix castanops (red)
being confined to Tasmania.
Map III. shows the range of the Grass-Owls-Strix candida (red), Strix
capensis (yellow), and Strix thomensis (blue). The probable
range of the two former is coloured lighter.


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M
с А
NORTH ATLANTIC OCEAN
MONGOLIA
NITED STAT
NORTH
40
Desert of Gobi urlsham
EMPIRE
CHINESE
40
Asora I
Madeira
RAS+
Sahara
Ongary I
Bahama I)
Culifornia
HINDISTAN
For more
Scoulwich
20
20
SDxou go
37
Plalippine Is
o cЕ A N
S Loome
PACIFIC
Caroline Island
idea
Petawal
Equator
Mouth of Romanon
SK. Gain
SOUTH
Salaraan I
INDIAN
Manaus
Lima
ATLANTIC
Hebrides
Bidhy s
SOUTH
20
20
OUTH AMERIC
AUSTRALT)
OCEAN
OCEAN
S O V T H
ATLANTIC
Valparaiso
Cof Good Flope
His de la Plata
New
40
40
Van Diemas Lund
Zealand
OCEAN
PATAGONIA
P A C I F I C
oc E A N
Elmar
Tierra del Fuego
C. Ham
80
T HE WORLD
60
ON MERCATORS PROJECTION
80
100
120
160
180
160
140
120
100
80
60
20
yalandom


0
20
40
60
80
100
120
14-0
160
180
160
140
120
100
80
60
10
20
0
BO
80
GREENLAND
JO
2 Maskmxia
Exquámax
ALASKA
ICELAND
EMPIRE
RRITORY
39
NOR
T
Ru
CUSS
A SN
sys
60
60
A
S
be
IC OCEAN
M
С
E
ARADA
MONG
1
NITED STAT
NORTH
40
Desert of Gobi vrsham
0
CHINESE
EMPIRE
* Aare D
ARA BAM
Madeira
C Verde,
T
Shehura
NORTH
Corary
Bahama/I!
HINDI STAN
California
Formu
Sandwich Is
Cuba
S'Domingo
20
Philippine 19
S Lema
o СЕ АN
P A C I F I C
Caroline Islands
Wrinidad
Petw
Equator
Mouth of the common
w Guin
SOUTH
Solaran
Het
INDIAN
Maequenas
Luma
ATLANTIC
Bebidas
Fremely Is
1
OUTH AMERICA
SOUTH
20
OCEAN
AUSTRALIA
OCEAN
SOUTH
ATLANTIC
Valparaiso
Cof Good Hope
to de la Plato
New
40
40
Van Dicas Lied
Zoals
OCEAN
PATAGONIA
PACIFIC
o C E AN
kad
Tierra del Fuego
C. Hon
80
THE WORLD
60
ON MERCATORS PROJECTION.
ol
20
60
80
100
120
160
180
160
10
120
IOO
80
60


INDEX TO VOL. I.
A.
ACCIPITER nisus
Page
58
Acredula caudata
270
291
146
.
19
73, 267
91
4,99
284
17,62
263, 267
Adam, Mr., on Barn-Owl
Ægotheles dubius
Æpyornithidæ, egg-shells of
Alauda arvensis
Albinism, gular
Alca impennis (Garefowl)
Allen, Mr. Stafford
Aluco flammeus (Barn-Owl)
Ammomanes deserti (isabellina)
pallida
Anas boschas
brachyptera
Anchieta, Señor, on Barn-Owl
Anser ferus (Grey Lag Goose)
Anthus seebohmi.
Aprosmictus scapulatus
Aptenodytes pennantii
Apteryx, size of egg of
266
118
47
287
110
246
170
16
10
VOL. I.
2 s

300
ORNITHOLOGICAL MISCELLANY.
Page
4, 5, 8
18
Apteryx australis.
juv.
fuscus
haastic (Potts)
maxima
oweni, juv.
Ardea cinerea (Heron).
stellaris
8, 21
3,8,9
. 6, 7, 23
20
17
108
Arfak mountains
146
Artamus maximus
146
53
56
Arundel Park, Sea-Eagle shot near
Astur palumbarius
Audubon on Falco labradorus
Auk, Little
188
127
B.
80
223
.
62
6
269
17, 62
5, 25
11
Baker, Sir Samuel
Banks, his unpublished drawings
Barn-Owl
Barn-Owls, geographical distribution of, Mr. Sharpe on the
observations on
Bartlett, A. D., differentiates Apteryx australis and A. mantelli
on incubation of Apteryx
on a sexual variation in Cacatuince
Bat's wing, on the structure of the
Beaver (British)
Bee-eater
Bennet, Dr. G., on the White Gallinule
Berne, Swifts on the Cathedral of .
Birds of Great Britain
171
15
122
.
96
40
137
51
of New Zealand
1
&

INDEX TO VOL. I.
301
Page
259
244
239
Birds of the Fiji Islands
migratory, in Ust Zylma, list of
migration of, in North-east Russia
, on the variation of the carotid arteries of
Bishop of Ely, his Hawk
Bittern, the Common
Bitterns shot near Whittlesea Mere
171
56
108
109
63
Blackbirds, observations on
Blue Titmouse
73
82
292
Blyth, Mr., on northern knowledge of birds
on the Indian Barn-Owl
Bocage, Prof. Barboza du, on Barn-Owl
Bolle on Barn-Owl
281
283
226
16
16
278
Bonaparte, Prince, on Solander's MS.
Bond, Mr.
Bones of Dinornithido, pebbles found with
Bouvier, M. A.
Bowen, Sir George
Braikenridge, Rev. G. W.
Bramble-Finch, notes on the .
British Beaver
20
48
90
122
Birds
51
215
36
85
289
132
Brodrick and Salvin on a sore Ger-Falcon
Bubo ignavus
Buckland, Frank, Curiosities of Natural History'
Buckley, Mr. T. E., on Barn-Owl.
Buffon's Skua
Buller, Dr., description of Apteryx haastii
on chicks of A. oweni
on the genus Nestor
on the sense of touch in A. mantelli
Bullock, Mr.
William, his sale-catalogue
9,10
22
32
13
4
37
2 s 2

302
ORNITHOLOGICAL MISCELLANY.
Page
90
293
Bunting, Small
Burns, Dr., on Barn-Owl
Burton's 'Falconry of the Indus'
Bustard, the Great
214
102
Bustards shot in Norfolk
222
C.
171
83
.
158
Cacatua sulphurea
Calendula crassirostris
Calyptorrhynchus (C. solandri and C. banksi)
Cambridge prize poem
Canterbury Museum
Caprimulgus ægyptius
isabellinus
122
8
268
268
Carine noctua
36
Carotid arteries of birds, on the variations of the
171
Casuarius westermanni
26
145
Chatorhynchus papuensis
Chætura pelasgia
Chasse au miroir
156
89
Chatterton
93
94
128
93
86
87
Chefoo, on the Cuckoo in
China, Cormorant-fishing in
Chough
Chrysococcyx lucidus (Shining Cuckoo)
plagosus
splendidus
Ciconia alba.
Cinclus melanogaster
Circus cineraceus
Coccyzus americanus
145
105
270
62
87

INDEX TO VOL. I.
303
Page
100
125
110
20
66
128
90
104
56
120
Columba palumbus, food of
Colymbus glacialis, extraordinary capture of
Conduit Street, Woodcocks shot in
Cook, Mount
Cordeaux, John, on Blackbirds
Cormorant, account of, in China
Coturnix dactylisonans (Quail)
Crane, Common
Crawford, Countess of
Crimea, Ducks in the
Cuckoo and mimicry
Cuckoos, migration of
Cuculus canorus
Cunningham, Robert O., on the Steamer Duck
on Swallows caught at sea
Cursorius gallicus
isabellinus
Curzon, Hon. Robert, his ‘Armenia
Cygnus musicus
olor
Cypselus murarius
94
86
94, 265
47
79
265
.
265
.
111
117
115
98
D.
150
26
70
119
D'Albertis, Signor Luigi Maria
Dallas, Mr. W. S., on the feathers of Dinornis
Dartford Warbler.
Darwin, C., on female assuming male characters
on the intelligence of Gulls.
Darwin, Mr. Frank
Dasyptilus pecqueti
Daulias luscinia (the Nightingale)
130
17
32
67

304
ORNITHOLOGICAL MISCELLANY.
Page
65
277
Dawkins, Boyd, on Pheasants
Degland and Gerbe
Dendroca chrysoparia, Mr. Salvin on
occidentalis
181
182
townsendi
182
virens
182
3
Dennis, Rev. R. N., notice of Eagle
53
Derby, Edward Smith, Earl of
38
Dickinson, Dr., on Barn-Owl
289
Dinornis ingens
19
robustus, Owen
27
Dinornithidae, heaps of pebbles found with bones of
16
Diomedea antarctica
238
chlororhyncha
238
exulans
238
fuliginosa
237
profuga
238
Diver, Great Northern
125
Docherty, Mr., numbers of Apteryges killed by
21
, on Haast's Apteryx
7
Doderlein
280
Dohrn, Dr. H., on Psittacus erithacus
166
Dole, Mr., on the Barn-Owl in the Sandwich Islands
298
Dolichonya oryzivorus
156
Drawings, Sir J. Banks's unpublished
223
Dress, J. A. Froude on
221
Dresser, H. E., on Falco labradorus
185
Dromous irroratus, Bartlett
26
Dromaius novde-hollandice
10
Droste, Von.
277
Duchess of Richmond (by error “ Devonshire”), her Parrot in Westminster
Abbey
30, 172
Duck, Wild,
118
.
.
.
e

INDEX TO VOL. I.
305
Page
118
120
Duck assuming plumage of Drake
Ducks in the Crimea
Dumbleton, W. D., on the incubation of the Ostrich
Dutch Larks
12
83
E.
218
53
67
Eagle, Capt. Green’s tame
Sea-, at Arundel
Eccarius, J. George, letter on Nightingale-trapping
Egg of Apteryx, size of the
Egg-shells of Apyornithidae
Ely, Bishop of, his Hawk
Emberiza cosia
10
19
56
92
hortulana
92
90, 244
92
83
pusilla
rufibarba
Emigration and immigration, Mr. Knox on
Eudynamis taitiensis
Eyes, on the colour of, in Cacatuince
Eyre, Governor
87
171
11
F.
Falco candicans
55,190
islandicus
190
188
labradorus, Audubon on
Mr. H. E. Dresser on
185
57
135
peregrinus (Peregrine)
tinnunculus (Kestrel) on Lincoln Cathedral
vespertinus
Falconer, wages of a
Falconry, Mr. G. D. Rowley on
58
216
213

306
ORNITHOLOGICAL MISCELLANY.
Page
24
56
121
20
259
24
157
164
$
147
Feathers of Apteryx &c.
Fenny, Richard, Esq., his Lanner
Fens, mirage in the
Feramakou river
Fiji Islands, birds of the
Finsch, Dr. O., on harshness of plumage in Apteryx
on Nasiterna geelvinkiana
on Psittacus erithacus.
, on Trichoglossus arfaki
on Trichoglossus pulchellus
Flycatcher, Blue-headed
Flying animals, fossil forms of
· Folk-lore,' by Kelly
Foresman, Mr.
Frampton, Mr. Tregonwell, on Hawkes”
Fringilla carduelis
montifringilla (Bramble-Finch)
Froude, James Anthony, on dress
Fulica alba (White's · Voyage')
149
261
178
105
289
66
214
91
90
221
39
G.
39
46
40
Gallinula alba, Latham
nesiotis, Sclater
Gallinule, Dr. G. Bennet on the White
Garefowl (Alca impennis)
Garrod, Mr. A. H.
on the variation of carotid arteries of birds
Geelvink bay, origin of the name
Geese, habits of, in Siberia
Geographical distribution of Barn-Owls
Gerbe and Degland
Giglioli, Dr. H. H.
4, 99
17, 33
171
156
110
269
277
249

INDEX TO VOL. I.
307
Page
112
Gneisenau, anecdote of
Godman, Mr., on Barn-Owl
Goebel on Barn-Owl
283
280
Golden Oriole
66
Goshawk
56
293
.
21
5
39
271
214
Gould, Mr.
· Birds of Australia,' vol. vi.
describes A. owenië
Gray, G. R., on Porphyrio alba
Gray, Robert, on Barn-Owl
on Skye Peregrines
Gray's ‘Genera'
Great Northern Diver
Green, Capt., his tame Eagle
Greenland Falcon .
Grey Lag Goose, observations on the
Griffon Vulture
21
125
.
218
55
110
51
Grus cinerea
104
Gular albinism
91
130
270
Gulls, intelligence of
Günther, Dr.
Gurney, Mr. J. H., on Sharpe's | Catalogue of Accipitres'
Gypohierax angolensis
Gyps fulvus
171
170
51
H.
3
52
101
Haast, Dr. Julius, on the Moa-bone-Point Cave
Haliæetus albicilla
Halliwell's illustration of Shakespeare
Halobæna cærulea
Hancock, John, 'Catalogue of the Birds of Northumberland' &c.
Harcourt, Vernon, on Barn-Owl
230
59
282
VOL. I.
2T

308
ORNITHOLOGICAL MISCELLANY.
Page
114
3
6
6
$
8
224
6
o
6
109
8
Harting, Ornithology of Shakespeare
Hawksworth’s · Voyages'
Heathcote, J. M., shoots seven Bitterns
Heuglin, Von
Hill, Edward S., pamphlet on Lord Howe's Island
Hill, S., account of Geese in Siberia
Hirundo cahirica
193, 284
8
a
38
110
0
97
leucorrhoa
77
8
6
rustica
96
6
97
8
Ó
294
6
24
295
5
218
8
&
281
%
61
savignie
Hodgson on Nepal Barn-Owl
Hokitika
Holdsworth, Mr., on Barn-Owl
Hollinshed, extract from
Homeyer, A. von, on Barn-Owl
Honey-Buzzard
Hotten and Larwood, 'History of Sign-boards'
Hudson, W. H., on migration of Swallows
Humboldt's Parrot
Hume, Allen O., on Cuculus canorus
* Rough Notes
Hutton, Capt. F. W., on eggs of Moa
on New Zealand Cuckoos
Huxley, Prof., on Apteryx
65
4
77, 79
30
94
5
291
9
19
6
86
26
1.
83
8
8
11
Immigration and emigration, Mr. Knox on
Incubation of Apteryx
Indicator archipelagicus
conirostris
197
8
196
exilis
198
6
6

INDEX TO VOL. I.
309
Page
200
Indicator levaillantii
maculatus
200
199, 204
194
197
199, 201
199
major
minor
pachyrhynchus
sparrmanni
variegatus
xanthonotus
Indicatorido, revision of, by Mr. Sharpe
Indus, Falconry of the
Irby, Col. L. Howard, Straits of Gibraltar
Isabella, Clara Eugenia
Isabelle colour, explanation of
205
192
214
84, 281
264
264
J.
57
John, King, fine to, of 200 hawks
Johnstone, Capt.
Juvenal's Stork
293
107
K.
105
280
135
167
.
176
Kelly's · Folk-lore
Kessler, Prof.
Kestrel or Windhover
Keulemans on Psittacus erithacus
Kingfisher, Riedel's
Kirk, Dr., on Psittacus erithacus
Kite or Glead
Kjærbölling's Danmarks Fugler'
Knox, Mr., on emigration and immigration
Krefft, Mr. Gerard
170, 289
61
63
83
163
2 T 2

310
ORNITHOLOGICAL MISCELLANY.
L.
Page
114
126
Lag,” solution of the word
Lamont, Seasons with the Sea-Horses?
Lanner belonging to R. Fenny, Esq.
Larks (Dutch)
Larus eburneus
56
83
130
Larwood and Hotten on Storks
107
Latham on Geese
113
261
20
114
219
48
120
280
135
280
Layard, E. L., on a new species of Trichoglossus
Leadbeater, Mr., on Apteryx owenii
Leake, Manor of, its customs
Lemon, Mark (* Streets of London'), on mews
Leverian Museum Catalogue
Lewes, - Studies in Animal Life'
Lilford, Lord, on Barn-Owl
Lincoln Cathedral a breeding-place of Kestrels
Lindermeyer, Dr., on Barn-Owl
Lindsay, Sir David, his Parrot
Little Auks, Harting in Polar World’ .
Livingstone on Psittacus erithacus
Locustella certhiola
Lophius piscatorius
Lords Rockingham and Orford, match between
Lorius solitarius
Lubbock, Rev. R., on Sparrow-Hawk
Lubbock, Mr., on the wholesale slaughter of Bustards
Lynn, History of, by William Richards
219
127
170
153
126
113
262
214
222
222
M.
116
Machyn's diary
Majaqueus æquinoctialis
Malay Archipelago 'map of Crimson Lories
232
166

INDEX TO VOL. I.
311
Page
7
21
4.
Mapourika Lake and Haast's Apteryx
Martin's Bay, Apertyx taken at
Martins (Hirundo urbica) caught at Brighton.
Mary of Lorraine and the Earl of Angus, the Falcon anecdote.
Mary IJ. (Stuart), Robin on her hearse
Maximilian and the Swans
219
138
115
Meionornis casuarinus
10
13
70
127
96
219
73
28
61
94
82
Melizophilus dartfordiensis
undatus (Dartford Warbler)
Mergulus melanoleucos.
Merops apiaster
Mews, Mark Lemon on
Migration of birds
Milne-Edwards
Milvus ictinus (Kite)
Mimicry, the Cuckoo an example of
Mimus polyglottus
Mirage in the Fens
Mivart, St. George
Moa-bone-Point Cave
Monk's Wood, Kites at
Montagu's Harrier
More, Mr. A. G., on the Barn-Owl
Moresby, Capt., on New Guinea
Mormon arcticus
* Morning Herald,' extract from the, on Ducks in the Crimea .
Motacilla citreola
121
33
3, 23
138
62
271
146
188
.
120
246
viridis
242
264
Motley, John Lothrop
Murie, Dr.
193
Musæum Tradescantianum ' .
103
Mute Swan
115
Myiagra azureocapilla
260

312
ORNITHOLOGICAL MISCELLANY.
N.
Page
.
153, 157, 160
156,163
156, 161
19
235
257
28
28
145
2,4
1
Nasiterna geelvinkiana
pusio
pygmæa
Nathusius, W. von
Nectris fuliginosa
munda .
Nestor esslingii
meridionalis
pecquetii
- productus
New Zealand, birds of
discoverers of
Newton, Prof., on the Barn-Owl
Nicholas, Harris, the wages of a falconer
Nightingale-trapping
• Nile Tributaries,' by Baker
Nitzsch’s · Pterylography
Nordmann, Von
Notornis alba
mantelli
Nutius of Antwerp, his sign
Nyctea scandiaca
4
276
216
67
106
25
280
38, 44
38
*
107
36
0.
Estrelata arminjoniana
brevirostris
233, 234, 252
235
externa
254
kidderi
235
lessoni.
251
251
magento
mollis
233, 251
2

INDEX TO VOL. I.
313
Page
253
Estrelata neglecta
phillipi
rostrata
254
251
254
253
56
103
20
7,8
18
281
278
31
104
117
113
torquata
trinitatis
Oglander, Sir John, on the Goshawk
Sir William, Bustards shot by
Obono peaks
Okarita river and Haast's Apteryx
Okarito
Olcese, M., on Barn-Owl
Olph-Galliard, M. Léon
Onesicrites
· Ootheca Wolleyana,? Crane's nest figured in
Wild Swan's nest figured in .
Orford and Rockingham, Lords, match between
Oriolus galbula (Golden Oriole)
Orthonyx nova-guinece.
Ortyx texanus
Osprey
Ostrich, nidification of the
Otis tarda
Owen, Prof., on Aves præcoces"
on change of feathers
on the toes of birds
on the modifications of the skull of Apteryx
Owen-Stanley mountains, New Guinea
Owl, White-faced
66
147
92
55
12
102
10
.
29
99
14
146
35
P.
264
Palliser, Mrs. Bury
Pandion haliæetus
55

314
ORNITHOLOGICAL MISCELLANY.
Page
180
31
Parotia sexpennis
Parrot of King Charles the First's daughter
Parrot-keeper of Queen Catharine of Braganza
Parus coeruleus
175
73
Pebbles found with bones of Dinornithida
16
32
228
.
Pecquet, M.
Pelagodroma marina
Pelzeln, A. von, on Fulica alba
on Notornis
40
39
Pennant on Geese
113
174
57
214
61
298
.
239
137
10
128
65
41
Pepys quoted
Peregrine Falcon
Peregrines, Mr. R. Gray on Skye
Pernis apivorus (Honey-Buzzard)
Perry, Mrs. Wykeham
Petchora, on the birds of
Peterborough Cathedral, Swifts on
Pezophaps solitaria, Messrs. Newton on
Phalacrocorax carbo
Pheasants, W. Boyd Dawkins on
Phillip, Governor, voyage to Botany Bay
Phylloscopus tristis
Pico de Papagaio
Pidgeon, Bat, the famous hair-cutter
Pigeons have no gall-bladders
Plumage, on the harshness of, in Apteryx
Poem, Cambridge prize
Pollen and Van Dam, Messrs.
Pontoppidan, Bishop
Porphyrio melanotus
stanleyi
Potts, T. H., on Apteryx australis
observations on A. haastii
243
168
101
102
24
122
289
99
39, 47
37, 44
12
5,7

INDEX TO VOL. I.
315
Page
31
Potts, T. H., on nest of the Kaka
on young of A. australis
on the plumage of Apteryx
Prion turtur
20, 22
24
230
238
Procellaria æquorea
alba
234, 253
228, 238
238
238
228
fregata
- fuliginosa
gigantea
grallaria
hypoleuca
leucogaster
lugens
marina
228
229
235, 238
228
munda
237
oceanica
227, 238
227
pelagica
sandaliata
turtur
232, 238, 253
230, 238
230, 238
velox
wilsoni
227
223, 249
175
95
Procellariida, critical notes on, by Osbert Salvin
Proctor, Mr. R. A., on Parrots
quoting Voltaire
Prodotiscus, on the genus
Prodotiscus regulus
Psittacus erithacus
207
208
164
157
102
236
pygmæus
Ptilonopus huttoni, Dr. Finsch on
Puffinus assimilis
elegans
gavia
griseus
256
236
236
VOL. I.
2 U

316
ORNITHOLOGICAL MISCELLANY.
Page
105
61
Pulszky, Francis, on Storks
Puttock's Hardwick
Pye-Smith, P. H., extract from Nature'
Pyrrhocorax graculus (Chough)
131
93
R.
298
216
Ramsay, Mr., on Barn-Owl
Ray’s Willughby: Stray Falcons go to the Sheriff
Reichenow on Psittacus erithacus
Reinhardt, Prof.
Reynardson, C. T. S., on Kites at Monk's Wood
169
63
138
Richard III. and his Hawks
219
30, 172
288
188
176
289
113
180
59
135
Richmond, Duchess of, and her Parrot
Rickard, Mr., on birds from South Africa
Ridgway, Mr
Riedel's Kingfisher
Roch and E. Newton, Messrs.
Rockingham and Orford, Lords, match between
Rosenberg on Tanysiptera
Roulle or Rowley, Philip de
Rowley, G. D., on Falco tinnunculus
on Falconry
on Isabelline Birds &c.
on Psittacus erithacus
on Tanysiptera riedeli
, on the Birds of the Fiji Islands
on the genus Nasiterna
on Trichoglossus arfali
Russia, migration of Birds in North-east
Rutherford the Englishman
213
263
164
176
259
152
146
239
33

INDEX TO VOL. I.
317
S.
Page
37
249
215
Sale-catalogue, William Bullock's
Salvadori, Count
Salvin and Brodrick on a sore Ger-Falcon
Salvin, O., on Dendroca chrysoparia
on Fulica alba (White)
on Procellariidae
181
40
223, 249
on the tail of Momotus
177
116
298
279
271
139
134
268
6, 24, 35
15
295
106
99
Sandwich, Earl of, Master of the Swans
Sandwich Islands, on the Barn-Owl in the
Saunders, Howard
Saxby, Dr. Henry L.
on Kestrels killed in Shetland
on the Storm-Petrel
Saxicola isabellina
Sceloglaux albifacies (White-faced Owl)
Schöbl, Dr. J., on the structure of the Bat's wing
Schomburgk, Sir R.
Schweinfurth's Heart of Africa'
Sclater, P. L., on Swifts and Hirundinidæ
Scolopax rusticola
Sea-Eagle
Seebohm, Henry, on birds of North-east Russia
Seeley, Prof. H. G., on fossil forms of flying animals
Semmelink, Heer
Severtzoff, Dr., on Barn-Owl .
, on Emberiza hortulana and E. cæsia
Shakespeare, Halliwell's illustration of
Sharpe, R. B., on Tanysiptera
on the family Indicatoridæ
on the geographical distribution of Barn-Owls
on the genus Ammomanes
109
52
239
178
296
283
92
101
177
192
.
269
263
2 U 2

318
ORNITHOLOGICAL MISCELLANY.
Page
5
268
135
216
110
65
114
132
73
11
90
224
Shaw, Dr., on the Apteryx
on Cursorius
Shelley, G. E., on Falco tinnunculus
Sheriff, stray Falcons go to the
Siberia, habits of Geese in
Sign-boards, History of
Skeat, solution of the word “lag"
Skua, Buffon's
Sky-Lark
Slade, Henry
Small Bunting
Solander, Dr., his MS.
Sore Sparrow-Hawk
Spallanzani on the sense of touch in Bats
Sparrow-Hawk
female, in male plumage
Spiloglaux novce-zealandic
Stalking-horse on Whittlesea Mere
Stanley, Dean, Peregrine Falcons on Westminster Abbey
Stanley's “Memorials of Canterbury'
Stercorarius longicaudus
Stevenson, H., on Swallows
on Peregrine
Stork, Juvenal's
White
58
15
58
118
35
124
136
266
132
98
136
107
105
Storm-Petrel
133
10
173
Strickland
Miss Agnes, account of La Belle Stuart
Stringops
Strix adspersa
aluco
33
277
64
asio
36
delicatula
290, 297

INDEX TO VOL. I.
319
Page
271
276, 277
287
291
277
297
Strix flammea
· guttata
insularis
javanica
margaritata
novæ-hollandic
rosenbergi
splendens
tenebricosa
Struthionido, feathers of
Strype, 'Life of Cranmer'
Sundevall, Prof.
Swallow
291, 297
278
145
24
64
276
96
77, 79
115
migration of
Swan, Mute
Swan with two necks
Swift
116
98
137
4
137
Swifts, Alpine, on Cathedral of Berne
caught at Brighton
on Peterborough Cathedral
Swinfield, Bishop
Swinhoe, R., on the Cuckoo in Chefoo
Syr-Daria, the lower
Syrnium stridula
216
94
283
36
T.
279
176
4.
Taczanowski, Dr.
Tanysiptera riedeli
Tasman, Abel Jansen, discovers New Zealand
Tawny Owl
Taylor, Mr. E. C., on Falco tinnunculus .
Tegetmeier, W. B., on Pigeons, corrects Yarrell
64
135
101

320
ORNITHOLOGICAL MISCELLANY.
Page
110
188
133
109
119
112
136
Tennant, Sir J. E., derivation of Goose
Tetrao saliceti
Thalassidroma pelgica
Thompson, Pishey, on the Common Bittern
on decoys
on Geese
Thompson, W., on the Kestrel
on the Moor-Buzzard
Thornbury, G. W., 'Shakespeare's England'
Touch, on the sense of, in Apteryx mantelli
Trichoglossi, on the tongue of
Trichoglossus arfaki
aureocinctus
josephino
kordoanus
218
217
13
33
145, 147
261
151
148
150
148
papuensis
placens
pulchellus
rubronotatus
Tristram, Canon, on Barn-Owl
147, 149
148
283
on Stork
106
>
87
10
Trochilus forficatus
Troglodytes vulgaris
Turbervile, George (by error " Tubervile”)
Turdus merula
220
64
U.
168
Ussher, Herbert Taylor, on Psittacus erythacus
Ust Zylma, on the Birds of
240
V.
Verreaux, M. Jules
Victoire, Madam, and the Duck
23, 285
120

INDEX TO VOL. I.
321
W.
Page
24
21
179, 285
32
263
181
117
Waitaroa river, Westland
Wakatipu Lake
Walden, Viscount, on Tanysiptera riedeli
Wallace, A. R., on Parrots
Wallace quotes Tristram on the desert
Warbler, Yellow-cheeked
Wedding dinner of Gervas Clifton and Mary Neville
Westminster Abbey, effigy of a Parrot in
Peregrine Falcons on
White's Voyage,' extract from
Whitely, Mr.
Whittlesea Mere, Regatta on
Whooper
Wild Duck
30, 172
136
41
286
121
117
118
72
Wilson, his death
Windhover or Kestrel
135
52
Wolley, John
Woodcock
109
215
Woodcocks paid for lands
shot in Conduit Street
110
Wood-Pigeon
100
Y.
14
Yarrell on Apteryx australis
on Pigeons
101

ALERE
FLAMMAM.
PRINTED BY TAYLOR AND FRANCIS,
RED LION COURT, FLEET STREET.
X



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