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THE
NATURAL HISTORY
OF
BIRDS,
FROM THE
WORKS OF THE BEST AUTHORS,
ANTIENT & MODERN:
EMBELLISHED WITH
NUMEROUS PLATES
Accurately Coloured from Nature.
IN TWO VOLUMES.
Vol. I.
BUNGAY:
Printed and Published by Brightly & Childs.
Published also by T. Kinnersly.
1815

ह
दंश
amoHUATALIMITHokarova
HO

INTRODUCTION.
TO
a
TO whatever part of the creation we direct our at-
tention, we trace the vestiges of a Being who de
lights to communicate life and to multiply the means of
enjoyment. We have lately contemplated his care in
distributing, through the various regions of the earth,
different species of quadrupeds, whose natures are so
admirably suited to the places of their residence, that
it is difficult to determine which receives the greater
portion of happiness ; the elephant that shelters in
the forests of India ; or the Arctic bear that reposes
among the snows of Spitzbergen. But we have now
to investigate the properties of a race of animals more
widely diffused, and posseased, in some instances, of
very superior advantages.
The quadrupeds, muscular and strong, tread the
earth in common with man; and are either subdued
to docility, or compelled to confine their residence
within those dark impenetrable forests which the in-
dustry of man has not yet levelled with the ground;
but the birds, generally feeble and timid, wing their
flight in the air, and thus retain the full possession of
their liberty, while they elude the force which they are
unable to resist. When elevated high in the atmos-
phere, they glide on with ease and vigour, vary the
direction of their course with inconceivable prompti-
tude, and at last descend almost from the clouds on &
particular spot, selected with the greatest exactness,
and arrived at without the slightest danger.
The bird, Dr. Goldsmith observes, seems formed
entirely for a life of escape ; and every part of the
a

ii.
INTRODUCTION
ness.
3
anatomy of the animal appears calculated for swift-
As it is destined to rise upon air, all its parts
are proportionably light, and present a large surface
without any considerable solidity. The general shape
of their body is surprisingly adapted to rapidity of mo-
tion A bird on the wing has been frequently com-
pared to a ship making its way through the water;
the head answers to the prow, the trunk to the hold,
,
the tail to the rudder, and the wings to the oars. The
fore part of the body is sharp; to divide the air it
arises by a gentle swelling to its bulk, and terminates
in an expansive tail, which help to preserve its equi-
librium, and vary the direction of its flight.
The feathers lie all one way, answering at once the
purposes of warmth, speed, and security. They
mostly tend backward, and are laid over one another
in an exact and regular order, furnished with warm
and soft down next the body, and more strongly for-
tified, and curiously closed externally, to fence off the
injuries of the weather. But, lest the feathers should
spoil by the violent resistance of the air, or imbibe the
moisture of the atmosphere, the animal is furnished
with a gland behind, containing a proper quantity of
oil, which can be pressed out by the bird's bill, and
laid smoothly over every feather that wants to be dress-
ed for the occasion. This gland is situated on the
rump, and furnished with an opening or excretory
duct; about which grows a small tuft of feathers
somewhat like a painter's pencil. When, therefore,
the feathers are shattered or rumpled, the bird, turning
its head backwards, with the bill catches hold of the
gland, and, pressing it, forces out the oily substance,
with which it anoints the disjoined parts of the fea-
thers; and drawing them out with great assiduity,
recomposes and places them in due order; by which
means they unite more closely together. Such poultry,
however, as live for the most part under cover, are not
furnished with so large a stock of this fluid as those

INTRODUCTION
11.
birds that reside in the open air. The feathers of a
hen, for instance, are pervious to every shower; on
the contrary, swans, geese, ducks, and all such as na-
ture has directed to live upon the water, have their fea-
thers dressed with oil from the very first day of their
leaving the shell. Thus their stock of fluid is equal
to the necessity of its consumption. Their very flesh
contracts a flavour from it, which renders it in some
so rancid, as to make it utterly unfit for food; how-
ever, though it injures the flesh, it improves the fea-
thers for all the domestic purposes to which they are
usually converted.
Nor are the feathers with which birds are covered
less an object of admiration. The shaft of every fea-
ther is made proportionably strong; but hollow below
for strength and lightness, and above filled with a pith
to feed the growth of the vane or beard that springs
from the shaft of the feather on either side. All these
feathers are placed generally according to their length
and strength, so that the largest and strongest feathers
in flight have the greatest share of duty to perform.---
The vane or beard of the feather is formed with equal
contrivance and care It consists not of one continued
membrane ; because, if this were broken, it could not
easily be repaired; but it is composed of many layers,
each somewhat in itself resembling a feather, and ly-
ing agaiest each other in close conjunction. Towards
the shaft of the feather, these layers are broad, and of
a semicircular form, to serve for strength, and for the
closer grafting them one against another when in ac-
tion. Towards the outer part of the vane, these layers
grow slender and taper, to be more light. On their
under-side they are thin and smooth, but their upper
outer edge is parted into two hairy edges, each side
having a different sort of hairs, broad at bottom and
slender and bearded above. By this mechanism, the
hooked beards of one layer always lie next the straight

iv.
INTRODUCTION.
beards of the next, and by that means lock and hold
each other.
Next to the feathers, we proceed to consider the
other parts that are reckoned descriptive of the generic
characters of birds. The marks taken from plumage
are precarious indications of the species to which they
belong : the more important characters of birds are
all taken hy Linnæus from the unfeathered parts; as
the beak, caruncles, nostrils and feet: and in this
principle, which he has adopted with regard to ar-
rangement, he has been deservedly followed by many
other naturalists.
The bill in all birds consists of two mandibles; the
upper and the lower. The former is uniformly fixed,
except in the genus of parrots; which nature has en.
dowed with the power of moving the upper mandible
at pleasure, to assist it in climbing. None of the fea- ,
thered race have teeth ; some indeed have the mandi-
bles jagged like a saw, as the toucans and mergansers;
but these jagged points are not immersed in sockets.
In falcons, the base of the beak is covered with skin,
called the cere : in the turkeys it is covered with a
fleshy appendage. The nostrils of birds are gene-
rally of an oval form, placed near the base of the upper
mandible; the organs of smell, in gannets, are alto.
gether wanting
The wings of birds, though not much considered
in their classification, are by far their most conspicu-
ous instruments of motion ; and in almost every genus,
they are adapted for flight, which is accomplished
chiefly by means of the quill-feathers, called remiges.
The largest of these, denominated primaries, are si-
tuated on the extremity of the wing; and are generally
cight or ten in number: the secondaries are placed
nearer to the body of the animal, are always shorter,
and commonly of a different shape and colour Some
species of penguins are destitute of these quill-feathere;
a

INTRODUCTION
with them the wings perform the office of fins, in
swimming and diving. There are other feathers
called tertials, which, like the secondaries, 'take their
rise from the second bone proceeding from the elbow-
joint, forming a continuation of the secondaries.
These feathers are so long in some fowls of the snipe
and woodcock kind, that, when the bird is flying, they
give the appearance of having four wings. At a small
joint rising at the middle part of the wing, grows
what is called the bastard wing, consisting of three or
five quills like feathers. The feathers which cover
or line the wing are called coverts. The lesser
coverts are small feathers that lie in several rows on
the bones of the wings The greater coverts are placed
under these, and lie immediately over the primary
and secondary feathers. The under coverts are the
feathers that line the inside of the wings.
The scapulars are certain feathers that take their
rise from the shoulder, and cover the sides of the back.
The larger feathers of the tail, which are generally ten
or twelve in number, but more numerous in ducks and
geese, are termed rectrices from their being the di-
rector of the animal in flight, and the feathers that
cover them on the upper side at the base, are called the
coverts of the tail,
The wings of birds are so constructed, that in
striking downwards, they expand very greatly ; and,
except that they are somewhat hollow on the under
side, they become, in this act, almost two planes. The
muscles that move the wings downwards, are exceed-
ingly large ; and have been estimated, in some in-
stances, to constitute not less than the sixth part of the
weight of the whole body. When a bird is on the
a
ground, and intends to fly, he takes a leap, stretches
his wings from the body, and strikes them downwards
with great force. By this stroke they are put into
an oblique direction, partly inclining upwards and
partly horizontally forwards. That part of the force

VI.
INTRODUCTION.
tending upwards, is destroyed by the weight of the
bird; and the horizontal force serves to carry him
forwards. The stroke being completed, he moves up
his wings; which, being contracted, and having their
edges turned upwards, meet with very little resistance
from the air. When they are sufficiently elevated,
he takes a second stroke downwards, and the im-
pulse of the air again moves him forward. These
successive strokes act only as so many leaps taken in
air When the bird wants to turn to the right or
left, he strikes strongly with the opposite wing, which
impels him to the proper side. The tail acts hike the
rudder of a ship ; except that it moves him upwards or
downwards, instead of sideways. If the bird wants to
rise, he raises his tail; and if to fall, he depresses it :
whilst it is in an horizontal position, it keeps him
steady
A bird, by spreading his wings, can continue to
move horizontally in the air for some time, without
striking ; because he has acquired a sufficient velocity,
and, his wings being parallel to the horizon, meet
with but small resistance; and, when he begins to
fall, he can easily steer himself upwards by his tail,
till the motion he had acquired is nearly spent, when
he must renew it by two or three more strokcs of
his wings. On alighting, he expands his wings and
tail, that they may meet with all the resistance from
the air possible.
The centre of gravity in birds is somewhat behind
the wings; and, to counterbalance it, most of them
may be observed to thrust out their head and neck
in flying. This is very apparent in the flight of
ducks, geese, and several other kinds of water-fowl.
whose centre of gravity is farther backwards than
in the land-birds. In the heron, on the contrary,
whose long head and neck, although folded up in
flight, overbalance the rest of the body, the long legs
are extended, in order to give the proper counterpoise,

INTRODUCTION,
vil-
and to supply what is wanting from the shortness of
the tail
Somewhat more than a century ago, many at-
tempts were made to enable man to raise himself
into the air by means of artificial wings. This idea,
however, was in the highest degree absurd. The
pectoral muscles in man are vastly too weak for the
purpose, being not a sixtieth part of the muscles of
the body; while those of a bird are equal, if not
greater, than all the others put together. In addi-
tion to this circumstance, the centre of gravity in
man is so situated, that, allowing him to have suffi-
cient power in his pectoral muscles, he would still
never be able to make his way through the air, for
his body would always assume an upright position.
In all birds except in the nocturnal ones, the head
is smaller in proportion to the body, than in quadru-
peds; that it may more readily divide the air in flying
and make way for the body, so as to render its passage
more easy. Their eyes also are more depressed than
in quadrupeds ; a circle of small plates of bones,
placed scalewise, under the outer coat of the organ, ,
encompasses the pupil in each, to strengthen and de-
fend it from injuries. Beside this, birds have a kind
a
of skin, called the nictitating membrane, with which,
like a veil, they can at pleasure cover their eyes, though
their eye-lids continue open. This membrane takes
its rise from the greater or more obtuse corner of the
eye, and serves to wipe, cleanse, and probably, to
moisten its surface. The eyes, though they outwardly
appear but small, yet, separately, each almost equals
the brain ; wherereas in man the brain is more than
twenty times larger than the orbit of the eye. Nor is
this organ in birds less adapted for vision by a particu-
lar expansion of the optic nerve, which render the im-
pressions of external objects more vivid and distinct
From this conformation of the eye it follows, thal

vili.
INTRODUCTION.
the sense of seeing in birds is greatly superior to that
of other animals Indeed, this piercing sight seems
necessary to the creature's support and safety. Were
this organ blunter, from the rapidity of the birds mo:
tion, it would be apt to strike against every object in
its way; and it could scarcely find subsistence, unless
possessed of a power to discern its food from above with
astonishing sagacity. A hawk, for instance, perceives
a lark at perhaps twenty times the distance men or
dogs can spy ; a kite, from an almost imperceptible
height in the clouds, darts down on its prey with the
most unerring aim. The sight of birds, therefore,
excels both in strength and precision, what we know
in most other animals.
All birds want the external ear standing out from
the head; they are only furnished with holes that con-
vey sounds to the auditory canal. It is true, indeed,
that the horned owl, and one or two more birds, seem
to have external ears; but what bears that resem-
blance are only feathers sticking out on each side of
the head, but no way necessary to the sense of hearing.
It is probable, however, that the feathers encompassing
the ear-holes in birds, supply the defect of the exterior
ear, and collect sounds to be transmitted to the internal
sensory. The extreme delicacy of this organ is easily
proved by the readiness with which birds learn tunes,
and the great exactness with which some of them will
repeat words and sentences.
The sense of smelling seems not less vivid in the
generality of birds. Many of them scent their prey
at an immense distance, while others are equally pro-
tected by this sense against their insidious pursuers.
In decoys, where ducks are caught, the men who at-
tend them universally keep a piece of turf burning near
their mouths, upon which they breathe, lest the fowl
should smell them, and consequently fly away. The
universality of this practice puts the necessity of it

.
INTRODUCTION
ix
beyond a doubt, and proves the extreme delicacy of the
sense of smelling, at least in this species of the feathered
creation.
The legs and feet of birds are both made light for
easier transportation through the air. The toes in
some are webbed, to fit them for the waters ; in others
they are separate, for the better holding objects, or
clinging to trees for safety. Such as have long legs
have also long necks, as otherwise they would be inca-
pable of gathering up their food, either by land or
water. But it does not hold, however, that those who
have long necks should have long legs, since we see
that swans and geese, whose necks are extremely long,
have very short legs, and these chiefly employed in
swimming
We have now seen that the whole external struc-
ture of the feathered race is evidently that which is
most suitable to inhabitants of the air; and a little in-
vestigation will convince us that their all-wise Creator
had the same objects in view, in constructing their
internal economy. All the bones are light and thin, as
are all those muscles, which are not appropriate to the
purpose of moving the wings; the lungs are placed
close to the back-bones and ribs, and the air entering
into them by a communication from the wind-pipe,
is conveyed into a number of membranaceous cells,
so as to distend the whole body of the animal In
some birds these cells are continued down the wings,
and extended even to the pinions and thighs, so as to
enable the bird to diminish and increase the bulk of
these parts of its body at pleasure. Mr. Hunter ima-
gined that this singular diffusion of air was intended
by providence to assist the animal in its flight. In
opposition, however, to this opinion he informs, that
the ostrich, which does not fly, is more liberally pro-
vided with these cells than the woodcock and some
other flying birds; yet he elsewhere observes, that it
may be laid down as a general rule, that in birds
b

X.
INTRODUCTION
which are enabled to take the highest and longest
flight, as the eagle, this diffusion of air is carried fur-
ther than in others; and with regard to the ostrich,
though it is deprived of the power of flying, it runs
with amazing rapidity, and consequently requires
similar resources of air. It seems, therefore, to be
evidently proved that this general diffusion of air
through the bodies of birds, not only assists them in
their long and laborious flights, but likewise prevents
their respiration from being interrupted by the ra-
pidity of their motion, through a resisting medium.
Were it possible for a man to move with the swiftness
of a swallow, the actual resistance of the air, as he is
not provided with reservoirs similar to those of birds,
would speedily suffocate bim.
Birds have been distinguished, though not very ac-
curately, into two classes, the granivorous and car-
nivorous ; though there are many that partake boty
of animal and of vegetable food. The first of these
classés is furnished with larger intestines than the
carnivorous kind. Their food is conveyed entire ins
the first stomach, or crop, where it undergoes a par-
tial dilution, by a liquor which is spread over its sur
face; after this it is transmitted into the gizzard, or
true stomach, which consists of two very strong muscles,
which are covered externally with a tendinous sub-
stance, and lined with a thick membrane of prodigious
power. In this place the food is completely prepared
for digestion. The extraordinary power of the gizzard
in grinding hard substances would be utterly incre-
dible, was it not supported by the following interesting
but cruel experiment, by the celebrated Spalanzani.
Tin tubes full of grain were forced into the stomachs
of turkeys, and after remaining twenty hours, were
found to be broken, compressed, and distorted, in
the most irregular manner. The stomach of a cock,
in the space of twenty-four hours, broke off the angles
of a piece of rough jagged glass ; and yet, upon

INTRODUCTION.
$1.
a
a
examining the gizzard, no wound was discovered.
Twelve strong needles were firmly fixed in a ball of
lead, the points of which projected about a quarter
of an inch from the surface; thus armed, it was
covered with a case of paper, and forced down the
throat of a turkey; the bird retained it a day and a
half without showing the least symptom of uneasi-
ness, the points of all the needles were broken off
close to the surface of the ball, except two or three,
of which the stumps projected a little. Twelve small
lancets, very sharp both at the point and edges, were
fixed in a similar ball of lead, which was given in the
same manner to a turkey-cock, and left eight hours
in the stomach: at the expiration of which time that
organ was opened, but nothing appeared except the
naked ball; the twelve lancets having been broken
to pieces---the stomach at the same time remaining
perfectly sound and entire. From these facts it was
concluded, that the stones so often found in the sto-
machs of many of the feathered tribes, are highly
useful in assisting the gastric juices to grind down the
grain and other hard substances which constitute
their food. The stones themselves also, being ground
down and separated by the powerful action of the
gizzard, are mixed with the food, and it is supposed
contribute very greatly to the health as well as to
the nutriment of the animals.
From the small size and slender conformation of
birds we might be led to suppose, that the duration
of their life would prove but short; the reverse, how-
ever, of this is the case: their longevity, it is asserted,
far exceeds that of quadrupeds, and even of man him-
self; and it seems neither to observe the same pro-
portions, nor to be guided by the same rules. In these
animals, the duration of life bears a certain propor-
tion to the period in which they arrive at their matu-
rity, nor are they capable of procreation till their
size is nearly completed. In birds, the growth is

xii.
INTRODUCTION.
more quick, and the period of procreation much earlier ;
many of them run as soon as they are excluded from
the shell, and fly at the end of four or five weeks: a
cock is capable of procreation at six months, and ar-
rives at maturity in a year. If then the duration of
human life, and that of quadrupeds, is only six oi
seven times longer than the period at which they ar-
rive at maturity, a cock should live only six or seven
years ; his longevity, however, is far greater, some
being known to live upwards of twenty years. A lin
net has been known to live fourteen years; bulfinches
twenty ; geese four score : of swans, eagles, ravens,
and parrots, there are various reports ; some have as-
serted that they lived one hundred years, others
,
double, and even three times that period; but of this
there are few well attested examples.
The longevity of birds, M. Buffon imputes to
the texture of their bones; the hardness and solidity
of which, he assigns as the general cause of death in
all animals : those of birds being lighter and more
porous in their conformation, present fewer obstacles
to the vital functions; and nature thus finding more
room for the functions of life, carries it on to a more
distant period. The less solid the bones are, the
,
more distant, he alleges, will be the period of death ;
hence a greater number of women than men arrive
at extreme old age.
From the extraordinary longevity of birds, it is
probable they are subject to few diseases : their
annual moulting, if it can be considered as a disease,
is perhaps the only one to which they are universally
liable. As quadrupeds cast their hair, so all birds,
every year, obtain a new covering of feathers. This
is what is termed their moúlting ; during its continu-
ance they always appear sickly and disordered ; the
boldest lose their courage ; none produce young, and
many die under this severe operation of nature. No
feeding can maintain their strength, or preserve their

INTRODUCTION.
xiii
ope-
powers of reproduction. A hen, however plentifully
fed, will then cease tolay ; the nourishment which
formerly went to the production of young, is now
consumed and absorbed, in administering a supply to
the growing plumage./
The moulting of birds, even when left to the
ration of nature, is a severe malady ; its fatal effects,
however, have been greatly increased by the inter-
ference of man, in endeavouring to bestow artificial
accomplishments on those birds which he reduces into
captivity, for the sake of the beauty of their colours,
or the melody of their song. The bird catchers in
the vicinity of London, whose employment consists
chiefly in gratifying the whimsical and capricious,
have invented a method of accelerating the season of
moulting, by which it is pretended that birds are im-
proved both in their song and beauty. To effect
this, they shut them up in a dark cage, closely wrapt
up with woollen cloth, allowing their dung to remain
and increase the heat of the cage : in this state of con-
finement, which continues for a month, they are only
now and then supplied with water, the putrid air, and
the fever which it occasions, depriving them of all
appetite for food. By this violent operation, which
is termed stopping, an artificial and premature moult
is produced, at the expence of the lives of many of the
,
ill-fated creatures who are subjected to so unnatural
a regimen. The price of a stopped bird rises in pro-
portion to the danger attending it ; for it is pretended
that its note is not only louder, and more piercing
than that of a wild one ; but that its plumage is also
more vivid and beautiful: in short, that there is as
much difference between a wild and a stopped bird,
as between a horse kept in body clothes, and one at
a
grass.
The manner in which nature performs the opera-
tion of moulting is thus described by Goldsmith :
The quill, or feather, when first protruded from the

xiy.
INTRODUCTION.
skin and comes to its full size, grows harder as it
grows older, and receives a kind of periosteum or
skin round the shaft, by which it seems attached to
the animal.--- In proportion as the quill grows older,
its sides, or the bony pen part, thicken ; but its whole
diameter shrinks and decreases. Thus, by the
thickening of its sides, all nourishment from the body
becomes more sparing; and, by the decrease of its
diameter, it becomes more loosely fixed in its
socket, till at length it falls out. In the mean time,
the rudiments of an incipient quill are begin-
ning below.
The skin forms itself into a littlo
bag, which is fed from the body by a small vein
and artery, and which every day increases in size till
it is protruded. While the one end vegetates into the
beard or vane of the feather, that part attached to
the skin is still soft, and receives a constant supply
of nourishment, which is diffused through the body of
the quill by that little light substance which we al-
ways find within when we make a pen. This sub-
stance, which as yet has received no name that I
know of, serves the growing quill as the umbilical ar-
tery does an infant in the womb, by supplying it with
nourishment, and diffusing that nourishment over the
whole frame. When, however, the quill is come to
its full growth, and requires no further nourishment,
the vein and artery become less and less, till at last the
little opening by which they communicated with the
quill, becomes wholly obliterated ; and the quill,
thus deprived, continues in its socket for some months,
till in the end it shrinks, and leaves room for a repe-
tition of the same process of nature as before,
The moulting season commonly obtains from the
end of summer to the middle of autumn. The bird
continues to struggle with this malady during the
winter ; and nature has kindly provided, that when
there are the fewest provisions, that then the animal's
appetite shall be least craving ---At the beginning of

INTRODUCTION
X.
spring, when food begins again to be plentiful, the
animal's strength and vigour return. It is then that
the abundance of provisions, aided by the mildness
of the season, incite it to love, and all nature seems
teeming with life, and disposed to continue it.
Those warblings, which had been hushed during
the colder seasons, now begin to animate the fields ;
every grove and bush resounds with the challenge of
Anger, or the call of allurement. This delightful con-
cert of the grove which is so much admired by man,
is no way studied for his amusement. it is usually the
call of the male to the female ; his efforts to sooth her
during the times of incubation; or it is a challenge
between two males, for the affections of some common
favcurite.
It is by this call that birds begin to pair at the
ap
proach of spring, and provide for the support of a
future progeny. The loudest notes are usually from
the male ; while the her seldom expresses her consent,
but in a short, interrupted twittering. This compact,
at least for the season, holds with unbroken faith;
many birds live with inviolable fidelity together for a
constancy; and when one dies, the other is always
seen to share the same fate soon after. We must
not take our idea of the conjugal fidelity of birds
from observing the poultry in our yards, whose
freedom is abridged, and whose manners are totally
corrupted by slavery. We must look for it in our
fields and our forests, where nature continues in un-
adulterated simplicity; where the number of males is
generally equal to that of females; and where every
little animal seems prouder of his progeny, than
pleased with his mate. Were it possible to compare
sensations, the male of all wild birds seems as happy
in the young brood as the female; and all his former
caresses, all his soothing melodies, seem only aimed
at that important occasion when they are both to be-
come parents, and to educate a progeny of their

xvi.
INTRODUCTION.
ewn producing. The pleasures of love appear dull
in their effects, when compared to the interval imme
diately after the exclusion of their young. They both
seem at that season transported with pleasure ; every
action testifies their pride, their importance, and tender
solicitude.
When the business of fecundation is performed,
the female then begins to lay. Such eggs as have
been impregnated by the cock are prolific: and such
as have not, for she lays often without any congress
whatsoever, continue barren, and are only addled by
incubation Previous, however, to laying, the work
of nestling becomes the common care ; and this is
performed with no small degree of assiduity and ap-
parent design. It has been asserted, that birds of one
kind always makes their nests in the same manner,
and of the same materials ; but the truth is, that
they vary this as the materials, places, or climates,
happen to differ. The red-breast, in some parts of
England, makes its nest with oak leaves, where they
are in greatest plenty ; in other parts with moss and
hair. Some birds, that with us make a very warm
nest, are less solicitous in the tropical climates, where
the heat of the weather promotes the business of in-
cubation. In general, however, every species of birds
has a peculiar architecture of its own ; and this
adapted to the number of eggs, the temperature of
the climate, or the respective heat of the little animal's
own body. Where the eggs are numerous, it is then
incumbent to make the nest warm, that the animal
heat may be equally diffused to them all. Thus the
wren, and all the small birds, make the nest
very
warm ; for having many eggs, it is requisite to dis-
tribute warmth to them in common : on the contrary,
the plover that has but two eggs, the eagle and the
crow, are not so solicitous in this respect, as their bo-
dies are capable of being applied to the small num-
ber upon which they sit. With regard to climate,

INTRODUCTION.
xvii
water-fowl, that with us make but a very slovenly
nest, are much more exact in this particular in the
colder regions of the north. They there take every
precaution to make it warm ; and some kinds strip
the down from their breasts, to line it with greater
security
In general, however, every bird resorts to hatch
in those climates or places where its food is found
in greatest plenty ; and always at that season when
provisions are in the greatest abundance. The large
birds, and those of the aquatic kinds, choose places as
remote from man as possible, as their food is in
ge-
neral different from that which is cultivated by human
labour. Some birds, which have only the serpent to
fear, build their nests depending from the end of a
small bough, and form the entrance from below; being
thus secured either from the serpent or the monkey
tribes. But all the little birds which live upon fruits
and corn, and that are too often unwelcome intruders
upon the fruits of human industry, in making their
nests, use every precaution to conceal them from man.
On the other hand, the great birds, remote from hu-
man society, use every precaution to render theirs in-
accessible to wild beasts or vermin.
Nothing can exceed the patience of birds while
hatching, neither the calls of hunger, nor the near
approach of danger, can drive them from the nest.
They are often fat upon beginning to sit, yet before
incubation is over, the female is usually wasted to
skin and bone. Ravens and crows, while the females
are sitting, take care to provide the mwith food; and
this in great abundance. But it is different with most
of the smaller kinds: during the whole time the male
sits near his mate upon some tree, and soothes her
by his singing, and often when she is tired takes
her place, and patiently continues upon the nest till
she returns. Sometimes, however, the eggs acquire
a degree of heat too much for the purposes of hatching:

xviii.
INTRODUCTION.
20
3
in such cases, the hen leaves them to cool a little, and
then returns to sit with her usual perseverance and
pleasure.
Stos
So great is the power of instinct in animals of this
class, that they seem driven from one appetite to ano-
ther, and continue almost passive under its influence
Reason we cannot call it, since the first dictates of that
principle would be self-preservation :---- Take a
brute," says Addison, “out of his instinct, and you
find him wholly deprived of understanding. With
what caution," continues he, “ does the hen provide
herself a nest in places unfrequented, and free from
noise and disturbance! When she has laid her eggs
in such a manner that she can cover them, what care
does she take in turning them frequently, that all
parts may partake of the vital warmth! When she
leaves them to provide for her necessary sustenance,
how punctually does she return before they have
time to cool, and become incapable of producing an
animal ! In the summer you see her giving herself
greater freedoms, and quitting her care for above two
hours together : but in winter, when the rigour of
the season would chill the principles of life, and des-
troy the young one, she grows more assiduous in her
attendance, and stays away but half the time. When
the birth approaches, with how much nicety and at-
tention does she help the chick to break the prison !
not to take notice of her covering it from the injuries
of the weather, providing it with proper nourishment,
and teaching it to help itself ; nor to mention her for-
saking the nest, if, after the usual time of reckoning,
the young one does not make its appearance
mical operation could not be followed with greater art
or diligence than is seen in hatching a chick, though
there are many birds that shew an infinitely greater
sagacity : yet at the same time the hen, that has all
this seeming ingenuity, (which is indeed absolute-
ly necessary for the propagation of the species)
A chy-

INTRODUCTION.
xix,
considered in other respects, is without the least
glimmerings of thought or common sense : she mis-
takes a piece of chalk for an egg, and sits upon it in
the same manner ; she is insensible of any increase
or diminution in the number of those she lays ; she
does not distinguish between her own, and those of
another species ; and when the birth appears of
never so different a bird, will cherish it for her own.
A hen followed by a brood of ducks, shall stand af-
frighted at the edge of the pond, trembling for the
fate of her young, which she sees venturing into so
dangerous an element. As the different principle
which acts in these different animals cannot be termed
reason, so when we call it instinct, we mean some-
thing we have no knowledge of. It appears to me
.
the immediate direction of Providence, and such an
operation of the Supreme Being, as that which de-
termines all the portions of matter to their proper
centres."
uitleg
The production of the young, as was said, seems
to be the great æra of a bird's happiness. Nothing
can at that time exceed its spirit and industry: the
most timid becomes courageous in the defence of its
young. Birds of the rapacious kind, at this season,
become more than usually fierce and active. They
carry their prey, yet throbbing with life, to the nest,
and early accustom their young to habits of slaughter
and cruelty. Nor are those of milder natures less
busily employed ; the little birds then discontinue
their singing, taken up with more important pursuits
of common subsistence.
While the young are yet unfledged, and continue
in the nest, the old ones take care to provide them
with a regular supply'; and, lest one should take all
nourishment from the rest, they feed each of the
young in their turn. If they perceive that man has
been busy with their nest, or has handled the little
ones, they abandon the place by night, and provide

XX.
INTRODUCTION
their brood a more secure, though less commodious
retreat. When the whole family is completely plumed,
and capable of avoiding danger by flight, they are
then led forth when the weather is fine, and taught
the paternal art of providing for their subsistence.
They are led to the places where their food lies;
they are shewn the method of discovering or car-
rying it away ; and then led back to the nest, for a
day or two longer. At length, when they are com-
pletely qualified to shift for themselves, the old ones
take them abroad, and, leading them to the accus-
tomed places, forsake them for the last time, and all
future connection is ever at an end.
Those birds which are hatched and sent ont ear-
liest in the season are the most strong and vigorous ;
those, on the other hand, that have been delayed till
the midst of summer, are more feeble and tender,
and sometimes incapable of sustaining the rigours of
the ensuing winter. Birds themselves seem sensible
of this difference, and endeavour to produce early in
the spring. If, however, their efforts are obstructed
by having
their nests robbed, or some similar accident,
they still persevere in their efforts for a progeny ;
and it often happens that some are thus retarded till
the midst of winter. What number of eggs any bird
.
can lay in the course of a season is not ascertained ;
but this is true, that such as would have laid but two
or three at the most, if their nests be robbed, or their
eggs stolen, will lay above ten or twelve. A com-
mon hen, if moderately fed, will iay above a hundred
from the beginning of spring to the latter end of
autumn. In general, however, it appears, that the
smallest and weakest animals are the most prolific,
while the strong and rapacious are abridged by
sterility. Thus, such kinds as are easily destroyed, are
as readily repaired ; and nature, where she has denied
the power of resistance, has compensated by the ferti-
lity attending procreation. doted

INTRODUCTION
xxi.
The carnivorous birds are of various different
nabits, and subsist upon almost every possible variety
of animal food. The eagle, and the whole tribe of the
falcons, hunt their prey like the lion, and will long suf-
fer the extremity of hunger rather than accept of any
provision which themselves have not killed. These
are the terror of the feathered tribe, as well as the
enemies of the smaller and more defenceless quadru-
peds. Others, as the vulture and the raven, are con-
tented to feed upon carrion, and make up by the pro-
digious quantity which they swallow for any deficiency
in the quality of their food. Most of those which are
denominated water-fowls, prey chiefly upon fish; while
others, as the swallow, the sparrow, and the wren,
devour immense numbers of insects.
Without the means of conveying themselves swiftly
from one place to another, it would not be easy for
many genera of birds to subsist, as that food which
at one time is given in great abundance in any par-
ticular country, is at another administered with a very
sparing hand. This is a principal cause of those mi-
grations, which form such an interesting but obscure
portion of the history of the feathered tribe. In gene-
ral, our summer birds of the migratory kind come
from the south ; while those that remain with us
during the winter months, can almost all be traced to
the colder regions of Norwegian, Swedish, and Russian
Lapland.
We are informed by Linnæus, that Lapland
abounds, during summer, with enormous quantities of
insects; and this is more or less the case with all the
North of Europe. The birds that feed upon insects,
therefore, such as the cuckoo, goatsucker, and all the
tribe of swallows, during the warm months, are there
abundantly supplied ; but on the close of that season,
when their favourite food begins to fail, they regularly
depart for the milder climes of the south. Among
the quails and the storks, this seems a preconcerted

xxii.
INTRODUCTION.
undertaking. They assemble together for some
days before their departure ; take different short
flights, as if to train their young for the journey ; and
by an odd kind of chattering, seem to debate upon the
plan of their route. When these preliminaries are
settled, they all take their flight in a body, that they
may more easily oppose their enemies; they often
appear in euch numbers, that, to the mariners at sea,
they seem like a cloud that rests upon the horizon.
The boldest, strongest, and by far the greatest num-
ber, probably make good their intention ; but many
there are, who, not apprised of their own want of
force for the arduous undertaking, grow weary in the
way, and, quite spent by the fatigues of their flight,
drop down into the sea, or fall upon the decks of ships,
where they become a prey to the sailors, or the waves.
The principal summer birds of cur country are the
different species of swallows, the rail, lapwing, goat-
sucker, ring-ouzel, and several species of warblers.
It is far from being exactly ascertained where each of
these genera retires during winter ; but it is probable
the greater part resort to Africa, or to the more
southern latitudes of Europe.
With regard to the winter birds, which migrate
from us in summer, the most remarkable are the
woodcock, the fieldfare, the reel-wing, and white
bunting. Of the first genus, the far greater part seems
to make an annual voyage to Britain and Ireland from
America. On the western shores of these islands,
they are far more numerous than on the eastern ; and
on the west of Ireland, they are in the proportion of
ten to one that is to be found on the ccast of Britain.
After their long flight across the Atlantie, they are so
much exhausted, that they are frequently caught with
the hand on their first arrival. In farther confirmation
of this opinion, weodcocks are known to breed in great
numbers in Canada and Cape Breton, during sum-
mer; they leave both countries in the month of

INTRODUCTION.
XX111.
September, and return again in spring, nearly at the
period they are found to desert Britain. To this we
may add the observations of sailors, who have actually
seen them at sea passing from the west, towards land
on the coast of England, during the fall. It is not
improbable that some of the woodcocks on the east
coast may come from the North of Europe. They
breed in Norway and Russia, and no doubt may mi-
grate to these shores during winter : all the rest of
our winter birds, we know, are natives of these coun-
tries: the woodcock alone is from the west, and its
migrations have this farther peculiarity, of being soli-
tary, and not in flocks, like the storks and swallows.
Among the winter birds of Britain, we must also
rank that vast quantity of water-fowl that frequenis
our shores, Of these, it is surprising how few are
known to breed here. The cause that principally
urges them to their long journies into the northern
regions, seems to be not merely the want of food in
this country, but the desire of a secure retreat. Our
island is too populous for birds so shy and timid as
the greatest number of these are. When great part
of the country was a mere waste, an uncultivated
tract of woods or fens, many species of birds which
now migratey probably remained with us in security
throughout the year.
The great heron, and the
crane, that have now forsaken this country, are said
to have bred familiarly in our marshes, and by their
numbers peopled our fens. Their nests, like those
of most cloven-footed water-fowl, were built on the
ground, and exposed to every invader : as rural eco-
nomy increased, these animals were more and more
disturbed by the encroachments of the husbandman;
till, after a long series of alarms, they have been
obliged to seek, during summer, some lonely habitation,
at a greater distance from their tyrants and destroyers
Of the numerous species of the duck kind, we
know, says Mr. Pennant, of no more than five that

xxiv.
INTRODUCTION.
breed here ; the tame swan and goose, the sheldrake,
the eider duck, and a very small number of the wild
ducks. The rest contribute to form that amazing
multitude of water-fowl, which annually migrate from
the southern parts of Europe to the woods and lakes
of the dreary regions of Lapland : there they perform
the functions of incubation and nutrition in perfect
security ; and from these vast and solitary retreats,
they issue in September, and disperse over the whole
of Europe. There are few of this numerous genus,
who may not be traced flying to the arctic regions,
a country of lakes, rivers, swamps, and mountains :
there the thick and gloomy forests not only afford
them shelter and security, but also, by keeping the
ground moist and penetrable, afford the snipe, wood-
cock, and other slender-billed birds, the means of col-
lecting their food; while the web-footed birds find
abundance in the larvæ of insects, which are there
deposited in vast quantities on the waters.
There the days are long; and the beautiful mete-
orous nights afford them every opportunity of collect-
ing so minute a food, which is probably more grateful
than any other, and which the all-bountiful Creator
has spread for them so abundantly in the wilderness,
It is therefore no longer a matter of astonishment,
that such vast numbers of fowl should descend from
these regions on the approach of winter, numbers
which far exceed the army of Xerxés, and which
Linnæus observed for eight whole days and nights,
to cover the surface of the river Calix, as he proceed-
ed along its banks.
These migrations generally commence in the mid-
dle of September, when they quit their retreats to dis-
perse over Europe: the order of their flight is pretty
remarkable; they either follow each other in a long
line, or march in an angular form, the two lines meet-
ing each other at a sharp point. The bird which
leads the van, cleaves the air, and facilitates the
,
و

INTRODUCTION.
XXV.
passage of those that follow : when fatigued in this
laborious station, he falls back into one of the side
files, and is replaced by another, who leads on the
whole body in his place. With us, they make their
appearance about the beginning of October ; circu-
late first round our shores ; and, when the severe
frost compels them, betake themselves to our lakes
and rivers. There are some of the web-footed
fowl of hardier constitutions than others; these en-
dure the ordinary winters of the northern climate, but
when the cold reigns there with more than common
rigour, they repair for shelter to these kingdoms.
Hence the divers, the wild swan, the swallow-tailed
sheldrake, are not constant visitors; their appearance
is regulated by the severity of the winters in their na-
tive abodes.
Much of the difficulty, as Mr. Bewick judiciously
observes, in which the subject of migration has been
involved, arises from our not being able to account
for their means of subsistence, during the long
flights of many of those birds, which are obliged to
cross immense tracts of water before they arrive at
the place of their destination : accustomed to mea-
sure distance by the speed of those animals with
which we are well acquainted ; we are apt to over-
look the superior velocity with which birds are car-
ried forward in the air, and the case with which they
continue their exertions, for a much longer time than
can be done by the strongest quadruped. Our swiftest
horses are supposed to go at the rate of a mile in some-
what less than two minutes ; and we have one instance
on record, of a horse being tried, which went at the
rate of nearly a mile in one minute, but that was
only for the small space of a second of time. In this,
and similar instances, we find that an uncommon de-
gree of exertion is attended with its usual consequences,
debility, and a total want of power to continue that
exertion : but the case is very different with birds;
d
a

xxvi.
INTRODUCTION.
a
;
their motions are not impeded by similar causes; they
glide through the air with a quickness superior to that
of the swiftest quadruped, and they can continue
their flight with equal speed for a considerable length
of time. Now if we can suppose a bird to go at
the rate of only half a mile in a minute, for the space
of twenty-four hours, it will have gone over in that
extent more than seven hundred miles, which is suffi-
cient to account for almost the longest migration ;
but if aided by a favourable current of air, there is
reason to suppose that the same journey may be
per-
formed in a much shorter space of time. To these
observations we may add, that the sight of birds is
peculiarly quick and piercing ; and from the advantage
they possess in being raised to a considerable height in
the air, they are enabled, with a sagacity peculiar to
instinctive knowledge, to discover the rout they are
to take from the appearance of the atmosphere, the
clouds, the direction of the wind, and other causes;
so that, without having recourse to improbable modes,
it is easy to conceive, that from the velocity of their
speed alone, most birds may transport themselves to
countries lying at great distances, and across vast.
tracts of oceans.
The following observations from Catesby are
justiy worthy to be recited. The manner of their
journeyings may vary according as the structure of their
bodies enables them to support themselves in the air.
Birds with short wings, such as the redstart, black-
cap, &c. may pass by gradual and slower move-
ments; and there seems no necessity for a precipitate
passage; every day affords an increase of warmth,
and a continuance of food. It is probable these
itinerants mayl perform their journey in the night
time, in order to avoid ravenous birds and other dan-
gers which daylight may expose them to. The flight
of the smaller birds of passage across the sea has, by
many, been considered as wonderful, and especially

INTRODUCTION.
with regard to those with short wings, among which
quails seem by their structure little adapted for long
flights; nor are they ever seen to continue on the
wing for any length of time, and yet their ability for
such flights cannot be doubted. The coming of these
birds is certain and regular from every year's experi-
ence; but the cause and manner of their departure
have not always been so happily accounted for: in
short, all we know of the matter ends in this observa-
tion ---that providence has created a great variety of
birds, and other animals, with constitutions and in-
clinations adapted to their several wants and necessi-
ties, as well as to the different degrees of heat and cold,
in the several climates of the world, whereby no coun-
try is destitute of inhabitants ; and has given them
appetites for the production of those countries, whose
temperature is suited to their nature, as well as know-
ledge and ability, to seek and find them out."
In an essay like the present, we must not over-
look those important uses to which they are subser-
vient in the economy of nature. The rapacious
kinds evidently serve the important purpose of pre-
serving the salubrity of the air, by devouring all sorts
of carrion, every where scattered over the surface of
the globe. The earth every where teems with living
creatures whose natural death, or accidental destruc-
tion, would communicate to the atmosphere a putrid
and noxious influence, were their carcases allowed
to dissolve and mingle with the soil, by the slow pro-
cess of corruption. The order of waders, are evi-
.
dently destined by nature to co-operate in the same
necessary employment. They destroy toads, frogs,
lizards, and serpents, animals noxious while alive, and
whose bodies, when dead, must more or less infect the
air with putrid vapours. On this account, the inha-
bitants of Holland and of Egypt are greatly indebted
to the labours of the stork : in the latter country,
whicn abounds with every hideous reptile which a

xxviii.
INTRODUCTION.
humid soil or sultry sun can quicken into life, this
favourite bird lives, even in its wild state, protected
by the laws of that antient kingdom.
The granivorous birds are also deemed of great
utility in the system of nature ; because they abridge
the fertility of those plants which emit such immense
quantities of seed as would soon overspread the earth;
and which, if left unrestrained, would infallibly over-
power the more useful vegetables. Many species are
farther useful in transporting seeds from one country
to another, and thus disseminating plants more uni-
versally over the surface of the globe. Some of the
water-fowl perform a similar service, by transporting
the spawn of different kinds of fishes, and replenish-
ing the waters where their inhabitants have been
extirpated or diminished. The seeds of plants, and
the spawn of fishes, are in many instances known to
resist the digestion of animals, and to pass through
their bodies unassimulated, and still in possession of
their prolific qualities : water-fowl also perform the
same office in their element which the rapacious birds
do in the air; they prevent the putrefaction of stag-
nated waters, and preserve their purity, by destroying
vast numbers of aquatic animals with which they teem,
whose bodies, by corruption, would render it per-
nicious.
Nor are the feathered tribe less useful for the pre-
vention of famine, than of pestilence. It is well
known that the earth in every habitable climate, teems
with a prodigious variety of insects, who burst forth
in full vigour at the return of spring, prepared to sa-
tisfy an appetite enormous when compared with
their bulk by the destruction of every vegetable which
the care of the husbandman has either protected from
the cold of the winter, or propagated by sowing or
planting in the spring. This dreadful purpose would
be acoomplished in spite of all the skill and industry
of man, were it not that providence has rendered

INTRODUCTION.
xxix,
insects the favourite food of many genera of birds, of
some throughout the whole duration of their lives, and
of many others in that infant state in which they
are confined to their nest. A single pair of sparrows,
during the time when they are feeding their young,
will destroy weekly several thousand caterpillars,
besides butterflies and other winged insects. Swal-
lows are almost continually upon the wing; and in
their curious winding flights, it is probable that each
individual destroys not fewer than a thousand insects
in a day. That active little bird, the blue titmouse,
may be seen running up and down the branches of
trees, and picking up the eggs of insects, or the small
worms that are concealed in the blossoms, and would
effectually destroy the fruit. As the season advances,
various other small birds, such as the red-breast, the
wren, the hedge-sparrow, the white-throat, red-
start, &c. are all engaged in the same useful labour,
carefully examining every leaf, and feeding on the
insects which they find beneath them.
How essentially birds contribute to the comfort
of mankind, by their feathers, their eggs, and their
flesh, is known to
It is remarkable, that of the vast number of birds
who inhabit the globe, it has never yet been discovered
that a single one is of a poisonous nature. They
differ, indeed, in being more or less salutary and pa-
latable, as articles of diet ; but none of them are per-
nicious : none of their eggs, in like manner, have
been found of a noxious quality; a circumstance well
known to seafaring people, who eat freely every spe-
cies of egg, without experiencing any pernicious con-
sequence. Their eggs, however, as well as their
flesh, vary considerably in taste; some are greatly
preferable to others. The eggs of those termed
game, and of the different species of gallinaceous birds,
are generally reckoned agreeable: of the wood-
grouse, it is said, that its eggs are the most delicate
every reader.

INTRODUCTION.
hitherto known; those of the white-grouse, lapwing,
and bustard, are also coveted by many, who prefer
them to the eggs of the domestic poultry.
As an article of diet, all the carnivorous birds are
avoided ; though by no means poisonous, their flesh
is hard, tough, and often of a fetid smell. Those
that feed on fish too, and especially those with sharp
bills, are generally disliked ; some of the young,
indeed, are eaten with avidity, such as the marrot,
puffin, and gannet. All the water-fowl, even those
with flat bills, are generally reckoned a heavy and
rancid food : the goose and duck are probably the
best, and these are much improved by being kept at
a distance from water, and restricted from fish.
The birds that feed on insects, though not noxiors,
are likewise generally avoided as an article of food,
from their impure manner of feeding. On the con-
trary, all the tribes of finches, and other small birds
who feed upon grain or seeds, are much esteemed.
The woodcock, snipe, and bittern, the whole tribe
called mud-suckers, are accounted a great delicacy
among the connoisseurs; by these, too, are approved
the muir-cock, partridge, and wood-grouse; it re-
mains doubtful, however, whether the flesh of any
bird can justly be preferred to the common poultry.
Of rapacious birds, not one species has ever been
domesticated by man, except a few, for the purposes
of falconry; and these are always taken when young,
from the nests of the wild ones ; a proof that they
do not thrive and propagate in their captivity. As
their acquired habits are conferred upon them with
great difficulty, so they are slight, and easily effaced.
A hawk, when he gets at a certain distance from his
keepers, seldom wishes to return. The numerous
tribe of pies contains not one species that hath ever
been reduced to a domestic state. Their food could
not easily be procured in captivity ; their manner
of life is unfavourable to it, and their flesh is deemed

INTRODUCTION.
impure as an article of food. The gallinaceous
order contains several species which have with great
advantage been made subservient to the purposes of
domestic economy, viz. the peacock, the turkey, the
barn-door fowl, and Guinea hen : the last of these,
however, has but lately been imported into Britain ;
the common poultry are originally from Asia, but
were early introduced into Europe.
of the columbine tribe, one species only has
been tamed, that of the common pigeon, which is
well known, and in some places a very lucrative
object of commerce. None of the passerine order
have yet been domesticated, though many of them
are reckoned delicate food. Four species of the
duck kind have been brought from their wild state to
the service of man ; the swan, the goose, the Guinea
;
duck, and the wild duck. The grallæ, or waders,
are deemed such excellent food, as to provoke the
appetite of the pampered epicure, such as the wood-
cock, snipe, curlew, stork, crane, and some others ;
yet not one of all this numerous class has ever been
hrought into a domestic situation.
It is to be regretted, that the acquaintance of man
with the feathered race is so limited, as many species
may no doubt be found, which, by domestication,
might add to his stock of subsistence, increase his
industry, and multiply his amusements.
There remain yet two other ways in which birds
contribute, as it were incidentally, to the happiness
of man, viz. by the agreeable diversion which they
give to his thoughts by the various colouring of their
plumage, and the artless melody of their song. It
has been remarked that the extremes of cold and heat
produce very striking effects on the external charac-
ters of birds. Almost all the birds of the warın
climates dazzle the eye with their strong and vivid
colours ; in the temperate regions their tints are
more faint and shaded, and less distinguished, either

XXXII
INTRODUCTION
by their brilliancy or variety. Of the various kinds
which our country produces, few are remarkable for
the richness of their plumage ; and of these few,
the common cock and peacock are natives of Asia.
Among our quadrupeds the same mediocrity of
colouring is observable ; while the animals of both
classes, throughout the warmer regions of America,
Africa, and the Indies, are adorned with the utmost
splendor and variety of dress. It may be laid down,
.
therefore, that heat exalts the colours of plumage,
and renders them at once more vivid and beautiful ;
and, on the contrary, that cold deprives birds of those
ornaments, and diminishes the brightness of their
colour. As you proceed northward, the changes
are always from brown to white, and never from
white to any other colour. White animals and white
birds are always 'most abundant near the arctic
regions. It has been observed by some writers that
all those tropical birds, the lustre of whose plumage
is so dazzling, possess a harsh and discordant voice,
without almost any inflexions ; this, however, seems
carried too far ; for though musical birds are more
rare in the warm latitudes, yet their woods are not
destitute of songsters, nor their thickets of harmony.
It appears, from numerous experiments, that the
peculiar notes of the different species of birds are
altogether acquired. The attempt of a nestling
bird to sing may be fitly compared with the imper-
fect endeavours of a child to talk. The first essay
seems not to possess the slightest rudiments of the
future song ; but as the bird grows older and
stronger, it is not difficult to perceive what is the
object of its ambition. Whilst the scholar is thus
endeavouring to form his song, when he is once sure
of a passage, he commonly raises his tone, which he
sinks again when he is not equal to what he is at-
tempting: What the nestling is thus not thoroughly
master of, he hurries over ; lowering his tone as if

INTRODUCTION.
xxxii.
a
he did not wish to be heard, and could not yet
satisfy himself.-A common sparrow, taken
from the nest when very young, and placed
near a linnet and gold finch, (though in a wild
state it would only have chirped,) adopted a
song that was a mixture of the notes of these
two. Three nestling linnets were educated, one
under a skylark, another under a woodlark, and
a third under a titlark; and instead of the song
peculiar to their own species, they adhered en-
tirely to that of their respective instructors.
A linnet taken from the nest when but two or
three days old, and brought up in the house of
Mr. Matthews, an apothecary at Kensington,
from hearing of other sounds distinctly
articulated the words “ pretty boy;" as well
as some other short sentences. Its owners
said, that it had neither the note nor the call
of fany bird whatever. It died in the year 1772.
These, and other well authenticated facts,
seem to prove decisively that birds have no
innate notes, but that like mankind, the lan-
guage of those to whose care they are commit-
ted at birth will be the language they adopt in
after life. It may, however, seem somewhat
unaccountable, from these observations, why
in a wild state they adhere steadily to the song
of their own species only, when so many others
are to be heard around them. This arises from
the attention paid by the nestling bird to the
instructions of its own parent only, generally
disregarding the notes of all the rest. Persons,
however, who have an accurate ear, and have
studied the notes of different birds, can very
often distinguish some that have a song mixed
with that of another species.
It may not be altogether uninteresting to the
English reader to be furnished with a table of the

xxxiv.
INTRODUCTION
comparative merits of the singing birds of his own
island. In this, the number 20 is adopted as the
point of absolute perfection.
Compass. Execution
kess.
12
Mellowness) prightli-Plaintive-
of ne.
ness.
Nightingale
19
19
Sky-lark
4
19
4
Wood-lark
18
4
Tit-lark
12
12
12
Linnet
16
12
Goldfinch
4
19
4
Chaffinch
4
12
4
Greenfinch
4
4
4
Hedge-sparrow
6
0
6
Aberdavide, or Siskin 2
0
Red-poll
0
4
0
Thrush
4
4
Blackbird
4
()
Robin
6
16
12
0
12
0
Reed-sparrow
0
4
0
Black-cap, or the
Norfolk Mock-
S 14
12
12
Nightingale
19
18
12
12
16
12
8
4
4
4
4
4
2
12
4
2
19
18
8
12
18
12
&
6
4
4
4
4
2
12
4
2
Wren
OP
14
14
In this table no mention is made of either the
bullfinch, or the redstart; since the wild note of the
first (though usually considered as a singing-bird)
is not acquired by instruction, but is a jarring and
disagreeable noise ; and the latter is omitted be-
cause the composer of the table was not sufficiently
acquainted with its song to be able to estimate it
aright.
On the whole, our survey of this order of animals
affords us a lesson in the highest degree interesting
and important. It shows us that a power is every
where present, watching over the welfare of his crea-
tures ; so forming the constitution of their bodies, and
so regulating their instincts, as not only to perpetuate
their being, but to furnish them with all that hap-
piness which their limited faculties can desire. Here
therefore is a refuge for the miserable, a guardian
for the weak, a faithful and mercifal parent, on
whom we may safely deposit the burden of our

INTRODUCTION.
XXXV.
cares. We hope that no apology is needed, if we
close the present dissertation with the words of our
Saviour : " Behold the fowls of the air; for they
sow not, neither do they reap nor gather into barns;
yet your Heavenly Father feedeth them. Therefore
take no (anxious) thought, saying, What shall we eat,
or what shall we drink? But seek ye first the king-
dom of God, and his righteousness, and these things
shall be added unto you. Sufficient unto the day is
the evil thereof."


arvat
bild
CONTENTS.
TOT
TA
494
492
• 142
ABERDEVINE 556 || Avoset, American, ii.
ALBATROSS TRIBE,
11. 509 common, 11.
chocolate, ii.
511
sooty, ii.
512
BARBET TRIBE
wandering, ii.
509 Asiatic
yellow-nosed, ii. 511 black
Alvargrim, ii.
455 black-breasted
Amazons
140 black-throated
red-headed
142 Brasilian
white-headed
Chinese
yellow
112 collared
yellow-headed 142 elegant
green
ANI TRIBE
177 little
Mangrove
180 red-headed
Savanna
179
spotted
Annett, ii.
*
564 yellow-throated
Beam bird, ii.
AUK TRIBE, ii.
512
antient, i.
518
BIE-EATER TRIBE
black-billed, ii.
. 517
Angola
crested, ii.
520 blue-headed
dusky, ii.
521 Brasilian
great, ii.
. 515 Cayenne
Labrador, ii.
517
chesnut and blue
little, ü.
518 cinerious
perroquet, i.
520
common
pigmy, ii.
518
green and yellow-
puffin, ii.
512
razor-bill, ï.
516
grey of Ethiopia
tufted, i.
549 horned
Indian
AVOSET TRIBE, ii. i 492 Madagascar
VOL. II.
242
245
244
244
244
243
245
243
244
245
245
243
243
244
64
312
319
320
322
320
317
316
312
ce throated
318
317
322
318
317

i
CONTENTS.
531
17
450
449
e
60
Bee-eater, Molucca 321 | Brambling
New Holland
322 Brownthroat, ii.
Philippine
319 | Bulfinch,
Poeboe
322 greatest
red and green
320
Bittern rayed, ii. 385 BUNTING TRIBE
rusty crowned, ii. 383 bunting
Senegal, i
388 Amazon
Salognian, ii.
384 Angola
spotted, ii.
388 Baden
Suabian, ii.
385 black
tiger, i.
386 black-crowned
yellow, ii.
387 black-faced
Blackbird
394 black-headed
Blackcap, ii.
11
- 2d.
or marsh titmouse, ii. 104 black-throated
Blackpole, ii.
blue
Blackthroat, i.
16 blue-faced
Bluecap, ii.
102
Bourbon
Bluethroat, i.
15 Brasilian
red-headed,
320 brown
rufous
321 brown-headed
yellow and white 316 brumal
yellow-headed
321
Cape
yellow-tufted
322 hoary
indigo
BEEF-EATER TRIBE 176 Lesbian
African
176 long-tailed
Bernacle ïi.
611 Lorrain
Bittern, ii.
381 Louisiana
Brasilian, ïi.
386 Maelby
brown, ii.
387
Mexican
Cayenne, ii.
479
479
496
505
490
491
495
505
483
- 486
494
495
501
506
497
499
507
490
505
502
495
487
504
488
494
490
497
506
487
497
494
493
499
502
496
489
498
495
488
506
496
501
499
385 military
greater, 11.
384 mustachio
lineated, ii.
386 olive
Little, ö.
383 Oonalascha
little brown, ii. 387
painted
minute, îi.
386 Panayan
paradise
BOATBILL TRIBE, ii. 339
parrot
brown, ii.
341 Passerine
crested ii.
340 Chinese
Boat Iril
230 cinerious
Booby, brown, ü. 693
cirl
common, il.
691 crimson
693 Dominican
little, ii.
694 dwarf
spotted, ä.
894 familiar
great, ii.

CONTENTS.
e
.
great, ii.
2 Flame-coloured 502 || Buzzard, baldo 136
four-coloured 3500
500 | common
38
foolish
489 honey
42
T! Gaur
501 moor
43
: golden
. 480
HR
Ted
43
golden-browed 502 || Buzzardet
44
green
501 Caracara
49
green-headed
486 Cassowary, galeated, i. 322
grey
498 New Holland, ii. . 323
Bunting, white-crowned 491 Catbird, ii.
78
widow
498 Chaffinch
530
wreathed
-507
yellow
0482 CHATTERER TRIBE 437
yellow-breasted 500 blue-breasted .439
yellow-faced
507 carunculated 1.-441
Burgomaster, ii. 560 crested
443
Pompadour
440
BUSTARD TRIBE, ii. 303 purple-breasted 438
African, ii.
306 purple-throated 439
Arabian, ii.
306 red
441
Bengal, ii.
307 red-winged
443
Chili, ii.
309 scarlet
443
303 silky
439
Indian, ii.
309 variegated
442
little, ii.
305 waxen
437
Norton Sound, ii. 306 Chough
202
pine
501 Cock, domestic, ii. 210
Plata
497 of the wood, ii... 260
red-eyed
506 of the rock, ii.
92
royal
504 Cockatoo, white-crested 110
rustic
501 yellow-crested 110
rusty
495 red-crested
111
Sandwich
507 little flesh-billed : 111
scarlet
490
112
snow
484 Coddy moddy, ii. 562
stained
502 Coldfinch, ii.
64
Surinam
498 Colemouse, ii.
103
ta wny
Sh 485 Colibri, long-tailed, 362
variegated
503
long-tailed, &c. 362
weaver
.
great black
505
golden
371
Western coast
495
Passerine, ii.
309 COLY TRIBE
Rhaad, ii.
308
cape
441
ruffed, ii.
308 Condor
3
Butcherbird, great 93 Coot, ii.
489
smallest
101 | greater, ii.
491
Buzzard, American, 44-crested, ii.
491
ash-coloured
43.1 Mexican, ii. 491
0444

Tv
CONTENTS.
•
•
car, &c.
•
Coot, cinerious, ii. 492 | Cricks, common. 145
30 Swedish, ii.
492 blue-headed
146
ferruginous, ii. . 492 violet-headed
146
Cormorant, see Corvorant Crossbill
447
Corvorant, great black, ii. 676 white-winged
454
crested, ii.
678
violet, ii.
678 CROW TRIBE
180
red-faced
678 carrion
186
fishing, ii.
679 Royston
189
green, 11.
681 Senegal
190
Cowpenbird
567 Jamaica
•
190
Crabcatcher, green, ii.
.
377 red-legged
202
blue, ii.
378 wood
203
yellow-crowned, ii. 378
ash-coloured, ii. 378 CUCKOO TRIBE 246
black, ii.
379 cuckoo
246
little, ii.
379
great-spotted
250
Bologna, ii.
379
black and white crested 250
red, ii.
379 Indian spotted, &c. 251
red-legged, ii.
380 crested African
254
Squacco, ii.
380 green of Madagas-
brown and white, ii. 380
256
Brasilian, ii.
381 bee
258
American, ii.
381 African, &c.
261
Crabeater, Louisiana, ii. 377 long-bellied
263
Crake, corn, ii.
468 Brasilian crested, &c. 265
water, ii.
469
CURUCUI TRIBE 239
CRANE TRIBE, ii. 341 red-bellied
240
common, i.
341
yellow-bellied
241
Siberian, ii.
348
violet-hooded
241
hooping, ii.
348
brown, ii.
349 CURASSOW TRIBE, ii. 256
gigantic, ii.
349 crested, îi.
256
Balearic, ii.
352
mute, &c. ii.
257
Numidian, ii. 353|| Curlew brown, ii. 391
Indian, ii.
354 white, ii.
392
common, ii
400
CREEPER TRIBE
327 Esquimaux, ii.
401
larger woodpecker 287 stone, &c. ii.
402
lesser woodpecker 287 || Cushew bird, ii.
259
common
328 Daw, Alpine,
197
wall, &c.
329 mustachio, bald, New
Cricks
140 Guinea
198
yellow-throated 143 Papuan, bare-necked,
mealy
144 Philippine
199
red and blue
145 Deviling, ii.
140
blue-faced
145

CONTENTS.
27
ring, i.
ring, ii.
DIVER TRIBE, ii.
529|| Duck, summer,
ii.
640
northern, ii.
539 ferruginous, ii.
641
imber, ii.
540
pintail, ii.
642
lesser imber, ü.
541
long-tailed, ii.
643
first speckled, ii. 542 black, &c. ii.
645
second speckled, ii. 543 Dun diver, ii.
587
striped, red-throated, ii. 544Dungbird, ii.
567
black-throated, ii. 545 Dunlin, ii.
439
Chinese, ii.
545
Lough, ii.
591 Eagle, bearded
19
Dobchick, eared, ii. 531 golden
22
black and white, ii. 533 common
common,
ii.
534 bald
28
white, crying
29
DODO TRIBE, ii. 324 cinerious
30
hooded, ii.
325 of the Antilles
31
solitary, i.
327 sea
31
Nazarene, ii.
329 black-cheeked
32
Dotterel, sea, ii.
442 of Brasil, Oroonoko 34
common, 11.
462 crowned
35
464 Pondicherry, little Ame-
Dove, stock, ii.
162 rican
36
178 Egret, great, ii.
375
turtle, ii.
180 little, ii.
376
turtle collared, ii. 181 reddish, demi, ii. 377
great tailed, ii.
193 Emu, ii.
320
minute, ii.
202 Erne, great
30
marginated, ii.
203 little
31
Greenland, ii.
518
FALCON TRIBE
14
DUCK TRIBE, ii. 592
secretary
14
eider, ii.
619 red-throated
36
king, or grey-headed, ij. 621 dubious
49
musk, er Muscovy, ii. 622 black, dusky, rough-
,
velvet, ii.
623 legged
50
common, 11.
626 St. John's, chocolate-
scaup, il.
630 coloured
51
Ilathera,
631 Newfoundland, Le-
dusky, western
632 verian, red shoul
bimaculated, or cluck-
dered
53
coing, ii.
635 Greenland, collared 53
tufted, Iceland, ii. 036 Gentil
54
lafcated, spirit, pied,
Jer
57
vol. ii.
637 Iceland
58
buffel, harlequin,
red, Indian
60
brown, ii.
638 fisher
6L
lapmarsh, ii.
639
peregrine
62
whistling, ii.
640 stone, swallow-tailed
70

CONTENTS.
lied, i
9
snow, Seri
417
Falcon, chanting 70 Gallinule, Cayenne, Car-
Fauvette, ii.
8 thagena, black-bel-
lesser, ii.
9
484
winter, ii.
Madras, purple, ii. 485
Teed, ii.
10 Martinico, &c. ii. 486
wood, bush, &c. ii. 12 Gambet, ii.
9
Fieldfare
396 Gannet, ii.
686
Carolina
421 lesser, least, ii,
688
Figeater, i.
58 | Ganser, ii.
601
Garganey, ii.
659
FINCH TRIBE
523 | Garzette, ii.
361
mountain
531 Gilt-throat, ii.
16
great mountain
532
gold or thistle
533 GOATSUCKER TRIBE, ii. 145
arctic, Lulean, flame- goatsucker, ii. 146
coloured
535 short-winged, ii. 148
Lapland
536 long-winged, great, ii. 150
537 Jamaica, grey, &c. ii. 151
Citril, Oker, &c. 538 fork-tailed, ii.
156
Senegal, Cape 547 collared, ii.
158
tire, blue-crowned, &c. 548 Godwit, great, ii. 416
Canary
558 red, ii.
flaming
567 common, spotted, i. 418
cold, ii.
64 cinereous, &c. ij. 419
Goldeneye, ii.
656
FLAMINGO TRIBE,
11. 502 | Goshawk
46
red, it
503 Goosander, ii.
586
white-winged, ii. 505 hooded, ii.
589
Flusher
99 Goose ember, ij.
540
Flycatcher, golden crown-
rain, ii.
544
ed, &c. ii.
61 swan, or Spanish, ii. 597
597
FLYCATCHER TRIBE, 7. 64 Canada, or cravat, ii. 598
64 Egyptian, it
601
spotted, ii.
64 red-breasted, or Sibe-
white, ii.
65 rian, ii.
602
dun, variegated, &c. 1.66 common, wild, i. 602
Frigate, ii.
688 white-fronted, ii. 608
lesser whiteheaded Pal- Esquimaux, or blue-
merstone, ii.
690 winged, 11.
609
Fulmar, ii.
571 Beringo, ii.
609
Gadwall, ii.
651
bean, 11.
609
Brent, ii.
610
GALLINACEOUS KIND, bernacle, ii.
611
vol. ii.
206 white brand, or snow, N. 614
Magellanic, &c. ii. 616
GALLINULE FRIBE, ii. 481 Solon, ii.
686
great, ii.
pied, i.

CONTENTS
GRACKLE TRIBE
minor
great, minor, bald,
crested
purple
paradise
Grassbird
Gray, ii.
GREBE TRIBE, i.
great crested, îi.
tippet, eared, i.
horned, &c. .
Greenshank, ii.
Greypole, i.
Grey-throat, ii.
Greyleg, ii.
ter, ii.
ter, ii.
sea, 11.
227 || Gull, wagel, ii.
560
227 laughing, ii.
561
common, ii.
561
228 winter, 11.
562
229 black-headed, ii. 562
230 brown-headed, il.
563
567 ivory, ii.
564
651 Skua, or brown, ii. 565
silvery, &c. i.
566
529 Harpy
43
530 Hawk, duck
43
531
sparrow
47
532
sparrow of Cayenne 48
420
pigeon
49
602 marsh, plain
67
60 Hen, harrier
63
16 Guinea, ii.
218
water, or moor, li. 481
446 little American wa-
448
483
449 yellow-breasted wa-
449
489
451
536
452 Heron great, red-shoul-
460 dered, ii.
358
460
common, ii.
358
461
great white, &c. ii.
361
462 New Guinea, &c. ii. 371
464 Hobby
68
260
262 | HOO POE TRIBE
322
265 common
323
266 Cape
323
267
268 HORNBILL TRIBE 167
269 rhinoceros
168
271 black-billed
169
274 Mapilla
170
260 Panayan
171
536 Indian
172
537 pied
172
538 African, &c.
174
539 Houhou, ii.
372
658
HUMMING BIRD TRIBE 348
558 red-throated
349
559 ruffed
352
559 least, &c.
353
GROSBEAK TRIBE
grosbeak
pine
green
cardinal
red-breasted, &c.
grenadier
Abyssinian
Bengal
sociable
parrot-billed, &c.
Grouse, wood, ii.
black, ii.
red, ii.
white, ii.
hazel, ii.
ruffed, ii.
pinnated, &c. ii.
American white, il.
rock, &c. ii.
Guillemot, foolish, ii.
1 lesser, ii.
black, ii.
spotted, nutarbled, ii.
white, ii.
Gulaund, ii.
GULL TRIBE, ii,
black-backed, ii.
herring, ii.

VIII
CONTENTS.
IBIS TRIBE, ii.
glossy, &c. ii.
Egyptian, ii.
black, &c. ii.
ii
JABIRU TRIBE, i.
389|| Linnet, mountain, &c. 664
390|| Loon, ash-coloured, ii. 530
394
greater, ii.
531
397
LORY DIVISION 120
338 scarlet, &c.
121
339 Macaw, red
135
green
138
292 blue, &c.
140
293 Magpie
199
293 Senegal, &c.
200
294|| Mallard, ii.
626
Man of war bird, ii. 688
495
496 || MANAKIN TRIBE, ii. 91
498 crested, ii.
92
500 blue-backed, &c. ii. 93
501 | Martin, ii.
122
502
sand, i.
126
196
black, ii.
140
229 Mavis
397
204
205 MERGANSER TRIBE, ii. 585-
4141 red-breasted, ii. 588
66 mantled, &c. ii. 591
7 | Merlin
68
American
69
294 Mew Sew, ii.
561
295 || Mockingbird
418
298
ferruginous
420
44 || Moorhen, ii.
481
564 || Morillon, ii.
658
425
65 || MOTMOT TRIBE .
446 Motmot
165
450
muggy, ii.
,
14
Nightingale, ii.
1
567|| Nightjar, ii.
146
568 Nun, white, i.
589
571 | Nutcracker
203
572
572 NUTHATCH TRIBE_287
573 nuthatch
288
574 black-headed, &c. 289
575 Orangethroat, ii.
16
464
419 ORIOLE TRIBE
563 golden
213
165
12
American, ii.
JACAMAR TRIBE
common
paradise
white-billed
JACANA TRIBE, ii.
chesnut, ii.
black, &c. ii.
faithful, ii.
Indian, ii.
Chilian, ii.
Jackdaw
purple
Jay
blue, &c.
Judcock, ii.
Kestrel
King of vultures
KINGFISHER TRIBE
kingfisher
American, &c.
Kite
Kittiwake, ii.
Knot, or Knute
Lanner
Lapwing, ii.
armed, &c.ii.
LARK TRIBE
sky
field
grasshopper
tree
wood
tit
Italian, &c.
sea, ii.
Linnet, green
common

CONTENTS.
w
green, &c.
Oriole Chinese
yellow-winged
red-winged
white-backed, &c.
weaver
brown headed
Ortolan
Osprey
Carolina
214|| PARROT TRIBE 7 105
215 ash-coloured
112
215
,
118
216 Aowrow-cowraou 143
224 Paraguay
150
225 Maipouri
150
480 Caica
151
36 Illinois
156
41 Carolina
156
king
sooty
ta wny
Japan
OSTRICH TRIBE, ii. 313 PARADISE BIRDS 238
black, ii.
313
greater
233
American, ii
320
230
magnificent
237
OWL TRIBE
72 superb
238
great-eared, or eagle 76
long-eared
78 ||PASSERINE KIND 372
short-eared
79|Partridge
278
Scandinavian eared, &c. 80 mountain
284
83 Francolin
284
snowy
83 red
285
barred
84
Arragon, &c.
286
black, or great brown
84
white, or screech 85 || PEACOCK TRIBE 252
86 peacock
252
brown, or grey
87
Chinese
254
little
88
255
Cayenne, &c.
89 Thibet
256
Owzel, water
386 || Peewit, ii.
446
rose-coloured
393 Pelican wood, ii.
391
ring
393
black
394 PELICAN TRIBE, ii. 669
brook, ii.
471 white, îi.
670
Oxeye, ii.
330 dusky, &c. ii.
673
red-backed, ii. 673
OYSTERCATCER TRIBE, rose-coloured, &c. ii. 674
vol. ii.
101
ob
oystercatcher, ii. 331 PENELOPE TRIBE, ii. 237
Parakeet, great-collared 124 marail, ii.
240
double-collared,
&c. 124 crying, &c. i.
241
red-headed, or Ethio-
100
pian
130 PENGUINS, ii.
521
Coulacissi, &c. 132 crested, ii.
522
pavouane
152 Patagonian, ii.
523
brown-throated, &c. 153 great Magellanic, ii. 525
Carolina
156 spotted, or Cape, ii. 528
Ara, &c.
157 thick-billed, &c. i. 527
VOL. R.
B

CONTENTS
grey, n.
8
nese, ii.
PETREL TRIBE, ii.
570 Plover, grey, ii.
446
fork-tailed, black, ii. 573
stormy, ii.
574 Plover TRIBE, i. 45
giant, ii.
575 Norfolk, ii.
453
Cape, or pintado, ii. 576 spotted, &c. ii. 455
antarctic, ii.
577 long-legged, or stilt, ii. 456
snowy, 11.
578 Pochard, ii.
654
broad-billed, blue Pope
452
578 Popinjays
147
Kurile, &c. ii.
580 paradise
147
Pettichaps, ii.
Phalarope red, &c. il. 444 PRATINCOLE TRIBE, ii. 480
Austrian, &c.
480
PHEASANT TRIBE, ii. 210 Promerops, Hoopoe, &c. 324
pheasant, .
222 Prothonstary, ii.
59
Chinese painted, ii. 228 Ptarmigan, ii.
266
black and white Chi- Puffin, auk, ii.
512
229 manks, ii.
572
Argus, or eyed, ii. 230 Purre, ii.
440
crested, ii.
231 Quail, ii.
293
motmot, ii.
232
Chinese, &c.
295
Parraka, ii.
232 || Quan, ii.
239
Mexican, &c. ii. 234
Impeyan, i.
234 Rail TRIBE, ii. 468
coloured, ü.
236
land, ii.
468
African, ii.
236
clapper, ii.
.
471
BE
water, 11.
471
PIE KIND
104 American, &c.ü. 473
PIGEON TRIBE, ii.. 161 H RAPACIOUS BIRDS 12
wild, ii.
162 Rara, ii.
90
white-winged, ii. 182 Raven
181
great-crowned, i. 182 Indian
186
crested, &c.i. 183
night, ii.
362
Cape, ii. Soxond 193 Razorbill, ii.
516
partridge, &c. i.lov 194 Redbreast, ii.
, c.ü.loo ||
4
white-crowned, ground, blue, ü.
6
Tavoli . 1
198 | Redpole, greater
198
565
passenger,
il.
198 lessero
566
yellow, ii
PINTADO TRIBE, ii. 248 || Redshank, ii.
421
common, ii.
248 spotted, ii.
422
mitred, &c.ii. 250 Redstart, grey, il.
7
common, 11.
PLANTCUTTER TRIBE,
Redtail, ii.
13
vol.ii.
90 Guiana, black, ii. 13
Chilian, ii. bo
90|| Redthroat, ii.
59

CONTENTS.
Redwing
400 (SHRIKE TRIBE hata 90
Rehusack, ii.
267 great ash-coloured
98
Ricebird
492 grey, black-headed
195
Ringtail
65 tyrant
Si95
crested, &c.
97
ROLLER TRIBE
2091 Silktail
437
garrulous
209 | Siskin
556
Abyssinia, &c.
210 New York, &c. 56L
Rook
190
Rubythroat, ii.
17| SKIMMER TRIBE, ii. 546
Ruff, ii.
426 black fulrous, ü. - 547
, ii
Smew, ii.
589
RUNNER TRIBE, i.
ii
400 Snipe great, ii
409
Italian, ii.
400 common, 11. Dom 410
Sacre
63
dusky, &c. q.
412
Sanderling, ii.
465 semi-palwaled, &c. i. 424
Snowflake
484
SANDPIPER TRIBE, ii. 425 Sparrow reed not. 483
shore green, ii.
428 scarlet
509
ash-coloured, ii.
429 house
523
New York, ii.
430
mountain, &c.
527
common, 11.
430
hedge, li.
9
brown, &c.ij.
431|| Spidercatcher
329
little, ii.
441
444 SPOONBILL TRIBE, ii. 332
various spotted, ii. 451
white, ii.
333
Scarecrow, ii.
551 roseate dwarf, ii. . 334
Scoter, ii.
624 | Stannel
66
Stare, see Starling
SCREAMER Tribe, ii.
TRIBE
334
horrid, ii.
335 | STARLING TRIBE 384
crested, ii.
338 starling
.384
Seamew, ii.
561
Cape, &c.
1.385
water
386
SEA-SWALLOW TRIBE, ii. 547 Magellannic, &c. 389
lesser, ii.
550 Stonechat, ii.
127
Secretary
14 Stork white, ii.
354
Sedgebird, ii.
10
black American, ir.
Shag, ii.
681 || Summer redbird
509
682
carunculated, &c. ii.
683 SWALLOW TRIBE, ü 115
ii
Shearwater, ii.
572 chimney, ii.
115
rock, &c. ii.
128
SHEATHBILL TRIBE, ü. 494 esculent, ii.
19 130
white, ii
494
Cape, &c. ij.
133
Sheldrake, ii.
632 Sea, see Sea-swallow.
Shoveler, îi.
648 Swan wild, ii.
592
red-breasted, &e. ii.
650
tame, i
594
grey, ii.
357
spotted, ii.

xii
CONTENTS.
yellow-breasted, &c. '162
596
Touis
158
140 | Toui, yellow-throated,&c. 158
142 | Towhee-bird
492
143
505 TROPIC BIRD TRIBE, i. 694
common, ii.
695
507
507 TRUMPETER TRIBE, ii. 309
517 gold-breasted, ii. 310
518 undulated, ii.
313
564 Turnstone, ii.
442
58 northern, &c. ii. 443
660
661 | TURKEY TRIBE, ii. 242
493
turkey, ii.
242
392 || Twite
547 | TURKEY PHEASANT
518
TRIBE, ii.
237
549
horned, ii.
237
549 | Turtle striated, Chinese,
550 &c. ii.
188
Senegal, &c. ii.
192
259 Surinam, ii.
197
397
blue-headed, ii. 197
turtle Carolina, &c. ii. 202
563
396
397 | UMBRE TRIBE, ii. 389
400
tufted, ii.
389
421
301 | VULTURE TRIBE
2
301 king
7
574 Egyptian
8
carrion
100 great ash-coloured, &c. 11
101 secretary
14
102 Waders, ir
329
103
110 WAGTAIL TRIBE 582
111 pied, or white
582
584
309 Wapacuthu
82
309
310 | WARBLERS, ii.
1
Dartford, ii.
4
159 ferruginous, ii.
16
160 Scotch, &c. i.
28
9
grey, &c.
Swan black-necked,
black, 8.
Swift, ii.
purple, ii.
Alpine, &c. ii
Swimmers, ii.
TANAGER TRIBE
red-breasted, &c.
paradise
black-throated, &c.
Tarrock, i.
Taylorbird, ii.
Teal common,
ii.
white-faced, &c. ii.
Terek, ii.
TERN TRIBE, ii.
foolish, i.
sooty, ii.
comnion, ii.
lesser, &c. ii.
TETRAO TRIBE, F.
Throstle
THRUSH TRIBE
missel
throstle
reed, &c.
varied, &c.
Tinamous, ii.
great, &c. ii.
Titlark
TITMOUSE TRIBE, ii.
greater, ii.
blue, ii.
ccole, &c. i.
penduline, ii.
Cape, &c. ii.
TODY TRIBE
green
cinerious, &c.
TOUCAN TRIBE
red-bellied

57 u Woodchat
481 Woodcock, ii.
483 little, &c. ll.
489
WOOPECKER TRIBE
180 'green
180
great, spotted, &c.
23 | Woodspite
25 | Wormeater, ii.
404 Wren, yellow willow, ii.
404 willow, 11.
27 least willow, ii.
639 golden-crested, i
639
kitty, i
:
7
CONTENTS.
XIIZ
100
405
408
Warbler, pensile, ii.
Water-hen, ii.
little American, ii.
yellow-breasted, ii.
WATTLE BIRD TRIBE
ash-coloured
Wheatear, ii.
rufous, &c. i.
Whimbrel, ii.
Brasilian, ii.
Whinchat, ii.
Whistler, red-billed, ii.
black-billed, ii.
Whitebreast, ii.
Whitejohn
Whitenun, ii.
Whitepole, ii.
Whiterump, ii.
red, ii.
Whitethroat, ii.
lesser, &c. ii.
Widgeon, ii.
American, &c. i.
Windhover
Woddy, i.
ruby-crowned, &c. i
33
589 | WRYNECK TRIBE
60 || Wryneck
23 Yacou, ii.
24 || Yellowbreast, ii.
14 Yellowhammer
14 || Yellowpole, ii.
652 | Yellowshank, ii.
654 | Yellowrump, ii
66 | Yellowthroat, ii.
548
270
271
272
271
59
18
18
19
19
20
21
268
268
239
7
482
60
424
24
16

4299
DIRECTIONS FOR PLACING THE PLATES.
3866
Ruff, i. to face page 426
Cuckoo
246
Golden-crested wren, il.
18 | Little bittern, ii.
393
Smew, ii
589 Mountain sparrow, and
Pine grosbeak
449 brambling
529
Pied flycatcher, ii. 457 Merganser, ii.
588
Ringed plover, ii.
457
Red-backed shrike
99
Hoopoe
323 Water owzel
Silken chatterer
437 || Ring owzel
393
Garganey, ii.
659 | Redleg, i.
421
Fern and yellow wagtail 584 Sheldrake, and long-tailed
Ptarmigan, i.
266 duck, ü.
-632
Dartford warbler and jay 204 Corvorant, ii.
676
Long-tailed titmouse and Creeper and nuthatch 298
red-necked grebe, ii. 103| Hobby
|
68
Rose owzel and puffin 393 Red grouse, ii.
.
265
Ring-tailed eagle 27 Water-hon, and little wa-
White-tailed eagle
34 ter-hen, ii.
481
Common owl
35 Wild duck, i
626
Eared owl
78 Golden plover, ii. 455
Great black woodpecker 274 Dun diver, ii.
587
Oriole
213 Kite
44
Grosbeak
448 | Black cock, ii.
262
Blue titmouse, and gold- Godwit, ii.
418
finch, ii.
102 | Eagle of the sin
22
Spotted woodpecker 272 || King of the vultures
7
Peewit, ii.
446 Blue robin, ii.
Guinea parakeet
159 Osprey
6
36
Splendid parrot 147 || Oystercatcher, ii.
339
Heron, ii.
358 Cole titmouse, and beard-
Shrike
93 ed do. ii.
103
Kingfisher
295 Egyptian goose,
ii. 601
Woodchat
100
339
Water rail, ii.
471 Red and green parakeet 129
Glossy ibis, ii.
390 Green humming-bird 362
Magpie
199 Red-throated humming-
Kestrel, and hen-harrier 63
bird
349
Avoset, ii.
492 || Red humming-bird 363
Sedgebird, and crested Coldfinch, ii.
58
titmouse, ii.
10 || Green-winged dove - 18-1
Stock pigeon ii.
162 Great kingfisher
299
Robin and nightingale, ii. 1 Yellow bunting, and
Roller
209
common do.
499
4991
Blue creeper

DIRECTIONS FOR THE PLATES.
XY
236 x
Ring dotterel, ii. to face 164 Egret, ii.
375
Red-headed greenfinch 540 Indian cuckoo
253
Surinam bluebird 439 Heathcock, ii.
260
-Red wheatear, ii.
25 | Toucan
106
Green humming-bird 366 Ostrich, ii.
312
Stint, ii.
441 Dodo, ii.
328
Crossbill
447 Cassowary, ii.
322
Yellow-headed linnet 567 Ibis, ü.
397
Ricebird
492 Flamingo, ii.
503
Gourybird, ii.
63|| Qual, il.
239 Guan
Spur-winged water-hen, ii. 488 Long-tailed dove, ii. 193
Chinese starling 3901 Peacock pheasant, 11.
254
Indian crane, 11.
354, Golden pheasant, i. 223
Penguin, ii.
523| King bird of paradise
Blackcap flycatcher, ii. 78|Stork, ii.
354. X
Cock-footed tringa, ii.
444 Long-tailed finch, and
Mino
292 brown humming-bird 356 Yea
Pelican, ü.
670 Purple water-hen, ii. - 485
Black and yellow mana-
Partridge, ii.
278
kin, ii.
43 Pheasant, ii.
222
321 Blue-throated redstart, ii. 13
Condor
3 Crested humming-bird 356
American redstart, ii. 7|| Manakin, ii,
91
Indian icterus
224 Solitary sparrow
530
Barbary partridge, ii. 285 | Touracou
143
Bustard, ii.
303|| Surinam redbird
452
Guillemot, ii.
536 Crane, ji.
341
Indian plover, ii. 462 Bittern, ii.
381
Indian greenfinch 540 Cockatoo
110
Mocking-bird
418 || Great Indian bee-eater 318
Indian flycatcher, ii. 75 Albatross, ü.
509
Scomberger
Bullfinch
450
Stormy: petrel, ii. 571 | Nutcracker
203
Chinese teal, ii.
665 Flycatcher, ü.
67
Silver pheasant, i. 223 Wood grouse, il.
ü
260
Summer duck, ii. 640 Red-legged crow
202
Greenland duck, ii. - 621 Stonechat, ii.
27
Black and white dob- Whitethroat, ii.
14
chick, ii.
533 | Great-eared grebe, il. 531
Spoonbill, i.
393 Kentish crow
203
Indian creeper
33
39
3


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20 19 no aid bobivib edased
og bra
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boulevased. Two Sid: dit linda
su to tome most balloonins si od
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300
CRIT SUTZT
IRDS are divided into six orders; rapacious,
B
pies, passerine birds, gallinaceous fowls, waders,
and swimmers. The four first are inhabitants of
the land, the two latter of the water.
eho at : hmad 36 mio bloot basics
ulte din 13700, e bastim esli 9781
ad 10 RAPACIOUS BIRDS.
mail ili
onwob di
ili 976
als bis dealt long at stisnode
Jed add. 1370 snad shot at riso
១៤. % តង ។
RAPACIOUS birds are distinguished by a hooked
beak, having the upper mandible either dilated
a little towards the point; or furnished with a tooth-like
process. The nostrils are open. The feet are stout,
and armed with strong hooked claws. Their necks
are stout, and, in general, their whole conformation
fits them for a life of warfare and of slaughter. They
bestow little pains in building their rest, generally
choosing for that purpose a situation that is difficult
of access. Some of them occupy the same nest during
their lives, and remain attached to each other at al
seasons, without changing their mate. They do not,
however, afford the same edifying example of parental
tenderness as of conjugal fidelity; as they early ex-
pel their young ones from the nest, and sometimes
VOL. I.
B

2
TRIBE
VULTURE
destroy them in fits of fury resulting from hunger.
In these birds, at least in the vulture and falcon tribes,
the female exceeds the male in size, beauty, strength,
and courage.
Linnæus has divided this order of
birds into four genera, the vulture, falcon, owl, and
shrike tribes; the latter, however, is, by many, classed
with the pies, and is excepted from most of those
general observations which have here been made
concerning rapacious birds.
VULTURE TRIBE.
a
In this tribe, the individuals of which are the
most ravenous of all the feathered race, the bill is
straight, and hooked only at the end ; its edges are
sharp like a knife, and the base is covered with a thin
skin. The head, cheeks, and, in many species, the
neck, are either naked, or clad only with down or
short hairs. The tongue is large, fleshy, and cleft
at the end. The craw often hangs over the breast.
The legs and feet are covered with great scales; and
the first joint of the middle toe is connected to that
of the outermost by a strong membrane. The claws
are large, a little hooked, and very blunt: and the
inside of the wings is covered with down.
The characters that principally distinguish this
from the following tribe are, the want of feathers
on part of the head, and sometimes even on the
whole head and neck; and the voracious manners
of these birds, since they never kill prey from choice,
but in general devour only such animals as are either
dying or found dead and putrid. Their sense of
smelling is so exquisite, that they are able to scent
a dead body at the distance of many miles. “They
are (says Mr. Pennant) greedy and voracious to a


CONDOR
O

CONDOR.
3
proverb ; and not timid, for they prey in the midst
of cities, undaunted by mankind." After some of
the battles in the East, where vast slaughter has taken
place of elephants, horses, and men, voracious ani-
mals have crowded to the field from all quarters, of
which jackals, hyænas, and vultures, are the chief.
Even in the places where the last are otherwise seldom
observed, the plain will on these occasions be found
eovered with them. Vast multitudes will be seen in
the air descending from every side to partake in the
carnage. These the Indians believe to be brought by
having an instinctive presentiment of slaughter some
days before the event.
It is observed that vultures, in general, become less
numerous as the climate becomes colder; and that in
the more northern countries they are never found.
They areundoubtedly a kind appointment of providence
in the hotter regions, to prevent the putrid effluvia of the
dead from too much injuring the health of the living.
CONDOR.
This vast bird is an inhabitant of South America.
The throat is naked, and of a red colour. The up-
per parts in some individuals, (for they differ greatly
in colour,) are variegated with black, grey, and white;
and the belly is scarlet ---The head of a condor that
was shot at Port Desire, off Penguin Island, resem-
bled that of an eagle; except that it had a large
comb upon it. Round the neck it had a white ruff,
much resembling a lady's tippet. The feathers on
the back were as black as jet, and perfectly bright.
The legs were remarkably strong and large ; the
talons like those of an eagle, except that they were
not so sharp ; and the wings, when extended, mea-
sured from point to point, twelve feet.--- In the Leverian
Museum there were two specimens of the condor,
supposed to be male and female ; on the breast they

CONDOR.
a
have a kind of pendulous pear-shaped substance.
The male measures ten feet from tip to tip of the wings
Happily, for the safety of the animal world, this bird
is in every country extremely rare. P. Feuillee is the
only naturalist who has given
a minute description of it,
“I discovered," says he," in the valley of Ilo, in
Peru, a condor perched on a high rock before me ;
I approached within musket shot, and fired; but as
my piece was only loaded with swan-shot, the lead was
not able sufficiently to pierce the bird's feathers. I
perceived, however, by its manner of flying, that it
was wounded ; as it rose heavily, and with a good
deal of difficulty reached another rock, about five hun-
dred yards distant, upon the shore; I therefore loaded
again with a ball, and hit the bird under the throat,
which made it mine. I accordingly ran up to seize
it; but, even in death, it was terrible, and defended
įtself on its back, with its claws extended against me;
so that I scarce knew how to lay hold of it. Had it
not been mortally wounded, I should have found it no
easy matter to take it ; but I at last dragged it down
from the rock, and, with the assistance of one of the sea-
men, carried it to the tent; to make a coloured drawing.
“The wings of this bird, which I measured exactly,
were eleven feet four inches, from one extremity to
the other; the great feathers, that were of a beautiful
shining black, were two feet two inches long. The
thickness of the beak was proportionable to the rest of
the body ; the length about four inches; the point
hooked downwards, and white at its extremity, and
the other part was of a jet black. A short down of a
brown colour covered the head ; the eyes were black, ,
and surrounded with a circle of reddish brown: the
feathers, on the breast, neck, and wings, were of a
light brown ; those on the back rather darker : its
thighs were covered with brown feathers down to the
knee : the thigh-bone was ten inches long; the leg
five inches : the toes were three before and one be-
a

CONDOR.
5
hind: the latter was an inch and an half long, with
a single joint; and the claw with which it was armed
was black, and three quarters of an inch : the other
claws were in the same proportion; and the leg and
toes covered with black scales.
“These birds usually frequent the mountains, where
they find their prey. They never descend to the sea-
shore, but in the rainy season ; sensible of cold, they
repair there for warmth. Though these mountains
are situated in the torrid zone, the cold is often very
severe; for almost the whole year, they are covered
with snow; but especially during the winter, it is a
great depth upon them. The small quantity of nou-
.
rishment which these birds find on the sea-coast, ex-
cept when the tempest drives in some great fish,
obliges the condor to remain there but a short time.
He usually comes to the coast at the approach of
evening, remains there all night, and returns again in
the morning."
The condor, thus described by Feuillee, seems to have
been much inferior in size to those described by Acosta,
Garcilasso, Demarchais, and some other travellers,
who affirm they have seen them eighteen feet from
tip to tip of the wing : that their beaks are so strong
and sharp, that they can easily pierce the body of a
cow; that two of them can attack and devour one
entirely ; that they sometimes singly oppose a
Though surprise among the early writers,
who first discovered this bird, might lead to exaggera-
tion, yet the Indians, who are more accustomed to
see them, declare, that they can carry off a deer or a
calf, as easily as an eagle does a rabbit; that their
bodies are as large as a sheep; that their flesh is tough,
and smells like carrion : their sight is piercing, and
their looks cruel. The Spaniards themselves seem
afraid of their depredations ; there are instances of
their carrying off children of ten or twelve years old.
man.
a

6
CONDOR
a
Their flight is terrible ; and, when they alight, one
is stunned with their noise. Condamine assures us,
that he has often seen them in the province of Quito,
and on the borders of the Maragnon, hovering above
a flock of sheep, some of which they would have car-
ried off, had they not been scared by the shepherds.
It is reported that the Indians of these countries catch
them, by working a piece of viscous clay into the form
of a child, upon which they dart with such rapidity, that
their claws are entangled, so as to prevent their escape.
Ulloa tells us, that he once saw, in South America,
a condor seize and fly away with a lamb.“ Ob-
serving (says he) on a hill adjoining to that where I
stood, a flock of sheep in great confusion, I saw one
of these birds flying upwards. from among them with
a lamb betwixt its claws; and when at some height,
it dropped it. The bird immediately followed, took
it up, and let it fall a second time ; when it flew out of
,
sight, on account of the Indians, who, at the cries of
the boys and the barking of the dogs, were running
towards the place."
Frezier, in a voyage to the South Seas, also thus
describes the condor :-“We one day killed a bird
of prey called the condor; which was nine feet from
the end of one wing to the end of the other, and had
a brown comb or crest, but not jagged like that of a
cock. The fore-part of its throat was red, without
feathers, like a turkey. These birds are generally
large and strong enough to take up a lamb. In order
to separate one of those animals from the flock, they
form themselves into a circle, and advance towards
them with their wings extended, that, by being driven
too close together, the full-horned rams may not be
able to defend their young. They then pick out the
ļambs, and carry them off.
These enormous animals make their nests among
the highest and most inaccessible rocks. The female
a


IKING-OF VULTURES
lucl
VA

KING OF THE VULTURES,
lays two white eggs, somewhat bigger than those of
the turkey
KING OF THE VULTURES.
a
a
This bird, which is a native of America, is distin-
guished from the rest of the genus, by its extraordinary
beauty, but especially by the odd formation of the
skin of the head and neck. It is a little larger than
a turkey-cock. Its bill is short and thick, and begins
its curviture only at the point ; in some specimens
it is entirely red, in others only red at the extremity, and
black in the middle; the cere is of an orange colour,
;
broad, and extending from each side to the crown of
the head : the nostrils are placed in the cere, of an
oblong shape, and have between them a projecting
skin, which resembles a loose ragged comb, and fall
on either side as the bird moves its head : the eyes
are surrounded by a red skin, and the iris has the
colour and lustre of pearls ; the head and neck are
naked, and the crown is covered with a flesh-coloured
skin, which is of a lively red behind, and darker be-
fore: below the hind part of the head rises a small
tuft of down, from which there extends, on each side
of the throat, a wrinkled skin of a brownish colour,
and mixed with blue and red near its termination :
the skin is marked with small lines of black down.
The cheeks are covered with black down, and between
the bill and the eyes, behind the insertion of the man-
dibles, there is a brown purple spot ; on the upper
part of the arch of the neck, there is on each side a
small line of black down extending lengthways, and
the space included between these two lines is of a
dirty yellow; the sides of the arch of the neck are of
a red colour, which, as it descends, passes by insensi-
ble shades into yellow ; under the naked part of the
neck is a collar or ruff, composed of pretty long soft fea-
thers, of a deep ash-colour; this collar, which entirely

8
EGYPTIAN VULTURE.
filth.
encircles the neck, and descends upon the breast,
is so broad, that, when the bird contracts itself, it
can conceal the neck and part of the head like a
cowl ; and this is the reason why some naturalists
have given it the name of Monk. The feathers on
the breast, belly, thighs, legs, and the under surface
of the tail, are white, slightly tinged with yellow;
those of the rump and the upper surface of the tail
vary, being black in some individuals, and in others
white; the other feathers of the tail are always black,
and so are the great feathers of the wings, which are
commonly edged with grey. The feet and talons
vary in their colours in different birds; the talons
are very short, and but slightly curved. This bird
has the same manners as the rest of the species, de-
vouring rats, lizards, serpents, and every kind of
is
ad
110
EGYPTIAN VULTURE.
Foto
As the former species was the most beautiful, so
this is, perhaps, the most ugly of the vultures. The
face is naked and wrinkled ; the eyes are large and
black; the beak black and hooked; the talons large
and hooked, and the whole body polluted with filth.
It, however, renders the most essential service to the
inhabitants of Egypt, by devouring the dead bodies
of asses and camels, before they putrify and corrupt
the air. They annually follow the caravans to
Mecca, and devour the offal of the slaughtered beasts,
and the carcases of the camels that die on the journey.
They do not fly high, nor are they much afraid of
man ; but when frightened by the explosion of a
gun, return to the place within a few minutes after.
It has been supposed, but without just reason, to
have been the ibis of the Egyptians.

CARRION VULTURE.
9
CARRION, OR BRAZILIAN VULTURE.
This bird, like the rest of the genus, has the head
and neck void of feathers. The wrinkled skin with
which these parts are covered, is variegated with
blue, white, and red, which latter colour predomi-
nates, and gives it something of the appearance of
the turkey. The whole plumage is dusky, mixed
with purple and green ; the legs are of a dirty flesh
colour; the claws are black, and there are some
black bristles growing upon its head.---Its weight is
four pounds and a half.
They are common from Novia Scotia to the ex-
tremities of South America, but are most plentiful
in the hotter parts of that continent, though they are
found in the islands, but of an inferior size.
The resemblance of these birds at à distance to
the turkey, was the cause of considerable vexation
to one of the officers engaged in the expedition
round the world, under Woodes Rogers. In the
island of Lobos, immense numbers of them were
seen ; and, highly delighted with the prospect of
such delicious fare after a long and tedious voyage,
the officer would not wait even till the boat could put
him ashore, but, with his gun in his hand, leapt over-
board and swam to land. Coming near to a large
collection of the birds, he fired among them, and
killed several : but when he came to seize his game,
he was sadly disappointed in finding that they were
not turkeys, and that their stench was almost in-
supportable.
Their bodies are extremely offensive to the smell ;
and they perch at night on rocks or trees, with their
wings partly extended, apparently to purify them-
selves. They soar to a vast height, and have in the
air the sailing motions of the kite. Carrion and filth
of almost every description are their favourite food ;
VOL. I.
C

-CARRION VULTURE.
and from the fineness of their scent, they can distin-
guish prey at an immense distance. They will
nevertheless eat even snakes, and sometimes seize on
live lambs. When a dead body of any size is thrown
out, they may be observed coming from all quarters,
each wheeling about in gradual descent till he
reaches the ground. They are not easily driven
from their prey; but, when engaged in the act of
devouring, will suffer persons to approach very near
them.
In some parts of the torrid zone, they haunt the
towns in immense multitudes. In Carthagena, they
may be seen sitting on the roofs of the houses, or
even stalking slowly along the streets. They are
here of infinite service to the inhabitants ; devouring
that filth which would otherwise, by its intolerable
stench, render the climate still more unwholesome
than it is. When they find no food in the cities,
they seek for it among the cattle of the adjoining
pastures. If any animal is unfortunate enough to
have a sore on its back, they instantly alight on it,
and attack the part affected. The poor creature
.
may in vain attempt to free itself from the gripe of
their talons : even rolling on the ground is of no
effect, for the vultures never quit their hold till they
have effected its destruction,
« In few creatures,” Mr. Bingley observes, “
are
the designs of Providence more clearly developed
than in this. Filthy as they are in their manners,
their appearance, and their smell, yet is even this
filthiness a blessing to mankind. In hot countries,
where putridity takes place in a few hours after death,
what might be the effects of the aggregated stench,
if it were not for the exertions of animals of this
description ! But in some countries they are ren-
dered even of still further importance to mankind,
by destroying the eggs of the alligator, an animal
which must otherwise become intolerable by its pro-
a

GREAT ASH-COLOURED VULTURE, &c,
digious increase. They watch the female in the
act of depositing her eggs in the sand ; and no
sooner does she retire into the water, than they dart
to the spot, tear away the sand, and feast upon the
contents of these.
The sloth, the filth, and the voracity of these
birds almost exceed credibility. Whenever they
alight on a carcass that they can have liberty to tear
at their ease, they gorge themselves in such a man
ner that they become unable to fly, and even if pur-
sued can only hop along. At all times they are
birds of slow flight, and unable readily to raise them-
selves from the ground; and when overfed, they are
utterly helpless. On the pressure of danger, how-
ever, they have the power of ridding themselves of
their burthen by vomiting up what they have eaten ;
and they then fy off with greater facility.”
>
GREAT ASH-COLOURED VULTURE.
The plumage of this vulture scarcely entitles it
to its name, as it is rather black than ash-coloured
It is of the size of the common eagle, and has a long
and close covering of down of the same colour with
the feathers of the back. It is remarkable for a
sort of white cravat, which proceeds from each side
of the head, and hangs down the neck. Its legs are
covered with brown feathers, and its feet are yellow.
It is an inhabitant of Europe, though none of them
are found in this country.
BROWN VULTURE.
This bird is eight feet in breadth, when its wings
are extended : its neck is almost entirely divested of
feathers ; upon the top of the head, however, there
is a tuft forming a kind of crest, beneath which are
seen the apertures of the ears, The crop or stomach

12
VULTURE OF THE ALPS.
of this spectes is remarkable for a large cavity, covered
with hairs all pointing from the circumference to its
centre. The largest feathers of the wing are two feet in
length, the quill of each above an inch in circumference.
VULTURE OF THE ALPS.
SOMETHING in the air and figure of this bird re-
sembling the eagle, determined Aristotle to rank it
in that class. To the rapacious habits of the eagle, ,
it joins the dastardly manners of the vulture : of the
first it retains none of the generous qualities, while it
seems to outdo the last in every thing hideous and
disgusting. It allows itself to be chased and beaten
by the crows; and, being an unactive hunter, and of
sluggish flight, it is continually uttering the doleful
cries of hunger, as it trudges along in quest of carrion.
Its wings are shorter, and the tail longer, than in the
eagle tribes : the head is of a bright blue, and the
neck covered with a thin down of white colour.
At the lower part of the neck, the bird is provided
with a collar of small white feathers, resembling a ruff.
The bill, and the naked skin covering its base, are
black, the legs and feet of a leaden colour ; but what
most remarkably distinguishes this bird, is a large brown
spot upon its breast, immediately below the ruff, of the
shape of a heart.
The vulture of the Alps is a bird of an ignoble
and ill-proportioned figure; and his unattractive form
is rendered still more disgusting by a kind of humour
that is continually issuing from his nostrils, and from
two other apertures in the beak, which seem provided
for the escape of this matter constantly discharged by
the animal. When upon the ground, the crop ap-
pears prominent, and the wings are spread : this spe-
cies is more rare than the other European vultures,
being only found upon the Alps and Pyrenees, and
some moumtains of Greece.
a
.
a
a

CRESTED VULTURE, &c.
13
CRESTED VULTURE.
This vulture is inferior in size to the three former;
its magnitude, however, has been deemed sufficient
to entitle it to a place among the vultures. Its bill
is black, and hooked at the end; the feathers of a
brownish black, and the legs yellow. When upon
the ground, it raises two tufts of feathers on the sides
of its head, resembling horns; which, while the bird
is on the wing, are not perceptible. The wings of
this bird, when extended, are six feet; his flight is
more rapid than the rest of the vulture tribes, as his
courage and activity are greater. He pursues and
preys upon almost every species of bird; but is most
successful in chasing bares, rabbits, young foxes, fawns,
and even fishes. When pursuing his prey, his flight
seems to be the effect of much effort; and it is attend-
ed with a great noise. His favourite food is the en-
trails of animals, whether dead or alive ; and though
remarkable for voracity, he can endure an abstinence
of fourteen days. Gesner relates, that two of this spe-
cies were caught in the province of Alsace, in a nest
constructed upon a very tall oak, not far from the town
,
of Misen.
GOLDEN VULTURE.
The golden vulture is the most remarkable of the
European birds of this tribe ; and in many particulars
it resembles the golden eagle, only surpassing it in
every proportion. From the top of the bill to that of
the tail, it measures four feet eight inches. The bill
is about seven inches long; the tail two feet three
inches, and the largest feathers of the wing are about
three feet. The head, throat, and upper part of the
neck, are covered with a pale red down, the back,
rump, and coverts of the tail, are blackish: all the

14
SECRETARY FALCON.
lower parts of the body, the breast, belly, and sides,
are brown ---deep towards the head of the bird, but
yellowish as they approach nearer the tail. The
other species of vultures differ in size and colour,
but are all sufficiently distinguishable by their naked
heads and necks; their bills straight from the base,
but crooked towards the point.
verd
FALCON TRIBE.
ol
This genus is distinguished by a beak which is
hooked from the base, and furnished with a naked
membranaceous skin, called the cere. The head and
neck are well clothed with feathers, which sufficiently
distinguish it from every one of the vulture kind : the
legs and feet are scaly; the claws are large and strong,
much hooked, and very sharp. They are possessed
of more courage and less voracity than the former
tribe. They always emit the bones and covering
of their food at the mouth in the form of round balls.
About a hundred and forty different species have been
discovered ; but from the extreme difference in ap-
pearance between the males and females of the same
species, it is frequently found difficult to ascertain them,
They may be subdivided into eagles, falcons, and
short-winged hawks.
SECRETARY FALCON, OR SECRETARY VULTURE.
In its external appearance, this bird (though in an
artificial system it is with propriety arranged imme-
diately after the vultures) resembles in some respects
both the eagle and the crane, two birds much un-
like each other ; having the head of the former, and

SECRETARY FALCON.
somewhat the form of body of the latter. When
standing erect, the distance from the top of the
head to the ground is full three feet. The bill
is black, sharp, and crooked, like that of an eagle.
The cere is white; and round the eyes there is a
place bare of feathers, and of a deep orange-colonr.
The upper eye-lids are beset with strong bristles,
like eye-lashes. The general colour of the plumage
is a blueish ash-colour, and the ends of the wings,
the thighs, and vent, are blackish. The tail is some-
what ash-coloured, except at the end, which for
above an inch is black, and then tipped with white
the two middle feathers are twice as long as any of
the rest. The legs are long, brown, and stouter
than those of a heron ; the claws are shortish, but
crooked, and of a black colour. From the back of
the head spring several long dark-coloured feathers,
that-hang loose behind like a pendant crest, which
the bird can erect or depress at pleasure. The
65.
Dutch," says Le Vaillant, “ gave it the name of
secretary, on account of the bunch of quills behind
its head: for in Holland, clerks, when interrupted
in their writing, stick their pen in their hair behind
their right ear, and to this the tuft of the bird was
thought to bear some resemblance.”
This secretary falcon is found in the interior parts
of Africa, Asia, and the Philippine islands. The
Hottentots at the Cape of Good Hope distinguish it
by a name that signifies the serpent-eater ; and it
would almost seem that nature had principally des-
tined it for the purpose of confining within due
bounds the face of serpents, which is very extensive
in all the countries that this bird inhabits.
The mode in which it seizes these dangerous
creatures is very peculiar. When it approaches
them, it is always careful to carry the point of one
of its wings forwards, in order to parry off their
venomous bites ; sometimes it finds an opportunity
of spurning and treading upon its antagonist, or else

16
SECRETARY FALCON.
و
of taking him on its pinions, and throwing him into
the air. When by this proceeding it has at length
wearied out its adversary, and rendered him almost
senseless, it kills and then swallows him at leisure
without danger.
M. Le Vaillant tells us, that he was witness to
an engagement between the secretary falcon and
a serpent. The battle was obstinate, and conducted
with equal address on both sides. But the serpent
at length feeling the inferiority of his strength,
employed, in his attempt to regain his hole, all that
cunning which is attributed to the tribe ; while the
bird, apparently guessing his design, stopped him on
a sudden, and cut off his retreat, by placing herself
before him at a single leap. On whatever side the
reptile endeavoured to make his escape, his enemy
still appeared before him. Then, uniting at once
both bravery and cunning, he erected himself boldly
to intimidate the bird ; and, hissing dreadfully, dis-
;
played his menacing throat, inflamed eyes, and head
swoln with rage and venom.
Sometimes this
threatening appearance produced a momentary sus-
pension of hostilities; but the bird soon returned to
the charge, and covering her body with one of her
wings as a buckler, struck her enemy with the bony
protuberances of the other. I saw him at last stag-
ger and fall: the conqueror then fell upon him to
dispatch him, and with one stroke of her beak laid
open his sculi.
At this instant M. Le Vaillant fired at and killed
her. In her craw he found, on dissection, eleven
tolerably large lizards; three serpents, as long as his
arm; eleven small tortoises, most of which were
about two inches in diameter ; and a number of
locusts and other insects, several of them sufficiently
whole to be worth preserving and adding to his
collection. "He observed too, that, in addition to
this mass of food, the craw contained a sort of ball,

SECRETARY FALCON. .
as large as the egg of a goose, formed of the verte
bræ of serpents and lizards, shells of different tor-
toises, and wings, claws, and shields, of different
kinds of beetles. This indigestible mass, when be.
come sufficiently large, the secretary would doubtless
have vomited up, in the manner of other birds of
prey.
Þr. Solander says, he has seen one of these birds
take up a snake, a small tortoise, or other reptile, in
its claw, and dash it with such violence against the
ground, that the creature immediately died; if, how-
ever, this did not happen to be the case, he tells us
that the operation was repeated till the victim was
killed, after which it was eaten.
The secretary is easily tamed ; and, when domes-
ticated, will eat any kind of food, either dressed or
raw. If well fed, it not only lives with poultry on
àmicable terms, but, if it sees any quarrel, will even
run to part the combatants and restore order. It is
true, if pinched with hunger, it will fall, without
scruple, on the ducklings and chickens. But this
abuse of confidence, if it may be so termed, is the
effect of imperious want, and the pure and simple
exercise of that necessity which rigorously devotes
one half of the living creation to satisfy the appetite
of the rest..
Tame secretaries were seen by M. Le Vaillant in
several of the plantations at the Cape: He says
thy commonly lay two or three white eggs, nearly as
large as those of a goose. The young remain a
great while in the nest ; because, from their legs
being long and slender, they cannot easily support
themselves. Even at the age of four months, they
may be seen to walk resting on the heel ; which
gives them a very awkward appearance. But when
they are seven months old, and have attained their
full growth and size, they display much grace and
VOL. 1.
D

18
SECRETARY FALCON.
a
ease in their motions, which well accord with the
stately figure of the bird.
However shrewd and cunning this bird may be
in its general conduct, yet M. de Buffon seems to
have attributed to it a much greater degree of intelli-
gence than it really possesses : “When a painter,"
says he, quoting a letter of the Viscount de Quer-
hoent,“ was employed in drawing one of the secre-
tary falcons, it approached him, looked attentively
upon his paper, stretched out its neck, and erected
the feathers of its head, as if admiring its own figure.
It often came with its wings raised, and its head
projected, to observe what he was doing. It also
thus approached me two or three times when I was
sitting at a table in its hut in order to describe it.”
This stretching out of its head, and erection of its
crest, seem, however, to have arisen from nothing
more than that love which almost all domesticated
birds evince of having their heads scratched. And
these birds, when rendered familiar, are well known
to approach every person who comes near, and to
stretch out their necks by way of making known
this desire.
This singular bird has not been long known,
even at the Cape : but when we consider its social
and familiar dispositions, we are disposed to think
that it would be adviseable to multiply the species,
particularly in our colonies ; for it is hardy eviough
to endure even European climates, where it might
be serviceable in destroying not only the pernicious
reptiles, but rats and mice.
The secretary falcons make a flat nest with twigs,
not unlike that of some of the eagles, full three feet
in diameter, and line it with wool and feathers. This
is usually formed in some high tuft of trees; and is
often so well concealed, as not easily to be discovered
even by the most scrutinizing eye. It is a very
a

BEARDED EAGLE.
19
singular circumstance, that in their contests these
birds always strike forward with their legs; and
not, like all others, backward.
BEARDED EAGLE.
The bearded eagles, of which so many fabulous
tales have been related, are inhabitants of the highest
parts of the great chain of the Alps, that separates
Switzerland from Italy. They are frequently seen
of immense size. One that was caught in the Can-
ton of Glarus measured from the tip of the beak to
the extremity of its tail, nearly seven feet, and eight
feet and a half from tip to tip of its wings; but
some have been shot that were much larger. The
beak is of a purplish flesh-colour, and hooked only
at the point; and the head and neck are covered
with feathers. Beneath the throat hangs a kind of
beard, composed of very narrow feathers, like hairs,
The legs are covered with feathers quite to the
toes, which are yellow : the claws are black. The
body is of a blackish brown above; and the under
parts are white, with a tinge of brown.
These birds form their nests in the clefts of
rocks, inaccessible to man; and usually produce
three or four young ones at a time. They live on
Alpine animals, such as the chamois, white hares,
marmots, kids, and particularly lambs ; from which
last circumstance they are called by the Swiss pea-
sants Lammer-geyer, or lamb vultures. The bearded
eagles seldom appear but in small parties, usually
consisting of the two old birds and their young.
A variety of this bird Mr. Bruce describes him-
self as having seen on the highest part of the moun-
tain of Lamalmon, not far from Gondar, the capital
of Abyssinia. He says, that on account of the tuft
growing beneath its beak, the inhabitants called it
Abou duch'n, or Father long-beard. Mr. Bruce

20
BEARDED EAGLE.
و
a
supposed it not only one of the greatest of the
eagle kind, but one of the largest birds in the crea-
tion. From wing to wing the animal measured
eight feet four inches ; and from the tip of its tail
to the point of its beak, when dead, four feet seven
inches. It weighed twenty-two pounds, and was
very full of flesh. Its legs were very short, but the
thighs extremely muscular. Its eyes were remark-
ably small, the aperture being scarcely half an inch.
The crown of the head was bald, as was also the
front where the bill and scull joined.
“ This noble bird,” says our author, “ was not an
object of any chace or pursuit, nor stood in need
of
any stratagem to bring him within our reach.
Upon the highest top of the mountain Lamalmon,
while my servants were refreshing themselves from
that toilsome rugged ascent, and enjoying the plea-
sure of a most delightful climate, eating their dinner
in the outer air, with several large dishes of boiled
goat's flesh before them, this enemy, as he turned
ouť to be to them, suddenly appeared ; he did not
stoop rapidly from a height, but came flying slowly
along the ground, and sat down close to the meat,
within the ring the men had made round it. A
great shout, or rather cry of distress, called me to
the place. I saw the eagle stand for a minute, as
if to recollect himself ; while the servants ran for
their lances and shields. I walked up as nearly to
him as I had time to do. His attention was fully
fixed upon the flesh. I saw him put his foot into
the pan, where there was a large piece in water
prepared for boiling ; but finding the smart, which
he had not expected, he withdrew it, and forsook
the piece that he held.
“There were two large pieces, a leg and a shoulder,
lying upon a wooden platter': into these he thrust
both his claws, and carried them off ; but I thought he
still looked wistfully at the large piece which remained

BEARDED EAGLE.
21
in the warm water. Away he went slowly along
the ground, as he had come. The face of the cliff
over which criminals are thrown, took him from
our sight. The Mahometans that drove the asses
were much alarmed, and assured me of his return.
My servants, on the other hand, very unwillingly ex-
pected him, and thought he had already more than
his share.
“ As I had myself a desire of more intimate ac-
quaintance with him, 1 loaded a rifle-gun with ball,
and sat down close to the platter by the meat. It
was not many minutes before he came, and a pro-
digious shout was raised by my attendants, “He is
coming, he is coming !" enough to have dismayed
a less courageous animal. Whether he was not
quite so hungry as at his first visit, or suspected
something from my appearance, I know not; but he
made a small turn, and sat down about ten yards
from me, the pan with the meat being between me
and him. As the field was clear before me, and I did
not know but his next move might bring him oppo-
site to some of my people, so that he might actually
get the rest of the meat and make off, I shot him
with the ball through the middle of his body, about
two inches below the wing, so that he lay down upon
the grass without a single ſlutter.
Upon laying hold of his monstrous carcase,
was not a little surprised at seeing my hands covered
and tinged with yellow powder or dust. On turning
him upon his belly, and examining the feathers of
his back, they also produced a dust, the colour of the
feathers there. This dust was not in small quan-
tities ; for, upon striking the breast, the yellow pow-
der flew in full greater quantity than from a hair-
dresser's powder-puff. The feathers of the belly and
breast, which were of a gold colour, did not appear
to have any thing extraordinary in their formation ;
but the large feathers in the shoulder and wings

22
GOLDEN OR GREAT EAGLE.
seemed apparently to be fine tubes, which, upon pres-
sure, scattered this dusť upon the finer part of the
feather ; but this was brown, the colour of the fea-
thers of the back. Upon the side of the wing, the
ribs, or hard part of the feathers, seemed to be bare,
as if worn; or, I rather think, were renewing them-
selves, having before failed in their functions.
What is the reason of this extraordinary pro-
vision of nature, it is not in my power to determine.
As it is an unusual one, it is probably meant for a
defence against the climate, in favour of the birds
which live in those almost inaccessible heights of a
country doomed, even in its lower parts, to several
months excessive rain."
2
GOLDEN OR GREAT EAGLE.
a
This is the largest species that is found in Britain,
it measures from the point of the bill to the extremity
of the toes, upwards of three fect; its breadth from
wing to wing is above eight, and its weight from six-
teen to cighteen pound. The male, however, is
much smaller, as it does not weigh more than twelve
pounds. The beak is of a deep blue, the cere yellow,
the eyes large and covered by a projecting brow; the
iris is of a bright yellow, and shines with great lustre:
the general colour is deep brown, inclining to a bright
rust colour on the hinder part of the head ; the quills
are chocolate with white shafts; the tail is blackish,
spotted with ash-colour. The legs are yellow and
feathered down to the toes, which are very scaly ; the
claws are remarkably large, the middle one is two
inches in length.
They have been known to breed on Snowdon
Hills, as well as in Scotland and Ireland. In the
beginning of January, one thousand seven hundred
and thirty-five, a very large one was shot near
Warkworth, which measured from point to point of

AGLE OF THE SUN

अपनी

GOLDEN EAGLE.
;
its wings, eleven feet and a quarter. It also inhabits
Sweden, part of Siberia, Greece, and the mountains
of France, Germany, and Hungary.
This eagle has been generally considered by man-
kind to bear the same dominion over the birds, which
has been, almost universally, attributed to the lion
over the quadrupeds. The Compte de Buffon, taking
up the idea, is also of opinion that they have many
points of resemblance, both physical and moral.
Magnanimity (he says) is equally conspicuous in
both; they despise the small animals, and disregard
their insults. It is only after a series of provocations,
after being teased with the noisy or harsh notes of
the raven or magpie, that the eagle determines to
punish their temerity or their insolence with death.
Besides, both disdain the possession of that property
which is not the fruit of their own industry ; rejecting
with contempt the prey which is not procured by their
own exertions. Both are remarkable for their tem-
perance. This species seldom devours the whole of
his game, but, like the lion, leaves the fragments and
offals to the other animals. Though famished for
want of prey, he disdains to feed upon carrion.
“ Like the lion also he is solitary, the inhabitant
of a desert, over which he reigns supreme, excluding
all the other birds from his silent domain, It is more
uncommon, perhaps, to see two pairs of cagles in the
same tract of mountain, than two families of lions in
the same part of the forest. They separate from
each other at such wide intervals, as to afford ample
range for subsistence; and esteem the value and ex-
tent of their dominion to consist in the abundance of
the prey with which it is replenished.
“The eyes of the eagle have the glare of those
of the lion, and are nearly of the same colour ; the
claws are of the same shape; the organs of sound
are equally powerful, and the cry equally terrible.---
Destined, both of them, for war and plander, they
a

24
GOLDEN EAGLE.
;
are equally fierce, equally bold and untractable. It
is impossible to tame them, unless they be caught
when in their infancy.---It requires much patience
and art to train a young eagle to the chace; and after
he has attained to age and strength, his caprices and
momentary impulses of passion are sufficient to
create suspicions and fears in his master. ---Authors
inform us that the eagle was antiently used in the
east for falconry ; but this practice is now laid aside :
he is too heavy to be carried on the hand without
great fatigue ; nor is he ever brought to be so tame
or so gentle as to remove all suspicions of danger.
His bill and claws are crooked and formidable ; his
figure corresponds with his instinct : his body is
robust ; his legs and wings strong ; his flesh hard ;
his bones firm ; his feathers stiff ; his attitude bold and
erect ; his movements quick ; his flight rapid. He
rises higher in the air than any other of the winged
race; and hence he was termed by the antients the
celestial bird, and was regarded in their mythology
as the messenger of Jupiter. He can distinguish
objects at an immense distance : but his power of
smell is inferior to that of the vulture. By means of
his exquisite sight he pursues his prey; and, when
he has seized it, he checks his flight, and places it
upon the ground, to examine its weight before he
carries it off. Though his wings are vigorous ; yet,
his legs being stiff, it is with difficulty he can rise,
especially if he is loaded. He is able to bear away
geese and cranes : he also carries off hares, young
lambs, and kids. When he attacks fawns or calves,
he instantly gluts himself with their blood and flesh,
and afterwards transports their mangled carcases to
his nest, or aery."
Formed for war, these birds are solitary and un-
sociable. They are also fierce, but not implacable ;
and though not easily tamed, are certainly capable of
great docility, and, in some cases, especially when
:

GOLDEN EAGLE.
gently treated, of inviolable attachment. This, how
ever, happens but rarely; as, of the two, the keeper
is often the more savage and unrelenting. His in-
human harshness the bird sometimes suddenly and
severely revenges.---A gentleman who lived in the
south of Scotland had, not many years ago, a tame
eagle, which the keeper one day injudiciously
thought proper, for some petty fault, to lash with
a horsewhip. About a week afterwards, the man
chanced to stoop within reach of its chain; when
the enraged animal, recollecting the late insult, flew
in his face with so much fury and violence, that he
was terribly wounded, but was driven so far back
by the blow as to be out of all further danger.
The screams of the eagle alarmed the family, who
found the poor man lying at some distance in a very
bloody plight, equally stunned with the fright and
the fall. The animal was still pacing and scream-
ing in a manner not less threatening thạn majestic.
It was even dreaded, whether, in so violent a rage,
he might not break loose ; which indeed, happily
perhaps for them, he did, just as they withdrew,---
and escaped for ever.
This species build their nests in elevated rocks,
ruinous and solitary castles and towers, and other
sequestered places. The nest is quite flat; and not
hollow, like those of other birds. The male and
female commonly place it between two rocks, in a
dry and inaccessible situation. The same nest, it is
said, serves the eagle during life. Its form resembles
that of a floor. Its basis consists of sticks about
five or six feet in length, which are supported at each
end ; and these are covered with several layers of
rushes and heath.
The females seldom lay above two or three egga.
These they hatch in thirty days. They feed their
young with the slain carcases of such small animals
as come in their way, as hares, lambs, or geese ; and,
VOL. 1.
;

26
GOLDEN EAGLE.
though they are at all times formidable, they are par
ticularly so while bringing up their young
It is said that a countryman in Ireland once got a
comfortable subsistence for his family out of an eagle's
nest, during a summer of famine. He protracted the
assiduity of the old birds beyond their usual time,
by clipping the wings, and thus retarding the flight
of the young ; and tying them so as to increase their
cries, which is always found to increase the dispatch
of the parents in supplying their wants. It was
happy for him that the old ones did not detect their
plunderer, otherwise their resentment might have
proved fatal.---For a young peasant, not many years
ago, resolved to rob an eagle's nest, which he knew to
be built in a small island in the beautiful lake of
Killarney in Ireland. He stripped himself for this
purpose, and swam over when the old birds were gone;
but, in his return, while yet up to the chin in water,
the parents coming home, and missing their offspring,
quickly fell on the plunderer, killed him on the spot,
and rescued their young.
Several instances have been recorded, of children
being seized and carried off by eagles to their young.
In the year 1737, in the parish of Norderhougs, in
Norway, a boy somewhat more than two years old
was running from the house to his parents, who
were at work in the fields at no great distance, when
an eagle pounced upon, and flew off with him in
their sight. It was with grief and anguish that they
beheld their child dragged away, but all their screams
and efforts to prevent it were in vain.---Anderson,
in his history of Iceland, says, that in that island chil-
dren of four or five years of age have been sometimes
taken away by eagles; and Ray relates, that in one
of the Orkneys, a child of a year old was seized in the
talons of an eagle, and carried above four miles to
its nest. The mother, knowing the place, pursued the
bird, found her child in the nest, and took it away unhurt.
3


RING TAILED EAGLE

RING-TAILED EAGLE.
27
The form of the golden eagles is extremely fibrous
and muscular; but their chief strength lies in their
beak, their talons, and their wings. There is scarcely
any quadruped a match for them; as they are ca-
pable of giving the most terrible annoyance, without
much danger to themselves. One flap of their
wing has been known to strike a man dead in an
instant.
They are remarkable for their longevity, and their
power of sustaining abstinence from food for a great
length of time. One that died at Vienna had been
in confinement above a hundred years; and one
that was in the possession of a gentleman of Con-
way, in Caernarvonshire, was, from the neglect of his
servants, kept for three weeks without any sustenance
whatever.
COMMON OR RING-TAILED EAGLE,
a
This is the common eagle of Buffon, and, accord-
ing to that author, includes two varieties, the brown and
the black eagle; they are both of a brown colour, distin-
guished only by a deeper shade, and are nearly of the
same size : in both, the upper part of the head and
neck is mixed with rust colour, and the base of the
larger feathers marked with white; the bill is of a
dark horn colour ; the cere of a bright yellow; the
iris hazel ; and between the bill and the eye there
is a naked skin of a dirty brown colour: the legs are
feathered to the toes, which are yellow, and the claws
black : the tail is distinguished by a white ring, which
covers about two thirds of its length; the remaining
part is black
Thering-tailed eagle is more numerous and diffused
than the golden eagle, and prefers more northern
climates. It is found in France, Germany, Switzer-
land, Great Britain, and in America as far as Hudson's
a
Bay.

28
BALD EAGLE.
* In the year
Mr. Willughhy gives the following very cvious
account of the nest of this species.
«
of our Lord 1668, in the woodlands near the river
Derwent, in the Peak of Derbyshire, was found an
eagle's nest, made of great sticks, resting one end
on the ridge of a rock, the other on two birch-trees';
upon which was a layer of rushes, and over them a
layer of heath, and upon the heath rushes again ;
upon which lay one young one and an addle egg ;
and by them a lamb, a hare, and three heath-poults.
The nest was about two yards square, and had no
hollow in it: The young eagle was black, of the
shape of a gos-hawk, of almost the weight of a
goose, rough-footed, or feathered down to the foot;
having a white ring about the tail."
The independent Tartars are said to train it for
the chase of hares, foxes, antelopes, and even wolves.
This practice is said to have been long standing, as
Marco Polo, the great traveller of 1269, observed and
admired the great Cham of Tartary, who had several
eagles, which were applied to the same purposes as
they are at present : they also esteem the feathers of
the tail as the best they have for pluming their arrows,
>
WHITE-HEADED, OR BALD EAGLE.
This bird has the bill, cere, and feet, pale yellow;
head, 'neck, and tail, of a pure white; body and
wings of a chocolate colour. It does not acquire
its white head till the second year. They build in
decayed cypresses or pines, impending over the sea
or some great river, in company with ospreys;
herons, and other birds; and their nests are so
numerous as to resemble a rookery. They inhabit
Europe and North America.
The manners of this species are still more cruel
to its young than those of the common eagle'; it is
more slothful and voracious, consequently lies under

WHITE EAGLE.
29
a stronger necessity of destroying or banishing them,
for which it is incapable to provide sufficient supplies
of food.
This voracity appears early among the young,
which at a very early period contend for the meat
brought them by the parents, with so much fierceness
and avidity, that it is said they are forced to put an
end to the dispute by putting to death one of the
combatants. This species of eagle, too, commonly
attacks large animals with a view of drinking their
blood upon the spot ; and as it is said they permit
no corrupted flesh to remain in their nest, the young
must often be unprovided ; those larger animals
being much more seldom surprised, than the hum-
bler victims of the common eagle's hunger. It has
further been remarked, that the bald eagle chases
only for a few hours in the middle of the day, while
the common eagle is plentifully supplied by the
efforts of a valour far more vigilant and indefatigable,
;
a
WHITE EAGLE
This beautiful and scarce species is entirely white,
except that in the American variety the tips of the
wings are black. It inhabits the Alps, the rocks,
and the banks of the Rhine, and various parts of
America. The natives of Louisiana set a high
value on the feathers, with which they adorn their
calumet, or pipe of peace.
CRYING EAGLE.
The length of this bird is two feet. It has a
dusky bill, and yellow cere ; the colour of the plu-
mage a ferruginous brown; the coverts of the
wings and scapulars elegantly varied with oval
white spots, which are very large on the greater
coverts ; primaries dusky; end of the greater white;

30
CINEREOUS EAGLE
breast and belly of a deeper colour than the rest of the
plumage, and streaked downwards with dull yellow;
tail dark brown, tipped with dirty white ; legs
feathered to the feet, which are yellow. It is found
in various parts of Europe, and was distinguished
by the antients for its plaintive cry, and its preying
upon ducks. The Arabs used to train it for the
chase of cranes and other birds. It was also itself
an object of diversion, and made the game of even
so small a falcon as the sparrow hawk, which would
pursue it with great eagerness, soar above it, and
then fall on the eagle, and, fastening with its talons,
beat it about the head with its wings, till they fell
together to the ground.
GREAT ERNE OR CINEREOUS EAGLE.
Tue head and neck of this species are of a pale
ash-colour; the body and wings cinereous, clouded
with brown ; the quill feathers very dark; the legs
feathered but little below the knees, and of a very
bright yellow: the male is of a darker colour than the
female. This species is in size equal to the common
eagle, and inhabits Europe as high as Iceland and
Lapmark.
The erne inhabits Greenland the whole year,
sitting on the rocks with flagging wings, and flies
slowly. It makes its nests on lofty cliffs, with twigs,
lining the middle with mosses and feathers. Lays
two eggs. Sits in the latter end of May, or beginning
of June.
These birds prey on young seals, which they seize
as they are floating on the water ; but often, by fixing
their talons in an old one, they are overmatched, and
drawn down to the bottom, screaming horribly.
They feed also on fish, especially the lump-fish, and
a sort of trout; on ptarmigans, auks, and eider ducks.
They sit on the tops of rocks watching the motion of

ITTLE ERNE, &c.
31
the diving birds, observe their course by the bubbles
which rise to the surface of the water, and catch the
fowls as they rise for breath.
The Greenlanders make their skins into a garment,
which they wear next their bodies; they also eat
the flesh, and preserve the bill for magical purposes.
They kill them with a bow, take them in nets, or
tempt them by the fat of seals, which they eat to
an excess, which makes them an easy prey.
LITTLE ERNE.
This species has cere and feet naked, and yellow-
ish; head and neck brownish ash-colour ; body
rusty, mixed with blackish below; tail white. It is
about the size of a large cock. The bill and iris
are yellowish ; the tips of the quill feathers black-
ish, and the tail black.
EAGLE OF THE ANTILLES.
This is by some thought a variety of the crying
eagle. It is a strong bird of prey, and has very
large talons. It is, however, but about the size of a
falcon, and attacks only defenceless birds. It perches
on very lofty trees, and its feathers are so strong and
compacted, as to resist distant shot. Its flesh, though
black, is of a pleasant flavour.
SEA EAGLE
This bird is nearly as large as the golden eagle,
measuring in length three feet and a half, but its
expanded wings do not reach above seven feet. Its
bill is large, much hooked, and of a bluish colour ;
irides in some light hazel, in others yellow; a row
of strong bristly feathers hangs down from its under
mandible, next to its throat, whence it has been

32
BLACK-CHEEKED EAGLE.
;
termed the bearded eagle; the top of the head, and
back part of the neck, are dark brown, inclining to
black; the feathers on the back are variegated by
a lighter brown, with dark edges ; the scapulars are
pale brown, the edges nearly white; the breast and
belly
, whitish, with irregular spots of brown ; the
tail-feathers are dark brown ; the outer edges of the
exterior feathers whitish ; the quill feathers and
thighs are dusky; the legs and feet yellow; the claws,
which are large, and form a complete senii-circle, ale
of a shining black.
It is found in various parts of Europe, is common
in Russia and Siberia, and grows to a large size in
North America : it is said to lay only two eggs
during the whole year, and frequently produces
only one young bird : it is, however, widely disa
persed, and was met with in Botany island by
captain Cook.
Though he plunders the waters,
his devastations are not always confined to that ele-
ment alone ; fowls and game of every kind be-
coming at times the victims of his rapacity. He
carries off geese, hens, lambs, and kids. Willughby
mentions that an eagle of this species, which had
its eyry in the county of Westmoreland, soared aloft
into the air with a cat in his talons. The resistance
of the cat brought both animals to the ground, when
Barlow the engraver took them up, and afterwards
caused the event to be engraved in his collection of
plates.
BLACK-CHECKED EAGLE.
و
This species, which is somewhat obscure, is about
the size of the common eagle. Its bill is dusky blue;
cere yellow; head, neck, and breast, of a deep ash-co-
lour; each cheek marked with a broad black bar, pass..
ing from the corner of the mouth below the eyes:

WHITE JOHN.
the back, belly, wings, and tail, black : the lege
yellow, and feathered below the knees. It is
sup
posed to inhabit North America.
WHITE JOHN.
a
This species is not found in Britain, but is very com-
mon in France, where the peasants give it this name
from the whiteness of its belly and under part of its
wings : above, it is of a brownish grey ; below, white
spotted with brown: the tail feathers, on the outside,
and at the extremity, are brown ; on the inside,
white streaked with brown. It commonly nestles on
the ground among thickets ; frequents cottages and
farm houses, where it plunders the hens and other
poultry ; it has a slow and heavy flight, and catches
its prey rather upon the ground than in the air.
The white john, though classed by naturalists
among the eagles, seems to have considerable affinity
to kites and owls, both in its habits and external form.
Like the latter, it chaces its prey most frequently in
the morning and evening, and rests during the mid-
dle of the day; although there is no evidence of its
incapacity of bearing the strongest light. Like the
kite and other predatory birds of the ignoble kind,
its wings are short in proportion to the volume of its
body; this is particularly observable in the female,
whose size is a third larger than that of the male ;
hence the slow and heavy motions which characterise
this yoracious tribe of thieves, which in France are
the scourge of the poultry yards, and are execrated by
every good house-wife,
Buffon had one of these birds in confinement, which
would never drink when any person was within its
sight ; but when it was in a concealed place, it was
observed to drink, and to use more precautions than
might be expected. A vessel filled with water was
left within its reach ; it looked anxiously on every side
;
VOL. I.

34
EAGLE OF BRASIL, &c.
to ascertain that it was quite alone; it then approach
ed the vessel, but still cast an attentive look around;
at last, after many hesitations, it plunged its bill up to
the eyes in the water, and repeated its draught. It is
probable, that other birds of prey conceal themselves
in the same manner when they want to drink; lest,
by immersing their head, they should expose them-
selves to their enemies. It was only in this instance,
that the white john shewed any mistrust, and in other
things he appeared sufficiently gentle, but rather
stupid.
The white john commonly lays three eggs of pearl
grey; and, during her incubation, the female is abun-
dantly supplied by her mate, who prolongs his atten-
tions till the duty of rearing the family be fully dis-
charged. Then the wants of the young give edge
to the predatory habits of the parents. Hens, youniga
turkeys, ducks, are then attacked with double fury;
and, where poultry fails, rabbits, partridges, quails,
lizards, and frogs, become the indiscriminate victims
of these rapacious invaders.
EAGLE OF BRASIL.
COLOUR blackish brown; mixed ash-colour in the
wings; the tail feathers white; the legs naked.
This bird is about half the size of the Oroonoko
eagle described below; it has no crest of erect feathers
upon the head, and by the native Brasilians it is dis-
tingu shed by the name of uzubitinga.
OROONOKO EAGLE.
This species is thus described by Du Tertre, who
mentions it as a bird of passage, that often visits the
Antiiles The natives of Tobago have called it the
Oroonoko eagle, because it is of the bulk and figure
of an cagle; and because that this bird, which appears.

WHITE TAILED EAGLE



COMMON-OWL

CROWNED EAGLE,
35
only occasionly in the island, frequents the banks of
the great river Oroonoko. All its plumage is light
grey, except the tips of the wings and the tail, which
are edged with yellow. Its eyes are lively and
piercing : its wings very long : its flight rapid, con-
sidering the weight of its body. It subsists on other
birds, on which it darts with great fury, tears them in
pieces, and swallows them. It attacks the arras, and
parroqueets. It has been observed, that it never at-
tacks any bird when on the ground, but waits till it
rises, and seizes it on the wing.
W
CROWNED EAGLE.
56
This bird,” says Edwards, "is about a third small-
erthan the largest European eagles; and appears more
intrepid than the others. The bill, with the cere, in
which the nostrils are placed, is of a dull brown; it
is cleft as far as the eyes, and the edges of the man-
dible are yellowish ; at the insertion the iris is red-
dish orange; the fore part of the head, the orbits and
the throat, are covered with white feathers, sprinkled
with small black specks; the hind part of the neck
and of the head, the back, and the wings, are of a
deep brown, verging on black, but the outer edges of
the feathers are light brown. The quill feathers are
of a deeper colour than the others in the wings: the
sides of the wings near the top, and the ends of some
of the coverts of the wings, are white ; the tail is of
a deep grey, intersected with black bars, and the un-
der parts appear of a dull ash grey ; the breast is of
a reddish brown, with large transverse spots on the
sides; the belly is white, and also the under part of
the tail, which is marked with black spots; the thiglis
and legs are covered to the nails with white feathers,
prettily marked with round black spots; the nails
are black, and very strong ; the toes are covered
avith scales of a vivid yellow; it erects the feathers
a

36
PONDICHERRY EAGLE, &c.
on its head like a crown, whence it is named. I drew
this bird alive at London, in 1752; its owner assured
me that it came from the coast of Africa ; and I am
the more willing to believe it, as I have seen two
others of the same species belonging to another per-
son, and which were brought from Guinea.” Barbot
mentions this bird by the name of the crowned eagle,
in his description of Guinea.
PONDICHERRY EAGLE.
а
This is a rare and beautiful species ; about half
the size of a common eagle, and worshipped as an
idol by the inhabitants of the Malabar coast. Its head,
neck, and the whole of the breast, are covered with
very long and white feathers, the shaft and edge of
which are of a fine jet black. The rest of the body
is of a shining chesnut, lighter beneath the wings
than above ; the first six wing feathers are black at the
end ; the cere is sky-coloured ; the tip of the bill
greenish yellow; the feet yellow, and the talons
black.
LITTLE AMERICAN EAGLE, OR RED THROATED FALCON.
This bird inhabits Cayenne, and other parts of
South America. It is about eighteen inches in length,
but resembles the eagle in the formation of its bill.
Its cere, orbit, and feet, are yellowish ; its throat
purple; its body bluish red; and its abdomen
flesh-coloured.
OSPREY OR BALD BUZZARD.
The length of this bird is two feet; its breadth,
from tip to tip of the wings, above five : its bill is
black, with a blue cere, and its eye yellow: the crown
,
of its head is white, marked with oblong dusky spots ;

O SPREY.


BALD BUZZARD
3
37
its cheeks, and all the under parts of its body, are
white, slightly spotted with brown on its breast;
from the corner of each eye, a streak of brown ex-
tends down the sides of the neck towards the wing;
the upper part of the body is brown; the two middle
feathers of the tail are the same; the others are mark-
ed on the inner web with alternate bars of brown and
white : the legs are very short and thick, being only
two inches and a quarter long, and two inches in cir-
cumference; they are of a pale blue colour; the claws
black : the outer toe is larger than the inner one,
and turns easily backward, by which means this bird
can more readily secure its slippery prey.
The osprey is one of the most numerous of the
large birds of prey, and is diffused over a great part
of Europe, Africa, and America. In Italy it is call-
ed the leaden eagle, on account of the rapidity with
which it descends on its prey in the water. It has the
name of bald buzzard on account of its white
head.
This bird affords amusement to strangers on the
large rivers of America. During the spring and
summer, it is frequently seen hovering over the rivers,
or resting on the wing for several minutes at a time,
without the least visible change of place. It then
darts suddenly down, and plunges into the water,
whence it seldom rises without some fish in its talons.
When it rises in the air, it shakes off the water, and
pursues its way towards the woods. The bald eagle,
which, on these occasions, is generally on the watch,
instantly pursues, and if it can overtake, endeavours
to soar above it. The osprey, solicitous for its own
safety, drops the fish in alarm; the eagle immediately
pounces at this prey, and never fails to catch it be-
fore it reaches the water, leaving the osprey to begin
his work afresh.
It is somewhat remarkable, that whenever the
osprey catches a fish, it always makes a loud screaming

38
COMMON BUZZARE.
noise ; which the eagle, if within hearing, never
fails to take as a signal. Sometimes it happens that,
if the osprey is pretty large and strong, it will contend
with the eagle for its rightful property; and, though
generally conquered in the end, a contet of
this sort has been sustained for upwards of half aa
hour.
The osprey usually builds its mest on the ground
among reeds; and lays three or four white eggs, ra-
ther smaller than those of a hen. Mr. Montagu
says that he once saw the nest of this bird on the top
of a chimney of a ruin in an island of Loch Lomond
in Scotland. It was large and flat, formed of sticks
Taid across, and lined with flags; and it vested on the
sides of the chimney.
COMMON BUZZARD.
The buzzard is about twenty inches in length, and
in breadth four feet and a half. Its bill is lead-colenred
The apper parts of the body are dusky; and the lower
pale, varied with brown. The wings and tail are
parked with bars of a darker hue. The tail is greyish
beneath, and tipped with a dusky white. Tlie legs
are yellowish, and the claws black.
This well-known bird is of a sedentary and indo-
Ient disposition: it continues perched for many hours
upon a tree or eminence, whence it darts upon suel:
prey as comes within its reach. It feeds on birds,
small quadrupeds, reptiles, and insects. Though pare-
sessed of strength, agility, and weapons to defend it-
self, it is cowardly, inactive, and slothful : it will y
from a sparrow-hawk; and, when overtaken, will
-suffer itself to be beaten, and even brought to the
ground, without resistance.
The following anecdote will shew that the buz-
zard may be so far famed as even to be rendered a
faithful domestic. We shall copy it from the letter of

COMMON BUZZARD
39
a
M. Fontaine, inserted in the work of the Compto de
Buffon In 1763 (says this gentleman) a buzzard
was brought to me that had been taken in a snare.
It was at first extremely wild and unpromising. I un-
dertook to tame it ; and I succeeded, by leaving it to
fast, and constraining it to come and eat out of my
hand By pursuing this plan, I brought it to be
very familiar: and, after having shut it up about
six weeks, 1 began to allow it a little liberty, taking
重
​the precantion, however, to tie both pinions of its
wings. In this condition it walked out into my
garden, and returned when I called it to feed. After
some time, when I judged that I could trust to its
fidelity, I removed the ligatures; and fastened a small
bell, an inch and a half in diameter, above its talon,
and also attached on the breast a bit of copper, having
my name engraved on it. I then gave it entire
liberty, which it soon abused; for it took wing, and
flew as far as the forest of Belesme. I gave it up for
lost; but four hours after, I saw it rush into my
hall, which was open, pursued by five other buz-
zards, who had constrained it to seek again its
asylum.
After this adventure, it ever preserved its fide-
lity to me, coming every night to sleep on my win-
dow; it grew so familiar as to seem to take singular
pleasure in my company. - It attended constantly at
dinner ; sat on a corner of the table, and very often
caressed me with its head and bill, cmitting a weak
sharp cry, which, however, it sometimes softened,
It is true that I alone had this privilege. It one day
followed me, when I was on horseback, more than two
leagues, fiying above my head. .
It had an aversion both to dogs and cats ; nor
was it in the least afraid of thein ; it had often
tough battles with them, but always came off victo-
ricus. I had four very strong cats, which I collected
into my garden with my buzzard : I threw to them

40
COMMON BUZZARD.
per-
a bit of raw flesh; the nimblest cat seized it ; the
rest pursued ; but the bird darted upon her body, bit
her ears with his bill, and squeezed her sides with his
talons so forcibly, that the cat was obliged to relinquish
her prize. Often another cat snatched it the instant it
dropped ; but she suffered the same treatment, till
the buzzard got entire possession of the plunder
He was so dexterous in his defence, that when he
ceived himself assailed at once by the four cats, he
took wing, and uttered a cry of exultation. At last,
the cats, chagrined with their repeated disappoint-
ment, would no longer contend.
“This buzzard had a singular antipathy: he would
not suffer a red cap on the head of any of the peasants;
and so alert was he in whipping it off, that they found
their heads bare without knowing what was become
of their caps. He also snatched wigs, without doing
any injury; and he carried these caps and wigs to
;
the tallest tree in a neighbouring park, which was the
ordinary deposit of his booty.
“ He would suffer no other bird of prey to enter
his domain ; he attacked them very boldly, and put
them to flight. He did no mischief in my court-
yard ; and the poultry, which at first dreadled him,
grew insensibly reconciled to him. The chickens
and ducklings received not the least harsh asage ;
and yet he bathed among the latter. But, what is
singular, he was not gentle to my neighbours' poultry:
and I was often obliged to publish that I would pay
for the damages that he might occasion. However,
he was frequently fired at; and, at different times,
received fifteen musket shots without suffering any
fracture. But once, early in the morning, hovering
over the skirts of a forest, he dared to attack a fox :
and the keeper, seeing him on the shoulders of the fox,
fired two shots at him : the fox was killed, and the
buzzard had his wing broken; yet, notwithstanding
this fracture, he escaped from the keeper, and was lost

CAROLINA OSPREY.
41
a
seven days. This man having discovered, from the
noise of the bell, that he was my bird, came next
morning to inform me. I sent to make search neal
the spot ; but the bird could not be found, nor did
it return till seven days after. I had been used to
call him every evening with a whistle, which he did
not answer for six days; but on the seventh, I heard
a feeble cry at a distance, which I judged to be that
of my buzzard : I repeated the whistle a second time,
and heard the same cry. I went to the place from
whence the sound came; and, at last, found my poor
buzzard with his wing broken, who had travelled more
than half a league on foot to regain his asylum, from
which he was then distant about a hundred and twenty
paces. Though he was extremely reduced, he gave
me many caresses. It was six weeks before he was
recruited, and his wounds were healed ; after which
he began to fly as before, and follow his old habits
for about a year; he then disappeared for ever. I am
convinced that he was killed by accident ; and that
he would not have forsaken me from choice."
The buzzard is one of the most common of the
bawk kind that we have in this country. It breeds
in large woods; and usually builds in an old crow's
nest, which it enlarges, and lines in the inside
with wool and other soft matreials. It feeds and tends
its young, which are generally two or three in num-
ber, with great assiduity. Ray affirms, that if the fe.
male be killed during the time of incubation, the male
buzzard will take the charge of them, and patient-
ly rear them till they are able to provide for themselves.
CAROLINA OSPREY, OR FISHING EAGLE.
Thrs species is described by Tertre, as bearing a
great resemblance to the eagle of the Antilles, but is
distinguished by several marks. Its ventral feathers
are white; those on the crown of the head black ;
VOL. 1.
G

42
HONEY BUZZARD.
a
and its claws are somewhat smaller. It preys wholly
upon fish, which it descries from the top of a branch
on the point of a cliff; and, observing them at the
surface of the water, it instantly darts upon them,
seizes them with its talons, and retires to devour its
prey upon a rock. Though it does not wage war
against the birds, it is perpetually teazed by them,
and obliged often to change its residence. The
Indian children breed them up tame, and employ
them to fish for pleasure merely, as they never give
up their prey.
HONEY BUZZARD.
Thrs bird is as large as the common buzzard, mea-
suring twenty-two inches in length: its wings extend
above four feet ; weight thirty ounces. Its bill is
black, and rather longer than that of the buzzard ;
its eyes are yellow ; its head is large and flat, and
of an ash-colour; upper parts of the body dark brown;
the under parts white, spotted or barred with rusty
brown on the breast and belly; tail brown, marked with
three broad dusky bars, between each of which are two
or three of the same colour, but narrower; the legs are
stout and short, of a dusky yellow colour; claws black.
The honey buzzard lays eggs of an ash-colour,
variegated with small brown spots. Its nest, when it
builds one, is constructed of small branches, lined in the
inside with wool, or other soft materials: but, like the
common buzzard, it frequently contents itself with the
deserted nest of another bird. It feeds its young with the
maggots of wasps, bees, and other insects; and pieces of
honey-comb are frequently found in its nest. Its own
food consists of field-inice. It is found in all the northern
parts of Eurore; but is not so common in England
as the buzzard. Buffon observes, that it is frequently
caught in the winter, when it is fat and delicious
eating. It is said to run fast like a hen.

MOOR BUZZARD, OR DUCK HAWK, &e.
a
malib MOOR BUZZARD, OR DUCK HAWK.
ho
The length of this bird is about twenty-one inches:
weight twenty ounces. The billis black; cere and eyes
yellow; the whole crown of the head is of a yellowish
white, lightly tinged with brown; the throat is of a light
rust colour: the rest of the plumage is of a reddish
brown, with pale edges; the greater wing coverts tipped
with white: the legs are long, slender, and yellow; the
claws black, Birds of this kind vary so much in their
colour, that it appears impossible to describe then
with accuracy.
The moor buzzard preys on almost every living
substance that comes in its way, young rabbits, young
wild ducks, and other water-fowl, fishes, frogs, reptiles,
and even insects. Its haunts are in hedges and
bushes near those places which abound with fish.
It builds its nest a little above the surface of the
ground, amidst herbage and long grass, and lays three
or four eggs, of a lightish colour, irregularly
sprinkled with dusky spots. It is much bolder than
the common buzzard. Inhabits the north of
Europe.
RED BUZZARD, OR HARPY,
This bird is distinguished by its yellow feet, its red-
dish body variegated with longitudinal spots, its
dusky back, and ash-coloured tail. Its length is about
twenty inches. It haunts the sides of rivers and
pools in France and Germany. It catches fish, and
draws.them alive out of the water.
ASH-COLOURED BUZZARD.
This bird is described by Edwards, as of the bulk
of a middling-sized hen; it resembles the common

44
AMERICAN BUZZARD, &c.
os
buzzard in the disposition of its colours, but differs
from it in the shape of its body, and the shortness of
its legs. It has the post of the eagle ; its legs are
short like those of the falcon, and blue like those of
the lanner. It preys chiefly on the ptarmigan,
AMERICAN BUZZARD.
This bird has a dusky bill, and yellow cere.
The head, lower part of the neck, and chin, are
brown mixed with white; breast and belly are white,
varied with long stripes of brown, pointing down-
wards: the feathers on the thigh very long, white,
and marked with long stripes of pale brown ; upper
part of the neck and back of a very deep brown;
coverts of the wings brown, edged with white; tail
of a pale rust colour, marked near the end with a
dusky narrow bar; legs yellow. Size that of the
goshawk. It is an inhabitant of North America,
BUZZARDET,
BilL dusky; head, cheeks, neck, breast, and belly
white, marked with dusky brown spots, more sparingly
diffused over the breast and belly ; lesser coverts
brown; greater coverts coloured like the head ;
primaries dusky; thighs white, with small spots
of brown in the shape of arrows; tail dusky, barred
and tipped with white; legs yellow. It is fifteen
inches in length, and much resembles the buzzard.
bank
KITE,
The kite is easily distinguished from the buzzards
by its forked tail. Its length is about two feet; its
breadth from tip to tip of its wings about five; yet
its weight decs not exceed three pounds.

மாயப்பா
TITE


KITE.
45
a
a
The bill is of a horn colour, furnished with bristles
at the base; its eyes and cere are yellow; the feathers
on the head and neck are long and narrow, of a hoary
colour, streaked with brown or black down the mid-
dle of each ; the body is of a -reddish brown, the
margin of each feather being pale : the quill-fca-
thers on its wings are of a dark brown ; the legs yel-
low, and the claws black. It is common in England,
where it continues the whole year; but in the
northern parts of Europe it is a bird of passage, re-
tiring to Egypt before winter, and breeding twice in
the year, once in its summer, and once in its winter
residence, contrary to the manner of rapacious birds
in general. The female lays two or three eggs of a
whitish colour, spotted with pale yellow, and of a
roundish form.
During its residence in Egypt, it is frequently ob-
served to feed on dates, not having, probably, a suffi-
cient supply of other food. In the early ages it was
much observed as an indicator of approaching spring.
Dr. Goldsmith thus agreeably sketches his charac-
ter. He seems almost for ever on the wing. He ap-
pears to rest himself upon the hosom of the air, and
not to make the smallest effort in flying. He lives
only upon accidental carnage, as almost every bird
in the air is able to make good its retreat against him.
He may be therefore considered as an insidious thief
who only prowls about, and, when he finds a small
bird wounded, or a young chicken strayed too far
from the mother, instantly seizes the hour of calamity,
and, like a famished glutton, is sure to show no
mercy. His hunger, indeed, often urges him to acts
of seeming desperation. I have seen one of them fly
round and round for a while to mark a clutch of
chickens, and then on a sudden dart like lightning
upon the unresisting little animal, and carry it off,
the hen in vain crying out, and the boys hooting and

46
GOSHAWK
casting stones to scare it from his plunaer. For this
reason, of all birds, the kite is the good housewife's
gre: test tormentor and aversion.
GOSHAWK.
This bird is somewhat longer, slenderer, and more
beautiful than the buzzard. Its bill is blue, tipped
with black; the cere is yellowish green ; eyes yel-
low with a whitish line over each of them. The
head and upper parts of the body are deep brown ;
each side of the neck is irregularly marked with white,
which is the colour of the breast and belly, but
marked with a number of bars of black, its tail is
long, reaching further than its wings when they are
closed ; the legs are yellory, and the claws black,
Buffon kept two of these birds, a male and female,
in the same ariary, but never discovered in them the
smallest affection for each other ; on the contrary,
the female killed the male in a transport of rage,
during the night. When left at liberty among
other hawks, they never fail to destroy them one after
another. They feed on mice and small birds, and
eagerly devour raw flesh.
The goshawk is found in France and Germany
it is not very common in this country, but is more fre-
quent in Scotland ; it is likewise common in North
America, Russia, and Siberia : in Chinese Tartary,
there is a variety which is white mottled with brown
and yellow. They are said to be used by the em-
peror of China, in his sporting excursions, when he
is usually attended by his grand falconer, and a
thousand of inferior rank. Every bird has a silver
plate fastened to its foot, with the name of the falconer,
who has the charge of it; that, in case it should be
lost, it may be restored to the proper person ; but if
he should not be found, the bird is delivered to another
officer called the guardian, of lost birds, who, to make
12

SPARROW HAWK.
his situation known, erects his standard in a con-
spicuous place among the army of hunters.Wolodni
The goshawk was formerly employed in falconry,
to fly at the pheasant, mallard, wild goose, hare, and
rabbit ; and would sometimes venture to attack a kid
or goat.
She required to be kept with care, as
being very delicate in her choice of food. Dion
SPARROW HAWK.
90
The length of the male is twelve inches, that of
the female fifteen. Birds of this species vary so
greatly in their plumage, that it is extremely difficult
to give any general description. The bill is blue,
furnished with bristles at the base, which over-hang
the nostrils; the colour of the eye is bright orange;
the head is flat at the top, and above each eye is a
strong bony projection, which seems as if intended
to secure that organ from external injury; the legs
and feet are yellow, and the claws black. A female
which is described by Bewick, had a few scattered
spots of white, which formed a faint line, running
backward towards the neck ; the top of the head and
all the upper parts of the body were of a dusky brown
colour ; on the back part of the head there was a
faint line of white; the scapulars were marked with
two spots of white on each feather ; the greater
quill-feathers and the tail were dusky, with four
bars of a darker hue on each ; the inner edges of all
a
the quills vere marked with two or more large white
spots; the tips of the tail feathers were white, beau.
tifully barred with brown; and the throat was faintly
streaked with the same colour. The same author
describes a male, as having the upper part of his body
of a dark lead colour, and the bars on his breast more
numerous. Pennant speaks of some hawks of thi
species, being small, plumed, and black; others of
a larger feather ; some plumed like a quail, some

48
SPARROW HAWK OF CAYENNE.
و
a .
brown, &c. The female sometimes builds her nest
in hollow trees, high rocks, or lofty ruins; and
sometimes contents herself with the old nest of a crow.
She generally lays four or five white eggs, marked
with reddish spots.
This bird is very numerous in various
parts of the
world, from Russia to the Cape of Good Hope.
It is one of the bolder species of hawks, and was valued
by those who practised falconry, because it would
hunt at all seasons of the year, and attack every
species of game. It has been known to seize upon
young poultry in the most daring manner, even
in the presence of a man.
It is a very obedient and docile bird ; and, when
properly trained, capable of great attachment. “I
very well remember one that I had when a boy, (says
the compiler of Beauties of Natural History,) that
used to accompany me through the fields, catch his
game, devour it at his leisure, and, after all, find me
out wherever I went ; nor after the first or second
adventure of this kind, was I ever afraid of losing
him. A peasant, however, to my great mortification,
one day shot him, for having made too free with some
of his poultry. He was about as large as a wood-
pigeon ; and I have seen him fly at a turkey-cock,
and, when beaten, return to the charge with undaunted
intrepidity : I have also known himn kill a fowl five
or six times as large as himself.”
a
SPARROW HAWK OF CAYENNE.
This bird much resembles the sparrow hawk, but
is thicker billed, larger and rounder shaped, and
has shorter legs. In colours, the resemblance is very
near; and it is probably only a variety.

CARÀCARA, &c
49
CARACARA.
a
The caracara inhabits Brazil, and has received its
name from the Indians. It is a kind of sparrow-
hawk, of the size of a kite. Its tail is nine inches
long; the plumage rusty, spotted with white and
yellow; the tail variegated with white and brown ;
the bill black and hooked; the feet yellow; the
talons long and black; the eyes of a fine yellow.
It is very destructive to poultry.
PIGEON HAWK.
This bird has a dusky bill, and yellow cere ; the
crown, back, wing coverts, and rump, of a bluish
grey, with the middle of each feather streaked with
black ; hind part of the head spotted with reddish
white; cheeks, and under side of the body white, with
large oblong spots of black; wings dusky, spotted
with white ; tail long, tipped with white, and crossed
with four bars of bluish grey ; legs yellow. Its
length about twelve inches. It inhabits almost every
part of North America. On the approach of any
person, it flies in circles, and makes a great shrieking
It preys upon small birds, pigeons, and the young of
the wild turkies.
Durious FALCON.
This, which inhabits New York and Carolina,
is, perhaps, a variety of the preceding species,
from which it differs only in its colours. Its tail is
of a deep ash-colour, marked with four broad bars of
black, resembling that of the sparrowhawk; its
breast is dirty white, marked with oblong streaks of
brown, like the English merlin.
VOL. I.
H

50
DLACK FALCON, &c
BLACK FALCON.
a
The bill is of a dark lead colour ; the eyes dark
and brilliant, over which is a streak of orange red ;
the upper part of the head, neck, back, wings, and
tail, are of a dark or dusky colour ; the tips of the
wing and tail coverts are of a russet brown; the ridge
of the wing white, and within-side is marked with
transverse bars of black and clay-colour; the legs and
feet are of a greenish yellow; the talons strong and
black. It is a native of Hudson's Bay, and migrates
in the summer month. It is a bird of passage, in
Malta, France, and Germany.
DUSKY FALCON.
This is smaller than the two preceding species.
It is distinguished by several remarkable characters
Its upper mandible is armed with a sharp process ;
tail short, tipped with white and barred with four
broad dusky strokes, and the same number of narrow
ones of white, from the chin to the tail ; it is of a
whitish colour, marked with distinct lines of black.
The general colour of the other parts of its plumage
is dusky ; the cere and legs are yellow, and the bill
bluish.
ROUGH-LEGEED FALCON.
This species is in length about two feet. It has
n yellow cere; the head, neck, and breast, are of a
yellowish white, marked with a few oblong brown
spots; the belly of a deep brown; the thighs white,
striped with brown; the scapulars are variegated with
yellowish white and brown; the coverts of the wings
edged with rust colour; the primary quills are black;
the tail, which is somewhat longer than the wings,

ST. JOHN'S FALCON, &c.
51
is white near the rump, barred with black towards
the end, and tipped with white; the legs are feathered
to the toes, and the feet are yellow. It inhabits
Norway, Lapland, and North America; and is some-
times shot in England.
St. JOHN'S FALCON.
3
This species has a short dusky bill; the head of
a deep brown ; the hind-part of the neck, back,
scapulars, and coverts of the tail, are marked with
alternate bars of black, and dull white, pointing
obliquely; the coverts of the wings are deep brown;
the greater coverts are spotted on their inner sides
with white; the primaries are dusky, the lower part
white, barred with deep ash-colour, and black : the
under side of the body brown, marked sparingly with
white and yellowish spots : tail shorter than the ex-
tremity of the wings; the end white; beneath that
is a bar of black, succeeded by two or three black
and cinereous bands; the rest of the tail marked with
broad bars of white, and narrower of ash-colour :
the legs are clothed with feathers to the toes, which
are yellow and very short. Length one foot nine
inches. It is an inhabitant of Hudson's Bay and
New-foundland.
CHOCOLATE-COLOURED FALCON,
This species, which inhabits the same countries
as the former, has its plumage of the colour from
which it derives its name. Its primaries, however,
are black; the lower exterior parts of a pure white,
forming a conspicuous spot; the wings reach to the
end of the tail : the exterior sides of the five outmost
feathers of the tail are dusky; their inner sides
błotched with black and white; the two middle black
and cinereous: the legs and toes are feathered; and

52
NEWFOUNDLAND FALCON, &c.
the latter are remarkably short. Its length is one
foot ten inches. It preys principally upon ducks,
sits on a rock, and watches their rising, when it
instantly seizes upon them.
NEWFOUNDLAND FALCON
a
This bird is a little smaller than the preceding :
has yellow cere, irides, and legs; which latter are
feathered half way down: its general colour is brown;
belly rust-coloured, blotched with deeper shades ;
thighs of a mottled ash, marked with round dusky
spots, and on the lower parts with four large dark
blotches; the tail is crossed with four alternate bars
of deeper and lighter brown. Length twenty inches.
It inhabits Newfoundland.
LEVERIAN FALCON.
This bird has a very hooked bill ; upper part of
the body of a deep brown, having each feather ele-
gantly marked with a large white spot ; under side
of the body white; the outermost feathers of the
tail marked with nine white, and as many dusky bars.
The wings are long ; the size is that of a large buz-
zard, It inhabits Carolina.
و
a
RED-SHOULDERED FALCON
Tus bird has a slender dusky bill ; yellow cere ;
head, neck, and legs, are of a yellowish white, streaked
downwards with dusky lines ; back deep brown,
edged with rust colour ; lesser coverts ferruginous,
spotted with black; quills black, spotted with white;
breast light tawny, barred with black; tail short
and dusky, crossed by seven narrow bands of white.
Length twenty-two inches Inhabits Long Island,
in America.

GREENLAND FALCON, &c.
53
GREENLAND FALCON.
a
This bird has dusky irides ; lead-coloured cere and
feet ; top of the head brown variegated with white ;
;
forehead whitish; cheeks blackish; hind part of the
head and throat white; breast and belly of a yellowish
white, with dusky streaks ; back dusky, tinged with
blue, ends of the feathers lightest, and sprinkled over
with a few white spots, especially towards the rump;
wings of the same colours, variegated beneath with
white and black; the upper part of the tail dusky,
crossed very faintly with paler bars; underside
whitish. Somewhat smaller than a hen.
It inhabits all parts of Greenland, and is found in
Iceland. They are even seen on the islands of ice
remote from shore. They retire in the breeding
season to the farthest parts of the country, and return
in autumn with their young. They prey on ptar-
migans, atuks, and small birds. They have frequent
disputes with the raven, but seldom conquer; for the
raven, upon being attacked, flings itself on its back,
and either defends itself successfully by its claws, or
calls others to its assistance. The Greenlanders use
its skin, among many others, for their inner garments;
the wings for brushes, the feet for amulets, but sel-
dom eat the flesh
COLLARED FALCON
This is rather larger than the preceding species.
Its head is broad and flat, streaked lengthways with
black and white ; the upper part of the plumage
ash-coloured, variegated with white; under parts
white, a circle of which colour surrounds the neck
like a collar. It inhabits Greenland, Sweden, and
Russia

54
GENTIL TALCON.
GENTIL FALOON.
This bird is somewhat larger than the goshawk,
but longer winged in proportion, as the wings extend
exactly to the tip of the tail. Its bill is of a lead-
colour ; cere and irides yellow; the head and back
part of the neck rusty, streaked with black; the back
and wings are brown ; scapulars tipped with rusty;
the quills dusky, with the outer barred with black,
and the lower part of the inner webs marked with
white ; the tail is long, and marked with alternate
bars of black and ash-colour, and tipped with white ;
the legs are yellow, and the claws black.
This bird made an eminent figure in the royal
game of falconry ; which, though now so much dis-
used among us, was the principal amusement of our
ancestors. A person of rank was seldom seen abroad
without his hawk on his hand, which, in old paintings,
is the criterion of nobility. Harold, afterwards king
of England, is represented, in a celebrated historical
painting of the conquest, as embarking with a bird
on his fist, and a dog under his arm. In those days,
it was thought sufficient for noblemen's sons to wind
their horn, and carry their hawk fair, leaving study and
learning to the clergy. Even so late as the reign
of James I. when the rudeness of the middle ages was
in a great measure worn away, and learning was
diligently cultivated, Sir Thomas Monson is said
to have given a thousand pounds, a prodigious sum
in those days, for a cast of hawks. In the reign of
Edward III. it was made felony to steal one of these
birds; and to take its eggs in a person's own ground,
was punishable with imprisonment for a year and a
day, together with a fine at the king's pleasure.
Among the old Welsh princes, the king's falconer
was the fourth officer in the state ; but, notwithstand-
ing all his honours, he was forbid to take more than
a
i
a

GENTIL FALCON.
55
three draughts of beer from his horn, lest he should
get drunk and neglect his duty. Nay, so highly was
this diversion esteemed among the great, that Freder-
ick, one of the emperors of Germany, did not think
it beneath him to write a treatise upon hawking.
Of this art Goldsmith has given us an agreeable ac-
count, without a perpetual recurrence of the technical
terms with which treatises on that subject do so much
abound.
In order to train up a falcon, the master begins
by clapping on straps upon his legs, which are called
jesses, to which there is fastened a ring with the
owner's name, by which, in case he should be lost,
the finder may know where to bring him back. To
these also are added little bells, which serve to mark
the place where he is, if lost in the chase. He is
always carried on the fist, and is obliged to keep with-
out sleeping. If he be stubborn, and attempt to bite,
his head is plunged into water. Thus, by hunger,
watching, and fatigue, he is constrained to submit to
having his head covered by a hood or cowl, which
covers his eyes. This troublesome employment con-
tinues often for three days and nights without ceasing.
It rarely happens but at the end of this his necessities,
and the privation of light, make him lose all idea of
liberty, and bring down his natural wildness. His
master judges of his being tamed when he permits
his head to be covered without resistance, and, when
uncovered, he seizes the meat before him contentedly.
The repetition of these lessons by degrees ensures
success. His wants being the chief principle of his
dependence, it is endeavoured to increase his appetite
by giving him little balls of flannel, which he greedily
swallows. Having thus excited the appetite, care is
taken to satisfy it ; and thus gratitude attaches the
bird to the man who but just before had been his tor-
mentor.
When the first lessons have succeeded, and the

56
GENTIL FALCON.
bird shows signs of docility, he is carried out upon
some green, the head is uncovered, and, by flattering
him with food at different times, he is taught to jump
on the fist, and to continue there. When confirmed
in this habit, it is then thought time to make him ac-
quainted with the lure. This lure is only a thing
stuffed like the bird the falcon is designed to pursue,
such as a heron, a pigeon, or a quail, and on this lure
they always take care to give him his food. It is
quite necessary that the bird should not only be ac-
quainted with this, but fond of it, and delicate in his
food when shown it. When the falcon has flown up-
on this, and tasted the first morsel, some falconers
then take it away ; but by this there is a danger of
daunting the bird ; and the surest method is, when
he flies to seize it, to let him feed at large, and this
serves as a recompense for his docility. The use of
this lure is to flatter him back when he has flown in
the air, which it sometimes fails to do ; and it is al-
ways requisite to assist it by the voice and the signs
of the master. When these lessons have been long
repeated, it is then necessary to study the character
of the bird ; to speak frequently to him if he be inat-
tentive to the voice; to stint in his food such as do not
come kindly or readily to the lure ; to keep waking
him if he be not sufficiently familiar; and to cover
him frequently with the hood if he fears darkness.
When the familiarity and the docility of the bird are
sufficiently confirmed on the green, he is then carried
into the open fields, but still kept fast by a string
which is about twenty yards long. He is then un-
covered as before ; and the falconer, calling him at
some paces distance, shows him the lure. When he
flies upon it he is permitted to take a large morsel of
the food which is tied to it. The next day the lure is
shown him at a greater distance, till he comes at last
to fly to it at the utmost length of his string. He is
then to be shown the game itself alive, but disabled or

JER FALCON.
57
;
tame, which he is designed to pursue. After having
seized this several times with his string, he is then
left entirely at liberty, and carried into the field for
the purposes of pursuing that which is wild.---At
that he flies with avidity; and when he has seized
it or killed it, he is brought back by the voice and the
lure.
By this method of instruction, an hawk may be
taught to fly at any game whatsoever ; but falconers
have chiefly confined their pursuit only to such ani-
mals as yield them profit by the capture or pleasure in
the pursuit.
The hare, the partridge, and the
quail
, repay the trouble of taking them ; but the most
delightful sport is the falcon's pursuit of the heron,
the kite, or the wood-lark. Instead of flying directly
forward, as some other birds do, these, when they see
themselves threatened by the approach of the hawk.
immediately take to the skies. They fly almost per-
pendicularly upward, while their ardent pursuer keeps
pace with their flight, and tries to rise above them.
Thus both diminish by degrees from the gazing spec-
tator below, till they are quite lost in the clouds ; but
they are soon seen descending, struggling together,
and using every effort on both sides; the one of ra-
pacious insult, the other of desperate defence. The
unequal combat is soon at an end ; the falcon comes
off victorious, and the other killed or disabled, is
made a prey either to the bird or the sportsman
JER FALCON.
This is next to the eagle ; the largest, boldest,
and most active of the falcon tribe ; being, at the
same time, a very elegant species. Its bill is much
hooked and yellow; the iris is dusky; the throat
white; which is also the general colour of the plumage,
though variegated with brown spots; the breast and
belly are marked with lines pointing downwards; the
VOL. 1.
I

53
ICELAND FALCON.
a
spots on the back and wing are larger than those on
other parts of the body ; the feathers on the thighs
are very long, and of a pure white; those of thetail
are barred; the legs are of a pale blue, and feathered
below the knee. This bird is a native of the cold and
dreary regions of the North, being never seen wild
in warm, and seldom in temperate, climates. It some-
times, though but rarely, visits Scotland, and the Ork-
ney Isles. It is transported from Iceland and Russia
into France and Italy, and even into Persia and
Turkey; nor does the heat of these climates appear
to diminish its strength, or blunt its vivacity. It
boldly attacks the largest of the feathered race; the
stork, the heron, and the crane, being its easy vie-
tims; and it kills hares by darting directly upon them, .
The male, which, as usual, is about a third smaller
than the female, is used in falconry, only to catch the
kite, the heron, and the crow.
ICELAND FALCON.
3
This bird has a strong bill, much hooked, and the
upper mandible sharply pointed; cere bluish ; head
of a very pale rust-colour, streaked downwards with
dusky lines ; neck, breast, and belly white, marked
with heart-shaped spots: thighs white, crossed with
short bars of deep brown; back and coverts of wings
dusky, spotted and edged with white; the exterior
wehs of the primaries dusky, mottled with reddish
white; the inner barred with white; the feathers of
the tail crossed with fourteen or more narrow bars
of dusky and white, the dusky bars regularly opposing
those of white; the wings, when closed, reach almost
to the end of the train ; legs strong and yellow. The
length of the wing, from the pinion to the tip, sixteen
inches.
This species is an inhabitant of Iceland, is most
esteemed of any for the sport of falconry, and is,

ICELAND FALCON.
59
with the Greenland and jer falcon, reserved for the
king of Denmark, who sends his falconer with two
attendants annually into the island to purchase them.
They are caught by the natives ; a certain number
of whom, in every district, are licenced for that pur-
pose. They bring all they take, about Midsummer,
to Bessested, to meet the royal falconer, and each
brings ten or twelve, capped, and perched on a cross
pole, which they carry on horseback, and rest on the
stirrup. The falconer examines the birds, rejects
those which are not for his purpose, and gives the
sellor a written certificate of the qualities of each,
which entitles him to receive, from the king's re-
ceiver general, seventeen rix-dollars for the jer falcon,
ten for the Greenland falcon, and seven for this spe-
cies. This brings into the island between two and
three thousand rix-dollars annually.
They are taken in the following manner. Two
posts are fastened in the ground at a small distance
from their haunts. To one is tied a ptarmigan, a
pigeon, a cock, or hen, fastened to a cord, that it may
have the means of fluttering, and so attract the atten-
tion of the falcon. On the other post is placed a net
stretched on a hoop, about six feet in diameter.
Through this post is introduced a string more than a
hundred yards long, which is fastened to the net in
order to pull it down ; and another is fastened to the
upper part of the hoop, and goes through the post to
which the bait is tied. As soon as the falcon sees the
fowl flutter on the ground, he takes a few circles in
the air to see if there is any danger, then darts on his
prey with such violence as to strike off the head with
as great exactness as if it was done with a razor. He
then usually rises again, and takes another circle to
explore the place a second time ; after which he makes
another stoop ; the man pulls the dead bird under the
;
net, and, by means of the other cord, covers the falcon
with the net, at the moment it has seized the prey.

60
RED FALCON,
the person lying concealed behind some stones, or
else flat on his belly, to elude the sight of the faleon.
As soon as one is caught, it is gently taken out of the
net, for fear of breaking any of the feathers of the
wings or tail, and a cap is placed over its eyes. If
any of the tail feathers are injured, the falconers have
the art of grafting others, which has occasioned a
needless multiplication of species.
RED FALCON
a
Tous bird is described by Aldrovandus in nearly
the following words. In the female, which is a third
larger than the male, the upper part of the head
is broad, and almost flat; the colour of the head,
neck, all the back and upper part of the wings, is
ash-coloured, verging on brown; the bill is very
thick, though the hook is rather small; the base of the
bill is yellow, and the rest as far as the hook is
ash-coloured; the pupil of the eyes is very black ;
the iris brown; the breast, the higher part of the
upper surface of the wings, the belly, the rump, and
the thighs, are orange, inclining to red ; above the
breast and below the chin there is a long ash-coloured
spot, and several small spots of the same colour on
the breast ; the tail is varied with brown and ash-
coloured bars; the legs and feet are yellow, and the
nails black. In the male, all the parts which are red
have a richer colour ; those which are ash-coloured
have more brown ; the bill is bluer, and the feet of
a deeper yellow. The red falcon is often found in
flat situations, and in marshes. It is bold, but diffi-
,
cult to manage.
INDIAN FALCON.
This species has the upper plumage black, glossed
with blue and purple ; but the breast and belly, from

FISHER FALCON.
61
the bill to the tail, are of a beautiful bright orange,
lightest on the breast ; its thighs are strong ; its legs
thick and short, and its toes armed with very strong
,
talons, little inferior to those of the eagle. They have
great courage and sagacity, and are much valued in
India, Persia, and other parts of Asia. The Persians
are expert in training birds for the chase ; and they
generally instruct the falcons to fly at all sorts of birds;
and, for this purpose, they take cranes and other birds,
and, putting out their eyes, they set them at liberty,
and immediately let loose the falcon, which easily
catches them. They have also falcons for the chase
of antelopes, which are trained in the following man-
ner. They make the falcons constantly eat off the
nose of stuffed antelopes, and suffer them to feed no
where else. After the birds are thus bred, they carry
.
them into the fields; and when they discover an an-
telope, they let loose two or more of them; one of
which fastens on the face of the beast, and strikes it
before with the feet. The antelope stops short, and
endeavours to shake off the falcon, which claps its
wings to keep its hold, and thus retards the flight of
the antelope. When, after much struggling, the
falcon is disengaged, another succeeds; and thus
the antelope is continually harassed and detained
until the dogs have time to overtake him. These
sports are the more pleasant, as the country is flat and
open, and little interrupted by wood.
FISHER FALCON.
This species, which is a native of Africa, resem-
bles the common falcon almost entirely in the colours
of its plumage ; it is, however, rather smaller, and
has on its head long erect feathers, which are reflect-
ed back, and form a sort of crest that distinguishes
it from all others of the same genus. Its bill is yel-
low, not so much curved, and thicker than that of

62
PEREGRINE FALCON, &c.
the common falcon, and its mandibles have consider-
able indentations. Its instinct is also different from
the rest of the tribe ; for it fishes rather than hunts.
This appears to be the species which Dampier men-
tions by the name of fisher falcon. It resembles, he
says, in colour and figure, our smaller sort of falcons ;
and its bill and talons are shaped the same.
It
perches upon the dry branches and trunks of trees,
that grow by the sides of creeks, rivers, or near the
sea-shore. When they observe little fishes near
them, they skim along the surface of the water, seize
them with their talons, and hurry them into the air
without wetting their wings. He adds, that they do
not swallow the fish entire, like other birds that sub-
sist on that prey, but tear it with their bill, and eat it
by morsels.
PEREGRINE FALCON.
a
This bird is about the size of the common falcon,
of which it is perhaps a variety. Its bill is blue, black
at the point; cere and irides yellow; the upper
parts of the body are ash-colour, elegantly marked
with bars of deep blue and black ; the breast is of
a yellowish white, marked with a few small dusky
lines; belly, thighs, and vent, are of a greyish white,
crossed with dusky bands; the quills are dusky, spotted
with white; the tail is barred with blue and black ;
the legs are yellow, and the claws black. Its plumage
varies with its age ; it is said to be frequently met
with in Scotland, and sometimes breeds in the rocks
and mountains of Cumberland, and Caernarvonshire.
It is common on the continent of Europe in sum-
mer; and also inhabits Kamtschatka, and many
parts of America.


76 ES TRICILA
HEN-HARRII IEIR
10
9

SACRE, &c.
63
SACRE.
This bird has a dusky bill; the upper mandible
toothed ; irides yellow; cere and legs bluish. Head
and upper part of the body of a dusky brown; back
part of the head mottled with white; all the under
side of the body white, the middle of each feather
marked with a dusky spot; wings reach almost to
the end of the tail ; the coverts, scapulars, and quill-
feathers, are of a deep brown, elegantly barred with
white; the tail is brown, marked on each side with
oval transverse spots of red feathers; the feathers on
the thighs are very long, of a brown colour spotted
with white; the fore part of the legs covered with
feathers almost to the feet. The length of the bird
is two feet, and its weight two pounds and a half.
It is an inhabitant of Hudson's Bay and Newfound-
land, as also of Tartary, where it is much employed
in falconry. It is a very hardy and bold species, and
preys on the ptarmigan, which it will seize even while
the fowler is driving them into his nets.
a
HEN HARRIER.
Thc hen harrier has been supposed to be the male
of the ring-tail, but the contrary has been demon-
strated by a dissection.
It is about seventeen inches long, and three feet
wide. Its bill is black; the cere and eyes yellow.
The upper parts of its body are of a bluish grey;
and the back of the head, the breast, belly, and thighş,
white; the two former marked with dusky streaks.
The two middle feathers of the tail are grey; and
the outer webs of the others are of the same colour,
but the inner ones are marked with alternate bars of
white and rust-colour. The legs are long, slender,
and yellow; the claws black.
و
.

64
HEN HARRIER
These birds are often seen about forests, heaths,
and cther retired places; especially in the neigh-
bourhood of marshy grounds, where they destroy vast
numbers of snipes. They sail in the air with great
regularity all over a piece of marsh, till they discover
them, when they immediately pounce upon and seize
them.
A gentleman who was shooting in Hampshire, by
chance sprung a pheasant in a wheat stubble, and
shot at it ; when, notwithstanding the report of the
gun, it was pursued by a hen harrier, but escaped
into some covert. He then sprung a second, and a
third, in the same field, and these likewise got away ;
the hawk hovering round him all the while he was
beating the field, conscious, no doubt, of the game
that lurked in the stubble. Hence we may conclude,
that this bird of prey was rendered daring and
bold by hunger, and that hawks are not always in
a condition to strike their game. We may further
observe, that they cannot pounce on their quarry
when it is on the ground, where it might be able
to make a stout resistance ; since so large a fowl as
a pheasant could not but be visible to the piercing
eye of a hawk, when hovering over it. Hence that
propensity in game to cowering and squatting till
they are almost trod on: which doubtless was in-
tended as a mode of security, though it has long
been rendered destructive by the invention of nets
and guns.
A hen harrier that was shot some years ago near
London, was first observed dodging round the lower
parts of some old trees, and now and then seeming
to strike against the trunks of them with its beak
or talons, but still continuing on the wing. The
cause of this very singular conduct could not even
be guessed, till after it was killed ; when, on open-
ing its stomach, nearly twenty small brown lizards
were found there, which it had artfully seized, by

RING-TAIL, &c.
65
coming suddenly round upon them. They were
each bitten or torn into two or three pieces.
These destructive birds may be caught in a trap
baited with a stuffed rabbit's-skin, and covered nicely
over with moss. Their nests are formed on the
ground, and the usual number of young is about four.
a
RING-TAIL.
The length of this bird is twenty inches; its
breadth from tip to tip three feet nine. It has a
sort of ring or chain of feathers round the back part
of its head, reaching to its skin on each side, which
stand erect, and have been compared to a crow.
Its bill is black ; cere and irides yellow; the upper
part of the body dusky; the breast, belly, and thighs,
are of a reddish brown; there is a white spot under
each eye ; the tail is long, and marked with alternate
brown and dusky bars; the legs are yellow, and the
claws black. This bird has been erroneously supposed
to be the same species with the hen harrier, varying
only in sex.
а
a
LANNER.
This bird is somewhat less than the buzzard. Its
bill is blue; cere inclining to green ; eyes yellow :
the feathers on the upper parts of the body are brown
with pale edges ; above each eye there is a white
line which runs towards the hinder part of the head,
and beneath it is a black streak pointing downwards
towards the neck; the throat is white; the breast of
a dull yellow, marked with brown spots; thighs and
vent the same; the quill-feathers are dusky, mark-
ed on the inner web with oval spots of a rust colour ;
the tail is spotted in the same manner; the legs are
short and strong, and of a bluish colour,
The lanner is not common in England ; but it
a
VOLI,
K

66
KESTREL, STANNEL, OR WINDHOVER,
breeds in Ireland, and is found in various parts of
Europe. It derives its name from its mode of tear.
ing its prey into small pieces with its bill.
KESTREL, STANNEL, OR WINDHOVER.
The plumage of the two sexes of this bird differs
so widely as to require that the male and female should
be separately described. The male is in length
fourteen inches ; breadth two feet three inches; its
bill is blue ; cere and eyelids yellow; eyes black ;
the forehead dull yellow; the top of the head, back
part of the neck, and sides, as far as the point of the
wings, are of a lead colour, faintly streaked with black;
the cheeks are paler; from the corner of the mouth,
on each side, there is a dark streak pointing down-
wards; the back and coverts of the wings are of a
bright vinous colour, spotted with black ; quill-
feathers dusky, with light edges; all the under part
of the body is of a pale rust colour, streaked and
spotted with black ; thighs plain ; the tail-feathers
are of a fine blue grey, with black shafts ; towards
the ends there is a broad black bar, both on the upper
and under sides; the tips are white; the legs are
yellow, and the claws black.
The female kestrel is a beautiful bird, distinguish-
ed from every other hawk by its variegated plumage ;
its bill is blue ; cere and feet yellow ; eyes dark
coloured, surrounded with a yellow skin ; its head is
rust-coloured, streaked with black ; behind each eye
there is a bright spot ; the back and wing-coverts
are elegantly marked with numerous undulated bars
of black ; the breast, belly, and thighs, are of a pale
reddish colour, with dusky streaks pointing down-
wards ; vent plain; the tail is marked by a pretty
broad black bar near the end ; a number of small
ones, of the same colour, occupy the remaining part;
the tip is pale.
a
a
و

MARSH HAWK, &c.
67
The kestrel is widely diffused throughout Europe,
and is found in the most temperate parts of North
America : it is a handsome bird ; its sight is acute,
and its flight easy and graceful : it breeds in the hol-
lows of trees, and in the holes of rocks. It lays four
or five eggs of a pale reddish colour ; its food consists
of small birds, field mice, and reptiles : after it has
secured its prey, it plucks the feathers very dexterously
from the birds, but swallows the mice entire, and dis-
charges the hair at the bill.
This bird is frequently seen hovering in the air,
and fanning with its wings by a gentle motion, or
wheeling slowly round at the same time watching for
its prey, on which it shoots like an arrow. It was
formerly used in Great Britain for catching small
birds and young partridges,
It is very remarkable that the kestrel and the pied
wagtail observe nearly the same day when they visit
Sweden in the spring, and quit itin autumn.
MARSI HAWK.
a
This bird has a bluish bill ; cere, eyes, and legs,
orange; irides hazel ; very nearly resembles the ring-
tail, from which it is distinguished by its legs being
short and thick. Its length is about two feet. During
the summer it frequents the marshy places in Penn-
sylvania, where it feeds on small birds, frogs, lizards, and
snakes; but quits the country on the approach of winter.
PLAIN HAWK,
The plumage of this bird is generally of a deer
brown, but spotted with white on the under parts,
and the inner webs of the primaries. Its legs are
strong; and its wings reach nearly to the end of the tail;
length from bill to tail two feet one inch. It inhabits
Hudson's Bay

68
HOBBY, &c.
НовBY.
ounces.
This is a small hawk, as the length of the male,
which is, however, smaller than the female, is twelve
inches, and its breadth about two feet ; weight seven
The bill is blue; the cere, and orbits of the
eyes yellow ; the irides orange; there is a light-
coloured streak over each eye; the top of the head, back,
and wing coverts, are of a bluish black; the hinder
part of the neck is marked with two pale yellow spots ;
a black mark from behind each eye, nearly resembling
a crescent, is extended downwards on the neck ; the
breast and belly are pale, marked with dusky streaks ;
the thighs rusty with long dusky streaks ; the wings
brown; the two middle feathers of the tail are of a
deep dove colour, the others are barred with rusty
and tipped with white ; the legs and feet are yellow,
The spots on the breast of the female are more con-
spicuous than those on the male.
The plumage varies greatly in different birds.
It is said that the larks never venture to take
their flight in sight of this bird ; but that,
if it hovers over them, they will remain motion-
less on the ground, while the fowler draws a net over
them.
و
و
MERLIN.
This bird is supposed to bear great resemblance
to the peregrine falcon, in manners and general ap-
pearance; but differs from it greatly in size, as it
scarcely exceeds the size of a black bird ; its bill is
blue; cere and irides yellow; the head is of a rust
colour, streaked with black; back and wings of a
deepish brown, tinged with ash, streaked down the
shafts with black, and edged with rust colour ; quill-
feathers dark, tipped with reddish white ; breast and
;

ulky
HOBBY.


AMERICAN MERLIN.
69
"
belly are of a yellowish white, with streaks of rusty
brown, pointing downwards; the tail is long, and
;
marked with alternate dusky and pale bars ; the
wings, when closed, do not reach quite to the end of
the tail; the legs are yellow, and claws black.
It was much prized among those who practised
falconry. The pursuit of a lark by a couple of mer-
lins was reckoned the most delightful spectacle which
this sort of exercise could afford. They acted in con-
cert; and while one merlin soared high in the air
to strike his prey from above, the other watched its
motions below; so that the devoted lark could not
escape their united efforts. It was said, when in con-
finement, to have had a strange propensity to eat of its
own feet and talons.
The merlin differs from the rest of the rapacious
tribe, in the male and female being of the same size.
It does not breed here, but visits us in October, and
breeds in woods, laying five or six eggs. It flies low,
but with great celerity and ease, and preys upon small
birds.
Birds of this species are found to vary considerably
in their plumage.
AMERICAN MERLIN.
The male ana female differs so considerably, that
they have been taken for different species. Each of
them has, however, the top of the head spotted with
red, and the back barred with black, and a long tail.
The male is of a lighte: and brighter colour than the
female, and is easily distinguished by the tail, which
has a single black band on the middle feathers, and
three or four black bars on the two exterior feathers ;
whereas that of the female is crossed with eleven black
and as many rusty bars.

70
STONE FALCON, &c.
STONE FALCON
This is by some thought a variety of the merlin.
The cere is yellowish; the upper side of the body
ash-colour; the under side rufous, with dusky longi-
tudinal spots; the tail cinercous, blackish near the
end ; the tip white. It lodges and breeds in rocks,
and is rather less than the kestrel.
SWALLOW-TAILED FALCON.
;
Tuis singular species has a black bill, less hooked
than is usual with the rapacious birds ; the base of
the bill is hid in the feathers; the eyes large; irides
red; head, neck, breast, and belly, of a snowy white;
back, wings, and tail, are black, except that the inner
webs of the primaries and secondaries are white to-
wards the base, and the tertials are white; the tail
is extremely forked, the outermost feather being
above eight inches longer than the middlemost ; the
legs are yellow.
This most elegant species inhabits only the Southern
parts of North America, where it is a bird of passage,
retiring in the winter probably to Peru.
Their manners much resembles those of the swallows,
as they feed chiefly flying, are much on the wing,
and prey on various sorts of insects. They also feed
on lizards and serpents; and will kill the largest
that are found in the countries which it frequents
with the greatest ease.
CHANTING FALCON.
This lately discovered species is about the size of
the common falcon. The plumage is in general of
a pale lead or dove colour, with the top of the
head and the scapulars inclining to brown. The

CHANTING FALCON,
71
a
a
under parts of the breast are of a pearly grey, crossed
with numerous grey stripes. The quills are black.
The tail is wedge-shaped, the outer feathers one third
shorter than the middle ones, and the tip white. The
bill and claws are black, and the cere and legs orange.
It is a native of Caffraria, and some of the neighbour-
ing countries.
In the breeding time the male is remarkable for
its song, which it utters every morning and even-
ing, and, like the nightingale, not uncommonly all
the night through. It sings out in a loud tone for
more than a minute, and after an interval begins
anew. During its song it is so regardless of its own
safety, that any one may approach very near to it; but
at other times it is very suspicious, and takes flight
on the slightest alarm. Should the male be killed,
the female may also be shot without difficulty : for
her attachment to him is such, that she continues fly-
ing round with the most plaintive voice ; and, often
passing within a few yards of the gunner, it is an
easy matter to kill her. But if the female happens
to be shot first, the affection of her mate does not
prove so romantic ; for, retiring to the top of some
distant tree, he is not easily approached : he does not
however, cease to sing, but becomes so wary as to
fly entirely away from that neighbourhood on the
least alarm
The female forms her nest between the forks of
trees, or in bushy groves. She lays four white round
eggs.---This falcon, for its size, is a very destructive
species. It preys on partridges, hares, quails, moles,
rats, and other small animals,

12
OWL TRIBE.
OWL TRIBE.
THE distinguishing characters of this genus of
birds are, that the head is large and round ; the bill
strong and hooked without cere ; the nostrils are
covered with bristly feathers; the eyes are large, and
the tongue divided.
These birds seem to differ from the falcons, much
in the same manner as moths differ from butterflies :
the owls being nocturnal, and pursuing their prev
only in the night; and the falcons flying only in the
day-time. Their eyes are so constructed, that they
are able to see much more distinctly in the dusk of the
evening than in the broad glare of sunshine. Most
animals, by the contraction and dilatation of the pupil
of the eye, have, in some degree, the power
of shutting out or admitting light, as their necessities
require: but in the owls this property as to admitting
light is observed in singular perfection ; and in ad-
dition to this, there is an irradiation on the back of the
eye, which greatly aids their vision in the obscure
places that they frequent.
Goldsmith gives the following agreeable account
of the manners of owls.
All this tribe of animals, however they may differ
in their size and plumage, agree in their general
characteristics of preying by night, and having their
eyes formed for nocturnal vision. Their bodies are
strong and muscular ; their feet and claws made for
tearing their prey, and their stomachs for digesting
it. It must be remarked, however, that the digestion
of all birds that live upon mice, lizards, or such like
food, is not very perfect ; for though they swallow
them whole, yet they are always scen some time
و

OWL TRIBE.
73
a
after to disgorge the skin and bones, rolled up in a
pellet, as being indigestible.
In proportion as each of these animals bears the
day-light best, he sets forward earlier in the evening
in pursuit of his prey. The great homed owl is the
foremost in leaving his retreat, and ventures into
the woods and thickets very soon in the evening. The
horned and the brown owl are later in their excur-
sions : but the barn owl seems to see best in pro-
found darkness; and seldom leaves his hiding-place
till midnight.
As they are incapable of supporting the light of the
day, or at least of then seeing and readily avoiding
their danger, they keep all this time concealed in
some obscure retreat, suited to their gloomy appetites,
and there continue in solitude and silence. The
cavern of a rock, the darkest part of a hollow tree,
the battlements of a ruined and unfrequented castle,
some obscure hole in a farmer's out-house, are the
places where they are usually found : if they be seen
out of these retreats in the day-time, they may be con-
sidered as having lost their way, as having by some
accident been thrown into the midst of their enemies,
and surrounded with danger.
Having spent the day in their retreat, at the ap-
proach of evening they sally forth, and skim rapidly
up and down along the hedges. The barn owl, in-
deed, who lives chiefly upon mice, is contented to
be more stationary: he takes his residence upon some
shock of corn, or the point of some old house; and
there watches in the dark, with the utmost perspica-
city and perseverance.
Nor are these birds by any means silent ; they ali
have an hideous note : which, while pursuing their
;
prey, is seldom heard ; but may be considered rather
as a call to courtship. There is something always
terrifying in this call, which is often heard in the
silence of midnight, and breaks the general pause
VOL. I.

74
OWL TRIBE
a
3
with a horrid variation. It is different in all ; but
in each it is alarming and disagreeable. Father
Kircher, who has set the voices of birds to music, has
given all the tones of the owl note, which makes a
most tremendous melody. Indeed, the prejudices
of mankind are united with their sensations to make
the cry of the owl disagreeable. The screech owl's
voice was always considered among the people as a
presage of some sad calamity that was soon to ensue.
They seldom, however, are heard while they are
preying ; that important pursuit is always attended
with silence, as it is by no means their intention to
disturb or forewarn these little animals they wish to
surprise. When their pursuit has been successful,
they soon return to their solitude, or to their young, if
that be the season. If, however, they find but little
game, they continue their quest still longer ; and it
sometimes happens that, obeying the dictates of ap-
petite rather than of prudence, they pursue so long,
that broad day breaks in upon them, and leaves them
dazzled, bewildered, and at a distance from home.
In this distress they are obliged to take shelter in
the first tree or hedge that offers, there to continue
concealed all day, till the returning darkness once
more supplies them with a better plan of the country.
But it too often happens that, with all their precaution
to conceal themselves, they are spied out by the other
birds of the place, and are sure to receive no mercy.
The blackbird, the thrush, the jay, the bunting, and
the red-breast, all come in file, and employ their little
arts of insult and abuse. The smallest, the feeblest,
and the most contemptible of this unfortunate bird's
enemies, are then the foremost to injure and torment
him. They increase their cries and turbulence round
him, flap him with their wings, and are ready to shew
their courage to be great, as they are sensible that
their danger is but small. The unfortunate owl, not
knowing where to attack or where to fly, patiently
a

OWL TRIBE.
75
sits and suffers all their insults. Astonished and dizzy,
he only replies to their mockeries by awkward
and ridiculous gestures, by turning his head, and
rolling his eyes with an air of stupidity. It is enough
that an owl appears by day to set the whole grove
into a kind of uproar. Either the aversion all the
small birds have to this animal, or the consciousness
of their own security, makes them pursue him with-
out ceasing, while they encourage each other by
their mutual cries to lend assistance in this laudable
undertaking
It sometimes happens, however, that the little
birds pursue their insults with the same imprudent
zeal with which the owl himself had pursued his de-
predations. They hunt him the whole day until
evening returns; which restoring him his faculties of
sight once more, he makes the foremost of his pur-
suers pay dear for their former sport ; nor is man
always an unconcerned spectator here. The bird-
catchers have got an art of counterfeiting the cry of
the owl exactly; and having before limed the branches
of a hedge, they sit unseen and give the call. At
this, all the little birds flock to the place where they
expect to find their well-known enemy; but instead
of finding their stupid antagonist, they are stuck fast
to the hedge themselves. This sport must be put in
practice an hour before night fall in order to be suc-
cessful ; for if it is put off till later, those birds which
but a few minutes sooner came to provoke their enemy,
will then fly from him with as much terror as they just
before showed insolence.
The owl tribe are subdivided into two classes ;
the eared or horned owls, and those which are smooth-
headed.

176
GREAT LARED OR EAGLE OVL.
GREAT EARED OR EAGLE OWL.
This bird is not much inferior in size to an eagle.
Its head is very large, and is adorned with two tufts
more than two inches long, which stand just above
the eyes ; its bill is strong, and much hooked ; its
eyes are of a bright yellow; the whole plumage is
of a rusty brown, finely variegated with black and
yellow lines and specks; its belly is ribbed with bars
of brown confusedly intermixed; its tail is short,
and marked with transverse dusky streaks ; its wings
are long; its legs thick, of a brick-dust red, and
generally feathered to the claws, which are large,
much hooked, and of a dusky colour. Its nest is
about three feet in diameter, and composed of sticks
hound together by fibrous roots, and lined with leaves.
It generally lays two eggs somewhat larger than those
of a hen, and variegated like the bird itself. It is
rarely seen in Great Britain, where it sometimes builds
its nests in the caverns of rocks in mountainous and
almost inaccessible places, seldom visiting the plain,
or perching upon trees
Although the owls are in general superstitiously
considered by the people of most countries as birds
of ill omen, and the messengers of woe ; yet the
Athenians alone, among the antients, seem to have
been free from this popular prejudice, and to have
regarded them rather with veneration than abhor-
rence. The present species, which is very common
,
in many parts of Greece, was even considered as a
favourite bird of Minerva ; and at Athens the inha-
3
bitants had a proverb, " to send owls to Athens,"
exactly equivalent to the one used by us," to send
<<
coals to Newcastle.”
This owl sees better during the day than almost
any other of the tribe. It has been frequently ob-

GREAT EARED OWL.
77
served preying on its game of birds and the smaller
quadrupeds in full day-light.
M. Cronstedt has recorded a pleasing instance of
the attachment of these birds to their young. This
gentleman resided several years on a farın in Suder-
mania, near a steep mountain, on the summit of
which two eagle owls had their nest. One day in
the month of July, a young one, having quitted the
nest, was seized by some of his servants. This bird,
after it was caught, was shut up in a large hen-coop;
and the next morning M. Cronstedt found a young
partridge lying dead before the door of the coop.
He immediately concluded that this provision had
been brought thither by the old owls; which he
supposed had been making search in the night-time
for their lost young one, and had been led to the
place of its confinement by its cry. This proved to
have been the case, hy the same mark of attention
being repeated for fourteen successive nights. The
game which the old ones carried to it consisted prin-
cipally of young partridges, for the most part newly
killed, but sometimes a little spoiled. One day a
moor-fowl was brought so fresh, that it was still warm
under the wings. A putrid larb was also found,
,
at another time, probably what had been spoiled by
lying long in the nest of the old owls ; and it is sup-
posed that they brought it merely because they had
no better provision at the time.---M. Cronstedt and
his servant watched at a window several nights, that
they might observe, if possible, when this supply was
deposited. Their plan did not succeed: but it ap.
peared that these owls, which are very sharp-sighted,
had discovered the moment when the window was
not watched ; as food was found to have been depo-
sited for the young before the coop one night when
this had been the case.
In the month of August the parents discontinued
this attendance; as at that period all birds of prey

78
HORNED OWL.
abandon their young to their own exertions.---From
this instance it may be readily concluded, how great
a quantity of game must be destroyed by a pair of
these owls during the time they employ in rearing
their young. And as the edible species of forest
animals repair chiefly in the evening to the fields,
they are particularly exposed to the acute sight, smell,
and claws, of these birds of the night.
It is said, that sometimes, when falconers wish to
lure the kite for the purpose of training the falcon,
they disfigure this owl, by fastening to it the tail of
a fox. The animal, rendered thus grotesque, is let
loose; and he sails slowly along, flying, as he usually
does, very low. The poor kite, either curious to
observe so odd an animal, or, perhaps, inquisitive to
know whether it may not be eligible prey, flies after
it. He approaches near, and hovers immediately
over it ; when the falconer, loosing a strong-winged
falcon against him, seizes him at once, and drags him
into captivity.
LONG-EARED OR HORNED OWL.
;
The length of this bird is fourteen inches, and its
breadth somewhat more than three feet; so that its
wings are long in proportion to its size. Its bill is
black; the irides of a bright yellow; the radiated
circle round each eye of a light cream colour, with
reddish and dusky spots ; between the bill and the
eye there is a circular streak of a dark brown colour,
and the circle of a rusty brown entirely surrounds the
face ; its horns or ears consist of six feathers about
an inch long, closely laid together of a dark brown
colour tipped and edged with yellow; the upper
part of the body is beautifully varied with fine streaks
of white, rusty, and brown; the breast and neck are
of a dull yellow, marked with slender brown streaks
pointing downwards; the belly, thighs, and vent,
а.

EARED-OWL


SHORT-EARED OWL.
79
feathers are of a light cream colour ; upon each wing
there are four or five large white spots; the quill
and tail feathers are marked with dusky and reddish
bars; the legs are feathered down to the claws, which
are very sharp ; the outer claws moveable, and may
be turned backwards.
This bird is more common than the preceding
species, which it resembles in frequenting rocks
and ruined buildings, and in avoiding the plain, as
well as in occupying the deserted nests of other birds.
It is sometimes seen in hollow trees; Jays four or five
eggs, and the young ones are at first white, but ac-
quire their natural colour in about fifteen days.
SHORT-EARED OWL.
This species was first described by Mr. Pennant.
It is like the former, long winged ; its length being
only fourteen inches, and its breadth three feet. The
head is small, and has some resemblance to that of a
hawk; the bill is dusky ; the irides are of a bright
yellow ; and, when the pupil is contracted, shine like
gold ; the circle round each eye is of a dirty white,
with dark streaks pointing outwards; round each eye
there is a circle of black; the ears consist of very
small tufts, of not more than three pale brown feathers,
with a dark streak in the middle of each ; the upper
part of the body is variously marked with different
shades of brown ; the breast and belly are of a pale
yellow; marked with dark longitudinal stripes, which
are most numerous on the breast ; the legs and feet
are covered with feathers of a pale yellow colour;
the claws are black; the quill-feathers are marked
with alternate bars of dusky and pale brown'; as is
likewise the tail, the tip of which is white. Different
individuals of this species vary considerably in their
plumage, and the tufts are not easily distinguished in
dead birds. It is supposed to be a bird of passage,
a

80 SCANDINAVIAN EARED OWL, &c.
visiting us only in winter, and is sometimes, though
very rarely, seen in companies.
It conceals itself in the long grass in the day time;
and, when disturbed, will seldom fly far, but will light
and sit looking at one; at which times the horns may
be seen very distinctly. It is supposed to spend its
summer in Norway, and is known at Hudson's Bay
under the name of the mouse-hawk. It is very com-
mon in Siberia.
SCANDINAVIAN EARED OWL
Has an entirely white plumage sprinkled with
black spots. It is of the size of a turkeyIt in-
habits the mountains of Lapland.
LITTLE HORNED OWL.
This bird is easily distinguishable from the two
former by its small size, being only seven iaches
long ; and by the ears, which only rise about half an
inch from the head, and are composed of a single
feather. The head is much smaller in proportion to
.
the body, than those of the two last described ; and
the feathers are more beautifully variegated with
brown, black, and red. The far greater part of this
species emigrate during winter. They assemble in
flocks about the end of summer, and take their de-
parture nearly at the same time. They pursue the
field mice in multitudes together, and in France and
England are of great service in destroying these per-
nicious vermin.
MOTTLED OWL
a
Has a white face spotted with brown; head, wings,
and upper part of the body, variegated with ash-
colour and pale red; the scapulars and wing coverts

RED OWL, &c.
81
marked with great white spots ; primaries black and
rusty ; breast and belly are whitish, with irregular
dusky stripes pointing downwards; toes feathered
to the claws. Inhabits New York,
RED OWL.
This species has yellow irides ; horns, head, back,
and wings, of an agreeable tawny red streaked with
black; the scapulars marked with large white spots ;
primaries barred with black, red, and white; breast
pale tawny, covered with oblong black spots; tail
red, barred with dusky ; feet covered with feathers
to the claws. Length ten inches and a half. There
is a considerable resemblance to the little eared owl.
Inhabits New York, and as far south as the
Carolinas.
a
a
CABURE OWL.
This bird is named caboor by the Indians of
Brazil. It is about the size of a thrush; its head
round; its bill short, yellow, and hooked ; eyes large,
round, and black ; irides yellow ; under the eyes and
on the side of the bill, are long brown bristles; it has
tufts of feathers on its head ; its general plumage is
of a dusky colour spotted with white; the breast and
belly are of a light grey, clouded with brown; the
tail is broad, dusky waved with white ; the legs are
short, and covered down to the toes with yellow fea-
thers. It is said to be easily tamed, and to imitate
the tricks of a monkey.
VOL. I.
M

82
WAPACUTHU, &c.
WITHOUT EARS.
WAPACUTHU.
a
This species has a glossy black bill, and claws much
incurvated'; base of the bill beset with strong bristles :
irides bright yellow ; space between the eyes, the
,
cheeks, and throat, white; the ends of the feathers on
the head black ; scapulars and all the coverts of the
wings white, elegantly barred with dusky reddish marks
pointing downwards ; primaries, secondaries, and
tail feathers, irregularly spotted and barred with pale
red and black ; back and coverts of the tail white,
mixed with a few dusky spots; breast and belly dirty
white, crossed with innumerable reddish lines : vent
white ; legs feathered to the toes, which are covered
with hair. Weight five pounds ; length two feet;
extent four.
Inhabits the woods about Hudson's Bay; makes
its nest on the moss, on the dry ground. The young
are hatched in May, and fly in June ; and are white
for a long time after. Feeds on mice and small
birds. Called by the Indians wapacuthu, or the
spotted owl. The Europeans settled in the Bay
reckon it a very delicate food.
SOOTY OWL.
This species has a whitish bill ; bright yellow
irides ; circles consist of elegant alternate lines of
black and pale colour ; head, hind part of the neck,
and coverts of wings, sooty, marked with narrow bars
of dirty white ; primaries deep brown, with broad
bars, composed of lesser ones dusky and pale cine-
reous; tail most irregularly marked with oblique

SNOWY OWL,
83
strokes of brown and dirty white; the breast and belly
whitish, greatly covered with large oblong blotches
of dusky brown ; has a singular mark; from the
chin to the vent is a space about an inch in breadth,
entirely naked ; legs feathered to the feet. Weight
three pounds ; length two feet; extent four.
Inhabits Hudson's Bay the whole year. Flies in
piars. Feeds on mice and hares. Flies very low;
yet seizes its prey with such force, that in winter it
will sink into the snow a foot deep ; and, with great
ease, will fly away with the American hare alive in its
talons. It makes its nest in a pine-tree, in the mid-
dle of May, with a few sticks lined with feathers ;
and lays two eggs spotted with a darkish colour. The
young take wing in the end of July.
;
a
a
HARFANG OR SNOWY OWL
a
a
a
The length of this species is two feet ; but its
weight varies probably according to its fatness, from
a pound and a half to three pounds. It has a smaller
head in proportion than other owls, and is covered
with a plumage of a snowy whiteness, but frequently
marked with dusky spots, which extends downward to
its very claws, which are a fine black, large and
crooked. It inhabits the coldest parts of America,
even to the remote mountains of Greenland ; but
performs, however, a partial migration ; as in intense
cold weather, it leaves the interior country, and re-
sorts to the shores. Its cry is extremely hideous,
resembling the lamentation of a man in deep distress.
Contrary to the manner of most of the genus, it flies
by day, when it is scarcely to be distinguished from
the snow; it flies pretty swiftly, and falls perpen-
dicularly upon its game. It feeds upon mice and
carrion ; but its nobler prey is the ptarmigan and the
hare, from which last circumstance it derives its
Swedish name harfang. It is more common in

84
BARRED OWL, &c.
Siberia than in Russia, and very numerous in
Kamtschatka. In Hudson's Bay it is almost domestie,
harbouring in places near the tents of the Indians.
BARRED OWL
This is also a large species, as its length is two feet ;
its breadth four ; and its weight three pounds. It
has a pale yellow bill, beset with strong bristles at
the base ; irides yellow ; radiated circles whitish,
barred with dusky lines ; general plumage harred
with dark brown and yellowish white ; primaries
black and white; belly white, with long stripes of
deep brown descending downwards ; feet feathered
to the claws ; wings extending only half the length
of the tail. It inhabits from Hudson's Bay to New
York. Lives on similar food with the preceding
species.
BLACK, OR GREAT EROWN OWL.
This species, which is the night raven of the
antients, is near fifteen inches in length from the
point of the bill to the claws ; its head is large and
round; its eyes appear buried in the greyish fea-
thers which surround them ; the bill is of a greenish
yellow; the irides are deep brown ; the upper part
of the body is iron grey, mottled with black and
white spots; the under part white, witli longitudinal
and transverse bars; the tail is about six inches long;
the wings stretched a little beyond its extremity;
and, when spread, measure three feet; the legs are
covered to the toes with white feathers sprinkled with
black. Its cry is said to resemble the howling of the
wolf.
During summer it lodges in hollow trees, delight-
ing in the thickest woods; but in winter it ventures
nearer the habitations of man. It feeds on small

WHITE OR SCREECH OWL.
85
birds, but especially field-mice, which it swal-
lows whole, and afterwards discharges the skin by
its bill rolled into balls. When it is unsuccessful
in the field, it resorts to farm yards and barns in quest
of mice and rats. It retires early in the morning to
the woods, about the time that the hares return to
their retreats, and conceals itself in the thickest copse,
or remains the whole day motionless in the foliage
of the shadiest trees. It generally lays four eggs, ,
nearly as large as those of a pullet, round, and of a
dirty grey colour, which it generally deposits in the
nests of other birds, such as the buzzards, kestrils,
crows, and magpies. It inhabits various parts of
Europe, and is held sacred among the Calmuc Tartars.
WHITE OR SCREECH OWL
The length of this bird is about fourteen inches;
and its wings are long. The bill is of a pale horn
colour ; the eyes dark, and surrounded by a radiated
circle of perfectly white and delicately soft feathers;
the head, back, and wings, are of a pale chesnut,
beautifully powdered with
very
fine
grey
and brown
spots, intermixed with white; the lower part of the
body is sometimes wholly white, and sometimes marked
with a few dark spots, and sometimes pale yellow; the
legs are feathered down to the toes, which are cover-
ed with short hairs; the claws are white, and the tail
short, and marked with obscure alternate bars of
dusky and white
The white owl is frequently seen in the most po-
pulous towns, concealing itself in the day time in
aninhabited houses, and pursuing its prey by night.
Its loud and disagreeable cry is regarded by super-
stitious persons as an indication of some ap-
proaching calamity. It makes no nest, but deposits
its
eggs
in the holes of walls, and lays five or six eggs
of a whitish colour. It feeds on mice and small

86
TAWNY OR BROWN OWL.
birds; and, like the hawk tribe, emits the indigesti-
ble parts at its mouth, in the form of small round
cakes.
The Mongol and Calmuc Tartars pay almost
divine honours to the white owl ; for they attribute
to it the preservation of Jenghis Khan, the founder
of their empire.---That prince, with a small army,
happened to be surprised and put to flight by his
enemies. Compelled to seek concealment in a cop-
pice, an owl settled on the bush under which he was
hidden. This circumstance induced his pursuers
.
not to search there, since they supposed it impossible
that that bird would perch where any man was con-
cealed. The prince escaped ; and thenceforth his
countrymen held the white owl sacred, and every one
wore a plume of its feathers on his head. To this
day, the Calmucs continue the custom on all their
great festivals ; and some tribes have an idol, in the
form of an owl, to which they fasten the real legs of
this bird.
While the young are in the nest, the ma and fe-
male alternately sally out in quest of food. They
are seldom absent more than five minutes, when they
return with the prey in their claws; but as it is
necessary to shift it from thence into their bill, for
the purpose of feeding their young, they always
alight to do that before they enter the nest. As the
young continue for a great length of time in the
nest, and are fed even long after they are able to fly,
the old birds have to supply them with many hun-
dreds of mice : on this account they are generally
considered as useful animals in the destruction of
those vermin.
TAWNY OR BROWN OWL.
This bird is about the size of the last. Its bill is
white; eyes dark blue : the radiated feathers round

BROWN OR GREY OWL.
87
the eyes are white, finely streaked with brown ; the
head, neck, back, wing-coverts, and scapulars, are of
a tawny brown colour, finely powdered and spotted
with dark brown and black ; on the wing-coverts and
scapulars are several large white spots regularly
placed, so as to form three rows; the quill-feathers
are marked with alternate bars of light and dark
brown ; the breast and belly are of a pale yellow,
marked with narrow dark streaks pointing down-
wards, and crossed with others of the same colour ;
the legs are feathered down to the toes; the claws
are large, much hooked, and white. This species
is found in various parts of Europe ; it frequents
woods, and builds its nest in the hollows of trees.
The male is darker than the female.
BROWN OR GREY OWL.
The brown owl measures somewhat more than a
foot in length; and is spotted with black on the head,
wings, and back. Its breast is of a pale ash-colour,
with dusky, jagged, longitudinal streaks ; and the
circle round the eyes is ash-coloured, spotted with
brown.
This is one of the most rapacious of all the owls.
It resides in the woods during the day ; but at the
approach of evening, when many animals, as hares,
rabbits, and partridges, come out to feed, it begins
to be very clamorous and active : it destroys such
multitudes of these, as on calculation would appear
astonishing. In the dusk of the evening, the brown
owls approach the farmer's dwellings; and frequently
enter the pigeon-houses, where they sometimes com-
mit dreadful ravages. They also kill great quantities
of mice, and skin them with as much dexterity as
a cook-maid does a rabbit. They seize their prey
with great fierceness; and always beginning at the
head, tear it in pieces with much violence. They do
a

88
LITTLE OWL.
not devour every part of the animals that they destroy ;
but generally leave the hinder parts untouched.
On examining a nest of these owls that had in it
two young ones, several pieces of young rabbits,
leverets, and other small animals, were found. The
hen and one of the young ones were taken away ;
the other was left to entice the cock, which was ab-
sent when the nest was discovered. On the follow-
ing morning, there were found in the nest no fewer
than three young rabbits, that had been brought to
this young one by the cock during the night.---These
birds are occasionally very furious and hold in defence
of their young. A carpenter some years ago, pass-
ing through a field near Gloucester, was suddenly at-
tacked by an owl that had a nest in a tree near the
path. It flew at his head ; and the man struck at it
with a tool that he had in his hand, but missed his
blow. The enraged bird repeated the attack; and
fastening her talons in his face, laeerated him in a
most shocking manner.
When these animals hoot, they inflate their throats
to the size of a hen's egg. They breed in hollow
trees, or ruined buildings; laying commonly four
whitish elliptical eggs. It is not difficult to catch
them in traps ; or they may easily be shot in the
evenings, by any person who can allure them by
imitating tolerably well the squeaking of a mouse.
3
LITTLE OWL.
This, which is the smallest of the owl kind, is not
larger than a black-bird ; measuring only from seven to
eight inches in length. Its bill is brown at the
base, and yellow at the tip. The eyes pale yellow;
the circular feathers on the face white, tipped with
the
upper part of the head brown, spotted
with white; the back and coverts of the wings of a
deep olive brown; the latter spotted with white ;
black;

CAYENNE OWL, &c.
89
the breast and belly, brown, spotted with white; the
feathers of the tail are barred with rust-colour and
brown, and tipped with white; the legs are covered
with down of a rusty colour mixed with white; the
toes and claws are of a brownish colour. Like others
.
of the tribe, it frequents ruinous and solitary places ,
where it builds its nests in the rudest manner, and
lays five eggs spotted with white and yellow. It
sees better in the day time than other owls, and can
catch swallows and other small birds on the wing.
It likewise feeds upon mice, which it tears in pieces,
and swallows by morsels. It is said to pluck the
birds which it kill, before it eats them, in which
respect it differs from other owls. It is rarely met
with in England, but is more common in Italy, where
it is used to decoy birds to the limed twig.
CAYENNE OWL
a
This species is described by Dr. Latham, who
says
it is twenty-one inches in length. The upper part
of the body of a reddish colour, the lower part of a
rufous white; the head and neck are white, and not
so full of feathers as those of owls generally are ; and
from this circumstance it appears not unlike a hawk: a
large patch of dark brown surrounds each eye, giving
the bird much the appearance of wearing spectacles ;
the legs are covered with feathers quite to the toes,
and are of a yellowish colour.
Sr. DOMINGO OWL,
This is a very large species, of a uniform rusty
colour, marked on the breast with longitudinal spots.
VOL. 1.
N

90
LITTLE HAWK OWL, &c.'
LITTLE HAWK OWL.
It has yellow irides; head spotted with dusky and
pure white ; back brown, with a few large white
;
spots ; primaries of a deep brown, spotted with white
on cach web; upper part of the breast white; lower
part and belly barred with brown ; tail very long,
and wedge shaped, marked with broad bars of brown,
and narrow ones of white; feet protected with fea-
thers to the claws. About the size of a sparrow
hawk.
It flies high like a hawk, and preys by day on the
ptarmigan. It is very bold, will attend the fowler, and
carryaway his game before he can pick it up; and at
;
night will warm itself at the fires which are made by
the Indians. Inhabits North America, Denmark,
Sweden, and Siberia ; but is not common in Russia.
CANADA OWL.
This has been confounded with the former species.
Its head is smooth ; body dusky, spotted with white,
streaked below with white and dusky ; the wing
feathers variegated with white spots; the tail feathers
streaked with white. Its length is seventeen inches;
its extent two feet ; and its weight twelve ounces
SHRIKE TRIBE,
This genus has been variously placed in the sys-
tems of naturalists ; being sometimes classed with
the falcons, sometimes with the pies, and some-
times with the inoffensive passerine tribes. It


MANAKIN

SHRIKE TRIBE.
91
appears indeed, to be a connecting link between these
three different orders; as the shrike is entitled for
his courage, his appetite for blood, and his hooked
bill, to be ranked with the boldest and most sangui-
nary of the rapacious order ; while in other habits,
he resembles the pies, and in size and general ap-
pearance, the passerine birds.
The shrike genus is distinguished by the follow-
ing characteristics ; the bill is strong, straight at
the base, and hooked towards the end ; the upper
mandible is notched near the tip, and the base is
furnished with bristles; it has no cere; the tongue
is divided at the end ; the outer toe is connected to
the middle one as far as the first joint.
Dr. Goldsmith has given the following delineation
of their character. The habits of this bird seem en-
tirely to correspond with its conformation, as it is
found to live as well upon flesh as upon insects, and
thus to partake in some measure of a double nature.
However, its appetite for flesh is the most prevalent;
and it never takes up with the former when it can
obtain the latter. This bird, therefore, leads a life
of continual combat and opposition. As from its
size it does not much terrify the smaller birds of the
forest, so it very frequently meets birds willing to try
its strength, and it never declines the engagement.
It is wonderful to see with what intrepidity this
little creature goes to war with the pie, the crow, and
the kestril, all above four times bigger than itself,
and that sometimes prey upon flesh in the same man-
It not only fights upon the defensive, but often
comes to the attack, and always with advantage, par-
ticularly when the male and female unite to protect
their young, and to drive away the more powerful
birds of rapine. At that season, they do not wait the
approach of their invader; it is sufficient that they see
him preparing for the assault at a distance. It is
then that they sally forth with loud cries, wound him
а
3
ner.

92
SHRIKE TRIBE.
on every side, and drive him off with such fury, that
he seldom ventures to return to the charge. In these
* kinds of disputes, they generally come off with the
victory; though it sometimes happens that they fall
to the ground with the bird they have so fiercely fixed
upon, and the combat ends with the destruction of the
assailant as well as the defender.
For this reason, the most redoubtable birds of prey
respect them ; while the kite, the buzzard, and the
crow, seem rather to fear than seek the engagement.
Nothing in nature better displays the respect paid to
the claims of courage, than to see this little bird, ap-
parently so contemptible, fly in company with the
lanner, the falcon, and all the tyrants of the air,
without fearing their power, or avoiding their re-
sentment.
As for small birds, they are its usual food. It
seizes them by the throat, and strangles them in an
instant. When it has thus killed the bird or insect,
it is asserted by the best authority, that it fixes them
upon some neighbouring thorn, and, when thus
spitted, pulls them to pieces with its bill. It is sup-
posed that as nature has not given this bird strength
sufficient to tear its prey to pieces with its feet, as the
hawks do, it is obliged to have recourse to this ex-
traordinary expedient.
They are very different from other rapacious birds
in their parental care ; for so far from driving out
their young from the nest to shift for themselves, they
keep them with care ; and even when adrift they do
not forsake them, but the whole brood live in one
family together. Each family lives apart, and is
generally composed of the male, female, and five or
six young ones; these all maintain peace and subor-
dination among each other, and hunt in concert.
Upon the returning season of courtship, this union is
at an end ; the family parts for ever, each to establish
a little household of its own. It is easy to distinguish
;


SHRIKE

BUTCHER BIRD.
93
these birds at a distance, not only from their going
in companies, but also from their manner of flying,
which is always up and down, seldom direct or side-
ways.
GREAT ASH-COLOURED SHRIKE OR BUTCHER BIRD.
S
The length of this bird is about ten inches. Its
bill is black, and furnished with bristles at the base,
The muscles which move the bill are very thick and
strong, so as to make the head appear large. The
upper parts of its plumage are of a pale blue ash-
colour; the under parts of a white mixed with pale
brown ; a black stripe passes through each eye;
lesser coverts black; on the joints of wings ash-colour;
the greater quills are black, marked with a large white
spot at the base, forming a bar of that colour across
the wing; the lesser quills are white at the top ; the
scapulars are white. The tail consists of twelve fea-
thers of unequal length ; the two longest in the mid-
dle are black ; the two next being tipped with white,
which gradually increases to the outermost, which are
wholly of that colour ; so that when the whole tail
is spread, it presents the appearance of a large oval
spot of black. The legs are black. The female
differs little from the male ; she lays six eggs of a
dull olive green spotted at the thickest end with black.
This species is very common in France, but is not
usually seen in the cultivated parts of England, as
it prefers mountainous situations. In France it in-
habits the woods and monntains during the summer,
and the plains in the winter. It builds its nest on
the tallest trees of the forest, constructing it of white
moss interwoven with long piles of grass, and lined
within with a thick coat of wool. It is found in
Germany, Russia, and North America. In Russia
it is trained to catch small birds; and the peasants
;

94
BUTCHER BIRD.
value it, because they believe that it destroys rats, mice,
and other vermin.
In spring and summer, he imitates the voices of
other birds, by way of decoying them within his
reach, that he may destroy them : excepting this,
his natural note is the same throughout all seasons.
When kept in a cage, even where he seems per-
fectly contented, he is always mute.
Mr. Bell, who travelled from Moscow, through
Siberia, to Pekin, says, that in Russia the birds are
often taken by the bird-catchers, and made tame.
He had one of them given to him, which he taught
to perch on a sharpened stick fixed in the wall of his
apartment. Whenever a small bird was let loose in
the room, the shrike would immediately fly from
his perch, and seize it by the throat in such a man-
ner, as almost in a moment to suffocate it. He would
then carry it to his perch, and spit it on the end
(which was sharpened for the purpose), drawing it
on carefully and forcibly with his bill and claws. If
several hirds were given him, he would use them all
one after another in the same manner. These were
so fixed, that they hung by the neck till he had leisure
to devour them. This uncommon practice seems
necessary to these birds, as an equivalent for the
want of strength in their claws to tear their food to
pieces. From this it is supposed they derive their
title of butcher birds. They are much admired by
the Russians, on account of the diversion they afford
in seizing and killing their prey.
In America, the great shrike has been observed
to adopt an odd stratagem for the apparent purpose
of decoying its prey. A gentleman there, accident-
ally observing that several grasshoppers were stuck
upon the sharp thorny branches of some trees, in-
quired of a person who lived close by, the cause
of the phenomenon ; and was informed that they

GREY SHRIKE, &c.
95
were stuck there by this bird, which is called by the
English in America nine-killer. On further in-
quiry he was led to suppose, that this was an in-
stinctive stratagem adopted by the bird in order to
decoy the smaller birds, which feed on insects, into
a situation from whence he could dart on and seize
them. He is called nine-killer from the supposition
that he sticks up nine grasshoppers in succession.
That the insects are placed there as food to tempt
other birds, is said to appear from their being fre-
quently left untouched for a considerable length of
time,
GREY SHRIKE.
This is much larger than the former species. It
has the top of the head, hind part of the neck, back,
and coverts of the wings, deep ash-colour ; a black
line passes from the bill through the eyes to the hind
part of the head ; greater coverts and secondaries
black, tipped with dirty white; primaries black;
breast and belly light ash-colour; tail black ; ends
of the outermost feathers white. The obseryation
of Mr. Bell, which we have related concerning the
former species, is by Mr. Pennant referred to the
present
BLACK-HEADED SHRIKE.
This is smaller than the two former species. The
upper part of its plumage is black; wings and tail
varied with white : throat, cheeks, vent, breast, and
belly, ash-colour. Inhabits North America.
TYRANT SHRIKE,
a
This bird is about the size of a thrush. The bill
is of a blackish brown colour, and furnished with

96
TYRANT SHRIKE.
bristles at the base. The upper parts of the plumage
are of a lead colour, the under parts are white, and
the breast inclines to ash-colour. The tail is brown,
and the legs are dark brown. It is an inhabitant of
Carolina.
The courage of this little creature, if we are to
believe the account given to us by Catesby, is very
singular. He is said to pursue and put to flight
all kinds of birds that come near his station, from
the smallest to the largest, none escaping his fury:
nor did I ever see (says Catesby) any that dared
to oppose him while flying; for he does not offer
to attack them when sitting. I have seen one of them
fix on the back of an eagle, and persecute him
so, that he has turned on his back, and into various
,
postures in the air, in order to get rid of him; and
at last was forced to alight on the top of the next
tree, from whence he dared not to move, till the
little tyrant was tired, or thought fit to leave him.
T is the constant practice of the cock, while the
hu, is brooding. He sits on the top of a bush, or
small tree, not far from her nest, near which if any
small birds approach, he drives them away ; but the
great ones, as crows, hawks, and eagles, he will not
suffer to come within a quarter of a mile of him with-
out attacking them. These birds have only a chat-
tering note, which they utter with great vehemence
all the time they are fighting. When their young
are flown, they are as peaceable as other birds.
By a letter lately received by Dr. Latham, from
Mr. Abbot, of Georgia, observations seem to have
been made somewhat different from the above :---
“A tyrant shrike (he says) having built its nest on
he outside of a large lofty pine, I was one day con
sidering how I could procure the eggs; when, view
ing the nest, I perceived a crow alight on the branch
break and suck the eggs, and displace the nest, ap-
pearing all the while unconcerned, notwithstanding

LOUISIANA TYRÁNT, &c.
97
both the cock and hen continued flying at and
striking him with their bills all the while; but as
soon as the crow had completed the robbery, he de-
parted."
LOUISIANA TYRÁNT.
SMALLER than the former species ; head, back,
and tail, cinereous brown ; belly yellowish ; wing
pay, with a little white. Inhabits Louisiana.
a
CRESTED SHRIKE.
LENGTH six inches' and a half ; general colour
;
reddish of different shades ; wings and tail black,
varied with white ; belly ash-colour; head adorned
with a reddish crest; cheeks dusky, spotted with
white ; bill and legs black. Inhabits Canada.
NOOTKA SHRIKE
except the
A LITTLE larger than the preceding. Bill black,
upper
half of the lower mandible ; crown,
lower part of the upper side of the neck, and back,
black ; has a white line passing from the beak of the
bill over each eye; beneath that one of black; wings
and tail black, varied with white ; under parts white;
neck surrounded with a narrow circle of white. Ina
habits Nootka Sound.
LESSER GREY SHRIKE
GENERAL colour cinereous; wing varied with
black and white; forehead and line which crosses
the eyes black; throat white; breast and belly tinged
with rose colour. Inhabits Russia, Spain, and
Italy.
VAL 1.

98
BARBARY SHRIKE, &c.'
BARBARY SHRIKE
This species, which comes from the banks of the
river Senegal, differs little from the European shrike,
unless in the distribution of its colours. It is black ;
the under part red; the crown and thighs tawny.
RUFOUS SHRIKE.
INHABITS Madagascar ; resembles the European
shrikes. Its general colour is red; underside
white; head greenish black. It is about eight inches
in length.
WHITE HEADED SHRIKE,
SUPPOSED by some to be a variety of the former
species ; has a white head; upper side of the body
greenish black ; under side black ; bill, feet, and
nails, lead-coloured. It is about eight inches long.
Inhabits Madagascar.
HooK-EILLED SHRIKE
DIFFERS considerably from the European. The
tail is wedge-shaped ; the body white; the back
black; the five first quills of the wings marked with
a white spot. It inhabits Madagascar, where it feeds
upon fruit, and is called the vanga.
YELLOW BELLIED SHRIKE.
HẠs a long bill; plumage dusky, yellowish be-
neath; head blackish, encircled by a whitish stripe.
It is near nine iuches in length. Inhabits Cayenne


IR EID BACKED SHIRIIIKE

CAYENNE SHRIKE, &c
99
CAYENNE SHRIKE.
a
GENERAL plumage ash-colour ; head, primaries.
and part of the tail black. It is in length abou.
eight inches and a half. These five last species, the
rufous, the white-headed, the hook-billed, the yellow-
bellied, and the Cayenne, differ considerably from
other shrikes, in the thickness and size of their
bill.
MADAGASCAR SHRIKE.
;
This bird is about five inches long; ash-coloured;
whitish beneath ; quill-feathers tawny ; the lines
between the bill and the eyes black. Much resem-
bles the red-backed shrike.
RED-BACKED SHRIKE OR FLUSHER.
The length of this bird is about seven inches. Its
beak is black; irides hazel; inside of the mouth
yellow ; tongue jagged ; bristles at the base of the
bill; head and lower part of the back are of a light
grey ; the upper part of the back and coverts of the
wings are of a bright rusty red; breast, belly, and
sides, are of a fine pale rose colour ; the throat is
white ; a stroke of black passes from the bill through
each eye ; the quill-feathers are brown; the two
middle feathers of the tail are black ; the others are
white at the base ; the legs are black. The female
is somewhat larger than the male ; the head is of
a rust colour mixed with grey ; the under parts are
of a dirty white, and the tail of a deep brown bordered
with white. It builds its nest in low leafy bushes,
and lays six eggs, white at the smaller end, and or-
namented with a circle of reddish brown at the larger

100
WOODCHAT, &c.
cnd. The manners of this species are similar to
those of the ash-coloured shrike.
WOODCHAT.
This bird equals the last in point of size ; its bill
is horn-coloured, with whitish feathers round the base,
Head and hind part of the neck bright bay ; from
the base of the bill a black streak passes through
each eye, inclining downwards on the neck ; back
dusky; under parts of a yellowish white; quills
black, near the bottom of each a white spot; the two
middle feathers of the tail black; the outer edges and
tips of the others are white; the legs black
FORK-TAILED SHRIKE.
a
This species has a strong thick arched bill, nearly
resembling that of a sparrow-hawk, but longer in
proportion to its thickness ; less hooked ; and with
wide nostrils. The base of the upper mandible is
beset with stiff hairs. The whole of the head, neck,
back, and wing-coverts, are of a shining black,
glossed with blue, purple, and green; the breast is
Ash-coloured, dusky, and blackish. All the belly,
the legs, and the coverts of the under side of the tail,
are white; the legs, feet, and toes, are blackish brown.
It inhabits Bengal, where it is called by the natives
the king of the crows, on account of its driving those
birds from place to place.
BENGAL SHRIKE.
This bird is about the same size as the great
butcher bird of Europe; įts bill is brown ash-colour;
irides whitish; crown and hind part of the head
black: below the eyes is a lively orange spot, terinis

WOOD -- CIHAT


LANGARIEN SHRIKE, &c.
101
niated with white ; and on the tail four black spots,
making a segment of a circle ; the upper part of the
neck, the back, the rump, the superior coverts of the
tail, the greater wing-coverts, and the scapular fea-
thers, are brown; the throat, the upper part of the
neck, the breast, the upper part of the belly, and the
lower tail coverts, are red; the tail is light brown ;
the feet and nails are black. Length five inches and
a half.
LANGARIEN SHRIKE.
This bird is a native of Manilla, and much resem-
bles the great butcher bird. It is blackish above ;
whitish beneath ; bill, breast, abdomen, and rump,
white. Length seven inches.
ICHA-CHEST, OR GREEN SHRIKE.
a
This is a native of Madagascar; the upper part
is dull green ; under side white; tail black; length
near six inches.
ANTIGUA SHRIKE, OR SMALLEST BUTCHER BIRD.
This species is about the size of a lark. Its bill
is large and black ; the upper mandible long, and
hooked ; the head is black; the back of a yellowish
rufous colour; the throat and breast are white; the
quills and bastard wing-coverts black; and the wings
reach only to the beginning of the tail, which is very
long and wedge-shaped ; the two middle feathers are
wholly black; the legs are dusky black. It inhabits
Panay, one of the Phillipine Islands, but principally
about Antigua. The hen differs from the cock, in
Alrat she has no black mark about her eyes; and she
has not the rose-coloured tincture on the breast.

102
JOCOSE STRIKE, &c.
JOCOSE SHRIKE.
i
a
The length of this species is seven inches and a
half. The bill is blackish ; rather straiter than in
most of the genus ; and furnished only with a very
fine notch on the tip; the crest of the head is black,
but adorned with a crown of long brown feathers;
the cheeks, throat, and fore part of the neck, are
white; a black line proceeds backward; from each
corner of the month there is a small spot of lively red
under each eye; the upper parts of the body are
brown; the under parts dirty white; the vent rose
colour ; on the lower part of the neck and breast,
there is a kind of brown band; thic quills are brown;
the tail is brown, wedge-shaped, and tipped on each
side with white; the legs and claws are black. It
inhabits China, whence it feeds on insects, but par-
ticularly cockroaches.
ROCK SHRIKE OR INFAUSTUS.
a
The length of this bird is about eight inches,
The bill is about an inch long, and blackish ; the
head and neck are of a dark ash-colour, marked with
small reddish spots ; the upper part of the back is of
a dark brown; the lower much paler, inclining to
ash, especially towards the tail ; 'the quills and wing
feathers are dusky, with pale margins; the breast
and under parts of the body are orange, märked with
small spots, some white, and others brown ; the tail
is three inches long; the two middle feathers are
brown, the others reddish; the legs are black; the
wings and tail are of the same length ; the female
is of a duller colour than the male. It inhabits the
mountainous parts of Germany, Italy, and Russia.
It makes its nest among the holes of the rocks, hiding
it with great care, and lays three or four eggs, feeling

WHITE WREATHED SHRIKE, &c.
103
Site young ones with worms and insects, on which it
also feeds itself. It may be taken young from the
nest, and brought up as a song bird. It has an
agreeable note, resembling that of the hedge-sparrow;
and will also learn to imitate those of others.
FAUSTUS, OR WHITE WREATHED SHRIKE
Tus species is about the size of the common
thrush. Its bill is pale ; the upper parts of the body
grey ; the under rust-coloured ; from the eyes to
the hind part of the head there passes a line com-
posed of numerous white feathers; the wings are
rounded; the quills brownish with grey edges, and
crossed with numerous dark brown bars, as is
also the tail; the legs are pale. It is a native of China,
and frequently painted on Chinese paper hangings.
a
DOMINICAN, OR PIED SHRIKE.
The dominican shrike is bigger and longer than
a sparrow. The bill is greyish, conical, strong, and
beset with bristles at the base ; the upper parts and
breast are black; the belly and rump white; the
wings reach near an inch beyond the middle of the
tail, the thighs are black. It inhabits the Phillippine
islands, and is a courageous bird ; it flies with great
rapidity, frequently hovering in the air like a swallow.
It is a great enemy to the raven, which it compels
to retreat after a conflict of half an hour.
NENGETA, OR SURINAM SHRIKE.
The nengeta is in length nine or ten inches. Its
pill is dusky, and beset with bristles at the base; the
irides are sapphire-coloured; and, from the angles of
the mouth, through the eyes, there runs a black streak;
the upper parts of the body are of a dark brownish

10+
BIRDS OF THE PIE KIND.
ash-colour : the under parts cmereous white; in tlie
middle of the wing are a few white feathers; the
quills and tail are nearly black; and all the feathers
of the last, except the two middle ones, are obliquely
tipped with white; the legs are of a dark ash-colour;
the claws black. These birds are found in Surinam
and Brazil. They are commun likewise at Guinea,
where they frequent watery places, and are found in
great numbers together. They are observed at fre-
quent intervals to setup a great cry all together, which af-
fords a happy and certain presage to the thirsty traveller
in the immense forests of Guinea, of water being at hand.
BIRDS OF THE PIE KIND.
These are a numerous and irregular race, diffused
over every part of the known world; and though
contributing little to the necessities or pleasures of
man,
render him the most essential service in the
destruction of noxious insects, worms, and reptiles.
Their general character is, that the bill
is sharp
edged and convex on its upper surface. The leggi
are short, pretty strong, and in some species formed
for perching, that is, with three toes forward, and one
backward; in others found for climbing, with two tocs
forward, and two backwards; and in others for walk-
ing, that is, without any back toe.
Birds of this order generally live in society, for
which their habits are so wonderfully adapted. Both
male and female unite their labours in building their
nests; and, in general, both are employed alternately
in the duty of incubation. When the young are
produced they are abundantly supplied, by the joint
labours of both parents. They are peculiarly
.

TARROT TRIBE.
105
distinguished for establishing a kind of government
for the general safety of the society. One bird
watches for the whole flock, while it is feeding; and
among the crows, there has been observed a sort of
distributive justice, by which every individual is
punished for his offences against the laws of the so-
ciety.
As they in general live by pilfering from the pro-
perty of man, the whole tribe is marked by a look
of archness and cunning : They are able to elude
more successfully than other birds, all the efforts of
man to destroy them ; efforts, which, from their so
frequently incurring his resentment, he is continually
obliged to practice. In the jackdaw, the habit of
thieving seems to be natural; for that bird, even in
its domestic state, when placed above the reach of
necessity, carries off to its nest every toy or glittering
substance which it can find. A whole family has
been alarmed at the loss of a ring ; every servant
has been accused ; and all in the house, conscious of
their own innocence, have been suspecting each
other, when to their surprise, the abstracted goods
have been found in the nest of a tame magpie or
jackdaw, which, though alone guilty, had alone es-
caped suspicion
PARROT TRIBE.
Of all foreign birds, this genus is the best known
in Europe : from its docility, and the beauty of its
plumage, it has been imported in greater numbers than
the other birds of distant regions. In those countrieg
where it is indigenous, it is the most numerous of all
the feathered tribes. The parrot is an intratropical
VOL. I.
F

106
PARROT TRIBE,
;
bird, and is found from twenty-four to twenty-five
degrees on either side of the equator. Although it
lives in the temperate climes of Europe, yet it does
not frequently breed there ; and its spirit and lon-
gevity are diminished in a temperature so little suited
to the warmth of its constitution.
It is remarkable, that of an hundred species of
parrots that are known and described, there is not
one common to the New and the Old World. Some-
thing like this is observable also in the case of
quadrupeds : none of those belonging to the tropical
regions in the one continent, are to be found in the
same latitudes of the other. No animal that is in-
capable of bearing the rigours of cold, is found to
pass from the Old to the New World ; because it is
only in the regions of the north that these are found
to approximate. Notwithstanding its atribute of
flight, the parrot is incapable of traversing that vast
space between Africa and the East Indies; and all
the different tribes of this large class, remain con-
fined to their primitive stations on each hemisphere.
So short and heavy are their flights, that they can
hardly cross an arm of the sea seven or eight leagues
broad; hence, almost every island in the West
Indies is distinguished by a race of parrots peculiar to
itself.
Man has always most admired those animals that
seemed to participate most largely of his own nature.
The monkey, by its resemblance to his external form,
and the parrot by imitating his voice, have excited
his wonder, and been deemed a peculiar and privi-
leged race, destined to fill up the intermediate space
between him and the brute creation. Savages, who
are in general so insensible to the grand spectacle of
nature, have viewed these animals with astonishment
and delight. They stop their canoes for hours to-
gether, to behold the gesticulations of the monkey;
and they take such pleasure in taming and educating

TOUCAN
Wire


PARROT TRIBE.
107
parrots, that they are said to possess the secret of en-
riching and varying the hue of their plumage ; an
art to which the more civilized nations of Europe are
still strangers.
The Greeks at first knew only one species of parrot,
which was imported from the east by one of the cap-
tains of Alexander's fleet. Aristotle, the father of na-
.
turalists, only speaks of it as a rare bird, of which he
had heard by report. The beauty of parrots, and
their faculty of speech, soon make them objects of high
request among the luxurious Romans, whom the vir-
tuous Cato justly reproaches for this puerile attach-
ment. In his time, they kept them in cages of silver
and of ivory, and bought them at a price as a high as
that of a slave. Till the time of Nero, however, they
knew no other species but those from India, when
those who ministered to the pleasures of that extrava-
gant and luxurious emperor, found them in an island
far up the river Nile, called Gaganda.
The Portugese who first doubled the Cape of Good
Hope, found the whole coasts of Africa, and the islands
of the Indian ocean, peopled with various tribes of
parrots totally unknown in Europe, and in such vast
numbers, that it was with difficulty they could be pre-
vented from devouring the rice and maize. These, ,
however, were far inferior to the numbers and variety
that presented themselves to the first adventurers in
in the New World : some of the islands there, were
called the Parrot isles, from the vast quantity of these
birds which flocked upon them. They constituted
the first article of commerce, between the inhabitants
of the Old and New Continents. In these regions
every forest swarms with them; and the rook is not
better known in Europe, than the parrot in the East
and West Indies.
So great is their variety, that nothing seems more
remarkable, than that only one species of them was
known to the antients, at a period when they boasted

xos
PARROT TRIBE.
of being masters of the whole world. Of an hundred
species now known, scarcely one naturally breeds in
the countries that acknowledged the Roman power ;
a striking proof how ill founded the pretensions of
that people were to universal dominion. The green
paroquet with a red neck, is the first of this genas
that was brought into Europe, and is now only known
by the descriptions given of it by the antients.
The great docility of this tribe, and the ease with
which they are taught to imitate the human voice,
may be an apology for those who spend so much of
their time teaching their parrots to speak. The edu-
cation of a parrot, has often been compared to that
of a child. Buffon justly remarks, that the education
of a child, may often, with equal reason, be compared
to that of a parrot. It appears from Pliny, that the
iuition of these birds in Rome, was a matter of serious
concern : the preceptor, kept the birch continually
in his hand, and was often obliged to make smart ap-
plications of it, before he could secure the scholars
attention. Wonderful are the attainments said to
be made by the parrots, who have thus received a re-
gular education ; and such as many of our orators
might be proud to imitate. Their proficiency is,
in general, in proportion to the idleness of their mas-
ters. Those in France, are eloquent ; but far in-
ferior, in copiousness and fluency, to the Brasilian
parrots, whose instruction is often the chief business
of a lady's life. An old author gravely mentions one
that was kept by a cardinal, which most devoutly
repeated the Apostle's creed. Buffon speaks of another,
who acted as chaplain to the sailors on board a vessel,
regularly reciting prayers every day.
Parrots in their wild state, feed almost on every
kind of fruit and grain. Their flesh, it is said,
always contracts the peculiar taste and flavour of the
food they eat. At the season when the gu wa is ripe,
they are fat and tender; and some of the small tribes

PARROT TRIBE.
109
of tné paroquet, and then sought after by the savages
as delicate food. If they feed upon the seed of the
acajou, their flesh acquires the flavour of garlic ;
when fed upon the seed of the spicy trees, their flesh
tastes of cloves and cinnamon. The seed of the cot-
ton tree intoxicates them, as well as wine and the
smoke of tobacco, which in taming, are often
prescribed to them, to soften their fierceness and
render them more talkative. Their appetite for flesh
is unnatural, and when gratified, never fails to bring
on diseases. Of all food, they are fondest of the car-
thamus or bastard saffron ; which, though of a
strongly purgative quality to man, agrees perfectly
with their constitutions, and will fatten the Guinea
parrot very quickly.
Birds of this tribe are subject to disorders unknown
to the rest of the feathered tribes ; many of them die
of the epilepsy and the gout. They are,
They are, however,
remarkable for longevity; and there are some well
attested instances of their having lived from fifty to
sixty years. From twenty to thirty years may ba
be
considered as the common period which these birds
live, when well kept : after that space, the bill be-
comes generally so much hooked, that they are de
prived of the power of taking food. They com-
monly breed in the hollow parts of old trees which
have begun to rot: sometimes availing themselves of
the labours of the woodpecker, they seize upon the
hole which it has industriously scooped out. The
larger kinds lay only two egg's, but they bring forth
twice in the year. The smaller kinds, which from
their weakness are more exposed to devastation, are
probably more prolific ; for nature constantly re-
plenishes those species which are most easily destroy.
ed, by conferring on them a ziperior degree of
fecundity
As it is only when the parrots are taken young that
they can he successfully tamed, the savages commonly

110 WHITE CRESTED COCKATOO, &c.
;
take them while in the nest. They sometimes, how-
ever, catch them when full grown, for food, and for
their feathers, which they convert into valuable articles
of dress.
In New Spain, where the feathers constitute an
article of regular commerce among the natives, they
take possession of a number of trees where the parrots
breed, which they transmit as an inheritance from
father to son ; and these trees form often the principal
parts of their immoveable substance,
In order to form some kind of arrangement of the
birds of this numerous tribe, naturalists have separated
them in two great divisions ; those of the Old, and
those of the New Continent. The former have been
subdivided into the cockatoos, the parrots, the lories,
and the paroquets; and the latter in the aras or
maccaws, the amazons, the criks, the popinjays, and
the paroquets. These classes differ chiefly in
point of size, growing smaller in the order they are
mentioned.
WHITE CRESTED COCKATOO.
This species is nearly as large as a hen. Its
plumage is entirely white, except a yellow tinge on
the under side of the wings, and of the outward quills
of the tail; the bill and feet are black. Its crest is
very remarkable, consisting of ten or twelve tall,
broad, webbed feathers, resembling quiils, which are
inserted in two parallel lines, running back from the
face, and form a double fan.
YELLOW CRESTED COCKATOO.
THERE are two branches of this species, differing
in size. In both the plumage is white, with a yellow
cast on the tail, and spots of the same colour round
the eyes ; the crest is of a yellow citron colour, and

COCKATOO
Mga


RED CRESTED COCKATOO, &c. 111
consists of long, soft, ragged feathers, which the bird
elevates and projects at pleasure ; the bill and feet
are black. It is as intelligent and docile as the pre-
ceding. It expresses joy by shaking its head briskly
several times upwards and downwards, making a
slight croaking with its bill, and displaying its
elegant crest : it returns the caresses of its admirers,
touches their face with its tongue, and seems to lick it ;
the hisses are soft and gentle. When one hand is
laid flat under its body, and the other rests on its back,
or only touches its bill, it presses firmly, claps its wings,
and, with its bill half open, it blows and pouts, and
seems to feel the most exquisite delight. It repeats
this as often as one chooses. It is also very fond of
being scratched, holds its head, and raises its wing
to be stroked ; it often whets its bill by gnawing
and breaking bits of wood. It cannot bear the con-
finement of the cage; but never moves out of the
master's sight. It answers his call, and retires when
he commands, in which case it discovers anxiety,
often looking back for the sign of invitation. It is
exceedingly neat, all its motions are graceful and
delicate ; it feeds on fruit, pulse, grain, pastry, milk,
and whatever is sweet.
RED CRESTED COCKATOO.
i
The length of this species is near a foot and a
half; it is white, inclining to rose colour ; its crest
is white below, and red above, the outside feathers
of its tail, are of a light yellow below, from the base
to the middle.
LITTLE FLESH-BILLED COCKATOO.
The plumage is entirely white, except some tints
of red on the temples, the upper part of the crest,
and the coverts of the lower surface of the tail ; and

119
BLACK COCKATOO, &c.
a little yellow at the origin of the scapular feathers,
of those on the crest, and on the inside of the quille
of the wing and tail. The feet are blackish, and the
bill reddish brown. It is smaller than any of the
preceding species. Its crest lies flat, and is erected
at pleasure.
GREAT BLACK COCKATOO.
а
The whole body of this bird is covered with a black
plumage. Its bill and legs are nearly of the same
colour; so that it may be termed the negro of the
cockatoos. This sombre colour is more remark-
able among the tribes of congenerous birds,
which are all approaching to white.
Some na-
turalists have described it by the name of the Indian
bir
elow.
ASH-COLOURED PARROT.
a
This is a well known parrot, being the species that
is now most commonly brought into Europe. It is
of nearly the size of a small pigeon; and, including
its tail, is about twenty, inches in length. The bill
is black; the cere, and the skin round the eyes, are
mealy, and white. Its plumage is chiefly ash-co-
loured : the rump and lower part of the belly are
hoary, with ash-coloured edges: the feathers on
the head, neck, and under parts, are hoary on their
edges. The tail is of a bright red, having the shafts
of the feathers blackish. The legs are ash-coloured ;
and the claws blackish.
The ash-coloured parrot is a native of Guinea,
Congo, and several of the inland parts of Africa.
It is superior to the green parrot, both in the facility
and the eagerness with which it imitates the human
voice : it listens with attention, and strives to repeat;
it dwells constantly on some syllables which it has

ASH-COLOURED PARROT.
113
« А.
heard, and seeks to surpass every voice by the loud-
hess of its own. We are often surprised by its re-
peating words or sounds which were never taught
it; and which it could scarcely be supposed to have
noticed. It seems to prescribe to itself tasks, and
tries every day to retain its lesson. This engages its
attention even in sleep; and, according to Marcgrave,
it prattles in its dreams.
A parrot which Colonel Ó'Kelly bought for a hun-
dred guineas at Bristol, not only, repeated a great
number of sentences, but answered many questions :
it was also able to whistle a variety of tunes. It beat
time with all the appearance of science, and so ac-
curate was its judgment, that, if by chance it mistook
a note, it would revert to the bar where the mistake
was made, correct itself, and still beating regular
time, go through the whole with wonderful exact.
ness. ---Its death was thus announced in the General
Evening Post for the ninth of October, 1802.
few days ago died, in Half-moon-Street, Piccadilly,
the celebrated parrot of Coloniel O'Kelly. This sin-
gular bird sang a number of songs in perfect time
and tune. She could express her wants articulately,
and give her orders in a manner approaching rearly
to rationality. Her age was not known ; it was
however, more than thirty years, for previously to
that period Mr. O'Kelly bought her at Bristol for
a hundred guineas. The Colonel was repeatedly
offered five hundred ghineas a year for the bird, by
persons who wished to make a public exhibition of
her, but this, out of tenderness to the favourite, he
constantly refused. The bird was dissected by D.
Kennedy and Mr. Brook; and the muscles of the
larynx, which regulate the voice, were found,
from the effect of practice, to be incommonly
strong
A parrot belonging to the sister of the Compte de
Buffon, would frequently speak to himself, and seem
a

114
ASH-COLOURED PARROT.
to fancy that some one addressed him. He often
asked for his paw, and answered by holding it up.
Though he liked to hear the voice of children, he
seemed to have an antipathy to them; he pursued
them, and bit them till he drew blood. He had also
his objects of attachment; and though his choice was
not very nice, it was constant. He was exeessively
fond of the cook-maid ; followed her every wliere,
sought for, and seldom missed finding her. If she
had been some time out of his sight, the bird climbed
with his bill and claws to her shoulders, and lavished
on her caresses. His fondness had all the marks
of close and warm friendship. The girl happened
to have a very sore finger, which was tedious.in
healing, and so painful as to make her scream. While
she uttered her moans, the parrot never left her
chamber. The first thing he did every day, was to
pay her a visit; and this tender condolence lasted
the whole time of the cure, when he again returned
to his former calm and settled attachment. Yet this
strong predilection for the girl, seems to have been
more directed to her office in the kitchen, than to
her
person; for when another cook-maid succeeded
her, the parrot shewed the same degree of fondness
to the new-comer, the very first day.
Parrots of this species not only imitate discourse,
but also mimic gestures and actions. Scaliger saw
one that performed the dance of the Savoyards, at
the same time that it repeated their song. The one
last-mentioned was fond of hearing a person sing ;
and when he saw him dance, he also tried to caper,
but with the worst grace imaginable, holding in his
toes, and tumbling back in a most clumsý manner.
The society which the parrot forms with man is,
froin its use of language, much more intimate and
pleasing than what the monkey can claim from its
artic imitation of our gestures and actions. It
highly diverts and amuses us ; in solitude it is com-

ASH-COLOURED PARROT.
115
a
pany; it takes part in conversation, it laughs, it
breathes tender expressions, or mimics grave dis-
course ; and its words, uttered indiscriminately,
please by their incongruity, and sometimes excite
surprise by their aptness. Willughby tells us of a
parrot, which, when a person said to it, “ Laugh,
poll, laugh," laughed accordingly, and the instant
after, screamed out, “ What a fool, to make me
laugh!" Another, which had grown old with its
master, shared with him the infirmities of age.
Being accustomed to hear scarcely any thing but the
words, “ I am sick ;" when a person asked it, "How
do ye do, poll? how do ye do ?" "I am sick," it
replied in a doleful tone, stretching itself along, “I
am sick."
Goldsmith says, that a parrot belonging to king
Henry VII. from having been kept in a room next
the Thames, in his palace at Westminster, had
learned to repeat many sentences from the boatmen
and passengers. One day, sporting on its perch, it
unluckily fell into the water. The bird had no
sooner discovered its situation, than it called out,
aloud, “A boat ! twenty pounds for a boat!" A
waterman happening to be near the place where the
parrot was floating, immediately took it up, and re-
stored it to the king ; demanding, as the bird was a
favourite, that he should be paid the reward that it
had called out. This was refused; but it was agreed,
that as the parrot liad offered a reward, the man
should again refer to its determination for the sum
he was to receive---- Give the knave a groat,” the
bird screamed aloud, the instant the reference was
made.
Mr. Locke, in his Essay on the Human Under-
standing, has related an anecdote concerning a
parrot, of which, however incredible it may appear
to some, he seems to have had so much evidence, as
at least to have believed it himself. The story is

116
AS-COLOURED PARROT.
9
this : During the government of prince Maurice in
Brasil, he had heard of an old parrot that was much
celebrated for answering like a rational creature
many of the common questions that were put to it.
It was at a great distance ; but so much had been
said about it, that his curiosity was rotised, anu he di-
rected it to be sent for. When it was introduced
into the room where the prince was sitting in com-
pany with several Dutchmen, it immediately ex-
claimed, in the Brasilian language, “What a com-
pany of white men are here ! They asked it,
"
Who is that man?" (pointing to the prince :) the
parrot answered, " Some general or other. When
“
the attendants carried it up to him, he asked it, through
the medium of an interpreter, (for he was ignorant
of its language, 5" From whence do you come ?” the
parrot answered, "From Marignan.” The prince
asked, "To whom do you belong ?” It answered,
“ To a Portugueze." He asked again, “What do
you do there?" It answered, " I look after the
chickens." The prince, laughing, exclaimed," You
look after the chickens !" The parrot in answer
said, "Yes, I ; and I know well enough how to do.
it ;" clucking at the same time, in imitation of the
noişe made by the ben to call together her young.
This account came directly from the prince to the
above author : he said, that though the parrot spoke
in a language he did not understand, yet he could
not be deceived, for he had in the room both a
Dutchman who spoke Brasilian, and a Brasilian
who spoke Dutch : that he asked them separately and
privately, and both agreed very exactly in giving
him the parrots discourse. If the story is de
void of foundation, the prince must have been de
ceived, for there is not the least doubt that he be:
lieved it.
The
power of imitating exactly articulate dis-
course, implies in the parrot a very peculiar and

a
ASI-COLOURED PARROT,
117
perfect structure of organ; and the accuracy of its
memory (though independant of understanding) ma-
nifests a closeness of attention, and a strength of
mechanical recollection that no other bird possesses
in so high a degree. Accordingly, all the naturalists
have remarked the singular form of its bill, its
tongue, and its head. Its bill, round on the outside
and hollow within, has, in some measure, the capa-
city of a moyth, and allows the tongue to play freely :
and the sound, striking against the circular border of
the lower mandible, is there modified as on a row of
teeth, while the concavity of the upper mandible
reflects it like a palate ; and hence the animal does
not utter a whistling sound, but a full articulation.
The tongue, which modulates all sounds, is propor-
tionably larger than in a man ; and would be more
valuable were it not harder than flesh, and invested
with a strong horny membrane.
But this organization, though adjusted with skill,
is still inferior to the structure contrived to give an
easy and powerful motion to the upper mandible,
and at the same time not to hinder its opening The
muscles are not fixed to the root where they would
have had no force, nor to the sides where they would
have closed the aperture. Nature has adopted a
different plan ; at the bottom of the bill are fixed
two bones, which, extending on both sides and under
the cheeks, form a continuation of it, similar in form
to the pterygord bones in man, except that their
hinder extremity is not concreted into another bone,
but loose. Thick layers of muscles sent off from the
back of the head and inserted in these bones, move
them and the bill. The bill is very strong; the
parrot easily cracks the nuts of the red fruits, it gnaws
the wood, and even bends or wrenches the bars of its
cage, if they be slender, or if it be tired of confine-
ment. It uses its bill oftener than its claws in climb-
ing and suspending itself; it also holds by the bill

118
GREEN PARROT, &c,
a
in descending, as if it had a third foot, which steadies
its motion; it also serves to break its fall. It is a
second organ of touch, and is equally useful with its
toes in scrambling and clenching.
The mobility of its upper mandible, gives a power
a
which no other bird has of chewing its food. In
these, whether of the granivorous or carnivorous
tribes, the bill is like a hand which throws the food
into the gizzard, or arm which splits or tears it.
The parrot seizes the pieces sideways and gnaws de
Jiberately. The lower mandible has little notion,
but that from right to left is most perceptible; and
this is often performed when the bird is not eating,
which has made it to be supposed to ruminate. In
such cases it probably only whets the edge of this
mandible with which it cuts and bites its aliments.
GREEN PARROT.
This bird is a native of the Southern provinces
of China. It is as large as a hen : the whole plumage
is of a shining green ; the great quill-feathers and
scapulars, the flanks, and the under side of the top
of the wing, brilliant red; the quills of the wings and
tail are lined with brown.
VARIEGATED, OR HAWK-HEADED PARROT.
a
This species is about the size of a pigeon. The
feathers round the neck are purple, edged with blue,
and capable of being erected when it is angry. The
head is covered with feathers, streaked with brown
and white like the plumage of the hawk. There is
some blue on the tail and great quills; the middle
feathers of the tail, and the upper side of the body, are
green. It is a native of India.
a

BLACK PARROT, &c.
119
VAZA, OR BLACK PARROT.
This species is as large as the ash-coloured parrot ;
its plumage is brownish black ; its tail is long, and
;
its bill remarkably small. It inhabits Madagascar ;
is a familiar and lovely bird, and imitates the human
voice.
MASCARINE.
This parrot is so denominated from a kind of
black mask which envelopes the forehead, the throat,
and the border of the face. Its bill is red, general
plumage brown ; back of the head, and neck, grey ;
tail feathers white at their origin. Length thirteen
inches.
BLOODY-BILLED PARROT.
This is a large species; distinguished by a re-
markably thick bill, of a blood red colour. The head
and neck are of a brilliant green shaded with gold ;
the fore part of the body inclines more to yellow;
the tail is yellow below and green above; back sky
blue; wings tinged with blue and green; coverts
Wlack edged with gold. Length fourteen inches.
Inhabits New Guinea.
GREEN PARROT OF BOTANY BAY.
LENGTH near twelve inches. Face, and upper
side of the head, blue; upper plumage grass green
mixed with blue, and red on the quill-feathers; the
3
under surface is olive green ; the tail
, which is short,
is green, varied with red, blue, and yellow.
tiedo

120
GREY-HEÁDED PARROT, &C.
GREY-HEADED PARROT.
a
LENGTH seven inches and a half ; thick and round
shaped, and has a short bill. Head and face glossy
bluish grey ; under side deep yellow mixed with red;
breast and upper side green ; quills brown grey,
edged with green. Inhabits Senegal, where they
fly in small flocks of five or six, and perch on the
straggling trees, and utter a shrill disagreeable cry:
They keep close together, so that several may be
killed at one shot. They are said never to speak:
LORY DIVISION.
This name has been applied in the East Indies to a
family of parrots whose cry resembles the sound of
the word lory. They are hardly to be distinguished
from the rest of the genus, except by their plumage,
which is chiefly red, and of various intensity. Their
bill is also smaller, not so much hooked, but sharper
than that of the other parrots. Their aspect is lively,
their voice shrill, and their motions quick. They are,
according to Edwards, the most nimble of all the
parrots; and the only ones that can leap to the height
of a foot. These well ascertained facts confute the
assertion of a certain traveller, that they brood in
silent melancholy.
They are easily taught to whistle, and articulate
words: they soon grow tame; and what is uncommon
in other animals, they retain their cheerfulness in
captivity. But they are in general, very delicate,
and difficult to transport ; and, in our temperate
climates, they are short lived. Even in their native

SCARLET LORY, &c.
121
regions, they are subject to epileptic fits, like the
maccaws and other parrots, yet it is probable that
this disorder attacks only the domesticated birds.
Omithologists have improperly, says Sonnerat,
discriminated the lories by the epithets of the Philip-
pine, the East Indian, the Chinese &c. These
birds inhabit only the Moluccas and New Guinea,
and those found in other parts have been carried
thither. But these nomenclators are guilty of a
greater impropriety in reckoning some species of
lory as natives of America, since none exist there ;
and if travellers have seen a few individuals, they
must have been introduced from the Asiatic Islands.
Sonnerat adds too, that he constantly found the leries
in one island to be of a different species from those
in another, though at a short distance only. A
similar observation has been made in regard to the
islands of the West Indies.
a
SCARLET, OR MOLUCCA LORY,
This bird is found at Ternate, Ceran, and Java,
where it is called Noira, a name which is adopted by
the Dutch, who esteem them of great value. It shews
great attachment to its master, and equal hatred to
strangers. It is scarlet : the spot on the upper part
of its back, and the upper coverts of its wings,
yellow; the quills of the wings green above, rose
colour below; side feathers and tail crimson, varie-
gated with green. The Java and Ceran lories, are
varieties of this species.
COLLARED LORY.
PLUMAGE of a deep blood red; top of the head
black ; nape of the neck violet ; lower part of the
neck surrounded with a yellow collar; shoulders and
legs fine blue; wings green. This species sells
VOL. I.

122
TIRCOLOR LORY, &c.
high ; is very familiar; imitates the human voice
with great readiness. but is very noisy, and extremely
delicate.
TIRCOLOR LORY
FOREPART, sides of the neck, sides, lower part of
the back, rump, and half the tail, red ; under side
of the body, legs, upper part of the back, and tip of
the tail, blue; wings green ; crown of the head
;
black. Length near ten inches. Edwards saw
this beautiful bird alive, and terms it the little lory;
it whistled pleasantly; he says and pronounced several
words distinctly, and leaping briskly on its roost
or on the finger, it called with a soft clear voice,
lory, lory. It played with the hand, and hopped
after persons like a sparrow. This charming bird
lived but a few months in England.
CRIMSON LORY.
Rep of its plumage, duller than in any of the former
species ; the blue on the top of the neck and stomach,
inclines to violet, but on the shoulder is bright, and
at the edge of the great quills is lost in their blackish
ground; the tail is of a dusky red; under part of
the plumage white. Inhabits Amboyna.
RED LORY.
GENERAL plumage red ; space about the eyes and
tip of the quill ; feathers black ; two blue spots on
the back, and one on the under coverts; the tail
tipped with bay. Length ten inches.
on
bobowe door
bo
guld sal al

GUEBY LORY, &c. To
193
GUEEY LORY.
Plumage of a shining red, varied with violet; pri-
maries striped with black; tail copper red.
GREAT LORY
a
LENGTH thirteen inches. Head and neck of a fine
red ; lower part of the neck violet blue ; breast
richly clouded with red, blue, violet, and green ;
belly red and green ; quills sky blue ; back red;
half the tail red, the tip yellow.
RED PARAKEET LORY.
The plumage of this bird is almost wholly red, ex-
cept some of the coverts and the tips of the quills and
tail feathers, which are partly green, and partly blue.
Inhabits Borneo. Length eight inches and a half.
VIOLET AND RED PARAKEET LORY.
LENGTH ten inches, including the tail, which is
about half the length of the body. The prevailing
colour is red, mixed with violet ; tail, sides, stomach,
back, and head, a full blue ; great quills yellow;
the red feathers edged with black.
TIRCOLOR PARAKEET LORY
а
LENGTH fifteen inches including the tail, which is
about seven inches bulk, equal to that of a turtle dove.
Red, green, and Turkey blue, are disposed in large
patches over all its plumage ; red covers the neck,
and all the upper side of the body ; the wing is deep
green ; and the back and tail are of a fine velvet blue,

124
GREAT COLLARED PARAKEET, &c.
PARAKEETS OF THE OLD CONTINENT
WITH LONG TAILS.
GREAT COLLARED PARAKEET.
PLINY and Solinus have both described the green
collared parakeet, which was the only one known in
their time, and which came from India. Apuleins
describes it with that elegance which it deserves;
and says that its plumage is of a pure brilliant green.
The only interruption of this colour is, according to
Pliny, a half collar of bright red, on the top of the
neck. Aldrovandus, who has collected all the par-
ticulars, leaves no room to doubt, but that the long-
tailed collared parrot of the antients, is the same with
the red collared great parrakeet of this article. It is
equally beautiful with the richest of the tribe : its
plumage is of a lively light green on the head, and
deeper on the wings and the back ; the rosy half
collar embracing the back of the neck, joins on the
sides, to the black har that covers the throat ; the
breast is of a vermillion red, and there is a purple
spot on the crown of the head ; the tail is beautiful
and longer than the body ; its upper surface mixed
with green, and beryl blue ; its under surface of
a delicate yellow. The bird is found, not only on
the south of the continent of Asia, but also in the adja-
cent islands, and at Ceylon ; for this is Taprobana, from
which Alexander's fleet brought the first into Greece.
hd
DOUBLE COLLARED PARAKEET.
Two small rings, the one rose-coloured the other
blue, entirely encircle the neck : its plumage is
green, which is deeper on the back • has a yellow

RED-HEADED PARAKEET, &c
125
cast under the body, and in many parts there is a
dusky streak in the middle of each feather. This
species is as large as a dove, and inhabits the island
of Bourbon.
RED-HEADED PARAKEET
LENGTH eleven inches : tail longer than the body.
Upper side dull green ; crown of the head purple ;
face purplish red; head blue; throat black; which
colour encircles the neck ; under side dirty yellow :
bill red.
BLUE-HEADED PARAKEET.
LENGTH ten inches ; bill white; head, throat,
middle feathers of the tail, and legs blue ; body
green, yellowish beneath.
LORY PARAKEET,
This beautiful species has the crown of the head
purplish'; the back, the upper surface of the neck,
the wings, and the stomach, green ; sides of the neck,
and of the body, irregularly spotted with orange
yellow; primaries black, edged with yellow; tail
green above, red below, and yellow at the tip ; bill
and feet, white grey. Length about seven inches
and a half.
و
YELLOW PARAKEET.
PLUMAGE yellow, except the belly and the orbit of
the eye, which are red ; and the quills, and part of
;
the tail-feathers, which are blue; the former nearly
intersected by a yellow bar. Albin tells us it can
quickly learn to speak. Inhabits the East Indies.

126
AZURE-HEADED PARAKEET, &c.
AZURE-IIEADED PARAKEET.
و
This parakeet is of the size of a pigeon ; its head,
face, and throat, are of a fine sky blue; there is a
a
little yellow on the wings; the tail
, which is as long
as the body, is blue; the rest of the plumage is green.
Inhabits the East Indies.
MOUSE PARAKEET
Has a large patch of mouse grey that covers the
face, forehead, throat, and breast; the quills are
deep green ; rest of the plumage olive
tail and body are of equal length, which is five inches
each ; the bill is white grey.
green. The
MUSTACHIO PARAKEET.
A BLACK streak stretches between both eyes, and
two large mustachios of the same colour, rise from
the lower mandible, and spread over the sides of the
throat. The rest of the face is white and bluish;
the tail is green above, and straw-coloured below;
the hack is deep green ; there is some yellow on the
coverts of the wings; the stomach and breast are
pale violet. The length of the bird is about eleven
inches, of which the tail occupies half.
BLUE-FACED PARAKEET.
Tus beautiful parakeet is green on the upper side,
and the head is painted with three different colours ;
the face and throat with indigo, the back of the head
with brown green, and the crown with yellow; the
lower part of the neck, and the breast, are of a red
rust colour, on a ground of brown green ; the belly
is green and yellow; the under surface of the tail is

MOLUCCA PARAKEET, &c,
127
yellow. It is a native of Amboyna. The tail and
body are each about ten inches long,
a
MOLUCCA PARAKEET.
RESEMBLES the former species in almost every par-
ticular, unless that the head is entirely indigo ; there
is a spot of the same colour on the belly, and the red
of the breast is not waved, but mixed with yellow.
It is, perhaps, a variety.
LACE-WINGED PARAKEET.
LENGTH near eleven inches, of which the tail is
more than a third ; plumage olive ; a blue spot on
the back of its head; its wings variegated with blue
in the middle of the feathers, and green and orange
towards the border. Its wings are much longer in
proportion than in other parakeets.
ROSE-RINGED PARAKEET.
This species is fourteen inches long; but of this
extent the tail and its two projecting feathers, occupy
near two thirds; these feathers are of a fine blue ;
the rest of the plumage is a light green, which is
mixed with yellow on the tail ; a small rose-coloured
collar encircles the back of the neck; the throat is
black; the nape of the neck bluish ; the bill brown
red. It inhabits many parts of Africa, and are
brought in great numbers to Cairo.
LITTLE PARAKEET.
The body of this bird is not more than four inches
long; but measures twelve, if the two long shaft-fea-
thers be included; these are blue; the rest of the tail,
which is not more than two inches and a half long,

128 LONG-SHAFTED GREAT PARAKEET.
is olive green; which is also the general colour of the
plumage, but darker on the upper side ; a few small
red feathers appear on the top of the wing; the throat
is black; a line of which colour also intersects the
rose-coloured patch which covers its head. Inhabits
Bengal
LONG-SHAFTED GREAT PARAKEET.
This much resembles the preceding species, unless
in size, for it is sixteen inches in length; the green
on the body is also more diluted with yellow; the
head is not entirely rose-coloured, but only the space
near the eyes, and the back of the head, the rest is
green, and has no ring about the head. Inhabits
Malacca.
RED-WINGED GREAT PARAKEET,
LENGTH twenty inches to the extremity of the two
long shafts; bill, feet, and nails red; upper side
deep olive green ; under side pale green, mixed with
yellow; a small red spot on each pinion, and a pale
blue one on the middle of the long feathers of the
tail.
RED-THROATED PARAKEET.
This is a very small species ; its body is not
larger than that of a titmouse, but its tail is very long
the tail and back are of a full green ; the coverts of
the wings and throat, are red; the under side of the
body is yellowish green; the iris, which in most
parakeets is gold coloured, in this species is almost
black,
.


TRED-AND-GREEN-PAROQUET.

BLACK BANDED PARAKEET, &c.
189
A BLACK BANDED GREAT PARAKEET.
a
a
Body and tail each seven inches long; the head
has a black band; the neck a red and green collar
the breast is of a fine light red ; the wings and back
are of a rich Turkey blue; the belly is deep green,
sprinkled with red; the tail feathers are green and
red, with black edges. It inhabits Papuan Islands,
where it is distinguished for its beauty, its facility
in pronouncing words, and its affection' for its master.
RED AND GREEN PARAKEET.
Upper side of the body and the two long shafts,
green ; under side of the body, and the rest of the
tail, red; the shoulders, quills, and two spots on each
side of the eye, blue. A suspected species.
,
CRESTED PARAKEET.
a
;
a
This is a small species, not larger than a lark ;
but with a tail which projects ten inches beyond the
wings; its head is crested like that of a peacock ;
its general colour is a fine red mixed with yellow and
green on the wings, and with green and blue on
the tail. 'They inhabit the interior parts of Java
in great flocks, are very noisy, and when tamed,
readily learn whatever they are taught.
Todo
oblasins
too
sit aid
hood
beda a
buna
biedi ad option yliona gora
no s obiseone
'S
YOL 1.

130
BLUE-HEADED PARAKEET, &c.
PARAKEETS OF THE OLD CONTINENT
WITH SHORT TAILS.
BLUE-HEADED PARAKEET.
a
CROWN of the head of a fine blue ; neck half sur-
rounded by an orange collar ; breast and rump red;
rest of the plumage green. Inhabits the island of
Lucron. It is one of the species that sleep with their
head hanging downwards. It lives on the juice of
the cocoa nut-tree, which tastes like new cyder
SRED-HEADED, OR ETHIOPEAN PARAKEET
10
a
This very beautiful species is much introduced into
this country. It is about the size of a lark ; its ge-
neral colour is green ; its bill, chin, and front, are
red, and the rump is blue.
These birds are very common in Africa and the
East Indies, where they are seen in immense flocks,
and do as much damage to the corn and fruits, as the
sparrows do in Europe.
The trading vessels usually bring away considerable
numbers of them in cages ; but they are so tender
that most of them die in their passage to our colder
climates. It has also been observed, that the firing
of a vessel's great guns proves fatal to many of them,
which fall down dead from fear. Although very imita-
tive of the manners of other birds, it is a difficult thing
to teach them to articulate words. Some have attained
this art, but the instances are very rare.
They are exceedingly kind and affectionate to-
wards each other; and it is observed that the
male generally perches on the right side of the fe-
male. She seldom attempts to eat before him.
a
а

ETHIOPEAN PARROT.
13)
A male and female of this species were lodged to-
gether in a large square cage. The vessel which held
their food was placed at the bottom. The male
usually sat on the same perch with the female, and
close beside her. Whenever one descended for food,
the other always followed ; and when their hunger
was satisfied, they returned together to the highest
perch of the cage. They passed four years together
in this state of confinement ; and from their mutual
attentions and satisfaction, it was evident that a
strong affection for each other had been excited. At
the end of this period, the female fell into a state of
langour, which had every symptom of old age ; her
legs swelled, and knots appeared upon them, as if the
disease had been of the nature of the gout. It was
no longer possible for her to descend and take her
food as formerly ; but the male assiduously brought
it to her, carrying it in his bill and delivering it into
hers. He continued to feed her in this manner, with
the utmost vigilance, for four entire months. The
infirmities of his mate, however, increased every day;
and at length she became no longer able to sit upon
the perch: she remained now crouched at the bot-
tom, and from time to time made a few useless efforts
to regain the lower perch; while the male, who re-
mained close by her, seconded these her feeble at-
tempts with all his power. Sometimes he seized with
his bill the upper part of her wing, to try to draw
her up to him ; sometimes he took hold of her bill,
and attempted to raise her up, repeating his efforts
for that purpose several times. His countenance, his
gestures, his continual solicitude; every thing, in
short, indicated in this affectionate bird an ardent de-
sire to aid the weakness of his companion, and to al-
leviate her sufferings. But the scene became still
more interesting when the female was on the point
of cxpiring. Her unfortunate partner went round
and round her without ceasing; he redoubled his

132 COULACISSI PARAKEET, &c.
assiduities and his tender cares; he attempted to
open her bill, in order to give her some nourishment;
his emotion became every instant redoubled; he
went to her and returned with the most agitated air,
and with the utmost inquietude : at intervals he ut-
tered the most plaintive cries ; at other times, with
his eyes fixed upon her, he preserved a sorrowful
silence. His faithful companion at length 'expired:
he languished from that time, and survived her only
á few months.
COULACISSI PARAKEET.
FOREHEAD, throat, rump, bill, feet, and nails, red
a half collar of orange on the upper side of the neck;
rest of the plumage of the body, and upper wing-
coverts, green ; primaries deep green on the outside,
and blackish on the inside ; middle quills of the wing's
and those of the tail, green above, and blue below,
Inhabits the Philippine islands.
GOLDEN-WINGED PARAKEET
GENERAL plumage green, deepest on the upper
side, greater wing-coverts orange ; primaries blue,
varied with brown ; bill whitish ; feet and nails
pale flesh-colour.
GREY-HEADED PARAKEET.
que
GENERAL colour green, of different shades ; head,
throat, and lower part of the neck, greenish grey ;
primaries varied; tail barred with black ; bill, feet,
and nails, whitish. Inhabits Madagascar.

VARIEGATED PARAKEET, &c.
133
VARIEGATED PARAKEET.
This is a large species. The head, neck, and
a
belly, are light green, and yellowish ; there is a yel-
low bar on the wings, but each feather that forms it
is edged with blue; the secondaries are greenish;
primaries black; tail pale violet, with a very narrow
black bar near its extremity ; the feet are grey; the
bill and iris, reddish yellow. Inhabits Batavia, and
the Philippine islands.
BLUE-WINGED PARAKEET.
ENTIRELY green, except some quills of the wings
which are of a fine blue ; bill and feet, reddish.
Received from the Cape of Good Hope.
COLLARED PARAKEET.
Size of the Ethiopean ; green ; yellowish under
the belly ; behind the neck it has a broad sky blue
collar, variegated with black ; tail terminates in a
point ; bill, feet, and iris, blackish grey. Inhabits
the Philippines.
BLACK-WINGED PARAKEET.
Plumago green, yellowish underneath; top of the
head scarlet ; throat and breast blue ; a yellow spot
on the middle of the neck ; primaries black ; tail
coverts red; bill, feet, and iris, yellow. Sleeps
hanging with its head downward ; and is fond of the
cocoa-tree. Inhabits the island of Luçon.

134
ARIMANON PARAKEET, &c.
ARIMANON PARAKEET.
;
PLUMAGE blue; feathers on its head long ; throat
white'; bill and feet red ; tongue pointed, and ter-
minating in a pencil of short, white, bristles. In-
habits Otaheite, where it flutters about, and screams
continually. It is very difficult to domesticate, as it
dies of melancholly if left alone in the cage, and will
eat nothing but the juice of fruits.
PARROTS OF THE NEW CONTINENT.
ARASOR MACAWS.
The macaw is the largest and most splendid of all
the American parrots ; its aspect is steady and com-
posed, and its deportment grave, and even apparently
haughty. It is, however, easily domesticated, with-
out being enslaved ; contracts a fondness for the fa-
mily, into which it is adopted ; and, if permitted to
ramble, will not fail to return.
The characters which distinguish the macaws
from the other parrots of the New Continent, are
their size; the length of their tail, and the naked dirty
white skin which covers both sides of the head,
and covers also the base of the lower mandible. Their
voice is harsh, and they seem only to repeat the sound
ara, from which they have derived one of their names.
When these parrots were first brought into Eu-
rope, their beautiful plumage, and their large and
majestic form created universal admiration. Aldro-

RED MACAW.
135
vandus first saw one of them at Mantua in 1579;
and he observes, that they were at that time in all
the estimation which rarity could give them. Princes
gave and received them as the most valuable presents.
Columbus in his second voyage saw several of
them as he touched at Guadaloupe. They are to be
met with even on the desert islands; and they every
where constitute the most beautiful ornament of these
gloomy forests that darken the face of a country
abandoned by men. While Anson and his officers
were contemplating the grand scenes displayed by
nature in these solitary abodes, a flight of macaws
passed above them; and, as if to heighten the mag- .
nificence of the spectacle, they made several windings
through the air, displaying the vivid lustre of their
plumage.
RED MACAW.
The red macaw is nearly a foot and half in
length ; the whole body, except the wings, is of a
vermillion colour ; the larger feathers of the wing,
are of a deep blue on the outside ; on the inner, of
a brown leather colour: the lesser feathers are of a
blue and green admirably blended together. The
greater coverts of the wings are of a golden yellow,
terminating in green. On the first discovery of
America, these birds, as indeed almost every other
kind, were so remarkably tame, that they could
almost be taken with the hand. The noise of a
fowling piece did not much scare them. This was
also the case in the woods of New Zealand, when
visited by captain Cook, where the birds suffered the
approach of man with a kind of confidence and fa-
miliarity. The savages, few in number, and badly
armed, had scarcely made them feel the dominion of
the human race.
Birds of this species are found over all the southern

136
RED MACAW.
parts of America, and in the West Indies. They
prefer moist and watery grounds, because in such
the palm-trees are most frequent, of the fruit of which
they are passionately fond. They commonly go
in pairs, seldom in flocks : sometimes, however, they
assemble in the morning in much greater numbers,
when they set up a loud and disagreeable chattering,
which is heard at a great distance. They cry while
on wing, as well as when they perch. Though ex-
cellent flyers, they seldom remove far from the place
of their abode, except in quest of food ; and, when
that is obtained, they regularly return in the even-
ing. There is a certain poisonous kind of fruit
which they sometimes eat, that is said to communi-
cate its noxious qualities to their flesh, and to render
it dangerous to eat them. In Guiana and Brazil,
where they are not obliged to take this species of
food, they are eaten by the natives with great
safety.
All the aras, or large parrots, build their nests in
the hollow of rotten trees, which, in their native
country, are easily to be found; for there, a much
greater number of trees fall merely from age, than
by the hands of the carpenter. When the tree is
not fully rotten, and the hole not large enough for
their reception, they widen it with their bills. The
last process in finishing their house, is the lining it
with feathers.
The macaws lay twice in the year, and generally
two eggs at a time, about the size of a pigeon's.
The birds, when young, have two worms, one in each
nostril, which die when they begin to assume their
covering of feathers. These have been called macaw
worms in America, from this circumstance. There
are several other birds, as well as quadrupeds, which,
when young, have such worms in their noses, and
in other parts of their body. These sometimes in
sinuate themselves into the flesh of horses; and, if

RED MACAW.
137
M. Buffon may be credited, even into the human
body, where they produce an abscess very difficult to
cure.
The male and female macaw share alternately in
the labours of incubation, and rearing the young
They are equally assiduous in procuring them food;
and, during the whole time of their nonage, the nup-
tial tie remains unbroken, both parents guarding
their offspring with unremitting care.
The macaws, when young, are easily tamed, and
therefore, in many parts of America, they are only
caught at that period; because those who catch them
are sensible, that all their labour in their education,
would, after that period, prove fruitless. Du
Tertre mentions, however, a singular method of
taking the old ones alive practised in the West Indies.
The inhabitants watch the moment when they alight
to eat the fruit that has fallen; they then surround
them, and by clapping their hands and uttering loud
shrieks, so alarm them, that, forgetting the use of
their wings, they tumble upon their backs to defend
themselves by their claws and beak. In the moment
of surprise, the savages present to them a stick, whichi
they seize with their claws, when they immediately
lay hold of them. These facts, to say no more, ap-
pear suspicious, because it is certain these birds fly
at the sight of a man; and if so, they will not cer-
tainly lie down to listen to his cries.
Another author affirms, that Indians of the Ishmus
of Panama, tame the macaws, as we tame the pies,
by allowing them some liberty by day, certain that
they will return at night. But however good do-
mestics, they are not adepts in speaking. The sa-
vages adorn themselves with their feathers, by draw-
ing them through the cartilage of the nose. Of all
game, they are most frequent. They make excellent
soup, and are very frequently eaten in Cayenne.
This species, perhaps, more than any of the
VOL. I
T

138
GREEN MACAW.
The savages
feathered race, is subject to the falling sickness or
epilepsy; a disorder which is more violent and fatal
in warm, than in temperate climes.
have found out an efficacious cure for this disease,
by cutting off the extremity of one of the birds toes,
and allowing the blood to-flow. This method of cure
is certain in almost every other bird or animal that is
subject to this disease. When it attacks birds of this
species in their wild state, if no blood is emitted by
the bill, death immediately ensues. If nature suc-
ceed in her effort to throw off a portion of their blood,
they immediately recover.
To this disease, the parrots that are kept in a do-
mesticated state, are more subject than the wild.
The abstraction of the female, the superabundance
of food, and the consequent excess of blood in the
system, seem to be the causes of epilepsy among these
birds.
a
REEN MACAW
The green macaw is much rarer than the pre-
ceding; it is also much smaller. It consists of only
one species, though some authors have divided it into
two; because they confound it with the green para-
keet, which they call the ara parakeet on account of
the length of its tail, and its distinctly articulating the
word ara : but notwithstanding these proprieties,
it is still a parakeet, and very common in Cayenne ;
whereas the green macaw is there altogether un-
known.
The green macaw is a very beautiful bird. Its
length from the tip of the bill to the end of the tail,
is about sixteen inches; its body, both above and
below, is green ; which, according to the position,
is golden, and sparkling, and deep olive; the great
and small quills of the wing, are beryl blue,
on a brown ground, and the under side copper

GREEN MACAW.
139
But
coloured; the under side of the tail is the same, and
the upper side painted with beryl blue, melting into
olive green ; the green on the head is brighter, and
less mixed with olive than that on the rest of the body;
at the base of the upper mandible on the face, there
is a black border of small linear feathers that resemble
bristles; the white naked skin that surrounds the
;
eyes, is sprinkled with small pencils of the same black
bristles ranged in rows; the iris of the eye is yel-
lowish.
This bird is as rare as it is amiable for its
social temper and gentle disposition. It soon grows
,
familiar with persons whom it sees frequently, and
is pleased to receive and repay their caresses.
it has an aversion to strangers, and particularly to
children, and flies at them furiously. Like all other
domesticated parrots, it clings to the finger when
presented to it; it also clasps wood; but in winter,
and even in summer, when the weather is cool and
rainy, it prefers the arm or the shoulder, especially
if the person has woollen clotlies ; for, in general, it
likes warm stuffs. It is also fond of kitchen stoves
when they are cooled, so much as to retain only a
gentle warmth. For the same reason it avoids
sitting on hard bodies which quickly communicate
cold, such as iron, marble, glass, &c.; and in cold
rainy weather, though in summer, it shudders and
trembles if water be thrown upon it. However, in
sultry days, it bathes of its own accord, and often
dips its head in the water.
If one stroke it gently, it spreads its wings and
squats, it then utters a disagreeable cry, which re-
sembles the chatter of the jay, raising its wings
during the action, and bristling its feathers; and
this habitual cry seems to express either pleasure or
Jangour. Sometimes it has a short shrill cry, which
is less equivocal than the former, and denotes joy and
satisfaction ; for it is generally addressed to persons
a

140
BLUE MACAW, &c.
3
whom it loves ; but this cry also marks its impatient
fits, and its pettish gusts of ill humour. But it is
impossible to be precise on this subject'; for birds,
organized like the parrots, perpetually vary or modify
their voice, as they are prompted by imitation.
This bird betrays evident symptoms of jealousy on
seeing a young child.
sosid
BLUE MACAW.
These birds are easily described. They are sub-
divided into two varieties. The first has the up-
per side entirely azure, and the under side pure
yellow. The other differs in having a yellow collar
round its neck. Inhabits Jamaica, and South
America.
BLUE AND RED MACAW
Differs from the former species in having the
under side of its plumage scarlet instead of yellow,
Inhabits the same countries.
BLACK MACAW.
The plumage is black, glossed with green ; its
bill and eyes are reddish, and its legs yellow. It in-
habits the barren summits of rocks and mountains.
AMAZONS AND CRICKS.
bro
Theamazons and cricks are distinguished from each
other by several marks. The former take their name
from their inhabiting the neighbourhood of the great

AMAZONS AND CRICKS.
141
river of the Amazons, and are seldom found in any
other region. They are larger than the cricks, but
less than the macaws, and have a bright shining
plumage ; their head in particular, being of a most
beautiful yellow. The cricks, on the contrary, are
more widely diffused of an inferior size, and of a
duller greenish plumage.
Both the cricks and the amazons, and all the other
American parrots, construct their nests in ihe holes
which are formed in decayed trees by wood-peckers,
and only lay two eggs twice a year, which the male
and female set on by turns; it is said that they never
forsake their nest, but persist in hatching, though
their eggs be handled and deranged. In the lone
season they assemble and breed in the same haunt,
and search for their food in company ; when their
appetite is satisfied, they make a continual and noisy
babling, shifting their place incessantly, and fluttering
from tree to tree, till the darkness of night invite them
to repose. In the morning they are observed on
the naked branches at sun rise, and they remain quiet
till the moisture is dried from their plumage, and
their warmth recovered, when they rise in a flock
with a noise louder than that of crows. They breed
in the rainy season.
The natives commonly take the parrots in the nest,
because they are then more easily reared and tamed.
But the Caribs, according to Labat, catch them also
after they are old : they observe the trees on which
they perch in great numbers in the evening, and, after
dark, they carry lighted coals near the spot, on which
they throw gum and green pimento ; the birds are
suddenly involved in thick smoke, and fall to the
ground; the savages then seize them, tie their feet,
and recover them from the suffocation, by throwing
water on the head. They alse bring down the parrots
without hurting them much, by shooting them with
blunt arrows.
But the old ones, thus caught, are

142
YELLOW-HEADED AMAZON, &c.
difficult to tame. There is only one method of ren-
.
dering them tractable, which is, to blow the smoke
of tobacco into their bills, which partly intoxicates
them, and makes them gentle and pliant. If they
grow mutinous, again the dose is repeated, and thus,
in the course of a few days, their disposition is
softened. Their natural temper is very fierce; they
bite cruelly without provocation, and will not easily
quit their hold.
YELLOW-HEADED AMAZON.
The crown of the head, and orbit of the eye, are
yellow; the general plumage green, yellowish be-
neath ; the fans of the wings are light red; the quills
;
are variegated with green, black, violet, blue, and
red; the bill is red at the base ; the rest of it is ash-
coloured; the feet are grey, and the nails black.
RED-HEADED AMAZON
HEAD, breast, and part of the wings, red; rest of
the plumage green; bill and feet, dull ash-colour.
Inhabits Brazil.
WHITE-HEADED AMAZON.
The white is generally confined to the face of this
parrot, but sometimes extends to the crown ; its
general plumage is green, varying in different birds ;
quill-feathers blue ; irides white.
YELLOW AMAZON.
PLUMAGE of a fine yellow; wings and tail marked
with red; irides red, bill and feet white.


W
TOURACOU

AOWROU-COWRAOU PARROT, &c.
143
AOWROU-COWRAOU PARROT.
FACE bluish ; a bar of the same colour below the
eyes ; rest of the head yellow; throat yellow, edged
with bluish green ; rest of the plumage light green,
yellowish on the back and belly ; wing variegated
with green, black, yellow, blue, and red; scapulars
red ; tail green, fringed with black, red, and blue;
bill blackish ; feet aslı-colour. Inhabits Guiana and
Brazil.
YELLOW-THROATED CRICK.
The length of the yellow-throated crick is about
thirteen inches. The bill is whitish, and the cere
hoary. "The general colour of the body is green;
and the feathers on the hind part of the neck and on
the back have black margins. The forehead is of a
whitish ash-colour ; and the top of the head, and the
cheeks, throat, and fore part of the neck, are yellow:
the hind part of the head is yellow-green. The
thighs and the ridges of the wings are yellow : the
remainder of the wings are, in different parts, red,
yellow, and green, with the greater quills black.
The four middle tail-feathers are green, and yel-
lowish near the end ; the others are partly red
and partly green. The legs are hoary, and
the claws ash-coloured. It is a native of South
America.
We know very little of the habits of this bird
in a state of nature; but father Bougot, who
had one of them for some time in his possession,
communicated to the Compte de Buffon the follow-
ing account of its manners and disposition in a tame
state :
It is (he says) very susceptible of attachment
to its master; it is fond of him, but requires fre-

144
MEALY CRICK.
quent caresses, and seems disconsolate if neglected,
and vindictive if provoked. It has fits of ob-
stinacy ; it bites during its ill humour, and imme-
diately laughs, exulting in its mischief. Correction
and rigorous treatment serve but to harden it;
gentle usage alone succeeds in mollifying its temper.
Its inclination to gnaw whatever it can reach,
has very destructive effects; it cuts the cloth of
the furniture, splits the wood of the chairs, and tears
paper, pens, &c. And if it be removed from the
spot, its proneness to contradiction will instantly
hurry it back. But this mischievous bent is coun-
terbalanced by agreeable qualities : for it remembers
readily what it is taught to say. Before it articulates
it claps its wings, and play on its roost : in the cage
it becomes dejected, and continues silent ; and never
prattles well, except when it enjoys liberty.
In its cheerful days it is affectionate, receives and
returns caresses, and listens and obeys ; but a peevish
fit often interrupts this harmony. It seems affected
by the change of weather, and becomes silent; the
way to reanimate it is to sing beside it ; and it then
strives by its noisy screams, to surpass the voice which
excites it. It is fond of children, in which respect it
differs from most other parrots. It contracts a pre-
dilection for some of them, and suffers them to handle
and carry it; it caresses them, and if any person
then touches them, it bites at him fiercely. If its
favourite children leave it, it is unhappy, follows
them, and calls loudly after them. During moulting
it is much reduced, and seems to endure great pain;
and this state lasts nearly three months.
MEALY CRICK.
Tuis is the largest of all the cricks : its ground
colour is green, sprinkled with mealy specks, but not
on the under side, there is a yellow spot on its head,

RED AND BLUE CRICK, &c.
145
and a red one on its wings; also the feathers on the
upper surface of the neck, have a broad edging of
browa, and the outer quills of the wings are black,
taried with blue. It is much esteemed for its beauty,
its mildness, and the facility with which it learns to
speak. It inhabits Cayenne.
RED AND BLUE CRICE.
GENERAL plumage blue ; belly, rump, and tail,
green ; quill-feathers of the wings and tail red;
crown of the head yellow, feet reddish grey.
BLUE-FACED CRICK.
Much smaller than the mealy crick, being only twelve
inches in length ; general colour green; breast red,
varied with green; front, and throat, blue ash-co-
lour; a yellow spot on the lower part of the belly :
quills red and blue, intermixed. Inhabits Mexico.
CRICK.
This crick is about a foot long and ils: wings,
when closed, extend a little beyond the middle of
the tail ; the general colour is light green, very
brilliant on the belly and neck; the cheeks are green-
ish yellow ; there is a red spot on the wings; the
quills are black, terminated with blue; the outer
tail-feathers are marked on the inner webs with
an oblong red spot, spreading more and more from
the inner to the outward quills; the iris is red;
the bill and feet are whitish. Very common at
Cayenne.
TOL. 7.

146
BLUE-HEADED CRICK, &c.
be
BLUE-HEADED CRICE.
FORÉPART of the head, and the throat, blue, ter-
minated on the breast by a red spot; rest of the body
green ; primaries blue ; secondaries red, but on
the upper part blue ; tail green, varied with red
iris orange-coloured ; bill blackish ash-colour, with
a reddish spot on the sides of the upper mandible.
Inhabits Guiana.
SD
VIOLET-HEADED CRICK.
This parrot is found in Guadaloupe, and was first
described by father Du Tertre. Its colours are so
veautiful he says, and so singular, that it deserves to
be selected from all the rest for description. It is
almost as large as a hen ; its bill and eyes are edged
with carnation; all the feathers of its head, of its
neck, and of its belly, are violet, mixed with a
tincture of green and black, changing like the neck
of a pigeon; all the upper side of the back is of a
very brown green ; the great quills of the wings are
black, all the others yellow, green, and red; on the
coverts of the wings are two rose-shaped spots of the
same colour. When it erects the feathers of its
neck, it makes a fine ruff round the head, on which
it seems to pride itself, as the peacock does on his
tail; it has a strong voice, speaks 'very distinctly, and
is easily taught if taken young.

20

20
SPLENDID-PARROT

PARADISE PORINJAY,
147
POPINJAYS.
Te
bor
Tuese parrots are in general smaller than the
amazons, from which, and from the cricks, they are
distinguished by having no red on the wings.
PARADISE POPINJAY.
This is a very handsome parrot. Its body is yel-
low, and all the feathers edged with dark glossy red;
the primaries are white; the secondaries yellow;
the two middle feathers of the tail are also yellow,
the others red, for two thirds of their length; the
other third part yellow; the iris red; the bill and
feet are white. The plumage varies in different
specimens. Inhabits Cuba.
MAILED POPINJAY.
This is supposed to be the same with the variegated
parrot of the Old Continent, introduced by navigators
into America.
TAVOUA POPINJAY.
This species is found in Guiana, and it sometimes
approaches the dwellings. Bird-fanciers are eager
to obtain it, for of all the parrots it speaks the best,
and even excels the red-tailed grey parrot of Guinea ;
and yet it was not known till lately, which is some
what singular. But its talents are attended with
an essential defect; it is faithless and mischievous,
and bites cruelly when it pretends to caress : it would
even seem to lay plans of malice, and its phy-
siog romy, though sprightly, is dubious. It is an exs

148
RED-BANDED POPINJAY.
ceedingiy beautiful bird, and more nimble and agile
than any other parrot.
* Its back and its rump are of a beautiful red; it has
also some red on the front, and the upper side of its
head is light blue ; the rest of the upper side of the
body is of a fine full green, and the under side of a
Jighter green ; the quills of the wings are of a fine
black, with deep blue reflections ; so that in some
positions they appear entirely of a very deep blue :
the coverts of the wings are variegated with deep blue
a
and green
RED-BANDED POPINJAY.
Plumage darkish green: a red band on its front :
black cresents on its neck and back ; primaries blue.
Inhabits St. Domingo.
PURPLE-BELLIED POPINJAY.
This parrot is found in Martinico. It is not so
beautiful as the preceding : the face is white; the
crown, and sides of the head, blue ash-colour; the
belly purple, varied with green ; rest of the body and
the fan of the wing, white ; the quills variegated
with green, blue, and black ; the two middle quills
of the tail, green; the others variegated with green,
red, and yellow; the bill is white; the feet are grey,
and the nails are brown. It is, by some, considered
as a variety of the white-headed amazon.
و
BLUE-HEADED POPINJAY.
BILL black, with a red spot on both sides of the
upper mandible; a flesh-coloured membrane 'sur-
rounds the eyes; a black spot on each side of the
head; rest of the head, neck, throat, and breast,
blue, tinged with purple on the latter'; general

VIOLET POPINJAY, &c.
149
plumage green ; tail varied with red and blue; feet
grey. Inhabits Guiana: Cannot speak.
VIOLET POPINJAY.
GENERAL colour violet, inclining to brown above,
and blue beneath ; a red streak edges the forehead;
tail varied with rose-colour, Inhabits Gujana, and
cannot speak.
SASSEBE POPINJAY.
GENERAL colour green ; red on the throat, and
lower part of the neck ; some of the quill-feathers
blackish. Said to inhabit Jamaica.
BROWN POPINJAY.
NEARLY as large as a common pigeon; cheeks,
upper side of the neck, and rump, greenish; back,
breast, belly, and legs, brown; wings green ; the
quills next the body edged with yellow; tail green
above, blue below; under tail coverts red; a blue
spot on the throat; bill black above, yellow at the
base, and red on the sides. Inhabits New Spain.
AURORA-HEADED POPINJÀY.
It is thus described by Dupratz. It is not so large
as the generality of parrots ; its plumage is of a
beautiful celadine green ; its head is enveloped in
orange, which receives a red tinge near the bill, and
melts into the green on the sides of the body; it
learns with difficulty to speak, and when it has made
that acquisition, seldom displays it. These parrots
always appear in flocks, and if they are silent when
tamed, are very noisy in the air, and their shrill
screams are heard at a distance. They live on

150
PARAGUAY PARROT, &c.
walnuts, the kernels of pine tops, the seeds of the
tulip-tree, and other small seeds. Inhabits Louisiana.
PARAGUAY PARROT.
This species is larger than the amazons: the
breast, upper part of the belly, back, and irides, are
of a beautiful red, the rest of the plumage black; bill,
legs, and feet, deep ash-colour. Inhabits Brazil.
Much resembles the lories of the Old Continent.
MAIPOYRI PARRO
This species is found in Guiana, in Mexico, and
as far as the Caraccas ; it never comes nigh the
settlements, but commonly lives in woods that are
surrounded by water. Its note is a sharp whistle,
which it often repeats while on the wing, and it never
learns to speak
These birds commonly associate in small bodies,
but often without any tie of affection, for they fight
frequently, and with great obstinacy. When any of
them are caught, they reject every kind of food, so that
it is impossible to keep them alive ; and their temper
is so stubborn, that it cannot be softened by any of
the methods which are used to calm the most froward
of the parrots. The maipoures require to be bred
when young, and they would not repay the trouble of
educating them, were not their plumage so beautiful,
and their figure so singular, for their shape is very
different from that of other parrots or parakeets
the body being thicker and shorter, their head much
larger, their neck and tail extremely short, so that
they have a heavy unwieldy air. All their motions
are suitable to their figure, even their feathers are
entirely different from those of other. parrots, being
short, close, and co-hering to the body, so that they
seem compressed and glued artificially on the

a
CAICÀ PARROT.
151
breast, and on the lower parts of the body.
The upper side of the head is black ; there is a green
spot below the eyes; the sides of the head, the
throat, and the lower part of the neck, are of a fine
yellow; the upper side of the neck, the belly, and
the legs are orange; the back, the rump, the su-
perior coverts of the wings, and the quills of the tail,
are of a fine green; the breast and belly are whitishi
when the bird is young, and yellowish after it is
grown up; the great quills of the wings are exte-
riorly blue on the upper side, and blackish below
the following ones are green, and edged on the out-
side with yellow; the iris is of a deep chesnut ; the
bill flesh-coloured; the feet ash-brown, and the nails
blackish.
CAICA PARROT.
This species, which has only been observed within
late years, considerably resembles the preceding.
Before the year 1773, they were never seen in Cay.
enne, and it is still uncertain from what country they
come, but they have since continued to arrivé an-
nually in small flocks, about the months of September
and October, and remain there only a short time
during the fine weather, so that they are only birds
of passage.
The hood, which enveiepes the caica, is pierced
with a hole, in which the eye is placed ; the hood
extends very low, and spreads into two chin pieces
of the same colour; the circuit of the neck is of a
yellowish bay; the beautiful green which covers the
rest of the hody, is interrupted by an azure tinge
that marks the edges of the wing from the shoulder,
and tips those of the tail, except the two middle ones,
which are entirely green, and appear rather shorter
than those on the side.

152
PAVOUANE PARAKEET
PARAKEETS OF THE NEW CONTINENT
WITH LONG TAILS. vold-
PAVOUANE PARAKEET.
This is one of the handsomest of the parakeets.
It is pretty common in Cayenne, and is also found
in the Antilles. It easily learns to speak, but always
remains savage. Its aspect is angry and turbulent,
but it has a pleasing figure, a quick eye, and ar-
pears exceedingly active. They fly in flocks; and,
like the rest of the parakeets, never associate with
the parrots. They range through the woods and
marshes continually screaming, searching for the
fruit of a large tree, which in that country is called
the immortal.
It is a foot in length, of which the tail occupies
half, and is regularly tapered; the upper side of the
wings and tail are of a fine green. In proportion as
the bird grows older, the sides of the head and neck
are covered with small spots of a bright red, which
become more and more numerous; so that, in such
as are aged, these parts are almost entirely covered
with beautiful red spots. They never begin to apo
.
ар-
pear till the second or third year. The small in
ferior coverts of the wings are of the same bright
red, in every period of its age, only the colour is not
quite so bright when the bird is young. The great
under wing-coverts are of a fine yellow; the quills
and tail-feathers are of a dull yellow ; beneath the
wing is whitish, and the feet are grey.

BROWN-THROATED PARAKEET, &c.
153
BROWN-THROATED PARAKEET.
The crown of the head is bluish green; the upper
part of the body yellowish green; the forehead, the
sides of the head, the throat, and the lower part of
the neck, are of a brown grey; the greater upper
wing-coscrts blue ; quills blackish below; the pri-
maries are blue, and the middle ones green ; on the
upper side of the tail is green above, and yellowish
below ;. the iris is chesnut ; the bill and fcet ash-
coloured. Inhabits Martinico.
PARAKEET WITH VARIUGATED THROAT.
a
This parakeet is very rare and handsome. It iş
nearly as large as a blackbird ; the greatest part of
its plumage is of a fine green ; but the throat, and
the foreside of the neck, are brown, with scales and
nails of rusty grey : the great quills of the wings
are tinged with blue; the front is water green ; be.
hind the neck, and a little below the back, is a small
zone of the same colour, on the fold of the wing are
some feathers of a light vivid red; the tail is partly
green above, and partly dun red, with copper re-
flections, and below it is entirely copper-coloured ;
the same tinge appears under the belly.
PARAKEET WITH VARIEGATED WINGS, OR COMMON
PARAKTET OF CAYENNE.
Tuis is a small species, being but little more than
eight inches long, including the tail, which is three
inches and a half. They keep in numerous flocks,
prefer the cleared grounds, and even resort to the
neighbourhood of houses. They are very fond of
the buds of the immortal-tree, and, when it is in
blossom, almost cover it with their multitudes. One
VOL. I.

154
ANACA PARAKEET, &c.
of these large trees which is planted in the town of
Cayenne, draw the visits of these birds, which are so
bold, that though they are frightened away by firing
upon them, they will almost immediately return.
It is difficult to teach them to speak.
In this parakeet the plumage in general is of a
fine green, but the quills are variegated with yellow,
white, and different shades of green; the tail-feathers
are edged with yellow on the inside ; the bill, feet,
and nails, are grey.
ANACA PARAKEET.
This is of the size of a lark: general colour green;
crown of the head chesnut ; sides of the head brown ;
throat ash-coloured ; belly rusty brown; a brown
spot on the back; tail light brown ; quills termi-
nated with blue ; a spot of blood colour on the top
of the wings ; the bill is brown; the feet ash-co-
Toured. Inhabits Brazil, where it is accounted a
Very handsome bird.
JENDAYA PARAKEET.
Size of the blackbird : upper parts bluish green;
head, and under parts orange yellow; the extremities
of the wings blackish ; iris a fine gold colour ; bill
and feet black. Inhabits Brazil.
EMERALD PARAKEET.
PLUMAGE of a brilliant green : hind part of the
belly, rump, and tail, rusty chesnut.
SINCIALO PARAKEET.
no
a
It is of the bulk of a blackbird : its body is five
inches long, and its tail seven. It is disposed to

RED-BREASTED PARAKEET, &c.
155
to chatter, and easily learns to speak, to whistle, and
to mimic ; the cry of any animal it hears ; they fly
in flocks, and perch on the most verdant trees;
where, from their green colour, they are with diffi-
culty perceived. They are exceedingly noisy,
especially when they hear the voice of a man, or any
other animal. They feed like other parrots; are
lively and cheerful, are casily tamed, and very fond
of being noticed. They are esteemed good eating
in that season of the year when the seeds of Indian
wood, are in maturity.
The plumage of this parakeet is yellowish green,
of different shades, in different parts of the bird ;
the two quills in the middle of the tail, are longer by
an inch and three quarters, than those which are con-
tiguous on either side ; and the other lateral quills
contract gradually, so that the outermost are five
inches shorter than the middle ones. The eyes are
encircled by a flesh-coloured skin, the iris is fine
orange; the bill is black, with a little red at the
base of the upper mandible ; the feet and nails are
flesh-coloured. This species is diffused through all
the warm parts of America.
e iris
RED-BREASTED PARAKEET.
This very beautiful species has a bright red fore-
head; crown of the head, and some of the greater wing:
coverts blue ; upper parts deep green, under parts
yellowish ; primaries dull ash-colour on the inside,
blue on the outside, and at the extremities; the iris
is orange; the bill ash-colour. Inhabits almost all
the warm parts of America.
GOLDEN-CROWNED PARAKEET.
This handsome parakeet has a large orange spot
on the forepart of the head ; the rest of the plumage
;

156
YELLOW PARAKEET, &c
is green, of different shades; the wings are barred
with blue; the iris is bright orange; the bill and
feet are black. It speaks well, and is very intelli-
gent.
YELLOW PARAKEET.
This is a melancholy solitary bird, which does
not learn to speak; but is much esteemed by the
savages, on account of its plumage, and the ease
with which it is tamed. It is almost entirely yellow,
only there are some green spots on the wings; the
secondaries are green, fringed with yellow; the
primaries are vielet, fringed with blue; the tail
is varied with the same colours.
;
ILLINOIS PARROT.
This is supposeed by some, to be a variety of the
Carolina : it has an ash-coloured bill; orange-co-
loured irides ; forehead, cheeks, and sometimes hind
part of the head, of the same colour ; 'crown, back,
wing-coverts, and tail, 'green, primaries green,
edged with blue ; breast and belly, yellowish green;
vent yellow ;tail very long, and wedge-shaped ;
length thirteen inches.
It is a lively bird, but cannot speak clearly. It is
said to inhabit the Illinois country; but it is certainly
found at Cayenne.
CAROLINA PARROT.
This species has the forehead, ridge of the wings,
and feathers round the knees, orange : head and
neck, yellow; back, body, and coverts of wings and
and tail, green ; primaries dusky, mixed with blue
and green ; the upper exterior sides, edged with
yellow; tail very long, and wedge-shaped ; legs

ARA PARAKEET,
,
152
white. Length thirteen inches. Weight three
ounces and a half.
Inhabits the southern parts of North America, but
never appears higher than Virginia. It is in general
a migratory bird, even in Carolina ; arriving at the
season when mulberries are ripe, which they are
very fond of, and which are the earliest fruits of the
country, except strawberries. They infest in autumn,
the apple-orchards, in vast flocks, and make great
havoc by splitting the fruit for the sake of the ker-
nels only; of which, and of the seeds of cypress,
and other trees, they are exceedingly fond. They
also devour the buds of the birch.
They breed in hollow trees, in low swampy
grounds. Are easy tamed, but do not speak. Their
intestines are said to be a speedy poison to cats.
ARA PARAKEET.
caws.
a
This species has much of the manners of the ma-
Like them, it haunts the marshy parts of
Guiana, is larger than the other parakeets, its body
and tail being each nine inches long ; has a naked
skin from the corners of the bill to the eyes, and pro-
nounces distinctly, the word ara, though with a rough
and shrill voice, the head is of a greenish blue ;
;
the upper parts of the body are of a deep green,
except the primaries, which are blue, edged with
green, and terminated with brown on the outside :
the throat, lower part of the neck, and the top of
the breast, have a deep rusty cast; the rest of the
under parts
, of a pale green, with a little brown red
on the lower belly, and some of the under tail coverts.
Inhabits Cayenne, where it is reckoned a bird of
passage.
a

158
YELLOW-THROATED TOUT,
TOUIS, OR SHORT-TAILED PARAKEETS,
These are the smallest of all the American parrots,
and appear to be common in some instances, to both
continents, having probably been introduced from
Brazil into Guinea and the Philippines. Their bulk
does not exceed that of the sparrow, and they are
generally incapable of speech.
YELLOW-THROATED TOUI.
GENERAL plumage green ; throat fine orange cox
our ; upper coverts variegated with green, brown,
and yellow ; under coverts yellow; quills varied
with green yellowish, and deep ash; tail feathers
green, edged with yellow ; bill, feet, and nails,
grey.
SOSOVE TOUI.
This is a very beautiful species, being all over of
a brilliant green, except a spot of light yellow on the
quills of the wings, and the upper tail coverts; the
bill is white, and the feet are grey. It inhabits
Guiana, is easily tamed, and taught to speak. When
well trained, it is extremely entertaining.
TIRICA PARAKEET.
PLUMAGE entirely green ; eyes black ; bill car-
nation ; feet bluish. It is easily tamed, and taught
to speak


GUINEA-IPAIRAIKEET

ETE TOUI, &c.
159
ETE TOUT.
GENERAL pliage light green: rump, top of
wings, and edges of the quill-feathers, blue; bill
flesh-coloured ; fcet ash.
GOLDEN-HEADED TOUT.
Head gold colour ; rest of the plumage green;
tail short; irides bright yellow. Inhabits Brazil.
obres
TOUCAN TRIBE:
These birds are all natives of the hotter parts of
South America, where they feed on fruits. They
are very noisy, and are generally seen in small flocks
of eight or ten in number: they are continually
moving from place to place in quest of food, going
northward or southward as the fruits ripen. They
are easily tamed if brought up young, and in this
state are very familiar. They breed in the hollows
of trees, frequently in places deserted by the wood-
peckers; and the female lays two eggs. It is
probable that they have more than one brood in the
year.
Their beaks are enormously large, and convex :
they are bent at the end, hollow, very light, and
jagged at the ends. The nostrils are small and
round, placed close to the head. The tongue is long,
narrow, and feathered at the edges. The feet, adapted
for climbing, have the toes placed two forwards and
two backwards,
,

160
RED-BELLIED TOUCAN.
RED-BELLIED TOUCAN.
This species is a native of Guiana and Brazil, and
is about twenty inches in length. The bill is six
inches long, and near two inches thick at the base;
and is of a yellowish green colour, reddish at the tip.
The nostrils are at the base of the bill; but are not, as
in some of the species, covered with feathers. The
principal upper parts of the body, and the throat and
neck, are of a glossy black, with a tinge of green
the lower part of the back, the rump, upper part of
the tail, and small feathers of the wings, are the same,
with a cast of ash-colour. The breast is of a fine
orange. The belly, sides, thighs, and the short
feathers of the tail, are bright red the remainder of
the tail is of a greenish black, tipped with red. The
legs and claws are black.
The red-bellied toucan feeds chiefly on fruits. It
is easily tamed, and in that state will eat almost any
thing that is offered to it. Pozzo, who bred up a
toucan, and had it perfectly domesticated, tells us
that it leaped up and down, wagged its tail, and ericd
with a voice resembling that of a magpie. It fed
upon the same things as parrots : but was most
greedy of grapes ; which, being plucked off one by
one, and thrown to it, it would with great dexterity
,
catch in the air before they fell to the ground. Its
bill, he adds, was hollow, and on that account very
light, so that the bird had but little strength in this
apparently formidable weapon ; nor could it peck of
strike smartly with it. But its tongue seemed to
assist the efforts of this unwieldy machine : it was
long, thin, and flat, not much unlike one of the fea-
thers on the neck of a dunghill cock ; this the bird
moved up and down, and often extended five or six
inches from the bill. It was of a flesh-colour, and

3 RED-BELLIED TOUCAN.
161
very remarkably fringed on each side with small
filaments,
22201 .
gល
It is probable that this long tongue has greater
strength than the thin hollow beak that contains it ;
and that the beak is only a kind of sheath for this pe-
culiar instrument used by the toucan in making its
nest and in obtaining its provision.
The toucan builds its nest in the holes of trees;
that are either formed by itself, or that from acci-
dent it meets with ; and no bird, says M. de Buffon,
better secures its young from external injury. It has
not only birds, men, and serpents, to guard against ;
but a numerous train of monkies, still more prying,
mischievous, and hungry, than all the rest. The
toucan, however, sits in its hole, defending the
entrance with its great beak , and if the monkey
ventures to offer a visit of curiosity, the toucan gives
him such a welcome, that he is soon glad to escape
with safety
The red-bellied toucan is said to be in great re-
quest in South America ; both from the delicacy of its
flesh, and on account of the beauty of its plumage,
particularly the feathers of the breast. The skin of
this part the Indians pluck off, and, when dry, glue
to their cheeks : they consider these an irresistable
addition to their beauty.
In several parts of South America these birds have
the name of preacher toucan; from the habit of
having one of this flock perched at the top of a tree,
above its companions, while they are asleep. This
makes a continued noise resembling ill-articulated
sounds, moving its head during the time to the right
and left, in order, it is said, to deter birds of prey from
seizing on them.
su mi hai og 16
1. dan niet dat del
VOL. I.

162
YELLOW-BREASTED TOUCAN, &c.
no video
YELLOW-BREASTED TOUCAN.
;
The Indians of Cayenne does not think himself
completely dressed, till he has the skin and feathers
of the neck of this bird glued upon each cheek :
then he fancies himself irresistible. The head, upper
part of the body, the wings and tail of this species
are black : the throat of a lively orange ; below the
throat there is a band of red more or less large. The
bill is black, with a bluish stroke along its summit
the whole length; which, in this species, is only
about five inches. The tail is six inches long; and
the head, neck, and body nine. It is only the male
that carries beautiful yellow feathers upon the breast;
the female being white in that part. This species
is said to feed upon pepper, which it devours so
greedily, and in such quantities, that it voids it indi-
gested. This, however, deters not the natives from
using it again ; they even prefer it to that pepper
which is fresh gathered from the tree ; and seem
persuaded that the strength and heat of the pepper
are qualified by its residence in the body of the
bird, and that all its noxious powers are thus ex-
hausted.
TUCANA, OR BRAZILLIAN TOUCAN.
The head and upper side of the wings and tail,
are black ; the throat orange ; belly blackish ;
under tail-coverts red; bill black, striped lengthways
with blue, and surrounded at the base by a pretty
broad bar, sometimes yellow, and sometimes white ;
the nostrils are concealed in the feathers of the root:
legs bluish. Length of the bird nineteen inches, of
which the bill occupies four and a half, and the tail
six.

COLLARED TOUCAN, &e.
163
COLLARED TOUCAN
The bill is seven inches long, the upper mandi-
ble white and indented, and the lower black; the
eyes black ; the iris reddish-yellow; head and up-
per part of the neck black, latter surrounded by a
red collar, below which the upper side of the neck
continues black, and the under side whitish sprin-
kled with red spots and small black lines; the tail
and wings are also black ; the belly, and legs are
red; the feet of a greenish ash-colour ; and the
nails black. It frequents the sea shore, and lives on
fish. Inhabits Mexico.
PAVONINE TOUCAN.
Size and shape of a parrot ; plumage green,
spotted with red; the legs and feet black and short;
the bill four inches long : it is variegated with yel-
low and black. Inhabits the sea coast in the hottest
parts of Mexico.
ARACARI TOUCAN.
Its plumage is green ; the bar on its belly, the
vent, and the rump are red; its belly bright yellow.
It inhabits Brazil, and is very common in Guiana,
where it is called gei-gri, because that word expres-
ses its short shrill note. It has the same natural ha-
bits as the other toucans; it also inhabits the swamps,
and lodges among the palm-trees.
GREEN TOUCAN.
The head, throat, and neck are black; the upper
parts dull green ; the rump red; the breast and
belly yellow ; under tail, coverts, and feathers of

164
PIPERINE TOUCAN, &c.?
the legs olive-yellow variegated with red and tawny;
the eyes are large, the irides yellow; the bill four
inches and a quarter long, an inch and a quarter
high, and of a harder texture than the bill of the
other toucans; the feet blackish green, very short,
and the toes very long ; the whole length of the
bird, including the bill and tail, sixteen inches.
Inhabits Cayenne.
PIPERINE TOUCAN.
This is rather smaller than the preceding, and
its bill shorter in proportion ; the head, the throat,
the neck, and breast are black; on the upper side of
the neck there is a yellow narrow half collar; there
is also a spot of the same colour on each side of the
head behind the eyes ; the back, rump, and wings
are of a fine green ; as is also the belly, but varie-
gated with blackish; the bill is red at the base, and
black through the rest ; the eyes are encircled by a
naked bluish membrane. Inhabits Cayenne.
BLACK-BILLED TOUCAN.
This species is as large as a pigeon ; its bill is
thick, black, and hooked ; its eyes are black, but
the iris is yellow; the wings and tail are variegated
with black and white ; a black bar rises from the
bill and extends on each side of the breast. The
top of the wing is yellow ; and the rest of the body
yellowish white; the legs and the feet are brown,
and the nails whitish.
BLUE TOUCAN.
Size of a common pigeon'; bill large and indent-
ed': yellow above and yellowish black below; all
its plumage variegated with ash coloured and blue.

TOCO, OR WHITE-PREASTED TOUCAN, &c.
165
b Toco, OR WHITE-BREASTED TOUCAN.
The body of this bird is nine inches long, include
ing the head and tail; its bill is seven inches and a
half; the head, the upper side of the neck, the back,
the rump, the wings, the whole tail, the breast and
the belly are deep black; the coverts of the upper
side of the tail are white, and those of the under side
are fine red; the under side of the neck and throat
are white, mixed with a little yellow : between this
yellow below the throat and the back of the breast,
there is a small red circle; the base of the two man-
dibics is black; the rest of the lower mandible is
reddish yellow; the upper mandible is of the same
reddish yellow colour, as far as two thirds of its
length; the rest of this mandible is black to the
point; the wings are short, and reach hardly the
third of the tail; the feet and nails are black,
MOTMOT TRIBE.
This tribe consists of but a single species, which
was considered by Linnæus, as belonging to the
Toucans.
Мотмот.
Of this species, there are two varieties. The first
is of a bright green, above; below, of a more ob-
scure shade of the same colour : it is about the size
of a pie, being about seventeen inches from the top
of the bill to that of the tail. The bill is of a conic
shape, bent a little downwards, and serrated upon
a

166
MOTMOT.
the edges of both mandibles. The toes are three
before, and one behind ; the fore toes closely united
almost the whole length. The other variety is more
variegated in its colours : both are distinguished
from all other birds, by having the two middle fea-
thers of the tail quite naked of their vanes, for about
an inch, at a small distance from their extremity.
Some have imagined that this nakedness of the
feathers of the tail of this bird, was not the produc-
tion of nature, but was owing to the caprice of the
animal in tearing away the vanes from that part of
the stalk which is seen bare. In the young of this
genus, however, naturalists observed that the vanes
of these feathers were quite entire, and that, as they
advanced to their adult state, they gradually grow
shorter and shorter, till at last, in old age, they alto-
gether disappeared.
These birds inhabit South America : they are
very difficult to tame, because they live upon insects,
which cannot easily be procured suitable to their
taste. They are extremely shy and timid, when old ;
and, if then in captivity, invariably refuse all kinds
of food. From their solitary habits, they never go
in flocks, nor even in pairs; and are hardly ever seen
but in the midst of large forests, where they hop
among the lower branches, or upon the ground.
They are almost altogether incapable of flight, and
therefore generally build their nests upon the ground,
in the deserted holes of some of the smaller quadru-
peds. The nest consists of a few withered blades of
grass, on which they deposite their eggs to the num-
ber of two. The nostrils are covered with small
black feathers, and some black bristles pointing for-
wards round the upper mandible. The upper part
and sides of the bill are encompassed with a black
band, from which run black lines through the eyes,
and broader black lists mixed with a little blue, from
the corners of the mouth down the sides of the neck.

HORNBILL TRIBE.
167
The top of the head is of an ultramarine blue,
though next the bill inclining to sea-green; in the
middle of this blue space on the crown of the head is
a black spot. Another spot of black feathers edged
with blue, is placed on the forepart of the neck, a
little below the throat. The eyes are yellowish ;
upper part of the plumage parrot green, inclining
to bull beneath. On the neck behind, is a red as-
cent. The greater quills are blue with dusky tips,
a few of the first row of coverts above them are also
blue ; a few of the quills next the tail are green.
The coverts within side of the wings are of a yellow-
ish brown : the inside of the quills, dark ash-colour.
The tail feathers are of a fine blue, green at their
origin and tipped with black.
HORNBILL TRIBE.
BUFFON in describing this singular race of birds,
has given full scope to his fancy. He expresses him-
self in nearly the following words, which we tran-
scribe for their eloquence of his remarks, without
making ourselves answerable for their strict pro-
priety
Many of the more deformed and disproportioned
quadrupeds, as well as birds, perish almost as soon
as they enter upon life, from their jarring and in-
convenient organization. The duration and life of
these imperfect and debiliated beings, depend on
their solitude, and can only be maintained amid the
desert, far from man and the more powerful animals.
The beak of the horn-bill, far from being in propor-
tion to its size, or useful from its structure, is a per-
nicious load to the bird who bears it. The whole of

168
RHINOCEROS HORNBILL.
a
:
mon crow.
nature does not furnish another example of a weapon
of such magnitude, attended with so little effect.
The point of it, like that of a lever too far removed
from the fulcrum, takes but a feeble hold : it is of a
substance so soft, that its edges are continually bro-
ken down by the least resistance. The two mandi-
bles of that species, properly called the rhinoceros,
only touch at the point ; all the intermediate space
remains open, as if they had not been formed for
each other. Far from being fitted for constant use,
the hill seems destroyed by its first application, and
remains, for ever after, useless for the purposes for
which it is destined. M. Buffon describes one he
had from Podincherry, which lived in Paris the
whole of the year 1777. It was larger than a com-
Its beak was eight inches long, bent
down at the top: above it, there arose a false beak
like an horn. This extended from the base two in-
ches along the true beak; its height .was upwards
of two inches. The beak, and its horn above it,
were four inches in depth. The false beak was black
from the point till near its origin, where it was of a
whitish yellow, like the true one. The eye of this
bird was of a brownish red, and full of fire and ani-
mation when the animal was in motion. In general,
the figure, gait, and manner of this bird, were com-
pounds of those of the jay, crow, and pie kinds. The
feathers of the head, hack, and wings, were black,
with a faint reflection of violet and green. There are
different species of this monstrous race found in A-
byssinia, the Philippine isles, the Moluccas, Manilla,
Malabar, and Senegal."
RHINOCEROS HORNBILL.
This bird was seen by Bontius in the island of
Java; it is larger than the European raven ; its
form, he asserts, is ugly, and its smell abominable.

BLACK-BILLED HORNBILL:
169
a
Its plumage is quite black; and, above the upper
mandible, there arises an excrescence of an horny
substance, which points forwards, and towards the
top bends back like an horn. It is of the enormous
size of eight inches in length, by four in breadth at
the base. It is of a red and yellow colour, and as if
divided into two parts by a black line extending from
the top to the base.
These birds live upon flesh and carrion ; they fol-
low therefore commonly the track of those who hunt
boars and wild cows, that they may devour the intes-
tines of these animals, when they are killed and cut
to pieces by the hunters. This the hunters are
obliged to do, otherwise they would not be able to
carry along with them such large game; and, were
they to leave it hehind, it would infallibly be carried
off by these rapácious birds.
When left to provide for themselves, the horned
pies only chace råts and mice ; and they are some-
times reared by the natives for that purpose. Be-
fore eating a mouse, this bird flattens and softens its
whole body by squeezing it hard in its bill ; it then
swallows it whole, by tossing it up into the air, and
allowing it to fall down into its large throat. This
is the only manner in which this bird is permitted to
take food by the largeness of its bill, and the small-
ness of its tongue, which lies concealed at the bottom
of the bill, and almost in the throat.
BLACK-BILLED HORNDILL.
This bird has a very large bill, fashioned like a
sickel, but without any excrescence.
It inhabits the
hottest parts of Africa, where the negroes give it the
name of toch. It is about the size of a magpie. The
young bird differs much from the adult, for its bill
is black, its plumage ash-grey. but when older, the
bill becomes red, and the plumage blackish on the
VOL. I.
Z

170
MANILLA HORNRILL.
upper side of the body, on the wings, and on the
tail; and whitish quite round the head, on the neck,
and on all the lower parts of the body; it is also said
that the legs are originally black, and grow after-
wards reddish. These birds which are pretty com-
mon in Senegal, are very simple when young : they
will suffer any person to approach and catch them
with the hand, and they are not frighted by the ex-
plosion of a gun. They become more cautious with
age, and seek for refuge on the highest parts of the
trees, while the young ones remain on the lowest
branches, and on the bushes, and continue perfectly
still, their head being sunk between their shoulders,
so that the bill only is seen. The young birds sel-
dom fly, whereas the old ones pursue a lofty and ra-
pid course. The young are most numerous in the
months of August and September, when they appear
as tame as if they had been reared in the house.
But this conduct proceeds from their stupidity, for
they do not ever pick up the food that is thrown to
them, and it must be put in their bill: which affords
a presumption that their parents are obliged to main-
tàin them for a great length of time. In their wild
state they feed on fruits, but when domesticated will
eat bread, and swallow almost any thing that is offer-
ed them.
a
MANILLA HORNBILL.
This bird is rather larger than the preceding,
being twenty inches in length ; its bill two inches
and a half long, and less curved, sharp at the edges
and very pointed ; above this there is a prominent
light festoon, adhering to the upper mandible
the head and neck are white, stained with yellow-
ish, and waned with brown; there is a black spot on
each side of the head; the upper side of the body
in blackish brown with some white fringes wrought
a

PANAYAN HORNBILL.
171
slightly in the quills of the wing; the under side of
the body is dirty white, the tail feathers are blackish
brown, barred with red.
* ) )
57 រ បានបំ
PANAYAN HORNBILL.
SOBOT
This species is nearly of the size of the great Eu-
ropean raven, rather longer and narrower shaped ;
its bill is very long and arched, indented along its
edges above and below, terminated by a sharp point,
and depressed at its sides : it is furrowed up and
down, or across two thirds of its length; the convex
part of these furrows is brown, and the concave
spaces are of the colour orpiment; the rest of the
bill near the point, is thin and brown; at the root
of the bill, there rises upwards an excrescence of the
same horny substance, flat at the sides, sharp above,
and cut at right angles before ; this excrescence ex-
tends along the bill to its middle, where it terminates,
and its uniform height is equal to half the breadth
of the bill; the eye is encircled by a brown mem-
brane devoid of feathers; the eye lid bears a ring
of hard, short, stiff bristles, which forms real eye-
lashes; the iris is whitish ; in the male, the head
and neck, the back, and the wings are greenish black,
changing into bluish, according to the position. In
the female, the head and neck are white, except a
broad triangular spot, which extends from the base
of the bill, below and behind the eye, as far as the
middle of the neck across the sides; this spot is dark
green, fluctuating like the neck and back in the
male : the female has also the neck and wings of the
same colour as in the male ; the top of the breast in
both sexes is of a light brown red; the belly, the
thighs, and the rump, are equally of a deep brown
red; they both have ten quills in the tail, of which
the upper two thirds are ofa misty yellow,and the lower
third is a black transverse bar; the feet are lead
a

172
HYDROCORAX, OR INDIAN HORNBILL, &c.
colour, and composed of four toes, one of which is
directed behind, and three before ; the middle one
is connected to the outer toe as far as the third joint,
and to the inner toe as far as the first only.
HYDROCORAX, OR INDIAN HORNBILL.
:
The Indian hornbill is two feet four inches long;
of which the bill occupies eight inches, while the legs
are only two inches long; the bill is two inches and
a half thick at its origin; it is of a blackish ash co-
lour, and supports a solid borny excrescence; this
excrescence is flat before, and rounded towards the
upper side of the head ; it has large black eyes; the
aspect is disagreeable; the sides of the head, the
wings, and the throat, are black; and that part of the
throat is surrounded with a white bar; the tail fea-
thers are whitish grey; the rest of the plumage is
variegated with brown, grey, blackish, and tawny;
the feet are brown-grey; the bill blackish. They
are particularly destructive to nutmegs, the feeding
upon which, gives an aromatic odour to their flesh,
which renders it more grateful to the palate.
a
PIED HORNBILL.
The length of this bird is two feet ten inches; and
its bulk exceeds that of the raven. Its bill is eight
inches long, and two thick, and bent from the strait
position ; a second bill, if it may be so called, sets
like a horn; close to the first follows its curvature,
and is extended from the base to within two inches of
the point of the bill. This horn has the shape of a
true bill, truncated and close at the extremity : but
the punction is marked by a very perceptible furrow
drawn near the middle and following all the curvature
of this false bill, which does not adhere to the skull,
but its back part which rises on the head, is still

PIED HORNBILL.
)
173
a
a
more extraordinary; it is naked, fleshy, and covered
with quick skin, through which this parasite member
receives the nutritious juices.
The true bill terminates in a blunt point ; it is
strong and consists of a horny, and almost bony
substance extended in laminac, and we may perceive
the layers and undulations; the false bill is much
thinner, and may be bent even by the fingers ; it
is of a light substance, disposed internally in little
cells, which Edwards compares to that of a honey
comb. The false bill is black from the point to three
inches behind, and there is a line of the same black
at its origin, and also at the root of the true bill;
all the rest is yellowish white. A white folded skin
meets the root of the true bill above on both sides,
and is inserted near the corners of the bill, in the
black skin that encircles the eyes; the eye-lid is
bordered with long lashes arched behind ; the eye
is red brown, and grows animated and sparkles when
the bird is in motion ; the head which appears small
in proportion to the enormous bill which it bears,
resembles much in its shape that of the jay ; in ge-
neral, the figure, the gestures, and whole form of
this bird, appears to be composed of the features and
movements of the jay, the raven, and the magpie.
These resemblances have struck most observers, and
hence the bird has been called the Indian raven, the
horned crow, the horned pie of Ethiopia, &c.
The feathers on the head and neck are black,
which it has the power of bristling; those of the
back and wings are also black, with a slight reflec-
tion of violet and green. On some of the coverts of
the wings, there is an edging irregularly trased, and
the feathers seem bunched out like those of the jay:
the stomach and belly are of a dirty white ; among
the great quills of the wings, which are black, the
outer ones only at the point; the tail consists of six
white quills black at the root; and four which from

174
AFRICAN HORNBILL, &c.
their shafts are entirely black; the legs are black,
thick, and strong, and covered with broad scales;
the nails which are long but not sharp, seem calcu-
lated for holding and clenching. This bird hops
with both feet at once, forward and sideways, like
the jay and magpie, but does not walk. When at
rest, its head seems to recline on its shoulders ;
when disturbed by surprize, it assumes an air of
boldness and importance. This bird will eat lettuce,
and other vegetables, swallow raw flesh, catch rats,
and devour small birds alive. It often repeats a
boarse cry, and sometimes another much feebler, and
exactly the clucking of a turkey-hen when she leads
her brood. It will spread and open its wings to the
sun, but shudders, at a passing cloud, or a slight
breeze.
AFRICAN HORNBILL.
This is a very large species, as its head and bill
make together eighteen inches in length; the latter
is varied with red and yellow, and edged with black;
at the upper part of the bill, there is a horny excres-
cence black and large : the forepart of this is almost
straight, and does not bend upward ; the hind part
is rounded, and covers the top of the head; the nos-
trils are placed below this excrescence, near the ori-
gin of the bill; the plumage is entirely black.
ABYSSINIAN HORNBILL.
The bill of this species is nine inches long, and
bears a semicircular prominence, that reaches from
its root, to near the front: two inches and a half in diam-
eter, and one inch and a quarter broad at its base over
the eyes; this excrescence is of the same substance with
the bill, but thinner, and yields under the fingers ;
the height of the bill taken vertically, and joined to

PHILIPPINE HORNBILL.
175
.
that of its horn, is three inches and a half. The to-
tal length of the bird is three feet two inches; its
plumage is black, except the primaries, which are
white, and the secondaries, and a part of the coverts,
which are of a deep tawny brown. The feet mea-
sure five inches and a half ; the three fore toes are
almost equal, the hind one is very long ; both feet
and legs are covered with blackish scales ; the nails
are strong, but neither hooked nor sharp. On each
side of the upper mandible, near its origin, is a red-
dish spot; the eye-lids are provided with long lashes;
a naked skin of violet brown encircles the eyes, and
covers the throat, and part of the foreside of the
neck.
a
PAILIPPINE HORNBILL.
This bird according to Brisson, is of the size
of the turkey-hen, but has a much larger head, which
is requisite to support a bill nine inches long, and
two inches and nearly three quarters thick, and
which carries on the upper mandible, an excrescence
six inches long, and three inches broad : this ex-
crescence is a little concave on the upper part, and
the two anterior angles appear like a double horn :
it extends rounding on the upper part of the head;
the nostrils are placed near the origin of the bill;
below this excrescence, both bill and excrescence
are of a reddish colour. The head, throat, neck,
upper side of the body, and superior coverts of the
wings and tail, are black; the underside is white,
quills black and marked with a white spot; the two
outward tail feathers are white; the legs are green-
ish. It inhabits the Philippine islands, and the
East Indies. It has a cry more like a hog or a calf,
than a bird. The gentoos adore it as a god. It
lives chiefly in the woods, feeding on wild figs, al-
mands, and pistachio nuts, which it swallows whole,
a
a

176 ROUND-HELMETTED HORNBILL, &c
and after digesting the external parts, it brings up
the nuts again whole, without the kernels being da-
maged or unfit for vegetation.
ROUND-HELMETTED HORNBILL.
This is a large and strong species; the bill is six
inches long, almost straight, and not indented; from
the middle of the upper mandible, rises a sort of
wen, 'shaped like a helmet ; two inches high. In-
habits India.
.
BEEF-EATER TRIBE.
The distinguishing characters of this genus are,
bill straight, and somewhat quadrangular ; mandi-
bles swelling; and entire feet, proper for walk-
ing.
AFRICAN BEEF-EATER.
Tus bird is not larger than the crested lark ;
and its wings extend only fourteen inches. Its plu-
mage is greyish brown above, and greyish yellow
below. The bill varies in colour in different speci-
mens, but in all, is nearly square; and the points of
the two mandibles, are reflected in a contrary direc-
tion. The tail gradually tapers, and the twelve
quills of which it consists, all of them terminate in a
sharp point. The first joint of the outer toe is closely
connected to that of the middle toe. They are very
fond of certain worms, or the larvæ of insects,
which lodge under the spidermis in oxen. They
alight on the backs of these animals, and pierce

ANI TRIBE
177
the skin with their bills, to extract these worms, and
hence have derived their name.
ANI TRIBE.
:
This remarkable tribe of birds is distinguished by
the following characters : the bill is thin, compres-
sed, almost oval-arched and heel-shaped on the ridge:
the upper mandibles angled at hotă margins; nos-
trils round, pervious; the tongue, flat and pointed as
the end.
They principally inhabit the West India islands,
and the neighbouring parts of South America.
They cannot withstand the violence of the wind, but
are destroyed in great numbers by the hurricanes ;
they inhabit cultivated grounds, and are never found
in the forests. Their favourite food consists of
grains, and fruits, but when reduced to want, they
will eat insects. They have not properly a song,
but rather a whistling or chirping ; sometimes this
becomes more varied, but is always harsh and disa-
greeable. If the bird perceive a cat, or any other
dangerous animal, it informs its companions by a
very distinct scream, which it prolongs or repeats,
unless its apprehensions are quieted ; its fears are
most remarkable when it has young, for then it flut-
ters and beats about its nest. These birds live in
society, though they do not form such large flocks as
the stares ; they seldom part from one another, and
previous to their hatching, several males and females
are seen labouring together at the construction of
the nest, and afterwards the females hatch beside
each other, each setting on her eggs and rearing
her young. They breed in shrubs, coffee-trees,
VOL. I.
A a

178
ANI TRIBE.
bushes, and hedges, placing their nest at the
division of the stem into branches. When
several females associate together, the one readiest to
lay, does not wait till the nest be completed, but sits
on her eggs, while the rest are employed in enlarg-
ing the fabric. They employ a precaution which is
unusual with other birds : that is, to cover their eggs
with leaves, and grass stalks ; as fast as they lay
them, and during incubation, they cover their eggs
in the same manner, if they are obliged to leave them
in quest of food. The females which thus hatch be-
side each other, are not quarrelsome, but take their
stations quietly and in order; some however, before
they lay, make a partition in the nest, with stalks of
herbs to keep their eggs separate; but if the eggs
happen to be jumbled together, one female hatches
them indiscriminately; she collects them, heaps
them, and covers the whole with leaves, so as to dif-
fuse the heat equally, and prevent its dissipation.
Each female lays several eggs; they build their nest
very solid, though made with the small stems of fi-
brous plants, the branches of the citron-tree, and
other shrubs; the inside only is covered with tender
leaves, that soon wither, and upon this bed the eggs
are deposited. The nests are wide and much raised
at the margin ; sometimes the diameter is more than
eighteen inches, but its size depends on the number
of females which it is destined to receive. It would
be difficult to decide with accuracy, whether all the
females contained in the same nest, have each their
male, or whether they all form one family. The
eggs are as large as those of a pigeon ; they are of
an uniform sea-green colour, and have none of those
little spots on the ends which are usual on the eggs
of most wild birds. The young ones are gentle and
easily tamed, and it is said, that if taken young, they
may be taught to speak, though their tongue is flat
;

SAVANNA ANI.
179
and pointed, while that of the parrot is fleshy, thick,
and round.
The same concord which appears ducing incuba.
tion, continues after the broods are hatched; when
the mothers have covered their young ones together,
they feed successively all the little family. The
males assist in bringing supplies, but when the fe-
males hatch separately, they rear all their young
apart, yet without showing any jealousy or ill tem-
per, they carry the food by turns, and the young
ones receive it from all the mothers. The nature of
the food depends upon the season, sometimes con-
sisting of insects, and sometimes of fruits and grains.
In a few weeks the young ones are able to try their
wings, but they do not venture far; soon afterwards
they perch beside their parents upon the bushes, and
then are exposed to the ravages of the birds of prey.
The Ani is an inoffensive bird; it does not plunder
the rice plantations, like the blackbird, it does not
feed upon the nuts of the cocoa-tree, like the wood-
pecker, nor does it consume the patches of millet,
like the parrots and parakeets.
SAVANNA ANI.
a
Tus species is about the bulk of a blackbird, but
about twenty inches long, of which the tail occupies
seven; the bill, legs, and plumage are black, except
a small edge of deep shining green, which borders
the feathers on the upper part of the back and wing
coverts. As they are not much alarmed by the ex-
plosion of a gun, it is easy to kill them in great num-
bers one after another, but they are in no request,
for their flesh cannot be eaten, having a strong taste,
and an offensive smell.

180
MANGROVE ANI, &c.
MANGROVE ANI.
Tus bird much resembles the preceding; but has
a longer tail, and a little more green in its plumage.
They constantly seek the groves, as the others do
the open country, but in other respects, their man-
ners are perfectly the same, unless that this feeds
more upon fruits, and the former upon insects.
WATTLE-BIRD TRIBE.
The distinguishing characters of this genus, are
as follow: bill curved, vaulted ; under mandible,
shorter and furnished with nails at the base ; nos-
trils flat, half covered by a somewhat cartilaginous
membrane; the tongue is somewhat cartilaginous,
notched and hairy at the end.
ASH-COLOURED WATTLE-BIRD.
و
LENGTH fifteen inches ; dark ash colour. Walks
on the ground, and seldom perches on trees. It has
a piping, or murmuring voice; and its flesh is nutri-
tive and well tasted. Inhabits New Zealand.
CROW TRIBE.
Few animals are more generally dispersed over
the world, than the different species of crow; some

RAVEN.
181
of them being found in almost every climate. They
are very prolific, clamorous, and in common, suffi-
ciently social to unite in flocks. Most of them make
their nest in trees, and the number of young that
they produce, is five or six. They feed promiscu-
ously on animal and vegetable substance.
They have a strong bill, with the upper mandible
a little bent, the edges sharp, and in general, a small
notch near the tip. The nostrils are covered with
bristles reflecting over them; and the tongue is di-
vided at the end. The toes are placed three forward
and one backward ; the middle one joined to the
outer one as far as the first joint.
RAVEN.
This bird is the largest of the present genus, as
its length is above two feet, and its breadth four.
Its bill is black, strong, and very thick at the base :
it measures somewhat more than two inches and a
half in length, it has the appearance of a tooth on
each side, and is covered with strong hairs or bris-
tles, which extend above half its length; the general
colour of the upper parts is a fine glossy black, re-
flecting a blue teint in particular lights; the under
3
parts are duller and of a dusky hue.
In the Ferroe Isles there is a black and white
breed, which are said not to associate with the com-
mon kind.
They are very numerous in Greenland, and the
northern parts of Europe, where they frequent the
tents of the natives, and feed on the offals of seals.
It preys in concert with the white bear, arctic fox,
and eagle, and devours eggs, the fish which frequent
the shore, and shell fishes, which last, it drops from
on high to break the shell and obtain the fish. It
appears to have great command of wing, as it readily
turns round in the air and without loss of time

182
RAVEN.
а.
changes its prey from its bill, to its talons, or vice versa
by way of ease. It builds on high rocks, the male
sitting by day, and the female by night. They show
great affection to their young, and delight to hear
their croaking echoed by the rocks. Its flesh is
eaten by the natives of Greenland.
Its history is thus ably and elegantly written by
Dr. Goldsmith.
“The raven is a bird found in every region of the
world; strong and hardy, he is uninfluenced by the
changes of the weather; and when other birds seem
numbed with cold, or pining with famine, the raven
is active and healthy, busily employed in prowling.
for prey, or sporting in the coldest atmosphere.
As the heats at the line do not oppress him, so he
bears the cold of the polar countries with equal in-
difference. He is sometimes indeed scen milk white;
and this may probably be the effect of the rigorous
climates of the north. It is most likely that this
change is wrought upon him as upon most other ani-
mals in that part of the world, where their robes,
particularly in water, assume the colour of the coun-
try where they inhabit. As in old age, when the
natural heat decays, the hair grows grey, and at last
white, so among these animals the cold of the climate
máy produce a similar languishment of colour, and
may shut up those pores that conveyed the tinctur-
ing fluids to the extremest parts of the body.
However this may be, white ravens are often
shown among us, which I have heard some say, are
rendered thus by art'; and this we could readily sup.
pose if they were as easily changed in their colour as
they are altered in their habits and dispositions. A
raven may be reclaimed to almost every purpose to
which hirds can be converted. He may be trained
up for fowling like a hawk; he may be taught to
fetch and carry like a spaniel ; he may be taught to
speak like a parrot; but the most extraordinary of

RAVEN.
183
all is, that he can be taught to sing like a man.
bave heard a raven sing the “Black Joke" with great
distinctness, truth, and humour.
Indeed, when the raven is taken as a domestic, he
has many qualities that render him extremely amus-
ing. Busy, inquisitive, and impudent, he goes every
where, affronts and drives off the dogs, plays his
pranks on the poultry, and is particularly assiduous
in cultivating the good will of the cook-maid, who
seems to be the favourite of the family. But then,
with the amusing qualities of a favourite, he often
also has the vices and defects. He is a glutton by
nature, and a thief by habit. He does not confine
himself to petty depredations on the pantry or the
larder; he soars at more magnificent plunder ; at
spoils that he can neither exhibit nor enjoy ; but
which, like a miser, he rests satisfied with having the
satisfaction of sometimes visiting and contemplating
in secret. A piece of money, a tea-spoon, or a ring,
are always tempting baits to his avarice; these he
will slily seize upon, and, if not watched, will carry
to his favourite hole.
In his wild state, the raven is an active and greedy
plunderer. Nothing comes amiss to him ; whether
his prey he living or long dead it is all the same, he
falls to with a voracious appetite ; and when he has
gorged himself, flies to acquaint his fellows that they
may participate of the spoil. If the carcase be al-
ready in the possession of some more powerful ani-
mal, a wolf, a fox, or a dog, the raven sits at a little
distance, content to continue a humble spectator till
they have done. If in his flights he perceives no
hopes of carrion, and his scent is so exquisite that
he can smell it at a vast distance, he then contents
himself with more unsavory food, fruits, insects, and
the accidental desert of a dunghill.
This bird chiefly builds its nest in trees, and lays
five or six eggs of a pale green colour, marked with
a

184
RAVEN.
small brownish spots. They live sometimes in
pairs, and sometimes they frequent, in great num-
bers, the neighbourhood of populous cities, where
they are useful in devouring those carcases that
would otherwise putrify and infect the air. They
build in high trees or old towers, in the beginning of
March with us in England, and sometimes sooner,
as the spring is more or less advanced for the season.
But it is not always near towns that they fix their
retreats: they often build in unfrequented places,
and drive all other birds from their vicinity. They
will not permit even their young to keep in the same
district, but drive them off when they are sufficiently
able to shift for themselves. Martin, in his descrip-
tion of the Western Isles, avers, that there are three
little islands among the number, which are occupied
by a pair of ravens each, that drive off all other birds
with great cries and impetuosity.
Notwithstanding the injury these birds do in
picking out the eyes of sheep and lambs, when they
find them sick and helpless, a vulgar respect is paid
them as being the birds that fed the prophet Elijah
in the wilderness. This prepossession in favour of
the raven is of very antient date, as the Romans them-
selves, who thought the bird ominous, paid it, from
motives of fear, the most profound veneration. One
of these that had been kept in the temple of Castor,
as Pliny informs us, flew down into the shop of a
tailor, who took much delight in the visits of his new
acquaintance. He taught the bird several tricks ;
but particularly to pronounce the name of the em-
peror Tiberius, and the whole royal family. This
tailor was beginning to grow rich by those who came
to see this wonderful raven, till an envious neigh-
bour, displeased at the tailor's success, killed the
bird, and deprived the tailor of his future hopes of
fortune. The Romans, however, took the poor
tailor's part; they punished the man who offered the

GREENWINGED - ID OVIE
que


RAVEN:
185
injury, and gave the raven all the honours of a mag-
nificent interment.
Birds in general live longer than quadrupeds :
and the raven is said to be one of the most long lived
of the number. Hesiod asserts, that a raven will
live nine times as long as a man; but though this is
fabulous, it is certain that some of them have been
known to live near a hundred years. This animal
seems possessed of those qualities that generally
produce longevity, a good appetite and great exer-
cise. In clear weather, the ravens fly in pairs to a
great height, making a deep loud noise, different from
that of their usual croaking."
Of the perseverance of the raven in the act of in-
cubation, Mr. White has related the following sin-
gular anecdote: "In the centre of a grove near Sel-
borne, there stood an oak, which, though shapely
and tall on the whole, bulged out into a large excres-
cence near the middle of the stem. On this tree a
pair of ravens had fixed their residence for such a
series of years, that the oak was distinguished by the
title of “the raven-tree.” Many were the attempts
-
of the neighbouring youths to get at this eyry: the
difficulty whetted their inclinations, and each was
ambitious of surmounting the arduous task ; but,
when they arrived at the swelling, it jutted out so in
their way, and was so far beyond their grasp, that
the boldest lads were deterred, and acknowledged
the undertaking to be too hazardous. Thus the
ravens continued to build, nest upon nest, in perfect
security ; till the fatal day arrived on which the
wood was to be levelled. This was in the month of
February, when those birds usually sit. The saw
was applied to the trunk, the wedges were inserced
into the opening, the woods echoed to the heavy
blows of the beetle or mallet, the tree nodded to its
fall; but still the dam persisted to sit. At last, when
it gave way, the bird was flung from her nest; and,
Bb

186
INDIAN RAVEN, &c.
а
though her parental affection deserved a better fate,
was whipped down by the twigs, which brought her
dead to the ground.”
Le Vaillant found a variety of the raven, differing
from ours in size only, and the greater curvature of
its beak, in Saldanha-bay, at the Cape of Good
Hope ; where he informs us it unites in large flocks,
often attacking and killing the young antelopes.
Its faculty of scent must be very acute, for in the
coldest of the winter days at Hudson's Bay, buffaloes
and other beasts have been killed, where none of
these birds were seen, but in a few hours, scores of
them would gather about the spot, to pick up the
offal and blood.
The flesh of the raven is eaten in Greenland.
They likewise use their skins sewed together, as an
inner garment, and form the split quills into fishing
lines. The quills are much used in this country for
tuning of harpsichords.
INDIAN RAVEN.
This bird is found in the Molucca islands, and re-
sembles the raven in its general appearance, though
the neck is rather longer, and it has a slight protu-
berance toward the base of the bill. It feeds on nut-
megs, which communicate a pleasant aromatic fla-
your to its flesh.
CARRION CROW.
THE carrion crow is less than the raven ; but is
similar to it in colour, external appearance, and in
many of its habits. These birds live chiefly in pairs,
in the woods, where they build their nests on the
trees. The female lays five or six eggs, much like
those of the raven; and, while sitting, is always fed
by the male, They feed on putrid flesh of all sorts ;

CARRI N CROW
a
187
as well as on worms, insects, and various kinds of
grain. Like the ravens, they will sometimes pick
out the eyes of weak lambs when just dropped.
They also do much mischief in rabbit-warrens, by
devouring the young rabbits; and chickens and
young ducks do not always escape their attacks.
“ We once saw this bird (says Mr. Montagu) in
pursuit of a pigeon, at which it made several
pounces like a hawk; but the pigeon, escaped by
flying in at the door of a house. We have also
seen it strike a pigeon dead, from the top of a barn."
It is so bold a bird, that neither the kite, the buzzard,
nor the raven, approaches its nest without being at-
tacked and driven away. When it has young it
will even insult the peregrine falcon, and at one
pounce frequently brings that bird to the ground.
When poultry hens lay their eggs in hedge-bot-
toms or stack-yards, crows are often caught in the
act of devouring them. On the northern coast of
Ireland, a friend of Dr. Darwin saw above a hundred
crows at once preying upon muscles : each crow
took a muscle up in the air twenty or forty yards
high, and let it fall on the stones, and thus, by break-
ing the shell, got possession of the animal. It is re-
lated that a certain ancient philosopher, walking
along the sea-shore to gather shells, one of these
unlucky birds mistaking his bald head for a stone,
dropped a shell-fish upon it, and killed at once a phi-
losopher and an oister.
The familiarity and audacity of the crows in some
parts of the East is astonishing. They frequent the
courts of the houses belonging to the Europeans
and, as the servants are carrying in dinner, will
alight on the dishes, and fly away with the meat, if
not driven off hy persons who attend with sticks for
that purpose.
In some parts of North America they are extreme-
ly numerous, and destroy the 'new-sown maize by

198
CARRION CROW
pulling it out of the ground and devouring it. The
ripening plants they also injure very greatly ; pick-
ing a hole in the leaves which surround the ears, and
thus exposing them to corruption by letting in the
rain. The inhabitants of Pensylvania and New
Jersy allowed a reward of threepence or fourpence
a head for destroying them ; but the law was soon
repealed, on account of the expence which it brought
upon the public treasury.
There are at present more of these birds bred in
England than in any other country in Europe. In
the reign of Henry VIII., crows had become so nu-
merous, and were thought so prejudicial to the far-
mer, that they were considered an evil worthy of
parliamentary redress; and an act was passed for
their destruction, in which also rooks and choughs
were included. Every hamlet was ordered to destroy
a certain number of crow's nests for ten successive
years; and the inhabitants were compelled to as-
semble at stated times during that period, in order to
consult on the most proper and effectual means of
extirpating them.
s sloos
The following are singular modes adopted in some
countries for catching these birds : A crow is fast-
ened alive on its back firmly to the ground, by means
of a brace on each side, at the origin of the wings.
In this painful position the animal struggles and
screams; the rest of its species flock to its cries from
all quarters, with the intention, probably, of afford-
ing relief. But the prisoner, grasping at every thing
within reach to extricate himself from his situation,
seizes with his bill and claws, which are left at li-
berty, all that come near him, and thus delivers them
a prey to the bird-catcher. Crows are also caught
with cones of paper baited with raw flesh; as the
crow introduces his head to devour the bait, which
is near the bottom, the paper, being besmeared with
birdlime, sticks to the feathers of the neck, and he

HOODED; OR, ROYSTON CROW.
189
remains hooded. Unable to get rid of this bandage,
which covers his eyes entirely, the crow rises almost-
perpendicular into the air, the better to avoid
striking against any object; till, quite exhausted, he
sinks down near the spot from which he mounted.
If a crow be put into a cage, and exposed in the
fields, his calls generally attract the attention of
others that are in the neighbourhood, who flock
round their imprisoned brother. This plan is some-
times adopted in order to get these birds within gun-
shot ; for, however shy they might otherwise be,
their care is said in this case to be so much occu-
pied on their friend, as to render them almost heed-
less of the gunner's approach.
Willughby says, that this bird is capable of being
taught to articulate several words with considerable
distinctness. By the antients it was esteemed, par-
ticularly when it appeared on the left hand, as a
bird of had omen. to
The crow is so rare in Sweden, that Linnæus
speaks of it as a bird that he never knew killed in
that country but once.
These birds are often seen
white, or pied; a circumstance that takes place
much more frequently in black species than in any
others.
s be HOODED; or, RoYSTCN CROW
Is somewhat larger and more bulky than the rook,
measuring twenty-two inches in length, and twenty-
three in breadth. Its bill is black, and two inches
long; the head, foreparts of the neck, wings, and
tail are black; the back, and all the under parts are
of a pale ash colour ; the legs black.
These birds arrive with the woodcock, and on
their first coming, frequent the shores of rivers.
They depart in the spring to breed in other coun-
tries, but it is said that they do not all leave us, as

190
SENEGAL CROW, &c.
they have been seen, during the summer months, in
the northern quarters of our island, where they fre-
quent the mountainous parts of the country, and
breed in the pines. In more northern parts of the
world, they continue the whole year, and subsist on
sea-worms, shell-fish, and other marine productions.
With us they are seen to mix with, and to feed in
the same manner as the common crow. During
the breeding season they live in pairs ; lay six eggs :
and are said to be much attached to their ott-
spring
SENEGAL CROW.
This species bears a considerable resemblance to
the hooded crow, from which however, it differs in
the length of its wings, the shape of its bill, and the
colour of its feet. It is black, its nape whitish, its
neck and breast white. It is of the size of the jack-
daw. Inhabits China, and is a bird of passage in
the south of Siberia.
a
JAMAICA CROW.
This bears a considerable resemblance to our
common crow, only its tail and feet are smaller. It
feeds upon insects, grains, and berries, and never
leaves the mountainous parts of that island, from
whence it derives its name. It differs from other
birds of the tribe, by its continual chattering
Rook.
This bird is about the size of the carrion crow;
and except its more glossy plumage, very much re-
sembles it.
Mr. Ponnant, who had once the curiosity to com-
pare the mcasurements of these common birds, found

ROOK.
191
the following difference between two full grown
subjects. The ends of the tail feathers of the rook
are broad and rounded; those of the crow acute;
the bill of the rook is straighter, slenderer, and
weaker than that of the crow, and is two inches and
a half in length; whereas that of the latter is only
two inches and a quarter. The bill of the crow is
of an intense black; whereas the nostrils and base
of the bill of the rook is naked and whitish, occasion-
ed as some have supposed, hy its being often thrust
under ground in search of food. The weight of both
is nearly the same, being about twenty-one ounces ;
the length about eighteen inches; the extent of the
wings of the rook, three feet one inch and a half ;
of the crow two inches and a half less.
Besides insects, the rooks feed on different kinds
of grain, thus causing some inconvenience to the far-
mer ; but this seems to be greatly repaid by the
good they do to him, in extirpating the maggots of
some of the most destructive of the beetle tribe. In
Suffolk, and in some parts of Norfolk, the farmers
find it their interest to encourage the breed of rooks,
as the only means of freeing their grounds from the
grub, which produces the cockchafer, which in this
state destroys the roots of corn and grass to such a
degree, “ that (says Mr, Stillingfleet, one of the most
accurate observers of nature, whom this country ever
produced) I have myself seen a piece of pasture-land
where you might turn up the turf with your foot."
An intelligent farmer in Berkshire informed this
gentleman, that one year, while his men were hoeing
a field of turnips, a great number of rooks alighted
in a part of it where they were not at work. The
consequence was, a remarkable fine crop in this
part, while in the remainder of the field there was
scarcely any turnips that year.
These birds are gregarious, being sometimes seen
in flocks so great as to to darken the air in their flight.

192
ROOR.
They build their nests on high trees, close to each
other ; generally selecting a large clump of the tall-
est trees for this purpose. When once settled, they
every year frequent the same place. Rooks are,
however, but bad neighbours to each other ; for they
are continually fighting and pulling to pieces each
other's nests. These proceedings seem unfavoura-
ble to their living in such close community; and
yet, if a pair offers to build on a separate tree, the
nest is plundered and demolished at once. Some
unhappy couples are not permitted to finish any nest
till the rest have all completed their buildings; for
as soon a they get a few sticks together, a party
comes and demolishes the whole. It generally hap-
pens that one of the pair is stationed to keep guard,
while the other goes abroad for materials. From
their conduct in these circumstances our cant-word
rooking,” for cheating, originated.
As soon as the rooks have finished their nests,
and before they lay, the cocks begin to feed the hens;
who receive their bounty with a fondling tremulous
voice, and fluttering wings, and all the little blandish-
ments that are expressed by the young while in a
helpless state. This gallant deportment of the males
is continued through the whole season of incuba-
tion.
New comers are often severely beaten by the old
inhabitants, (who are not fond of intrusions from
other societies, and even frequently driven quite
away. Of this an instance occurred near Newcas-
tle, in the year 1783. A pair of rooks, after an un-
saccessful attempt to establish themselves in a rook-
ery at no great distance from the exchange, were
compelled to abandon the attempt, and take refuge
on the spire of that building; and, although con-
stantly interrupted by other rooks, they built their
nest on the top of the vane, and reared their young,
undisturbed by the noise of the populace below them:
a
.
e

ROOK
193
a
the nest and its inhabitants were of course turned
about by every change of the wind. They returned
and built their nest every year on the same place,
till the year 1793, soon after which the spire was
taken down. A small copper-plate was engraved,
of the size of a watch paper, with a representation
of the top of the spire and the nest; and so much
pleased were the inhabitants and other persons with it,
that as many copies were sold as produced to the en-
graver the sum of ten pounds.
A remarkable circumstance respecting these birds
occurred a few years ago at Dallam Tower, in
Westmoreland, the seat of Daniel Wilson, Esq.
There were two groves adjoining to the park; one
of which had for many years been the resort of a
number of Herons, that regularly every year built
and bred there. In the other was a very large
rookery. For a long time the two tribes lived
peaceably together. At length, in the spring of
1775, the trees of the herony were cut down, and the
young brood perished hy the fall of the timber. The
parent birds, not willing to be driven from the place,
endeavoured to effect a settlement in the rookery.
The rooks made an obstinate resistance; but, after
a desperate contest, in the course of which many of
the rooks and some of the herons lost their lives, the
latter at length succeeded in obtaining possession of
some of the trees, and that very spring built their
nests afresh. The next season a similar conflict
took place ; which, like the former, was terminated
by the victory of the herons. Since this time, peace
seems to have been agreed upon between them; the
rooks have relinquished part of the grove to the he-
rons, to which part alone they confine themselves ;
and the two communities appear to live together in
as much harmony as before the dispute.
The following anecdote of this sagacious com-
munity is related by Dr. Percival, in his dissertations:
VOL 1
с с

194
ROOK.
“ A large colony of rooks had subsisted many years
in a grove on the banks of the river Irweli, near
Manchester. One serene evening, I placed myself
within the view of it, and marked with attention
the various labours, pastimes, and evolutions, of this
crowded society. The idle members amused them
selves with chasing each other through endless mazes;
and, in their flight, they made the air resound with
an infinitude of discordant noises. In the midst of
these playful exertions, it unfortunately happened
that one rook, by a sudden turn, struck his beak
against the wing of another. The sufferer instantly
fell into the river. A general cry of distress ensued.
The birds hovered, with every expression of anxiety,
over their distressed companion. Animated by their
sympathy, and, perhaps, by the language of counsel
known to themselves, he sprang into the air, and, by
one strong effort, reached the point of a rock which
projected into the water. The joy became loud and
universal ; but, alas ! it was soon changed into notes
of lamentation; for the poor wounded bird, in at-
tempting to fly towards his nest, dropped into the
river, and was drowned, amidst the moans of his
whole fraternity."
There seems to exist a wonderful antipathy be-
tween these birds and the raven: Mr. Markwick
says that in the year 1778, as soon as a raven had
built her nest in a tree adjoining to a very numerous
rookery, all the rooks immediately forsook the spot,
and have not returned to build there since. At the
bishop of Chichester's rookery, at Broomham, near
Hastings, upon a raven's building her nest in one of
the trees, all the rooks forsook the spot; they, how-
ever, returned to their haunts in the autumn, and
built their nests there the succeeding year. It is not
very difficult to account for this antipathy. The
raven will scarcely suffer any bird whatever to come
within a quarter of a mile of its nest being very fierce
9

ROOK.
195
in defending it. It besides seizes the young rooks
from their nests, to feed its own young.
They begin to build in March; and, after the
breeding season is over, forsake their nesting trees,
and for some time roost elsewhere ; but they have
always been observed to return in August. In Oc-
tober, they repair their nests.
When the first brood of rooks are sufficiently
fledged, they all leave their nest-tree in the day.
time,and resort to some distant place in search of food:
but return regularly every evening, in vast flights,
to their nest-trees; where, after flying round several
times with much noise and clamour till they are all
assembled together, they take up their abode for the
night.
Among all the sounds of animal nature, few are
more pleasing than the cawing of rooks. The rook
has but two or three notes, and when he attempts a *
“solo” we cannot praise his song; but when seve-
ral perform in concert, which is their chief delight,
these notes, although rough in themselves, have, as :
it were, all their rough edges worn off, and become
harmonious, especially when softened in the air,
where the bird chiefly performs. We have this
music in perfection, when the whole colony is raised..
by the discharge of a gun.
Dr. Darwin has remarked, that a consciousness of
danger from mankind, is much more apparent in
rooks, than in other birds. Any one who has the
least attended to them, will see that they évidently
distinguish that the danger is greater when a man is
armed with a gun, than when he has no weapon in
his hands. In the spring of the year, if a person
happens to walk under a rookery with a gun in his
hand, the inhabitants of the trees rise on their wings,
and scream to the unfledged young, to shrink into
their nest from the sight of the enemy, The coun-
a

196
JACKDAW
try people observing this circumstance so, uniformly
to occur, asserts that rooks can smell gunpowder.
In England, these birds remain during the whole
year ; but both in France and Silesia, they migrate.
It is a singular circumstance, that the island of Jersey
should be entirely without rooks ; particularly when
we know that they frequently fly over from our
country into France.
JACKDAW.
This bird is considerably less than the rook, being
only thirteen inches in length. Its bill is black;
eyes white; the hinder part of the head and neck
are of a hoary grey colour; the rest of the plumage
is of a fine glossy black above; beneath it is a dusky
ash; the legs are black.
The jackdaws are common birds in England,
where they remain during the whole year; but in
some parts of the continent they are migratory.
They 'frequent old towers and ruins in great
flocks, where they build their nests; and they have
been sometimes known to build in hollow trees,
near a rookery, and to join the rooks in their
foraging-parties. In some parts of Hampshire, from
the great scarcity of towers or steeples, they are
obliged to form their nests under-ground, in the
rabbit-holes; they also build in the interstices be-
tween the upright and cross stones of Stonehenge
far out of the reach of the shepherd boys who are
always idling about that place. In the Isle of Ely,
from the want of ruined edifices, they often build
their nests in chimneys. In a grate, below one of
these nests, which had not been used for some time,
a fire was lighted ; the materials of the nest caught
fire, and they were in such quantity, that it was with
great difficulty the house could be preserved from
the flames.

ALPINE DAT
197
a
These birds feed principally on worms, and the
grubs of insects : but Mr. Bingley was once witness
to a singular deviation from their usual mode in this
respect. He was walking with a friend in the In-
ner Temple garden, about the middle of May, 1802,
when they observed a jackdaw hovering, in a very
unusual manner, over the Thames. A barrel was
floating near the place, a buoy to a net that some
fishermen were hauling ; and they at first thought
the bird was about to alight upon it. This, however,
proved a mistake, for he descended to the surface of
the water, and fluttered for a few seconds, with his
bill and feet immersed ; he then rose, flew to a little
distance, and again did the same, after which he made
a short circuit; and alighted on a barge about
fifty yards from the garden, where he devoured a
small fish. When this was done, he made a third
attempt, caught another and flew off with it in his
mouth.
In Switzerland there is found a variety of the
jackdaw that has a white ring round its neck. In
Norway, and other cold countries, jackdaws have
been seen entirely white.
a
ALFINE DAW.
This bird is of a middle size, between the jack-
daw and the carrion crow ; its bill is smaller and
more arched than that of either; its cry is shriller
and more plaintive than that of the jackdaw ; and
is chiefly heard in the night, as this bird seldom ap-
pears in the day. It is blackish ; its bill yellowish;
and its feet black; it is fifteen inches long. It lives
chiefly upon grain, and is very destructive among
The superstitious inhabitants foretel
changes of weather from its flight.
the crops.

198
MUSTACHIO DAW, &c.
MUSTACHIO DAW.
This species is nearly of the size of the blackbird ;
its plumage is of a glossy black ; and its tail longer
than in any other of the tribe ; all the feathers which
compose it are equal; and the wings when closed
do not extend half its length. There are two cir-
cumstances to be remarked in the exterior of this
bird ; first, those long and flexible black hairs which
arise from the base of the upper mandible, and
which are twice as long as the bill, besides many
other shorter and stiffer
hairs which point forwards,
and spread over the base as far as the corners of the
mouth. Secondly, Those long and narrow feathers
inserted in the upper part of the neck, which play
on the back, and form a sort of mane. Length
eleven inches and a quarter, Inhabits the south of
Africa.
BALD DAW.
This species resembles the rook, in having the
fore part of the head bald ; the throat also is only
shaded by a few straggling feathers. It resembles the
daws in the length of its wings, the shape of its feet,
its bulk, and wide nostrils. But it differs from them
in not having its nostrils covered with feathers, but
placed in a deep cavity on each side of the bill; also
because its bill is broader near the base, and scal-
loped at the edges. It is of a dusky rust colour. It
is a little larger than the jackdaw.
a
NEW GUINEA DAW.
This is smaller than most of our daws, which it
however resembles in figure; the upper side of the


FIII-DYIN
న్యం
E

PAPUAN DAW, &c.
199
body is grey ; the under side, as far as the wings,
striped with black and white.
PAPUAN DAW.
PLUMAGE grey ash colour, lightest beneath ; a
black ring surrounds the neck ; the primaries are
blackish brown.
COLNUD ; OR, BARE-NECKED DAW.
HEAD covered with small black soft feathers; neck
almost bare ; plumage entirely black, except some
of the coverts and wing quills, which are whitish
grey. The hind toe is connected with the inner
toe by a membrane, and appears as if forcibly turn-
ed back.
PHILIPPINE DAW.
This bird is scarcely larger than a blackbird ;
its bill is thicker and longer in proportion than any
of the European daws; its feet slenderer, and its
tail forked. Its bill, feet, and plumage are black ;
the latter with green reflections. Contrary to the
rest of the daws, it has a soft pleasant song.
MAGPIE.
The length of this bird is about eighteen inches.
Its general appearance is elegant. The bill is
strong and black; the eyes of a hazel colour ; the
head, neck, and breast are of a deep black glossed
with green and purple; the under part and scapu-
lars of a snowy white; the neck feathers are very
long, extending down the back, leaving only a small
ash-coloured space between them and the tail coverts,
which are black, which is also the colour of the

200
MAGPIE, &c.'
a
under tail coverts, thighs, and legs; on the throat,
and part of the neck, are whitish feathers of a pecu-
liar kind, resembling strong hairs.
Plutarch relates a singular and scarcely credible
story of a magpie belonging to a barber at Rome.
This bird could imitate, to a wonderful extent, al-
most every noise that it heard. Some trumpets hap-
pened one day to be sounded before the shop; and
for a day or two afterwards the magpie was quite
mute, and seemed pensive and melancholy. This
surprized all who new it ; and they supposed that
the sound of the trumpets had so stunned it as to de-
prive it at the same time both of voice and hearing.
It appears, however, that this was not the case ; for,
this writer, the bird had been all the time occu-
pied in profound meditation, and was studying how
to imitate the sound of the trumpets : accordingly,
in the first attempt, it perfectly imitated all their re-
petitions, stops, and changes. This new lesson,
however, made it entirely forget every thing that it
had learned before.
It is every where very common in England; and
is found in the more temperate parts of the conti-
nent ; not extending so far north as Lapland, nor
farther south than Italy. In America it is a bird of
passage
says
SENEGAL MAGPIE.
Less than the former ; wings longer; tail shorter;
bill, feet, and nails black; all the plumage black,
unless the primaries, and tail feathers, which are
brown.
JAMAICA MAGPIE.
This bird weighs only six ounces; plumage, bill,
and feet black; tail like the common magpie.

MAGPIE OF THE ANTILLES, &c. 201
They build their nests on the branches of trees.
They are found in every part of Jamaica, but are
most numerous in retired places. After breeding,
they quit their hiding places, and in autumn, they
spread over the settlements in such prodigious num-
bers, as sometimes to darken the air. They fly thus
in flocks for miles, and whenever they alight, occa-
sion considerable damage to the planters. In win-
ter they crowd to the barn doors. They have a
strong smell; their flesh is rank and seldom eaten.
This bird differs from our magpie, not only in its
mode of feeding, in its size and in its plumage, but
is besides distinguished from it by its being able to
keep long on wing, and by its associating in nu-
merous flocks.
MAGFIE OF THE ANTILLES.
Bill and feet red; head blue, with a white spot,
and streaked with black ; neck blue, with a white
collar ; under side of the body white; back tawny;
rump yellow ; tail has two long quills which stretch
seven or eight inches beyond the lateral feathers,
and are striped with blue and white; wings varied
with green and blue.
MEXICAN PIE
PLUMAGE bluish black; resides in the neighbour-
hood of man; is as familiar as the magpie ; chatters
like it, and has a shrill note. Flesh is black, but
well tasted.
VARDIOLE MAGPIE.
GENERAL colour of the plumage white; head, neck,
vanes of the quills, and middle feathers of the tail,
black ; the latter stretch much beyond the rest of the
Dd
VOL. 1.

202
ZANOE MAGPIE, &c.
tail, and are twice as long as the body. Its eyes are
lively; the base of the upper mandible is furnished
with bristles; the wings are short. Inhabits the
island of Papoe.
ZANOE MAGPIE.
RESEMBLES the common in figure, size, and man-
ners ; plumage entirely black, except a tawny tinge
on the neck and head. Inhabits Mexico.
RED-LEGGED CROW; OR, CORNISH CHOUGH.
a
This bird is about the size of the jackdaw, but is
of a thinner make. The bill is long, much curved,
sharp at the tip, and of a bright red colour; the iris
of the eye is composed of two circles: the outer one
red, the inner light blue; the eye-lids are red; the
plumage of a violet black; the legs red, like the
bill; the claws hooked and black.
They build on high cliffs by the sea side, and
chiefly frequent the coasts of Devonshire, Cornwall,
and Wales. There are some found at Dover cliff,
where they came by accident ; a gentleman in the
neighbourhood, having a pair sent him from Corn-
wall as a present, which escaped, and stocked those
rocks. They however, are remarked not to be con-
stant in their abode, but sometimes desert the place
for a week or ten days together.
It is a very tender bird, unable to bear severe wea-
ther. It resembles the rest of the genus in its fond-
ness for glittering objects : on which account it is
dangerous near thatched houses, as it has sometimes
set them on fire by carrying up burning sticks to the
roof.
These birds commonly fly very high, and make a
more shrill 'noise than the jackdaw. The Cornish
peasantry attend so much to them, that it is very
a

RED LEGGED CROW.
WIN



NUT CR ATICIER


KENTISH CROW

WOOD CROW, &c.
203
common to see them tame in their gardens. They
shriek out aloud at any thing strange or frightful;
but when applying for food, or desirous of pleasing
those who usually fondle them, their chattering is
very soft and engaging.
When tame they are very docile and amusing and
extremely regular to their time of feeding. But
however familiar they may be to their immediate
friends, they will not admit a siranger to touch
them.
Their nests are built about the middle of the cliffs,
or in the most inaccessible parts of ruins. The eggs
which are four or five, are somewhat longer than
those of the jackdaw, and of a cinereous white,
marked with irregular dusky blotches. From their
being very tender, these birds are seldom seen abroad
but in fine weather.
cada
Woon Crow:
Birds of this species are migratory in this coun-
try, arriving in April, and taking their departure in
June; retiring earlier than any other bird of pas-
sage. They much resemble the preceding species
in colour, but are easily distinguished by a short
crest that hangs down on the back part of the head,
but sometimes falls off, which makes the birds ap-
pear bald. These crows build in the highest rocks,
as if apprised of the hostility of man to their young:
a precaution which, however, is sometimes ineffec-
tual, as they are robbed of their family by boys who
are hung over the precipices by ropes.
models
NUTCRACKER.
Tuis bird is about thirteen inches long. Its bill
is black, and about two inches long; eyes are hazel;
the upper part of the head, and back part of the

204
JAY
head are black; its general colour is a dusky brown,
covered with triangular spots of white; the wings
are black ; greater wing coverts tipped with white;
the tail is white at the tip, the rest black ; rump
white; legs and claws black.
There are very few instances known of this bird
having been seen in England; it is common in
Germany ; is found also in Sweden and Denmark,
and frequents the most mountainous parts of those
countries. It makes its nest in holes of trees, and
feeds on nuts, and the kernels of the pine-apple. It
is said to pierce the bark of trees with its bill, like
the woodpecker.
JAY,
This beautiful bird is more than thirteen inches in
length. Its hill is black; eyes white; the feathers
on the forehead are white, streaked with black, and
form a tuft, which it can erect and depress at plea-
sure; the chin is white; and from the corners of the
bill on each side, proceeds a broad streak of black,
which passes under the eye; the hinder part of the
head, the neck, and the back, are of a light cinna-
mon colour; the breast is of the same colour, but
lighter; lesser wing coverts, bay; the belly and vent
almost white; the greater wing coverts are ele-
gantly barred with black, fine pale blue and white,
alternately; the greater quills are black, with pale
edges, the bases of some of them white; lesser quills
black; those next the body chesnut; the rump is
white; tail black, with pale brown edges ; legs dirty
pale brown.
The jay is a very common bird in Great Britain,
and is found in various parts of Europe. It is dis-
tinguished as well for the beautiful arrangement of
its colours, as for its harsh, grating voice, and rest-
ess disposition. Upon seeing the sportsmen, it gives

DARTTORD WARBLER
TRO
JAY


BLUE JAY.
205
by its cries, the alarm of danger, and thereby defeats
his aim. The jay builds in woods, and makes an
artless nest, composed of sticks, fibres, and tender
twigs : the female lays five or six eggs, of a greyish
ash colour, mixed with green, and faintly spotted
with brown. Mr. Pennant observes, that the young
ones continue with their parents till the following
spring, when they separate to form new pairs.
Birds of this species live on acorns, nuts, seeds,
and various kinds of fruits ; they will eat eggs, and
sometimes destroy young birds, in the absence of the
old ones. When kept in a domestic state, they may
be rendered very familiar, and will imitate a variety
of words and sounds. Mr. Bemich heard one imi-
tate the sound made by the action of a saw so ex-
actły, that, though it was on Sunday, he could hardly
be persuaded that the person who kept it, had not a
carpenter at work in the house. Another at the ap-
proach of cattle, had learned to hound a cur dog
upon them, by whistling, and calling upon him by
his name : at last, during a severe frost, the dog
was by that means, excited to attack a cow big with
calf, when the poor animal fell on the ice, and was
much hurt; the jay was complained of as a nuisance,
and its owner was obliged to destroy it.
BLUE JAY
Has a strong thick bill; head adorned with a rich
blue crest; a stripe of black from the bill, extending
beyond the eyes; throat, cheeks, and belly white;
neck surrounded with a black collar ; breast of a
pale vinacious red; back of a pale purple; wings a
rich blue barred with black, and some of the fea-
thers tipped with white; tail long, and wedge shap-
ed, barred with blue and black, and tipped with
white ; legs black. Length twelve inches. Inha-
bits many parts of North America ; feeds upon ber-

206 RED-LILLED JAY OF CHINA, &c.
rics, and has much the same manners as the English
jay.
RED-EILLED JAY OF CHINA.
.
The red bill of this jay is the more remarkable,
as the whole fore part of the head, neck, and breast
is of a fine velvet black. The hind part of the lead
and neck is of a soft grey, which mixes in small spots
on the crown with the black of the forepart; the
upper side of the body is brown, and the under part
whitish. The tail is tapered three times as long as
the wing, and each of its quills marked with a pale
violet at its origin, black at its middle, and white at
its extremity. The feet are red like the bill; the
nails which are long and hooked, are whitish at their
origin, and brown near the point.
PERUVIAN JAY
1
a
The plumage of this bird is uncommonly beauti-
ful. The base of the bill is surrounded with a fine
blue, which appears again behind the eye, and in the
space below it. The delicate green which pre-
vails on the upper part of its body, extends on the
one side over the six middle quills of the tail, and
advances on the other, passing by insensible shades,
and receiving at the same time a bluish tint to join a
sort of white crown on the head. A patch of soft
black feathers which covers the throat, and all the
fore part of the neck is contrasted at its upper mar-
gin with the fine blue of the chin; and at its lower,
with the jonquil yellow which is spread over the
breast, the belly, and the three lateral feathers on
each side of the tail ; the tail is more tapered than
that of the Siberian jay.

SIBERIEN JAY, &c.
207
SIBERIAN JAY.
l'his species resembles our common jay in its
figure, and the crest on its head; but differs in being
smaller, having a tapered tail, and its plumage being
of different colours. Its further description and
history unknown.
WHITE COIF; OR, CAYENNE JAY.
Size of the common jay, but taller; its bill shorter,
and its tail and wings proportionally longer. Bill,
legs, and nails, grey ; forehead, size of the head and
the throat'; black circle round the eyes; crown of
the head, nape of the neck, and lower part of the
body white ; back and wings light violet ; tail deep
violet, tipped with white, and composed of twelve
quills, of which, the two middle ones are rather lon-
ger than those on the side. The small black fea-
thers on its front, are short and stiff : part of them
project over the nostrils, and the rest of them are
turned backwards, so as to form a sort of ruffle crest.
Length thirteen inches.
a
YELLOW-BELLIED JAY.
Wings and legs very short ; plumage dusky;
greenish above, yellow below; chin and eye-lids
white ; wings and tail, dusky rose colour. Length
nine inches.
STELLERS JAY.
The general colour of its plumage is blue, but of
different shades; it much resembles the blue jay,
but wants the black stripe from the bill to the eyes,

908
&c.
ROCK JAY,
and the white tips of the tail and wings. Inhabits
the neighbourhood of Nootka Sound.
ROCK JAY.
3
The top of the head, upper part of the neck, and
coverts of the wings, are brown, and dirty white.
In the males, the middle of the back is marked with
a spot, consisting of a bar of blue, black, and rust
colour; throat, breast, and belly, orange spotted
with white and dusky; tail rusty red; has the same
loose silky texture of feathers as the jay. It is about
the size of a starling.
It inhabits Lapland, the north of Russia, and Si-
beria. When Linnæus in his travels in Lapland
had occasion to dine in the forests, it would fre-
quently carry away the meat from before him. It
breeds in the crevices of rocks. Its general food is
worms and insects. It is much esteemed for its song,
and on that account preserved in cages.
CINERIOUS CROW; OR, BROWN CANADA JAY.
The cinerious crow, a bird confined to North
America, and very common about Hudson's-bay, is
so small as seldom to weigh three ounces. Its plu-
mage is brown grey; the feathers are very long,
soft, and silky, and in general so much unwebbed as
in many parts of the body to resemble hair.
This bird is very familiar, and fond of frequenting
habitations, either houses or tents; and it is so much
inclined to pilfering, that no kind of provisions, either
fresh or salted, is secure from its depredations. It
is sufficiently bold to come into tents, sit on the edge
of the kettle when hanging over the fire, and steal
victuals out of the dishes.
It is very troublesome to the hunters, both Eng-


R O LA LAER.

ROLLER TRIBE, &c.
209
lish and Indian ; frequently following them a whole
day: it will perch on a tree while the hunter is bait-
ing his martin-traps, and, as soon as his back is
turned, go and eat the baits. It is a kind of mock-
bird ; and has, of course, a variety of notes. It is
easily tamed, but never lives long in confinement;
always pining away (notwithstanding its eating
freely) from the moment it is caught
The care that this bird takes in laying up in sum-
mer a stock of fruit for winter provision, when no
fruit is to be had abroad, is a remarkable instance of
foresight in the bird tribes; for this propensity is
uncommon among them.
.
Its nest is built in trees, exactly in the manner of
those of the blackbird and thrush; and the female
lays four blue eggs, but seldom hatches more than
three. It breeds early in the spring; and, though
it sometimes steals flesh, it never eats it, but feede
principally on fruits, moss, and worms.
ROLLER TRIBE.
This tribe is nearly related to the crows. The birds
which compose it are widely diffused over the world,
and are remarkable for their short legs. They are
distinguished by the following characters: bill knife
shaped, curved at the tip, bare of feathers at the
base ; tongue cartilaginous, and divided at the point;
feet adapted to walking.
GARRULOUS ROLLER.
This rare bird is distinguished by a plumage of
most exquisite beauty; it vies with the parrot in ạn
VOL. I.
E e

210
ABYSSINIAN ROLLER
а
assemblage of the finest shades of blue and green,
mixed with white, and heightened by the contrast of
graver colours, from which perhaps it has been call-
ed the German parrot, although in every respect it
differs from that bird, and seems rather to claim af-
finity with the crow kind. In size it resembles the
jay, being somewhat more than twelve inches in
length. Its bill is black, beset with short bristles at
the base; the eyes are surrounded with a ring of
naked skin, of a yellow colour, and behind them
there is a kind of wart; the head, neck, breast, and
belly, are of a light pea-green ; the back and scapu-
lars reddish brown; the points of the wings, and
upper coverts are of a rich deep blue; the greater
coverts, pale green; the quills are of a dusky hue,
inclining to black, and mixed with deep blue; the
rump is, blue; the tail is somewhat forked; the
lower parts of the feathers are of a dusky green,
middle parts pale blue, tips black; the legs are short
and of a dull yellow.
Only two of these birds had been shot in England,
that had come to Mr. Pennant's knowledge, and one
of these was transmitted to him by the celebrated
Dr. Borlase, the historian of Cornwall. They are,
however, frequent in most parts of Europe, and in
Germany, Sicily, and Malta, are so common as to be
sold in the market. It is remarkable for making a
chattering noise, from which it is in latin, called
garrula.
a
ABYSSINIAN ROLLER.
j
Colours of the plumage like the European, but
brighter; the two side feathers of the tail project
five inches beyond the rest ; the point of the upper
mandible is very hooked. The Senegal roller is
considered as a variety of this species, as it differs
chiefly that the orange colour on the back of the

ANGOLA ROLLER, &c.
211
byssinian does not extend, as in that of Senegal as
far as the neck, or hind part of the head.
ANGOLA ROLLER.
This and the succeeding species resemble each
other so exactly, that it is difficult to separate them.
The present is distinguished from the other, by the
length of the exterior feathers of its tail : which is
double that of the intermediate ones, and by a slight
variation of colour. They are both nearly of the
same bulk, and general shape as the European rol-
ler ; have its hooked bill, naked nostrils, short legs,
long toes, long wings, and even the colours of its
plumage, though differently distributed. The crown
of the head is bluish green ; fore part of the body
greenish brown, tinged with violet on the throat;
rump, tail, wings, and belly varied with blue, green;
and intermediate shades.
MINDARÃO ROLLER.
This bird is distinguished from the former spex
cies, by an intire tail, and a kind of orange tincture
under the breast.
ORIENTAL ROLLER.
Bill yellow ; wings long ; plumage green;
throat striped with blue ; tail tipped with black;
bulk of the jay; length, ten inches and a half.
MADAGASCAR ROLLER.
BilL thick at the base ; eyes large ; wings and
tail long; the latter even plumage: purple brown;
bill yellow ; primaries black ; lower belly light blue,

212
MEXICAN ROLLER, &c.
tail of the same colour, edged at its extremity with
a bar of three shades: purple, light blue, and dark
purple approaching to black.
MEXICAN ROLLER.
GREYISH red, pale grey ; below, marked with
flame colour ; larger than a thrush.
a
CHINESE ROLLER.
The wing consists of eighteen quills, of which the
first is very short, and the fifth longer than the rest,
as in the jay; whereas the wing of the other rollers
has twenty-three quills, of which the second is the
longest. It is green above, yellowish white below;
tail wedge shaped, and tipped with white. Length
eleven inches and a half.
a
CAYENNE ROLLER.
PLUMAGE dusky green above, dirty white below;
eye-brows white; upper part of the throat striped
both ways with black ; tail wedge shaped. Length
nine inches.
ORIOLE TRIBE.
The characteristics of this tribe are, a straight
conic, very sharp pointed bill, with the mandibles
equal in length, and the edges sharp and inclining
upwards. The nostrils are small; they are situated
at the base of the bill, and are partly covered. The


ORIOLE.

GOLDEN ORIOLE.
213
tongue is cleft at the end. The toes stand three
forward, and the middle one is joined near the base
to the outer
They are a noisy, gregarious, aud voracious race;
and are confined almost exclusively to America.
Most of the species form pendulous nests, from the
exterior branches of trees, which secure them from
the rapacious animals. Several of these nests are
usually constructed on one tree. These birds in
many parts are extremely numerous; and feed most
of them on fruits, but some on insects and grain.
GOLDEN ORIOLE.
a
eye. The
This bird is of the size of a blackbird. The male
is one of the most beautiful birds that ever visits this
country. The bill is of a brownish red, straight, and
sharp pointed. The irides are red. The general
colour of the plumage, is a fine golden yellow.
From the beak proceeds an elegant black streak,
which passes a little way through the eye.
wings are black, with a yellow patch in the middle ;
the under side dusky. The two middle feathers of
the tail are black to the end ; the others are black
from the base to the middle, and thence to the tips
yellow. The legs are black, inclining to a lead co-
lour ; and the claws black.
The female is much less beautiful ; its general
colour is dusky green ; the wings and tail being of
a darker shade than the other parts of the body.
It is rarely met with in England, but is found in
France in considerable numbers, where it spends
the summer, and propagates its species. It is also
found in Switzerland, which it visits twice in the
year. It is observed in Malta in September, on its
passage southward, and returns in the spring to the
north, through the same track; comes into Con-
stantinople in spring, and leaves it in September:

214
CHINESE ORIOLE.
but stays in Alexandria till the beginning of No-
vember, when it takes its leave; from this we must
suppose that it winters in Africa and Asia, especially
as this very bird has been brought from China and
Bengal, as well as the Cape of Good Hope.
The nest of this bird is of a curious construction,
though not equally as those of some others of this
genus, which we shall have occasion to describe.
It is of the shape of a purse fastened to the outmost
twigs of tall trees, and composed of fibres of hemp
or straw mixed with fine dry stalks of grass, and
lined within with moss and liverwort. The female
lays four or five eggs of a dirty white, narked with
small dark brown spots, which are thickest about the
largest end ; she sits three weeks and is observed to
be very tender of her young, fearing no danger in
their defence, and will frequently suffer herself to
be taken with the eggs and nest, and will continue
to sit upon them till she dies.
The favourite food of this bird is grapes, figs, and
cherries ; but when it canuot obtain these, it is con-
tented to feed upon insects.
It has a loud cry which seems to resemble its
name.
Willughby saw these birds exposed to sale in the
poulterers shops in Naples, where the flesh is es-
teemed as delicate food.
CHINESE ORIOLE.
RESEMBLES, the European species, except that the
coverts of the wings are yellow; and on the head
there is a black crescent, the horns of which, ter-
minate in the opening of the bill. Perhaps a variety.
Inhabits Cochin China.

YELLOW-WINGED ORIOLE, &c.
215
YELLOW-WINGED ORIOLE.
PLUMAGE black; a yellow spot on the coverts of
the wings; twelve quills in the tail, which is long
and tapered.
RED-WINGED ORIOLE.
a
و
-
Is about the size of a starling, being nearly nine
inches long. The bill is black, and almost an inch in
length. The whole body is of a deep black ; ex-
cept the upper part of the wings, which is of a bright
red. The legs are black.
These birds are peculiar to America ; in some
parts of which they sometimes appear in such im-
mense flocks, that frequently at one draw of a net,
more than three hundred are caught. They feed
on insects, wheat, and maize ; and are exceedingly
destructive to the grain. Their common name in
America is “maize-thief :" they seldom attack the
maize except just after it is sown, or afterwards on
the ear becoming green, when, pecking a hole in the
side, the rain is admitted, and the grain spoiled,
They are supposed to do this in search of insects.
The farmers sometimes attempt their destruction,
by steeping the maize in a decoction of white helle-
bore before it is sown : the birds that eat this pre-
pared corn are seized with a vertigo, and fall down.
They are so bold and voracious, that the flock may
frequently be shot at two or three times before they
can be driven off; indeed it often happens, that du-
ring the second loading of the gun their number in-
Catesby tells us, 'that these birds, in Carolina and
Virginia, always breed among the rushes ; the points
of which they weave so as to form a sort of roof or
shed, under which they build their nest, at so judi-
creases.

216
WHITE-BACKED ORIOLE.
cious a height that it can never be reached even by
the highest floods. Latham says, that they build
between the forks of trees, three or four feet from
the ground, in swamps which are seldom penetrable
by man.
They are easily caught in traps, in thickets which
they frequent; and are, without difficulty, rendered
tame, and even taught to speak. They are fond of
singing; and are exceedingly playful, either when
confined, or when suffered to run about the house.
With the liveliness and familiarity which they pos-
sess, it is said to be highly diverting to place them
before a looking-glass, and observe their strange and
whimsical gesticulations : sometimes they erect the
feathers of their head, and hiss at the image; then
lowering their crest, they set up their tail, quiver
their wings, and strike at it with their bills. Whe-
ther taken young or old, they become immediately
tame. It is very common to keep them in a cylin-
drical cage with bells, which they turn round in the
same manner as squirrels are often made to do in
this country. When they have been confined in a
cage for some years, they are said to become per-
fectly white, and so stupid and inanimate as at last
not to be able to feed themselves; this, however,
never happens abroad.
WHITE-BACKED ORIOLE.
An obscure species mentioned by Mr. Kalm, who
merely gives us its name, and informs us that it is
less than the red-winged; sings finely, and appears
among the bushes in the neighbourhood of New
York. Supposed to be the same with the white-
winged oriole of Mr. Latham ; the coverts of whose
wings are white; and the rest of the plumage is en-
tirely black. His species came from Cayenne,

BALTIMORE ORIOLE, &c.
217
BALTIMORE ORIOLE.
This bird has the throat, neck, and other part of
the back black ; lesser coverts of the wing, orange;
greater coverts black, tipped with white; breast,
belly, lower part of the back, and coverts of the tail
of a bright orange ; primaries dusky, edged with
white; two middle feathers of the tail black; lower
part of the rest, of the same colour ; the remaining
part orange ; legs black. Colours of the female
more obscure. Length of this species, seven inches.
Inhabits from Carolina to Canada. It suspends its
nest to the horizontal forks of the tulip or poplar-
trees, forming it of the filaments of some tough
plants, curiously woven, mixed with wool, and lined
with hairs. It is shaped like a pear, open at top
with a hole on the side, through which the young
discharge their excrements, and are fed. It is called
the Baltimore bird, from its colours resembling those
in the arms of Lord Baltimore.
BASTARD BALTIMORE.
This resembles the preceding species in almost
every instance, except that instead of orange, it has
different shades of bay, and that its tail is a plain
black. Inhabits North America, where it is ac-
counted a bird of passage, visiting New York in
May,
BLACK ORIOLE.
Beak, plumage, and legs of a deep black ; length
ten inches. Female dusky. Inhabits different
parts of North America. It arrives at Hudson's-hay
in the beginning of June, as soon as the ground is
sufficiently softened for them to get their food, which
Ff
VOL. I.

218 BLACK-CAPPED ORIOLE, &c.
is worms and maggots. They sing with a fine note
till the time of incubation, when they desist, and
only make a clucking noise till the young ones take
their flight, after which they resume their song.
Their eggs are of a dark colour, spotted with black.
They retire southward in September.
BLACK-CAPPED ORIOLE.
Bill light grey, tinged with orange ; upper side,
and head yellow; crown of the head, tail, and wings
black; wing coverts and quills tipped with white;
legs chesnut. Inhabits Mexico.
SPOTTED ORIOLE
The spots which occur in this species owing to
this circumstance: that almost all the feathers that
are brown or blackish, in the middle are edged with
yellow more or less inclined to orange on the wings,
the tail, and the lower part of the body. The throat
is of a pure white ; a streak of the same colour
which passes close under the eye, stretches back be-
tween two parallel black streaks, one of which ac-
companies the white above, and the other bends
round the eye; below the iris is of a bright orange,
almost red. The bill is thick, pointed, and ash co-
loured; the legs are flesh coloured.
GOLDEN-HEADED ORIOLE.
IN this bird the crown of the head, the small
covers of the tail, those of the wings, and the lower
part of the
thighs, are of a beautiful yellow ; rest of
The body black Length eight inches.

YELLOW-CAPPED ORIOLE, &c.
219
YELLOW-CAPPED ORIOLE.
PLUMAGE black; head, and part of the neck co.
vered by a yellow cap, which descends lower before
than behind ; bill surrounded by a black ring.
Length seven inches; extent eleven.
STRIPED-HEADED ORIOLE.
Less than a blackbird; head brown, variegated with
white ; quills brown, edged with white; bill, body,
and nails orange ; legs yellow.
OLIVE ORIOLE OF CAYENNE.
LENGTH six or seven inches ; plumage of differ-
ent shades of olive; head, throat, and fore part of
the neck and breast, glossy brown ; inclining to
orange on the breast; bill and legs black; quills,
and larger coverts near the outward edge black, bor-
dered with white.
KINK ORIOLE.
HEAD, neck, origin of the back, and breast, ash
grey ; rest of the body white ; quills of polished steel
colour; tail short, tapered, and varied with steel co-
lour and white, the white prevailing most on the
outer quills. Inhabits China.
MEXICAN ORIOLE.
BilL long and yellow ; head and throat black;
tail and wings black, with small gold coloured fea-
thers; rest of the plumage yellow.

920
RING-TAILED ORIOLE, Czc.
RING-TAILED ORIOLE.
This bird receives its name on account of a black
crescent on its tail with its concavity turned towards
the head, which appears distinctly when the tail is
spread out; and is so much the more remarkable as
the tail, bill, and whole body is of a bright yellow,
except only the head, neck, and wings, which are
black; the latter with a slight tint of yellow. In- .
habits America.
JAPACANI ORIOLE.
BILL black, long, pointed, and curved ; iris gold
colour ; head hlackish ; upper side variegated with
black and light brown; tail blackish below, and
marked with white above ; under side variegated
with white and yellow, and marked with transverse
black bands ; feet brown; nails black and pointed.
BRASILIAN ORIOLE.
Bill round, almost straight, half an inch long ;
head and back light brown, spotted with black
irides, throat, sides of the neck, tail coverts, and
breast yellow; the latter marked with brown ; belly
white; tail eighteen inches long, that and wings
brown; latter tipped with white ; legs short and
brown; toes tinged with yellow. Inhabits Ja-
maica:
NEW SPAIN ORIOLE.
Size of the sparrow; plumage yellow, variegated
f thes
all over with several colours. It hangs its nest from
the ends of small branches, feeds upon insects; and
is agrecable food.

CINERIOUS ORIOLE, &c.
221
CINERIOUS ORIOLE.
BACK, belly, and feet ash colour; rest of the plu-
mage beautifully variegated with yellow and black.
It is of the size of a starling ; lives in the woods in
Mexico, and nestles on trees ; has no song; but is
esteemed good food.
WHISTLING ORIOLE
а
This bird is in general brown above, except the
rump, and the small coverts of the wings, which are
of a greenish yellow, as is also the whole under part
of the body; but this colour has a dusky shade under
the throat, and is variegated with rusty on the neck
and breast; the great coverts, on the quills of the
wings, and part of the tail feathers, are edged with
yellow. Over all these colours there is an olive tinge
of various degrees of intensity. The whistler is
seven inches long, and ten or twelve in extent; the
tail is three inches long; and the bill not quite one.
BLACK AND YELLOW ORIOLE.
The principal colours of this bird are black and
yellow ; hut variously distributed in different speci-
mens. In general the hind part of the back, a spot
on the coverts of the wings, and at the base of the
coverts are yellow. Inhabits Brazil.
RED ORIOLE.
Lower part of the back red ; rest of like plumage
black, unless some yellow on the wings, and a blu-
ish colour on the tail, which is forked. They con-
struct their nests with grass interwoven with horse

222
GREEN ORIOLE, &c.
hair and hog's bristles, or with vegetable fibres.
The nests are brown on the outside, and about
eighteen inches deep, though the interior cavity is
only a foot; the upper part is thick and prominent
for the space of half a foot, and here they are sus-
pended from the extremity of small branches.
Sometimes four hundred of these nests have been
seen at once hanging on a single tree; and as they
hatch thrice a year, their multiplication must be
prodigious.
GREEN ORIOLE.
LARGER and thicker billed than the former spe-
cies; fore part green, including the wing coverts ;
hind part chesnut ; quills black ; tail black, varied
with yellow ; legs black; wings brown.
CRESTED ORIOLE
a
LENGTH eighteen inches ; of which the tail makes
five, and the bill two ; has a crest of small moveable
feathers on the top of the head; fore part, including
wings and legs black ; hind part deep chesnut ;
middle quills of the tail black ; lateral quills and bill
yellow.
BONANA ORIOLE.
;
Head, neck, and breast reddish brown ; back,
quills of the tail, and great wing coverts, bill, and
legs black ; lesser wing coverts, rump, and tail co-
verts deep orange. Length seven inches ; of which
the tail is three ; wings measure in extent eleven
inches. Inhabits Martinico and Surinam. Its nest
resembles the quarter of a hollow globe, and is fas-
tened under the large leaf of a banana, which shel-
a

LESSER BONANA ORIOLE, &c.
223
ters the nest and forms a part of it, the rest consists
of the fibres of the leaves. It takes its name froin
its attachment to the banana tree.
LESSER BONANA ORIOLE.
The male and female of this species chatters
something like our magpie. They suspend their
nests, which are shaped like a purse from the extre-
mity of small branches; but they choose the bran-
ches that are long and naked, and select the trees
that are stunted and ill formed, and lean over the
course of a river. Their nests are said to be subdi-
vided into separate apartments for the different fa-
milies. They are crafty and difficult to catch.
Their size is about that of a lark. Their plumage
is yellow; the upper part of the throat, the quills,
and the tail are black
a
3
2
HANG-NEST ORIOLE.
a
This bird is in length only six inches, in extent
nine. The base of the bill is whitish, encircled by
a black ring; the crown of the head, neck, back, and
tail are of a reddish grey ; the wings deep brown,
variegated with white; the sides of the neck, the
breast, and the belly are of the colour of a dead leaf;
the lower part of the tail is marked in the middle
with a black line. They frequent the woods ; feed
on insects; and have an agreeable song. Their
nest is a sort of bag suspended from the extremity of
small branches by a thread which they spin out of a
substance that they extract from a parasite plant,
called old man's lead, which some have mistaken for
horse hair.
a

224
ICTERIC ORIOLE, &c.
ICTERIC ORIOLE.
a
The icteric oriole is a native of Carolina and Ja-
maica; and in size is somewhat less than a black-
bird. It feeds on insects, for the purpose of killing
which, the Americans keep it in their houses. It
hops about like the magpie; and has also many other
gestures of that bird. Albin tells us, that in all its
actions it resembles the starling; and adds that some-
times four or five will unite to attack a large bird,
which after they have killed, they eat in a very or-
derly manner, each chusing his part according to
his valour. In a wild state, they are so fierce and
bold, that when disturbed they will attack even man;
but when introduced into our society, they are said
to be easily tamed.
Their nests are constructed in a cylindrical form ;
several on the same tree, and suspended from the
extremity of the branches, where they wave freely
in the air. In these situations they are far out of the
reach of such animals as would otherwise destroy
the
young. Several other species construct their
nests in a similar manner.
a
a
WEAVEP ORIOLE.
This species is found in Senegal, and some other
parts of Africa. Two females that were brought
from thence being kept together in a cage, it was
observed that they entwined some of the stalks of
the pimpernel, with which they were fed, in the
wires. As this seemed to shew a disposition for
forming a nest, some rush-stalks were put into the
cage : on which they presently made a nest large
enough to hide one of them ; but it was as often
deranged as made, the work of one day being spoil-
ed the next. This seemed to prove that the fabrica-

/

30
INDIAN ICTERIS

BROWN-HEADED ORIOLE, &c. 225
tion of the nest in a state of nature, was the work of
both male and female, and that the female is not
able to finish this important work by herself
.
A bird of this species having by accident obtained
a thread of sewing-silk, wove it among the wires of
its cage ; and on being supplied with more, it inter-
laced the whole very confusedly, so as to prevent
most part of that side of the cage from being seen
through. It was found to prefer green and yellow
silks to those of any other colour.
BROWN-HEADED ORIOLE.
Head of a rusty brown ; body and wing's black;
size of a blackbird. Frequents New York in sum-
mer.
RUSTY ORIOLE.
GENERAL colour blackish, edged with pale rust on
the breast, neck, and back. Length eight inches.
Found at Hudsons'-bay in the summer; and at
New York in October.
WHITE-HEADED ORIOLE.
TIEAD, neck, belly, and rump white ; the rest of
the plumage changeable violet varied with white.
Length ten inches. Inhabits Louisiana.
HUDSONIAN WHITE-HEADED ORIOLE.
HEAD, throat, part of the wings, and thighs pure
white ; rest of the bird dusky, glossed with green
a few oblong white strokes upon the breast ; length
eight inches. Perhaps a variety of the last.
VOL. 1.
GS

228
OLIVE ORIOLE, &c.
OLIVE ORIOLE.
GENERAL colour olive ; throat orange coloured ;
under side of the body yellow. Length seven in-
ches. Inhabits Louisiana.
YELLOW-THROATED ORIOLE.
Cheeks, throat, and a stroke over 'each eye,
bright yellow ; rest of the plumage tinged with
green ; wing coverts varied with white. Lengti
nine inches.
OONALASCHKA ORIOLE.
GENERAL plumage brown, of different shades;
chin white; and a white mark between the bill and
the eyes. Length eight inches. Found in Oonal-
aschka.
SHARP-TAILED ORIOLE.
a
THROAT, and belly white; breast, sides, and vent
of a dull yellow, spotted with brown; the rest of
the plumage yaried with rust, ash colour, brown,
black, and white. Tail pointed like that of the
woodpecker
INDIAN ORIOLE.
Plumage entirely yellow, except, first, a black
crescent on the head; secondly, some longitudinal
blue spots on the coverts of the wings; thirdly, a
blue belt across the tail in the middle; bill and legs
bright red.

LITTLE BLACK ORIOLE, &c.
227
LITTLE BLACK ORIOLE.
LENGTH six or seven inches; tail square, two in
ches and a half long; plumage bluish black. It is
said that this bird can be easily tamed, and taught
to live familiarly in the house.
GRACKLE TRIBE.
The distinguishing characters of this genus are
bill convex knife shaped, somewhat naked at the
base ; tongue entire, somewhat enlarged and fleshy;
feet suited to walking. None of these birds are in
habitants of Europe.
RELIGIOSA; OR, MINOR GRACKLE.
This bird is scarcely larger than a common black-
bird ; its plumage is entirely black, but more glossy
on the upper part of the body; the throat, the wings,
and the tail with green and violet reflections. It is
most remarkable for its double yellow comb, irregu-
larly jagged, which rises on each side of the head
behind the eye: the two parts recline and approach
each other, and on the back of the head they are se-
parated only by a bar of long narrow feathers, which
begins at the base of the bill; the other feathers on
the crown of the head form a sort of black velvet.
The tail which is an inch and half long, is yellow,
but receives a reddish tinge near the tail; the legs
are of an orange yellow. The tail is shorter, and
the wings longer than in the common blackbird ;
these extend within half an inch of the end of the

228
GREAT MINOR GRACKLE, &c.
tail
, and measure eighteen or twenty inches across.
The tail consists of twelve quills ; and of those of
the wing the first is the shortest, and the third the
longest.
This species is remarkable for whistling, singing,
and talking well, even better than the parrots. It
lives on vegetable food. Those kept in this climate
are observed to be very fond of cherries and grapes;
if cherries are offered to one, and it does not immedi-
ately get them, it cries and whines till it has obtained
its desire. It is a very tame and familiar bird. It
is diffused over nearly every part of the East Indies.
GREAT MINOR GRACKLE.
Size of a jay ; crested like the former species,
which it much resembles; the yellow of the legs and
bill has no reddish tinge. Inhabits the same coun-
tries as the former. Suspected by Edwards to be
the male and female
BALD GRACKLE.
;
EYE placed in a circle of naked flesh coloured
skin ; head divided by a line of black feathers which
run between these two skins ; upper part of the
body silver grey ; tail and wings 'darker ; under
part brown, yaried with white spots ; bill, legs, and
nails black. The bare skin takes an orange hue
when the bird is actuated by passion. These birds
commonly build in the holes of trees, particularly
the cocoa-nut tree; they live on fruits, and are very
voracious
CRESTED GRACKLE.
Though this bird is somewhat larger than the
blackbird, its bill, legs, and tail are shorter ; its

PURPLE GRACKLE; OR, PURPLE JACKDAW.
229
a
a
3
plumage is generally a dull black; a white spot ap-
;
pears in the middle of the wings ; and a little white
on the tips of the side feathers of the tail ; the bill
and legs are yellow; and the iris of a fine orange.
There is a small tuft of long feathers on the forehead
which it can erect at pleasure. They are very
common in China, but difficult to be imported into
Europe ; they are said to talk and whistle well, and
the figures of them are frequently seen in Chinese
paintings and paper hangings. Its length is eight
inches and a half.
a
PURPLE GRACKLE ; OR, PURPLE JACKDAW.
This bird has a black bill; irides of a silvery
white; plumage black, glossed over on the head
and neck with a most resplendent blue ; and on the
back and belly with green and copper colour ; the
tail is long, and shaped like a wedge; both that
and the wings are of a rich purple. Female of a
dusky colour. Length about thirteen inches; weight
about six ounces ; female a little less than the male.
These birds inhabit the same countries with the
red-winged oriole, and usually combine with them
in their ravages on the plantations of maize, and on
the seeds of the water, tare, grass. Some of the
American colonies have established a reward of
three-pence à dozen for the extirpation of these
grackles; and in New England the intent was al-
most effected to the cost of the inhabitants, who at
length discovered that Providence had rendered
these destructive birds of an important benefit to the
human species. As soon as the birds were destroy-
ed, the noxious worms with which the ground of that
country abounds, had full leave to multiply; the
consequence of which was, the total loss of the grass
in 1749, when the New Englanders were obliged to

220
BOAT IRIL, &c.
procure their hay from Pensilvania, and even from
their mother country.
They appear in New York and Philadelphia in
February, or the beginning of March, when they
perch upon trees near the farms, and give a tolera-
ble agreeable note. They also build in trees ;
usually in retired places, making their nests exter-
nally with course stalks ; internally with fibres, with
plaister at the bottom. They lay five or six eggs of a
pale blue colour, thinly spotted and striped with black.
After the breeding season they return with their
young from their most distant quarters in vast flocks
which are said to extend for miles, and to blacken
the sky. They increase in proportion, as the ground
is more cultivated, following the maize wherever
that grain is introduced.
They are found throughout the United States, in
Mexico, and in the island of Jamaica. Their flesh
is hard, rank, and affords but little nourishment;
yet they are sometimes eaten by man; and the small
hawks dash in among the flocks, and catch them in
the air.
BOAT IRIL
RESEMBLES the preceding species in size and plu-
mage, but is distinguished by the structure of its
tail, which is expanded when walking, but so folded
in ſlight, or on the perch, as to form an oblong cavity
in its upper part. inhabits some of the West India
islands, and the warmer parts of North America,
consorting with the purple grackles, and red-winged
orioles, and feeding on maize and insects.
PARADISE GRACKLE.
This bird feeds upon insects; and the havoc
which it makes is the more considerable, as it has a

PARADISE GRACKLE.
231
gluttonous appetite ; the various sorts of flies and
caterpillars are its prey. Like the carrion crow and
magpies, it hovers about the horses, the oxen, and
the hogs in search of the vermin which often tor-
ments these animals to such a degree as to exhaust
them, and even occasion death. The patient qua-
drupeds are glad to get rid of these, and suffer with-
out molestation, often ten or twelve paradise grac-
kles to perch on their back at once, but the intru-
ders are not content with this indulgence ; the skin
need only be laid bare to discover the insects, but the
birds will peck with their bills into the raw flesh, and
do more injury than the vermine which they extract.
They may indeed be considered as carnivorous birds,
whose prudence directs them to attack openly none
but the weak and the feeble. A young one was
known to seize a rat two inches long, exclusively of
the tail, dash it repeatedly against the boards of its
cage, break the bones, and reduce every limb to a
pliancy suited to its view, and then lay hold of it by
the head, and almost in an instant swallowed it en-
tire. It rested about a quarter of an hour to digest
it, with its wings dropping, and its air languid ; but
after that interval, it ran with its usual cheerfulness,
and about an hour afterwards having found another
rat, it swallowed that as it did the first, and with as
little inconvenience.
This bird is also very fond of grashoppers ; and
as it destroys immense quantities, it is a valuable
guest in countries infested with these insects. It is
found in India, and the Philippines, and probably in
the intermediate islands.
These birds are so bold as to be but little disturbed
by the report of a musket. They commonly take
possession of certain trees, or even certain rows of
trees, often very near hamlets, to pass the night.
They alight in an evening in such immense bodies,
th at the branches are entirely covered with them,
:
a

232
PARADISE GRACKLE.
and their leaves concealed. When thus assembled
they all begin to chatter together, and their noisy
society is exceedingly troublesome to their neigh-
bours. Yet their natural song is pleasant, varied,
and extensive. In the morning they disperse into
the fields, either in small flocks, or in pairs, accord-
ing to the season.
They rear two broods in succession every year,
the first being in the middle of spring. These turn
out well unless the season be rainy. Their nests
are very wide, and they take no precaution to pre-
vent the wet from penetrating. They fasten them
in the leaves of trees, especially the palm-tree; and
whenever an opportunity presents, they prefer a
hay-loft. They are strongly attached to their young.
When their nests are about to be robbed, they flut-
ter round and utter a sort of croaking, and even dart
upon the plunderer. When their brood is taken
from them, and set in a window or open place, they
will carefully supply them with food, without disco-
vering the least anxiety for their own safety. The
young paradise grackles are easily learned to talk.
If they are kept in the poultry yard, they spontani-
ously mimic the cries of all the domestic animals;
and their chattering is accompanied with certain ac-
tions and gestures which are very pleasing.
The birds are rather larger than blackbirds; have
yellow bills and legs as in these, but longer, and the
tail shorter. The head and neck are blackish'; be-
hind the eye is a naked reddish skin of a triangular
shape; the lower part of the breast, and all the up-
per part of the body, including the wing and tail co-
verts of a chesnut brown; the belly white, the twelve
quills of the tail and the secondaries brown; the
primaries black from the tip to the middle, and
thence to their origin white, which produces an ob-
long spot of that colour near the edge of each wing
when it is closed.

PARADISE BIRDS.
233
PARADISE BIRDS.
The distinguishing characters of this singular and
beautiful genus are the following: bill covered with
a downy collar or bridle at the base; flank feathers
longer than the tail quills; the upper coverts de-
tached and unwebbed. Their nostrils are small,
and covered with feathers; their feet are large and
stout; and the middle of the fore toes is connected
with the outmost at the first joint. They chiefly
inhabit New Guinea, from which they remove in
the dry season to the adjacent islands.
APODA , OR, GREATER BIRD OF PARADISE.
The residence of this bird was said to be in the
earthly paradise. It was believed by the credulous
and ignorant, that it lived wholly upon the air and
the dew ; that it had no entrails, nor feet; but re-
mained perpetually floating upon the air, while
sleeping, as well as while awake, and even while
laying its eggs, and rearing its young. Instead of a a
stomach and intestines, which, to so extraordinary a
feeder, would have been useless, the cavity of its abdo-
men was said to be filled with fat. The hunters who
procure and sell these birds, cut off their legs, and
take away their entrails, the better to preserve and
carry them; and perhaps too with a view to per-
petuate the belief of those fables, which they have
found so beneficial to their trade.
If any thing could give an air of probability to the
perpetual flying of the bird of paradise, it might be
its extraordinary lightness. A bird no larger than
a thrush, swelled to a vast bulk by its feathers, is
rendered specifically lighter than any other. About
.
u h
VOL. I.

234
APODA.
forty or fifty long feathers spring from each side,
below the wing, which, mingling with those of the
tail, augment the apparent size of the animal, with-
out adding hardly any thing to its weight. How-
ever well qualified to support itself in the air, the
bird of paradise is unable to direct its flight, either
across or in opposition to the wind; and it is ob-
served to prefer those places, which are most shel-
tered.
In some parts of India, the feathers of this bird
bring a great price. They are extremely well
suited for the ornaments of dress, both by their light-
ness and their lustre. About a century ago, they
were employed for the same purposes, for which
those of the ostrich are now purchased. In India,
however, they derive their principal value from cer-
tain miraculous virtues which the priests have as-
cribed to them, and which have procured the ani-
mal to which they belong, the title of "the bird of
God.”
What renders this bird still more remarkable, is
two long naked feathers, like threads, that arise
in the uropigium, above the false tail already des-
cribed. These are of an enormous length, extend-
ing above a foot beyond the longest of that large
mass: The head, back, and breast of these birds,
are covered with short straight feathers, which, to
the touch, are soft like velvet. They are of differ-
ent colours, and so changeable in their hue, that they
vary continually, according to the different points
from which they are viewed. They are confined
in their residence to a few of the spice islands, and
New Guinea. Their decided preference of the
spice trees, has led some to believe, that they find
upon them their favourite food. Linnæus, however,
asserts, that they are insectivorous, and feed mostly
on the butterfly. Their usual residence is in the
woods, where they are shot by the Indians with

AFODA
235
a
arrows of reeds. For this purpose the Indians have
a curious method of concealing themselves in small
huts, that are fastened among the branches of the
trees.
Belon pretends that the bird of paradise is the
same with the phenix of the antients; but the coun-
tries which they inhabit are too distant for such an
hypothesis ; Egypt being the habitation of the lat-
ter, and the eastern parts of Asia that of the former.
There does not seem to be the most distant affinity
þetween them, excepting the monstrous fables to
which both have given rise.
Marcgrave has inserted a description of this spe-
cies in his history of the birds of Brasil ; but it does
not appear, that any of them were ever seen in Ame-
rica, unless those transported thither by the vessels
that trade between Asia and that continent. It is
extremely improbable, that a bird, so little capable of
directing its flight amidst a gentle breeze, should
ever have attempted so long a voyage. The bird
of paradise is confined within very narrow limits in
that continent which it inhabits, and never has shewn
a disposition to go beyond them. It is not to be
supposed, therefore, that it should ever have at-
tempted to cross the Pacific ocean.
It does not appear that this bird was known
ther to the Greeks or Romans. The striking and
singular characters by which it is so remarkably dis-
tinguished from all the other tribes of the feathered
race, could not fail to have been recorded in some
part or other of their writings, had the bird been
known.
The Portuguese first discovered these birds in the
Island of Gilolo; and they were known by the name
of “ birds of the sun." The inhabitants of Ternate
called them the birds of God.”
These birds are not found in Key, an island fifty
Dutch miles east from Banda ; but they are found

236
KING OF THE BIRDS OF PARADISE.
in the Aron Islands, lying fifteen Dutch miles fur-
ther east than Key, during the westerly or dry mon-
soon, and they return to New Guinea, as soon as the
wet monsoon sets in. They come always in a flock
of thirty or forty, and during their flight, cry like
starlings. Their note, however, bears a nearer re-
semblance to the croaking of ravens, which is heard
very plainly when they are in distress, from a fresh
gale blowing on the back of their plumage. In
Aron, these birds settle in the highest trees, espe-
cially on the waringa-tree. The natives catch them
with bird-lime, or in nooses, or shoot them with
blunt arrows; but though some are still alive when
they fall into their hands, they kill them immedi-
ately, not knowing their food; then they draw out
the entrails, dry and fumigate the bodies with sulphur,
and sell them at Banda for half a rix-dollar each.
Flocks of these birds are often seen flying from one
island to the other against the wind. In case they
find the wind become too powerful, they fly straight
up into the air, till they come to a current where it
is less agitated, and then continue their flight. Du-
ring the eastern monsoon, their tails are moulting,
so that they have them only during four months.
KING OF THE BIRDS OF PARADISE.
The ndian name of this species signifies the
“ bird of God.” That given it by the English wri-
ters, had its origin in those fables that were propaga-
ted by the sailors, w.o retailed the fictions they had
learned from he superstitious Indians. One of these
was, that each species of the birds of paradise had
its own king, to which every individual paid submis-
,
sion and obedience : that this king always flew in a
higher region of the air than his subjects, from which
he issued various orders to them, such as, to go
and examine the springs where he might drink with
safety, and to taste of them before him.

MAGNIFICENT BIRD OF PARADISE
237
This alleged king of the birds of paradise, in many
circumstances resemble the former species, and in
more, perhaps, differs from it. His head is gar-
nished with the same velvet covering; his eyes are
equally small; and he has the two filous and naked
feathers springing from the uropigium, and going
beyond the tail. These are, however, much inferior
in length, and their extremity is barbed or curled up,
like a lock of hair. He has also under the wing on
each side a bunch of seven or eight feathers, which
are longer than in most birds, but not so long as those
of the greater bird of paradise, and of a different
shape, for they are edged throughout their whole
extent with webs of adhering filaments. The king
bird is smaller ; the bill white and tonger in propor-
tions; the wings are also longer ; the tail shorter ;
and the nostrils covered with feathers.
MAGNIFICENT BIRD OF PARADISE.
This species is distinguished from the other birds
of paradise, by two tufts which ornament its neck.
The first consists of several narrow feathers of a yel-
low colour, marked near the point with a small
black spot, which instead of lying flat in the usual
manner, stands almost crect ; those near the head at
right angles, and the succeeding ones with smaller
inclinations. Under the first tuft is perceived a se-
cond, but not so much raised, and more reclined ;
it is composed of long detached filaments, which
sprout out of very short shafts, and of which fifteen
or twenty join together, forming straw coloured fca-
thers. These feathers seem to be cut square at the
end, and make angles more or less acute, with the
plane of the shoulders. This second tuft is bounded
on the right and left by common feathers, variegated
with brown and orange, and is terminated behind
by a reddish and shining brown spot, of a triangu-
lar brown shape, with the vertex turned towards the

238
SUPERB BIRD OF PARADISE.
a
tail, and the filaments of the feathers loose and de-
composed, as in the second tuft.
Another characteristic feature of this bird is, that
there are two filaments of the tail, which are about a
foot long, and a line, broad, and of a blue colour,
changing into a lucid green, and taking their origin
above the tail. So far they much resemble the fila-
ments of the preceding species, but are of a differ-
ent form, for they do not end in a point, and are fur-
nished with webs on the middle of the inner side.
The middle of the neck and breast is marked from
the throat by a row of very short feathers, display,
ing a series of small transverse lines, which are al-
ternately of a fine light green, changing into blue,
and of a deep duck green. Brown is the prevailing
.
colour on the lower belly; the rump, and the tail
rusty yellow.; is that of the quills, and of their co-
verts; but the quills have more than one brown
spot at their extremity; at least this was the case in
the specimens described by the Counte de Buffon.
This bird is rather larger than the preceding ; its
bill is similar, and the feathers of the front extend
over the nostrils, which they partly cover ; yet this
is inconsistent with the character that has been esta-
blished of these birds by Brisson. The feathers of
the head are short, straight, close, and very soft to
the touch. They form a sort of velvet of a chạng-
ing colour, as in almost all the birds of paradise, and
of a brownish ground. The throat is also covered
with velvet feathers; but these are black, with gol-
den green reflections.
SUPERB EIRD OF PARADISE
The plumage of this bird is of a rich black, gloss-
ed towards the neck with green above, and violet be-
neath; the bill also is black. Two small tufts cover
the nostrils and two larger ones rise on the shoulders
and spreading over the back, form a sort of wings
a
а

GOLDEN BIRD OF PARADISE, &c. 239
which extend almost to the extremity of the true
wings, when they are closed.
GOLDEN BIRD OF PARADISE.
This bird is distinguished by six beautiful fila-
ments which take their origin from the head, are six
inches long, and reflect backward. They have no
webs hut at their extremity for about half an inch,
and these are black and pretty long. The bill of
this bird is angular and sharp on its upper ridge,
while in niost of the other kinds it is rounded. A
tuft of stiff narrow feathers rise at the base of the up-
per mandible ; and the feathers of the belly and ab-
domen are so long as to conceal a third part of the
upper surface of the tail. The head is black, glossed
with violet; the body very dark brown, glossed with
the same colour as the head; the neck is adorned
with the most beautiful shades of gold, green, and
violet ; the former colour is spread over the
breast
BLUE-GREEN BIRD OF PARADISE.
HEAD blue violet changing into green; neck of
the same colour, but mingled with black and blue ;
the back, rump, tail, and belly are blue like polished
steel, with very brilliant reflections. Length sixteen
inches ; bill longer and thicker than in the preced-
ing kinds.
CURUCUI TRIBE.
The generic characters of this tribe are bill shorter
than the head, knife shaped ; hook toothed at the
margin of the mandibles ; feet formed for climbing.
They inhabit Brazil, and other hot parts of Ame-
rica. They are said to take their name from their

240
RED-BELLIED CURUCUI.
a
note. They are the solitary inhabitants of the most
retired and swampy forests, sitting on the lower
boughs. They take short flights, and subsist upon
insects
RED-BELLIED CURUCUI
This bird is ten inches and a half long; the head,
neck, and upper part of the breast, the back, rump,
and upper tail coverts are of a fine brilliant green,
changing in a certain position into blue ; the wing
coverts are blue grey, variegated with small black
zigzag lines ; and the great quills of the tail are
black, except their shafts which are partly white ;
the quills of the tail are of a fine green like the back,
except the outer ones which are black, and have a
small transverse grey line ; a part of the breast, of
;
the belly, and under tail coverts are of a fine red ;
the bill is yellowish ; and the legs are brown.
The pairing season, in this genus, commences in
the month of April, when they search out the hole of
a tree for their nest. This mansion they carefully
.
line with dust of worm-eaten wood, which renders it
almost as soft as cotton or down. Their strong and
sharp bills enable them to enlarge, or model this
apartment, at pleasure. When the work is com-
pleted, the female lays three or four white eggs,
nearly of the size of those of the pigeon ; and,
while employed in incubation, she is not only plen-
tifully supplied in provision by her mate ; but is
carefully watched, and soothed by his song, from a
neighbouring branch. This bird, so silent at all
other times, makes the woods echo with blandishing
notes during the period of incubation ; which, insi-
pid to us as they may appear, no doubt soothe the
cares of his cherished spouse.
The young, on their first appearance, are perfectly
naked; their head and beaks appear of a prodigious
size, when compared with their body. They are at
a

YELLOW-BELLIED CURUCUI, &c. 241
first fed with small worms and insects, and are no
sooner capable of providing their own subsistence,
than they abandon themselves to those solitary habits,
that distinguish their race.
YELLOW-BELLIED CURUCUÍ.
LENGTH about eleven inches; head, and upper
side of the neck black, glossed with green ; back,
rump, thighs, and upper tail coverts brilliant green;
great wing coverts blackish, spotted with white;
primaries blackish, four or five outward ones of
a white shaft; tail feathers black, three outer ones
on each side radiated transversely with black and
white; throat, and under side of the neck, dark
brown; breast, belly, and under tail coverts fine
yellow; the bill is indented, that and the legs are
dark brown; the nails are black, the tail is ta-
pered.
VIOLET-HOODED CURUCUI.
The throat, neck, and breast are of a dusky vio-
let ; the head is of the same colour, except that of
the front, and of the space round the eyes and ears, ,
which is blackish; the eye-brows yellow; the back
and rump of a deep green, with gold reflections ;
the superior coverts of the tail are bluish green, with
the same gold reflections; the wings are brown,
and their coverts, as well as the middle quills, are
dotted with white; the two central quills of the tail
are green, verging on blue, and terminating with
black; the two adjacent pairs are of the same co-
lour in the uncovered part, and blackish in the rest ;
the three lateral pairs are black, striped and termi-
nated with white; the bill is lead colour at the base,
and whitish near the point; the tail exceeds the
wings when closed, by upwards of two inches; and
the total length of the bird is nine inches and a
half.
ii
VOL. I.

249
BARBET TRIBE.
These birds are never observed in flocks; they
generally sit on the middle branches of trees, the
cock and the hen on separate, but adjacent trees,
and call each other alternately, by repeating their
hollow monotonous cry, ooroocoais. They never
fly far, but only from tree to tree, and seldom do that ;
for they remain during the greatest part of the day
in the same spot, concealed beneath the thickest
boughs; where, though their voice is continually
heard, yet as they are motionless, they can hardly be
discovered. They are clothed so thickly with plu-
mage, that they appear larger than they are in re-
ality; they would seem to equal the bulk of a pigeon,
though they have not more flesh than a thrush. But
if their feathers be numerous and close, they are
weakly rooted, for they drop with the least rubbing.
These birds are among the most beautiful of South
America. Fernandy says, that the fine feathers of
the red-bellied curucui, were used by the Mexicans
in making portraits, a gaudy kind of paintings, and
other ornaments which they wore at festivals or in
battle.
a
BARBET TRIBE.
The generic characters of this tribe are, bill knife-
shaped, compressed laterally, notched on each side
at the tip, bent with a mandible stretching forward
below the eyes; nostrils hid under reclining feathers;
feet made for climbing. Their bill is remarkably
covered with projecting
bristles.
Buffon has with propriety distinguished those of
the new, from those of the old continent. The for-
mer are of a very solitary nature. Avoiding the
haunts of men, and even the open plain, they coure
the solitude of the deep forest, where they seem to

.
a
SPOTTED, OR, BRASILIAN BARBET, &c
; ,
243
find their sweetest enjoyments. Their flights are
short and heavy; they seldom perch on the higher
branches of a tree ; and when sitting, they affect a
grave, and even disconsolate air.
The barbets of the antient hemisphere, which are
found in the islands of the Indian ocean, are distin-
guished by the thickness and shortness of the beak.
Far from affecting the gravity of the American spe-
cies, they attack the smaller tribes with the boldness
and intrepidity of the butcher bird.
SPOTTED; OR, BRASILIAN BARBET.
The Brasilian species is above six inches long.
The bill is thick, bent down at the point, and co-
vered about one ha.f of its length with a strong
beard. The brow and upper part of the head are
of a brownish colour the plumage on the other up-
per parts of the body is black, with a shade of brown:
the under parts are spotted with black upon a
whitish ground. It is said to be a silent, solitary,
and sluggish bird, very ugly, and ill shaped.
RED-HEADED BARBET.
Bill blackish ; head and throat red; cheeks, and
under side of the body black; a white spot above
each eye ; and white spots on the wings; feet ash
colour. Inhabits Guiana.
COLLARED BARBET.
PLUMAGE agreeably variegated; uider side deep
orange, striped with transverse black lines; a black
collar, narrow above and broad below, surrounds the
neck, and covers the top of the breast ; below this a
tawny half collar ; throat, whitish ; lower part of
the breast rusty white, inclining more and more to
red as it descends under the body; feet grey ; length
about seven inches. Inhabits Guiana, but is a rare
species.

244
ELEGANT BARRET, &c.
ELEGANT BARBET.
LENGTH not quite six inches; plumage variegated
beyond description ; form slender and elegant. In-
habits the banks of the Amazon river.
BLACK BARBET
BILL strong and thick ; plumage black above,
white beneath, on the forehead, and the tips of the
tail; black stripe on the breast.
YELLOW-THROATED BARBET
LENGTH seven inches; head and breast red; a
yellow spot surrounds the eyes ; the throat, and
under side of the body are of the same colour, varie-
gated with longitudinal spots of dull green. Inha-
bits the Philippines.
BLACK-THROATED BARBET.
LARGER than the grosheak; forehead red; a se-
micircular black stripe over each eye, continued by
a white one down the neck ; crown of the head,
back of the head, throat, and neck black ; throat
marked with a black and a white stripe; breast,
belly, and upper surface of the tail white; back
black, streaked with yellow ; wing crossed on the
top with a stripe of yellow and white, varied both on
the quills and feathers with black and vellow; as is
also the tail ; bill and feet blackish.
BLACK-BREASTED BARBET.
FOREHEAD red; plumage black and white, varied
with a yellow line on the head ; yellow spots on the
wings, back, and rump; yellow edges to the tail-
quills; back of the head and breast black. Comes
from the Cape of Good Hope,

LITTLE BARBET, &c.
245
a
و
LITTLE BARBET
LENGTH four inches ; tail short ; upper side black-
ish brown, shaded with tawny, and tinged with green
on the wings and tail ; wings waned with white;
under side whitish, with a little brown; throat yel-
low ; a small white bar under each eye. Inhabits
Senegal
CHINESE BARBET
LENGTH eleven inches; plumage fine green, min-
gled with blue on the head and forepart of the neck,
and on the back of the neck, and the back varying
to a brown ; some feathers below the tail are of a
fine red; bill whitish, black at the point, and sur-
rounded with black hard bristles.
GREEN BARBET.
LENGTH six inches; head and neck brown grey ;
latter varied with yellow ; a white spot above and
behind each eye ; primaries brown ; rest of the plu-
mage green, lightest beneath ; bill whitish, sur-
rounded at the base with long black hard bristles.
Native of the East Indies.
ASIATIC BARBET
3
THE toes of this bird are placed two before, and
two behind ; and it is remarkable for its large bill,
and the very long bristles which shoot from the base
of the bill, and extend considerably beyond the nos-
trils; the shape of the bill is also peculiar ; the up-
per mandible being pointed, and hooked at its ex-
tremity, with two blunt indentings on each side ; the
lower mandible is striped transversely with small
furrows; the whole is reddish and curved downwards.
The plumage is black on all the upper part of the
body, the top of the breast and belly; and red on

946
CUCKOO TRIBE, &c.
a
the rest of tne under surface, nearly as in the first
species. It is nine inches long; the tail three inches
and a half ; the bill an inch and a half long, and
near an inch thick ; and the legs are only an inch
high ; so that the bird can hardly walk. It is a na-
tive of Barbary.
CUCKOO TRIBE,
This numerous family are diffused over both con-
tinents. Their bill is somewhat taper; nostrils
slightly pertuberant at the margin ; the tongue ar-
Tow-shaped, flai, and undivided ; feet formed for
climbing
As the cuckoos are such a numerous family, we
shall distribute them into European, Asiatic, African,
American, and natives of the islands of the South
seas.
EUROPEAN CUCKOOS
Cuckoo
Its .ength is fourteen inches ; breadth twenty-
five ; its bill is black, and somewhat bent; eyes
yellow; inside of the mouth red; its head, neck,
back, and wing coverts are of a pale blue, or dove co-
lour, which is darkest on the head and back, and
palest on the forepart of the neck and rump ; its
breast and belly are white, elegantly curved with
bars of black; the quill feathers are dusky, their in-
mer webs marked with large oval white spots; the
tail is long; the two middle feathers are black, with
white tips; the others dusky, marked with alternate
spots of white on each side the shaft; the legs are

CUCKOW.


CUCKOO,
247
short, and of a yellow colour; toes two forward, two
backward ; claws white.
The cuckoo visits us early in the spring; its well
known cry is generally heard about the middle of
April, and ceases the latter end of June; its stay is
short ; the old cuckoos being said to quit this coun-
try early in July. Cuckoos build no nest; and what
is more extraordinary, the female deposits her soli-
tary egg in the nest of another bird, by whom it is
hatched. The nest she chuses for this purpose, is
generally selected from those of the following birds :
the hedge-sparrow's, water-wag tail's, titlark's, yel-
low hammer's, green linnet's, or the whinchat's. Of
these it has been observed that she shews a much
greater partiality to that of the hedge-sparrow, than
to any of the rest.
We owe the following account of the economy of
this singular bird, in the disposal of its eggs, to the
accurate observations of Mr. Edward Jenner, com-
municated to the royal society, and published in the
seventy-eighth volume of their transactions, part se-
second :---He observes, that during the time the
hedge-sparrow is laying her eggs," which generally
takes up four or five days, “the cuckoo contrives to
deposit her egg among the rest, leaving the future
care of it entirely to the hedge-sparrow.” This in-
trusion often occasions some discomposure; for the
old hedge-sparrow at intervals, whilst she is sitting,
not only throws out some of her own eggs, but some-
times injures them in such a way that they become
addle ; sº that it frequently happens that not more
than two or three of the parent bird's eggs are
hatched with that of the cuckoo ; and what is very
remarkable, it has never been observed that the
hedge-sparrow has either thrown out or injured the
egg of the cuckoo. When the hedge-sparrow has
sat her usual time, and has disengaged the young
cuckoo, and some of her own offspring from the shell,

249
CUCKOO.
her own young ones, and any of her eggs that re-
main unhatched, are soon turned out, the young
cuckoo then remains in full possession of the nest,
and is the sole object of the future care of his foster-
parents. The young birds are not previously killed,
nor the eggs demolished, but all are left to perish to-
gether, either entangled in the bush which contains
the nest, or lying on the ground under it. Mr.
Jenner next proceeds to account for this seemingly
unnatural circumstance; and as what he has ad-
vanced is the result of his own repeated observations,
we shall give it nearly in his own words : "On the
18th of June, 1787, Mr, J. examined the nest of a
hedge-sparrow, which then contained a cuckoo's
and three-hedge sparrow's eggs. On inspecting it
the day following the bird had hatched, but the nest
then contained only a young cuckoo, and one young
hedge-sparrow. The nest was placed so near the
extremity of a hedge, that he could distinctly see
what was going forward in the nest ; and, to his
great astonishment, he saw the young cuckoo though
so lately hatched, in the act of turning out the young
hedge-sparrow. The mode of accomplishing this
was curious, the little animal with the assistance of
its rump and wings, contrived to get the bird upon
its back, and making a lodgement for its burden by
elevating its elbows, clambered backwards with it up
the side of the nest till it reached the top, where
resting for a moment, it threw off its load with a jerk,
and quite disengaged it from the nest; after remain-
ing a short time in this situation, and feeling about
with the extremities of its wings, as if to be convinc-
ed that the business was properly executed, it drop-
ed into the nest again." Mr. J. made several expe-
riments in different nests, by repeatedly putting in
an egg to the young cuckoo, which he always found
to be disposed of in the same manner. It is very re-
markable, that nature seems to have provided for the

CUCKOO.
249
singular disposition of the cuckoo, in its formation at
this period; for, different from other newly-hatched
birds, its back, from the shoulders downwards, is
very broad with a considerable depression in the
middle, which seems intended by nature for the pur-
pose of giving a more secure lodgment to the egg of
the hedge-sparrow, or its young one, while the young
cuckoo is employed in removing either of them from
the nest. When it is above twelve days old, this
cavity is quite filled up, the back assumes the shape
of nestling birds in general; and at that time the
disposition for turning out its young companions en-
tirely ceases. The smallness of the cuckoo's egg,
which in general, is less than that of the house-spar-
row, is another circumstance to be attended to in
this surprising transaction, and seems to account for
the parent cuckoo's depositing it in the nest of such
small birds only, as have been mentioned. If she
were to do this in the nest of a bird which produced
a larger egg, and consequently a larger nestling, its
design would probably be frustrated; the young
cuckoo woulu be unequal to the task of becoming
sole possessor of the nest, and might fall a sacrifice
to the superior strength of its partners.
Mr. Jenner observes, that it sometimes happens
that two cuckoos' eggs are deposited in the same
nest, and gives the following instance of one which
fell under his observation. “Two cuckoos and a
hedge-sparrow were hatched in the same nest; one
hedge-sparrow's egg remained unhatched: in a few
hours a contest began between the cuckoos for pos-
session of the nest, which continued undetermined
till the afternoon of the following day, when one of
them which was superior in size, turned out the
other, together with the young hedge-sparrow, and
the unhatched egg. This contest he adds, was very
remarkable: the combatants alternately appeared
to have the advantage, as each carried the other sea
x k
a
VOL I.

250 GREAT SPOTTED CUCKOO, &c.
9
a
veral times nearly to the top of the nest, and then
sunk down again oppressed with the weight of its
burden; till at length, after various efforts, the
stronger prevailed, and was afterwards brought up
by the hedge-sparrow.”
GREAT SPOTTED CUCKOO
This cuckoo is not entirely foreign to Europe,
since one was killed on the rock of Gibralter. Its
most remarkable ornament is, a silky tuft of bluish
grey, which can be erected at pleasure; but com-
moniy lays flat on the head ; over the eye is a black
bar; on the upper parts, including the wings and
tail ; brown is the predominating colour, but the
middle quills, and almost all the wing coverts; the
four lateral pairs of tail-feathers, and their superior
coverts are terminated with white, which forms a
pleasant enamel ; the under side of the body is
brown orange brightest before ; the bill and legs
are black. It is as large as a magpie ; the bill about
an inch and a half; and the tail about eight inches
long
BLACK AND WHITE CRESTED CUCKOO.
The head of this species is black, ornamented with
a tuft of the same colour, which points backwards
the upper side of the body, including the superior
wing coverts is black and white; primaries reddish,
terminated with white; the quills of the tail are
blackish, terminated with light red; throat and breast
reddish ; under coverts of the tail rusty ; under side
of the body white; bill greenish brown ; legs
green.
It is larger than the ordinary kind of cuckoos, and
has its tail longer. Its tail is also more tapered than
that of the preceding species. In 1739, a pair of
these birds nestled in the neighbourhood of Pisa, in
Italy: where the female layed and hatched four eggs.
3

ASIATIC CUCKOOS, &c. .
251
ASIATIC CUCKOOS
INDIAN SPOTTED CUCKOO.
LENGTH about thirteen inches; tail about as long
as the body, consists of twelve or thirteen quills ;
head larger than the common cuckoos; plumage
brown of different shades, variegated below with
white, orange, and black ; tail and quills barred with
light brown or rusty; bill and legs yellowish. In-
habits Bengal.
VARIEGATED CUCKOO OF MINDANAO.
LENGTH fourteen inches and a half; tail seven in
ches, consisting of ten quills, which are nearly equal ;
extent nineteen inches. Head, throat, and upper
side spotted with reddish, white, and a glossy brown
ground shaded with gold green ; wings barred with
pure white; and tail with rusty; under side white,
barred transversely with black ; bill black; rusty
below : legs brown grey. Inhabits the Philip-
pines.
SACRED CUCKOO.
LENGTH eleven inches and a half ; tail five and a
half consisting of ten tapered quills. Head and
upper side blackish ash-colour, spotted regularly
with white ; under side white, barred transversely
with ash ; quills blackish; tail-feathers ash, barred
with white; iris light orange; bill and legs pale
ash-colour. It is held sacred on the Malabar coast,
because it destroys pernicious insects.
RUFONS SPOTTED 'CUCKOO.
LENGTH seventeen inches; tail as long as the
body, consisting of ten tapered quills ; extent of

252 CHINESE SPOTTED CUCKOO, &c.
wing twenty-three inches. Head and upper side of
the body brown, dotted with red ; quills of the wings
and tail, and upper tail coverts barred trarfsversely ;
tail tipped with light red; under side reddish, barred
transversely with blackish brown ; eyes yellowish
red ; bill horn colour ; legs brown grey. Inhabits
the East Indies, as far as the Philippines.
CHINESE SPOTTED CUCKOO
LENGTH fourteen inches ; tail six and a half, con-
sisting of ten equal quills. Upper side of the head
and neck blackish, with a few white spots ; upper
side of the body, including wings greenish grey, va-
riegated with white, and er riched by brown, gold re-
flections ; tail barred with the same colours ; rest of
the plumage variegated with brown and white;
bill blackish above, yellow below ; legs yellowish.
RADIATED CUCKOO.
LMOST as large as the common cuckoo; tail
composed of ten equal quills ; throat and sides of
the head deep dull red; crown blackish
grey;
back
and wings dull dark brown, latter spotted with white
on the under side; tail black, radiated and tipped
with white ; breast yellow brown ; belly light yel-
low both radiated with black; iris pale orange;
legs reddish. Inhabits Panay, one of the Philip-
pines.
CRESTED CUCKOO OF COROMANDEL,
LENGTH eleven inches ; tail composed of ten ta-
pered quills, and exceeding the wings by one half of
its length. Plumage black above; varied with
white on the wings; and tail white below; bill and
legs black; head crested with several long fea-
thers


INDIAN
CUCKOW

YELLOW-BELLIED CUCKOO, &c.
253
n
YELLOW-BELLIED CUCKOO
ENGTH above eight inches ; tail as long as the
hody. Upper side of the head and throat light grey;
rest of the upper plumage brick coloured ; under
plumage pale yellow, tinged with red ; tail black,
striped with white; legs pale yellow; as is also the
bill; but blackish at the point. Inhabits Panay.
BLACK ORIENTAL CUCKOO.
Size nearly that of the pigeon. Plumage shining
black, changing into green and violet on the tail;
hill and legs brown grey; nails blackish. Inhabits
the Philippines.
BLACK INDIAN CUCKOO.
Less than the blackbird. Plumage glossy black;
bill bright orange ; legs reddish brown. Edges of
the upper mandible not straight, but undulated.
GOLD-GREEN CUCKOO
LENGTH about seven inches ; tail about as long as
the body, and consisting of ten spreading quills;
wings very long. Upper side waving rich gold-
green ; five white bars on the head; secondaries,
tail-quills, and most of the upper coverts of the wings
and tail tipped with white; throat, and under side
white ; striped with green on the flanks and thighs;
bill brown green ; legs grey.
PARADISE CUCKOO.
LENGTH seventeen inches; tail near eleven, and
rather forked. Plumage dark green. Head crested;
two shafts proceed from the tail, and are near six
inches longer than the rest, and have no web at the
extremities. Inhabits Siam.
;

254
COLLARED COROMANDEL CUCKOO, &c.
3
ز
COLLARED COROMANDEL CUCKOO.
Tirs bird resembles the preceding species, in
being ornamented with a crest, and two remarkable
long quills of its tail; but these are the middle fea-
thers. Length twelve inches and a quarter ; tail
near seven, and tapered; wings short. Upper side
blackish; two round grey spots behind the eyes ; a
white collar on the neck; wings variegated with
red; throat, and thighs blackish ; rest of the under
side white; iris yellowish ; bill and legs ash-co-
loured.
CHINESE CUCKOO
LENGTII thirteen inches; tanı seven inches and a
half, tapered, and having middle quills long as in
former species. Upper side blue, varied with white
on the head, quills and tail; throat, and sides of the
head blackish; under side snowy white.
PANAYAN SPOTTED CUCKOO.
LARGER than our cuckoo. Bill black; irides yel-
low ; upper side very deep brown, spotted with red-
dish yellow; quills barred with reddish yellow, and
a lighter yellow intermixed with black dots; throat
black, spotted with reddish yellow; breast and belly
reddish; tail long, even at the end, reddish yellow,
transversely barred with black ; legs lead colour,
AFRICAN CUCKOOS.
TOURACO; OR, CRESTED CUCKOO,
The touraco is one of the most beautiful of the
African birds ; for besides its brilliant plumage.
and its sparkling eyes, it has a crest on its head,
which is compared with a crown; and adds much

CRESTED CUCKOO.
255
a
to the magnificence of its appearance. It is as large
as the jay; its tail is long and broad; but its wings
are short in proportion, scarcely reaching to the
origin of the tail. The upper mandible is convex,
and covered with feathers reflected from the forehead
and concealing the nostrils. The eye is surrounded
by a scarlet eye-lid, which has a great number of
protuberant worts of the same colour The beauti-
ful tuft which crowns its head, is composed of fine
silky feathers, consisting of such delicate fibres, that
the whole is transparent. There are two species, or
rather varieties of the touraco ; one of which inha-
bits Abyssinia ; and the other comes from the Cape
of Good Hope. The Abyssinian bird has a blackish
tuft, compact like a lock of hair, and reflected back-
ward; the feathers on the forehead, throat, and neck
are grass green; the breast, and top of the back
are of the same colour, but with an olive tinge that
melts into a purple brown, heightened by a fine
green gloss : all the back, the coverts of the wings,
and the quills next the body, as well as the tail fea-
thers are coloured in the same way; the primaries
are of a fine crimson, indented with black on the
small webs near the tip; the under side is grey:
The touraco of the Cape of Good Hope is distin-
guished from the Abyssinian, by nothing except that
the tuft is of a lighter green, and sometimes fringed
with white.
Buffon had one of these birds alive from the Cape,
and was assured that it lived upon rice. No other
food was offered to it at first, and this it would not
touch, but suffered itself to famish till it eat its own
excrements. During three days it subsisted on wa-
ter and a bit of sugar. But observing some grapes
a
brought to the table, it shewed a strong appetite for
them, and when some were given to it, it swallowed
them greedily It discovered in the same way, a
,
fondness for apples, and afterwards for oranges.

256
GREEN CUCKOO OF MADAGASCAR, &c
From this time it was fed on fruit for several months.
This seemed to be its natural food ; its curved bill
not being in the least adapted for collecting grain.
It was lively, and uttered a weak hoarse cry from the
bottom of its gizzard, without opening its bill. It
vented this cry of its own accord when it was hun-
gry; but would also repeat it at pleasure, if prompt-
ed to it by imitation.
GREEN CUCKOO OF MADAGASCAR,
This is one of the larger species of cuckoos ; its
length is twenty-one inches and a half, of which
the bill makes nearly two inches, and the tail ten;
the latter is composed of ten tapering feathers. The
upper side is deep olive, varied with dark brown ;
some of the side feathers of the tail are tipped with
white; the hroat is yellow olive; breast, and top of
the belly tawny ; lower belly, and under tail coverts
brown ; thighs grey ; legs yellowish brown; bill
black ; iris orange.
CRESTED CUCKOO OF MADAGASCAR.
LENGTH fourteen inches, of which the bill is one
inch, and the tail seven, and a little tapered ; extent
of wings seventeen inches. Head, and upper part
of the body green ash colour, as is the tuft which
adorns the head, throat, and forepart of the neck ;
breast deep red; rest of the under side whitish;
;
quills of the tail and wings light green, changing
into blue and violet ; side quills of the tail tipped
with white; iris orange; cheeks naked, wrinkled,
and bluish; bill and legs black; latter slightly bar-
red with ash colour.Found in the woods near
Fort Dauphin, where its flesh is esteemed ex-
cellent.

EGYPTIAN CUCKOO, &c.
257
EGYPTIAN CUCKOO.
LENGTH about fifteen inches; plumage brown
above, reddish white below; head and neck dull
green ; tail wedge shaped, and bright green ; wing
quills reddish. The feathers that cover the head
and neck are all of them thick and hard; those on
the belly soft and loose; the nail of the inner toe is
long and straight, like that of the lark. They gene-
rally live in pairs, but seldom associate in compa-
nies. They feed principally on locusts and gras-
hoppers, and never alight on large trees, or on the
ground, but perch on bushes in the neighbourhood
of some running waters.
SENEGAL CUCKOO
3
LENGTH sixteen inches, of which the tail makes
eight, and consists of ten tapered quills ; extent of
wing twenty inches. Upper side of the head and
neck blackish, and shining; wings reddish; back
reddish brown; ramp and upper tail coverts barred
transversely with light brown, or a deep brown
ground ; under side dirty white, radiated with light
stripes ; tail blackish ; legs grey brown ; inner
claw like a lark's. When it perches, the tail spreads
like a fan, it is almost constantly in motion ; its cry
is a kind of clucking.
a
CAPE CUCKOO
This species much resembles the common cuckoo
in size, shape, and the transverse bars below the
belly. Upper side brown green ; throat, cheeks,
forepart of the neck, and superior wing coverts deep
red ; quills of the tail light red, tipped with white;
under side of the body white, barred with black ;
iris yellow; bill deep brown ; legs reddish
browu.
VOL. I.

238
BLUE CUCKOO, &c.
a
BLUE CUCKOO
LENGTH seventeen inches ; tail nine, composed of
ten quills, of which the two middle ones are a little
the longest, extent twenty inches. Plumage blue,
glossed with violet and green ; legs and bill black.
BEE CUCKOO; OR, MOROC.
The bee cuckoo, in its external appearance, does
not much differ from the common sparrow; except
that it is somewhat larger, and of a rather lighter co-
lour; it has also a yellow spot on each shoulder, and
the feathers of its tail are dashed with white.
This bird is peculiar for its faculty of discovering
and pointing out to man, and to the animal called
the ratel, the nests of wild bees. It is itself ex-
ceedingly fond both of honey and the bee-maggots ;
and it knows that, when a nest is plundered, some
must fall to the ground, which consequently comes
to its share: but, in general, a part is purposely
left by the plunderers as a reward for its services.
The way in which this bird communicates to others
the discovery it has made, is as surprising as it is
well adapted to the purpose.
The morning and evening are its principal meal
times ; at least, it is then that it shews the greatest
inclination to come forth, and with a grating cry of
cherr, cherr, cherr, to excite the attention of the
mtel, as well as of the hottentots and colonists, of
whose country it is a native. Somebody then gene-
rally repairs to the place whence the sound proceeds ;
when the bird, continually repeating its cry of cherr,
cherr, cherr, flies on slowly and by degrees towards
the quarter where the swarm of bees have taken up
their a hode. The persons thus invited accordingly
follow; taking great care at the same time not to
frighten their guide by any unusual noise, but rather
to answer it now and then with a soft and very

BEE CUCKOO
259
gentle whistle, by way of letting the bird know that
its call is attended to. When the bees' nest is at
some distance, the bird often makes long stages or
flights, waiting for its sporting companions between
each flight, and calling to them again to come on
but it flies to shorter distances, and repeats its cry
more frequently and with greater earnestness, in
proportion as they approach nearer the nest. When
the bird has sometimes, in consequence of its great
impatience got too far a-head of its followers; but
particularly when, on account of the unevenness
of the ground, they have not been able to keep
pace with it; it has flown back to meet them, and
with redoubled cries, denoting still greater impa-
tience, upbraiding them as it were for being so tardy:
When it comes to the bees' nest, whether built in
the cleft of a rock, or in a hollow tree, or in some
cavity of the earth, it hovers over the spot for the
space of a few second (a circumstance to which Dr.
.
Sparrman was twice eye-witness ;) after which it sits
in silence, and for the most part concealed, in some
neighbouring tree or bush, in expectation of what
may happen, and with a view of receiving its share
of the booty. It is probable that this bird always
hovers more or less, in the manner just mentioned,
over the bees' nest, before it hides itself; though
the people do not always pay attention to this cir-
cumstance; at all events, however, one may be as-
sured that the bees' nest is very near, when, after the
bird has guided its followers to some distance, it is
on a sudden silent.
Having, in consequence of the bird's directions,
found and plundered the nest, the hunters, by way
of acknowledgment, usually leave it a considerable
share of that part of the comb in which the young
bees are hatching; which is probably to the bird
the most delicate morsel.
a
98

260
BEE CUCKOO
a
The above account of Sparrman has met with se-
vere though somewhat ill-natured animadversions
from the pen of Mr. Bruce. I shall insert them in
his own words. "I cannot, (he says,) for my own
.
part, conceive that, in a country where there are so
many thousand hives, there was any use for giving
to a bird a peculiar instinct or faculty of discovering
honey, when, at the same time, nature hath deprived
him of the power of availing himself of any advan-
tage from the discovery; for man seems in this case
to be made for the service of the moroc, which is
very different from the common and ordinary course
of things: man certainly needs not this bird ; for
on every tree, and on every hillock, he may see
plenty of honey at his own deliberate disposal. I
cannot then but think, with all submission to these
natural philosophers, (Dr. Sparrman, and Jerome
Lobo who has also given an account of this bird,)
that the whole of this is an improbable fiction : nor
did I ever hear a single person in Abyssinia sug-
gest, that either this or any other bird had such a
property. Sparrman says it was not known to any
inhabitant of the Cape, any more than that of the
moroc was in Abyssinia ; it was a secret of nature
hid from all but these two great men, and I most wil-
lingly leave it among the catalogue of their particu-
lar discoveries.
Dr. Sparrman says, that a nest which was shown
to him as belonging to this bird, was composed of
siender filaments of bark, woven together in the
form of a bottle: the neck and opening hung down-
wards; and a string in an arched shape was suspend-
ed across the opening, fastened by the two ends, per-
haps for the bird to perch on.
Mr. Barrow, who in the years 1797 and 1798
travelled into the interior of the southern extremity
of Africa, fully confirms the truth of Dr. Sparrman's
account. He says, that every one there is too well
a

AFRICAN CUCKOO,
261
acquainted with the moroc to have any doubts as to
the certainty either respecting the bird or its infor-
mation of the repositories of the becs. He tells us
further, that it indicates to the inhabitants with equal
certainty the dens of lions, tygers, hyænas, and
other beasts of prey and noxious animals. M. Le
Valiant
says, that the hottentots are very partial to
the moroc, on account of the service it renders them
and that once when he was about to shoot one, they
on that account begged him to spare its life.
1shni o't
AFRICAN CUCKOO.
This species and the preceding differ from all
the rest, in the number of quills in the tail ; these
amounting to twelve, though commonly in other
species are only ten. The differences peculiar to
the present, consist in the shape of its bill, which is
longer, straighter, and not so convex above; in the
position of the nostrils, which are oblong, and placed
obliquely near the middle of the bill; and in a cha-
racter which belongs also to the birds of prey, viz.
that the female is larger than the male, and of a very
different plumage. This bird is found in the island
of Madagascar, and no doubt in the corresponding
part of Africa
In the male, the crown of the head is blackish, with
reflections of green and rose-copper; there is a
streak of black placed obliquely between the bill
and the eye; the rest of the head, the throat, and
the neck, are cinerious; the breast, and all the rest
of the under side of the body are of a handsome
white-grey; the upper side of the body, as far as the
end of the tail is of a green colour, changing into
rose colour ; the middle quills of the wings are
nearly of the same colour, the large ones blackish,
verging on green; the bill is deep brown; and the
legs are reddish:

262
AMERICAN CUCKOOS, &c.
The female is so different from the male, that the
inhabitants of Madagascar have called it by a different
name. The head, the throat, and the upper side of
.
the neck, are striped transversely with brown and
rufons; the back, the rump, and the superior coverts
of the tail are of an uniform brown; edged with ru-
fons; the great ones dull green, edged and termina-
ted with rufons; the quills of the wings are the same
as in the male, only the middle ones are edged with
rufons; the forepart of the neck, and ail the rest of
the under side of the body, are variegated with
blackish ; the quills of the tail are of a glossy brown,
terminated with rufons; the bill and legs are nearly
as in the male.
AMERICAN CUCKOOS.
CAROLINA CUCKOO.
PLUMAGE ash-colour above, and white on the un-
der side; wings variegated with brown and orange;
upper mandible of the bill black, lower yellow. It
visits New York in May, where it builds in June a
nest like that of the English jay ; lays four bluish
eggs, and retires in autumn. Has not the cry of
the English cuckoo. Is twelve inches in length.
RAIN CUCKOO.
This bird in America is called the old man, from the
appearance of a white beard under its throat. It is
also called the rainbird, because it never calls unless
before rain. It continues the whole year in Jamaica,
and frequents not only the woods, but the straggling
bushes; it suffers the hunters to approach very near
before it takes flight. It feeds generally on seeds
and worns.

MANGROVE CUCKOO, &c.
263
The upper side of the head is covered with deep
brown silky feathers; the rest of the upper side of
the body including the wings and two middle tail fea-
thers are olive ash colour; the throat, and forepart
of the neck are white; the breast and rest of the
under surface rufous; the side feathers of the tail
are black, tipped with white, and the outmost are
edged with white; the upper mandible is black,
the lower one almost white; the legs bluish black.
It is somewhat longer than the blackbird.
MANGROVE CUCKOO.
This bird very nearly resembles the former, dif-
fering only in the size, as it is much smaller; it has
also a longer tail in proportion. It feeds on insects,
and particularly on the larger caterpillars that devour
the leaves of the mangroves; and hence it is fond
of lodging among these trees. These caterpillars
are four inches and a half long, and three quarters
of an inch broad. In the years 1775 and 1776, they
multiplied so fast, that they almost destroyed the
mangroves, and many other plants. It was then
the islanders repented their not having multiplied
this species of cuckoo. Total length one foot, tail
five inches and a half.
LONG-BELLIED CUCKOO.
This species nearly resembles the two preceding:
The total length is fifteen inches and a half ; extent
nearly the same; tail eight inches, consisting of ten
tapering quills.
This bird has no brilliant colours in its plumage,
but it has always a neat and becoming air; the up-
per side of its head and body, including the coverts
of the wings is grey, which is pretty deep, with
greenish reflections on the great coverts only; the
foreside of the neck and breast is ash grey; and
over all these shades there is spread a faint reddish
a
а.

26+
LONG-BELLIED CUCKOO:
teint; the throat is light tawny; the rest of the un-
der side of the body, including the thighs, and the
inferior coverts of the wings, are more or less of a
lively tawny; the ten first quills of the wings are of
a bright rufous, terminated with greenish brown,
which in the following quills approaches constantly
to a rust colour ; the two middle quills of the tail are
of the colour of the back, with greenish reflections ;
the eight others are of the same about their middle ;
dark brown, with blue reflections near their base,
and terminated with white; the iris is brown yel-
low; the eye brows red; the bill blackish above, ,
and of a lighter colour below; the legs are bluish.
This cuckoo is not so large as the European one;
it is found in Jamaica, St. Domingo, &c.
Though this bird lives generally in cultivated
grounds, it also frequents the woods, because it there
finds its proper food, which consists of caterpillars,
beetles, worms, cockchaffers, woodlice, and various
other insects which abound in that country. It also
preys upon small lizards, small snakes, frogs, young
rats, and sometimes even upon small birds. It sur-
prizes the lizards when they are eagerly waiting on
the branches for flies With regard to snakes it
seizes them by the head, and in proportion as the
parts swallowed digests, it sucks up the rest of the
body which hangs out from the bill. It is probable
that its usefulness in destroying pernicious animals
would he still more increased by domestication,
which it should seem is no difficult task, since it will
even suffer the young negroes to catch it in the hand,
though it has a strong bill, and could make a stout
defence, si
Its flight is never lofty, and is begun very deliber-
ately: it first flaps with its wings, and then spread-
ing its tail, rather skims than fies. It flutters from
bush to hush, and hops from bough to bough; it
even springs upon the trunks of trees, to which it

F
BRASILIAN CRESTED CUCKOO, &c. 265
clings like the woodpecker; and sometimes it alights
on the ground, hops about like the magpie, always
in pursuit of insects or reptiles. It is said to exhale
continually a rank smell
, and that its flesh is unpala-
table, which is very probable, considering the sub-
stances upon which it feeds
These birds retire in the oreeding season into the
depth of the forests, and remain so well concealed,
that it is said no person has ever found their nest.
One might be induced to suppose that they lay their
eggs in the nests of other birds; but if this were the
case they would differ from all the other American
cuckoos which themselves build and hatch polugnis
ilgst
BRASILIAN CRESTED CUCKOO.
Size of tne magpie ; length fourteen inches.
Bill about an inch long, crooked, and dun yellow;
head tufted, brown, edged with yellowish; neck and
wings yellowish, edged with brown ; quills of the
wings and tail brown ; latter tipped with white;
rest of the plumage pale yellow ; legs feathered,
sea-green. This cuckoo is very noisy, so that it
makes the forests of Brazil echo to its cry
LAUGHING CUCKOO
LENGTH sixteen inches; tail eight. Upper part
tawny of different shades; throat, forepart of the
neck and breast ash colour ; rest of the under side
black; iris white; bill bluish black. This is called
the laughing bird, on account of its call, and is rec-
koned unlucky by the natives of Mexico, where it
principally abounds.
HORNED CUCKOT
LENGTH (werve inches; body three, tal nine, and
wedge shaped. Head large, furnished with two
tufts of long feathers ; neck short ; upper, side of
the plumage sooty; tail tipped with white; under
20
012
VOL 1
MM

266 VARIEGATED BROWN CUCKOO, &c
side of the pumage ash colour ; iris deep red; bill
yellowish green ; legs ash colour. Inhabits Bra
zil.
09.02
VARIEGATED BROWN CUCKOO
> Size of the red-wing ; length ten inches and
two thirds; tail six inches, consisting of ten taper-
ing quills. Upper side brown, variegated with red;
throat light red, variegated with brown; rest of the
under side rusty white, reddish and greenish under
the tail; bill black above, reddish on the sides, and
rusty below; legs ash colour. It is observed as a
singular property, that some of the superior coverts
of the tail extend almost two thirds of the length.
The barrier-bird of Cayenne, so called from its
perching upon the palisades which surround the
plantations is considered as a variety of this species.
St. DOMINGO CUCKOO.
lico
LENGTH about eleven inches; tail five, consisting
of ten tapered feathers. Bill hooked, that and the
legs dun grey : plumage grey ash colour, deepest
above, varied with red on the quills of the wings;
the three pairs of tail side quills blackish, tipped with
white. Inhabits Louisiana, and St. Domingo, at
different seasons in the year
CAYENNE CUCKOO
This species is looked upon as an unlucky dira ;
for which reason the Indians and Negroes are said
to have an abhorrence of its flesh. It allows a per-
son to get very near it, and does not fly away till the
moment he is about to seize it ; its flesh is compared
to that of the king-fisher : it commonly frequents
the banks of rivers, and lodges beneath the low
branches of trees, where it probably catches the in-
sects which constitute its food; when perched, it
wags its tail, and perpetually shifts its place. Per-
•

BLACK CUCKOO OF CAYENNE, &c
267
و
OF
sons who have lived at Cayenne, and seen this
cuckoo several times in the fields, have never yet
heard its call. It is nearly as large as a blackbird ;
the upper side of its head and body is purple chesnut,
including the wings of the tail, which are black near
the end, terminated with white; and the quills of the
wings, which are terminated with brown; the throat
and the forepart of the neck are also purple chesnut,
but of a lighter tinge, which varies in different indi-
viduals; the breast and all the under side of the
body are cinerious, the bill and the legs are brown
grey
Total length fifteen inches and three quarters ;
extent of wing fifteen inches and a third, tail ten
inches and consisting of ten tapered quills.
BLACK CUCKOO OF CAYENNE.
ALMOST the whole plumage is black, except the
upper coverts of the wings, which are edged with
white; the bill and irides red. Length eleven
inches ; tail tapered. Is a solitary tranquil bird,
generally perching on the trees which grow on the
sides of creeks, and is less active than most of his
race, being a sort of intermediate shade between
these and the barbets.
LITTLE BLACK CUCKOO.
LENGTH eight inches and a quarter, tail short.
Plumage entirely black, except on the hind part of
the body, which is white; and this white, which ex-
;
tends to the legs, is separated from the black, by a
sort of orange girdle. It is a still, solitary bird, and
will remain whole days perched on a detached branch
in a cleared spot, without making any exertion, beyond
what is necessary to catch the insects on which it
feeds. It nestles in hollow trees, and sometimes in
the ground, when it finds holes ready formed.

268
BRAZILIAN CUCKOO, &c.
are
BRAZILIAN LOCK00.
LENGTH ten inches. Bill, head, wing coverts, and
under side of the body pale red: upper side bright
red; quills of the wings and tail yellow, shaded with
hlack. The head is decorated with a fine tuft of
bright red, variegated with black.
SOUTH SEA CUCKOOS.
bu
SOCIETY CUCKOO.
Brown above, white below, striped with brown;
eye-brows white; wing quills spotted with rust,
20
WRYNECK TRIBE,
This genus contains only two species; the wry-
neck, and the minute woodpecker. The distin-
guishing characters are, bill somewhat taper, shar-
pened and slightly curved ; nostrils concave and
naked ; tongue taper; worm shaped, very long, and
pointed tail; quills ten in number, and fiexible ; feet
formed for climbing
WRYNECK:
Tye principal colours which distinguish this
beautiful little bird, consist of different shades of
brown ; but so elegantly arranged, as to form a
picture of the most exquisite neatness : from the
hinder part of the head down to the middle of the
back, there runs an irregular line of dark brown,
inclining to black; the rest of the back is ash-
coloured, streaked and powdered with brown; the
throat and under side of the neck are of a reddish

WRYNECK.
269
1
brown, crossed with fine bars of black ; the breast,
belly, and thighs are of an ash-colour, marked with
triangular spots, irregularly dispersed ; the larger
quill-feathers are marked on the outer webs, with
alternate spots of dark brown and rust colour ; which,
when the wing is closed, give it the appearance of
chequered work; the rest of the wing and scapulars
are nicely freckled and shaded with brown spots of
different sizes ; the tail feathers are marked with
irregular bars of black, the intervening spaces being
finely freckled, and powdered with dark brown spots ;
its bill is rather large, sharp pointed, and of a pale
lead colour ; its eyes are light brown ; but what
chiefly distinguishes this singular bird, is the struc-
ture of its tongue, which is of considerable length,
of a cylindrical form, and capable of being pushed
forwards, and drawn into its bill again ; it is fur-
nished with a horny substance at the end, with
which it secures its prey, and bring it into its mouth;
its legs are short and slender ; the toes placed two
before, and two behind ; the claws sharp, much
hooked, and formed for climbing the branches of
trees, on which it can run in all directions, with
great facility. It makes an artless nest of dry grass,
upon dusty rotten wood, in holes of trees, the en-
trance to which is so small, as scarcely to admit the
hand; on which account, its eggs are come at with
much difficulty ; according to Buffon they are per-
fectly white, and from eight to ten in number.
This curious bird, though in many respects nearly
related to the woodpeckers, being similar to that
tribe in the formation of its bill and feet, yet never
associates with them, and seems to constitute a genus
of itself. It is found in various parts of Europe,
and generally appears with us a few days before the
cuckoo. Its food consists chiefly of ants and other
insects, of which it finds great abundance lodged in
the bark and crevices of trees It holds itself very
;

270
MINUTE WOODPECKER, &c.
erect on the branches of trees where it sits; its body
is almost bent backward, whilst it writhes its head
and neck by a slow and almost involuntary motion,
not unlike the waving wreaths of a serpent. It is a
very solitary bird, and leads a sequestered life ; it is
never seen with any other society but that of its fe-
male, and this union is only transitory, for as soon
as the domestic union is dissolved, which is in the
month of September, they retire and emigrate by
themselves.
MINUTE WOODPECKER.
Size that of the wren ; length three inches and a
half. Bill black; top of the head red; back part
.
of the head black, dotted with white; sides of the
head brown, dotted with white ; upper side of the
body greyish red; under parts dirty white; feathers
bordered with brown ; quills and tail brown, with
pale edges ; legs brown. Inhabits Cayenne where
it is found clinging to the trunks of trees; or hang.
ing by the branches.
WOODPECKER TRIBE
The woodpeckers are a singular race of birus that
live almost entirely upon insects which they pick
out of decayed trees, and from the bark of such as
are sound. These they transfix and draw from the
crevices by means of their tongue, which is long at
the end, barbed, and furnished with a curious appa-
ratus with great force. Their bill is also so strong
and powerful, that by means of it they are able to
perforate even such trees as are perfectly sound. In
the holes which they thus make, they construct their
nest. Their voice is acute and very unpleasant.
The bill is straight, and angular; and at the end
of most of this species formed like a wedge, for the

GREEN WOODPECKER, OR, WOODSPITE.
271
purpose of piercing the trees. The nostrils are co-
vered with bristles. The tongue is very short, slen-
der, cylindrical, bony, hard and jagged at the end.
The toes are placed two forward, and two backward;
and the tail consists of ten hard, stiff, and sharp
pointed feathers.
Buffon thus describes the life of the woodpecker,
though probably more strongly than may be war-
ranted by truth. “Of all the birds which earn their
subsistence by spoil
, none leads a life so laborious
and painful as the woodpecker; nature has con-
demned it to incessant toil and slavery. While
others freely employ their courage, or address, and
either shoot on rapid wing on luck, in close ambush,
the woodpecker is constrained to drag out an insi-
pid existence, in boring the bark and hard fibres of
trees to extract its humble prey. Necessity never
suffers any intermission of its labours, never grants
,
an interval of sound repose ; often during the night
it sleeps in the same painful posture, as in the fatigues
of the day. It never shares the sports of the other
inhabitants of the air, it joins not their vocal con-
certs ; its wild cries and sadening tones, while they
disturb the silence of the forest, express constraint
and effort. Its movements are quick, its jestures
full of inquietude ; its looks coarse and vulgar, it
shuns all society, even that of its own kind; and
when it is prompted to seek a companion, its appe-
tite is not softened by delicacy of feeling.
GREEN WOODPECKER ; OR, WOODSPITE.
This bird is thirteen inches in length, and weighs
six ounces and a half. Its bill is two inches long,
shaped somewhat like a bayonet, and of a dark horn
colour; the outer circle of the eye is white, sur-
rounding another of red; the crown of the head
is of a bright crimson, which colour extends
down the hinder part of the neck, and terminates in
a

272
GREATER SPOTTED WOODPECKER.
;
;
a point behind ; the eye is surrounded by a black
space, extending from the base of the bill, and from
each corner of the bill there is a crimson streak
pointing downwards; the back, and wing coverts
are of an olive green ; the rump yellow; the quill
feathers are dusky, and barred on the outer web
with black and white; the bastard wing is spotted
with white; the sides of the head, and all the under
parts of the body are white, slightly tinged with
green ; the tail is marked with bars like the wings;
the legs and feet are greenish, inclining to lead co-
lour. The female has not the crimson mark on the
lower jaw
It is common in many parts of Europe ; and is
found as far north as Lapland ; and in England is
frequently met with in woody places.
They build in the hollow trunks of trees, fifteen
or twenty feet from the ground; the male and fe-
male relieving each other by turns, bore through
the living part of the wood, till they penetrate to that
which is decayed, where the female lays five or six
eggs, of a greenish colour, marked with small black
synts. The young climb up and down the trees be-
fore they are able to fly.
They roost very early, and repose in their holes
till day. The green woodpecker is seen more fre-
quently on the ground than the other kind, particu-
larly where there are ant hills. It inserts its long
tongue into the holes through which the ants issue
and draw out these insects in abundance. Some-
times with its feet and bill it makes a breach in the
nest and devours them at its ease, together with their
eggs.
GREATER SPOTTED WOODPECKER.
The length of this bird is somewhat more than
nine inches. Its bill is of a dark horn colour, very
strong at the base; the upper and under sides are
a

SPOTTEID
WOODPECKER
GIR IETSN-ID


MIDDLE SPOTTED WOODPECKER, &c. 273
formed by high pointed ridges which run along the
middle of each ; it is exceedingly sharp at the end ;
the eyes are reddish, encircled by a white spot which
extends towards the back part of the head, where
there is a spot of crimson; the forehead is buff-co-
lour ; the top of the head black; on the back part
of the neck there are two white spots separated by a
line of black ; the scapulars are white; and the
wings are barred with the same colour ; the rest of
the plumage on the upper part of the body is black;
the tail is black; the outer feathers marked with
white spots; the throat, breast and part of the belly
are of a yellowish white; the vent and lower part of
the belly crimson ; the legs and feet of a lead co-
lour. The female has not the red spot on the back
of the head. Buffon says that it strikes against the
trees with brisker and harder blows than the green
woodpecker. It creeps with great ease in all direc-
tions upon the branches of the trees, and is with
difficulty seen as it avoids the sight by creeping be
hind the branch. It is common in England.
MIDDLE SPOTTED WOODPECKER.
This bird is less than the former; and has the
top of the head wholly crimson ; but the other co-
lours are more obscure. Buffon deems it a variety
of the former
LESSER SPOTTED WOODPECKER.
Tus is a very small species, as it is only five in-
ches and a half in length, eleven inches in breadth,
and weighs one ounce. Its plumage nearly resem-
bles that of the larger species, except that it has not
the red under the tail
, nor the large white patches
on the shoulders ; the under parts of the body are
of a pale brown; and its feet of a lead colour. It
is not very common in England, but inhabits differ-
ent parts of Europe and Asia. The female has the
а
VOL. 1,
ND

274
BLACK WOODPECKER, &c.
crown of the head white; and builds like the former
species in the hole of a tree. It is said to have fre-
quent disputes with the cole-mouse as to the posses-
sion of their holes.
a
;
a
BLACK WOODPECKER.
This woodpecker weighs about eleven ounces.
Its plumage is black ; except the crown of the
head, which is of a rich crimson. The head of the
female is only marked with red behind. It inhabits
Switzerland, Germany, and several of the northern
regions; and is migratory. It is sometimes, but
very rarely, found in this country.
This bird lives on insects; which it catches on the
bark of trees, or between the bark and wood. It
darts out its tongue, sometimes three or four inches
beyond the bill, transfixes the insects with the end,
and then with a very quick motion retracts it and
swallows them. The feathers of the tail are very
stiff ; and so firmly set into the rump, that when
the bird has fastened its claws into the inequalities
of the bark, he places his strong tail feathers against
it, and thus, standing as it were erect, forms a hole
by means of its bill. It is able to pierce not only
sound, but even hard trees, as the oak and hornbeam.
The hole thus made is enlarged within for the
greater convenience of depositing its nest. The
damage it does to timber by this means is very
great.
The female lays two or three white eggs. This
bird has a very loud note, and feeds on caterpillars
and insects. In Russia it is very destructive to bees.
GREY-HEADED WOODPECKER.
Tårs bird in its general appearance greatly re-
sembles the green woodpecker ; but is distinguished
by a grey head and neck, marked with black from
the nostrils to the eyes, and from the base of the

GREAT BACK WOODPECKER.


RED-CRESTED WOODPECKER, &c.
275
lower mandible towards the hind part of the
neck.
It is found in Norway, Switzerland, Russia, and
Siberia. The Tungusi, a people in Tartary, roast
this species, bruise the flesh, and mix it with grease,
and employ it for anointing their arrows, and fancy
that if an animal is struck with them, it immediately
falls.
RED-CRESTED WOODPECKER,
This species has a tuft of light brown feathers,
reflected over the nostrils; the top of the head is
adorned with a rich scarlet crest, bounded by a nar.
row buff coloured blue; beneath that is a broad
band of black reaching from the eyes to the hind
part of the head ; under this is another line of buff
colour, commencing at the bill, and dropping down
on each side of the neck to the pinions of the wings
from the lower mandible; a line of scarlet extends
along the lower part of the cheeks; chin and throat
white; neck, back, breast, belly, and tail black
wings black, marked with a double line of white ;
legs dusky. It is eighteen inches in length; and
weighs nine ounces.
It inhabits the forests of Pennsylvania and New
York, where it is very destructive to the maize.
The Indians deck their calumets with the crest of
this species
GOLDEN-WINGED WOODPECKER.
This bird has a black bill like that of the cuckoo ;
orown ash colour ; a scarlet spot on the hind part
of the head ; cheeks and under side of the neck of a
pale red, from each corner of the mouth ; a black
line extends along the cheeks; the upper part of the
breast is marked with a black crescent, the remainder
of the breast and the belly whitish, spotted with
black; quill feathers ash coloured, with their shafts
a

276
FERRUGINOUS WOODPECKER, &c.
and under sides gold colour ; rump white, spotted
with black ; tail black, edged with white; the
shafts of all the tail feathers gold coloured, except
those of the two middle feathers ; legs dusky.
Length twelve inches; and weight five ounces.
This bird, which inhabits every part of North
America, from Hudson's Bay to Carolina, appears to
form a connecting link between the woodpeckers and
the cuckoo. Its cry resembles the word hittoch, by
which name it is distinguished by the Swedish Ame-
ricans. It does not climb, nor pick its food out of
the sides of trees, like the rest of the tribe ; but sits
perched like the cuckoo, feeds on insects, and is
frequently seen on the ground. It grows very fat,
and is reckoned very palatable.
FERRUGINOUS WOODPECKER
Has a dusky bill; the crown of its head, and
pendent crest of a pale yellow ; a crimson bar ex-
tends from the mouth along the lower part of the
cheek ; cheeks, back, and coverts of the wings of
a deep rusty colour ; lower part of the back of a
pale yellow ; primaries rusty, barred on the inner
webs with black. Size of the green woodpecker.
Inhabits Carolina. First described by Mr. Pennant.
CAROLINA WOODPECKER.
HEAD orange red, back wings and tail barred with
black and white, under side yellow ash-colour.
Length eleven inches. Inhabits North America, and
some of the West India Islands.
CANADA SPOTTED WOODPECKER.
FOREHEAD and under side white, head scapulars,
wings, and tail black and white, back black. Length
nine inches

HAIRY WOODPECKER, &c
237
HAIRY WOODPECKER
Much resembles the former species in size and
colour, but is distinguished from it by a crimson spot
on the hind part of the head, which is however
wanted in the female, and a line of white uncon-
nected feathers, resembling hairs, which divides the
back length ways. Inhabits from Hudson's bay to
Carolina, and is very destructive to apple-trees.
DOWNY WOODPECKER.
Of the size of a sparrow; resemb es the last
species.
It inhabits Pennsylvania and Carolina.; and is very
numerous and destructive. It is the pest of the orch-
ards, alighting on the apple-trees, running round the
boughs or bodies of the trees, and picking round them
a circle of equidistant holes. It is very common to
see trees encircled with numbers of these rings, at
scarcely an inch distance from each other; so that
the tree dries and perishes.
YELLOW PELLIED WOODPECKER.
LENGTH about nine inches. Has a crimson crown,
surrounded by a line of black ; cheeks white, with
two lines of black; chin crimson ; under side yel-
low, spotted with black ; tail and wings black, varied
with white. Inhabits the same countries as the
former. They are very numerous and destructive.
YELLOW-LEGGED WOODPECKER.
A DUBIOUS species, general colour black; ridges
of the wings, and lower part of the belly white ;
legs yellow.

278
THREE-TOED WOODPECKER, &c.
TAREE-TOED WOODPECKER,
This species, which is distinguished oy having
only three toes, two before and one behind, has the
crown of a bright gold colour ; cheeks marked
lengthways with three black and two white lines;
irides blue ; rest of the plumage black, and varie-
gated with white. Inhabits the northern parts of
Europe, Asia, and America.
RAYED WOODPECKER.
Or this species there are two varieties. In the
first, which is called the striated woodpecker of St.
Domingo, the crown of the head is black, the throat
grey, the olive tinge of the body lighter, and the
black stripes on the back not so broad, as in the
second, the little striated woodpecker of St. Domingo,
which has the crown of the head red, the fore part of
the body dull, and the throat white; but in other
respects, their shape and plumage are perfectly
similar. This bird is nearly as large as the varie-
gated woodpecker ; all its upper plumage is crossed
transversely with black and olive bars ; the helly
grey, tinged with green : these colours are more
vivid on the rump, whose extremity is red; the tail
is black
POSSININE WOODPECKER.
LENGTH six inches. Crown of the head red, its
.
sides rusty grey ; upper surface yellowish olive ;
under surface striped with whitish and brown quills,
olive on the outside, brown on the inside, and
fringed with whitish spots; tail grey, mixed with
brown. Is very strong, and pierces the hardest
trees.

WHITE-BILLED WOODPECKER, &c.
279
WHITE-BILLED WOODPECKER
Is of about the size of a crow.
The bill is ivory
white, three inches long, and channelled. Irides
yellow. On the head is a red pointed crest : the
head itself and the body in general are black ; but
the lower part of the back, the rump, and upper tail-
coverts, are white. From the eye a white stripe
arises, and passes on each side of the neck down to
the back.
It is found in Carolina, Virginia, and various parts
of South America ; where the Spanish settlers have
given it the name of carpenter, from the noise that
it makes with its bill against the trees in the woods.
This is heard at a very great distance ; and when
several of them are at work together, the sound is
not much unlike that proceeding from woodmen or
carpenters. It rattles its bill against the sides of the
orifice, till even the woods resound. A bushel of
chips, a proof of its labours, is often to be found
at the foot of the tree. On examination, its holes
have been generally found of a winding form, the
better to protect the nest from the effects of the
weather.
Catesby (from whose work the above account has
been principally taken) says likewise that the Cana-
dian Indians make a kind of coronets with the bills
of these birds, by setting them in a wreath with the
points outwards; and that for this purpose they will
purchase them at the rate of two or three buck-skins
per bill.
RED-HEADED WOODPECKER.
HIS species is about nine inches long. The bill is
about an inch and a quarter in length, of a lead co-
lour with a black tip. The head and neck are of a
most beautiful crimson ; the back and wings black ;
the rump, breast, and belly, white ; and the first ten

280
GREAT STRIPED WOODPECKER OF CAYENNE."
quills black, the eleventh black and white, and the
rest white with black shafts. It inhabits Carolina,
Canada, and most other parts of North America; mi-
grating southwards according to the severity of the
weather
According to Kalm, the red-headed woodpeckers
are very common birds; and exceedingly destructive
to the maize-fields and orchards, picking the ears of
maize, and destroying vast quantities of apples. They
attack the trees in flocks, and eat so much of the
fruit that nothing but the skin is left. In some years
they are much more numerous than in others. A
premium of twopence per head was formerly paid
from the public funds of some of the states, in order
if possible, to extirpate the breed: but this has been
much neglected of late.
They remain the whole year in Virginia and Ca-
rolina, but are by no means seen in such numbers in
winter as during summer.
In the winter they are
very tame, and are frequently known to come into
the houses, in the same manner as the redbreast does
in England.
They build like the other species, in holes that
they form in the trees, but generally pretty high
from the ground. It is said that the noise which
they make with their bills in this operation may be
heard more than a mile. Their flesh is accounted
by many people good eating.
GREAT STRIPED WOODPECKER OF CAYENNE.
The crest of this bird is of a gold tawny colour :
there is a purple spot at the corner of the bill ; the
fathers are tawny and black, with which the whole
body is alternately variegated. Size of the green
woodpecker

CAYENNE LITTLE STRIPED WOODPECKER, &c. 281
CAYENNE LITTLE STRIPED WOODPECKER.
LENGTH seven inches and a half; plumage olive
grey-brown, varied with black; the two exterior
quills of the tail on each side are grey, fringed with
black; the six other quills are black; the back of
the head red; front, and throat black, interserted by
white.
YELLOW WOODPECKER.
LENGTH nine inches ; form slender. Plumage
soft yellow ; tail black; primaries, secondaries red;
coverts brown-grey, fringed with yellowish white;
crest reaching to its neck, pale yellow. It forms its
nest in large trees which are rotten at the core ; af-
ter it has bored horizontally to the decayed part, it
descends and continues the excavation to the depth
of a foot and a half. Female lays three white
eggs.
bot
Droo y molog
DO BLACK-BREASTED WOODPECKER.
1919
To
Size of the ferruginous woodpecker. A fine
black crescent which meets the neck behind, covers
all the forepart like a cravat, and falls on the breast;
head, throat and the rest of the under side rusty
,
tawny; as is also the crest which extends to the
neck ; back and wings bright red; quills of the
wing and tail barred with black, latter tipped with
black. Does great injury to the timber. Inhabits
Cayenne and St. Domingo.
RUFOUS WOODPECKER.
GROUND colour; red deepest on the under side ;
waved all over with black in various proportions.
VOL. 1.
оо

282 LITTLE YELLOW-THROATED WOODPECKER, &c
A little larger than the wryneck. Inhabits Cay-
-
enne,
LITTLE YELLOW-THROATED WOODPECKER
Size of the wryneck. Plumage brown, tinged
with olive, spotted with white; crown of the head
covered with red; a yellow stripe under the eye, and
on the top of the neck; a red mustachio rises from
the corner of the bill. Inhabits Cayenne.
LINEATED WQODPECKER.
3
It is as long as the green woodpecker, but not so
thick; its upper surface is entirely black, except a
white line which rising from the upper mandible
descends like a girdle on the neck, and strews some
white feathers on the coverts of the wings; the sto-
mach and belly are varied with black and white
bars; and the throat is speckled with the same; from
the lower mandible proceeds a red mustachio ; a
beautiful crest of the same colour covers the head,
and falls backwards ; and under the long threads of
this crest appear small feathers of the same red
which cloathes the top of the neck. Inhabits Ca-
yenne. buried in
groll
Jessid
on bus
RED-NECKED WOODPECKER. odbor
Xoloid
LONGER than the green Woodpecker. Head and
neck beautiful red; which melts on the breast to a
fine tawny, which covers the breast, belly, and sides;
Test of the belly deep brown, almost black on the
sides,
TO
Surabia
Dia taboro boog won
tebe
oito gostoso by its bove

VARIED WOODPECKER, &c.
283
VARIED WOODPECKER.
PLUMAGE varied with transverse lines on a black
and brown ground; belly and breast vermillion red.
Inhabits the coolest parts of Mexico.
up to
EUCENADA WOODPECKER.
abre
Size of the lesser spotted woodpecker. Its co-
lours are simple, but its plumage is richly mailed
with white and brown grey. The male has a full
crest, in which are some red feathers.
PHILIPPINE GREEN WOODPECKER.
Size of an ordinary hen. Head red and tufted :
plumage green. Voice hoarse. Bill very solid.
It excavates the hardest trees; and is called the
smith, on account of the loud noise which it makes
in that operation
,
SPOTTED GREEN WOODPECKER OF THE PHILIPPINES.
This bird is 'of an intermediate bulk ; between
the three toed and green woodpecker, though nearer
that of the latter ; on each feather in the whole of
the foreside of the body there is a spot of dusky white
surrounded with blackish brown; wings reddish
yellow, deeper on the back ; rump carmine ; tail
rusty "grey ; head ornamented with a tuft, waved
with yellowish red on a brown ground.
GREEN WOODPECKER OF GOD.
This beautiful species is smaller than the Euro-
pean. The red feathers on its head are gathered
into a tuft; and its temples are bordered by a white

284 SPOTTED BENGAL WOODPECKER, &c.
stripe, which widens on the arch of the neck; a
black zone descends from the eye, and tracing a zig-
zag, falls upon the wing, whose small coverts are
equally black; a fine gold spot covers the rest of
the wing, and terminates in greenish yellow on the
small quills ; the great ones are as it were indented
with spots of greenish white, on a black ground;
the tail is black; the belly, the breast, and the fore-
side of the neck, as far as under the bill, are mailed
lightly with white and black.
SPOTTED BENGAL WOODPECKER
It is of the same size with the preceding, and
much resembles it. The gold colour is more ex-
tended on the wings, and covers the back also ; a
white line rising from the eye, descends on the side
of the neck; the tuft though more displayed appears
only on the back of the head, whose crown and fore-
side are clothed with small black feathers, beautifully
spotted with white drops ; breast and stomach are
white, crossed and mailed with blackish and brown,
but less so than in the former ; its bill is also one
third shorter,
GREEN WOODPECKER OF BENGAL.
HEAD adorned with red crest; fore part of the
head, and lower part of the neck variegated with
black and white ; upper part of the neck black ; a
bright white bar extends from the eye along the sides
of the neck; plumage yellowish green above, white
below; margins of the feathers brown ; tail quills
blackish, shaded with dull green.
CAPE WOODPECKER.
GOLDEN orange above; dirty white below; mar-
gins of the feathers brown ; upper and back part of

GREEN WOODPECKER OF SENEGAL, &c. 285
its head red; upper part of its neck and rump
blackish ; bright white bar extending from the nos-
trils below the eyes, and along the sides of the neck :
tail quills blackish.
GREEN WOODPECKER OF SENEGAL.
Less than the common green woodpecker. Upper
side brown grey, tinctured with dull green ; wings
waned faintly with white; head and rump marked
with fine red; under side yellowish grey.
STRIPED WOODPECKER OF SENEGAL
This woodpecker is not larger than a sparrow;
the upper side of its head is red ; a brown half
mask passes over the front and behind the eye ;
the plumage which is waved on the forepart of the
body, exhibits small festoons, alternately brown,
grey, and dull white; the back of a fine gold fulu-
ous which also tinges the great quills of the wing,
whose coverts as well as those of the rump are
greenish. Though much inferior in size to the Eu-
ropean woodpeckers, we shall find that this African
species is by no means the smallest of this extensive
genus.
PERSIAN WOODPECKER.
This species differs but little in size from the
common green woodpecker ; only it has a thicker
head and neck, and a longer bill; the feathers from
the middle of the crown to the end of the tail have
something of the ferruginous ; the feet are of a pale
blue; the claws black; the rest of the body is yel-
low, except that all the wing feather's end's or tips
incline somewhat to ferruginous; and that a spot of
the same colour encompasses the eyes. It is a na-
tive of Persia.

286
ORANGE WOODPECKER, &c.
ORANGE WOODPECKER.
Almost all the woodpeckers have a mottled pla.
mage, but in the present no colours are set in con-
trast. A dull olive brown covers the back, the neck
and the breast; the rest of the plumage is deep
grey, which is only somewhat lighter on the head;
there is a red tinge at the origin of the tail. This
species is not so large as a lark.
a
NUBIAN WOODPECKER
This bird is a third smaller than the spotted wood-
pecker of Europe. All its plumage is agreeably
variegated with drops and waves broken, and as it
were vermiculated with white and rusty on a grey-
brown ground, and blackish on the back, and tears
of blackish on the whitish complexion of the breast
and belly; a half crest of fine red, covers like a
cowl the back of the head; the crown and the fore
part consist of delicate black feathers, each tipped
with a small white drop ; the tail is divided hori-
zontally by brown and rustywanes. This bird is
very handsome, and the species is new.
CARDINAL WOODPECKER OF LUCON.
The feathers of the back, and the coverts of the
wings are black, but their shafts are yellow; and
there are also yellowish-spots on the latter ; the
small coverts of the wings are striped transversely
with white; the breast and belly are variegated with
longitudinal black spots, on a white ground ; there
is a white bar on the side of the neck, extending be-
low the eye; the crown and back of the head are of
a bright red; and for this reason Somcrat first gave
it the appellation of cardinal.

BROWN SPOTTED WOODPECKER, &c.
287
BROWX SPOTTED WOODPECKER.
19
This little woodpecker has only two dull faint
shades; its plumage is blackish brown, waved with
white on the upper side of the body ; whitish, spot-
,
ted with brown speckles below; the head and tail,
and also the quills of the wings, are all brown. It is
hardly so large as the lesser spotted woodpecker.
LARGER WOODPECKER CREEPER.
LENGTH ten inches ; head and tnroat spotted with
reddish and white ; upper side of the body reddish;
under side yellow striped transversely with black ;
the bill which is curved like that of the creepers ;
and feet black. Inhabits Guiana. These birds
creep against trees like woodpeckers, supporting them-
selves by the tail
. They penetrate the bark and wood
with much noise, and feed upon the insects which
are thus detected. They inhabit forests, and flutter
from tree to tree with great agility, but never perch
or fly to any considerable distance.
LESSER WOODPECKER CREEPER
LENGTH seven inches ; head, neck, and breast,
spotted with reddish and white ; under side reddish;
belly rusty brown ; bill straight and grey; and feet
blackish. Of the same manners with the preceding
species, frequently inhabits the same tree with them,
but never intermixes the breed.
bladet
NUT-HATCH TRIBE.
The characters of this tribe are, a bill for the most
part straight, having on the lower mandible a small

288
NUT-HATCH, &c.
angie: sma.. nostrils covered with bristles ; a short
tongue, horny at the end and jagged ; toes placed
.three forward and one backward; the middle toe
joined closely at the base to both the outer; and the
back toe as large as the middle one.
In the manners of the different species, which
very nearly correspond with those of the following
(the only one found in England) there is a consider-
able alliance to the woodpeckers. Most of them feed
on insects ; and some on nuts, whence their English
name is derived.
NUT-HATCH,
The length of this bird is nearly six inches; the
bill strong, black above, beneath almost white; the
eyes hazel ; a black stroke passes over each eye,
a
from the bill, extending down the side of the neck, as
far as the shoulder ; all the upper part of the body
is of a fine blue grey colour ; the cheeks and chin
are white ; breast and belly of a pale orange colour ;
sides marked with streaks of chesnut ; quills dusky ;
its tail is short, the two middle feathers are grey, the
rest dusky, three of the outermost spotted with white ;
the legs pale yellow; the claws large, sharp, and
much bent ; the back claws very strong ; the foot,
when extended, measures one inch and three
quarters.
This, like the woodpecker, frequents woods, and
is a shy and solitary bird : the female lays her eggs
in holes of trees, frequently in those which have been
deserted by the woodpecker. During the time of
incubation, she is assiduously attended by the male,
who supplies her with food; she is easily driven
from her nest, but on being disturbed hisses like a
snake. The nut-hatch feeds on caterpillers, beetles,
and various kinds of insects ; it likewise eats nuts,
and is very expert in cracking them so as to come at
:

BLACK-HEADED NUT-HATCH, &c.
289
the contents ; having placed a nut fast in a cnink, it
takes its stand a little above, and striking it with all
its force, breaks the shell, and catches up the kernel.
Like the woodpecker; it moves up and down the
trunks of trees with great facility, in search of food.
It does not migrate, but in the winter approaches
nearer inhabited places, and is sometimes seen in
orchards and gardens. The young ones are es-
teemed very good eating.
The female is much inferior to the male in size.
The nut-hatch is not supposed to sleep perched on a
twig like other birds, for when in a confined state, it
prefers creeping into a corner.
BLACK-HEADED NUT-HATCH.
It has the bill, head, and hind part of the neck,
black; over each eye is a white line ; back of a fine
grey ; wings dusky, edged with grey ; breast and
belly, and vent feathers red ; two middle feathers of
the tail grey, the rest black, marked with a white
spot. Less than the European. Inhabits the tem-
perate parts of America.
LITTLE BROWN-HEADED NUT-HATCH.
HEAD brown, marked behind with a white spot ;
back grey; wings deep brown ; under side of the
body of a dirty white; two middle feathers of the
tail grey, the others black. Inhabits North America.
SMALL NUT-HATCH.
This species resembles the common in almost
every thing but its size, which is much smaller. The
upper part is grey ash, the lower stained with reddish,
sometimes inclining to white. It lives in the woods
like the larger sort, and is equally solitary. Belon
VOL. I.
PP

290
CANADA NUT-HATCH, &c.
says it is more noisy, joyous, and roving : the male
is never seen with other company than its female,
and if it meet with any other of the male sex, he at-
tacks it, teazes, and obstinately contends, till his rival
gives way; then raises a loud and shrill ery, inviting
his female, and demanding the prize attached to his
victory
a
CANADA NUT-HATCH.
NEARLY resembles the common, both in manners
and general appearance ; differing chiefly in the
colour of its fillet, which is whitish. On a nearer
examination, some diversity may be perceived in the
shades and proportions. Size nearly that of the pre-
ceding. Total length four inches and a half ; ex-
tent seven inches and a quarter ; tail consisting of
twelve equal quills, an inch and half, and exceeding
the wings about two thirds of an inch. It has white
eye-brows.
BLACK-CRESTED NUT-HATCH.
a
DISTINGUISHED by a black crest, and a sort of
black and white stripes, near the end of the quills of
the tail. It has no black fillet, but this is supposed
to be lost in the edges of a hood of the same colour,
which covers the head. It inhabits Jamaica, where
it feeds on insects, and is so tame as to suffer itself to
be knocked on the head with sticks. Length about
five inches and a half; extent ten inches ; tail two
,
inches and two thirds.
LITTLE BLACK-CR ESTED NUT-HATCH.
Similar to the preceding, but smaller. Inhabits
Jamaica

GREAT HOOK-BILLED NUT-HATCH, &c.
291
GREAT HOOK-BILLED NUT-HATCH.
The largest of the genus. Its bill pretty straight,
inflated at the middle, and a little hooked at the
end ; nostrils round ; quills of the tail and wings
brown, edged with orange; throat white; head and
back grey ; under side whitish. Length seven
inches and a half; extent eleven inches and a quar-
ter; tail near two inches. Inhabits Jamaica.
SPOTTED NUT-HATCH
Upper parts dull ash colour ; upper wing coverts
edged with white; throat white ; under side pale ash
colour, streaked with white on the breast and sides,
so as to form a sort of speckling. Bill and legs
brown. Length six inches ; tail an inch
and half,
composed of twelve even quills. Inhabits Guiana,
bno
SURINAM NUT-HATCH.
Reddish chesnut above, rusty white beneath,
wings black, coverts spotted with white, tail black
tipped with white. Length only three inches and a
half.
CAPE NUT-HATCH.
3
YELLOW, varied with black, on the upper side
under side bright yellow ; legs black : length eight
inches and a half.
LONG-BILLED NUT-JATCH.
;
GENERAL colour bluish ; under parts pale rusty :
primaries tipped with brown. Length eight inches,
Inhabits Batavia.

299
GREEN NUT-HATCH, &c.
GREEN NUT-HATCH.
UPPER side green; under side bright white: tail
black ; extreme yellowish. Inhabits the south of
Africa. Length three inches and a half
a
JACAMAR TRIBE.
This genus of birds approaches very nearly to the
kingfishers. The principal characteristical difference
is, that the toes of the jacamar are disposed, two be-
fore and two behind ; while those of the kingfishers
are placed three before and one behind. But the
jacamars resemble them in the shape of their body
and of their bill; and they are of the same size with
the middle species of kingfishers, and this is probably
the reason that some authors have ranged them to-
gether. Others have classed the jacamars with the
woodpeckers, the disposition of their toes being
similar, and the shape of their bill nearly the same,
though longer and more slender ; but they are
discriminated from the woodpeckers, because their
tongue is not longer than their bill, and the feathers
of their tail are neither stiff nor wedge-shaped. It
appears, therefore, that the jacamars constitute a
separate genus, which has as great affinity to the
woodpeckers, perhaps, as to the kingfishers; it
contains only three species, which are natives of the
hot climates of America.
odbi
bo

ONIKI


COMMON JACAMAR, &c.
293
COMMON JACAMAR.
a
This bird is rather larger than the lark, and its
whole length is six inches and a half; the bill is an
inch and nearly a half; its tail only two inches, yet
it projects an inch beyond the wings, when they are
closed; the quills of the tail are very regularly ta-
pered; the legs are short, and of a yellowish colour;
the bill is black; and the eyes are of a fine deep
blue; the throat is white; and the belly reddish;
all the rest of the plumage is of a very brilliant gold
“green, with red copper reflections. In some sub-
jects, the throat is reddish, as well as the belly ; in
others the throat is only a little yellowish; the co-
lour of the upper side of the body also is more or
less brilliant in different specimens, which may be
attributed to age or sex.
These birds are found both in Guiana, and in
Brazil ; they inhabit the forests, and prefer the wet
places, as affording in greatest abundance their in-
sect food ; they never join in society, but constantly
reside in the most sequestered and darkest coverts ;
their flight though rapid, is short; they perch on
the middle boughs, and remain at rest the whole of
the night, and the greatest part of the day; they
are always alone, and almost perpetually tranquil :
yet there is usually a number in the same district,
that makes responses in a feeble, broken but tole-
rably pleasant warble. Piso says, that their flesh,
though hard, is eaten in Brazil.
PARADISE JACAMAR.
This beautiful species is larger than the preced-
ing, from which it differs by its tail having twelve
quills, while in that of the other there are only ten;
the two middle of the tail quills are, besides much

294
WHITE-BILLED JACAMAR, &c.
a
longer, exceeding the rest two inches and a quarter,
and measuring in all six inches. It differs from the
first jacamar in the tints and distribution of its co-
lours, which have nothing common to both but the
white on the breast; all the rest of the plumage is
of a dull and deep green, in which we distinguish
only some orange and violet reflections.
The paradise jacamars live on insects like the
others. But their habits perhaps differ; for they
sometimes frequent the cleared grounds; they fly
to great distances, and they perch on the tops of
trees; they go also in pairs; nor are they so solitary
or sedentary as the others; they have not the same
warble, but a cry or rather a soft whistle which is
heard only when near, and is seldom repeated
WHITE-BILLED JACAMAR.
This bird is supposed to be a native of South
America, and was preserved in the collection of the
late Dr. Hunter. It is about seven inches long ;
the bill quite straight and white, except the base of
the upper mandible, which is dusky ; on each side
of the nostrils are three or four stiff bristles; the
plumage on the upper parts of the body is deep
glossy green ; just under the bill is a white triangu-
lar spot, on a reddish ground, which extends down
the breast, and under the belly; the tail is short,
and even at the end; the two middle feathers green,
the others reddish; the legs black.
KINGFISHER TRIBE.
These birds frequent the banks of rivers ; liv-
ing vrincipally on fish, which they catch with great


IKINGS-FISHER.

KINGFISHER
295
dexterity They swallow their prey wnole, but
afterwards throw up the indigestible parts. Their
wings are short ; yet they fly very swiftly.
The bill is triangular, long, straight, thick, and
sharp. The tongue is fleshy, short, flat, and acute.
The feet, except in a few species, are formed for
climbing, with the toes two backward and two for-
ward.
KINGFISHER
The plumage of this little bird is esteemed more
beautiful than that of any other which inhabits the
south of Europe; but its form is far from elegant.
Its length is about seven inches, its breadth eleven,
and its weight about two ounces and a quarter.
The bill is two inches long, strong, straight, and ta-
pering to a sharp point; the upper mandible is black,
the under one, as well as the inside of the mouth
reddish yellow; the irides are hazel, inclining to
red; a broad stripe of a bright orange colour passes
from the bill over the eye, down the neck, margined
on the side of the mouth, and crossed below the eye
by a narrow black stroke, and terminated behind the
auriculars with a slanting reddish white spot. The
throat is white; the rest of the head, and wing co-
verts are of a deep shining green, spotted with bright
light blue ; the scapulars and exterior webs of the
quills are of the same colour, but without spots.
The middle of the back, the rump, and coverts of
the tail are of a most resplendent azure; the tail
which consists of twelve short feathers, is of a rich
deep blue ; and the whole under part of the body
of a bright orange. The legs and toes are of a red
colour, and are peculiar in their shape and confor-
mation; the three forward toes being uncon-
nected from the claws to the first joints, from whence
they appear as if grown into each other; and the
;
a
a

296
KINGFISHER
a
a
inner and hinder ones are placed in a Ime on the in
side of the foot, whereby the heel is widened, and
seems pressed out.
The bird is found throughout Europe. It preys
on the smaller fish. It sits frequently on a branch
projecting over a current ; there it remains motion-
less, and often watches whole hours to catch the mo-
ment when a little fish springs under its situation ; it
dives perpendicularly into the water, where it conti-
nues several seconds, and then brings up the fish,
which it carries to land, beats to death, and after-
ward swallows..
When the kingfisher cannot find a projecting
bough, it sits on some stone near the brink, or even
on the gravel ; but the moment it perceives the fish,
it takes a spring upward of twelve or fifteen feet,
and drops perpendicular from that height. Often
it is observed to stop short in its rapid course, and
remain stationary, hovering in manner not unlike
some of the hawk tribe) over the same spot for seve.
Hal seconds. Such is its mode in winter, when the
maddy swell of the stream, or the thickness of the
ice, constrains it to leave the rivers, and pry along
the sides of the unfrozen brooks. At each pause it
continues, as it were, suspended at the height of fif-
teen or twenty feet ; and when it would change its
place, it sinks, and skims along within a foot of the
surface of the water, then rises and halts again.
This repeated and almost continual exercise shews
that the bird dives for many small objects, fishes or
insects, and often in vain : for in this way it passes
over many a league.
« The kingfishers (says M. Gmelin) are seen all
over Siberia ; and their feathers are employed by
the Tartars and Ostiacs for many superstitious uses.
The former pluck them, cast them into water, and
carefully preserve such as float ; and they pretend,
that if with one of these feathers they touch a woman

COMMON KINGFISHER.
297
a
or even her clothes, she must fall in love with
them. The Ostiacs take the skin, the bill, and the
claws, of this bird, and shut them in a purse ; and as
long as they preserve this sort of amulet, they believe
that they have no ill to fear. The person who taught
me this means of living happy, could not forbear
shedding tears ; he told me that the loss of a king-
fisher's skin that he had, caused him to lose also his
wife and his goods. I observed that such a bird
could not be very rare, since a countryman of his
had brought me one, with its skin and feathers : he
was much surprised, and said that if he had the luck
to find one, he would give it to no person.
M. D'Aubenton kept these birds for several
months, by means of small fish put into basons of
water, on which they fed; for, on experiment, they
refused all other kinds of nourishment.
The kingfisher lays its eggs, to the number of
seven or more, in a hole in the bank of the river or
stream that it frequents. Dr. Heysham had a female
brought alive to him at Carlisle, by a boy who said
he had taken it the preceding night when sitting on
its eggs. His information on the subject was, that
" having often observed these birds frequent a bank
upon the river Peteril, he had watched them care-
fully, and at last saw them go into a small hole in
the bank. The hole was too narrow to admit his
hand; but as it was made in soft mold, he easily en-
larged it. It was upwards of half a yard long : at the
end of it the eggs, which were six in number, were
placed upon the bare mould, without the smallest
appearance of a nest." The eggs were considerably
larger than those of the yellow-hammer, and of a
transparent white colour. It appears from a still
later account than this, that the direction of the holes
as always upward ; that they are enlarged at the end ;
and have there a kind of bedding formed of the bones
of small fish, and some other substances, evidently
VOL. 1.

298
AMERICAN KINGFISHER.
the castings of the parent animals. This is generally
about half an inch thick, and mixed in with the
earth. There is every reason to believe, that both
male and female come to this spot for no other pur-
pose than to eject the refuse of their food, for some
time before the latter begins to lay : and that they
dry it by the heat of their bodies; as they are fre-
quently known to continue in the hole for hours,
long hefore the period of laying. On this disgorged
matter the female deposits and hatches her eggs.
When the young are nearly full feathered, they are
extremely voracious; and the old birds not supply-
ing them with all the food they can devour, they are
continually chirping, and may be discovered by their
noise.
Kingfishers are not so numerous as might be ex-
pected from the number of eggs found in their nests,
as it is probable the young ones are frequently des-
troyed, when the floods rise above the levels of the
holes where they are bred.
This bird is usually seen alone, except in the
breeding season, flying near the surface of the
water with a surprising rapidity, considering the
shortness of its wings, appearing like a little brilliant
meteor. It is supposed to employ the splendor of
its colours, as a lure to attract its prey within its
reach.
MERICAN KINGFISHER.
This species has a black bill, two inches and a
half long; head crested with long bluish grey
feathers, above the upper mandible of the bill, on
cach side, is a white spot ; beneath each eye is
another ; chin and throat white; the upper part of
the neck, back, and coverts of the wings, of a bluish
grey ; secondaries of the same colour, their ends,
and those of the lower order of coverts tipped with

CREEPER
NU I HATCIHL



GREAT-KING-FIS HER.

GREAT BROWN KINGFISHER, &c. 299
wnite ; primaries black, barred with white ;: legs
orange. Length thirteen inches. Inhabits various
parts of North America, has the same manners as the
European species; and though sometimes eaten, is
not reckoned agreeable food.
GREAT BROWN KINGFISHER.
The largest of the whole genus ; being in length
sixteen inches, and of the bulk of a jackdaw. All
the plumage, except the tail, appears stained with
bistre, and embrowned on the back and wing; the
colour is lighter, and faintly crossed by small black-
ish waves on the foreside of the body, and round the
neck on a whiter ground; the feathers of the crown
of the head, as well as a broad streak below the eye,
are of the same colour as the back; the tail is of a
rusty tawny, crossed with black waves, and is white
at the end, the upper mandible is black, and slightly
bent at the point ; the lower mandible is orange,
GREAT GAMBIA KINGFISHER.
LENGTH upward of nine inches, of which the bill
is two and a half. Upper parts fine reddish brown;
a
tail black; and half the wings blue, varying ac-
cording to its position, from sky blue to sea green ;
point of the wings and shoulders black. Found in
Madagascar and different parts of Africa.
CRAB-CATCHING KINGFISHER.
This species occurs in Senegal, under the name of
crabier. It is also found in the Cape de Verd islands;
and the following indication, given by Forster in
captain Cook's second voyage, seems to refer to it.
“ The most remarkable bird we saw at the Cape de
Verd islands, was a kind of kingfisher, which lives

300
CAPE KINGFISHER, &c.
upon the large red and blue land crabs, that crowd in
the holes of the dry and parched soil.” The tail and
all the back are of a sea blue, which also points the
outer margin of the great and middle quills of the
wing, but their points are black, and a large spot of
that colour covers all the part next the body, and
marks on the wing the trace, as it were, of a second
wing; all the under side of the body is light tawny,
a black streak stretches behind the eye ; the bill and
legs are of a deep rust colour. The length of this
bird is a foot. The same species was found in
Arabia Felix, and also in Abyssinia.
CAPE KINGFISHER,
This species has an uncommonly thick and stout
bill. The whole length of the bird is fourteen
inches, that of the bill is above three, and its thick-
ness at the base is nearly an inch ; the head is cap-
ped with light grey , the back is water green ; the
wings aquamarine ; the tail is of the same green
with the back, and lined with grey ; under side dull
tawny ; the bill with the red tint of Spanish wax.
PIED KINGFISHER.
The back is of a black ground, clouded with
white; a black zone on the breast; the foreside of
the neck white; the quills of the wing black on the
outer edge, intersected within by white and black,
and fringed with white : the top of the head and
the crest are black ; and the bill and the legs of
the same colour : the total length of the bird is near-
ly eight inches. This kingfisher, as described by
Buffon, came from the Cape of Good Hope: as des-
cribed by Hasselquist, it is a native of Egypt, and
is found about Cairo. Buffon speaks of it, as being
the same found in the islands of Otaheite, Huahcine,

CRESTED KINGFISHER, &c.
301
and Ulietea, and thus spoken of by Forster, in cap-
tain Cook's second voyage : "In the afternoon we
shot a kingfisher. The moment that I had fired,
we met Oreo and his family, who were walking on
the leech with captain Cook. The chief did not
observe the bird which I held in my hand, but his
daughter wept for the death of her eatua, or genius,
and fled from me when I offered to touch her: her
mother, and most of the women who accompanied
her, seemed also concerned for this accident; and
the chief, mounting on his canoe, entreated us in a
very serious tone to spare the kingfishers and the
herons of his island, at the same time granting us
permission to kill all the other birds. We tried
in vain to discover the cause of their veneration for
these birds."
CRESTED KINGFISHER.
This is one of the largest of the genus, being
sixteen inches in length; its plumage is richly en-
amelled, though not marked with brilliant colours ;
it is entirely sprinkled with white drops, strewed in
transverse lines on a blackish-grey ground, from
the back to the tail ; the throat is white, with black-
ish streaks on the sides ; the breast is enamelled
with the same two colours, and with reddish; the
belly is white; the flanks and the coverts under
the tail are of a rust colour.
BLACK-CAPPED KINGFISHER.
This is one of the most beautiful of the king-
fishers ; a soft silky violet covers the back, the tail,
and half the wings; their tips and the shoulders are
black ; the belly is light rufous; a white plate
marks the breast and the throat, and bends round
the neck near the back; the head wears a large

302 GREEN-HEADED KINGFISHER, &c.
black cap; a great bill of a brilliant red, completes
the rich decoration of this bird ; its length is ten in-
ches. It is found in China.
a
GREEN-HEADED KINGFISHER.
a
A GREEN cap with a black edging covers the head;
the back is of the same green, which melts on the
wings and tail into a sea-green; the neck, the
throat, and all the foreside of the neck, are white ;
the hill, and legs, and all the under side of the tail
are blackish ; the length is nine inches. This bird
is represented as a native of the Cape of Good
Hope.
WHITE-HEADED KINGFISHER.
а.
The wings and the tail are of a deep turguois
blue; the great quills of the wings are brown,
fringed with blue; the back is of a sea-green; the
neck, the fore and under side of the body white,
tinged with straw or doe colour; small black strokes
are traced on the white ground of the crown of the
head; the bill is red, and near three inches long ;
the total length of the bird is a foot. The kingfisher
of the Celebes, mentioned by voyagers, seems to be-
long to a similar species, though rather smaller ;
but it is somewhat embellished perhaps by their
imagination. This bird say they, lives on a small
fish which it watches to catch on the river. It cir-
cles, razing the surface of the water, till its prey,
which is very nimble, springs into the air, as if to
dart down upon its enemy; but the bird is always
dexterous enough to prevent the blow. It seizes
the fish with its bill, and transports it to its nest,
where it subsists a day or two on its spoil, and spends
the whole time in singing. It is scarcely bigger
than a lark, its bill is red; the plumage on its hcad

WHITE-COLLARED KINGFISHER, &c. 303
and back is entitely green ; that of the belly verges
on yellow; and its tail is of the finest blue. This
is however reckoned both by Latham and Gmelin a
distinct species.
WHITE-COLLARED KINGFISHER.
SMALLEP. han the blackbird. Upper parts blue,
shaded with green ; under parts white, and a ring
of the same round the neck. Inhabits the Philip-
pines, and probably China.
SENEGAL KINGFISHER.
Head hoary; under parts sky blue; wing coverts
black; tail long ; perhaps a variety of the com-
Inon.
BLUE AND BLACK KINGFISHER.
LENGTH about seven inches ; bill and legs red-
dish ; upper side of the head and neck bluish white;
throat the same, but paler ; under parts rusty tawny;
back, secondaries and tail deep blue ; rest of the
wing black. Inhabits Senegal.
GREY-HEADED KINGFISHER.
Size of the thrush ; length eight inches and a
half. Upper mandible red; lower black ; head,
neck, and throat brown grey, whitish on the latter;
upper parts sea green, except a great black bar on
the wing coverts, and another on the primaries ;
under parts white. Inhabits Senegal.
YELLOW-FRONTED KINGFISHER
This species is described by Albin, and seems
somewhat obscure. It is distinguished from the

304
TERNATE KINGFISHER, &c.
rest by the beautiful yellow which tinges all the an-
der side of the body and the front; a black spot
rises at the bill, and surrounds the eyes ; behind
the head is a bar of dull blue, and then a streak of
white; the throat also is white; the back deep
blue; the rump and tail dirty red; the wings faint
iron grey. Inhabits Bengal.
TERNATE KINGFISHER,
a
This is perhaps the most beautiful species of this
beautiful tribe. It is distinguished by a remarkable
character; the two long shafts which are naked
three inches of their length, and have a small beard
of feathers at their ends soft and deep. Turguois blue
and black velvet brown, cover and intersect the up-
per surface with four large spots; the black occu-
pies the top of the back, and the point of the wings;
the deep blue their middle, the upper part of the
neck and head; all the under surface of the body:
and tail is white, lightly tinged with red; the
and legs are orange ; on each side of the two fea-
thers in the middle of the tail there is a blue spot,
and the long shafts are of the same colour.
BLUE-HEADED KINGFISHER.
LENGTH scarcely four inches. Bill more than an
inch in length ; crown bright blue, waned with
greenish blue; back and wings fine ultramarine
blue ; primaries blackish ; throat white; rest of
the under surface fine red.
MADAGASCAR KINGFISHER,
LENGTH scarcely five inches. Upper parts bright
shining rufous ; primaries black ; secondaries frin-
ged with rufous on a blackish ground; under parts
white, tinged with red; bill and legs black.

PURPLE KINGFISHER, &
305
PURPLE KINGFISHER.
Tus is of the same size with the preceding of
all these birds it is the handsomest, and perhaps the
richest in colours ; a fine aurora rufous, clouded
with purple, intermingled with blue, covers the head,
the 'rump, and the tail ; all the under side of the
:
body is gold rufous, on a white ground; its mantle
is enriched with an azure blue, on a velvet black; a
spot of light purple rises at the corner of the eye,
and terminates behind in a streak of the most vivid
blue; the throat is white ; and the bill red. This
charming little bird was brought from Pondicherry.
WHITE-BILLED KINGFISHER.
LENGTH four inches and a half. Bill white; head,
neck, and sides reddish bay, tinged with purple ;
quills ash colour; coverts and back fine blues
breast and belly light yellow. Native of America,
BENGAL KINGFISHER.
UPPER side sky blue melting into green ; quills of
the wings and tail brown grey ; under side tawny
orange.
THREE-TOED KINGFISHER.
This is one of the most brilliant of the tribe. All
the upper part of the head and back is deep lilac ;
the feathers of the wings are of a dull indigo, but
heightened by a border of vivid and shining blue,
which surrounds each feather; all the underside of
the body is white; the bill and legs are reddish: In-
habits Luçon
VOL. I.
Rr

306
&
CRESTED KINGFISHER, &c
CRESTED KINGFISHER.
LENGTH five inches. Head thickly covered with
long narrow feathers, neatly dotted with black and
greenish points, and rising to a crest; throat white;
on the side of the neck a tawny rufous spot; wings
and tail sky blue; under parts tawny rufous. In-
habits the Philippines.
CAYENNE KINGFISHER.
:
As large as a starling; the upper side of the
head, back, and shoulders are of a fine blue; the
rump is of a sea-green; all the under side of the
body is white; the quills of the wings are blue with-
out, black within ; and below those of the tail are
the same, except that the two middle ones are en-
tirely blue; below the back of the head there is a
black cross bar. They are very numerous in Gui-
ana; where they breed in the banks of the rivers,
and discover by their numbers, which rivers are the
best stored with fish.
MEXICAN KINGFISHER.
This is one of the largest of the kingfishers, being
ncar sixteen inches long ; but its colours are not so
brilliant as those of the others; bluish grey is spread
over all the upper side of the body, and that colour
is variegated on the wings with white fringes in fes-
toons at the point of the quills, the largest of which
are blackish and intersected within by broad white
indentings; those of the tail are marked with broad
stripes of white; the under side of the body is red-
dish chesnut, which grows paler as it approaches the
breast, where it is scaled with grey, the throat is
white, and a collar of the same surrounds the neck,

SPOTTED BRASILIAN KINGFISHER, &c. 307
all the head and nape of the neck are of the same
bluish grey with the back. Inhabits Mexico and
the West Indies.
SPOTTED BRASILIAN KINGFISHER.
The neck and legs are short ; the bill straight and
strong; its upper mandible vermillion, extending
over the lower, and bending somewhat at its point:
It is as large as the starling. The upper parts are
tawny brown, spotted with yellowish white; the
throat is yellow; and the breast and belly are white,
dotted with brown.
COLLARED KINGFISHER.
LENGTH eight inches, of which the bill is two
inches, and the tail two and a half. Bill black; a small
reddish streak from the nostrils round the eyes ; up-
per side dull green, sprinkled with small whitish
spots ; under side deep gold red, except a collar
;
waved with white and black on the breast, which
distinguishes the male ; tail barred with white.
Inhabits Cayenne.
GREEN AND WHITE KINGFISHER.
SMALLER than the preceding, being only seven
inches long, though its tail is still of considerable
length. All the upper side is blackish, glossed
with green, intersected by a white horse-shoe, which
rising
under the eye, descends on the back of the
neck, and by some white streaks on the wing :
stomach white, variegated with some spots of the
colour of the back ; breast and throat red in the
male, and white in the female. Inhabits Cayenne.

308
BRASILEAN KINGFISHER, &c.
BRASILIAN KINGFISHER.
Size of the lark; bill straight and black ; upper
parts reddish bay, mixed with white; a brown streak
runs from the bill to the eye.
SMALL AMERICAN KINGFISHER.
SCARCELY five inches iong ; under parts brilliant
orange, except a white spot on the throat, another
on the stomach, and a deep green zone below the
neck; a half collar of orange behind the neck ;
upper parts green grey ; wings spotted with small
rusty drops near the shoulder, and on the great
quills, which are brown.
EGYPTIAN KINGFISHER.
GENERAL colour brown, with rusty spots ; throat
light rusty ; belly and thighs whitish, spotted with
ash; tail cinereous. Size of a crow: has a long
tail.
NEW GUINEA KINGFISHER.
BLACK spotted with white.
SACRED KINGFISHER.
GENERAL colour bluish green ; under parts white;
eye-brows and a streak below its eyes rusty ; wing-
quills and tail blackish. Inhabits the Society Islands.
VENERATED KINGFISHER
GENERAL colour brown, variegated with green ;
over the eye a stripe of whitish green ; under parts
pale brown. Inhabits the Friendly Islands.
RESPECTED KINGFISHER.
EYE-BROWS white ; neck surrounded by a green-
ish black collar ; upper parts olive green ; under
parts white • tail long ; inhabits Otaheite.
3
a

VIOLET KINGFISHER, &C.
309
-
VIOLET KINGFISHER.
Siglo
.
INHABITS Coromandel.
SPOTTED KINGFISHER.
INHABITS Guiana.
SURINAM KINGFISHER.
Upper parts blue ; under parts reddish white;
tail short.
TODY TRIBE.
.
This tribe is distinguished by the following cha-
racters: bill awl-shaped, flattish, obtuse, straight,
with broad bristles at the base ; feet gressory. There
are eleven species, which inhabit the warmer parts
of America. They much resemble the fly-catchers,
only in the latter the middle fore toe is detached
from its origin.
GREEN TODY.
This bird is not larger than the golden-creste.l
wren, being about four inches long. The upper
side of the body in the male is of a bluish green,
and the under side rose colour ; and in the female
the hack is of a lighter green. The bill is reddish,
inclining to brown on the upper mandible ; the
legs are grey, and the nails long and hooked. This
bird feeds on insects and small worms, and inhabits
wet and sequestered places. In the breeding season
the male has a feeble, though pleasant warble; the
female builds her nest on the dry ground, and pre-
fers for that purpose the friable mould ; and for that

310
CINEREOUS TODY
reason these birds choose the nanines and water gul-
lies; they often nestle also in the old galleries of
houses. They make an excavation with their bill
and claws, give it a round form, hollow out the
bottom, and place pliant straws, dry mous, cotton,
and feathers, which they arrange with great art.
They lay four or five eggs, which are grey, spotted
with deep yellow. They catch, with great dexterity,
flies, and other small winged insects, which they
carry to their young ; they have a strong attachment
to their broord, which they will not leave as long as
they hear them cry.
Inhabits the West India
Islands.
CINEREOUS TODY.
Size that of the preceding, which it also resembles
in its shape, and the conformation of its toes ; it
differs, however, in its colours, being cinereous,
mixed with blue, on the upper side of its body,
whereas the former is of a richer green on the same
parts; this difference in the shade of the colours
would only make a variety ; but as all the under side
of the body is yellow, there is no rose colour on the
throat or on the flanks; and as the bird belongs to a
different climate, it is doubtless a distinct species.
It differs from the North American tody also, be-
cause the tips of the lateral quills of the tail are
white for the space of half an inch ; yet this pro-
perty is peculiar to the male, for in the female the
extreme quill feathers are of an uniform colour, and
of the same ash grey with the upper side of the
body; all these tints are also fainter and more dilute
than in the male. This bird lives on insects ; it
prefers the cleared grounds for its haunts ; it is
scarcely ever found in the forests, but often among
thickets and bushes.

ÖRANGE AND BLUE TODY, &c.
311
ORANGE AND BLUE TODY.
LENGTH three inches and a half. Upper parts
deep blue ; sides of the head and of the neck, and
of the under parts orange ; lower part of the throat
wlfitish ; near the eyes are small dashes of purple.
ARIEGATED TODY
Size of the golden-crested wren. Head, throat,
and neck, blackish blue ; wings green ; tail quills
black, edged with green ; rest of the plumage
variegated with blue, black, and green.
SHORT-TAILED TODY
UPPER parts black; under ones white; inhabits
North America.
PLUMBEOUS TODY.
PLUMAGE lead coloured. Inhabits Surinam.
DUSKY TODY.
SIZE of the winter fauvette. Has a bill half an
inch long, broad at the base, slightly indented above
the nostrils, and a little bent near the point; base
beset with bristles ; upper mandible brown ; lower
white ; upper part of the plumage dusky ; under
part yellowish white ; primaries and tail of the same
colour with the back, edged with dirty white. Inha-
bits Rhode Island, in America. It has the actions
of a fly-catcher, frequents decayed trees, and feeds
upon insects. Its note, which it repeats twice or
thrice, is short and agreeable.

312
FERRUGINOUS-BELLIED TODY, &c.
FERRUGINOUS-BELLIED TODY
UNDER parts rusty ; inhabits North America.
BROAD-BILLED TODY.
ABOUT the size of a nightingale ; bill broad, and
bristly at the base.
YELLOW-BELLIED TODY.
UNDER parts yellow; inhabits New Holland.
WHITE-HEADED TODY.
Size of the red start Inhabits South America.
BEE-EATER TRIBE.
THE distinctive characters of this tribe are, bill
curved, four-sided, flattened ; keel-shaped sharp
nostrils, small, situated at the base of the bill ; tongue
slender, and for the most part fringed at the tip ;
feet gressory. They live upon insects, especially
bees and wasps, imitate the kingfishers in the con-
struction of their nests, and have in general a harsh
voice.
COMMON BEE-EATER.
This bird feeds not only upon common bees and
wasps, but also upon humble-bees, locusts, gnats,
flies, and other insects, which it catches, like the
swallow, on the wing. Such are the prey to which
it is most attached, and which serve the boys of
the island of Candia as baits for lines to catch it
in the air ; they pass a bent pin through the body of
a living locust or fly, and fasten it to a long thread;

COMMON BEE-EATER,
313
the bee-eater flies at it, and swallows it with the
hook, and is thus taken. When insects fail, it con-
tents itself with small seeds, and even wheat ; and
in collecting that food on the ground, it seems also to
gather small pebbles like all the granivorous birds.
Ray suspects, from many analogies, both internal
and external, that the bee-eater, as well as the king-
fisher, feeds sometimes on flesh.
The bee-eaters are very common in the island of
Candia, insomuch that Belon, who was an eye-
witness, says that they are seen flying in every part
of it. He adds, that the Greeks on the main land,
are unacquainted with them, which he could ac-
curately learn from his travelling in that country ;
but he asserts, on too slight foundation, that they are
never seen in Italy ; fôr Willoughby saw them fre-
quently at Rome, exposed to sale in the public
markets. Nor is it probable that they are strangers
to the rest of Italy, since they are found in the South
of France, where they are not regarded even as
birds of passage. Thence they sometimes penetrate
in small flocks, of ten or twelve, into the more nor-
thern provinces ; and one of these flocks arrived in
the vale of Sainte Reine in Burgundy, on the eighth
of May, 1776. they kept constantly together, and
called incessantly on each other. Their cry was very
noisy, but agreeable, and resembled somewhat the
whistling of a curlew. They preferred the fruit-
trees, which were then in blossom, and consequently
frequented by the bees and wasps ; and often de-
scended from the branch to catch their little winged
prey ; they appeared always very timorous, and
scarcely suffered a person to get near them : how-
ever one was shot separate from the others, perched
upon a fir; the rest of the flock which were in a
neighbouring vineyard, frightened at the report,
flew away all screaming together, and took shelter
among some chesnuts that were at a little distance ;
:
VOL, I.
s

314
COMMON BEE-EATER
they continued to hover among the vineyards, but in
a few days they took their final departure.
Another flock was seen in June 1777. in the
vicinity of Anspack. Lottinger informs us that
these birds seldom appear in Lorraine, that they are
never more than two together, that they sit on the
longest branches of trees and shrubs, and seem to
feel embarrassed, as if they had strayed. They
appear still more seldom in Sweden, where they
haunt the sea coast. But they hardly ever visit
England, though not so far north as Sweden, and to
which they could easily pass from Calais. In the
East, they are spread through the temperate zone,
from India to Bengal, and undoubtedly farther,
though their course has not yet been completely
traced.
These birds nestle, like the shore swallow and the
kingfisher, in the bottom of holes, which they form
with their short and strong feet, and their iron bill,
as the Sicilians term it, in little hillocks, where the
soil is loose, and sometimes in the shelving sandy
brinks of large rivers : these holes are made more
than six inches deep, and as wide. The female de-
posits, on a bed of moss, four or five, or even six or
seven white eggs, rather smaller than those of the
blackbird. But their economy in these dark caverns
cannot be observed ; we know only that the young
family does not disperse ; indeed several families
must unite, to form those flocks which Belon saw in
the island of Candia, settled along the ridges of the
mountains, where the abundance of thyme affords
rich pasture to the bees and wasps.
The flight of the bee-eater has been compared to
that of the swallow, which resembles it in many
other respects ; it is also analagous to the kingfisher,
particularly in the beautiful colour of its plumage,
and in the singular conformation of its feet; and
lastly, Dr. Lottinger, who was a close and acute

COMMON KINGFISUER.
315
observer, found ihat in some particulars it is akin to
the goat-sucker. Another property, which, were it
well ascertained, would distinguish this bird from
every other, is the habit ascribed to it, of flying back-
wards. Ælian mightily admires this ; but he had
better have called it in question, for it is an error
arising from oversight. These birds too are cele-
brated by Aristotle, Pliny, and Ælian, for their
parental affection. They allege that they are no
sooner able to fly, than they consecrate their labour
to the service of their parents, supply them with food,
and anticipate all their wants. This is mereiy a
fable, which appears to have been often copied for
the sake of the moral.
The male bird has small eyes, though of a vivid
red, and which derive additional lustre from a black
har; the front is of a sea green ; the upper side of
the head is chesnut, tinged with green; the hind
part of the head and of the neck is chesnut, without
any admixture, but which grows continually paler, as
it approaches the bark ; the upper side of the body
is of a pale fulvous, with green and chesnut reflec-
tions, which are more or less apparent, according to
the position ; the throat is of a shining gold yellow,
terminated in some subjects by a blackish collar ; the
fore part of the neck, the breast, and the under side
of the body, are of a blue beryl, which grows lighter
on the hind parts; the same colour is spread over
the tail, with a light rufous tinge ; and on the out-
er edge of the wing, without any admixture; it runs
into green, and receives a reddish shade on the part
of the wings next the back; almost all the quills are
tipped with black, their small superior coverts are
tinged with dull green, the middle ones with rufous,
and the great ones shaded with green and rufous ;
the bill is black; and the legs are reddish brown;
the shafts of the quills of the tail are brown above, and
white below. All these different colours are very
a
a

316
YELLOW AND WHITE BEE-EATER, &c.
variable, both in their tint and their distribution; and
hence the difference among descriptions.
This bird is very nearly as large as the redwing,
its shape longer, and its back rather more convex.
Belon says that nature has made it hunch-backed.
Total length ten or twelve inches; the bill near two
inches, broad at its base, a little arched ; the tongue
thin, terminated by long threads, the nostrils shaded
by a sort of rusty hairs; the tarsus near half an inch,
and pretty thick in proportion to its length; the
outer toe adheres to the middle one almost its whole
length, and to the inner one by its first phalanx only,
as in the kingfisher; the hind nail is the shortest of
all, and the most hooked ; the extent of wing is six-
teen or seventeen inches; the tail four inches and a
half, consisting of six pair of quills, of which the five
lateral ones are equal; the middle pair projects three
quarters of an inch beyond them, and about an inch
and a half beyond the wings, which consist of twenty-
four quills according to some, and of twenty-two
according to others.
a
YELLOW AND WHITE BEE-EATER,
This species is remarkable for the length of the
two middle quills of its tail, and the proportional
shortness of its bill ; its head is white, variegated with
yellow; its eyes yellow; its eye-brows red ; its
breast reddish; its neck, belly, and under side of its
wings, whitish ; back yellow ; . rump, tail, and.
wings bright rufous ; bill greenish yellow, somewhat
arched, two inches long; its tongue long and pointed
like that of a woodpecker.
CINERIOUS BEE-EATER.
Size of a sparrow; head fine grey ; upper parts
the same, varied with red and yellow; iwo middle

GREY BEE-EATER OF ETHIOPIA, &c. 317
quills of the tail pure red ;' under parts orange
-yellow; bill green. Length nine or ten inches,
of which the bill and tail occupy half. Inhabits
Mexico.
GREY BEE-EATER OF ETHIOPIA.
PLUMAGE-grey ; a yellow spot near the vent; tail
very long
CHESNUT AND BLUE BEE-EATER.
LENGTH eleven inches, of which the tail is five and
a half, consists of twelve quills, the two middle ones
more than two inches longer than the rest ; and the
bill an inch and a half. The body is but little larger
than that of the crested lark. Chesnut is the princi-
pal colour on the fore parts of the upper side of the
body ; the wings are green above, tawny below,
terminated with blackish ; rest of the plumage is a
beautiful beryl blue; the bill is black; and the legs
are reddish. Native of Africa.
MADAGASCAR BEE-EATER.
A LITTLE larger than the preceding; length eleven
inches and a third ; bill an inch and three quarters ;
tail five inches and a half, and consists of twelve quills,
of which the two middle ones exceed the others by
more than two inches. The general colour of its
plumage is doll green, changing into brilliant ches-
nut on the head, paler on the upper side of the body,
and still lighter on the under; the wings are termi-
nated with blackish; the tail is dull green; the
throat is yellowish white above, and fine chesnut
below. What best characterizes this bird, is a broad
blackish bar, edged round its whole circumference
with greenish white ; this border bends about the
a

318
INDIAN BLE-EATER, &c.
base of the bill, and encircles the origin of the neck,
where it assumes a yellow tinge. The bill is black;
and the legs are brown. Inhabits Madagascar.
INDIAN BEE-EATER.
This beautiful bird is one third smaller than the
European bee-eater ; and the two middle quills of
the tail are much longer and narrower; the front is
blue; there is a large spot of the same on the throat,
included in a sort of black frame formed below by a
half collar like a reversed crescent, and above by a
bar which passes over the eyes, and descends on
both sides of the neck, stretching towards the two
extremities of the half collar; the upper part of the
head and neck is orange red; the back, least wing
coverts, and tertials are parrot green ; upper tail
coverts beryl blue ; breast and belly light green ;
thighs reddish brown ; under tail coverts dull green;
wings variegated with green and orange, and ter.
minated with black; tail fine green above, and dark
green below; middle quills exceeding the rest by
more than two inches; the projecting part deep
brown, and very narrow; the shafts of the other
quills, and legs deep brown ; bill black above, and
whitish below at the base. Native of various parts
of Asia and Africa.
;
GREEN AND YELLOW-THROATED BEE-EATER.
This bird is distinguished from the preceding in
the length of the middle quills of the tail which do
not exceed the rest above three quarters of an inch.
Its throat fis of a fine yellow, which extends on the
neck, under the eyes, and even further, and is termi-
,
nated with blue on its lower part; the front eye-
brows, and all the under part of the body are gla-
neous ; the quills green, edged with glaneous from

go
GREAT INDIAN BEE EATER


ANGOLA BEE-EATER, &c.
319
their middle ; lesser upper wing coverts dun green,
inclining to snuff colour; the longest next the body
are of a light yellow ; the upper side of the head
and neck is snuff coloured ; and all the upper side
of the body is gold green ; the upper coverts of the
3
tail are green.
ANGOLA BEE-EATER.
a
LENGTH about five inches and a half; of which
the bill is three quarters of an inch ; and the tail
more than two inches : it is tapered, and the two
middle quills do not project much. The upper
parts are gold green ; the under beryl blue; the
throat yellow; the fore part of the neck chesnut;
there is across the cyes a zone dotted with black;
irides red; bill black; legs ash colour.
PHILIPPINE BEE-EATER.
All the upper surface of the head and body is of
a dull green colour, changing into rose copper ;
the wings are of the same colour terminated with
blackish, lined with light tawny; the nineteenth and
twentieth quills, marked with glaneous on the out-
side, and the twenty second and twenty third on the
inside. All the quills and coverts of the tail are of a
beryl blue, which is lighter on the inferior coverts ;
there is a blackish bar on the eyes ; the throat is
yellowish verging on green and fulvous ; this last
tint is more intense below; the under side of the
body and the thighs are of a yellowish green chang-
ing into fulvous ; the bill is black; and the legs
brown. This bird is found in the Philippines, and
is larger than the common bee-eater. Length near
nine inches; bill more than two, tail three and a
half, nearly even
a

320
BLUE-HEADED BEE-EATER. &c.
BLUE-HEADED BEE-EATER.
a
LENGTH ten inches; bill an inch and three quar-
ters, tail four inches, and a little forked. A fine beryl
glows on the head and throat, where it becomes deeper
as also on the rump and coverts of the tail ; the neck,
and under parts crimson; upper parts brick colour;
three or four quills of the wings nearest the back of
a brown green, with bluish reflections ; primaries
,
;
terminated with bluish grey melted into red; secon-
daries blackish brown ; bill black; and legs light
ash colour. Inhabits Nubia.
RED AND GREEN DEE-EATER
Upper parts dun green, brownest on the head
and back; a dark spot behind the eye; quills of the
tail and wings red, tipped with black; under parts
dirty white; bill and legs black.
bill and legs black. Length six inches, ,
of which the bill is one, and the tail two. Inhabits
Senegal
RED-HEADED BEE-EATER.
;
This species has a sort of red hood that covers
the head and part of the neck; on the eyes is a black
bar; upper parts fine green; throat yellow; under
side light orange ; under tail coverts yellowish,
edged with light green ; tail green above, ash co-
lour below; irides red; bill black ; legs ash co-
lour. Length six inches; bill an inch and a quar-
ter ; tail an inch and three quarters, and even.
In-
habits the East Indies.
CAYENNE BEE-EATER.
PLUMAGE green, deepest on the upper parts ;
quills white at their origin; tail quills yellowish

وال

yo
INDIAN CREEPER

YELLOW-A EADED BEE-EATER, &c. 321
brown ; shafts of all the quills blackish ; bill black;
tail even.
YELLOW-HEADED BEE-EATER.
In this species the yellow colour of the head is in-
terrupted only by a black bar, and extends on the
throat, and all the under side of the body ; back fine
chesnut; rest of the upper side variegated with yel-
low and green; small upper wing coverts blue;
middle coverts variegated with yellow and blue, and
the great ones entirely yellow; wing quills black,
tipped with red; tail black at its base, and green at
the extremity ; bill black ; and legs yellow. Larger
than the common. Inhabits Germany
RUFOUS BEE-EATER.
This American bird seems to form the shade be-
tween the bee-eater and the hoopoes. It differs
from the hoopoes as its toes are longer, and its tail
shorter; it differs form the other bee-eaters because
it has not like them the outer toe joined to the mid-
dle one almost its whole length. Its length is eight
inches and a half, of which the bill is one, and the
tail nearly three. Its plumage is rufous, inclining
to pale yellow beneath, and brownish on the quills
of the wing. Inhabits South America.
MOLUCCA BEE-EATER.
The bill of this bird is like that of other bee-eaters,
but its feet resemble the hoopoe. Its length is
fourteen inches; the bill two; the tongue equal to
the bill, and terminating in a pencil of hair. Plumage
grey, deepest above; cheeks black; bill blackish
eyes encircled by a naked skin; back of the head
varied with white; the feathers of the tuft niake a
VOL. I.
Tt

322
BRASILIAN BEE-CATER, &c.
(6
re-entrant angle on the front, and those at the ori.
gin of the neck terminate in a kind of silk. It sits
on the highest branches, and continually repeats the
word "polochion."
BRASILIAN BEE-EATER.
HEAD, throat, and under parts glossy red, deeper
on the upper wing coverts ; quills of the wings and
tail brilliant blue; upper parts variegated with black
and white; bill, legs, and under wing coverts yel-
low. The red feathers on the under side are equally
soft and brilliant. Inhabits Brazil.
POE BEE-EATER,
a
PLUMAGE dark glossy green, with a white tuft on
each side of the throat, and a white stripe on the
wings. Inhabits New Zealand, where it is vene-
rated by the natives ; has an agreeable song ; and
pleasant flavour.
YELLOW-TUFTED BEE-EATER
INHABITS Sandwich Islands, where the inhabitants
employ its feathers in various dresses.
New HOLLAND BEE-EATER,
Is distinguished by fleshy crattles.
HORNED BEE-EATER.
INHABITS New Holland.
HOOPOE TRIBE.
100
This elegant tribe is distinguished by the follow-
ing characters; bill arched, long, slender, convex,

HOOPOE, &c.
323
somewhat compressed, and rather blunt ; nostrils
small, situated at the base of the bill, tongue blunt,
undivided, triangular, and short ; feet formed for
walking
و
Ноорое.
This bird is about twelve inches in length, and
nineteen in breadth from tip to tip of its wings;
the bill is about two inches long, black, slender,
and somewhat curved ; the eyes hazel ; the tongue
very short and triangular ; the head is ornamented
with a crest, consisting of a double row of feathers of
a pale orange colour, tipped with black; the neck
is of a pale reddish brown; the breast and belly are
white, but in young birds marked with dusky lines;
the back, scapulars, and wings, are crossed with
alternate bars of black; the lesser coverts of the
wings are light brown; the rump is white; the tail
consists of ten feathers, black, marked with a white
bar, which forms a crescent when the tail is closed ;
the legs are short and black.
It has the power of erecting or depressing its
crest and tail, and always does the former when sur-
prised or irritated. They are very rare birds in
England, but have been known to breed here.
It is a most filthy bird, breeding, by way of pre-
ference, in the midst of dung and putrid carcases.
CAPE HOOPOE.
This bird is distinguished from the common by
its size, by its short and pointed bill, by its crest, of
which the feathers are lower in proportion, and
also looser, by the number of quills in its tail, which
are twelve, by the shape of its tongue, which is
pretty broad, and the extremity divided into many
threads, and, lastly, by the colours of its plumage.

324
HOOPOD PROMEROPS, &c.
The crest, throat, and under side of the body are
plain white; upper parts brown of various shades;
on the wing is a white spot; the irides are bluish
brown; the legs yellowish. Length sixteen inches ;
weight four ounces. Inhabits Madagascar, the Isle
of Bourbon, and the Cape of Good Hope ; feeds on
berries, and is very fat in the months of June and
July.
HOOPOE PROM EROPS.
LENGTH eighteen inches, of which the bill is an
inch and a quarter, and the tail thirteen inches,
consisting of twelve quills, of which the six middle
ones are much longer than the six lateral ones, which
are tapered. Bill and legs black ; top of the head
brown, variegated with rusty grey ; rump and upper
tail coverts olive green ; rest of the upper parts
brown; throat dirty white, having on each side a
brown line, which rises from the opening of the
bill, passes under the eye, and descends upon the
neck ; under tail coverts fine yellow. Inhabits the
Cape of Good Hope.
STRIPED-BELLIED PROMEROPS.
THROAT, neck, and head, fine black ; latter
glossed with steel colour ; upper parts brown,
tinged with deep green on the neck, back, and
wings; tail lighter brown, except the last of the
lateral quills, which is black on the inside ; breast
and under side striped transversely with black and
white; irides and legs black. Total length twenty-
two inches, of which the bill is two and a half, and
the tail thirteen. Inhabits New Guinea
19

GREAT PROMEROPS.
325
GREAT PROMEROPg.
a
This most extraordinary and beautiful bird is
nearly four feet in length from the tip of the bill to
the end of the tail ; yet the body is only of the
size of a middling pigeon, though much elongated
in shape.
The bill is three inches long, pretty
much curved, and black ; the head, hind part of
the neck, and upper part of the belly, are of a
shining green ; the rest of the plumage on the
upper parts black, glossed with changeable violet,
but the wings in some lights appear blue; the fore
part of the neck and lower part of the belly are
without goloss; the scapular feathers are of a sin-
gular construction, the webs on one side of the
shaft being exceeding short, and on the other of a
great length; they are shaped like a knife, and of a
purplish black colour, with the ends, for three
quarters of an inch, of a most brilliant gilded
glossy green, though some of them, in a different
light, reflect a blue gloss; beneath each wing arises
a thick tuft of feathers eight inches and a half long,
and of a texture resembling the herring-bone feathers
of the greater bird of paradise ; and besides these,
on each side of the tail are five or six knife-shaped
feathers with unequal webs, as the scapulars, though
not half so much curved ; the colour half dusky, half
greenish brown, the last divided from the other co-
lour on each feather in an oblique manner; the
tail consists of twelve feathers, and is of an enormous
length, the middle ones measuring no less than twen-
ty-eight inches, but each of the others shortens as it
proceeds outwards to the outer one of all, which is
only five inches in length; the colour of them ail is
blue black, glossed with polished steel ; the legs are
black. Inhabits New Guinea.
a

326 -
PARADISE PROMEROPS, &c.
PARADISE PROMEROPS.
a
This species has on its head a tuft of long feathers
which can be erected at pleasure ; breast, head,
throat, and neck, fine black; wings and tail light bay:
belly light ash colour; Lill and legs lead colour. Size
of a starling ; total length nineteen inches, of which
the tail is fourteen and a quarter, consisting of very
unequal quills, the two middle ones exceeding the rest
by eleven inches. Is a rare bird in the East of Europe.
a
MEXICAN PROMEROPS.
INHABITS lofty mountains, where it feeds on various
insects. Upper parts dull grey, changing into sea
green and purplish red; the tail is of the same colour,
and glossed with gold ; wing quills light brilliant
blue ; belly light yellow ; bill blackish, edged with
yellow. Size of a thrush : length nearly nineteen
inches; tail twelve and a half, middle quills longest.
а.
RED-BILLED PROMEROPS.
This very magnificent bird is about the size of the
common hoopoe ; length fifteen inches ; bill two
inches and a half long, curved as in that bird, but
shorter; colour red; nostrils oval, placed near the
base. The head is pretty thickly covered with
feathers which do not lie smooth; the colour of the
head, neck, breast, and back, is black, glossed, in some
lights, with red, and in others with green ; quills
and tail glossy blue black; on the inner webs of
the first six primaries is an oval spot of white,
almost an inch and a half from the tip ; the tail is
wedge-shaped ; the longest feathers are eight inches,
the shorter ones only three inches, in length; the
tvo middle ones are plain black throughout; the


HOOPOE
O

BLUE PROM EROPS, &c.
327
others are marked with a spot of white on each side
of the web, about an inch from the end ; the legs
are an inch long and stout, as are the toes; the
outer one united to the middle pretty deeply ; colour
of the legs and toes red ; legs feathered half way
down; claws hooked and black. Probably inhabits
India.
BLUE PROMEROPS.
Size of the last ; length twelve inches ; bill
black; plumage blue; tail four inches long, and
somewhat wedge-shaped ; legs pale yellow. Inhabits
the East Indies.
ORANGE PROMEROPS.
LENGTH nine inches and a half; tail four, con-
sisting of equal quills.
General colour orange,
tinged with gold on the hill, head, neck, and threats
with reddish on the tail and primaries, and in other
places with yellow. The base of the bill is sur-
rounded with small red feathers. This bird lives
upon seeds and insects, and inhabits Guiana, and
the hottest parts of Mexico. It is in no esteem,
either for its song or its flesh.
CREEPER TRIBE.
The distinguishing characters of this tribe are, bill
arched, thin, somewhat triangular, and sharp ; tongue
pointed ; feet formed for walking. They are dif-
fused over the whole globe, and live chiefly on
insects; their nostrils are small; their legs long;
their hind toe large; and their nails long and hooked;

3.28
CRDEPLR.
in many species the tongue is sharp, in others it is
flat at the tip, in others it is hairy, and in a few turbu-
lated. They creep very nimbly on trees, both in
ascending and descending, both on the upper and
under side of the branches ; they run swiftly along
beams, clasping their edge with their little feet.
They are distinguished from the woodpeckers by
their bill and tongue, from the tit-mice by the
greater length of the bill, and from the nut-hatches
by its more slender and hooked form. Many
foreign species of creepers much resemble the hum-
ming-birds, by their diminutive size, by the rich
colours of their plumage, and their slender curved
bill, only it is of a more lengthened and sharper
form, while that of the humming-bird is of an equal
thickness throughout, or even broader at the tip.
The wings of the creepers are longer, and their tail
contains twelve quills, though that of the humming-
bird has only ten ; and lastly, the tongue of the
creepers is not, like that of the humming-bird, com-
posed of two cylindrical half tubes, which, joined to-
gether, form an entire tube, and is properly an organ
of respiration, and is more analagous to the feeler of
an insect, than the tongue of a bird.
;
а
CREEPER.
;
Its length is five inches and a half; the body is
about the size of that of the wren. Its bill is long,
slender, and much curved, the upper mandible
brown, the lower whitish ; eyes hazel ; the head,
neck, hack, and wing-coverts, are of a dark brown,
variegated with streaks of a lighter hue; the throat,
breast, and belly, are of a silvery white; the rump
tawny ; the quills are dusky, edged with tawny, and
marked with bars of the same colour; the tips are
white ; above each eye a small dark line passes to-
wards the neck, alsove which there is a line of white;

ich bis
WALL CREEPER ; OR, RED SPIDER CÁTCHER.™ 329
the tail is long, and consists of twelve stiff feathers,
of a tawny colour, pointed and forked at the end ;
the legs are short, and of a brown colour; the claws
are long, sharp, and much hooked, by which it is
enabled to run, with great facility, on all sides of
small branches of trees, in quest of insects and their
eggs, which constitute its food. Although very
common, it is not seen without difficulty, from the
ease with which, on the approach of any one, it es-
capes to the opposite side of the tree. It builds its
nest early in the spring, in a hole of a tree; the fe-
male lays from five to seven eggs of an ash colour,
marked at the end with spois of a deeper hue.
a
WALL CREEPER; OR, RED SPIDER CATCHER.
>
The total length of this bird is about six inches
and a half; the bill an 'inch and a quarter ; the
tongue very pointed, and terminated by two fila-
ments ; the toes disposed three before, and one be-
hind; and the extent of wing ten inches. In the
.
male there is a black spot under the throat, which
extends to the fore part of the neck, and distin
guishes the sex ; the upper side of the head and
body is of an agreeable ash colour, the under side
deeper ; the small upper wing coverts rose colour ;
the greater ones blackish, edged with rose colour
the quills terminated with white, and bordered from
their base to the middle with light rose colour ; the
five first are marked on the inside with two spots of
white more or less pure, and the nine following
with a single tawny spot; the small inferior coverts
next the margin rose coloured, the others blackish
the quills of the tail blackish ; the middle ones tip
ped with dirty grey, and the two outer pairs with
white; the bill and legs are black. In the female
the throat is whitish.
UU
VOLI.

330
GREEN CREEPER, &c.
The various motions that the preceding species
performs upon trees, this performs on rocks and
old walls, where it climbs, hunts, and breeds. They
are said to frequent the mansions of the dead, and
sometimes to deposit their eggs in human skulls.
They fly flapping like the lapwing, and are equally
active with the common creepers: Flies, ants, and
spiders are their usual food. They keep single, or
at most in pairs, and approach houses principally in
winter. They inhabit France, Switzerland, Italy,
Germany, and Poland.
GREEN CREEPER.
A BLUE stripe runs from the base of the bill, and
descends on each side of the neck ; a reddish spot
on the throat; upper parts greenish, under pale
yellow, mixed with green ; quills brown, outer edges
green; tail greenish brown ; legs black. Inhabits
Carniola
RED-BREASTED CREEPER.
S
MALLER than the common ; length four inches,
extent six. Head, throat, and fore part of the neck
variegated with tawny and glossy black changing
into violet blue ; upper side of the neck, and fore
part of the body purplish chesnut ; hind part violet
changing into gold green; small wing coverts the.
same ; middle ones brown, tipped with purple ches-
nut; under parts olive yellow ; quills and greater
wing coverts brown, edged with rufous; tail quills
blackish, glossed with steel colour, and edged with
violet changing into gold green; bill black above,
whitish beneath ; legs brown; nails long. Inhabits
the Philippines.

LITTLE INDIAN CREEPER, &c.
9
LITTLE INDIAN CREEPER.
LENGTH three inches and a half ; bill three quar-
ters of an inch; tail more than an inch. Upper
parts brown, glossed with copper ; streak between
the bill and eye brown ; eye-brows white; quills
deep brown, edged with lighter colours ; under parts
white; tail blackish tipped with white; bill and
legs brown.
PHILIPPINE CREEPER.
a
LENGTH five inches; tail nearly two, extent seven
and a third. Its leading colour is violet, and on this
ground the bright tints of the fore parts appear with
advantage; on the throat, and upper side of the
head is a brilliant gold green heightened with copper
reflections; on the breast and forepart of the neck
is a bright shining red; the quills of the wings and
tail, and great coverts of the former are brown ; the
thighs are brown, melted into violet ; the bill is
black; and the legs are brown.
CEYLONESE CREEPER.
;
a
The most conspicuous colour of its plumage is a
deep and very brilliant violet, which spreads below
the neck, and on the throat; the rest of the under
side of its body is yellow; all the upper side, includ-
ing the superior coverts of the wings, of a dull olive,
and the same colour borders the quills of the tail,
and of the wings, and also their great coverts, of
which brown is the prevailing colour, the bill is
black, and the legs deep cinerious. Total length
four inches; the bill three quarters of an inch ; the
;
extent of wing six inches; tail an inch and a quare
ter.
;

332
GREY CREEPER, &c.
GREY CREEPER.
The under side of the body is of a pretty shade of
dun grey, and the upper side yellowish ; the breast
darker; there is a deep violet bar, which rises from
the throat, and descends along the neck; the coverts
of the wings are of a steel colour, and the same
borders the quills of the tail, the rest of which are
blackish; the lateral ones are terminated with dirty
white; the quills of the wings brown; the bill
stronger than in the other creepers, and the tongue
terminated by two threads, according to Linnæus ;
the bill and legs black; it is smaller than the com-
mon creeper. Length four inches and a half ; tail
an inch and a quarter.
SMALL PHILIPPINE CREEPER.
It is brown grey above, and yellow below; and
has a violet collar; the quills of the wings are brown
grey, like the upper side of the body ; those of the
tail are deeper brown; the two outermost pairs are
terminated with dirty white; the bill and the legs
are blackish. This bird is much smaller than the
former. Length three inches and two thirds, of
which the body is only an inch and two thirds.
GOLD-GREEN CREEPER.
PLUMAGE green, tinged with all the rich colours,
especially gold. Inhabits Ceylon; its young are
said to be sometimes destroyed by large spiders.
RED-SPOTTED CREEPER.
Has four large beautiful spots of bright red; the
first on the crown; the second behind the neck ;

INDIGO CREEPER, &c.
333
the third on the back, and the fourth on the upper
tail covert. Quills of the tail and wings, bill and
legs, black. Length three inches and a quarter
INDIGO CREEPER
Size of the fig-eater ; bill black ; irides reddish
yellow; upper parts pale indigo blue ; a white streak
over the eye ; a black streak under it; throat white;
under parts red ; legs reddish yellow. Inhabits
India,
ORANGE-BACKED CREEPER.
LENGTH only tnree inches ; bill and irides black;
upper parts blue grey ; throat and fore part of the
neck the same, but paler; upper part of the back
,
has a spot of orange yellow ; breast and belly the
same; vent pale yellow ; legs black. Inhabits
China.
TUFTED CREEPER.
LENGTH four inches ; bill, belly, legs, and tail,
black ; upper parts deep olive, edged with dusky;
primaries brown ; a tuft of yellow feathers on each
side of the breast. Inhabits Bengal.
YELLOW-WINGED CREEPER.
Size very s.nall; bill, quills, tail, and legs, black ;
head and neck varied with dusky and gold ; tongue
like that of a humming-bird ; wing coverts fine
yellow. Inhabits Bengal
a
LONG-BILLED CREEPER.
LENGTH five inches ; bill an inch and a half ;
tongue like the last ; crown and hind part of the

334 BARRED-TAIL CREEPER, &c.
neck, light green; back, wings, and tail
, dusky,
edged with olive green ; belly and vent pale yellow;
legs bluish. Inhabits Bengal.
BARRED-TAIL CREEPER.
Size of a titmouse ; bill and legs yellow ; upper
parts grey ash colour ; under parts pale red ; quills
dirty brown; two middle feathers of the tail brown ;
the others grey; all of them banded with black near
the tip. Inhabits China.
VIOLET CREEPER.
The head, the throat, and all the fore parts are of
a fine brilliant green, with a double collar of violet and
chesnut; bnt these colours are not uniforın or perma-
nent; the light which plays among the webs of the
feathers changes incessantly its shade, from gold green
to deep blue ; on each side, below the shoulder, there
is a spot of fine yellow; the breast is brown; the rest
of the under side of the body faint yellow, of the
upper side dusky olive ; the great coverts and quills
of the wings brown, edged with olive; those of the
tail black, edged with green, except the outermost,
which is partly brown grey'; the following one is
terminated with the same colour; the bill and legs
are black. Inhabits Madagascar.
SENEGAL CREEPER.
Throat violet ; breast red; back and secondaries
snuff colour ; rump and tail greenish steel colour ;
under tail coverts dirty green.
COLLARED CREEPER.
a
LENGTH four inches and a half. Head gold green,
waved with rose copper ; the throat and all the

MADAGASCAR CREEPER, &c.
335
upper parts gold green ; intermediate quills of the
tail glossy purple, bordered with gold green.
The
breast is marked with red, forming a kind of girdle
whose upper edge joins to a narrow collar of blue
steel colour, waved with green ; under parts grey
with some yellow speckles ; quills of the wings
brown grey ; bill blackish ;, legs entirely black.
This bird sings, and lives on insects, and sucks the
juices of flowers. Inhabits the Cape of Good
Hope.
MADAGASCAR CREEPER.
This bird has a bright scarlet collar about half a
quarter of an inch broad ; the smaller wing coverts
are of the same colour; the throat and upper parts,
as well as the middle coverts, are of a brilliant gold
green; there is a streak of glossy black between
the nostrils and the eye ; the under parts are of the
same black, as are the rest of the wings and tail, but
the tail quills and larger wing coverts are bordered
with gold green; the bill and legs are black.
AFRICAN CREEPER.
SONNERAT, who brought this bird from the Cape of
Good Hope, tells us that it sings as well as the night-
ingale, and that its voice is even softer. Its throat is
of a fine carmine ; its belly white; the head, the
neck, and the fore part of the wings, of a fine gold
green, and silvery ; the rump sky blue; the wings
and tail snuff brown ; the bill and legs black. Total
length near four inches and two thirds.
و
BOURBON CREEPER.
The upper side of the head and boay greenish
brown ; the rump olive yellow; the throat and all

336 VIOLET-HOODED CREEPER, &c.
the upper side of the body of a confused grey,
which assumes a yellowish cast near the tail ; the
flanks rufous ; the quills of the tail blackish; those
of the wings blackish, edged with a lighter colour ;
the bill and legs black. The dimensions are nearly
the same with those of the violet creeper.
VIOLET-HOODED CREEPER.
The head, the top of the back, and the throat,
are of a bright violet, glossed with green ; the fore
part of the neck also bright violet, but glossed with
blue ; the rest of the upper side of the body is of an
olive brown, which colour borders the great coverts
of the wings, their quills, and those of the tail, which
are all brown more or less deep; the rest of the
under side of the body orange, which is more vivid
in the fore parts, and spreads, softening, into the
distant parts. The bird is in a slight degree larger
than the common creeper.
LONG-TAILED OLD GREEN CREEPER.
The breast is red; all the rest of a pretty deep
gold green, but glowing and undulating with rose
copper ; the quills of the tail blackish, edged with
the same green ; those of the tail and their great
coverts brown; the lower belly mixed with a little
white; the bill black, and the legs blackish. This
species comes from Senegal.
GREAT GREEN LONG-TAILED CREEPER.
This bird inhabits the Cape of Good Hope. It is
of the size of a linnet ; its bill, which is a little in-
curvated, is above an inch long; it is black, and also
the feet, which are furnished with long nails, par-
ticularly the middle and hinder toes; the eyes are

CINEREOUS CREEPER, &c.
337
black ; the upper and under side of the body of a
very fine brilliant green, glossed with rose copper,
with some feathers of gold yellow under the wings ;
the great feathers of the wings and of the tail of a
fine black, glossed with violet ; the filament of the
tail, which is rather more than three inches, is edged
with green.
CINEREOUS CREEPER.
LENGTH nine inches"; bill one inch and a half
long ; tongue as long as the bill ; head, neck, upper
part of the back, and breast, brownish ash colour ;
on each side of the lower jaw a yellowish streak ;
lower part of the back and rump glossy green;
wing coverts the same ; quills brown ; belly pale
yellow ; down the middle of the breast and belly a
mixture of glossy green ; vent white ; tail black;
the two middle feathers two inches and a quarter
longer than the rest, the others wedge-shaped ; legs
black. It is a native of the Cape of Good Hope.
3
a
ORANGE BREASTED CREEPER.
LENGTH four inches ; bill more than three quarters
of an inch, curved and black; the head, throat,
hind part of the neck, back, and wing coverts are
green ; quills and tail dusky black ; the fore part
of the neck of a light orange red ; the breast and
belly pale yellow ; legs dusky. Inhabits Africa.
ASH-BELLIED CREEPER.
LENGTH five inches and a half; bill scarcely an
inch long, and black; the tongue divided ; top of
the head green ; the upper parts of the neck, body,
and wings, pale olive green; the under very pale
VOL. I.

338
BAHAMA CREEPER, &c.
ash colour ; quills and tail brown, edged with green ;
legs black ; it inhabits Africa.
ފް
BAHAMA CREEPER.
This species has a dusky bill ; head, back, wings,
and cheeks, black, crossed with a yellow line ; neck,
breast, belly, and rump, yellow ; tail black, ti
with white; primaries barred with white. Inhabits
the Bahama Islands, and the larger West India
Islands, sucking the sweet juice of the sugar-cane.
MEXICAN CREEPER.
Red is the prevailing colour in the plumage of
this bird, but it has different shades; for the crown
of the head is lighter, and more brilliant, and that on
the rest of the body is deeper. There are some ex-
ceptions, however; for the throat and the fore part
of the neck are green ; the quills of the tail and of
the wings are terminated with bluish ; the thighs,
the bill, and the legs, of a bright yellow. Its voice
is said to be pleasant and agreeable. Total length
about four inches and a half ; the bill near an inch;
the tail more than an inch, consisting of twelve equal
quills, and projecting about half an inch beyond the
wings.
a
GUTTURAL CREEPER.
THE throat and face are of a fine gold green ;
the fore part of the neck of a bright red; the small
coverts of the wings of a brilliant violet ; the great
coverts and the quills of the wings and of the tail
are brown, tinged with rufous; the middle coverts of
the wings, and all the rest, both of the upper and
under side of the body, blackish brown ; the bill and
the legs black.


BLUE - CREEPER
-

VIRGINIAN PURPLE CEREPER, &c.
339
VIRGINIAN, PURPLE CREEPER.
LÉNGTH about four inches and a half; plumage
purple • song agreeable.
CAYENNE CREEPER.
a
The face of this beautiful bird is of a brilliant sea-
green ; there is a bar on the eyes of velvet black ;
the rest of the head, the throat, and all the under
parts of the body, the lower part of the back, and
the superior coverts of the tail, of an ultramaine blue,
which is the only colour that appears when the
feathers are regularly disposed, though each has
three colours, according to the remark of Brisson,
brown at the base, green in the middle, and blue at
the extremity; the top of the back, the part of the
neck contiguous to the back, and the tail, velvet
black ; what appears of the rings when they are
closed is of the same black, except a blue bar, which
crosses their coverts obliquely ; the inner side of the
quills of the wings, and their inferior coverts, are of
a fine yellow ; so that the wings, which seem entirely
black when at rest, appear variegated with black and
gold when displayed, or in motion. The inferior
coverts of the tail are of a dull black, (and not blue
as Brisson represents ;) the bill is black, and the
legs sometimes red, sometimes orange, sometimes
yellow, and occasionally whitish.
و
BLUE CREEPER.
This is also found in Cayenne : it differs from the
preceding only in the shades of the plumage; the
head is of a fine blue; there is a bar on the eyes of
a velvet black ; the throat, the wings, and the tail
are of the same black; all the rest is of a shining
a
a

340
BLACK-HEADED CREEPER.
blue, verging upon violet ; the bill black; and the
legs yellow : the blue feathers which cover the body
are of three colours, the same as in the preceding.
With regard to size, it is rather smaller, and
the tail especially appears shorter ; the extent is
greater.
It constructs its nest with much art : the outside
consists of coarse straw, and stiff stalks of herbs; the
inside of softer materials ; the shape resembles that
of a retort : it is suspended from the end of a pliant
branch, and the aperture faces the ground. The
bird enters the neck, and creeps into the belly of the
retort, which is its proper nest. By this contrivance
the hatch is guarded against the visits of spiders,
lizards, and other intruders. Wherever weak ani-
mals subsist, unprotected by man, we may infer that
they are industrious.
BLACK HEADED CREEPER.
a
The plumage of this American bird consists of
three or four colours, which are disposed in distinct
masses, without any intermixture or shading:
velvet black on the throat and head only , deep blue
under the body ; bright green on all the upper
sides, including the tail and the wings, but the tail is
of a deeper shade ; the inferior coverts of the wings
are cinerious brown, edged with green ; and the
bill is wbitish.
Total length five inches and a quarter ; the bill
three quarters of an inch ; the tail an inch and a
half, consisting of twelve equal quills, and exceeding
the wings about three quarters of an inch. It is
nearly as large as the chaffinch.
We are not certain in what parts of America it
occurs : but most probably inhabits the same regions
with the two preceding.

LACK-CAPPED GREEN CREEPER, &c.
341
BLACK-CATED GREEN CREEPER.
a
THE head is black, a. in the preceding, but not
the throat, which is of a beautiful green, as are all
the upper and under sides of the body, including the
superior coverts of the wings ; their quills are
blackish, and also those of the tail, but all bordered
with green, the only colour that appears when the
parts are at rest; the inferior coverts of the wings
are brown cinerious, bordered also with green ; the
;
bill is yellowish at its base, blackish above, whitish
below ; and the legs are all of the same deep lead
colour. The relative dimensions are the same as in
the preceding bird, only the tail is rather longer, and
exceeds the wings nearly an inch; the extent of the
wings is seven inches and a half.
GREEN AND BLUE CREEPER
The blue is spread on the head and the small su-
perior coverts of the wings; the throat is white;
all the rest of the plumage the same as in the pre-
neding, except that in general the green is uniformly
lighter, and on the breast are scattered a few spots of
a deeper green ; the bill is blackish above, white be-
low, according to Brisson; and, on the contrary,
whitish above, and deep cinerious below, according
to Edwards; the legs are yellowish.
With regard to the dimensions, they are precisely
the same as in the preceding bird, and this confor-
mity led Edwards to suspect that the two belonged
to the same species.
ALL-GREEN CREEPER.
The under side of the body is deep green, tinged
with bluish, except the ramp, which, as well as the

342 SPOTTED GREÉN CREEPER, &c.
throat and the under side of the body, is of a lighter
green, tinged with yellowish ; the brown of the wings
is here black ; the bill and legs are blackish ; but
there is a little flesh colour near the base of the
lower mandible.
This bird is found in Cayenne, and in Spanish
America : it is of the same size with the preceding,
and nearly the same proportions, except that the bill
is rather shorter.
SPOTTED GREEN CREEPER.
а
This bird is smaller than the green creepers which
we have just described, and differently proportioned.
The upper side of the head and body of a fine green,
though somewhat brown, (variegated with blue in
some subjects ;) on the throat is a mark of light
rufous, enclosed on both sides by two blue bars,
which are very narrow, and accompany the lower
mandible : the cheeks are variegated with green
and whitish ; the breast and the underside of the
body marked with small streaks of three different
colours : some blue, others green, and others white;
the inferior coverts of the tail yellowish ; the inter-
mediate quills green ; the lateral ones blackish,
edged and terminated with green ; the quills of the
wings the same; the bill black; between the bill
and the eye is a bright rufous spot; and the legs
are grey
VARIEGATED CREEPER.
The colours of the plumage of this bird are
exceedingly various and agreeable ; it has bright red
on the crown ; fine blue on the back of the head;
blue and white on the cheeks; two shades of yellow
on the throat, the breast, and all the under side
of the body; yellow, blue, white, blackish, on the

BRASILIAN CREEPER, &c.
343
upper side of the body, including the wings and tail,
and their superior coverts. It is said to be an Ameri-
can bird. Length about five inches.
BRASILIAN CREEPER.
a
LENGTH three inches and a half. The throat
and foreside of the neck are of a shining violet ; the
'ower part of the back, the superior coverts of the
tail, and the small ones of the wings are violet, bor-
dering on steel colour ; the upper part of the neck
ald ack of a fine velvet black; the belly, the lower
coverts of the tail, and of the wings, and the great
superior coverts of the wings of a dull black ; the
top of the head a fine gold green ; the breast purule
chesnut ; the bill blackish ; and the legs brown.
а
YELLOW-CHEEKED CREEPER.
ABOUT half the size of the common creeper; head,
back, wings, and tail green ; cheek and throat deep
yellow ; breast and sides yellowish green, marked
with bluish spots; belly yellow. Inhabits Suri-
nam.
BLUE-THROATED CREEPER.
Size of a wren; length four inches and a quarter;
bill nearly an inch, curved, and black ; the top and
sides of the head, taking in the eyes, hind part of
the neck, and back are green; chin, throat, and
breast deep blue; belly blue, but paler; on each
side of the neck, between the blue and green, yel-
lowish white ; quills and tail black ; legs yellow;
claws black. It inhabits Cayenne.

344
GREAT HOOK-BILLED CREEPER, &c.
GREAT HOOK-BILLED CREEPER.
LENGTH eight inches; bill an inch and three
quarters, stout at the base, and very much hooked;
colour of it brown, with a pale base ; the upper
;
parts of the body are black, except the lower part of
the back, rump, and upper tail coverts, which are of
a fine deep yellow : the under parts of the body
dusky; the shoulders, inner ridge of the wing, and
part of the inner wing coverts are of the same yel-
low : the bastard wing yellowish white at the end :
the under wing coverts snow white; the sides of
the vent, the vent itself, and the thighs are yellow;
the tail and quills black; the legs brown. It inha-
bits the Friendly Isles in the South Seas.
HOOK-BILLED GREEN CREEPER.
a
a
LENGTH seven inches; bill an inch and three quar-
ters long, and bent quite in the shape of a semicir-
cle ; the under mandible shorter by a quarter of an
inch; colour of both brownish black; the nostrils
covered with a membrane; between the bill and
eye is a streak of brown; the plumage in general is
olive green, palest beneath, and somewhat inclining
to yellow ; quills and tail dusky; the last even at the
end, and edged with yellow green ; legs dusky
brown; the feathers just above the knee white; the
hind toe pretty long. It inhabits the Sandwich Is-
lands in general, and is one of the birds whose plu-
mage the natives make use of in constructing their
feathered garments, which having these olive green
feathers intermixed with the beautiful scarlet and
yellow ones belonging to the next species, and yel-
low tufted bee-eater, make some of the most beauti-
ful coverings of these islanders.

HOOK-BİLLED RED CREEPER, &c.
345
HOOK-BILLED RED CREEPER.
3
LENGTH six inches ; bill three quarters of an inch
long, and very hooked, though not so much as in
the last species ; the colour of it is very pale ; ge-
neral colour of the plumage scarlet ; wings and
tail black; on the wing coverts next the body is a
white spot ; legs pale like the bill.
BROWN CREEPER.
LENGTH six inches ; bill an inch long; moderately
bent, and dusky brown; in the middle a pale orange
spot; the plumage on the upper parts of the body
brown; sides of the neck the same, edged with
white; throat and breast harred brown and white ;
belly very pale brown; tail at least two inches and
a half long, even at the end, and of a brown colour ;
quills brown with pale edges ; legs black ; claws
the same, long, and hooked. Said to inhabit some
part of the South Seas, but where uncertain.
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a
WATTLED CREEPER.
a
a
LENGTH seven inches and three quarters; bill an
inch long, and a little bent ; the tongue longer than
the bill, divided for half its length into four segments
like threads ; at the base of the under mandible, just
behind the gape, is a kind of membrane like a small
wattle, of a yellowish colour, and about one sixth of
an inch in diameter; this is surrounded by a patch
of yellow feathers, which extends under the eye ;
the irides are cinerious ; the plumage is brownish
olive green; the middle of the back darkest ; the
belly verging to ash colour; the chin and throat
are of a rusty orange colour; the breast ferrugin-
ous ; legs blue black; claws black. It inhabits
XY
VOL. I.

346
MOCKING CREEPER, &c.
Tongataboo, or Amsterdam Isle, in the South Seas:
In Captain Cook's last voyage, after describing the
bird, it is observed that it is the only singing one
found at Tongataboo; where the strength of its
melody filled the woods at dawn, in the evening, and
at the breaking up of bad weather.
MOCKING CREEPER.
;
LENGTH seven inches and a quarter ; size of the
lesser thrush; bill somewhat bent, slender, long,
and dusky ; nostrils large, and covered with a mem-
brane ; tongue sharp, pencilliform at the tip ; irides
hazel; on the cheeks a narrow white spot; the
head, especially on the crown inclined to violet ;
the plumage in general is olive green, inclining to
yellow on the under parts; the quills are brown ;
the secondaries edged with olive; the colour of the
tail like that of the secondaries, and somewhat
forked ; legs dusky blue; claws black, the hind one
the longest. It inhabits both the islands of New
Zealand. It has an agreeable note in general ; but
at times so varies and modulates the voice that it
seems to imitate the note of all other birds; hence
it was called by the English the mocking bird.
3
CRIMSON CREEPER.
LENGTH five inches; bill dusky, not very hooked,
though hent; three quarters of an inch long; the
body in general crimson, the upper parts deepest ;
quills black; the secondaries margined with ches-
nut; belly dusky; vent white; the tail black; all
the feathers rather pointed at the end, the shafts
white ; legs black. It inhabits the Sandwich
Islands
solo

OLIVE-GREEN CREEPER, &c.
347
OLIVE-GREEN CREEPER.
:
LENGTH five inches ; bill dusky, not very curved,
pale at the base ; space between the bill and eye ;
dusky plumage ; olive-green wings and tail, edged
with yellow, and inclining to dusky; legs dusky.
Inhabits the Sandwich Island. Supposed by some
to be the female of the former.
OLIVE CREEPER.
;
The upper part of the body, including the coverts
of the wings, is of a dull olive green, but darkest on
the crown of the head ; and the same colour borders
also the quills of the wings, and of the tail ; all these
quills are brown; the orbits are whitish; the throat,
and the under side of the body dun grey; the legs
entirely brown ; the bill is blackish. It is nearly as
large as the common creeper.
SICKLE-BILLED CREEPER.
LENGTH five inches and a half ; bill an inch and
three quarters in length, curved like a sickle, and of a
dusky colour; the upper parts of the head, neck, and
body are green ; on the head a gloss of violet; be-
neath as far as the breast violet ; tail of this last co-
lour ; the great coverts and quills are pale brown ;
legs the same ; claws black. This is in the British
Museum; but from what country is unknown.
CINNAMON CREEPER.
Igen
LENGTH five inches ; bill very little bent, and
black about three quarters of an inch in length; the
upper part of the plumage is the colour of cinnamon ;
the under parts white the tail made like our Euro-
و

343
YELLOW-BELLIED CREEPER, &c.
pean creeper, and of the same colour as the upper
parts of the body ; legs dusky. This is preserved
in the British Museum.
YELLOW-BELLIED CREEPER.
Size of the canary bird ; bill black ; irides red;
the forehead deep, changeable greer; behind the
eye is a dirty greenish band, passing half way down
the side of the neck, where it is rounded at the end
parallel to, and beneath this is a second of glossy
violet, which arises at the gape, and is continued on
to the wing; the throat is reddish brown ; the lesser
wing coverts violet, with a metalline gloss; the others
the same, inclining to red; the quills dirty brown;
the back, rump, and tail are changeable violet ;
breast, belly, and thighs yellow ; legs brown. Help
online
Baides
HUMMING-BIRD TRIBE.
a
The humming birds are the most diminitive of all
the feathered tribes. They are natives of the war-
mer parts of America, and of some of the West India
islands; and bear a great resemblance to each other
in manners. Their principal food is the nectar at
the bottom of the tubular flowers; which they extract
like bees, while on the wing, by means of their long
and slender bill. Their name is derived from the
humıning noise they make with their wings, which is
even louder than their voice. They are gregarious ;
and construct an elegant hemispherical nest, in which
they lay two small white eggs, that are hatched by
the sitting of the male and female alternately. The
young are often attacked and devoured by spiders.
These birds may be caught by blowing water upon


RED-THROA TED - HUMMING-BIRD
기
​am
FEMALE.

RED-THROATED HUMMING-BIRD.
349
them from a tube ; or like many of our small birds,
they may be shot with sand. Small as they are, they
.
are extremely bold and quarrelsome, and their flight
is very rapid. Their colours are too brilliant to be
expressed by any pencil.
The characters of the tribe are, a slender weak
bill, incurvated in some species, in others straight;
the nostrils minute ; the tongue very long, and
formed of two conjoined cylindrical tubes ; the legs
weak ; the toes placed three forward and one back-
ward ; and the tail consisting of ten feathers.
bre
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RED-THROATED HUMMING-BIRD.
The length of this diminutive creature is a little
more than three inches, of which its bill occupies
three quarters of an inch. The male is green gold
on the upper part, with a changeable copper gloss;
the under parts grey. The throat and fore part of
the neck are of a ruby colour, in some lights as
bright as fire. When viewed side-ways, the feathers
appear mixed with gold, and beneath of a dull gar-
niet colour. The two middle feathers of the tail are
the same as the upper plumage, and the rest are
brown.
The female, instead of the bright ruby throat, has
only a few obscure small brown spots; and all the
outer tail feathers, which in the male are plain, are
in the female tipped with white. The bill and legs
are black in both sexes.
This beautiful little creature is as admirable for its
vast swiftness in the air, and its manner of feeding,
as for the elegance and brilliancy of its colours.
It flies so swiftly that the eye is incapable of pur-
suing it ; and the motion of its wings is so rapid as
to be imperceptible to the nicest ob erver.
It never feeds but upon the wing, suspended over
the flower which it extracts nourishment from ; for

350
RED-THROATED HUMMING-BIRD.
its only food is the honeyed juice lodged in the nec-
taria of the flowers, which it sucks through the tubes
of its curious tongue. Like the bee, having ex-
hausted the honey of one flower, it wanders to the
next in search of new sweets. It admires most those
flowers that have the deepest tubes ; and in the coun-
tries which these birds inhabit, whoever sets plants
of this description before his windows is sure to be
visited by multitudes of them. It is very entertain-
ing to see them swarming around the flowers, and
trying every tube by putting in their bills. If they
find that their brethren have anticipated them, and
robbed the flower of its honey, they will, in a rage,
if possible, pluck it off, and throw it on the ground;
sometimes they tear it in pieces.
The most violent passions animate at times these
diminutive creatures. They have often dreadful
contests when numbers happen to dispute the pos-
session of the same flower. They will tilt against
one another with such fury, as if they meant to
transfix their antagonists with their long bills. Dur-
ing the fight, they frequently pursue the conquered
into the apartments of those houses whose windows
are left open, take a turn round the room, as flies
do in England, and then suddenly regain the open
air. They are not very fearful of mankind; and
in feeding, will suffer persons to come within two
yards of them ; but on a nearer approach, they dart
away with wonderful swiftness.
The red-throated humming-bird most frequently
huilds on the middle of a branch of a cee, and the
nest is so small, that it cannot we seen by a person
who stands on the ground. Whoever, therefore, is
desirous of seeing it, must get up to the branch, that
may view it from above; it is from this reason
that the nests are not more frequently found. The
nest is quite round ; the outside for the most part
composed of the green moss common on old pales
he

RED-THROATED HUMMING-BIRD.
351
and trees; and the inside, of the softest vegetable
down the birds can collect. Sometimes, however,
they vary the texture ; using flax, hemp, hairs, and
other similar materials. The female lays two- eggs
of the size of a pea ; which are white, and equal in
thickness at both ends.
Ferdinandez Oviedo, an author of great repute,
speaks, from his own knowledge, of the spirit of
these diminutive birds in defence of their young :
“ When they observe any one climbing the tree
in which they have their nests, they attack him
in the face, attempting to strike him in the eyes, and
coming, going, and returning, with such swiftness,
that a man would scarcely credit it who had not seen
it himself.”
The humming-bird is seldom caught alive ; a
friend of M. Du Pratz had, however, this pleasure.
He had observed one of them enter the bell of a
convolvulus ; and, as it had quite buried itself to get
at the bottom, he ran immediately to the place, shut
the flower, cut it from the stalk, and carried off the
bird a prisoner. He could not, however, prevail
upon it to eat ; and it died in the course of three or
four days.
Charlevoix informs us that he had one of them in
Canada for about twenty-four hours. It suffered
itself to be handled ; and even counterfeited death,
that it might escape. A slight frost in the night de-
stroyed it.
My friend captain Davies informs me," says Dr.
Latham, in his Synopsis, “ that he kept these birds
alive for four months by the following method :
He made an exact representation of some of the tu-
bular flowers, with paper fastened round a tobacco-
pipe, and painted them of a proper colour : these
were placed in the order of nature, in the cage in
which the little creatures were confined: the bottoms
of the tubes were filled with a mixture of brown su-
.

352
RUFFED HUMMING-BIRD.
9)
gar and water, as often as emptied ; and he had the
pleasure of seeing them perform every action ; for
they soon grew familiar, and took their nourishment
in the same manner as when ranging at large, though
close under the eye."
The Indians of Mexico and Peru make most
exquisite pictures of the feathers of birds, but es-
pecially of those of the humming-birds. Some also
use them as ornaments, and hang them as pendants
in their ears. They are found from Canada to the
Brazils, but in all the regions north of Carolina are
birds of passage.
RUFFED HUMMING-BIRD.
و
a
;
Has a long, straight, slender bill; head of a rich
variable green and gold ; feathers on the neck long,
and disposed on each side in the form of a ruff of a
most beautiful crimson and copper-colour ; back and
coverts of the tail ferruginous; breast and belly
white, the last dashed with red ; feathers of the tail
pointed, their ends brown, the other part rut-
colour; coverts of the wings green ; primaries deep
blue.
The female differs so much as to require a distinct
description. Crown, upper part of the neck, back,
and wing and tail coverts, green and gold; throat
white, spotted with brown and variable copper ;
belly white, dashed with rust ; primaries deep blue ;
middle feathers of the tail green; those on the side
ferruginous ; at their bottoms black in the middle,
and tipped with white.
Inhabits in great numbers the neighbourhood of
Nootka Sound; the Indians brought them to our
navigators alive, with a long hair fastened to one of
their legs.

LEAST HUMMING BIRD, &c.
353
LEAST HUMMING BIRD.
This minute species is but about an inch and a
quarter in length, of which its body exclusive of the
bill and tail is only about three quarters of an inch
so that it is smaller than some species of fies. The
upper side of the head and body is of a gold green,
changing into brown glossed with red; the under
side is of a white grey; the wings are brown, inclin-
ing to violet. The bill and feet are commonly black;
the legs are clothed pretty low with down; and the
toes are furnished with little sharp curved nails. The
tail consists of ten feathers, bluish black, glossed with
steel colour. The female is smaller and less brilliant
than the male. Inhabits Brazil, and the West India
islands.
AMETHISTINE HUMMING BIRD.
All the throat, and forepart of the neck are of a
brilliant amethist, which it is impossible to figure or
paint. This is one of the smallest of the species ;
its size and form the same with the red-throated hum:
ming bird ; its tail is also forked. The foreside of
the body is marbled with white, grey, and brown;
the upper side is gold green ; the amethist colour of
the throat changes into purple brown, when the eye
is placed lower than the object. The wings seem
rather shorter than in the other humming birds, and
reach not the two middle feathers of the tail, which
are however the shortest, and give it a forked shape.
а.
GOLD-GREEN HUMMING BIRD.
GREEN and gold yellow sparkle more or less in all
the humming birds, but these fine colours cover the
whole plumage of this, with a brilliancy and gloss,
VOL. I.
Z Z

354
BLUE-FRONTED HUMMING BIRD &c.
which the eye cannot enough admire. In certain
positions it is pure dazzling gold; in others it is a
glazed green, which is not inferior to the lustre of po-
lished metal. The colours extend over the wings ;
the tail has the black hue of burnished steel. Its sin-
gular beauty, its short bill, and the dazzle of gold,
and of brilliant green, distinguish it sufficiently from
the rest of this elegant tribe.
BLUE-FRONTED HUMMING BIRD.
This species is distinguished by the resplendent
blue on its breast. Its tail is like the former, only an
inch long, and does not exceed the wing; it is re-
markably sportive and nimble in all its motions.
TUFTED-NECKED HUMMING BIRD.
This name denotes a very singular character, which
distinguishes this bird from all the rest. Not only is
its head ornamented with a pretty long rufous tuft,
but on each side of the neck below the ears, rise se-
ven or eight unequal feathers; the two longest being
about half an inch, are reddish and narrow through-
out, but the ends a little widened, and tipt with a
green dot. The bird erects them, reclining them
back, while at rest they lie flat on the neck, as also
does the beautiful tuft; but they are all bristled when
it flies, and the bird appears quite round. The
throat, and the foreside of the neck are of a rich gold
green (if the eye be held much lower than the object,
these brilliant feathers appear entirely brown ;) the
head, and all the upper side of the body green, with
dazzling reflections of gold and bronze, as far as the
white bar that crosses the rump; beyond this to the
end of the tail is spread a shining gold, on a brown
ground on the outer webs of the quills, and reddish
on the inner ones; the under side of the body is gold
a

RUBY-NECKED HUMMING BIRD. 1 355
green brown ; the lower belly white. The tufted
necked does not exceed the size of the amethistine ;
the female resembles it, except that it has no tuft or
external ears; the bar of the rump is rusty, and so is
the throat; the rest of the under side of the body ru-
fous, shaded with greenish; its back, and upper side
of the head are as in the male, green with gold and
bronze reflections.
RUBY-NECKED HUMMING BIRD.
а.
a
Of all the birds of the tribe, this is the most beau-
tiful, says Marcgrave, and the most elegant; it has
the colours and sparkling fire of the ruby, and the
topaz; the upper side of its head and neck as brilliant
as a ruby; the throat, all the foreside of the neck in
the front view, dazzle like the aurora topaz of Brazil.
The same parts seen a little lower, resemble unbur-
nished gold, and still lower, change into a dull green;
the top of the neck and the belly are of a velvet black
brown; the wing is violet brown; the lower belly
white; the inférior coverts of the tail and its quills
are of a fine gold red, and tinged with purple; it is
edged with brown at the end ; the rump is brown,
heightened with gold green; the wings when closed,
do not extend beyond the tail, whose quills are equal.
Marcgrave remarks, that it is broad, and that the bird
displays it gracefully in flying. It is pretty large for
its kind. Its total length is three inches and a half,
Inhabits Brazil.
a
RUBY-CRESTED HUMMING BIAD.
The only difference which distinguishes this from
the ruby-necked, consists in its having a crest, but
one which is not so much raised. In other respects
the resemblance is striking; and, from a comparison
of the birds, the latter appears rather smaller, and its

356 CRESTED GREEN HUMMING BIRD, &c.
colours not so deep ; though the tints and distribu-
tions are essentially the same, and consequently re-
quire no further description.
CRESTED GREEN KUMMING BIRD.
Its crest resembles the most brilliant emerald ; and
this distinguishes it, for the rest of its plumage is dull.
The back has green and gold reflections on a brown
ground; the wing is brown ; the tail blackish, and
shining like polished steel ; all the foreside of the body
is velvet brown, mixed with a little gold green near
the shoulders; the wing when closed, does not exceed
the tail. The under side of the body is covered with
Jittle green brilliant feathers as far as the middle.
RACKET-TAILED HUMMING BIRD.
Two naked shafts, extend from the two middle fea-
thers of the tail, and are terminated with little fans
which give them the form of rackets. The ribs of
all the quills of the tail are very thick, and of a rusty
white; the rest is brown like the wings. The upper
side of the body is of a bronze green ; the throat is of
a rich emerald green. The point of the bill is about
two inches and a half from the end of the true tail;
the two shafts extend near an inch farther. This
species is not well known, and seems very rare. It
is one of the smallest humming birds; and exclusive
of the tail, it exceeds not the tufted-neck.
a
BROWN HUMMING BIRD.
AưL the plumage of this species is a mixture of
orange, purple, and brown; and it is perhaps the
only one of the genus that has not the gold green on
the back.

CRESTED HUMMING BIRD


GOLD-THROATED HUMMING BIRD, &c.
357
GOLD-THROATED HUMMING BIRD.
This bird has a beautiful gold streak on the throat;
the foreside of the body is white, mixed under the
neck with some feathers of a shining colour. Its
length is three inches and a half; all the under side
of the body, except the gold streak on the foreside of
the neck, is white grey ; and the upper side gold
green.
GREY-BELLIED HUMMING BIRD.
All the upper side of this species is a beautiful
gold green, varying with a pure copper colour ; the
under side grey; the feathers of the tail gold green
on their first half, varying with a pure copper colour,
and dark purple on their other half ; the lateral ones
tipped with grey ; the feet feathered.
SAPPHIRE HUMMING BIRD.
a
و
This is rather above the middle size; the foreside
of the neck and breast is of a rich sapphire blue, with
violet reflections; the throat is reddish; the upper
and under side of the body of a dull gold green; the
lower belly white; the under coverts of the tail ru-
fous ; the upper ones of a shining gold brown ; the
quills of the tail are gold red, edged with brown; those
of the wings brown ; the bill is white, except the
point, which is black.
EMERALD SAPPHIRE HUMMING BIRD.
The two rich colours which decorate this bird, de-
servedly confer upon it the names of these precious
stones. A sapphire blue covers ihe head and throat,
and melts admirably into the glazed emerald green,

358 GREEN AND CLUE HUMMING BIRD, &c.
with gold reflections that covers the breast, the sto-
mach, the circle of the neck, and the back. The bird
is middle sized; and comes from Guadaloupe.
GREEN AND BLUE HUMMING BIRD.
i
This is above the middle size ; it is near four in-
ches long; and its bill is near three quarters of an
inch. Its throat, and the forepart of its neck are
brilliant emerald green and gold ; its breast, its sto-
mach, and the top of its back are purple blue ame-
thist of the utmost beauty; the lower part of the back
is gold green, on a brown ground; the belly is white;
the bill blackish ; the tail velvet black, shining like
polished steel.
CARBUNCLE HUMMING BIRD.
a
A CARBUNCLE red or deep ruby, is the colour of
the throat and breast; the upper side of the neck is
of a duller red ; a velvet black envelopes the rest of
the body; the wing is brown ; and the tail of a deep
gold red. The bird is rather above the middle size;
the bill is beset with feathers, through almost one half
of its length. It is a rare species; or at least have
fallen under the observation of but few omitholo.
gists.
CAYENNE HUMMING BIRD.
а.
The whole body is of a brilliant green, with gold
reflections ; the upper mandible is black, the lower
rufous; the wing is brown; the tail pretty broad, and
shines like polished steel : the total length exceeds
somewhat three inches; the under side of the body
has not so much green as the back, and is only mark-
ed with spots or wanes of that colour.
:

SPOTTED-NECKFD HUMMING BIRD, &c.
359
SPOTTED-NECKED HUMMING BIRD.
Differs from the former in scarcely any thing but
size ; length four inches. Inhabits Cayenne.
RUBY-THROATED HUMMING BIRD.
A LARGE species four inches and a quarter in
length; its throat is sparkling ruby colour; general
plumage green, glossed with gold ; tail reddish. In-
habits Brazil, and Guiana.
de VIOLET-EARED HUMMING BIRD
This which is one of the largest species of hum-
ming birds, being four inches and a half long. Of
the two pencils which distinguish the ears, and which
consist each of five or six feathers, the one is eme-
rald green, and the other amethistine violet ; a streak
of velvet black stretches under the eye; all the fore
part of the head and body is of a bright gold green,
which changes on the coverts of the tail into a very
lively bright green ; the throat, and under side of the
bodvare of a fine white; of the tail quills, the six lateral
ones are of the same white, the four middle ones
black. inclining to deep blue; the wing is blackish ;
and the tail projects beyond it nearly one third of its
length. Inhabits Cayenne.
COLLARED HUMMING BIRD.
This bird is four inches and three quarters in
length; its bill near an inch ; its head, throat, and
neck of a fine obscure blue, glossed with green; on
the back of the neck, and near the back, is a white
half-collar ; the back is gold green ; the tail white
at the end, and edged with black ; its two middle

360 BROAD SHAFTED HUMMING BIRD, &c.
quills, and their coverts gold green; the breast and
sides the same; the belly white. The two middle
feathers of the tail are shorter than the rest ; and the
wings when closed, do not project beyond it. Inha-
bits Cayenne, and Surinam.
BROAD SHAFTED HUMMING BIRD.
3
a
Tuis bird, and the preceding are the two largest of
the genus. The present is four inches and a half; lives
long; all the upper side of the body is of a faint gold
green ; the under side grey ; the middle feathers of
the tail are like those of the back; the lateral ones
white at the tip, the rest of a brown resembling po-
lished steel. It is distinguished from the other hum-
ming birds by the protuberance of three or four great
wing quills, whose shafts appear dilated, and bent
near the middle, which gives the wing the shape of a
broad sabre.
BLACK HUMMING BIRD.
LENGTH two inches and a quarter ; bill near half
an inch, and black; the upper parts are brownish
black, with a copper gloss; sides and thighs grey
brown, glossed with the same; the throat, fore part
of the neck, breast, and belly whitish grey ; on the
throat are some minute brown specks; under tail
coverts white; tail steel black ; leg's covered to the
toes with grey brown feathers; toes and claws black.
Inhabits St. Domingo
;
BROWN-CROWNED HUMMING BIRD,
LENGTH three inches; bill straight, black, and
three quarters of an inch in length; on the middle
of the crown a spot of brown, reaching to the base of
the bill; the plumage on the upper parts glossy

SECOND GREY-BELLIED HUMMING BIRD, &c. 361
brown; beneath dirty white ; belly white; down the
middle of the throat and neck as far as the belly passes
a green gold stripe ; quills black; tail cinnamon co-
lour at the base, and dusky at the ends ; legs black.
It inhabits Surinam.
STO
SECOND GREY-BELLIED HUMMING BIRD.
This species is green gold above, and beneath grey
brown ; bill more than half an inch long, and black
the tail has the lower half the colour of the back
;
the end half purple black; the side feathers grey at
the tips; the legs are feathered to the toes with grey
brown ; and the toes and claws are black. Inhabits
Cayenne.
TOBAGO HUMMING BIRD
LENGTH four inches ; bill three quarters ; colour
dusky; the under mandible yellow, except at the tip;
head, neck, and back as far as the middle, and be-
neath as far as the belly, glossy green ; lower part
of the back, rump, and wing coverts green glossed
with copper ; across the lower part of the belly a
white bar ; thighs white ; vent, and under tail coverts
very pale brown ; quills and tail blue black; the last
somewhat forked ; legs black. Native of Tobago.
GUIANA HUMMING BIRD 9
LENGTH little more than two inches; the bill black,
long, and slender ; the feathers on the neck, back,
and upper edges of the wings of a beautiful pea
green colour; the top of the head is crested with a
small tuft of a variable crimson ; the feathers of the
breast are likewise crimson ; and the long feathers
on the wings and tail are green, crimson,
and dark
purple; the head is small; eyes little round, black,
3 A
VOL .

362
COLIBRIS, &c.
and shining. It is the most common of all tne humº
ming birds in Guiana, and seems peculiar to it.
COLIBRI ; OR, HUMMING BIRDS WITH
A CURVED BILL.
LONG-TAILED COLIBRI.
The two exterior feathers of the tail are nearly
twice as long as the body, and projects above four in-
ches. These feathers, and all those of the tail, of
which the two middle ones are very short, and not
exceeding three quarters of an inch are wonderfully
beautiful, and mingled with reflections of green, and
gold blue; the body is green; the wing is purple
brown. This species occurs in Jamaica.
LONG-TAILED BLACK-CAP COLIBRI.
This has a longer tail than any of the rest; the
two great feathers are four times as long as the body,
which is scarcely two inches; these are also the two
outermost; their webs consist of parted downy fibres,
and they are black like the crown of the head; the
rest of the head is gold brown green ; the foreside of
the body green; the wings purple brown. Albin
found this bird in its nest, which consisted of cotton.
Inhabits Jamaica
FORK-TAILED COLIBRI.
The beautiful violet blue which covers the head,
throat, and neck, would seem to indicate an analogy
to the sapphire, did not the great length of the tail

GREEN HIMMING-IBITRID



33
பவானONLINIAH என

LESSER FORK-TAILED COLIBRI, &c. 363
exhibit too obvious a difference. The two outer quills
are two inches longer than the two middle ones; the
lateral ones continually diminish, which makes the
tail very much forked. The bird is dark blue, glis-
tening like burnished steel ; all the body, both above
and below is of a shining gold green; there is a white
spot on the lower belly; the wings when closed,
reach only to the middle of the tail, which is three
inches and a quarter; the bill is near an inch ; and
the total length is six inches.
LESSER FORK-TAILED COLIBRI.
BESIDES the difference of size, which obtains be-
tween this and the preceding species, there is also a
difference of colours. In the former, the upper parts
of the head and neck are brown, glossed with gold-
green, whereas in the present the back and breast are
of a shining violet blue; the throat, and the lower
part of the back are brilliant gold green; the small
coverts below the wings are of a fine violet ; the great
ones gold green; their quills black; those of the
tail the same; the two exterior ones are the longest,
which makes it forked : it is only an inch and a half
long; the bird measures four inches.
a
LONG-SHAFTED TOPAZ COLIBRI.
This is the largest of the colibris, and we might
also call it the most beautiful, did not all these bril-
liant birds rival each other, and bewilder the imagina-
tion by the splendour of their colours. Its form is
delicate, slender, and it is rather smaller than the com-
mon creeper ; its total length, from the point of the
bill to the end of the true tail, being near six inches ;
the two long shafts project two inches and a half he-
yond it; the throat and the foreside of the neck is
decorated by the most brilliant topaz mark; that co-

364
GARNET COLIBRI, &c.
a
lour viewed obliquely changes into gold green, and
from belory it appears pure green ; a hood of soft
black covers the head; a thread of the same black
incloses the topaz mark; the breast, the neck, and
top of the back are of a finer deep purple; the belly
is of a still richer purple, and dazzling with red and
gold reflections; the shoulders, and the lower part
of the back are reddish orange; the great quills of
the wing violet brown; the lateral quills rufous ;
the two middle ones purple brown; these project
into two long shafts, which are webbed with a small
edging: these long shafts in their natural position
cross each other a little beyond the tail, and then di-
verge ; they drop in moulting. The female has not
the topaz breast, but only a slight trace of red; and
in place of the fine purple, and flame coloured red of
the male's plumage, almost all that of the female is
gold green ; in both the feet are white.
a
GARNET COLIBRI.
The cheeks as far as under the eye, the sides, and
lower part of the neck and throat to the breast are of
a fine brilliant garnet red; the upper side of the
head and back, and the under side of the body are of
a soft black; the tail and wings of the same colour,
but ornamented with gold green. The bird is five
inches long; and the bill nearly an inch.
;
SUPERCILIOUS COLIBRI.
Of all the colibris, this has the longest bill, which
is nearly an inch and three quarters; the feathers of
the tail, next the two long shafts, are also the longest ;
and the lateral ones continually decrease to the two
outermost, which are the shortest, and this gives the
tail a pyramidical shape : its quills have a gold gloss
on a grey and blackish ground, with a whitish edge
a

SPOTTED COLIBRI, &c.
365
at the point, and the two shafts are white through the
whole projecting portions ; all the upper side of the
back and head gold colour; the wings violet brown;
and the under side of the body white grey.
SPOTTED COLIBRI.
This species is pretty large ; its wings blackish,
marked with white spots on the shoulder and back
the tail is brown, and white at the tip.
2
BLUE-TAILED COLIBRI. : 1st badet
UPPER parts of the body and wings light green ;
belly ash colour ; stomach, and fore part of the head
deep blue; tail furnished with two long projecting
feathers of a fine blue. Inhabits Mexico.
a
GREEN AND BLACK COLIBRI.
It is rather more than four inches long; its bill
more than an inch ; its head, neck, and back are
gold colour and bronze ; the breast, the belly, the
sides of the body, and the legs are shining black,
with a light reddish reflection; a little white bar
crosses the lower belly, and another of gold green
glistening with lively blue intersects transversely the
top of the breast; the tail is velvet black, with the
blue gloss of polished steel. Inhabits both Mexico,
and Guiana.
TUFTED; OR, PARADISE COLIBRI.
a
:
This little bird has a fine red plumage ; blue
wings ; two long feathers project from the tail ; and
on its head there is a tuft, which is very long in pro-
portion to its thickness, and falls back on the neck;
a

366
VIOLET-TAILED COLIBRI, &c.
the bill is long and curved. It is near five inches
and a half to the end of the tail.
a
VIOLET-TAILED COLIBRI.
a
The bright pure violet which paints the tail of this
colibri, discriminates it from the rest ; the four middle
tail feathers are of a violet colour, melted into bril-
liant reflections of gold green ; the six outer ones
viewed from below present a white point, with a violet
spot that surrounds a space of dark blue like bur-
nished steel; all the under side of the body is richly
gilded in the front view, and when held obliquely it
appears green; the wing, as in all these birds, is
brown, inclining to violet; the sides of the throat are
white, and in the middle there is a longitudinal streak
of brown, mixed with green; the sides are coloured
with the same; the breast and belly are white. This
species is pretty large, it being five inches in length;
and has one of the longest bills, which is rather more
than an inch and a quarter.
GREEN-THROATED COLIBRI.
A STREAK of very bright emerald green is traced on
the throat of this bird, which falls spreading on the
foreside of the neck ; there is a black spot on the
;
breast; the sides of the throat and neck are rufous,
mixed with white ; the belly is pure white; the up-
per side of the body and of the tail dull gold green ;
below the tail are the same violet, white and burnished
steel spots as in the violet-tailed colibri. These two
species appear analogous; and they are of the same
size : but the bill of the green-throated colibri is not
so long

GREEN
UNIWIKIMHI
B IIRID


CARMINE-THROATED COLIBRI, &c.
367
CARMINE-THROATED COLIBRI.
It is four inches and a half in length; its bill more
than an inch, much curved, and therefore analogous
to that of the creepers ; the throat, the cheeks, and
all the fore part of the neck carmine red, with a ruby
lustre ; the upper side of the head, body, and tail of a
soft blackish brown, with a slight fringe of blue on
the edge of the feathers ; a deep gold green shines
on the wing; the coverts of the tail are of a fine blue.
This bird was brought from Surinam.
a
VIOLET COLIBRI.
This bird is four inches and a quarter in length;
its bill nearly an inch; the whole head, neck, and
belly covered with purple violet, which is brilliant on
the throat, and on the foreside of the neck, and paler
on all the rest of the body, with a mixture of velvet
black; the wing is gold green ; and tail the same,
with a changing reflection of black. It is found in
Cayenne.
GREEN GORGET COLIBRI.
It is rather larger than the violet-tailed colibri;
rut its bill is not so long : all the fore part and sides
of the neck, with the lower part of the throat emerald
zrernthe top of the throat, or the small portion be-
neath the hill, of a bronze colour ; the breast velvet
black, tinged with dull blue ; green and gold appear
on the flanks, and cover all the upper side of the body;
the belly white; the tail purple blue, with the reflec-
tions of burnished steel, and extends not beyond the
wing

368
RED-COLLARED COLIBRI, &c.
RED-COLLARED COLIBRI.
a
This is of the middle size, being four inches and a
half in length ; on the lower and forepart of the neck
there is a handsome red collar of considerable breadth;
the back, the neck, the head, the throat, and the breast
are of a bronze and gold green ; the two middle fea-
thers of the tail are the same colour; the eight others
are white ; and this is the character by which Ed-
wards discriminates the bird.
a
MANGO COLIBRI.
for?
The throat, the foreside of the neck, the breast, and
the belly of this colibri, are of the most beautiful vel-
vet black; a streak of brilliant blue rises from the
corners of the bill, and descending over the sides of
the neck, separates the black breast piece from the
• rich gold green, with which all the under surface of
the body is covered; the tail is of a purple brown,
glossed with shining violet ; and each quill is edged
with the blue of burnished steel. It inhabits Brazil,
and the West Indies.
zao
GREY-NECKED COLIBRI.
ALL the under side of the body, from the throat to
the lower belly is white pearl grey; the upper side of
the body is gold green ; the tail is white at the tip,
then crossed by a bar of black burnished steel, and
after that by one of purple brown ; and it is black,
with a blue steel cast at its origin. It is four inches
long; and its bill an inch.
CRIMSON-HEADED BLUE COLIBRI
The wings and tail are of a bluish black; the
whole of the back is azure; the head, the throat, and

ST. DOMINGO COLIBRI, &c.
369
the forepart of the body as far as the middle of the
belly are of velvet crimson, which, if held in different
positions, is enriched with many beautiful reflection 13.
Dutetre adds, that it is about half the size of the lit-
tle crowned wren.
St. DOMINGO COLIBRI.
This is one of the smallest of the tribe, and also one
of the most elegant ; all the upper side of the head,
body, and tail are of a faint gold green, which is inter-
mixed on the sides of the neck, and especially on the
throat, with pearl white grey ; the wing is brown as
in the rest, and tinged with violet ; the tail is white at
the end, and of the colour of polished steel below.
RUFOUS-BELLIED COLIBRI.
This species is very small. All the upper side of
the body is gold green; all the under side rusty blue;
the tail is black, with green reflections, and the point
is white; the lower mandible is yellow at its origin,
and black to the extremity; the feet are yellowish
white.
LITTLE COLIBRI.
This is the smallest of all the colibris at present
known ; it is only two inches and a half in length;
its bill near an inch ; and the tail rather more than
an inch ; it is entirely gold green, except the wing,
which is violet or brown; there is a small white spot
on the lower belly, and a small border of the same co-
lour on the feathers of the tail, broader on the two
outer ones which it half covers. Its plumage is des-
eribed as uncommonly splendid.
VOL. I.
3 B

370
ASH-BELLIED COLIBRI, &c.
ASH-BELLIED COLIBRI.
و
LENGTH six inches ; bill a little bent, and black ;
the under mandible yellow almost to the tip ; the
plumage on the upper parts of the body is of a fine
glossy green; beneath ash colour ; quills dusky;
two middle tail feathers green ; the next on each side
black; the three outer ones steel black at the base,
and the end half white, deepest on the outer feathers;
the tail rounded at the end ; legs black.
HARLEQUIN COLIBRI.
LENGTH four inches and a half; bill bent, an inch
and a quarter in length, and of a brown colour ;
crown of the head, chin, breast, and middle of the
back green; from the bill through the eye is a stripe
of fine blue, passing behind almost to the nape : the
lower part of this is edged with black ; the upper
parts of the body and wings are brown; the belly and
vent of the colour of cinnabar, but not glossed like
the rest of the plumage ; the tail even at the end, and
of a brown colour; the legs are also pale brown ;
Preserved in the British Museum.
3
YELLOW-FRONTED COLIBRI.
FOREHEAD yellow; body and wing coverts green;
primaries and tail black.
PURPLE-CROWNED COLIBRI.
CROWN purple ; throat green ; round the whole of
the lower part of the neck a collar of rich deep blue;
back green ; wings and tail which is forked, of a
deep purple.

OR ANGE-HEADED COLIBRI, &c.
371
ORANGE-HEADED COLIBRI.
Head orange; throat and breast yellow ; back
and belly deep brown; wings purple ; tail bright
rusty.
LITTLE CRESTED COLIBRI.
This is a very small species, being in length only
an inch and a half, and weighing when complete,
frequently less than fifty grains. The bill is black, a
little bent at the end, and half an inch in length;
the body greenish brown, with a red shining inimi-
table gloss; the head is crested with a small tuft,
green at bottom, but of a sparkling gold colour at
top ; quills and tail fine black. This is found at
Guiana ; and the velocity of it in flying is so great,
that the eye can scarcely keep pace with its mo-
tion.
GOLDEN COLIBRI.
This singular beautiful species is three inches and
one third long ; bill three quarters of an inch ; the
male is elegantly spangled with gold on the upper
part, with a changeable copper gloss; the under parts
mottled grey ; the throat, and forepart of the neck
and head of a ruby colour, in some lights as bright as
fire itself; viewed sideways it appears mixed with
gold, and beneath looks of a dull garnet colour. The
female differs chiefly in not having the red garnet co-
lour, but is spangled with gold and green on the head
and back, mottled with a silvery white on the breast
and belly; and a green spot on the top coverts of the
wings. They are natives of Surinam.
a

372
PASSERINE BIRDS.
PASSERINE BIRDS.
The general characters of this numerous race are
a conical pointed beak, and nostrils oval, open, and
naked.
Dr. Goldsmith has given the general history of
this division with such astonishing elegance of ex-
pression, and beauty of description, but at the same
time with such a warmth of imagination, that after
diligently comparing it with the works of other natu-
ralists, it appeared better to insert it in his own words
than by varying the language, encounter the risk of
maring his periods, or answering for his sentiments.
“The birds which compose this class, chiefly live in
the neighbourhood of man, and are his greatest fa-
vourites. The falcon may be more esteemed, and
the turkey more useful ; but these he considers as
servants, not as friends ; as animals reclaimed merely
to supply him with some of the conveniences of life:
but these little painted songsters have his affections,
as well from their beauty as their melody ; it is this
delightful class that fill his groves with harrony, and
lift his heart to sympathize with their raptures. All
the other classes are either mute or screaming ; it is
this diminutive tribe only that have voices equal to
the beauty of their figures ; equally adapted to rejoice
man, and delight each other.
" As they are the favourites of man, so they are
chiefly seen near him. All the great birds dread his
vicinity, and keep to the thickest darkness of the fo-
rest, or the brow of the most craggy precipice : but
these seldom resort to the thicker parts of the wood;
they keep near its edges, in the neighbourhood of
cultivated fields, in the hedge rows of farm grounds,
and even in the yard, mixing in the poultry.

PASSERINE BIRDS.
393
3
1 It must be owned, indeed, that their living near
man is not a society of affection on their part, as they
approach inhabited grounds merely because their
chief provision is to be found there. In the depth of
the desert, or the gloom of the forest, there is no grain
to be picked up ; none of these tender buds that are
so grateful to their appetites ; insects themselves,
that make so great a part of their food, are not found
there in abundance; their natures being unsuited to
the moisture of the place. As we enter, therefore,
deeper into uncultivated woods, the silence becomes
more profound ; every thing carries the look of aw-
ful stillness; there are none of those warblings, none
of those murmurs that awaken attention, as near the
habitations of men ; there is nothing of that confused
buzz, formed by the united, though distant voices of
quadrupeds and birds ; but all is profoundly dead
and solemn. Now and then, indeed, the traveller
may be rouzed from this lethargy of life, by the voice
of a heron, or the scrcam of an eagle ; but his sweet
little friends and warblers have totally forsaken him.
“The e is still another reason for these little birds
avoiding the depths of the forest ; which is, that
their most formidable enemies usually reside there.
The greater birds, like robbers, choose the most
dreary solitude for their retreats; and if they do not
find, they make a desert all around them. The small
birds fly from their tyranny, and take protection in
the vicinity of man, where they know their more un-
merciful foes will not venture to pursue them.
"All birds, even those of passage, seem content with
a certain district to provide food and centre in. The
red-breast or the wren seldom leaves the field where
it has been brought up, or where its young have been
excluded, even though hunted it flies along the hedge,
and seems fond of the place with an imprudent per-
severance. The fact is, all these small birds mark
out a territory to themselves, which they will permit
a

374
PASSERINE BIRDS.
66
But as
none of their own species to remain in; they guard
their dominions with the most watchful resentment;
and we seldom find two male tenants in the same
hedge together.
"Thus, though fitted by nature for the most wander-
ing life, these little animals do not make such distant
excursions, during the season of their stay, as the stag
or the leveret. Food seems to be the only object that
puts them in motion, and when that is provided for
them in sufficient plenty, they never wander.
that is seldom permanent through the year, almost
every bird is then obliged to change its abode. Some
are called birds of passage, because they are obliged
to take long journeys for this purpose ; but, strictly
speaking, almost every other kind are birds of paz.
sage, though their migration may not be to places so
remote. At some particular season of the year, all
.
small birds migrate either from one country to ano-
ther, or from the more inland provinces toward the
shore.
“There are several persons who get a livelihood by
watching the seasons when our small birds begin to
migrate from one country to another, and by taking
them with nets in their passages. The birds are
found to fly, as the bird-catchers term it, chiefly during
the month of October, and part of September and
November. There is also another flight in March,
which is much less considerable than that in autumn.
Nor is it less remarkable, that several of these species
of flight-birds make their appearance in regular suc-
cession. The pippet, for instance, begins its flight
every year about Michaelmas, when they are caught in
greatest number. To this the wood-lark succeeds,
and continues its flight till towards the middle of Oc-
tober ; other birds follow, but are not so punctually
periodical ; the green-finch does not begin till the
frost obliges it to seek for a change. These birds,
during those months, fly from day-break till twelve at

PASSERINE BIRDS
375
noon; and there is afterwards a small flight from
two till night. Such are the seasons of the migra-
tion of the birds, which have been usually considered
as stationary, and on these occasions they are caught
in great abundance, as they are on their journey.
But the same arts used to allure them upon other oc-
casions would be utterly fruitless, as they avoid the
nets with the most prudent circumspection. The
autumnal flight probably consists of the parents con-
ducting their new fledged young to those places where
there is sufficient provision, and a proper tempera-
ment of the air during the winter season ; and their
return in spring is obviously from an attachment to
the place which was found so convenient before for
the purposes of nestling and incubation,
“Autumn is the principal season when the bird-
Catcher employs his art to catch these wanderers.
His nets are a most ingenious pieces of mechanism,
being generally twelve yards and a half long, and
two yards and a half wide, and so contrived as from
a flat position to rise on each side, and clap over the
birds that are decoyed to come between them. The
birds in their passage are always observed to fly
against the wind; hence there is a great contention
among the bird-catchers which shall gain the wind;
for example, if it be westerly, the bird-catcher who
lays his nets most to the east, is sure of the most plen-
tiful sport if his call-birds are good. For this pur-
pose, he generally carries five or six linnets, two gold-
finches, two green-finches, one wood-lark, one red-
poll
, and perhaps a bull-finch, a yellow-hammer, a
tit-lark and an aberdavine : these are placed at small
distances .om the nets in little cages. He has be-
sides what he calls his flur-birds, which are placed
upon a moveable perch, which the bird-catcher can
raise at pleasure by means of a string; and these he
always lifts gently up and down as the wild bird ap-
proaches. But this is not enough to allure the wild

376
PASSERINE BIRDS.
a
bird gown; it must be called by one of the call-birds
in the cages; and these, by being made to moult pre-
maturely in a warm cage, call louder and better than
those that are wild and at freedom. There even ap-
pears a malicious joy in these call-birds to bring the
wild ones into the same state of captivity, while at the
same time their call is louder, and their plumage
brighter, than in a state of nature. Nor is their sight
or hearing less exquisite, far exceeding that of the
bird-catcher; for the instant the wild birds are per-
ceived, notice is given by one to the rest of the call-
birds, who all unite in the same tumultuous ecstacy of
pleasure. The call-birds do not sing upon those oc-
casions as a bird does in a chamber, but incite the
wild ones by short jerks, which, when the birds are
good, may be heard at a great distance. The allure-
ment of this call is so great, that the wild bird hear-
ing it, is stopped in its most rapid flight; and if not
already acquainted with the nets, lights boldly within
twenty yards perhaps of the bird-catcher, and on a spot
which it would otherwise have quite disregarded.
This is the opportunity wished for, and the bird-
catcher pulling a string, the nets on each side rise in
an instant, and clap directly down on the poor little
unsuspecting visitant. Nay, it frequently happens,
that if half a flock only are caught, the remaining
half will immediately afterwards light between the
nets, and share the fate of their companions. Should
only one bird escape, this unhappy survivor will also
venture into danger till it is caught; such a fascinat-
ing power have the call-birds.
Indeed, it is not easy to account for the nature of
this call, whether it be a challenge to combat, an in-
vitation to food, or a prelude to courtship. As the
call-birds are all males, and as the wild birds that at-
tend to their voice are most frequently males also, it
does not seem that love can have any influence in their
assiduity. Perhaps the wild females, in these flights,
а.

PASSERINE BIRDS.
377
attend to and obey the call below, and their male com-
panions of their flight come down to bear them com-
pány. If this be the case, and that the females have
unfaithfully led their mates into the nets, they are the
first that are punished for their infidelity ; the males
are only made captives for singing; while the females
are indiscriminately killed, and sold to be served up to
the tables of the delicate.
" Whatever be the motives that thus arrest a flock
of birds in their flight, whether they he of gallantry,
or of war, it is certain that the small birds are equally
remarkable for both. It is, perhaps, the genial de-
sire that inspires the courage of most animals ; and
that being greatest in the males, gives them a greater
degree of valour than the females. Small birds being
extremely amorous, are remarkably brave. However
contemptible these little warriors are to larger crea-
tures, they are often but too formidable to each other ;
and sometimes fight till one of them yields up his life
with the victory. But their contentions are some-
times of a more gentle nature. Two male birds shall
strive in song, till, after a long struggle, the loudest
shall entirely silence the other. During these con-
tentions, the female sits an attentive silent auditor,
and often rewards the loudest songster with her com-
pany during the season.
Singing among birds is almost universally the pre-
rogative of the male. With them it is the reverse of
what occurs in the human kind. Among the fea-
thered tribe, the heaviest cares of life fall to the lot of
the female. Hers is the fatigue of incubation, and to
her devolves the principal fatigue of nursing the help-
less brood. To alleviate these fatigues, and to sup-
port her under them, nature has given the song to
the male. This serves as a note of blandishment at
first to attract her affections ; it serves as a note to de-
light her during the time of her incubation ; but it
serves still farther as a note of security, to assure her
3c
66
3
VOL. I.

378
PASSERINE BIRDS.
;
that no danger threatens to molest her. The male,
while his mate is hatching, sits upon some neign-
bouring tree, continuing at once to watch and to
sing. While his voice is heard, the female rests in
confident security ; and, as the poet expresses it, ap
pears most blessed when most unseen: but if any ap-
pearance of danger offers to intrude, the male, that a
moment before was so loud and sportive, stops ail of
a sudden; and this is a most certain signal to his
mate to provide for her own security.
“The nest of little birds seem to be of a more deli-
cate contrivance than that of the larger kinds. As
the volume of their bodies is smaller, the materials of
which their nests are composed are generally warmer.
It is easy to conceive that small things keep heat a
shorter time than those that are larger. The eggs,
therefore, of small birds require a place of more con-
stant warmth than those of great ones, as being liable
to cool more quickly; and accordingly their nests are
built warmer and deeper, lined on the inside with
softer substances, and guarded above with a better co-
vering. But it sometimes happens that the little ar-
chitects are disturbed in their operations, and then
they are obliged to make a nest, not such as they
wish, but such as they can. The bird whose nest
has been robbed several times, builds up her last in a
very slovenly manner, conscious that, from the near
approach of winter, she must not take time to give her
habitation every possible advantage it is capable of
receiving. When the nest is finished, nothing can
exceed the cunning which the male and female em-
ploy to conceal it. If it is built in bushes, the pliant
branches are so disposed as to hide it entirely from
the view; if it he built among moss, nothing out-
wardly appears to show that there is an habitation
within. It is always built near those places where
food is found in greatest abundance ; and they take
care never to go in or out while there is any one in
a

PASSERINE BIRDS.
379
sight. The greater birds continue from their nest
for some time, as their eggs take no damage in their
absence; but the little birds are assiduous while they
sit, and the nest is always accupied by the male when
the female is obliged to seek for sustenance.
“ The first food of all birds of the sparrow-kind is
worms and insects. Even the sparrow and the gold-
finch, that when adult feed only upon grain, have both
been fed upon insects while in the nest. The young
ones, for some time after their exclusion from the
shell, require no food ; but the parent soon finds, by
their chirping and gaping, that they begin to feel the
approaches of hunger, and flies to provide them a
plentiful supply. In her absence they continue to
lie close together, and cherish each other by their
mutual warmth. During this interval also, they pre-
,
serve a perfect silence, uttering not the slightest note,
till the parent returns. Her arrival is always an-
nounced by a chirrup, which they perfectly under-
stand, and which they answer altogether, each pe-
titioning for its portion. The parent distributes a
supply to each by turns, cautiously avoiding to gorge
them, but to give them often, though little at a time.
The wren will in this manner feed seventeen or
eighteen young ones, without passing over one of
them.
“ Such is the manner in which these birds bring
forth and hatch their young ; but it still remains to
usher them from the nest in life, and this they very
assiduously perform. When they are full fledged,
and fitted for short flights, the old ones, if the weather
be fair, lead them a few yards from the nest, and then
compel them to return. For two or three succeed-
ing days they are led out in the same manner, but
each day to seek more distant adventures. When it
is perceived that they can fly, and shift for themselves,
then the parents forsake them for ever, and pay them
,
no more attention than they do to other birds in the
a

380
PASSERINE BIRD6.
same flock Indeed, it would seem among these lit-
tle animals, that, from the moment their young are
set out, all future connection ceases between the male
and female; they go separate ways, each to provide
for itself during the rigours of winter ; and, at the
approach of spring, each seeks for a new associate.
“In general, birds, when they come to pair in spring,
associate with those of their own age and place of
ahode. Their strength or courage is generally in
proportion to their age ; the oldest females first feel
the accesses of desire, and the oldest males are the
boldest to drive off all younger pretenders. Those
next in courage and desire, become pretenders, till
they are almost all provided in turn. The youngest
come last ; as, in fact, they are the latest in their in-
clinations. But still there are several, both males and
females, that remain unprovided for ; either not hap-
pening to meet with each other, or at least not during
the genial interval. Whether these mix with small
birds of a different species, is a doubt which natural-
ists have not been able throughly to resolve. Addi-
son, in some heautiful latin lines, inserted in the
Spectator, is entirely of opinion that birds observe a
strict chastity of manners, and never admit caresses
of a different tribe.
“Chaste are their instincts, faithful is their fire,
No foreign beauty tempts to false desire :
The snow-white vesture, and the glittering crown,
The simple plumagé, or the glossy down
Prompt not their love. The patriot bird pursues
His well-acquainted tints, and kindred hues ;
Hence thro' their tribes no mix'd, polluted flame,
No monster-breed to mark the grove with shame:
But the chaste blackbird, to its partner true,
Thinks black alone is Beauty's fav'rite hue :
The nightingale, with mutual passion blest,
Sings to its mate, and nightly charms the nest :

PASSERINE BIRDS
881
Whie the dark owl, to court his partner flies,
And owns his offspring in their yellow eves.
* But whatever may be the poet's opinion, the pro-
bability is against this fidelity among the smaller te-
nants of the grove. The great birds are much more
true to their species than these; and, of consequence,
the varieties among them are fewer. Of the os-
trich, the cassowary, and the eagle, there are but few
species; and no arts that man can use, could proba-
bly induce them to mix with each other.
But it is otherwise with the small birds we are des
eribing; it requires very little trouble to make a spe.
cies between a goldfinch and a canary bird, between
a linnet and a lark. They breed frequently together ;
and produce a race, not like the mules among the
quadrupeds, incapable of breeding again; for this
motely mixture are as fruitful as their parents. What
is so easily done by art, very probably often happens
in a state of nature ; and when the male cannot find
a mate of his own species, he flies to one of another,
that, like him, has been left out in pairing. This,
some historians think may have given rise to the
great variety of small birds that are seen among us;
some uncommon mixture, might first have formed a
new species, and this might have been continued
down, by birds of this species choosing to breed to-
gether
“Whether the great variety of our small birds may
have arisen from this source, cannot now be ascer-
tained ; hut certain it is, that they resemble each
other very strongly, not only in their form and plu-
mage, but also in their appetites and manner of liv-
ing. The goldfinch, the linnet, and the yellow-ham-
mer, though ohviously of different species, yet. lead a
very similar life ; being equally an active, lively, sa-
gacious tribe, that subsist by petty thefts upon the la-
bours of mankind, and repay them with a song.

382
PASSERINE PIRDS.
CC
Their nests bear a similitude ; and they are about the
same time in hatching their young, which is usually
fifteen days.
Willoughby has divided all the smaller birds into
those that have slender bills, and those that have short
and thick bills. Those with slender bills, chiefly
live upon insects; those with short, strong bills, live
mostly upon fruits and grain. Among slender-billed
birds, he enumerates the thrush, the blackbird, the
fieldfare, the starling, the lark, the titmouse, and the
water-wagtail, the nightingale, the red-start, the
robin-red-breast, the beccafigo, the stone-chatter, the
winchat, the goldfinch, the white-throat, the hedge-
sparrow, the pettichaps, the golden crowned wren,
the wren, the humming-bird, and several other small
birds of the sparrow kind, unknown in this part of
the world.
“ All these, as was said, live for the most part upon
insects; and are consequently of particular benefit to
By these are his grounds cleared of the perni-
cious swarms of vermine that devour the budding
leaves and flowers; and that even attack the root it.
self, before ever the vegetable can come to maturity.
These seek for and destroy the eggs of insects that
would otherwise propagate in numbers beyond the
arts of man to extirpate : they know better than man
where to seek for them; and thus at once satisfy their
own appetites, and render him the most essential
services
But this is not the only merit of this tribe : in it
we have the sweetest songsters of the grove; their
notes are softer, and their manner more musically
soothing than those of hard billed birds. The fore-
most in musical fame, are, the nightingale, the
thrush, the blackbird, the lark, the red-breast, the
black-cap, and the wrer.
“ Birds of the sparrow kind, with thick and short
bills, are the grossbeak, the greenfinch, the bullfinch,
man

PASSERINE BIRDS.
383
the crossbill, the house-sparrow, the chaffinch, the
brambling, the goldfinch, the linnet, the siskin, the
bunting, the yellow-hammer, the ortolan, the wheat-
ear, and several other foreign birds. These chiefly
feed upon fruits, grain, and corn. They are often
troublesome to man, as they are a numerous tribe ;
the harvest often suffers from their depredations :
and while they are driven off from one end of the
field, they fly round, and come in at the other. But
these also have their uses : they are frequently the
distributors of seeds into different districts : thoso
grains which they swallow, are sometimes not wholly
digested ; and these, laid upon a soil congenial to
them, embellish the face of nature with that agreeable
variety, which art but vainly attempts to imitate.
The mistletoe plant, which we often see growing on
the tops of elm and other trees, has been thought to
be propagated in this manner; yet, as it is often
seen growing on the under side of the branch, and
sometimes on a perpendicular shoot, it seems ex
dinary how a seed could be deposited in that situa-
tion. However this be, there are many plants propa-
gated from the depositions of birds; and some seeds
are thought to thrive the better for first having un-
dergone a kind of maceration in the stomach of the
little animal, before it is voided on the ground.
There are some agreeable songsters in this tribe
also; and those who like a loud piercing pipe, en-
dued with great variety and perseverance, will be
pleased most with their singing. The songsters of
this class are the canary bird, the linnet, the chaffinch,
the goldfinch, the greenfinch, the bullfinch, the
brambling, the siskin, and the yellow-hammer. The
note of these is not so generally pleasing as that of
the soft billed birds, but it usually holds longer ; and,
in a cage, these birds are more easily fed, and
hardy,"
a
or-

382
STARLING TRIBE, &c
STARLING TRIBE,
This genus is aistinguished by a straight and de-
pressed bill. The nostrils are guarded above by a
prominent rim. The tongue is hard and cloven; and
the middle toe is connected to the outermost as far as
the first joint. This tribe is generally esteemed
beautiful, is widely diffused, and well known in most
countries.
STARLING
The length of this bird is somewhat less than
nine inches. The bill is straight, sharp-pointed,
and of a yellowish brown : in old birds deep yellow;
the nostrils are surrounded by a prominent rim ; the
eyes are brown ; the whole is dark, glossed with
green, blue, purple, and copper, but each feather is
marked at the end with a pale yellow spot ; the wing
coverts are edged with yellowish brown; the quill
and tail feathers dusky, with light edges; the legs
are of a reddish brown.
Few birds are
more generally known than
the starling ; being an inhabitant of almost all
climates, and sufficiently common in every part of
England.
In the winter season these birds collect in vast
flocks; and may be known at a great distance by
their whirling mode of flight; which Buffon com-
pares to a sort of vortex, in which the collective body
performs an uniformly circular revolution, and at the
same time continues to make a progressive advance.
The evening is the time when the starlings assemble
in the greatest numbers, and betake themselves to the
fens and marshes. In the fens of Lincolnshire they

CAPE STARE
385
collect in myriads, and do great damage to the inha-
bitants by roosting on the reeds, and breaking them
down by their weight ; reeds being the thatch of the
country.nice
ostalo
lente
They chatter much in the evening and morning,
both when they assemble and disperse. So attached
are they to society, that they not only join those of
their own species, but also birds of a different kind,
and are frequently seen in company with redwings,
fieldfares, and even with crows, jackdaws, and pi-
geons. Their principal food consists of snails,
worms, and insects: they likewise eat various kinds
of grain, seeds, and fruit, and are said to be particu-
larly fond of cherries. It is reported of them that
they get into pigeon-houses for the purpose of suck-
ing the eggs.
The female builds an artless nest, of straw. and
small fibres, in the hollows of trees, rocks, or old
walls, and sometimes in cliffs overhanging the sea.
She lays four or five eggs, of a pale greenish ash-
colour. The young birds are of a dusky brown co-
lour till they first moult.
The starling is a very familiar bird, and in a state
of captivity easily trained. Its natural voice is strong
and hoarse ; but it may be taught without difficulty
to repeat short sentences, or whistle tunes with great
exactness. In a state of confinement it will eat small
pieces of raw flesh, or bread soaked in water.
Bne ilgili
som
937
CAPE STARE.
Size of our starling ; bill yellowish ; upper parts
black ; a white streak encompasses each eye, and
covers almost all the side of the head ; a narrow streak
of black and white mixed, descends on each side of
the neck; the tips of the scapulars, the edge of the
wing, and all the under parts are white; legs yel-
low
sofortevole
3D
;
VOL, I,

396
INDIAN STARLING &c
ng នាន)
soto INDIAN STARLING.
olas
How
Much resembles the preceding species in the dis-
tribution of its colours ; but the upper part of the
neck is surrounded by a dirty white band; and the
upper wing coverts are black, variegated with six
spots of white; legs yellow brown. Inhabits Ben-
gal.
CRESCENT STARLING.
ne 2013
This bird has a dusky head, divided in the middle
by a pale brown line, bounded on the side by two
others on the corner of each eye; above the bill is a
yellow spot ; the whole upper part of the body, neck,
and wings reddish brown and black; breast and
belly of a rich yellow; the former marked with a
black crescent; primaries pale brown, barred with
a darker ; tail very short, brown, varied with black
and white; legs long. Length about ten inches.
It inhabits most parts of the continent of North
America; and is much valued as excellent meat,
though its weight does not exceed four ounces.
LOUISIANAN STARLING.
.
The upper part of its plumage rusty ash ; neck,
breast, and belly of a rich yellow; thighs and vent
dirty white. The head is marked with three white
lines ; and it has a large black spot on the front of
the neck.
WATER OUZEL; OR, WATER STARE.
The length of the water ouzel is about seven in-
ches and a half, from the point of the beak to the tip
of the tail; its breedth about eleven inches, and its

WATER-OUZEL


WATER OUZEL.
387
a
weight two ounces and a half. The mouth is wide ;
the bill black, and about three quarters of an inch
long, the upper mandible being rather hollow in the
middle, and bent a little downwards at the point.
The eye-lids are white, and have somewhat of a white
spot above and below them; the irides are hazel.
The upper parts of the head and neck are of a deep
rusty brown; the back, rump, scapulars, wing co-
verts, and tail black, but each feather on these parts
is edged with hoary grey. Its tail is short, and gives
a stumpy appearance to the bird. The breast is
white; the belly is of a reddish brown, unless towards
the tail where it is black. The legs and toes are
short and strong, the scales pale blue : the hinder
part and joints brown : the claws are curved, and
the toes distinctly divided.
It is a very shy and solitary bird ; capable of sus-
taining a great degree of cold, as it is found in Lap-
land, and the most northern parts of Siberia. It
chiefly frequents those parts of the country which
abound with small rivulets, and especially those rapid
streams which descend from the fragments of moun-
tains. It is plentiful in Wales, Cumberland, York-
shire, and Westmoreland.
The Tartars believe that the feathers of this bird
tied to their nets, produce good success in their
fishery.
Its most singular faculty of walking under the
water is thus described in Herbert's letter to Buf-
fon.
I lay concealed on the verge of the lake Nantua,
in a hut formed of pine-branches and snow ; where
I was waiting till a boat, which was rowing on the
lake, should drive some wild ducks to the water's
edge. Before me was a small inlet, the bottom of
which gently shelved, that might be about two or
three feet deep in the middle. A water ouzel
stopped here more than an hour, and I had full lei-

388
WATER OUZEL
sure to view its manœuvres. It entered into the
water, disappeared, and again emerged on the other
side of the inlet, which it thus repeatedly forded. It
traversed the whole of the bottom, and seemed not
to have changed its element, and discovered no he-
sitation or reluctance in the immersion. However,
I perceived several times, that as often as it waded
deeper than the knee, it displayed its wings, and
allowed them to hang to the ground. I remarked
too, that when I could discern it at the bottom of the
water, it appeared enveloped with air, which gave it
a brilliant surface; like some sorts of beetles, which
in water are always inclosed in a bubble of air. Its
view in dropping its wings on entering the water,
might be to confine this air; it was certainly never
without soine, and it seemed to quiver. These sin-
gular habits were unknown to all the sportsmen with
whom I talked on the subject ; and, perhaps, without
the accident of the snow hut in which I was conceal-
ed, I should also have for ever remained ignorant
of them ; but the above facts I can aver, as the bird
came quite to my feet, and that I might observe it. I
refrained from killing it.”
A pair of these birds, which had for many years
built under a small wooden bridge in Caermarthen-
shire, were found to have a nest early in May: this
was taken, but it contained no eggs, although the
bird flew out of it at the time. In a fortnight after,
they had completed another nest in the same place,
inclosing five eggs, which was taken: and in a month
after this, a third nest, under the same bridge, was
taken, that had in it four eggs; undoubtedly the
work of the same birds, as no others were seen about
that part. At the time the last nest was taken, the
female was sitting; and the instant she quitted it she
plunged into the water, and disappeared for a consi-
derable time, till at last she emerged at a great dis-
tanee down the stream. At another time, a nest of
a
a

MAGELLANIC STÅRLING, &c.
389
a
:
the water ouzel was found in a steep projecting bank
(over a rivulet) clothed with moss. The nest was so
well adapted to the surrounding materials, that no-
thing but one of the old birds flying in with a fish in
its bill could have led to the discovery. The young
were nearly feathered, but incapable of flight; and
the moment the nest was disturbed, they fluttered out
and dropped into the water, and, to the astonishment
of the persons present, instantly vanished, but in a
little time re-appeared at some distance down the
stream ; and it was with difficulty that two out of the
five were taken.
The water ouzel will sometimes pick up insects at
the edge of the water. When disturbed, it usually
flirts up its tail, and makes a chirping noise. Its
song in spring is said to be very pretty. In some
places it is supposed to be migratory.
MAGELLANIC STARLING.
Size of the common ; upper parts brown, mar-
gined with pale ; a crimson line from the bill to the
eye; a white spot at the base of the lower mandible ;
behind the eye a white streak; a black patch on each
side of the neck ; fore part of the neck, chin, breast,
and upper part of the belly fine crimson ; shoulder of
the wing, and little of the outer edge of the same co-
lour; rest of the plumage black, edged in some places
with ash; tail a little forked ; legs brown. Inhabits
the Falkland Islands; and feeds upon insects.
COLLARED STARE.
LENGTH six inches and a half ; bill brown, pale
yellow towards the base ; upper parts dusky, varied
with large spots ; rump brown and white mixed:
throat white, spotted with brown; under parts brown,
inclining to ash colour on the breast ; quills black-

390
WATTLED STARE, &c.
--
ish; margins of the tips, and inner webs“ reddish;
tail brown, tipped with pale red ; legs horn colour.
Inhabits Carinthia, and Carolina, but is not very
It is a solitary bird ; feeds on grain and
insects; and has a weak note.
common.
a
WATTLED STARE.
;
LENGTH nearly ten inches ; size of our starling;
hill somewhat long and bent ; irides dull hazel ;
plumage dull black ; back, and wing coverts risty
red ; legs black. The distinguishing character of
this species is a warty orange coloured membrane,
which descends from the opening of the beak, like
the wattle of a cock, and is about a quarter of an inch
in length. Inhabits New Zealand. Has a weak
piping voice.
COCK'S COMB STARE.
LENGTH six inches and a half; bill brown ; eyes
surrounded by a broad bare yellow space ; plumage
in general of a dirty ash colour ; quills and tail black :
latter nearly even ; legs long, and of a pale yellow
brown. This species is more remarkable than the
former ; as beside having a double wattle at the open-
ing of the beak, it has on the crown two pointed
combs one behind the other, standing upright. In-
habits the south of Africa.
SILK STARE.
BILL deep orange ; head yellowish white ; gene-
ral plumage pale grey, glossed and silky; wings
black, barred with white; tail black ; legs reddish
yellow. Inhabits China.
bi
woteo gutu

CHINESE STARLING


GREEN STARE, &e.
991
GREEN STARE.
one tenen en
UPPER parts green ; under parts and legs pale
blue; on the forehead and chin is a tuft of black and
white feathers; a white spot above the forehead;
another beyond the eye; two more on the scapulars ;
shafts of the wing and tail, and outer webs of the for-
mer white. Inhabits China.
BROWN STARE.
PLUMAGE light olive brown; a pale blue stripe
passes through the eye ; bill and legs pale red; tail
;
long. Inhabits China.
CEYLONESE STARE.
BilL black; head pale yellow ; a black line pas-
ses through the eye ; a second beneath the cheeks ;
breast light grey, spotted with yellowish white; back
and belly grey, barred with white and lusky ; vent
plain grey ; quill feathers dull green ; tai barred
with pea green and black ; legs bluish grey. Inha-
bits the East India Islands, where it is said to whistie
all sorts of songs.
BROWN-HEADED STARE.
Less than the common; head brown; rest of the
plumage black Inhabits New Spain, where it is
called the rush starling.
MEXICAN STARE
Size of the common ; bill and eyes black; irides
pale yellow ; general colour blue, varied with black;
head small. Has little or no song.

392
ALPINE STANE, &c.
ALPINE STARE.
a
Size of a lark. Head, neck, and breast spotted
like the common starling ; upper parts of the body
and wings lively grey. This bird inhabits the moun-
tainous tracts in Persia, and breeds in the holes of
the rocks in the Moritania, like the sand martins.
It is very prolific.
CHILIAN STARE.
This is a very beautiful bird; having a bright
scarlet breast, and its head, neck, and upper parts di-
versified with brown and white spots. It makes its
nest carelessly in holes of the ground ; and is easily
tamed. It is said to be much venerated by the natives
of Chili, who will not suffer them to be killed.
DANURIAN STARE.
ANOTHER beautiful species, variegated with ash co-
lour, violet green, and white mingling and waving in
different lights.
Bis 192
w
THRUSH TRIBE. 3o
و
This numerous and widely extended genus has
generally a soft bill; and subsists on berries and in-
sects. The generic characters are, bill slender,
knife shaped ; upper mandible deflected at the top,
and notched ; nostrils naked, half covered above
with a small membrane ; the corners of the mouth
are furnished with a few slender hairs; the tongue
slightly jagged at the end; and the middle toe con.
nected with the outer as far as the first joint.

50

TRING-OUTE LA
frond

ROSE-COLOURED OUZEL, &c.
398
ROSE-COLOURED OUZEL.
This bird is about the size of a starling, being
eight inches in length, and fourteen inches in breadth.
The bill is three quarters of an inch long, of a flesh
colour, and with a reddish base ; irides pale; the
feachers on the head are long, forming a crest, which
hangs down on the neck; the head, neck, wings, and
tail are black, glossed with shades of blue, purple, and
green ; its back, rump, and lesser wing coverts fine
rose colour, marked with a few irregular dark spots ;
the breast, and belly rose coloured without the spots ;
the thighs dusky, with a few irregular spots ; legs
pale red ; and claws brown.
The rose-coloured ouzel has been occasionaily met
with in France, Spain, and England, where it is said
to be generally fat, and to be reckoned very delicate
food. it comes in great numbers about Aleppo,
in July and August, in pursuit of the swarms of lo-
custs; whence it is held sacred by the Turks, as great
quantities are destroyed by this means; it is also seen
in vast flocks every year in the south of Russia, about
the river Don, and in Siberia, about the Irtisch,
finding abundance of locusts for food, and conveni-
ence for breeding between the rocks : it is also com-
mon on the borders of the Caspian Sea ; about As-
trachan ; and from thence all along the Volga.
RING OUZEL
a
This bird very much resembles the blackbird, but
differs from it in being of a blackish brown, and hav-
ing its feathers bordered with cinerious white, and its
bill dusky. It has also a white crescent on the breast
from whence it derives its name. This is less con-
spicuous in the female, and sometimes wholly dis-
appears.
3 E
a
VOL. I.

394
BLACKBIRD.
The ring ouzel, though not a common bird has been
found in various parts of this kingdom. It princi-
pally delights in less cultivated parts of the country,
sometimes breeding on the hills, and sometimes in
the vicinity of streams. In some parts of the country
it is migratory, and in others it remains all the year.
Its habits are similar to those of the blackbird, which
it resembles in the structure of its nest, and the colour
of its eggs. They feed upon insects and berries, and
in France in the time of the vintage, when they feed
upon grapes, grows very fat, and are reckoned excel-
lent eating. It is found in very different climates, as
it inhabits both Lapland and Persia. It probably
migrates from one to the other by way of France, and
sometimes England. Belon says that in his time
they swarmed so much in the neighbourhood of Em-
burn in France, that the hosts were accustomed to
treat their guests with them instead of other game.
BLACKBIRD; OR, BLACK OUZEL.
The length of this bird is generally about ten inches.
Its plumage is a fine glossy black; the bill, inside of
the mouth, edges of the eye-lids, and legs are yellow,
though the latter do not equal the beautiful colour of
the beak. The bill and plumage of the female are
of a dusky hue.
It prepares a nest composed externally of green
moss, fibrous roots, and other similar materials : the
inside is plastered with earth, and afterwards lined
with fine dry grass. The nest is usually placed in a
thick bush, or against the
side of a tree, or on a stump
in the side of a hank. The female lays four or five
light blue eggs ; thickly covered with pale rust co-
loured spots, particularly at the large end : these are
hatched after about fourteen days incubation.
Its song is a shrill kind of whistle of various notes ;
which, although extremely fine, is too loud for any
a
а

BLACKBIRD.
395
place except woods or open grounds. It commences
this early in the spring, and continues it through some
part of the summer; it desists during the moulting
season, but resumes it for some time in September
and the first winter months.
They neither travel, nor associate together in
flocks; but, though shy towards each other, they are
but little so with regard to man. They are easily
tamed by him, and reside, from choice, near his habi-
tation. Endowed with a piercing eye, and accus-
.
tomed to be continually on the watch against an ene-
my so near, they have acquired great credit for their
cunning. On experience, however, they have been
found more restless than artful, rather timid than dis-
trustful ; for there is hardly any kind of snare in
which they may not be taken, provided the hand that
lays it can render itself invisible.
When the blackbird is enclosed in the same cage
with other songsters, of inferior size, his restless habits
are changed into an overbearing petulance: he in-
cessantly pursues and torments his fellow prisoners.
He, therefore, should never be placed in the same
apartment with smaller birds, nor allowed to enter a
company, to which his behaviour is so rude.
It has been asserted by the ancient naturalists, that
the blackbird never moults, because he is heard sing-
ing during winter, a period when the other birds are
silent. Nature, however, seldom acknowledges any
race of privileged beings, which she exempts from
her general laws. The more accurate observation of
the moderns, has discovered the moulting season of
this bird, which is at the end of summer. Then they
are seen, along with their young, sometimes almost
half naked.
On the Alps, and in some cold countries, the black-
bird is said to be sometimes seen all over white: with
us the female and the young are of a dusky brown.
So early do birds of this species undertake the business

396
MISSEL TURUSH, &c.
of procreation, that the first brood but rarely suc
ceeds, on account of the inclemency of the weather.
They feed upon every kind of fruit and insect, and
accommodate themselves to all climates. Though
found in almost every country, they are constantly
stationary in the places where they réside.
MISSEL THRUSH.
;
3
The length of this bird is about eleven inches,
The bill is dusky; the base of the lower mandible
yellow; the eyes hazel ; the head, back, and lesser
coverts of the wings are of a deep olive brown ; the
latter tipped with white; the lower part of the back
and rump tinged with yellow ; the cheeks are of a
yellowish white, spotted with brown ; as are also the
breast and belly, which are marked with larger spots
of a dark brown colour; the quill feathers are brown,
with pale edges; tail feathers the same; the three
outermost tipped with white; the legs are yellow ;
the claws black. The female builds her nest in
bushes or low trees, making it of moss, leaves, &c.
lining it with dry grass, and strengthening it on the
outside with small twigs. It lays four or five eggs of
a dirty flesh colour, marked with blood red spots.
The male is remarkable for singing in stormy wea-
ther in the winter season, whence in some places it is
called the storm cock. It expresses anger by a loud
harsh note, between a chaiter and a shriek. It feeds
on various kinds of berries; particularly those of the
missletoe, as well as on caterpillars and various kinds
of insects. This bird is found in different parts of
Europe, and is in many places accounted a bird of
passage ; but continues in England all the year
FIELDFARE.
This bird is somewhat less than the former, being
only ten inches in length. The bill is yellow; each
a

THROSTLE ; THRUSH; OR, MAVIS.
397
a
corner of the mouth is furnished with a few black
bristly hairs; the eyes light brown ; the crown of
the head, and back part of the neck are of a light ash
colour; the former spotted with black; the beak,
and coverts of the wings are of a deep hoary brown;
the rump ash coloured; the throat and breast yellow-
ish, regularly spotted with black ; the belly and
thighs yellowish white; the tail blackish brown; the
legs yellowish : in young birds yellow.
The fieldfare is a winter inhabitant of this island;
arriving about the beginning of October, sometimes
in great flocks to avoid the rigorous winters of the
north, and retiring in the beginning of March to the
northern parts of Europe and Asia, where they breed.
They feed upon berries, worms, snails, and slugs.
They are sociable birds, and appear to live under a
very regular government ; for if they are dispersed
through the fields in search of food, they seldom
loose sight of each other; and when they are alarmed,
generally take refuge on the same tree.
proaching a tree that is covered with them, they con-
tinue fearless, till one at the extremity of the bush,
rising on his wing, gives a loud and peculiar note of
alarm ; when they all immediately fly, except one
other, who continues till the person approaches still
nearer, to certify as it were, the reality of the danger,
and then he also flies off, repeating the note of
alarm
They commonly roost on the ground.
On our ap-
THROSTLE THRUSH ; OR, MAVIS.
This bird is less than the missel thrush, to which it
bears a strong resemblance. The throat is white ;
and the spots on the breast more regularly shaped
than those of the latter ; the underside of the wings,
and inside of the mouth are yellow ; as are also the
legs; the claws are strong, and black,

398
THROSTLE.
It charms us not only with the sweetness, but variety
of its song, which it begins early in the spring, and
continues during a great part of the summer.
The female builds her nest generally in bushes, of
dried grass intermixed with clay, and lined with rot-
ten wood. She lays five or six eggs of a pale blue,
marked with dusky spots.
In France it is regarded as a bird of passage. It
is found in those parts of Russia where juniper
grows.
Among the Romans, some species of the thrush
were deemed exquisite food ; and, to procure a sup-
ply of it, no labour or expense was spared by that
sensual and luxurious people. They constructed
large aviàries, fit for the reception of many thousands
of these devoted creatures, along with equal numbers
of quails, ortolans, and other birds reckoned delicate
eating. Such incredible numbers of these aviaries
were erected in the vicinity of Rome, that their dung
was employed as a manure för the fields, like that of
the dove-houses with us.
In these aviaries, the birds enjoyed not the same li-
berty with our dove-house pigeons; for they were ne-
ver allowed to escape, and, by consequence, they sel-
dom laid, or produced young. As, however, they
were provided with abundance of well-chosen food,
they readily fáttened, to the great profit of the pro-
prietor. Their ordinary price was about two shil-
lings a-piece; but, about the time of a public tri-
unph, or any grand festival, they far exceeded that
These aviaries were large vaulted buildings,
supplied with a number of joists, upon which the
birds might perch. They were but obscurely lighted,
so that the prisoners might never see the fields, the
woods, or the wild birds, fluttering at their liberty ;
images, which could not fail to excite a regret for
their lost freedom, and to prevent them from fatten-
ing. Slaves, says Buffon, should never see too clearly;
sum.

THROSTLE.
399
a
and they took care, that these should only be able to
distinguish the different objects that were to supply
their wants. They were fed with millet, and a sort of
paste, made up of bruised figs and meal ; to these
were added ivy and myrtle berries, and every thing
that could give a relish and succulency to their flesh.
They got water from a small stream, that ran across
the aviary. For about twenty days before they were
killed for eating, they increased their quantity of food,
and took care, that it should be of a more nutritive
quality. So far was their attention to this business
carried, that they made those that were fat, and ready
for being taken, pass gently into a small chamber ad-
joining the aviary, where they cut off all communica-
tion between them and those that were left, that the
latter might not be disturbed by catching them.
With these they tried every method to keep up the
illusion of liberty : they, from time to time, lined the
walls of the aviary with green branches and leaves,
that the birds might still fancy themselves in the midst
of the grove. Thus, they were accustomed, by de-
grees, to captivity; they were slaves, kindly treated
by their master, because he understood his own in-
terest. This account of Roman epicurism, is attested
both by Columella and Varro ; and, from their rela-
tions, Buffon has compiled a very curious history of
the ancient aviaries of the Romans.
An improvement upon this practice of the Romans
is said to be invented in modern times, and applied to
practice in some provinces of France ; where they
fasten earthen pots among the branches of trees,
where the thrushes frequent. In these, the birds
find a convenient shelter from the weather, without
losing their liberty; and hence they seldom fail to
prefer them to nests of their own construction. Partly
from the security afforded to the young in these pots,
and partly from the great saving of labour to the pa-
Tent birds, who are thus enabled to bring up two

400
REDWING, &c.
families
every year, the thrushes have been found to
multiply greatly under this mode of treatment.
REDWING.
The redwing is not more than eight inches in
length. The bill is of a dark brown colour ; eyes
deep hazel ; the plumage in general resembles that
of the throstle : from which however, it is distin-
guished by a white streak over the eye; the belly is
not quite so much spotted ; and the sides, and wing
feathers are tinged with red.
They arrive earlier than the fieldfare, which they
resemble in food and manners. Their song is said to
be very pleasing to the inhabitants of those northern
countries, where they spend their summer. The fe-
male builds her nest in low bushes ; and lays six eggs
of a greenish blue, spotted with black.
Such numbers of these birds, throstles, and field-
fares are killed for the market in Polish Prussia, that
excise was paid for 30,000 pairs, besides what was
smuggled, or paid duty in other places. Found with
the fieldfare in the Russian dominions.
REED THRUSH.
SUPERIOR in size to a lark ; length seven inches.
Upper mandible brown ; lower whitish; upper parts
reddish brown; under dirty white ; legs grey. This
is an European hird, but is not found in England. It
is common in the southern parts of Russia, and in
Poland; frequenting the small islands of the Vistula,
and making its nest on the mossy hillocks among the
reeds and rushes, and laying five or six eggs. It
runs up the large reeds in the same manner as the
woodpeckers climbs trees; and it suspends its nest
between three reeds fastened together. The male is
perpetually singing, while the female is sitting;

WHITE-TAILED THRUSH, &c. 401
hence it has been by some called the water nightin-
gale. A variety of this species inhabits the rock of
Gibralter.
WHITE-TAILED THRUSH.
Less than the blackbird ; length eight inches; bill
lead colour ; general plumage black; thighs, rump,
and tail white ; latter tipped with black ; legs yel-
;
;
lowish. Inhabits Gibralter,
BLUE THRUSH.
;
Size and length of the preceding ; bill blackish :
inside of the mouth, and eye-lids orange; irides dull
hazel ; the plumage of a cinerious blue ; each fea-
ther barred with brown and tipped with white ; quills
and tail_dusky, edged with blue ash colour ; legs
dusky. This bird is found in Candia, Dalmatia, the
islands of the Archipelago, and the rock of Gib-
ralter.
SOLITARY THRUSH.
LENGTH eight or nine inches; bill brown, inside
of the mouth yellow ; plumage brown, spotted with
white, and in some places tinged with blue; tail
blackish ; legs brown.
This bird is frequent in France, Italy, the Íslands
of the Mediterranean, and Archipelago. In these
countries it is not only esteemed for its song ; but
held in the same kind of veneration as the robin is in
England. It frequents mountainous and rocky
places, and is always seen alone, except in breeding
time, when it is known to build in ruined edifices,
laying five or six eggs; the young are easily brought
up, and beside their natural song, they can be taught
to whistle, and even to speak. It is not strictly a
VOL, I.
3

402
ROCK THRUSH, &c.
bird of passage ; but is observed to change place in
different seasons, coming into those parts where it
used to build in April, and retiring in August.
ROCK THRUSH.
1SIZE of the throstle ; bill pale brown; upper
parts of the plumage deep brown, edged with pale
ash colour ; rump rusty, edged with the same ; chin
white; throat as the upper parts, but paler ; fore
part of the neck, and all the under parts dull orange
waved with brown and white ; two middle tail fea-
thers brown, edged with orange; the other wholly of
this colour ; legs dusky. Inhabits Gibralter, and
the mountains of Siberia. It is very shy, and diffi-
cult to be shot.
: Toto KAMSCHATKAN THRUSH.
Ish
Has a 'dusky bill ; crown, upper side of the neck,
back, and wings light brown ; a black line passes
through each eye, over which is a line of white; chin
and throat of an elegant rose-colour ; breast and
belly of a whitish brown. Length six inches, In-
habits Kamschatka.
a
guld i PAGODA THRUSU.
A LITTLE bigger than the house sparrow. Bill
black, with the tip half yellow ; irides blue ; head
adorned with a long black crest ; feathers of the
throat, neck, and belly, long, narrow, and black, with
a line of white down the shaft; back, wing coverts,
and rump grey ; quills and tail black ; under tai
coverts white; legs yellow. Inhabits the coasts of
Malabar and Coromandel, where it is chiefly met
with about the towers of the idol temples or Pa-
godas.
10

MALABAR THRUSH, &c.
403
MALABAR THRUSH.
LENGTH under eight inches. Bill black, tipped
with yellow ; legs yellow ; feathers of the head and
neck long and narrow, of a grey ash colour, streaked
down the shaft with white; back, rump, wing co-
verts, and tail grey ash colour; quills black ; breast,
belly, and under tail coverts reddish brown.
a
DUSKY THRUSH.
GENERAL colour brown ; blackish on the breast;
a'white streak over the eyes ; chin and vent white.
Inhabits Siberia.
RED-NECKED THRUSH.
UPPER parts, and two middle tail feathers brown;
rest of the tail and neck reddish; under parts white.
Inhabits Siberia.
SIBERIAN THRUSH.
A 'SMALL species; the mouth yellow; general co-
lour of the plumage black; a streak over the eyes ;
and under the wings white. Has an excellent
song.
PALE THRUSH.
PLUMAGE yellowish ash colour; tail brownish,
tipped with white. Inhabits Siberia.
CRYING THRUSH.
a
Size of a blackbird; length nine inches and a half.
Bill and irides yellow; plumage brown of different

404
CHINESE THRUSH, &c.
shades ; eyes surrounded with a narrow white line,
extending a little way down on each side ; legs red-
dish. Inhabits Bengal and China, where it sings
very loud.
CHINESE THRUSH.
RESEMBLES the redwing ; length near nine inches.
Bill yellowish; plumage reddish brown ; a white
line over each eye; head and neck striped with
brown; tail brown, barred with deeper brown ; legs
yellow, and pretty long. The under parts of the
male are light and more yellow than those of the fe-
male.
CRESCENT THRUSH.
LENGTH eleven incnes. Bill lead colour ; chin
white; a white line over the eye ; cheeks black,
forming a crescent on the fore part of the neck ;
patch of loose white feathers behind the eye ; upper
parts reddish brown ; hind part of the neck and
breast reddish; belly reddish white; vent plain
white; feathers of the tail long, rounded, barred near
the end with black, and tipped with white; legs lead
colour; claws white. Inhabits China.
lors
BLACKFACED THRUSH.
02
Size of the blackbird. Bill dusky; at the base of
the upper mandible a set of erect hairs; and a few
straggling ones at the opening of the beak; the head,
lower part of the neck, hreast, and belly grey; back
and wings greenish ; brown round the eyes ; chin
and throat black; a large spot of white on the ear ;
legs brown ; forehead sometimes black. It is com-
mon in the woods of China ; and lives chiefly on
insects.

PHILIPPINE THRUSI, &c.
405
PHILIPPINE THRUSH.
Size of the common ; upper parts olive brown;
neck and breast reddish, spotted with white ; belly
and vent yellowish white.
SURAT THRUSH.
LENGTH eight inches. Bill pale red ; irides red;
head, neck, primaries, tail, a nd legs black; feathers
on the crown long, and falling on the neck; breast,
belly, and under tail coverts dirty grey ; back and
rump amber colour ; wing coverts and secondaries
deep changeable green ; the two next the body dirty
grey.
MANILLA, OR, PENSIVE THRUSH.
LENGTH eight inches; bill brown; head, fore
part of the neck, and back blue ash colour ; rump
blue; throat, fore part of the neck, and upper part
of the breast spotted with yellow; wing coverts the
same, but mixed likewise with other spots ; under
parts orange, spotted with blue and white ; quills
and tail blackish ; the legs margined with rufous;
legs black. A solitary bird.
HERMIT THRUSH.
a
i
LENGTH seven inches and a hall; bill brown, with
a whitish base ; round the eyes whitish ; crown yel-
lowish olive kind; head, upper parts of the neck and
back brown, each feather handed with dusky, and tip-
ped with white; sides of the head, and under parts
reddish white, margined with brown ; lesser wing
coverts, and rump ash colour ; quills and tail brown,

406
VIOLET THRUSH, &c.
bordered with grey ; legs brown. Native of the
Philippines.
VIOLET THRUSH.
Size of the redwing ; bill and legs black ; irides
red; whole plumage of a changeable violet blue;
each feather has a hand of the lustre of polished
steel ; wing coverts banded with white ; thighs white
on the inside, and deep blue without. Inhabits
China.
DOMINICAN THRUSH.
LENGTH six inches ; bill and legs pale brown;
upper parts brown, mixed with violet; tail violet,
tipped with green ; head, and under parts brownish
white; wings very long. Inhabits the Philip.
pines.
WHITE-HEADED THRUSH.
Less than our blackbird ; bill black, with a tinge
of red and yellow ; irides and legs yellow; head and
neck covered with long narrow white feathers ; hind
part of the neck deep grey ash colour; rest of the
plumage the same but paler, except the wing coverts,
secondaries, and tail which are green, glossed with
violet, with a few spots of white, and the quills which
are black. Inhabits China.
a
SONGSTER THRUSH.
al
A SMALL species ; general colour greenish black,
glossed with blue and violet ; feathers on the head
and neck long and narrow. This bird is common in
the Philippine islands, where it is often seen in flocks
;

BLACK-NECKED THRUSH, &c.
407
a
of thousands together. It makes its nest frequentiy
in pigeon houses like the starling. It has a fine song
so agreeably variegated that it has obtained the name
of the Musician.
BLACK-NECKED THRUSH,
j
This is a very beautiful bird ; about nine inches
in length ; bill dusky; irides brown ; head, chin,
and upper part of the neck white ; a yellowish streak
from the bill to the eye ; neck black; upper part of
the back, and scapulars rusty brown ; lower of a
dusky black, inclining to rusty on the rump; breast
and thighs yellowish; quills black ; secondaries
tipped with white; tail wedge shaped, and of a lead
colour. Inhabits China.
a
MALABAR THRUSH.
Size of the house sparrow, but longer ; bill and
legs black; irides yellow ; general colour a shining
green ; forehead yellow ; throat black; a streak of
ultramarine blue at the lower mandible; wing coverts
changeable light hlue,
CHAUNTING THRUSH.
LESS than the blackbird ; bill yellowish grey;
irides brownish ; general colour umber brown ; a
longitudinal black band proceeds from behind the
eye, and extends half way down the neck; legs yel-
lowish grey. It is met with in the southern provinces
of China, and is said to be the only bird of that vast
empire which has any thing like a song, whence it
has gained the name of nightingale.

408
SPECTACLE THRUSH, &c.
SPECTACLE THRUSH.
LENGTH eight inches and a half; bill black;
upper parts of the body greenish grey ; head and
neck ash colour; brownish on the breast; forehead
black, passing round each eye like a pair of specta-
cles; under parts yellowish white ; legs yellow.
Native of China.
CEYLON THRUSH,
Size of a blackbird ; length seven inches and a
half; crown olive ash colour: upper parts olive
green; over the eye a streak of yellow; chin and
throat of the same colour; a streak of black descends
from the nostrils down the sides of the neck, and forms
a deep crescent on the breast ; under parts yellow ;
tail black, tipped with yellow; middle feathers olive
green
YELLOW THRUSH.
i
Bill and legs red ; irides grey ; eye surrounded
with white feathers; a black band passes from the
upper mandible behind the eye ; general colour yel-
low; shafts of the feathers white. Inhabits China.
PIGEON THRUSH.
a
Size of a throstle ; general colour changeable
green. Frequent the pigeon houses in the Philip-
pine islands, whence they derive their name.
GREEN THRUSH.
SMAI LER than the fieldfare ; length seven inches;
bill black, yellowish beneath, and tipped with b:own;

INDIAN THRUSH, &c.
409
over the eyes a white streak, and beneath them a white
spot; upper parts light green ; throat grey, spotted
with white; breast and sides pale red; belly and
vent white; thighs ash colour, mixed with white
i
legs yellowish. This bird is said to inhabit China, to
sing well, and to be fond of wetting itself like the
starling. This account does not appear quite recon-
cilcable with what has been related of the chaunting
thrush : but it must be remembered that it is ex-
tremely difficult to procure accurate information upon
such minute subjects from such a distant and secluded
country as the empire of China.
INDIAN THRUSH
ches;
Less than the redwing ; length nearly eight in
bill and legs blackish ; upper parts deep olive
green ; under paler, inclining to yellow; inner webs
of the quills brown: outer olive green, edged with
yellow; tail olive green. Inhabits the East Indies.
CINERIOUS THRUSH.
و
Size of the former ; bill and legs black; plumage
ash colour ; greater wing coverts and quills black,
edged with grey; middle tail feathers like the back
next on each side black, edged and tipped with ash
colour. Inhabits the East Indies
و
GREY THRUSH.
Less than a blackbird ; bill yellowish white;
crown and hind part of the neck whitish; throat,
forepart of the neck, and upper parts deep grey ;
under parts pale reddish grey ; legs yellowish. In-
habits the coast of Coromandel, and is chiefly seen on
the ground, where it is perpetually hopping after
VOL 1
3 G

410
MINDANAO THRUSH, &c.
worms and insects, which it finds in the dung of ani-
mals.
MINDANAO THRUSH.
LENGTH seven inches ; bill lead colour ; uppe.
parts steel blue ; under parts white; wing banded
with white ; legs brown.
LONG-TAILED THRUSH.
a
Size of a lark ; length eleven inches and a haif.
Bill slightly notched near the tip, colour black; head,
reck, back and wing coverts glossy purplish black;
rump white ; under parts rusty orange colour ; quills
dusky black ; tail greatly wedge shaped, and the two
middle feathers six inches and a half long; four
middle feathers wholly black ; the next on each side
half black, half white; the three outer ones wholly
white ; legs pale yellow; claws black. Native of
Pulo Condore.
;
AMBOYNA THRUSH.
LARGER than the preceding ; upper parts reddish
brown ; under parts light yellow; prime quills red-
dish brown ; secondaries reddish brown for half their
length, but from the middle to the base pale yellow ;
tail wedge shaped, reddish brown above, golden yel-
low beneath. It is remarkable for singing
finely, and
flirting up its tail quite on the back in the breeding
season.
YELLOW-CROWNED THRUSH.
Size of the common; bill black; crown and
cheeks pale yellow ; a black line extends from the
bill; breast, and belly ash colour ; the first marked

ORIENTAL THRUSH, &c.
411
with white and dusky lines ; primaries, tail, and legs
dull green. Inhabits the East India Islands. It is
frequently kept in cages; as it imitates in a very
lively manner almost every note that it hears whistled.
ORIENTAL THRUSH.
;
LARGER than the lark; length six inches and a
half. Bill and upper parts black ; lower part of the
back and rump ash colour ; sides of the head and
under parts white; thighs grey ; a black streak
passes through the eyes; wing coverts blackish ches-
nut; greater ones edged with white; quills black-
ish; primaries white from the base to the middle, as
the inner webs; secondaries white on the outer
webs; tail black, with a little white at the base ; legs
blackish. Inhabits the East Indies.
COCHIN CHINA THRUSH.
Size of a goldfinch ; general colour green, inclin-
ing to blue towards the tail ; bill and legs dusky; the
space between the bill and eye, together with the chin
and throat black; on the cheeks two small blue spots ;
a yellow band surrounds the black of the throat, and
forms a crescent on the breast,
GINGI THRUSH.
Size of the common; bill and legs yellow; a bare
space of the same colour reaches from the base of the
upper mandible beyond the eye ; neck, back, rump,
and belly grey; lead black, and a little crested;
wing coverts and secondaries greenish ; primaries
have the base half pale reddish, from thence to the
end black ; tail black, tipped with red. Inhabits the
coast of Coromandel,

412
PERSIAN THRUSH, &c.
PERSIAN THRUSH.
a
RESEMBLES "the English blackbird in size and co-
lour ; but is distinguished by a white dot beneath the
eye; wings brown ; belly and vent ash colour. It
is accounted a singing bird.
DAUMA THRUSH
Bill and tail dusky; cheeks white; crown, hind
parts of the neck and back brown, marked with
curved black spots ; lesser wing coverts black, che-
quered with white; fore part of the neck, breast, and
belly white, barred with curved black marks; legs
yellowish. Inhabits India, where it is called cowal,
from its note imitating that word. It is said to de-
vour fruit till it is completely torpid; and afterwards
discharge the stones at its mouth.
ORANGE-HEADED THRUSH.
LENGTH eight inches and a half ; bill dusky;
head, neck, breast, and belly orange; rest of the plu-
mage grey, except the vent, and a spot on the lesser
wing coverts which are white; legs whitish. Native
of India.
BLACK AND SCARLET THRUSH.
Size of the common ; length eight inches and a
half; bill dusky black; head, neck, upper part of
the back, lesser wing coverts, primaries, secondaries,
and two middle tail feathers black; rest of the plu-
mage rich scarlet ; as are also three spots near the
tips of three second quills ; tail rounded ; legs black.
Native of India,

SMYRNA THRUSH, &c.
413
SMYRNA THRUSH
This is a small and rare species; the bill and legs
yellow; the back, breast, belly, tail and thighs brown.
BARBARY THRUSH
Size of the missel thrush. Upper parts light green;
wings like those of a lark; breast white, and spotted
like that of a thrush ; rump, and tip of the tail fine
yellow. Legs stronger and shorter than those of a
thrush. This species is not common in Barbary ;
but is seen about the time of gathering figs.
I RIPOLI THRUSH
Size of the preceding. Bill reddish brown ; up-
per parts olive yellow ; lesser wing coverts the same,
tinged with brown; the greater, and quills black;
under parts dirty white; tail blackish, tipped with
yellow ; legs short and lead coloured.
RUFOUS-TAILED THRUSH,
LENGTH seven inches. Bill black and curved at
the tip ; upper parts olive brown ; under parts pale
purplish white; quills and tail dusky all but the two
middle feathers, rufous for two thirds of their length;
upper tail coverts rufous ; legs black. Native of
the Cape of Good Hope.
RED-TAILED THRUSH
Same length as the preceding. Bill dusky, with a
few hairs at the base ; upper parts dusky olive green;
crown dusky ; throat and breast red; a streak of
white over the eyes; another black one through the
و

414
FUOLISH THRUSH, &c.
eyes ; tail red ; two middle feathers inclining to
brown ; legs black. Inhabits theCape of Good Hope.
FOOLISH THRUSH.
Size of a blackbird ; length eleven inches ; bill
strong and black; plumage green, glossy black;
primaries reddish; the three first tipped with brown,
and the others with black ; legs brown. Brought
from the Cape of Good Hope ; and is said to be so
foolish as to be taken by hand.
RUFOUS-WINGED THRUSH.
LENGTH ten inches ; bill brown; general colour
black ; legs and wings reddish; latter short ; under
tail coverts and tail tipped with white. Native a
Senegal
SHINING THRUSH.
Size of a blackbird ; length nine inches ; bill
black; plumage glossy green ; some of the lesser
wing coverts bright steel blue ; legs black. Inha-
bits the south of Africa.
GLOSSY THRUSH
a
LARGER than a blackbird ; ength eighteen inches,
of which the tail makes eleven. Bill black; plu-
mage green, glossed with copper and gold; the head
inclines to black ; the rump and two middle tail fea"
thers to purple ; tail extremely wedge shaped ; legs
black. İnhabits Senegal.
GILDED THRUSH.
Size of the former ; bill brown ; irides yellow;
head, neck, and under parts violet ; back and wings

WAIDAH THRUSH, &c.
415
gilded green, with a band of blue on the inner edge;
upper tail coverts, and tail blue ; legs reddish brown.
Inhabits the kingdom of Whidah in Africa.
WHIDAH THRUSH.
Less than a lark; length six inches and a half ;
bill and legs ash colour ; quills blackish ; belly white;
rest of the plumage violet.
ORANGE-BELLIED THRUSH.
Less than the common ; length eight inches ; bill
and legs brown; chin, throat, and upper parts green;
under parts light orange. Inhabits Senegal.
DOUBLE-COLOURED THRU
Size of a blackbird ; length ten inches ; general
colour brown, glossed or mixed with green; so that
the plumage appears brown one way and green the
other; belly and rump white. Inhabits the Cape of
Good Hope.
UROVANG THRUSH.
LENGTH eight inches and a half; bill narrow,
marked near the end with brown, and beset with
bristles at the base ; plumage dark ash colour, in-
clining to green ; under parts yellowish ; legs brown.
Inhabits Madagascar.
OLIVE THRUSH.
Less than the redwing ; length eight inches and a
quarter ; bill and legs brown ; upper parts olive
brown; under yellow; throat yellow, spotted with
brown. Inhabits the south of Africa.

416
SENEGAL THRUSH, &c.
SENEGAL THRUSH.
Less than the redwing ; length eight inches ; bill,
quills, tail, and legs brown ; general colour grey
brown ; under parts dirty white.
MADAGASCAR THRUSH.
LENGTH Seven inches and a quarter ; bill and legs
black ; base of the former beset with bristles; head,
neck, back, and scapulars brown; breast and sides
reddish brown ; belly, thighs, and vent white; quills
blackish ; secondaries black, mixed with violet and
green; inner ones glossed with reddish gold ; two
middle feathers green gold; others dusky, margined
with green gold; the outermost feather is white on
the exterior margin ; and the two next fringed with
white; tail somewhat forked.
MAURITIUS THRUSH.
Less than the redwing ; length seven inches ; bill
ash coloured ; plumage wholly of a deep greenish
blue; the feathers of the head and neck narrow and
longer than the others ; legs lead coloured. Native
of the isle of France.
BLACK-HEADED TURUSH.
LENGTH nine inches ; bill black; head, and part
of the neck glossy black; back and scapulars deep
brown ; rump and upper tail coverts red; under
parts pale red; wing coverts brown, margined with
red and white ; quills deep brown ; tail wedge
shaped, and blackish ; legs brown. Inhabits the
Cape of Good Hope.

CAPE THRUSH, &c.
417
CAPE THRUSH.
Size of a lark; length seven inches and a quarter ;
bill and legs black ; plumage brown, paler and yel-
lowish beneath ; under tail coverts yellow. Com-
;
mon at the Cape of Good Hope.
CAFFRARIAN THRUSH.
;
LENGTH eight inches ; bill blackish; head crested:
both that and the crest violet black ; upper parts
brown, edged with grey ; belly the same; neck and
breast brown, glossed with violet ; thighs, rump, and
lower belly white; vent, and under tail coverts red;
quills and tail brown ; latter wedge snaped; legs
black.
BOURBON THRUSH.
Length rear eight inches ; bill yellowish ; crowa
black ; plumage olive yellowish on the belly ; greater
wing coverts, and quills brown, varied with pale red;
tail brown ; legs yellow.
BLACK-CHEEKED THRUSH.
Size of a lark; general colour of the bill, plu-
mage, and legs black; but the feathers of the body
are margined with yellow; tail short. Inhabits
Madagascar
NUN THRUSH
a
Size of a blackbird'; Will reddish; head black;
which colour descends on the throat, and terminates
in a point on the breast ; upper parts yellow, tinged
with brown ; under parts pale yellow; wing coverts
VOL. 1.
34

418
ETHIOPIAN THRUSH, &c.
and tail feathers brown, bordered with yellow ; quills
blackish, bordered with light grey ; legs ash colour.
Inhabits the woods of Abyssinia, and feeds on berries
and fruits; it is frequently found on such trees as
grow on the edges of precipices, which renders it
both difficult to shoot, and to get at when killed.
ETHIOPIAN THRUSH.
Size of a redwing; bill and legs black; upper
parts of the body the same; under white; and a band
of white across the wing; tail rounded, and the fea-
thers somewhat square at the end.
at the end. Found in the
woods of Abyssinia ; and has a note resembling that
of the cuckoo. It keeps among the thickest parts of
the foliage, and feeds on berries and fruits.
:
ABYSSINIAN THRUSH.
Size of the preceding ; upper parts brown ; quills
and tail deeper brown, bordered with paler; throat
pale brown ; under parts tawny yellow ; legs black.
Found generally in Abyssinia, where it feeds on
grapes, and the flower of a particular kind of palm
tree.
AFRICAN THRUSH.
Size of a blackbird ; bill yellow, tipped with black;
general colour black; fore part of the neck, breast,
and belly margined with reddish brown towards the
vent with white; edge of the wings, and legs pale.
Widely diffused over the continent of Africa.
MOCKING BIRD.
The mimic thrush, or mocking bird, is about the
size of a blackbird, but somewhat more slender
.

MOCK BIRD.


MOCKING BIRD.
419
The plumage is grey; but paler on the under parts
than above.
It is common throughout America and Jamaica ;
but changes its place in the summer, being then seen
much more to the northward than in the winter. It
cannot vie with the feathered inhabitants of those
countries in brilliancy of plumage ; but is possessed
of much more rare and estimable qualifications.
It possesses not only natural notes of its own, which
are truly musical and solemn; but it can at pleasure
assume the tone of every other animal in the forest,
from the humming bird to the eagle, and descending
even to the wolf or the raven. One of them confined
in a cage has been heard to mimic the mewing of a
cat, the chattering of a magpie, and the creaking of
the hinges of a sign-post in high winds.
This capricious little mimic seems to have a sin-
gular pleasure in archly leading other birds astray.
He is said at one time to allure the smaller birds with
the call of their mates : and when they come near,
to terrify them with the scream of an eagle. There
is scarcely a bird of the forest that is not at some time
deceived by his call.
But he is not like the mimics among mankind,
who very seldom possess any independent merit. A
Garrick and a Foote have not pleased more in their
own characters, than the mocking bird does in his.
He is the only one of the American singing birds
that can be compared with those of Europe ; and,
were it not for the attention that he pays to every
sort of disagreeable noises which tend to debase his
best notes, there can be little doubt that he would
be'fully equal to the song of the nightingale in its
whole compass. He frequents the dwellings of the
American farmers; where, sitting on the roof or
chimney, he sometimes pours forth the most sweet
and varied notes imaginable. The Mexicans, on ac-
count of his various notes and his imitative powers,

420
FERRUGINOUS MOCKING BIRD
call him " the bird of four hundred tongues." In
the warmer parts of America he sings incessantly
from March to August, both day and night; begin-
ning with his own compositions, and frequently
finishing by borrowing from the whole feathered
choir. He repeats his tunes with such artful sweet-
ness as to excite both pleasure and surprize.
It is not, however, in the powers of voice alone,
that these birds are pleasing ; they may even be said
to dance. When excited into a kind of ecstacy by
their own music, they gradually raise themselves
from the place where they stand, and with their wings
extended, drop with their head down to the same
spot, and whirl round, accompanying their melody
with a variety of pretty gesticulations.
They frequently build their nests in the bushes or
fruit-trees about houses; but they are so shy, that if
a person only looks at the nest, they immediately
forsake it. The young may be brought up in a cage,
and rendered domestic ; but this is to be done only,
with great difficulty, not one attempt in ten being
successful for that purpose. If the young are taken
in the nest, the mother will feed them for a few days,
but is sure to desert them afterwards. If a cat hap-
pens to approach the nest, the parent bird will fly at
the head of the animal, and with a hissing noise scare
.
It feeds its young with grasshoppers ; and when it
wants any of these insects, it flies into the pastures,
flaps its wings near the ground, and makes a booty
of three or four at a time, with which it returns to the
nest. It also feeds on different kinds of berries; and
is itself eaten by the Americans, who account it very
delicate food.
1
FERRUGINOUS MOCKING BIRD
UPPER parts of the plumage of a pale rust colour ;
under part of a dirty white, spotted with brown ;
a
it away

CAROLINA FIELDFARE, &c.
421
across the coverts of the wings are two white lines;
tail very long. Length twelve inches. Inhabits the
midland states of America. Is far inferior to the
mocking bird in the variety of its note.
CAROLINA FIELDFARE.
Size of an English thrush. The bill is half yellow,
and half black; head and cheeks black; orbits co-
vered with white feathers ; chin and throat black,
streaked with white; under part of the neck, breast,
and upper part of the belly of a deep orange; vent
white; the back and rump are of a deep ash colour ;
coverts and quill feathers dusky, edged with white;
inner coverts of the wings orange; tail black ; the
outermost feathers marked with white ; legs brown.
Inhabits all the northern parts of America, where
they are birds of passage ; building their nest in the
north, and retiring south ward in the winter. They
make their nests with roots, moss, &c. and lay five
eggs of a lively sea green. The cock is very assi-
duous in making the nest, and feeding the young ;
and in the interval cheers his mate with his musical
voice. Like the English fieldfare, they come and go
in large flocks. They have two notes, one a loud
scream like a missel bird, the other a sweet song
which it delivers from the summit of some lofty tree.
They feed on worms, insects, and berries. The
Americans call them the robin, from the redness of
their breast, and the similarity of manners with that
pleasing bird.
VARIED THRUSH.
INHABITS Nootka Sound. Size of the former ;
crown dusky ; upper part of the neck and back iron
grey; cheeks black ; above each eye is a bright bay
line; throat, underside of the neck and breast of the

422
TAWNY THRUSH, &c.
same colour: the breast crossed by a black band ;
sides orange coloured ; middle of the belly white;
lesser wing coverts iron grey; greater dusky, tipped
with bright rust; primaries dusky, crossed and
edged with bay; tail long, of a deep ash colour;
legs pale brown.
TAWNY THRUSH.
Size of the redwing; upper part tawny ; under
white; rump, primaries, and tail pale brown. In-
habits New York.
BROWN THRUSH.
GENERAL plumage brown ; primaries dusky ;
under part white, with great brown spots. Size
of the former; and native of the same country.
RED-LEGGED THRUSH.
PLUMAGE blue ; bill and tail dusky ; latter tipped
with white ; throat black; irides and legs red. In-
habits the Bahama islands. Has the voice and man-
ner of the throstle.
LITTLE THRUSH.
Size of a lark ; upper part uniform brown ; eve-
lids, chin, and belly white ; breast yellowish, with
brown spots ; legs long, and brown. Inhabits the
woods and swamps of North America and Jamaica,
They are scarce and not often seen ; feed on berries
like other thrushes, but have not their melody.
ONALASCHA THRUSH.
Crown and back brown, spotted with dusky ;
breast yellow, spotted with black; wings and tail
dusky. Size of a lark.
.
а

GOLDEN-CROWNED THRUSH, &c.
423
GOLDEN-CROWNED THRUSH.
Top of the head of a bright gold colour, bounded
on each side by a black line ; upper part of the body
olive brown ; under part white, spotted with black.
Less than the former. Inhabits the southern states
of America in the summer, and migrates on the ap-
proach of winter to the West India islands.
HUDSONIAN THRUSH.
GENERAL colour deep bluish ash, varied in somo
places with pale chesnut. Length seven inches and
a half. Inhabits Hudson's Bay.
New YORK THRUSH.
Size of an English blackbird. Has a dusky strong
bill, half an inch long ; head, neck, and breast, mot-
tled with light rust colour and black ; back very
glossy ; from the bill above each eye a band of black
extends to the hind part of the head ; belly dusky;
wings, tail, and legs black. Visits New York in the
latter end of October.
LABRADOR THRUSH.
Bill black, rather slender, near an inch long;
plumage black, sometimes edged with rust; tail even
at the end. Inhabits Labrador and New York
LOCUST-EATING THRUSH.
This new species is found in the interior of the
south of Africa, but only in places which the migra-
ting locusts frequent.

424
LOCUST-EATING THRUSI.
a
a
The head, breast, and back, are of a pale ash
colour; and the abdomen and rump white. The
wings and tail are black; the latter short, and a little
forked. From the angle of the mouth a naked area
of sulphureous yellow extends under the eye, and a
little beyond it; and there are two naked black streaks
under the throat.
Nature, which has seldom given a bane without
accompanying it with an antidote, seems to have
peculiarly ordained this bird as a relief to the in-
habitants of the country where it is found, from the
dreadful attacks of those most voracious and most
numerous of all insects. For, however astonishing
the multitudes of locusts may be, the numbers of
thrushes are not less so. Their nests, which at a
distance seem of a most enormous size, appear on
examination to consist of a number of cells, each of
which forms a separate nest, with a tube that leads
into it through the side ; so that what seemed but
one great nest, is found to consist of a little society
of perhaps ten or twenty. One roof of interwoven
twigs covers the whole, like that made over the nest
of the magpie of our country.
Mr. Barrow saw a vast number of these in the
district of Sneuwberg, about 150 leagues north-east
of the Cape. The thrushes had not visited that
colony for thirteen years before ; that is to say, silice
,
the last time the locusts had infested it. These birds
had, he says, taken up a temporary abode here ; in
a place which they were not likely, in a short space
of time, to be under the necessity of quitting for
want of food. Of the innumerable multitudes of the
incomplete insect, or larva of the locusts, that at this
time infected this part of Africa, no adequate idea
could possibly be formed; in an area of nearly two
thousand square miles, the whole surface of the earth
might be literally said to be covered with them.
a

GUIANA THRUSH, &c:
425
The thrushes attended closely the last flight of
locusts, and departed along with them ; since which
time till the year 1797, (in which Mr. Barrow visited
Africa,) not one of them was to be found in the
country.
GUIANA THRUSH.
LENGTH seven inches; bill reddish ; upper parts
greenish brown ; edges of the coverts and quills
paler ; under parts dusky yellowish white, longitudi-
nally streaked with dusky; legs reddish, brown;
under part of the tail white.
;
JAMAICA THRUSH.
Size of the blackbird ; bill stout brown; head
brown; chin and fore part of the neck white,streaked
with brown ; lower part of the neck plain white;
breast ash colour; from thence to the vent white;
upper parts dark ash colour; quills and tail dusky ;
legs brown. Much resembles the former.
STRIATED THRUSH.
Size of a lark. Plumage yellow, mixed with
grey, with a yellowish stripe down the ridge of the
back. Inhabits Surinam.
VARIEGATED THRUSH.
Size of the preceding ; upper parts brown ; un-
der whitish: all intermixed with whitish and black
feathers chiefly towards the head and tail. Inhabits
Surinam. Both this and the preceding species feed
upon worms and insects, and are good to eat.
40L. L
3

426
CAYENNE THRUSH," &c.
CAYENNE THRUSH.
ABOUT the size of the common ; length 'eight
inches ; bill, throat, and legs dusky; upper parts
ash colour, margined with white; breast and belly
dirty white ; vent white; greater wing coverts and
quills black; tail ash colour.
MOCKING THRUSH.
Less than a blackbird ; length eight inches and a
half. Bill blackish brown; the base beset with
bristles ; throngh the eye passes a kind of wreath ;
from the opening of the beak to the hind head, and
over the eyes is a pale line; the upper part of the
body is brownish ash colour ; the under side very
pale, nearly white; tail a little wedge shaped, dusky
brown, except the outer feathers which are wholly
white, and the second white on the outer web; legs
black. Native of the West Indies, and the warmer
parts of America. It has a song almost infinitely
varied, and imitates that of all other birds.
و
a
ST. DOMINGO THRUSH.
Size of the redwing ; length eight 'inches and
three quarters. Bill blackish ; upper parts grey
brown; under parts white; greater wing coverts
blackish, with the outer edges white; the outer fea-
thers white, with a blackish dash near the tips ;
quills half white; half dusky, with ash coloured edges ;
tail pretty long; six middle feathers blackish, othere
white, except the outer edge of the third, which is
blackish. Inhabits St. Domingo and damaica.

BRASILIAN THRUSI, &c.
427
BRASILIAN THRUSH.
Size of the last; bill and upper parts of the plu-
mage black ; lower part of the back and rump rusty;
under parts pale rusty yellow, palest on the chin and
fore part of the neck ; sides of the body crossed with
transverse blackish lines ; across the middle of the
wing runs a bar of white; tail slightly wedge shaped ;
the outer tail feather white; others tipped with the
same; legs brown.
a
WHITE-CHINNED THRUSH.
:
;
Size of the blackbird ; bill orange, banded with
black near the end ; plumage blackish brown, palest
beneath ; belly and chin whitish ; legs orange. In-
habits Jamaica, where it frequents the woody moun-
tains, and is accounted good food. The fat is orange
coloured. There are several varieties of this species.
BLACK-THROATED THRUSH.
LENGTH seven inches and a half ; bill and legs
black; the forehead, chin, throat, and as far as the
breast are black, bordered by reddish extended to the
crown, which is of the same colour ; hind part of
the neck, back, and wing coverts grey, shaded with
brown; greater coverts and quills blackish brown,
edged with light grey ; rump, and under parts of the
body greenish yellow, with some large black spots on
the breast and belly; tail three inches long, rounded,
the same colour as the back. Inhabits St. Domingo.
HISPANIOLA THRUSH.
LENGTH six inches; bill grey brown ; plumage
for the most part olive above, and grey mixed with

A28
SURINAM THRUSH, &c.
olive beneath ; wing coverts and quills inclining to
brown; tail brown, edged with olive ; legs grey
brown. Inhabits St. Domingo.
SURINAM THRUSH.
a
Size of a lark ; length six inches and a half; bill
blackish ; colour of the plumage glossy black, which
is of a beautiful yellow, on each side of the breast
is a pale yellow spot; rump tawny yellow ; lesser
wing coverts white, forming a spot of the same on the
wing ; quills blackish, and all of them, except the
two outer ones yellow at the base on the inner web;
legs brown.
PALM THRUSH.
Size of the preceding ; bill, legs, crown, neck,
breast, and under parts ash colour ; forehead and
cheeks black, marked with one white spot on each
side of the forehead ; one above, and another below
each eye; chin white, the same colour extending
beneath each cheek ; upper part of the body, and
wings olive green ; quills brown, edged with olive
green. Inhabits Cayenne where it frequents the
palm-trees.
CINNAMON THRUSH.
Less than a redwing ; length seven inches ; bill
black, and curved at the point; the upper parts of
this bird, the quills, and tail are cinnamon colour;
belly, thighs, and vent the same, but paler; the chin,
sides of the head, under the eye, the throat, and breast
are black, bordered with white; wing coverts black ;
lesser ones tipped with white; the middle and
greater ones with rafous ; legs black. Native of
Cayenne

RUFOUS-FRONTED THRUSH, &c.
429
RUFOUS-FRONTED THRUSH.
LESS than a lark; bill blackish ; "upper parts
brown ; wing coverts black, bordered with yellow;
forehead, sides of the head, above the eye, and all
the under parts to the vent reddish ; under tail co-
verts white; legs ash colour. Inhabits Cayenne.
MUSICIAN THRUSH.
a
A VERY small species ; length only four inches.
Bill nearly straight, black; crown, and upper parts
of the body, wings, tail, and thighs reddish brown,
with dusky stripes ; the chin, cheeks, under the eye,
and throat reddish orange; on each side of the neck,
beneath the eye is a broad patch of black, spotted with
white; the breast, belly, and vent are dusky white ;
tail an inch long ; legs yellowish.
This species inhabits Cayenne, where it feeds on
ants and other insects. It is a solitary bird, perching
alone on a tree, and never descending but for the
sake of its food. It has the name of musician from
the excellency of its song, which is by some thought
superior to that of the nightingale. It is said first to
repeat seven notes of the octave, after which it
whistles several airs of different tones and accents,
much resembling the music of a flute. At other times
its note resembles that of one man whistling to ano-
ther.
BARRED-TAILED THRUSH.
Size of the nightingale ; length five inches and a
half. Bill like that of the throstle ; crown black :
which colour descends on each side of the neck,
where it ends in a point; beneath the eye are several
small white streaks; chin and throat white; rest of

430
BUFF-WINGED THRUSH, &c.
the plumage reddish brown, palest beneath, except
thie tasi ovhich is grey ; barred with black; legs pale
yellow.
BUFF-WINGED THRUSH.
a
و
LENGTH six inches and a half ; bill one inch,
stout, and notched at the tip; crown of the head
black ; the upper parts of the body, wings, and tail
dark ash colour ; wing coverts barred with buff ;
quills brown ; under parts of the body dull rufous ;
tail wedge shaped ; legs brown. Supposed to come
from Cayenne.
WHITE-BACKED THRUSH
A LITTLE larger than the former ; length six inches.
Upper part of the head, neck, and back olive brown ;
wings brown ash colour; a white spot on the middle
of the back ; and some small spots of the same colour
on the wing coverts ; throat, fore part of the neck,
breast, and tail black; legs pale yellow
These birds inhabit the thick woods of Guiana,
where they are found in vast numbers : sometimes
running on the ground, and at other times leaping
on the low branches of trees, but seldom flying to
any considerable distance. They are very nimble;
feed on ants; and have a quavering kind of note, fol-
lowed by a sharp cry; often rereated when they are
answering one another.
TUFTED THRUSH.
LENGTH six inches ; irides black; head covered
with a crest of long black feathers, which can be
erected at pleasure ; throat black and white mixed ;
fore part of the neck and breast black ; rest of the
plumage ash colour; wing coverts and tail tipped
;
و

CHAMING THRUSH, &c.
431
with white. Inhabits Cayenne. They breed several
times in the year, and lay three eggs at a time. Their
cry is like that of a young chicken.
CHIMING THRUSR
A VERY small species ; length only four inches.
Upper mandible black; lower white; crown and cheeks
white, spotted with black; over the eye passes one
broad black stripe, and a narrow one from behind the
eye, blending itself with the former at the lowest part;
chin white; breast flesh colour, marked with small
black spots ; back, wings, and tail brown, deepest on
the hack ; wing coverts spotted with white; rump,
belly, and vent reddish orange; thighs ash coloured ;
legs dusky.
This species which inhabits Cayenne, though it
has the same food and habits with other thrushes, never
mixes with them. It is met with in flocks of half a
dozen ; and has a singular cry like the chiming of
three bells : but whether the three notes are uttered
by the same, or three different individuals is uncer-
tain. They will frequently continue this cry for se-
veral hours without ceasing.
BLACK-WINGED THRUSH.
a
Size of a sparrow ; length five inches and a half ;
bill straight, except at the tip, where it is a little
curved, the colour black; the upper parts of the head,
body, and rump mottled with reddish brown; the
under parts pale ash colour, mottled with dusky; the
wings are black, with a white band across them; tail
dusky; legs blackish brown. Found also at Cay-
enne, where it is very rare.
a

432
WHITE-EARED THRUSH, &c.
WHITE-EARED THRUSH.
a
Size of a sparrow ; length four inches and three
quarters ; bill and legs dusky; the top of the head
reddish brown, communicating with a collar of the
same half an inch broad on the breast; chin and
throat black ; a glossy white streak composed of fea-
thters longer and broader than the rest descends from
each eye down the sides of the neck ; the back,
wings, and tail are reddish, mixed with olive brown.;
under parts white. Inhabits Cayenne.
RUFOUS-NAPED THRUSH.
LENGTH near seven inches; bill blackish ; upper
parts reddish brown, with a patch of rufous at the
back part of the neck just below the head ; at the
base of the nostrils is a white spot; chin of the same
colour; throat white, mottled with black ; breast
greyish brown ; belly, thighs and vent ash colour ;
legs reddish brown. Inhabits Cayenne.
a
ALARUM THRUSH.
LENGTH six inches and a half; bill black above,
white beneath ; plumage brown above, white be-
neath, marbled with dusky on the breast; tail an inch
and a quarter long, and even ; legs pale lead colour.
Inhabits Cayenne It has a remarkable cry resem-
bling the larum of a clock, which is heard morning
and evening for about half an hour at a time. Es-
teemed good food,
a
LINEATED THRUSH.
This is a small species ; in length only five inches
and a half; bill brown ; the upper parts of the body

ANT THRUSH, &c.
433
olive brown; as are the rump, belly, and vent, but
paler; the chin and throat are white; the breast and
belly speckled with small numerous brown spots ;
sides of the neck from the eye to the wings dashed
with slender white lines, and some of the wing coverts
spotted with buff; legs pale brown. Native likewise
of Cayenne.
ANT THRUSH.
Size of a lark; length six inches. Bill, wings,
chin, throat, and breast black; irides reddish ; eye
placed in a naked blue skin s upper parts reddish
brown, margined with reddish; tail reddish ; a patch
of black on the middle of the back; wing coverts
tipped with reddish yellow; bastard wing white ; a
mixture of black and white feathers proceeding from
the nostrils, passes all round on each side of the neck
to the breast, taking in the eye, under which it is
broadest, the belly, thighs, and vent are ash colour;
legs bluish. This bird associates with the former,
and is said to have a tremulous note ending in a sharp
short cry: They are lively birds, but seldom fly to
any distance ; and are often seen running up the
trees supporting themselves by the tail like the wood-
pecker.
BLU E-TAILED THRUSH.
LARGER than the blackbird ; length eight inches
and a half ; bill and legs brown ; from the top of the
head to the nape black; from the nostrils to the back
of the neck orange; from the opening of the beak,
taking in the eye and passing on each side of the neck
to the back black; chin and throat pale yellow ; on
the breast a broad band of blue; the back, scapulars,
and adjoining wing coverts reddish brown ; those
next the outer part and quills black, except the greater
VOL. I.
36

434
XING THRUSH, &c.
wing coverts, which have a white tip, forming an
oblique indented band on the wing; the tail is wedge
shaped, and blue; the under parts transversely strip-
ed with blue and yellow. Inhabits Guiana, but is a
very rare species. It is regarded as a connecting
link between the thrushes and the crows.
KING THRUSI.
;
3
Size of the missel thrush, but has a short tail : only
seven inches and a half long. The bill is brown,
and bent towards the point, resembling that of a
crow. . The upper parts are reddish brown, darkest
on the back, and wing coverts, each feather of which
has a pale shaft; quills dusky ; hind head lead co-
lour; forehead white, mixed with brown; under
parts reddish ; whitish towards the vent, "and clouded
with buff on the breast; from the side of the under
jaw is a streak of white ; and on the middle of the
breast a triangular spot of the same; tail just visible;
legs long, reddish, and bare above the knees.
This bird inhabits Guiana and Brazil, and is chiefly
found in the neighbourhood of great ant hills, feeding
on ants in company with other species, with which
it is more frequently seen than with its own. They
are not very active, and are generally seen on the
ground. Their flesh is esteemed good food.
CHILIAN THRUSH.
NEARLY the size of the blackbird ; bill somewhat
streaked ; general plumage of the body glossy black;
tail wedge shaped. It commonly breeds in holes ;
is noisy and imitative, and much admired for its fine
song.

THICK-BILLED THRUSH, &c
435
THICK-BILLED THRUSH.
Size of the missel thrush ; length nine inches.
Bill very stout, and notched near the end, a few bris-
tles at the base ; irides pearl coloured ; upper parts
reddish brown; cheeks, and under parts dusky brown,
inclining to ash colour about the neck ; each feather
marked down the shaft with a pale reddish streak as
far as the breast, and thence with a white one; the
quills, and two middle tail feathers darker than the
back; rest of the feathers like those of the redstart's
tail, but duller; the tail is even at the end, and the
feathers rather pointed at the tips ; legs dusky. In-
habits New Zealand, and Queen Charlotte's Sound.
BAY THRUSH.
Size of the common thrush ; length eight inches
and a half. Bill reddish pearl colour; general co-
lour reddish brown ; quills edged with dusky ; legs
dusky black. Inhabits Ulietea.
NEW HOLLAND THRUSH.
LENGTH seven inches. Bill straight, and black ;
all the fore part of the head and throat black ; rest of
the plumage pale bluish lead colour ; quills and tail
dusky, edged with the general colour; tail unless
two middle feathers tipped with white; legs black.
PACIFIC THRUSH.
LENGTH five inches and a half. Bill dusky ; up-
per parts of the plumage ash colour; sides of the
head under the eye, and all the under parts brownish
white ; the sides of the neck and breast more incline
ed to brown ; between the bill and eye a dusky streak;

436
SANDWICH THRUSA, &c.
tail black ; the tips of all the feathers white ; legs
dusky. Brought from the Friendly Isles, in the
Pacific Ocean.
SANDWICH THRUSH.
SAME size as the preceding ; bill dusky ; upper
parts, belly, and lower part of the thighs pale brown;
rest of the plumage white ash colour ; legs dusky.
Inhabits the Sandwich Islands.
LONG-BILLED THRUSH.
LENGTH nine inches and a half.; bill an inch and
a half long, bent, and of a brownish flesh colour,
slightly notched at the tip ; a few bristles at the open-
ing of the beak ; tongue half the length of the bill,
and jagged at the tip ; feathers on the head short and
pointed; plumage on the upper parts of the body
pale olive brown ; over the eye a pale yellowish
streak; wing coverts and quills margined with pale
yellow ; under parts pale brimstone colour; tail
rounded ; legs dusky flesh colour. Inhabits one of
the Society Islands.
WHITE-FRONTED THRUSH.
LENGTH almost seven inches; bill deep lead co-
lour, with a few bristles at the base ; a white spot on
the forehead ; upper parts deep lead colour, almost
black ; under yellowish buff; legs brown. Inhabits
New Zealand.
;
CHATTEKER TRIBE
This is a very elegant genus of bird, con-
taining twelve species; so peculiar to the American


8.
SILKEN-CHATTERER.

WAXEN CHATTERER; OR, SILK TAIL.
437
continent, that they are found in no other part of the
world, except the garrulus, or first species, which is
indigenous also in Asia and Europe, and is often seen
in England. The generic characters are, bill straight,
convex, upper mandible longer, somewhat bent in-
wards, and notched on both sides, nostrils beset with
bristles : tongue sharp, cartilaginous, divided.
WAXEN CHATTERER; OR, SILK TAIL.
a
a
This beautiful bird is about eight inches in length.
Its bill is black, and has a small notch at the end ; its
eyes, which are black and shining, are surrounded by
reddish; irides are placed in a band of black which
passes from the base of the throat to the hinder part
of the head. The feathers on the head are long,
forming a crest; the head, and all the upper parts of
the body are of a reddish ash colour; the throat black;
the breast and belly inclining to purple; the vent
and tail coverts in some nearly white, in others the
former reddish chesnut; and the latter ash colour.
The tail feathers are black, tipped with pale yellow ;
the quills are black : the third and fourth tipped on
the outer edges with white : the five following straw
colour, but in some bright yellow; the secondaries
are tipped with white, each being pointed with a flat
horny substance of the colour of red sealing wax.
The legs are short and black. The female is said to
want the horny appendages.
This bird is considered as one of the harder na-
tives of the arctic circle, which it however leaves in
the winter to visit the neighbourhood of Petersburgh
and Mosco, Bohemia, and sometimes Scotland, Eng-
land, France, and Italy. Their general food is
berries of various kinds : but they chiefly delight in
grapes ; and when they feed upon them are "esteem-
ed excellent food. A variety of this bird is found in
Carolina, Gorgia, and Mexico. There is a variety

438 PURPLE-BREASTED CHATTERER,
in America, which has the yellow on the breast in.
stead of the wing
PURPLE-BREASTD CHATTERER.
a
This bird is possessed of such rich and elegant
plumage, that the naturalists and travellers who des-
cribe it speak of it with a kind of rapture. A wright
blue is spread over the upper part of the body, of the
head, and of the neck; over the rump, the small co-
verts of the wings, and the upper coverts of the tail
it also appears, though not so remarkably on the in-
ferior tail coverts, the lower belly, and the thighs. A
fine violet purple covers the throat, neck, breast
, and
upper part of the belly, but is divided on the breast by
a belt of bright blue, which has procured this bird
the appellation of cordon blue, or knight of the Holy
Ghost. Below the first belt there is in some indivi-
duals another of a beautiful red, besides many flame
coloured spots on the neck and belly : these spots are
not disposed regularly, but scattered with an appear-
ance of the most elegant negligence. All the quills
are black ; but those of the tail and the secondaries
are edged externally with blue. Its length is about
eight inches, and its extent about thirteen. Bill and
legs black
These birds inhabit the warmer parts of America,
seldom being met with further south than Brazil, or
more northerly than Mexico. They never perform
distant journeys, but have periodical flights, which
are confined within a narrow circle; they appear
twice a year in the plantations, and though they ar-
rive nearly at the same time they are never observed
in flocks. They generally haunt the sides of creeks
in swampy ground, where they find among the aquatic
plants abundance of insects on which they feed.
They are in great request both for the beauty of their
plumage, and the delicacy of their flesh; but it is
و

SURINAM BLUE BIR ID


PURPLE-THROATED CHATTERER, &c
439
difficult to obtain both these advantages, for the plu-
mage is often spoiled in attempting to skin the bird ;
and this is probably the reason why so many imper-
fect specimens are brouglit from America. It is said
they often alight among the rice crops, and do con-
siderable injury
PURPLE-THROATED CHATTERER.
Each of the feathers of this is black throughout the
greater part of its length : but as they are generally
tipped with a beautiful beryl blue, this is really the
predominent colour of the plumage. In some parts
of the upper surface of the body, the dark hue strikes
through the coverts, but then it forms only small
specks, and it is totally concealed by the blue in the
under surface of the body only in some specimens ;
there are near the rump and thighs a few small fea-
thers which are partly black and partly red purple.
The throat, and a part of the neck are covered with a
broad spot of very bright violet purple, which in dif-
ferent subjects varies in extent. The wings and tail
feathers are almost all black, edged or tipped with
brown beryl. Inhabits Cayenne.
BLUE-BREASTED CHATTERER.
Head, nape, quills of the wings and tail black ;
throat, breast, lower part of the back, the outer edge
of the quills of the wings light blue ; a transverse
band of the same crosses the upper wing coverts;
belly yellowish white ; sides of a deeper shade. Na-
tive of America. Supposed by Buffon to be a variety
of the former
SILKY CHATTERER
ALMOs all the feathers in the body of this bird,
and the coverts of the wings and of the tail are

440
POMPADOUR CHATTERER.
a
;
unwebbed, and parted into filaments ; so that they
resemble silky bristles more than real feathers : a
property which is sufficient to distinguish it frorn all
other species. The general colour of its plumage is
bright blue varying into a fine sky blue, as in the pre-
ceding; but we must except the throat which is deep
violet, and the quills of the tail and of the wings which
are blackish; most of these are edged outwardly with
blue; the feathers of the head, and of the upper part
of the neck are long and narrow, and the ground co-
lour is brown; that of the feathers of the body and
breast consists of two colours; at the insertion of these
feathers it is white, and then purple violet, which in
some parts strikes through the blue of the incumbent
feathers; the bill is blue; and the legs are black.
Total length seven inches and one third ; the bill
about three quarters of an inch ; the extent of the
wings thirteen inches and one third; the tail about
three inches, consisting of twelve quills, and exceeds
the wings by an inch.
sting
Si
POMPADOUR CHATTERER.
Soita ako
All the plumage of this beautiful bird is bright
glossy purple, except the quills of its wings, which
are whitish, tipped with brown; and the lower wing
coverts which are entirely white; the under side of
the tail is of a lighter purple; the ground of the fea-
thers on every part of the body is white; the legs
are blackish; the bill grey brown, and on each side
of its base rises a small whitish streak passing under
the eyes, bounds the face. The feathers of the greater
wing coverts are oddly fashioned : long, narrow,
stiff, pointed, and spout shaped; their vanes parted,
their shaft white, and without webs at their tips. The
total length seven inches and a half; and the extent
of the wings about fourteen inches.
;

RED CHATTERER, &c.
441
This species resembles the European, in the naked
appendages of the wing, the shape of the bill; size
proportional ; dimension of the tail, and some other
particulars; but their instincts are very different, as
the European prefers the mountains, and the pompa-
dour the low marshy grounds. This species is mi-
gratory ; it appears in Guiana, near the inhabited
spots in March and September, feeding on the ripe
fruits, lodging among the large trees on the banks of
rivers, nestling on the highest branches, but never
retiring into the wide forests.
RED CHATTERER.
LENGTH about seven inches. The prevailing co-
lour of its plumage is red of different tints in different
parts of the bird'; on the upper part of the head is a
cap of long scarlet feathers; the same colour covers
the lower part of the belly, the thighs, the lower part
of the back, and almost to the end of the tail quills,
which are tipped with black ; the sides of the head,
the neck, the back, and the wings are shaded with
deep tints, which change the red into a fine crimson,
but the darkest cast is a sort of border which surrounds
the scarlet cap; the coverts of the wings are edged
with brown, which on the primaries becomes very ob-
scure, and almost terminates in black. The bill is
dull red; legs yellow. This like the former, is a bird
of passage, but is more common in the interior of
Guiana.
a
CARUNCULATED CHATTERER.
a
This remarkable species has a black bill and legs ;
the plumage in the male is of a spotless white; but in
the female it is a mixture of grey, olive, and yellow,
Its voice it is said resembles the sound of a bell, and
may be distinctly perceived at the distance of a mile ;
VOL 1.
3 L

442
VARIEGATED CHATTERER.
yet it is not a large bird, as its length is but twelve
inches, of which its tail makes nearly a quarter. But
the most remarkable character attending this bird is,
a sort of caruncle on the bill, which is covered with
feathers, and hangs down loosely when the bird is at
rest, but when the passions are roused, swells in every
dimension so that it is more than two inches long,
and a quarter of an inch in circumference at the base.
This effect is produced by air, which is driven through
an aperture of the palate into the cavity of the carun-
cle and inflates it This caruncle is common to the
male and female.
VARICGATED CHATTERER.
a
The head is deep brown; the quills of the wings
blackish ; their small coverts black; the great co-
verts blackish, with some mixture of brownish green ;
all the rest of the plumage is cinerious, mixed with
black chiefly on the back, and with green on the
rump and tail. The bill is broad at the base; tongue
short ; nostrils uncovered ; irides bluish black ; bill
and legs black. It has several black fleshy appen-
dices under the neck nearly of a lance shape, which
marks a slight affinity to the preceding, at the same
time that it discriminates it from the others.
The variegated chatterer is as large as a pigeon ;
the length of its bill, which is an inch, equals the
greatest breadth ; its legs are about an inch ; its tail
is three inches, and is almost wholly beyond the reach
of the wings. The female is rather smaller than the
male, and has not the fleshy appendices under the
neck; it resembles the fieldfare in shape and size ;
its plumage is a mixture of blackish, of brown, and
light green ; but the colours are distributed so, that
the brown predominates on the back, and the light
green on the throat, the breast, and the under part of
the body

SCARLET CHATTERER, &c.
443
These birds grow fat, and are good food. The
male has a very strong voice, which is inflected in
two different ways ; sometimes it resembles the noise
occasioned by striking a cutting instrument against a
wedge of iron; and sometimes it is like the jarring of
a hell that is cracked. It is heard in no part of the
year but during the six weeks of the middle of the
summer; that is in the southern hemisphere in De-
cember and January. It is remarked that its breast
is marked exteriorly with a furrow which runs through
its whole length; and also that its wind pipe is very
wide, which perhaps contributes to the strength of its
voice.
SCARLET CHATTERER.
This is a beautiful bird ; the predominent colour
is bright scarlet, with a purple cap on the head ;
neck and back olive ; wings margined with green ;
tail rounded. Native of South America.
CRESTED CHATTERER.
a
This species is distinguished by a large tuft of fea-
thers on the head, which with the tail is black; breast
and belly white ; neck and back reddish brown. Na
tive of America.
RED-WINGED CHATTERER,
Size of a lark ; length seven inches and a half.
Bill and legs black; nostrils covered by some re-
markable feathers ; plumage polished steel colour ;
lesser wing coverts beautiful crimson ; tail four in-
ches long. Said to inhabit Africa.
و

COLY TRIBE, &c.
Gant
COLY TRIBE.
Tuisgenus of bird is particularly distinguished by
the form and length of the tail, all the feathers of
which have vanes that continually diminish from the
insertion to the termination or tip. The generic
characters are as follows : bill short, thick, convex
ahove, plain below ; upper mandible curved ; nos-
trils small; generally covered with feathers at the
base of the bill ; tongue fringed at the tip; tail
wedge shaped, and long.
CAPE COLY.
a
a
Size of a chaffinch. The body is entirely ash co-
lour; pure on the back and rump, and mixed with
vinaceous on the head; the throat and neck have a
light lilac tint which deepens on the breast ; the belly
is a dull white; the quills of the tail ash colour : the
outermost ones edged with white : the middle ones
measure six inches; those on the sides diminish gra-
dually in length; the legs are grey; the claws
black ; the bill is grey, tipped with black. The
whole length of the bird is ten inches and a quarter;
so that the real dimensions of the body do not exceed
three inches and a half.
SENEGAL COLY.
Much resembles the preceding, but is about two
inches longer. It has a crest formed by projecting
feathers on the head of a greenish colour, with a well
defined bar of sky blue behind the head; at the ori-
gin of the neck the general colour is grey ash, with a
a

WAITE-BACKED COLY, &c.
445
vinaceous tint on the head, neck, and breast ; upper
mandible white, tipped with black; tail tapered,
Inhabits Senegal.
WHITE-BACKED COLY.
LENGTH twelve inches. The upper mandible is
white at the base, and black the rest of the length ;
the under mandible white; general colour of the plu-
mage bluish ash colour; the head is abundantly
crested, some of the feathers longer than the head
itself, and capable of being erected at pleasure ; the
under parts are dull white; the lower part of the
back, rump, and tail coverts are purple, striped with
white down the middle ; shafts of the tail feathers
chesnut; outer feathers have the outer webs white;
legs stout and red; all the four toes placed forwards.
Inhabits the south of Africa.
;
RAYED COLY.
a
LENGTH thirteen inches ; bill black above, whitish
beneath ; the plumage above is of a dull grey, with
a light tinge of lilac, which inclines to red on the
rump and tail; the breast is rufous grey ; and the
belly rufous, both transversely striped with brown ;
the tail is green, and greatly wedge shaped like that
of the others; the two middle feathers are eight in-
ches and a half in length. This is likewise found in
the neighbourhood of the Cape of Good Hope.
a
PANAYAN COLY.
Bill black; head crested ; neck, and upper parts
of the body grey ash colour, tinged with yellow;
breast the same, crossed with transverse lines of
black , lower part of the helly, and upper part of the
tail red ; legs pale flesh colour.

416
GREEN COLY, &c.
GREEN COLY.
Size of the thrush ; length twelve inches ; bill
black; forehead, and edges of the eye-lids covered
with soft black feathers ; rest of the plumage deep
glossy green ; quills and tail dusky. İnhabits New
Holland.
be
INDIAN CO Y.
LENGTH fourteen inches. Bill black, red at the
base ; the lope, and a space round the eye of the
same colour ; crown and nape pale grey ash; fore-
head and chin yellow ; fore part of the neck, and
under parts pale red; back, wings, and tail cinerious
lead colour; legs red. Native of India.
GROSBEAK TRIBE.
The general characters of the grosbeaks are a
strong thick convex beak, rounded from the base to
the point of each mandible, and admirably adapted
for breaking in pieces the shells of the seeds on which
they feed. The nostrils are small and round; and
the tongue appears as if the end was cut off. The
toes, except in one species, are placed three for-
wards.
They are not numerous in this island : and such of
them as visit us make but a short stay, leaving us
again to rear their young in other countries. They
are shy and solitary birds, who do not add much to
the general harmony of the groves.
wlod
solo


CROSSBILL

CROSSBILL.
447
CROSSBILL.
The length of this bird is about seven inches. Its
eyes are bazel. Its general colour is reddish mixed
with brown in the upper parts, the under parts paler;
the wings which are shot brown ; the tail of the
same colour, and somewhat forked. Individuals
vary greatly in the colours of their plumage ; but
birds of this species are easily distinguished by the
peculiar construction of their beak, the upper and
lower mandibles curving in opposite directions and
crossing each other at the points.
The crossbill inhabits the coldest climates, having
been found in Greenland, and the most dreary parts
of North America. It breeds in Russia, Sweden,
Poland, Germany, among the Alps, Pyrenees, and
the mountains of Switzerland, whence it migrates in
vast flocks into other countries. Its visits to this are
very irregular, as it is sometimes to be seen in great
numbers, and at others rarely to be met with. It
feeds principally on the seeds of the pine tree, which
the peculiar structure of its beak enables it more
readily to extract from the core. It is easily tamed,
when its manners resemble those of the parrot, as it
climbs up and down by means of its bill; but it is
very mischievous, wrenching things in pieces for the
pleasure of exercising the surprising force with which
it can employ its beak in a side-ways direction. The
female is said to begin to build as early as January;
she places her nest under the bare branches of the
pim tree, fixing it with the resinous matter wbich is-
sues from that tree, and besmearing it on the outside
with the same substance, so that the melted snow or
rain cannot penetrate it.
In some places it has the name of shell-apple, from
the ease with which it tears apples in pieces in order
to come at the pips,

448
GROSBEAK.
GROSBEAK; GR, HANFINCH.
a
:
The length of this species is nearly seven inches;
the breadth thirteen, and the weight two ounces.
The bill is of a horn colour, conical, and prodigiously
thick at the base, from which circumstance it derives
its name. The irides ash coloured ; the space be-
tween the bill and the eye, and thence to the chin
and throat is black ; a line also of the same colour
proceeds above the beak from eye to eye ; the top of
the head is of a reddish chesnut, as are also the cheeks
but somewhat paler; the back part of the neck is of
a greyish ash colour ; the back, and lesser wing co-
verts chesnut ; the greater wing coverts are grey, in
some almost white; the quills are all black, except-
ing some of the secondaries nearest the body which
are brown ; the four outermost secondaries seem as
if cut off at the ends ; the prime quills have each of
them a spot of white about the middle of the inner
weh ; the breast and belly are of a pale rust colour,
growing almost white at the vent; the tail is black,
excepting the ends of the middle feathers which are
grey, the outer ones are tipped with white; the
legs are pale brown. The colours of the female are
less vivid than those of the male ; and the space be-
tween the bill and the eye is grey instead of black.
These birds vary considerably in their plumage, but
are generally to be distinguished by the white bars on
their wings, and the peculiar shape of the four outer-
most secondaries.
This bird is a native of Germany, Italy, Swellen,
and the southern parts of Russia ; it is frequently
met with in France; but visits this country only oc-
casionally, and generally in winter. It is a shy and
solitary bird, with little or no song; inhabiting the
woods during the summer, and in winter resorting to
the neighbourhood of man.
The female builds her


PINE-GROSBEAK.

GROSTBEAK.
de
|


PINE GROSBEAK, &c.
449
nest in hollow trees, or between the forked branches,
about twelve feet from the ground, of small dried
roots and grass, lined with liverwort, or other warm
materials. The eggs are roundish, of a bluish
green, spotted with olive brown, interspersed with
a few irregular black marks. The female feeds her
young with insects, chrysalids, and other soft nutri-
cious substances.
PINE GROSBEAK, OR GREATEST BULFINCH.
a
The pine grosbeak is nine inches long, and weighs
two ouncés ; its bill is dusky, very stout at the base,
and somewhat hooked at the point; the head, and
under parts of the body, are of a fine rose-coloured
crimson ; the back, and lesser wing coverts black,
each feather being edged with reddish ; the greater
wing coverts black, tipped with white, forming two
bars ; on the wing the quills are black, with pale
edges, the secondaries of the same colour, edged
with white; belly and vent straw-coloured; the tail
rather forked, and the legs brown.
This bird inhabits Scotland, Lapland, Sweden,
the northern parts of Russia, and Siberia, Hudson's
bay, and the territories of the United States. It
principally frequents the pine forests, and feeds on
the seeds of the pine tree. The female makes her
nest on trees, at a small distance from the ground,
and lays four white eggs, which are hatched in June.
The young are for some time of a plain dull blue.
GREEN GROSBEAK, OR GREEN LINNET.
The bill is of a pale reddish brown, or flesh-colour;
eyes dark; the plumage in general is of a yellowish
green ; the top of the head, neck, back, and lesser
coverts olive green; the greater coverts, and outer
edges of the secondary quills ash-coloured; the vent
3 M
VOL. 1.

450
BULFINCH.
و
and tail coverts the same, dashed with yellow; the
rump yellow
These birds are common in every part of our
island. They do not migrate, but change their
quarters according to the season of the year. They
keep together in small flocks during the extremity
of the winter, when they seek for the shelter of
villages and farm yards, and disperse to breed in the
spring. The female makes her nest in hedges, or
low bushes; it is composed of dry grass, and lined
with hair, wool, and other warm materials ; she lays
five or six eggs, of a pale greenish colour, marked
at the larger end with spots of a reddish brown.
She is so attentive to her young, that she may some-
times be taken on her nest. The male takes his turn
in sitting during the time of incubation.
The green grosbeak is the easiest of all birds to
tame, and will take meat from the hand five minutes
after it is caught, if it have been carried into a dark
room, and been made to hop from one hand to the
other, by putting under its breast, the fore-finger of
each hand alternately. After having been exercised
in this way for a little, and after having the light let
in gradually upon it, it will eat bruised seed out of
the hand, and continue ever after tame,
BULFINCH.
This well known bird has a strong dusky bill, a
little hooked at the point. Its head, the origin of
the neck, wings, and tail, are black; the wings are
barred with white; the breast and belly are of a
crimson. The colours of the female are less vivid,
and the under parts of a reddish brown.
This bird inhabits every part of this island, as well
as most countries in Europe. In summer it inhabits
the woods and thickets, in winter it approaches the
cultivated grounds, and feeds on seeds and berries,

CORUM
B ULL TINCIH
WINCHAT


CAREINAL GROSBEAK.
451
and in the spring it frequents gardens, where it
destroys the worms which are lodged in the tender
buds. The female builds her nest in bushes, it is
composed chiefly of moss; she lays six eggs, of a
dull bluish white, marked at the larger end with dark
spots. In a wild state its note is very simple, but
when kept in a cage, both male and female may be
taught to whistle a variety of tunes, and even to sing
in parts, and to articulate words. They are capable
of great attachments, and a very strong resentment of
injuries.
CARDINAL GROSBEAK.
This bird is nearly eight inches in length. The
bill is stout, and of a pale red colour. On the
head is a pointed crest : the plumage is in
general of a fine red, but round the bill and throat
it is black. The legs are of the same colour as
the bill.
It is an inhabitant of several parts of North Ame.
rica ; and from the melody of its song, which is said
somewhat to resemble that of the nightingale, some
of the Americans give it the same name. In spring
and during great part of the summer, it sits on the
tops of the highest trees, and with its loud and
piercing notes makes the forests echo.
The cardinal grosbeaks are chiefly remarkable for
laying up during the summer their winter provision
of maize and buck-wheat. Nearly a bushel of maize
has been found in the retreat of one of these birds,
artfully covered with leaves and small branches of
trees, and only a small hole left for the bird to
enter at.
The inhabitants frequently keep them in cages,
where they will sing, with a very short interval of
silence, through the whole year.

452
POPE, RED-BREASTED GROSBEAK, &c.'
In a state of confinement the male and female
are said to be at such enmity as to kill each other.
PoPE
Has an elegant upright pointed crest, which with
the head and neck are of a very rich scarlet ; sides
of the neck, breast, and belly white ; upper part of
the neck, back, wings, and tail dark grey ; legs
flesh-colour. A little smaller than the last, Has a
soft feeble note. Inhabits from Louisiana to Brazil.
RED-BREASTED GROSBEAK
Has the head, chin, back, tail, and legs black;
breast and inner coverts rose-colour, rest of the wings
black, variegated with white; lower part of the back,
belly, and vent white. Inhabits from New York to
Louisiana, is seen there only in the summer, and is a
scarce bird.
SPOTTED GROSBEAK.
Head, neck, and under part of the body white,
marked with narrow spots of brown ; a line of white
above each eye ; back, tail, and wings brown, varie-
gated with white and yellow.
FANTAIL GROSBEAK.
:
Bill dusky; head, neck, breast, and belly scarlet ;
back and wings dusky, tinged with scarlet ; coverts
of the tail a rich red; tail dusky, edged with red.
Inhabits Virginia. This species has a custom of
spreading its tail like a fan.

SURINAM RED BIRD


YELLOW-BELLIED GROSBBAK, &c.
453
YELLOW-BELLIED GROSBEAK
Has a yellow bill ; red head; hind part of an
olive brown; hind part of the neck, and whole under
side, of a fine red ; wings, lower part of the back,
and the tail olive; the two middle feathers of the
last excepted, which are red; belly yellow. Inhabits
Virginia
DUSKY GROSBEAK.
GENERAL colour dusky, varied with pale brown
and white. Inhabits New York,
BLUE GROSBÈAK.
General colour a deep blue; primaries and tail
brown; wing coverts barred with red. Inhabits
Carolina during the summer ; is a scarce bird, and
has but a single note.
a
PURPLE GROSBEAK.
PLUMAGE all over purple, with a stripe of scarlet
over each eye. Inhabits the Bahama Islands, and
feeds on certain berries, which are considered as
poisonous to other animals.
GREY GROSBEAK.
PLUMAGE light grey ; head and neck white. In-
habits Virginia.
;
CANADA GROSBEAK.
Chin black, upper parts olive green, lower yellow-
ish. Inhabits Cayenne, and probably Canada.

454
WHITE-WINGED CROSSBILL, &c.
WHITE-WINGED CROSSBILL.
а
i
This is a small species, about the size of a gold-
finch, and measures only five inches and three quar-
ters in length. The bill is like that of the common
crossbill, of a dusky horn colour; nostrils covered
with reflected bristles, of a pale buff colour ; at the
base of the bill, from eye to eye, goes a streak of
brown; the feathers on the head, neck, back, and
under parts, are whitish deeply margined with crion-
son; and as some part of the white appears not
fully covered with the crimson, it gives the bird a
mottled appearance : the rump is pale crimson ;
the vent dirty white; the wing is black, marked with
a bar of white from the shoulder, passing obliquely
backwards; and a second bar, or rather spot, of the
same below that, but only in the inner half ; the
second quills are each of them tipped with white;
the tail black ; legs brown. Comes from Hudson's
Bay, and New York.
WHITE-THROATED GROSBEAK
LENGTH seven inches and a half ; bill very stout,
red, and furnished with a process on beeh side of the
upper mandible, about the middle of the edges it is
surrounded with black, which passes downwards
before, and covers the forepart of the neck; in the
middle of this, on the chin and throat, is a large
patch of white; legs dusky blue ; general colour of
the plumage deep blue. Inhabits Surinam, where
it is called the combiter.
MEXICAN GROSBEAK.
LARGER than the common ; length six inches and
three quarters ; general colour blood red; upper

BRASILIAN GROSBEAK, &c.
455
tail coverts blackish, mixed with red quills, and tail
blackish; the wings reach the middle of the tail.
BRASILIAN GROSBEAK.
LENGTH five inches and three quarters ; bill short,
thick, and of a flesh-colour; head and chin red ;
beneath this a ring of white, not quite meeting on
the forepart ; back and wing coverts brown ; quills
and tail black; the coverts and secondaries have pale
reddish tips; end of the tail white; the breast, belly,
and sides reddish white, marked with round spots of
white, encircled with black : middle of the belly red;
rump dusky. Native of Brasil.
DOMINICAN GROSBEAK.
a
و
Size of a lark; upper mandible brown ; under
pale flesh-colour ; eyes bluish ; the head, throat,
fore part of the neck deep red ; hind part of the
neck blackish, with a slight mixture of white; wing
coverts, back, rump, upper tail coverts, and scapulars
grey, mixed with a few black spots ; sides of the
neck, breast, belly, thighs, and vent whitish; quills
black, edged with white; tail black ; legs cinerious.
Of this species there are two other varieties, all of
which inhabit Brasil.
St. DOMINGO GROSBEAK
Size of the greenfinch ; length five inches and
three quarters; bill reddish; the eyes placed in a
patch of white ; the upper parts of the plumage
green brown ; the edges of the feathers palest, the
under parts dull rufous, spotted with brown ; lower
belly and vent white; quills black; tail and legs
dusky brown.

456
YELLOW-HEADED GROSBEAK, &c.
YELLOW-HEADED GROSBEAK.
LENGTH five inches and three quarters ; bill pale
flesh-colour ; irides hazel; the upper parts of the
body dull brown, spotted with black; beneath pale
brown, with spots of dull brown; the forepart of
the head, cheeks, and throat yellow; behind the eyes
a brown band, which passes towards the back; quills
and tail blackish ; legs brownish horn colour. In-
habits Mexico.
WHITE-BILLED GROSBEAK.
GENERAL colour black ; breast and belly chesnut ;
the two middle tail feathers longest. This was sent
from South America by Jacquin, and described from
the living bird by Scopoli. That mentioned by
Buffon had a white bill, and come from Guiana.
a
BLACK GROSBEAK.
Size of a Canary-bird ; length five inches and a
quarter ; bill black, stout, and deeply notched in the
middle of the upper mandible; plumage black,
except a little white on the forepart of the wings, and
base of the two first quills ; legs black. Native of
Mexico.
AMERICAN GROSBEAK.
Size of the smallest titmouse ; length not four
inches ; bill black; plumage on the upper parts
black; beneath white, except a band of black across
the breast ; above which the white passes in a narrow
crescent almost round the neck ; on the wings are
two bands of white; tail rounded, and black; legs

BLACK-HEADED GROSBEAK, &c.
457
brown. This is in the British Museum, and comes
Irom America.
BLACK-HEADED GROSBEAK.
a
LENGTH nine- inches ; bill very stout, one inch
long, and black ; at the middle of the edge of the
upper mandible, is a sharp process, and a notch on
the under one, partiy corresponding with it, the
base white; head and throat black; general colour
of the plumage deep crimson, inclining to pink on
the under parts ; quills and tail of a dusky red ; legs
brown. The female has the head and throat black;
the upper parts of the body greenish olive, with a
mixture of red; sides of the neck of a deep orange
red ; quills olive green, with the outer edges red.
Inhabits Cayenne.
a
CROWNED GROSBEAK.
LARGER than the bulfinch ; bill white, half an
inch long ; on the head is a full black crest; the
upper parts of the body, wings, and tail, are scarlet :
the under blue ; on the middle of the forepart of the
neck a black spot. Inhabits America.
BLUE-SHOULDERED GROSBEAK.
The general colour of this bird is green; but the
ving coverts on the shoulders are blue; the quills
and tail black, with greenish margins. Native of
Surinam.
slog
WHITE-TAILED GROSBEAK.
solo
LENGTH Only three inches; hill like red sealing-
wax; head and wing coverts cinerious ; back of a
rich yellow; breast and belly pale yellow; tail white;
3 N
VOL. 1

458
EROWN-CHEEKED GROSDEAK, &c.
the two outer feathers black ; legs flesh-colour. In-
habits Brasil.
BROWN-CHEEKED GROSBEAK.
Bill stout, thick, dusky ; cheeks brown, sur-
rounded by a yellow border, reaching beyond the
ears, and beginning at the throat; the rest of the
head, back, wings, and tail, pale dirty green ; breast
and belly cinerious; legs whitish. Inhabits Mexice.
MINUTE GROSBEAK.
ز
A SMALL species ; bill stout, thick, short, brown ;
upper parts of the plumage grey brown ; the under
parts of the rump rusty chesnut ; the fourth, fifth,
and sixth quills white at the base ; legs brown. In-
habits Surinam and Cayenne. This bird is said to
keep paired to its mate the whole year; frequents
lands which have lain for a long time uncultivated ;
lives, both on fruits and seeds ; cries like a sparrow,
but sharper; makes a roundish nest, the hollow of
which is two inches in diameter, composed of a
reddish herb, and placed on the trees which it fre-
quents. The female lays three or four eggs.
a
DWARF GROSBEAK.
Size of a wren; bill very stout and thick ; upper
parts of the plumage brown; rump and under parts
testaceous ; prime quills white at the base ; seconda
ries white on the inside, towards the base; tail even;
the feathers somewhat sharp at the tip, and of a pale
colour. Inhabits Surinam in South America, and is
found in China and the East Indies.

NORTHERN GROSBEAK, &c.
459
NORTHERN GROSBEAK.
The colour of this bird is wholly black, except a
spot of white on the wing. Inhabits the northern
parts of Europe.
HAMBURGH GROSBEAK.
Size of a bulfinch ; bill black; irides yellow';
upper part of the head and neck reddish brown, with
a purplish tinge; throat brown ; fore part of the
neck white, banded with brown across the middle ;
breast, back, rump, scapulars, and upper tail coverts
yellowish brown, marked with black; belly, sides,
thighs, and vent white ; on the wing coverts two
white bands ; quills yellowish brown; tail brown.
Inhabits the neighbourhood of Hamburgh, running
up and down the trees like a titmouse, and feeds on
insects. Latham supposes this to be the same with
the tree sparrow.
FLAMINGO GROSBEAK.
;
1
Bill and legs red, the former surrounded with
feathers tipped with black; forehead and space
round the eyes white ; rest of the head and sides of
the neck fine rose colour ; fore part of the neck,
breast, and belly pale rose colour ; like the flamingo,
third and fourth quills black ; tips of the lower order
of wing coverts dusky, forming a bar of the same on
the wing ; on the rump a spot of black; upper sur-
face of the tail pale soot colour; rest of the body
white. Brought from Upsal, in Sweden.

460
GRENADIER GROSBEAK, &c
GRENADIER GROSBEAK.
THE grenadier grosbeak is of about the size of a
sparrow. The body is in general of a beautiful red
colour. The forehead, sides of the head, chin,
breast, and belly are black. The wings are brown.
And the legs pale brown.
The Cape of Good Hope, and some other parts of
Africa are frequented by this bird; which is supposed
to be the finch described by Kolben, in his account
of the Cape. He says it is chiefly found in marshy
and reedy grounds, where it makes its nest, and pro-
duces its young. The nest is formed among the
reeds with small twigs, interwoven so closely with
cotton as not to be penetrated by any weather. It
is also divided into two compartments ; of which
the upper is for the male, and the lower for the
female and the young.
In winter, he further
informs us, these birds change from scarlet to ash-
colour.
The appearance of these birds among the green
reeds of their native climates, is said to have a won-
derful effect ; for from the extreme brightness of
their colours, they appear like so many scarlet lilies.
ABYSSINIAN GROSBEAK.
This is somewhat larger than the last species ;
having the bill strong and black ; the head, throat,
and breast, black; the upper parts of the body, the
belly and thighs, of a pale yellowish brown; the quills
and tail brown, edged with yellow; and the legs
a
1
reddish grey
This bird is found in Abyssinia. It forms a cu-
rious nest, of a pyramidal shape ; which is suspended
from the ends of branches, like the nests of some
others of this tribe. The opening is on one side,

BONGAL GROSBEAK.
461
facing the east ; the cavity is separated in the middle
by a partition to half its height ; up this the bird
ascends perpendicularly, and then descending on th
other side, forms its nest in the further chamber. By
this means the brood is defended from snakes, squir-
rels, monkeys, and other mischievous animals; be-
;
sides being secured from the rains, wbich in that
country last sometimes for five or six months to-
gether.
BENGAL GROSBEAK,
The Bengal grosbeak seem to be the same as is
described by Sir William Jones in the Asiatic Re-
searches. “ It is,” he says, “rather larger than a
sparrow; with yellow brown plumage, a yellowish
head and feet, light coloured breast, and a conic beak
very thick in proportion to its body.
“ This bird is exceedingly common in Hindostan;
he is astonishingly sensible, faithful, and docile; never
voluntarily deserting the place where his young are
hatched, but not averse, like most other birds, to the
society of mankind, and easily taught to perch on the
hand of his master. In a state of nature he generally
builds his nest on the highest tree that he can find,
especially on the palmyra, or on the Indian fig-tree,
and he prefers that which happens to overhang a well
or a rivulet : he makes it of grass, which he weaves
like cloth, and shaped like a large bottle, suspending
it firmly on the branches, but so as to rock with the
wind, and placing it with its entrance downwards to
secure it from birds of prey. His nest usually con-
sists of two or three chambers; and it is popularly
believed that he lights them with fire-flies, which
he is said to catch alive at night, and confine with
moist clay or with cow-dung. That such flies are
often found in his nest, where pieces of cow-dung
are also stuck, is indubitable ; but as their light could

462
SOCIABLE GROSBEAK.
“
a
be of little use to him, it seems probable that he only
feeds on them.
He may be taught with ease to fetch a piece of
paper, or any small thing that his master points out
to him. It is an attested fact, that if a ring be drop-
ped into a deep well, and a signal given to him, he
will fly down with amazing celerity, catch the ring
before it touches the water, and bring it up to his
master with apparent exultation ; and it is confi-
dently asserted, that if a house or any other place be
shown to him once or twice, he will carry a note
thither immediately, on a proper signal being made.
One instance of his docility I can myself mention
with confidence, having often been an eye-witness
of it. The young Hindoo women at Benares, and
in other places, wear very thin plates of gold, called
ticas, slightly fixed, by way of ornament, between
their eye-brows; and when they pass through the
streets, it is not uncommon for the youthful liber-
tines, who amuse themselves with training these
birds, to give them a signal, which they understand,
and send them to pluck the pieces of gold from the
foreheads of their mistresses, which they bring in
triumph to their lovers."
SOCIABLE GROSE EAK.
The sociable grosbeaks are inhabitants of the in-
terior country at the Cape of Good Hope, where
they were first discovered by Mr. Paterson.
Few other birds live together in such large
societies, or have a mode of nidification so uncommon
as these. They build their nest in a species of mi-
mosa ; which grows to an uncommon size, and seems
well suited to them, on account of its ample head,
and strong wide spreading branches, well calculated
to admit and support the extensive mansion they
have to erect upon it. The tallness and smoothness

SOCIABLE GROSBEAK.
463
manner.
of its trunk is also a perfect defence against the ser-
pent and monkey tribes: The mode in which the
nests are fabricated is highly curious. In one tree,
described by Mr. Paterson, there could not be fewer
than from eight hundred to a thousand under one
general roof. Mr. P. calls it a roof, because he says
it resembles that of a thatched house ; and projects
over the entrance of the nest below, in a very singular
" The industry of these birds seems al-
most equal (says this traveller) to that of the bee.
Throughout the day they appear to be busily em-
ployed in carrying a fine species of grass ; which is
the principal material they employ for the purpose of
erecting this extraordinary work, as well as for addi-
tions and repairs. Though my short stay in the
country was not sufficient to satisfy me by ocular
proof, that they added to their nest as they annually
increased in numbers ; still, from the many trees
which I have seen borne down by the weight, and
others which I have observed with their boughs
completely covered over, it would appear that this
is really the case.
When the tree, which is the sup-
port of this aërial city, is obliged to give way to the
increase of weight, it is obvious that they are no
longer protected, and are under the necessity of re-
building in other trees. One of these deserted
nests I had the curiosity to break down, to inform
myself of the internal structure of it ; and found it
equally ingenious with that of the external. There
are many entrances ; each of which forms a regular
street, with nests on both sides, at about two inches
distant from each other. The grass with which
they build is called the boshman's-grass : and I be-
lieve the seed of it to be their principal food; though,
on examining their nests I found the wings and legs
of different insects. From every appearance, the
nest which I dissected had been inhabited for many
years; and some parts of it were much more com-

464
PARROT-BILLED GROSBEAK.
plete than 'others. This, therefore, I conceive ta
amount nearly to a proof, that the animals added to
it at different times, as they found necessary, from
the increase of the family, or rather of the nation or
community.
PARROT-EILLED GROSBEAK.
Size only of the hedge-sparrow ; length seven
inches; the bill fashioned much like that of a parrot,
the upper mandible being elongated, and curved at
the point; the under one short : colour of the bill
pale, with a dusky tip; the head and part of the neck
in the male are yellow; the rest of the plumage a
greenish olive brown, palest beneath ; the edges of
the quills and tail yellowish; the last even at the ends;
legs pale brown. The plumage in the female is not
unlike that of the male, except the head, which is the
same as the other parts of the body, with a mixture
of yellowish grey about the sides of the head. Native
of the Sandwich islands.
CAUCASIAN GROSBEAK.
و
LENGTH eight inches; upper mandible brown ;
under whitish ; eyes brown; upper part of the head
and body, and the fore part of the neck and breast,
marked with triangular spots of white ; belly and
vent pale rose-colour, waved with whitish ; under
tail coverts rose-coloured brown; thighs hoary ;
base of all the feathers deep ash-colour; prime coverts
and quills brown, edged with rose-colour ; tail glossy
black; outer feathers margined with whitish, rest
with rose-colour; legs black.
This species inhabits the coldest parts of the Cau-
casian mountains, especially the gravelly hollows ;
and lives on the sea buckthorn berries, which grow
there plentifully, and which it is the means of propa-

465
CAPE GROSBEAK, &c.
gating. They fly in large flocks, and have a note
like that of a bulfinch.
CAPE GROSBEAK.
latlash
Size of a chaffinch ; length six inches and a quar-
ter; bill very stout ; that and the legs dusky; gene-
ral plumage deep black; feathers of the head short,
like plush or velvet; shoulders of the wings, lower
part of the back and rump, deep yellow ; rest of the
wing reddish brown, edged with grey; greater quills
with yellow. Inhabits the East Indies and the south
of Africa
LONG-TAILED GROSBEAK.
Size of a house-sparrow, length seven inches ;
tail wedge-shaped, and nearly half the length of the
bird. General colour black, barred with reddish
yellow across the back and wing coverts ; bill and
legs dusky. Inhabits Whidah, in Africa.
GOLDEN-BACKED GROSBEAK.
LENGTH six inches ; bill, head, and neck deep
black ; back a rich golden yellow ; wing coverts
light brown, spotted with black ; breast and belly
black ; legs bluish. The female is of a dark brown,
and it is remarkable that the cocks change their
colour twice a year, and in the winter exactly resem-
ble the hens. "It inhabits Benguelo, in Africa,
INDIAN GROSBEAK.
Bigger than the common ; length eight, inches ;
bill and legs yellow; plumage red; head crested ;
toes long
30
VOL. I.

466
MADAGASCAR GROSBEAK, &c.
MADAGASCAR GROSBEAK.
Size of a house-sparrow ; length about five inches;
bill dusky ; general colour red; a streak of black
through the eye; the middle of each feather on the
back is black; quills and tail brown, margined with
olive green ; legs grey brown. Inhabits Madagascar
and India.
PARADISE GROSBEAK.
LENGTH neariy six inches ; bill and legs flesh-
colour ; head and chin red; hind part of the neck,
back, rump, and wing coverts, bluish ash-colour;
upper tail coverts margined with grey ; under parts
white, marbled with curved spots of black on the
sides; wing coverts tipped with white ; quills and
tail deep blue ash, tipped with grey. Native of
Angola.
SIBERIAN GROSBEAK.
a
a
Size of a linnet, but fuller of feathers ; bill a little
longer than in the bulfinch; round the base of it the
feathers are of a deep purple ; head and back of a
deep rose-colour, marked with brown, as in the line
net, the under parts paler, and not spotted; the fea-
thers about the head, have the tips of a polished
white, appearing very vivid in some lights; base of
the wing white; coverts the same, with black tips,
forming a double oblique bar on the wings ; quills
edged with white; tail longer than the body; the
outer feathers white; the others black, with pale
margins. The female and young birds are the
colour of a linnet, with a tinge of red on the helly
3
and rump:
This bird inhabits the bushy shrubs, about the

CRESTED GROSBEAK, &c.
467
rivers and torrents of the southern mountains of
Siberia, and particularly about the lake Baikal; is
fond of the seeds of the mugwort; is a restless bird,
and in winter unites into small flocks, and keeps in
the warmer situations among the shrubs.
a
CRESTED GROSBEAK.
A LARGE species ; general colour whitish ; crest,
breast, and rump red; two former white in the female ;
tail ash-colour; two middle feathers twice as long as
the rest ; legs red. Native of Ethiopia.
JAVA GROSBEAK.
"Size of a sparrow ; bill stout, and red ; eye-lids
the same; head and throat black; sides of the head,
and under the eyes white ; upper parts pale ash-
colour ; belly and thighs rose-colour ; vent and
under tail coverts nearly white; tail black ; legs
flesh-coloured.
This species inhabits Java, and the Cape of Good
Hope, where it does much damage to the rice
grounds.
PHILIPPINE GROSBEAK.
3
LENGTH five inches and a quarter ; bill brown,
surrounded by a patch of the same colour ; crown,
nape, back, and scapulars yellow ; middle of the
feathers in the three last, brown ; lower part of the
back brown, with white margins'; fore part of the
neck and breast yellow; thence to the vent yellowish
white ; wing coverts brown, edged with white; quills
and tail brown, edged with pale rufous ; legs yel-
lowish.
Those birds make a very curious nest, in form of a

468
PENSILE GROSBEAK, &c.
a
long cylinder, globous in the middle. It is composed
of the fine fibres of leaves, and fastened by the upper
part to the extreme branches of a tree. The entrance
is from beneath, and after ascending the cylinder, as
far as the globular cavity, the true nest is placed on
one side of it, where this little architect lays her eggs
and hatches her young in perfect security.
PENSILE GROSBEAK.
Size of the sparrow ; bill black ; irides yellow;
the head, throat, and fore part of the neck, of the
last colour ; from the nostrils springs a dull green
stripe, which passes through the eye, and beyond it,
where it is broader ; the bind part of the head and
neck, the back, rump, and wing coverts, the same ;
the quills black, edged with green; the belly deep
grey; the vent red ; tail and legs black.
This species is found in Madagascar, and fabri-
cates a nest of a curious construction ; composed of
a
straw and reeds, interwoven in the shape of a bag,
opening beneath. It is fastened above to a twig of
some tree; mostly to those growing on the borders
of streams. On one side of this within, is the true
nest. The bird does not form a new nest every
year, but fastens a new one to the end of the last;
and often as far as five in number, one hanging from
another. These build in society, like rooks ; often
five or six hundred on one tree. They have each
three young at one hatch.
COLLARED GROSBEAK.
.
LENGTH four inches and a half; bill, temples, and
tail black; forehead bare ; crown and upper part of
the body greenish blue ; under parts and rump red-
dish white; round the neck a handsome collar of

CHINESE GROSBEAK, &c.
469
the same ; across the breast a mottled black band ;
wings reddish yellow and black, mixed ; legs pale
brown. Inhabits Africa and the East Indies.
a
CHINESE GROSBEAK.
RES EMBLES the green linnet; bill greenish yellow;
head and neck greenish grey; back and wing coverts
light brown ; the edge of the wing black ; seconda-
ries black within and grey without ; primaries yellow
;
half way from their base, rest of the length black, to
.
the tips, which are grey ; belly dirty rufous ; vent
yellow; tail black, tipped with white.
YELLOW-FRONTED GROSBEAK.
FOREHEAD, temples, and under parts yellow ; above
the
eyes a line of the same colour, rest of the plumage
green, spotted with brown; tail a little forked,
blackish, tipped with white. Native of India.
AFRICAN GROSBEAK.
LENGTH six inches and a third. The upper parts
of this bird are greenish brown and grey, mixed,
inclining to red on the rump ; upper wing coverts
rufous ; second quills edged with the same; the
greater quills and side feathers of the tail edged with
reddish white; and the outer feathers of the last
marked with a spot of white : the under parts of the
body are white; veined with brown on the breast.
This was brought from the Cape of Good Hope by
M. Sonnerat.
BRIMSTONE COLOURED GROSBEAK.
LENGTH five inches and three quarters ; bill horn-
colour ; head, neck, breast, and upper parts of the

470 YELLOW-BELLIED GROSBEAK, &c.
body olive green; under parts yellow; a yellow
streak over the eye ; quills brown, edged with olive
green ; tail the same, except the two middle feathers,
which are olive green ; legs brownish grey. Inhabits
the Cape of Good Hope.
YELLOW-BELLIED GROSBEAK.
Less than the last ; bill horn-colour ; upper parts
olive green, dashed with brown ; under parts full
yellow; a yellow band over each eye ; quill and tail
brown, with olive green edges ; legs grey. Inhabits
the Cape of Good Hope.
BENARES GROSBEAK.
Size of a sparrow ; length seven inches ; bill
back, strong and convex, under mandible paler than
the upper ; nostrils round; head, and upper part of
the neck blue ; body blackish ; throat, forepart of
the neck, and breast deep yellow; belly and vent
brimstone colour ; quills and tail blackish, edged
with blue ; legs red; middle and outer toe united as
far as the first joint, all of them sharp, bent, and
channelled.
YELLOW GROSBEAK.
Size of a canary bird ; bill short and thick, the
hase going far back on the forehead; head, neck,
breast, belly, and vent yellow; top of the head the
same, hut paler ; back, wing, and tail greenish
yellow ; 'bend of the wing deep yellow; quills and
tail margined with yellow ; legs pale. Native of
Asia.

YELLOW-RUMPED GROSBEAK, &c.
471
YELLOW-RUMPED GROSBEAK.
.
Size of the wagtail; head, neck, and rump, tawny
yellow : temples white, from thence to the bill ; the
breast, wings, and tail black; shoulders, thighs, vent,
and margin of the tail feathers grey. Native of
India.
MALACCA GROSPEAK.
LENGTH four inches and a quarter ; bill bluish ash-
colour; irides black; head, neck, middle of the
belly, thighs, and under tail coverts black ; breast,
and sides of the belly white; back, wings, and tail
chesnut ; legs brown.
MOLUCCA GROSBEAK.
j
LENGTH four inches; bill dusky; fore part of the
head, sides, and fore part of the neck black ; hind
part of the head, and rest of the upper parts brown;
rump, and under parts transversely barred with black
and white; tail black, quills deep brown ; legs
brown.
STRIATED GROSBEAK.
9
Not much bigger than a wren ; length three
inches and two-thirds ; bill dusky; head, and upper
part of the body brown, with a dash of pale reddish
brown down each shaft; throat and fore part of the
neck blackish ; from the breast to the vent .white;
quills and tail blackish brown ; legs blackish. Found
in the Isle of Bourbon.

472
PUNCTULATED GROSBEAK, &c.
PUNCTULATED GROSBEAK.
LENGTH four inches and a quarter ; bill and legs
dusky ; fore part and sides of the head, throat, and
fore part of the neck chesnut ; hind part of the head,
and rest of the upper parts reddish brown, edged
with grey on the rump ; under parts dusky, marked
with white spots; vent white. Inhabits Java.
WHITE-WINGED GROSBEAK.
Size of the common ; length seven inches and a
quarter ; bill grey; eyes black, as is the whole
;
plumage, except a white spot on the wings; legs ash-
colour. Native of Africa.
ANGOLA GROSBEAK.
Size of the bulfinch ; length five inches ; bill
dusky ; eyes dark; general colour of the plumage
black, except the belly, which is dull red, and a
white spot on the middle of the wing; the ridge of
the wing white; legs purplish flesh-colour.
FERRUGINOUS GROSBEAK.
LENGTH six inches ; bill stout, and horn-coloured ;
one inch long; the head and chin dusky brown ;
back and wing coverts black ; the feathers deeply
margined with yellow ; breast deep ferruginous ;
from thence to the vent dusky yellow, very pale at the
vent ; quills and tail dusky, edged with yellow ; legs
pale.

473
GREY-NECKED GROSBEAK, &c.
tip oil to a
fis ; qui 9 GREY-NECKED GROSBEAK.
:
Size of the common; bill, irides, and legs yellow
head black ; hind part of the neck brown; fore part
grey ; wing coverts bluish black, about the riddle
a spot of white ; secondaries black, bordered with
white on the inner web ; primaries black for two-
thirds, and white from thence to the end : rump
grey ; tail black ; belly pale red ; vent white In.
habits China.
و
ORANGE GROSBEÁK.
LENGTH four inches and a half; bill dusky; crown
black; wings and tail dusky black, edged with orange,
and some of the inner quills with white, rest of the
bird fine orange ; legs pale red. Inhabits the Isle
of Bourbon and the Cape of Good Hope.
BROWN GROSBEAK.
Size of a canary bird ; bill short and thick, of a
lead-colour; head and upper parts of the body brown;
under parts pale ash-colour; vent pure white; quills
dusky black; base of the eight middle quills white;
tail, colour of the quills, with palish tips ; legs pale.
Inhabits Africa and Bengal.
THICK-BILLED GROSBEAK.
a
Size of a bulfinch ; length five inches and three
quarters; the bill is of a large size, and deeper than
it is long, being three quarters of an inch from the
base on the forehead, to that of the under jaw; the
base of the upper mandible passes backward some
way on the forehead ; about one-third from the tip
is a deep notch; the colour of the bill pale yellow
TOL. I.
3 P

474
LINEATED GROSBEAK, &c.
the plumage black, except the bottoms of the quills,
which are white, forming a spot on the wing ; tail
two inches long ; base of the middle feathers white;
legs whitish.
oto 8
و
1
dired LANEATED GROSBEAK.
model
- A SMALL species; bill black, at the base of the
upper mandible is a spot of white ; and a white line
extends from the forehead to the crown; the plumage
on the upper parts glossy blue black ; under parts
white ; quills black ; base of the primaries white;
tail black, and bifurcated. Native of Asia.
29
GAMBIA GROSBEAK.
LENGTH six inches and a quarter ; bill and legs
ash-colour; head, throat, fore part of the neck, and
irides black; rest of the plumage yellow, mixed with
green.
WHITE-HEADED GROSBEAK.
LENGTH four inches ; bill grey brown, palest be-
neath; head and neck dirty white; upper parts
cheşnut brown ; belly and vent blackish ; second
and fourth quills white; legs grey. Inhabits Ma-
lacca and China.
RED-BILLED GROSBEAK.
;
A SMALL species ; bill thick, bare at the base, and
of a deep blood red; forehead black ; the head, neck,
back, and wings grey brown; breast belly, and bend
of the wing yellowish white; quills and tail brown;
legs pale red. Inhabits Africa and Asia.

WAX-BILLED GROSBEAK, &c.
475
WAX-BILLED GROSBEAK.
3 Size of a wren; bill roundish at the base, and of a
deep red colour ; a streak of red passes through the
eye, and the middle of the breast and belly is of the
same colour; rest of the under parts reddish grey,
barred with black ; upper parts and legs brown;
quills and tail brown, crossed with darker lines. In-
habits various parts of Africa and India.
CINERIOUS GROSBEAK.
Size of a linnet ; bill ash-colour ; chin white ;
eyes blackish ; plumage ash-colour; bluish beneath ;
primaries white at the base, and blackish at the ends;
tail blackish, margined with pale ash-colour ; legs
flesh-colour. Native of Asia.
MALABAR GROSBEAK.
Size and shape of the titmouse ; bill, quills, and
tail black; throat and vent white; body ash-colour
BLACK-BELLIED GROSREAK.
Bill black; head," sides, and coverts of the tail,
of a rich yellow, mixed with light) brown; chin,
breast, and belly black; wings and tail brownish. In-
habits Africa.
ASIATIC GROSBEAK.
Size of a bulfinch; bill yellow ; head black;
upper parts reddish ash-colour; under parts ash-
colour ; belly pale red; wings, and tips of the tail
black; legs red. Inhabits China,

476
RADIATED GROSBEAK, &c.
RADIATED GROSBEAK.
;
Size of a linnet ; length four inches ; bill stout
and white ; head, neck, breast, lesser wing coverts,
and tail black ; secondaries, sides, and half the prime
quills, striped with black and white; belly and vent
white ; legs dusky.
PEARL-COLOURED GROSBEAK.
Size or a wren ; upper parts black ; under parts
brown, with an agreeable mixture of black and
pearl-colour towards the thighs and tail. Inhabits
Whidah, in Africa, lives on grain, and has an agree:
able note.
FASCIATED GROSE EAK.
LENGTH four inches and a half; bill bluish grey ;
crown, hind part of the neck, the back, and lesser
wing coverts, pale brown, marked with simicircular
lines of black; cheeks plain brown, bounded beneath
by a rich crimson band, uoder which is a black line ;
breast and belly pale brown, slightly marked with
simicircular lines; quills and tail brown ; legs flesh-
colour. Inhabits Africa.
a
WARELING GROSBEAK.
LENGTH four inches; bill dusky ; upper parts
brown, marked with narrow dusky lines ; belly
white; tail deep brown; legs bluish. Inhabits
Africa, and is said to sing well.
Two-COLOURED GROSBEAK.
Size of a wren, bill short, thick, and white ; upper
parts brown ; under parts reddish orange ; legs
brown. Native of India and China

THREE-TOED GROSBEAK.
477
THREE-TOED GROSE EAK.
Bill toothed on the edges ; head, throat, and
fore part of the neck beautiful red; which extends in
a narrow band to the vent; upper parts black; wing
coverts brown, edged with white ; quills brown,
edged with green ; legs red; toes three only, two
before and one behind. Inhabits Abyssinia, feeds
on nuts, which it breaks with great ease with its bill.
a
RED-CAPPED GROSBEAK.
Size of the green grosbeak, but the head smaller ;
length near five inches ; bill horn-colour ; between
that and the eye cinerious grey; head, neck, and
throat red; lower part of the neck whitish ; nape
and back cinerious, with a reddish cast; wing coverts
brown, edged with red ; quills brown, margined
with bright yellow; the under parts white, tinged
with red on the breast and sides; tail forked ; legs
brown.
This inhabits the thick woods about the Volga and
Samara, where it is called the red sparrow. The
female makes a nest of hay, between the branches
of trees. Is found in small numbers in winter,
among the flocks of snow buntings, and feeds on the
seeds of plants. It is also met with in Siberia, about
the river Tomsk.
UNDULATED GROSBEAK.
Size of the punctulated ; length six inches ; bill
and legs dusky; upper parts red brown ; under parts
waved with dusky; vent yellowish; tail pale reddish
ash-colour.

478
TOTTY GROSBEAK &c.
TOTTY GROSBEAE,
LENGTH four inches; bill white; forehead greenish
brown ; crown, hind part of the neck, and upper
wing coverts testaceous brown; under parts brownish
white ; quills and tail black, tipped with white ;
feet black. Inhabits India, and the Cape of Good
Hope
FRECKLED GROSBEAK.
HEAD, neck, and upper parts freckled with black
and grey spots ; wing coverts and rump yellow ;
quills and tail black. Inhabits the Cape of Good
Hope.
CALSONIAN GROSBEAK.
The general colour of the plumage is red ; chin
black; rump, tail, and legs, brown. Found in the
islands of the Indian ocean.
AZURE GROSBEAK.
SIZE of the common.
General colour azure blue,
brightest on the head and breast ; quills, tail, and
legs black. Native of Angola.
CAFFRE GROSE EAK.
;
Birl brown ; plumage velvet black; wing coverts
blood red ; quill feathers brown, edged with white;
legs grey.

BUNTING TRIBE, &c.
479
BUNTING TRIBE.
This genus is distinguished by the singular con-
struction of the bill; of which both mandibles are
moveable, and have the edges bending inwards ; the
opening of the mouth is not in a straight line as in
other birds, but is formed by an obtuse angle in the
lower mandible, which receives a correspondent angle
in the upper one, which is also furnished with a
strong knob, of great use in breaking the harder
kinds of seeds and kernels. The tongue is narrow,
and tapers to a point, like a tooth-pick.
BUNTING.
I'his bird is about seven inches long. Its bill is
brown ; irides hazel ; upper parts olive brown ;
each feather streaked down the middle with black ;
under parts yellowish white, variegated with dark
brown ; the quills are dusky, with reddish edges ;
upper coverts tipped with white; tail the same
colour as the wings, and somewhat forked ; legs pale
brown. The whole general appearance of the bird
much resembles that of the lark. They are frequently
caught in the winter, and sold for larks, or bunting
larks.
This bird is very common in all parts of the country.
It is frequently observed on the highest branches of
trees, or the upper part of hedges. Its note is a short
a
scream, three or four times repeated. They are heard
and seen in these situations during parts of the summer;
after which they are met with in flocks, and continue so
during winter. The female builds in thick grass,
or low bushes. She lays five or six eggs, and while
she is employed in the business of incubation, her
mate brings her food, and entertains her with his

480
GOLDEN BUNTING, &c.
song. Their food consists chiefly of grain. They
Vikewise feed on the insects which they meet with in
Sields and meadows,
GOLDEN BUNTING.
This species has the crown, hind part of the neck,
and back of a deep bay ; sides of the head, throat,
and space round the nostrils black, under part of the
neck, breast, and belly of a most beautiful citron
colour; the middle of the neck crossed by a bar of
bay ; vent white; wings dusky, marked with a great
bed of white; tail a little forked ; two outmost
feathers on each side crossed obliquely with white ;
legs pale ash-coloured, Inhabits reedy places in
Siberia. Has the note of the reed-sparrow.
ORTOLAN
a
This very celebrated species, has the top of the
head ash-coloured ; throat yellow, back pale brown,
spotted with black ; rump dashed with yellow ; belly
rust coloured ; tail dusky, inner ends of the outmost
feathers marked with a great spot of white.
This is a southern species, being rarely found in
Sweden, though they are common in some parts of
Russia and Siberia. In France and Italy they are
birds of passage, retiring in the winter. They make
an artless nest, lay four or five greyish eggs, and usu-
ally breed twice in the summer. They have a pretty
song, but are principally valued as articles of luxury,
for which purpose they are fattened with the greatest
When the birds are taken, they are confined in
dark chambers, from which almost every ray of sun
light is excluded. These dungeons are lighted up
with lamps, that are kept constantly burning, so that
the birds may not distinguish day from night. There
care.

ORTOLAN.
481
the ortolans are allowed to run up and down amidst
a copious supply of millet, and every kind of the
most nutritive food ; and, by this treatment, they
soon grow so fat, that they sometimes sink under
the load of flesh they accumulate, if they be not
prevented from this accidental death by the owner.
When killed at the proper juncture, they are
little lumps of fat, about three ounces each. Their
flesh is of a most delicate taste ; but it is a morsel
which soon palls on the appetite by its richness. It
is impossible to eat a large quantity of this food, pro-
voking as it may be ; for nature, as in other in-
stances, so here, has placed disgust before excess, as
a guard against the intemperance of the glutton or
the debauchee. The ortolans, when fattened, are
prepared for the table in various ways. Sometimes
they are roasted in a natural or artificial egg-shell ;
a method of cookery borrowed from the antients,
who not only dressed small birds, but presented them
at the table in this manner; so that, upon opening
the egg, they were seen floating amidst a high-
seasoned sauce.
The delicacy of the flesh of these birds, rather
than their powers of song, recommended them to
the luxurious Romans, and laid the foundation of
their fame in the antient world. When confined,
however, in the cage, and properly educated, the
ortolan is not destitute of musical talents, which it
exercises by night, as well as by day. In some
parts of Italy, where these birds abound, they are
reared for their song, as well as for the purposes of
the table. The first is the most happy destination ;
for their owners are then under no temptation to
abridge the period of their lives, or to cram them in
such a manner, as to render life a burden. When
they have been long accustomed to associate with
other birds, they learn, in some measure, to adopt
their notes ; but, whether from the imperfection of
VOL. I.
3 Q

182 YELLOW BUNTING, OR YELLOW HAMMER.
their organs, or from want of docility, they never
learn to pronounce any words, or to sing an air.
YELLOW BUNTING, OR YELLOW HAMMER.
The length of this bird somewhat exceeds six
inches. The bill is dusky. The crown of the head,
throat, and belly, are generally of a pure yellow;
but the former a little variegated with brown ; the
general colour of the bird is yellow, variegated with
browns of different shades. The hinder part of the
neck, and back, are of a greenish olive. The lesser
quills and scapulars dark brown, edged with grey ;
the tail is dusky, and a little forked; the feathers
edged with light brown, white, or yellow. The
plumage varies greatly in different birds, and that of
the female is of a duller colour than the male.
The female rears several broods in the year, the
last of which are ready to fly in the month of Sep-
tember. The nest is easily constructed on a small
mote of earth, in a bush or a tuft of grass, in which
the female deposits four or five eggs, of a white
colour, but streaked with various shades of brown.
So intent is this bird on the business of incubation,
that she allows herself to be taken with the hand in
broad day. The food, of which they are most fond,
is grain of every species that is small enough to
admit of being swallowed whole ; but, on the
failure of this, they readily devour various tribes of
insects.
The yellow hammer is nearly as familiar, in its
approaches to man, as the sparrow. In summer,
it resides chiefly in woods, and about the hedges ;
in winter, that part, which remains in the country,
is seen alighting in company with the sparrow, and
collecting half-digested grain from the horse-dupg
upon the highways. In such situations, these birds
are often taken in snares, which they have not

BLACK-HEADED BUNTING, OR REED SPARROW. 483
sufficient precaution to avoid. They are capable
of bearing all the different climates of Europe, from
Sweden to Italy.
In the latter country, it is fatted for the table, like
the ortolan.
BLACK-HEADED BUNTING, OR REED SPARROW.
و
a
This bird is less than the yellow bunting. Its
eyes are hazel ; the head, throat, fore part of the
neck, and breast, are black, excepting a white line
from each corner of the bill, passing downward a
little, and forming a border which reaches the back
part of the neck; the upper parts of the body and
the wings are of a reddish brown, with a streak of
black down the middle of each feather; the under
part of the body is white, with brownish streaks on
the sides ; the rump and upper tail coverts bluish
ash colour, mixed with brown; the quills are dusky,
edged with brown ; the two middle feathers of the
tail are black, with pale brown edges ; the rest
wholly black, except the two outer ones, which are
almost white, the ends tipped with brown, and the
bases black ; the legs and feet dusky brown. The
female has no collar; her throat is not so black, and
her head is variegated with black and rust colour ;
the white on her under parts is not so pure, but is
of a reddish cast.
Birds of this species frequent fens and marshy
places, where there are abundance of rushes, among
which they nestle. The nest is composed of dry
grass, and lined with the soft down of the reed; it
is fixed with great art between four reed stalks, two
on each side, almost close to each other, and about
three feet above the water. The female lays four
or five eggs, of a pale bluish white, veined irregu-
larly with purple, principally at the larger end.
Its chief resort is among reeds, and it is supposed
.

434
SNOW BUNTING, OR SNOW-FLAKE.
that the seeds of those plants are its principal food;
it is, however, frequently seen in the higher grounds
near the roads, and sometimes in corn-ficlds. They
keep near the ground, and seldom perch, except
among the low bushes. The male, during the time
of hatching, has a soft, melodious, warbling song,
whilst he sits perched among the reeds, and is fre-
quently heard in the night-time. It is a watchful,
timorous bird, and is very easily alarmed ; in a
state of captivity it sings but little, and only when
perfectly undisturbed.
Birds of this species are said to be migratory in
France'; with us they remain the whole year, and
are seldom seen in flocks of more than three or
four together.
SNOW BUNTING, OR SNOW-FLAKE.
a
LENGTH nearly seven inches. Bill yellow, tipped
with black ; eyes black ; in winter the head, neck,
coverts of the wings, rump, and all the under parts
of the body, are as white as snow, with a light tint
of rusty colour on the hinder part of the head ; the
back is black; the bastard wings, the ends of the
greater coverts, white; the prime quills are black;
secondaries white, with a black spot on their inner
webs; middle feathers of the tail black, the three
outer ones white, with a dusky spot near the ends;
legs black. Its summer dress is different, the head,
neck, and under parts of the body, are marked
with transverse waves of a rusty colour, of various
shades, but never so deep as in the female, in which
this is the predominant colour; the white, likewise,
upon the under parts of her body, is less pure than
that of the male.
The hoary mountains of Spitzbergen, the Lap-
land Alps, the shores of Hudson's Bay; and per-
haps countries still more northerly are, during the

TAWNY BUNTING,
485
summer months, the favourite abodes of this hardy
bird. The excessive severity of these inhospitable
regions changes part of its plumage into white in
winter; and there is reason to believe that the fur-
ther northward they are found, the whiter the plu-
mage will be. It is chiefly met with in the northern
parts of this island, where it is called the snow flake;
it appears in great flocks in the snowy season, and
is said to be the certain harbinger of severe
weather, which drives it from its usual haunts. This
bird has been caught in various parts of Yorkshire,
and is frequently met with in Northumberland. It
is found in all the northern latitudes without ex-
ception, as far as our navigators have been able to
penetrate. Great flocks have been seen upon the
ice near the shores of Spitzbergen. They are known
to breed in Greenland, where the female makes her
nest in the fissures of the mountain rocks; the out-
side is composed of grass, within which is a layer of
feathers, and the down of the arctic fox composes
the lining of its comfortable little mansion : she lays
five white eggs, spotted with brown. These birds
do not perch, but continue always on the ground,
and run about like larks, to which they are similar
in size, manne and in the length of their hinder
claws, whence they have been ranged with birds of
that class by some authors, but are now with more
propriety referred to the buntings, from the peculiar
structure of the bill. They are said to sing sweetly
sitting on the ground.
On their first arrival in
this country they are very lean, but coon grow fat,
and are considered as delicious food. 'The High-
lands of Scotland abound with them.
TAWNY BUNTING.
THE length is somewhat above six inches. The
bill is short, of a yellow colour, and blackish at the

486 SECOND BLACK-HEADED BUNTING, &c.
;
point; the crown of the head tawny ; the forehead
chesnut colour ; the hinder part of the neck and the
cheeks the same, but paler; the throat, sides of the
neck, and space round the eyes of a dirty white;
the breast dull yellow; the under parts white, in
some tinged with yellow; the back and scapulars
are black, edged with reddish brown ; the quill
feathers are dusky, edged with white; the secondaries
are white on their outer edges ; the greater coverts
are tipped with white, which, when the wing is
closed, forms a bed of that colour upon it ; the
upper tail coverts are yellow; the tail is a little
forked, the two outermost feathers white, the third
black, tipped with white, the rest wholly black; the
legs are short and black; the hinder claws almost as
long, but more bent, than those of the lark.
3
SECOND BLACK-HEADED BUNTING.
Size of the yellow hammer ; head black ; same
colour extends to the middle of the neck ; back
reddish ; under side yellow ; rump the same ; sides
of the breast reddish ; quills brown, edged with
white; tail plain brown.
GREEN-HEADED BUNTING.
BILL brown ; head and neck, as far as the breast,
dull olive green; back and wing coverts dusky
brown, mixed with black ; paler on the rump; rest
of the wings, breast, and belly, deep brown ; tail
brown and forked; legs yellowish. That figured in
Brown's work, was caught in Mary-le-bone fields,
near London.
:

MUSTACHIO BUNTING, &c.
487
MUSTACHIO BUNTING.
a
LENGTH four inches. Bill dusky ; upper parts
like the reed-sparrow; through the eye a streak of
white passes on each side of the neck ; under the
eye is a large patch of black ; chin white; on
each side of the throat a streak of black; breast and
sides pale brown, spotted with black; rest of the
under parts white; wings barred with white ; quills
and tail dusky, edged with reddish ; legs pale brown.
Inhabits Provence, feeds on grain, and perches
often. Sings agreeably in April.
LESBIAN BUNTING.
This is very similar to the last, but has not the
black spot under the eye, having, instead of it, only
three narrow black hands, the spaces between which
are white; it is also white round the eye ; the
breast, rump, and sides, are not spotted with dusky;
the tail feathers are white, or edged with it, except
the two middle, which are dusky, edged with
rufous. This also inhabits Provence, and differs in
not being in song till June ; it is more rare than
the last, and very wild ; and from setting up a
scream on the approach of any of the birds of
prey, is called chic, or chic de Mitilene. The
Greeks in the island of Lesbos, or Metelin, are said
to use this instinct of the Lesbian bunting to ad-
vantage by placing one of these birds among their
poultry in their yards, in a strong cage, by which
means the fowls there kept are sooner advised of
the approach of the hawk or other bird of prey,
than by any other method.

488
LORRAIN PUNTING, &c.
LORRAIN BUNTING.
و
;
LENGTH six inches and a half; bill brownish
flesh colour ; upper parts reddish, dashed with black;
sides of the head pale ; through the eye a streak of
black; from the base of the lower mandible, and
round the chin, rising to the ears, another streak of
black ; tlie under parts, as far as the breast, pale
ash colour, dotted with black; from thence to the
vent deep rufous ; lesser wing-coverts plain ash
colour; the other rufous and black mixed; the two
middle tail feathers rufous; the others, part black
and part white ; legs brown.
;
The female is only five inches and three quarters
long. The bill black at the point; much like the
male; no black streaks on the sides of the head,
but instead a whitish trace over the eye, and a patch
of rufous beneath it ; the under parts are white,
which passes backwards a little on each side of the
neck like a half collar. Inhabits Lorrain. .
a
CIRL BUNTING.
;
Size of the yellow hammer ; length six incheg
and a quarter ; bill brown ; the head olive green,
with a dusky line down the shaft of each feather ;
side of the head yellow, with a dash of black be-
tween the bill and eye ; the hind part of the neck,
back, and rump, brown ; the feathers dusky in the
middle ; the under parts, from the chin, are yellow;
the breast inclining to brown, and a few dusky
streaks on the sides of the body ; across the throat
a yellow band; the tail is brown, edged with grey,
with a spot of white on the inner web, for half the
length. The female is not unlike the male in the
upper parts ; the under are yellow, streaked with

PASSERINE BUNTING, &c.
489
dusky, and inclining to white at the chin and vent;
in some the breast inclines to green.
These birds are found in the warmer parts of
France and Italy, and frequent newly ploughed
lands, feeding on grain, worms, and insects; they
are often found among flocks of chaffinches.
PASSERINE BUNTING.
Size of the reed sparrow. Head rusty ash colour,
some of the feathers on the crown black, behind the
eye a pale streak, and on each side from the chin,
a white line; back grey brown; middle of each
feather black; forepart of the neck black, edged
with pale ; under parts white ash colour, blotched
with pale rust on the sides ; wings rusty, edged
with yellow; tail black, and a little forked, two
middle feathers margined with rust, outer ones
obliquely black and white, divided length-ways;
legs brown. Inhabits Russia and Siberia, where its
flesh is accounted excellent food.
FOOLISH BUNTING.
Size of the cirl bunting ; bill dusky ; head ash-
colour, spotted with black ; rest of the upper part
reddish grey, with a blackish spot down the shaft of
each feather, inclining to red on the rump ; sides
of the head grey ; over the eye is a white streak,
and through the eye is a black one ; under parts
reddish, almost white on the breast ; breast inclining
to ash; quills dusky, edged with white; tail black,
the two onter feathers beyond the middle white.
This species frequents the warmer parts of
Europe ; it is a solitary bird, inhabiting in the
mountains, and so foolishly tame, as to suffer itself to
be caught in any snare.
VOL. 1.
3 R

490
BRUMAL BUNTING, &c.
BRUMAL BUNTING.
FOREHEAD and round the eyes yellow ; hind head,
neck, and sides ash colour, back yellowish brown;
under parts yellow; thighs whitish ; quills brown,
;
edged with yellow. Inhabits Tyrol, where it is
frequently caught in November, and kept in a cage
for its song
MAELBY BUNTING,
Size of the yellow hammer; bill and legs pale
red; the eye-lids, a spot between the bill and eye,
the chin, upper part of the throat, and sides of the
neck and vent, dusky white; forehead, crown, lower
part of the neck before, and upper part of the
breast, blue ash colour ; lower part of the breast,
belly, and thighs rusty, marked with acute black
spots; wing coverts black, edged with rusty ; quills
dusky, with pale rusty margins ; tail feathers ten in
number, black; the four outer ones half way from
;
the tips white, the outer margins black. This was
met with in Sweden, at Maelby, a seat of count
Carlson, in Sudermania.
SCARLET BUNTING.
Upper parts silvery crimson ; beneath the vent
white; bill, head, and quill feathers black ; hind
head and tail dark blue. Size of a sparrow. In-
habits the woods round Baden in Germany.
BADEN BUNTING.
GENERAL colour olive streaked with black; be-
neath paler ; chin orange ; breast streaked with

WHITE-CROWNED BUNTING, &c. 491
blackish ; upper mandible black, and furnished
with a single blunt tooth in the middle ; under
mandible yellow; tongue short ; nostrils feathered ;
legs yellowish ; claws black.
WHITE-CROWNED BUNTING.
This bird has a red bill ; the top of the head
white ; sides of the head black; a black line be-
neath the eyes, with a white space between them ;
forehead, sides of the neck and breast ash-coloured ;
back and wing coverts of a rusty brown, spotted
with black, crossed with two lines of white ; scapu-
lars edged with white ; primaries brown ; tail long,
and of the same colour ; legs flesh-colour. Length
seven inches and a half ; weight three quarters of
Inhabits the country round Hudson's
Bay in the summer, and retires in winter ; makes
its nest at the bottom of willow trees, and lays four
or five eggs of a dusky colour. Its flight is short
and silent; but when perched, it sings very melodi-
ously
an Qunce.
BLACK BUNTING
With a short bill; blue eye ; head, neck, wings,
body, and tail, of a sooty blackness, edged with rust;
breast, belly, and vent, of a pure white; exterior
sides of the primaries edged with white ; of the
secondaries with pale brown ; exterior webs of the
outermost feathers of the tail white ; of the spe-
cimen described in the Transactions, the two outer-
most are wholly white, and the third marked with
a white spot, the rest dusky. Length six inches
and a half; extent nine; weight half an ounce.
Appears near Severn-settlement not sooner than
June ; frequents the plains ; feeds on grass-seeds ;
retires into the arctic parts to breed. Returns to
و

492
TOWHEE-BIRD, &c.
Hudson's Bay in autumn, in its passage to the
south. Migrates into New York, where it con-
tinues the whole winter. Appears in the southern
provinces as low as Carolina, but chiefly in snow,
or when the weather is harder than ordinary.
Arrives in vast nurobers in very rigorous seasons,
and fly about the houses and barns to pick up the
coin. Frequent the gardens and the small hills to
feed on the scattered seeds of grass. Are called by
the Swedes, snovogel, or snow-bird; by the Ameri-
cans, chuck-bird. They do not change their colours
in any season of the year.
Are esteemed very
delicate meat.
TOWHEE-BIRD.
UPPER part and breast black; belly white; sides
orange ; tail and wings varied with white. Inhabits
New York and Carolina. Has an agreeable note
RICE-BIRD.
Has the head and whole under side of the body,
black ; hind part of the neck in some pale yellow,
in others white; coverts of the wings and primaries
black, the last edged with white ; back black, edged
with dull yellow; tail of the same colours, and each
feather sharply pointed ; legs red. Length seven
inches and a quarter. Head, upper part of he
neck, and back, of the female, yellowish brown,
spotted with black; under parts of a dull yellow;
sides thinly streaked into black.
These birds inhabit, in vast numbers, the island of
Cuba, where they commit great ravages among the
early crops of rice, which precede those of Carolina.
As soon as the crops of that province are to their
palate, they quit Cuba, and pass over the sea in
numerous flights directly north, and are very often

be
TRICE-BITRID

రం

PAINTED BUNTING, &c.
493
course.
heard in their passage by sailors frequenting that
Their appearance is in September, while
the rice is yet milky; and they commit such de-
vastations, that forty acres of that grain have been
totally ruined by them in a small time.
They arrive very lean, but soon grow so fat as to
fly with difficulty ; and when shot, often burst with
the fall. They continue in Carolina not much above
three weeks, and retire by the time the rice begins
to harden. They are esteemed to be the most de-
licate birds of the country. The male birds are said
to have a fine note.
It is very singular that among the myriads which
pay their annual visits, there never is found a single
cock bird. Mr. Catesby verified the fact by dis-
secting numbers, under a supposition that they might
have been the young of both sexes which had not
arrived at the full colours, but found them all to be
females, which are properly the rice birds. Both
sexes make a transient visit to Carolina in the spring.
It is said that a few stragglers continue in that
country the whole year.
a
PAINTED BUNTING.
Has the head of an exquisite deep blue ; orbits
scarlet ; back, great coverts, and secondaries, green ;
primaries dusky; the upper orders of the lesser
coverts of a fine blue; the lower orange ; rump
and whole under side of the body of a rich scarlet ;
the sides declining into yellow ; tail dusky, edged
This beautiful species is some years in arriving at
the height of its colours. At first it is of a plain
brown, like a hen sparrow ; in the next stage
becomes blue ; in the third attains the perfection of
its gay tints.
و
with green.

494 BUNTING OF LOUISIANA, &c.
The female is brown, and has over its plumage a
tinge of green.
Inhabits Carolina in the summer-time, but mi-
grates in winter, perhaps as far as Verabruz, in
Spanish America, where the Spaniards call it
mariposa printada, or the painted butterfly. It
chooses a tree for nestling equal to its own elegance
of form and colour, affecting the orange for that
purpose.
BUNTING OF LOUISIANA.
Has the crown of the head reddish, surrounded
with a black mark in the form of a horse-shoe ; a
black line under each eye ; upper part of the body
and of the wings rusty brown, spotted with black ;
rest of the back, wings, rump, and tail, black;
belly and breast reddish. Much resembles the
common bunting
BLACK-THROATED BUNTING.
Has a large and thick bill; fore part of the head
of a yellowish green ; hind part and cheeks ci-
nereous; above each eye a line of rich yellow; on
the corner of the mouth another ; on the throat a
black spot ; breast and belly of a fine yellow ; back,
scapulars, and secondaries, black, edged with
reddish brown; lesser coverts of a bright bay;
primaries and tail of a dusky brown ; vent and
thighs white ; legs dusky. Inhabits New York.
a
OONALASCHA BUNTING.
Has a yellow line from the bill
, reaching over
each cye; crown dusky, divided length-ways with
a white line ; back black, edged with pale brown;

BLACK-CROWNED BUNTING, &c.
495
tail and primaries dusky, edged with white ; throat
and breast white, spotted with black ; belly white.
BLACK-CROWNED BUNTING.
Top of the head black, with a rich yellow spot on
the fore part ; upper part of the plumage black;
wings barred with a double line of white; throat
and breast ash colour; belly whitish ; tail long, and
of a deep brown. Inhabits Nootka Sound.
RUSTY BUNTING
GENERAL colour rusty ; two white marks on each
wing; belly white. Inhabits New York.
WESTERN-COAST BUNTING.
UPPER part brown, tinged with red; under part
white clouded.
Inhabits the western side of North America.
CINERIOUS BUNTING
Has a short bill; upper parts of a paie
readish
brown, edged with ash colour ; neck and breast ash
coloured ; belly white; primaries dusky, edged
with 'white; tail pale brown, with sharp-pointed
ends. Inhabits Canada and New York
BLUE BUNTING
CROWN dirty red ; upper parts of the same
colour, varied with blue ; under parts of a lighter
red, mixed with blue ; primaries and tail brown,
edged with blue ash colour. It spends the summer
in Canada and New England.
INDIGO BUNTING.
PLUMAGE of a rich sky blue, spotted with black on
the wing coverts, and inclining to dusk on the pri-
a

496
PARROT BUNTING, &c.
maries and tail. Female brown. Less than the
English goldfinch. Inhabits New York and
Carolina. Has the note of the linnet
PARROT BUNTING.
Size of a sparrow ; length eleven inches and a
half. General colour greyish ash; base of the bill
surrounded with pale red; wings yellow and pale
red mixed ; tail the colour of the body, two middle
feathers longest, and tipped with chesnut. Inhabits
Brazil.
DOMINICAN BUNTING,
Total length six inches and three quarters ; bill
red ; upper part of the head black, the crown red-
dish white; the back part of the neck, beneath the
head, is reddish white ; which passes forwards to
join with the under parts, all of which, from the
chin and beneath the eyes, are also reddish white ;
the hind part of the neck and back are black, edged
with dirty wbite ; inner wing coverts white; rest
of the wing black; the quills edged with white;
the tail is black ; the two middle feathers are pointed
at the ends, and are more than two inches longer
than the others, all of which lessen in length as they
are placed outwardly ; three of them, next to the
middle feathers, have white tips, and the two outer
ones are white on the inside, and pale rufous without,
The female is of an uniform brown colour, and the
feathers of the tail are of an equal length, the two
middle ones not being longer than the others.
AMAZON BUNTING.
Size of the titmouse ; general colour brown ; top
of the head yellow ; under part of the wings and
vent whitish. Inhabits Surinam.

OLIVE BUNTING, &c.
497
OLIVE BUNTING.
Size of a wren ; length three inches and three
quarters. Bill grey ; brown between that and the
eye; a spot of yellow extending over the eyes; the
forepart of the neck and upper part of the breast are
black ; under parts olive grey ; edge of the wings
yellow ; quills brown, edged with olive green ; tail
olive green ; legs brown. Inhabits St. Domingo.
BRASILIAN BUNTING.
;
Size of a sparrow. Bill and eyes black ; crown,
throat, neck, and under parts yellow ; back, scapu-
lars, wings, and tail, varied with greenish yellow and
brown ; legs brown. Male has an agreeable note.
The female has the plain colours and note of the
sparrow
MEXICAN BUNTING.
a
LENGTH six inches and a half : bill pale; head,
as far as the crown, sides of the head, throat, and
fore part of the neck yellow; the upper parts
brown, tending upwards to the eye in a point; the
under parts dull white, spotted with brown ; quills
and tail edged with pale brown.
PLATA BUNTING.
LENGTH eight inches ; bill ash colour ; irides
chesnut ; upper parts greenish brown, verging to
yellow, and varied with black ; edge of the wing
bright yellow ; quills and tail feathers edged with
the same ; under parts white ash colour ; legs
lead colour. Native of Buenos Ayres in South
America.
VOL. I.
3 s

498
GREY BUNTING, &c.
GREY BUNTING.
Size of a lark; plumage grey, deepest on the
head ; mixed with red on the upper wing coverts
and breast ; quills and tail white mixed with red.
Inhabits Surinam, feeds on maize, and sings like a
nightingale.
SURINAM BUNTING.
Size of a lark, which it also resembles in colour.
Bill rather large, with a knob on the upper mandible,
and the sides of the lower are higher than usual, and
angular ; chin, breast, and belly whitish yellow,
marked with oblong black spots on the breast.
CHINESE BUNTING.
.
The bill is pale rufous ; irides yellow; top of
the head, and all the upper parts of the body, of a
reddish colour, with yellow edges; the lesser wing
coverts very light yellow; the second quills deep
brown, edged with reddish grey ; the prime quills
umbre colour, edged with dull yellow; the throat,
breast, belly, and vent, fine yellow ; down the mid-
dle of the belly a longitudinal streak of brown ; the
tail is also of this colour, edged with grey.
WIDOW BUNTING.
Less than a sparrow. Bill red ; upper parts
greenish black, forming also an half collar on the
neck ; sides of the head, and under parts, dirty
white; wing coverts banded with white; quills
fringed with brown; tail feathers twelve in number,
the two middle ones ten inches and a half long, next
on each side nine inches, these four feathers black;
a


YILLA UW-DUNTING
COMMON=1

PANAYAN BUNTING, &c.
499
the other eight are even, black on the outer webs,
and white within, the two colours being obliquely
divided, so as to have most white on the outer
feathers ; legs black. Inhabits India.
PANAYAN BUNTING.
;
Size of the hedge-sparrow; length twelve inches.
Colour wholly black, except a large bright red spot
on the breast. Four of the tail-feathers very long,
but even.
BROWN BUNTING.
Size of the yellow bunting. Bill flesh-colourea;
nostrils covered with small tufts of feathers ; on the
cheek and beneath the bill other tufts ; head pale
brown; back, wings, and breast, the same, spotted
with darker brown; belly white; quills and tail
brown, barred with deeper brown ; legs rose colour.
Inhabits China.
و
و
FAMILIAR BUNTING.
The bill is pointed, straight, narrow, and black;
head, neck, and breast, ash coloured ; the upper
parts of the body ash coloured, spotted with brown ;
under the wings and towards the tail yellow; tail
tipped with white.
This was met with at Java by Mr. Osbech, and
was exceedingly familiar ; for if the cage door was
opened it would jump upon the first person's hand
that was offered ; if any one whistled to it, it sang
very sweetly in return; if it saw a dish of water it
went immediately and bathed itself. It was fed with
rice

500
YELLOW-BREASTED BUNTING, &c.
YELLOW-BREASTED BUNTING.
Bill transparent, except at the edge of the upper
mandible, where it is blackish ; forehead blackish,
with a dark shade on the crown"; hind part of the
head, nape, and between the wings, reddish feathers,
,
tipped with grey ; back and rump hoary ; some of
the shafts blotched with white ; scapulars white;
outer webs of the greater wing-coverts reddish;
quills brown, edged with white; breast and belly
yellow ; a rusty crescent on the former ; under tail-
coverts white; tail brown. Inhabits Siberia, where
it is met with in the pine-forests, and amongst the
willows by the sides of rivers,
PINE BUNTING
Size of the yellow ; bill dull white; head marked
by a broadish hoary stroke down the middle, and
on each side a black one, meeting behind ; nape
hoary ; a reddish stripe through the eyes ; a white
spot on the cheeks, and a black one on the temples,
both of a triangular shape ; sides of the neck and
throat rusty ; a large triangular spot on the breast;
middle of the belly hoary ; sides of the belly reddish;
vent white ; back and rump reddish ; coverts and
secondaries brown, edged with red ; primaries and
tail blackish, edged with white. Inhabits Siberia,
living among the reeds, and in the pine forests.
FOUR-COLOURED BUNTING.
Less than the hedge-sparrow. Bill dusky; head
and neck blue ; back, wings, and end of the tail,
Green ; upper part of the tail, and its coyerts, and
the middle of the belly red; breast and lower part
of the belly brown ; legs flesh colour. Inhabits
Java.

BLUE-FACED BUNTING, &c.
501
BLUE-FACED BUNTING.
Less than the hedge sparrow ; bill lead colour ;
and plumage on the upper parts green ; lower part
of the back and rump rufous ; upper tail coverts
red; the forehead, cheeks, and throat fine blue,
gradually changing into rufous towards the breast;
which, with the belly, thighs, and sides, are of this
last colour ; but the middle of the helly is red; the
quills are brown, with green edges; the tail fea-
thers brown, except the two middle ones, which are
green, and all of them fringed with red ; legs grey.
Native of Java
GREEN BUNTING.
Size o our green linnet ; bill greenish brown ;
upper parts green ; under white ; quills and tail
blue, with white shafts ; legs black. Inhabits the
East Indies
و
GAUR BUNTING.
LENGTH four inches and a half. Bill rose colour :
a
general plumage ash colour ; wings and tail brown,
with paler edges ; legs pale blue. Native of the
East Indies.
DWARF BUNTING
Upper parts grey rusty ; under parts whitish;
head marked with longitudinal, testaceous, and black
bands. It is a very small species. Inhabits the
snowy mountains of Dauria.
RUSTIC BUNTING.
Hean black, with three longitudinal white bands ;
chin, body beneath, and two outer tail feathers, each

502
STAINED BUNTING, &c.
side oblique white ; neck and shoulder rusty ; back
rusty grey ; throat with testaceous specks. Inhabits
the woods of Dauria ; size of the reed bird.
STAINED BUNTING.
GENERAL plumage rusty grey ; a reddish round
spot on the ears ; eye-brows, line beneath the eyes,
and throat, white; chin surrounded with a brown
spotted circle ; crown, and part of the neck hoary
ash colour, shafts of the feathers brown. Size of
the foolish bunting. Inhabits the rocky parts of
Siberia
HOARY BUNTING
GENERAL colour hoary ; frontlet black ; under
side pale straw colour Inhabits near the water.
falls of Dauria, and is a small species.
GOLDEN-BROWED BUNTING,
SIZE
Size of the yellow. General colour rusty ; crown
black ; eye-brows gold colour : a white band from
the middle of the crown to the nape. Associates
with the preceding
FLAME-COLOURED BUNTING,
Size of the chaffinch; principal cast of the plu-
mage is blood coloured ; beneath brimstone coloured ;
wings grey rusty Inhabits Siberia.
PARADISE BUNTING.
Size of the hedge sparrow ; bill lead colour ;
irides hazel; head, chin, forepart of the neck, pale
orange; breast and upper part of the belly full

VARIEGATED BUNTING.
503
orange ; lower part of the belly and thighs white ;
vent black; two middle tail-feathers four inches
long, very broad, and ending in a long thread ;
two next thirteen inches long, very broad in the
middle, narrower at the end, and furnished with
another long thread ; rest of the tail-feathers only
two inches and a quarter long ; legs flesh colour.
The female is wholly of a deep brown, almost
black, but does not gain the full plumage under
three years.
This species moults twice in the year. The male
is destitute of the long feathers six months of the
twelve ; it moults in November, when it first loses
them ; the plumage is a mixed black and red-
dish colour, and the head streaked black and white.
It moults again in the spring, when it receives the
summer plumage ; but the tail-feathers are scarcely
complete till June.
These birds inhabit Angola, and other parts of
Africa. They are often brought into Europe, where
they sell for a great price, and frequensly live many
years, being in general lively active birds.
VARIEGATED BUNTING.
Size of the preceding : bill red ; upper parts of
the head and body black, mixed with reddish; sities
of the head and under parts white, except the
breast, which is pale red ; lesser wing-coverts white;
greater black, with reddish edges ; tail composed of
twelve feathers; middle ones longest by five inches
and a half, the next an inch shorter, and deep black";
the others, which are short and even, are of a dull
brown colour, margined with pale brown, and
marked each with a white spot at the inner web;
legs flesh colour.
Edwards observes that this bird soon regains the
long feathers after moulting, contrary to what has

504
ROYAL BUNTING, &c.
been observed in the Paradise bunting. Inhabits
Angola.
ROYAL BUNTING.
Size of a linnet. Bill red ; upper parts of the
plumage black ; sides of the head and round the
neck reddish ; hind part of the neck spotted with
black ; lower parts of the thighs and vent black ;
four middle tail-feathers ten inches long, and webbed
only about two inches at the ends ; others short and
black. Female brown, and wants the long tail-
feathers. They moult twice in the year, and in the
winter the male is little superior to a linnet. It is
sometimes imported from Africa into England.
LONG-TAILED BUNTING.
.
This is a very large species ; size of a song
thrush ; total length twelve inches; from the bill
to the setting on of the tail five. The bill is strong
and dusky; the nostrils nearly hid in the feathers;
the general colour of the plumage is deep glossy
black; the lesser wing-coverts are crimson ; below
this a bed of white; some of the quills are white at
the base, but hid when the wing is closed ; the
second quills are as long as the prime ones ; the tail
is composed of twelve feathers, which hang side-
ways, like those on the side of a cock's tail; six of
the middle ones are very long, but unequal in them-
selves ; the two longest are fifteen inches, the next
en each side fourteen inches, and the next only
eleven inches and a half; the others much shorter ;
the legs are brown, of the size of those of a thursh;
all the claws long and booked. This is indigenous
to the Cape of Good Hope.
a

ANGOLA BUNTING, &c.
505
ANGOLA BUNTING.
SIZE of a finch; bill short ; top of the head and
neck yellow; breast flame coloured ; rest of the
body black; tail long.
CAPE BUNTING.
LENGTH five inches and three quarters; bill
dusky ; upper part reddish yellow, varied with black;
top of the head and neck grey, mixed with black ;
sides of the head and chin white, crossed with two
streaks of black, one through the eyes, the other be-
neath them ; under parts yellowish white ; lesser
wing coverts reddish ; greater ones, quills, and tail,
dusky edged with red.
BLACK-FACED BUNTING.
Size of the house sparrow ; length four inches
and three quarters. Bill stout and red; forehead,
throat, and cheeks black; rest of the head and
upper parts reddish grey ; middle of the feathers on
the back and upper parts dusky; under parts pale
red, inclining to white on the breast and belly ;
quills and tail blackish, margined with ash colour ;
legs flesh coloured. Native of Africa.
WEAVER BUNTING.
Size of a chaffinch : bill horn colour ; the plu-
mage above reddish brown ; over each eye, and
down the middle of the crown, a streak of yellow;
sides of the head mottled yellow and black; rump,
and under parts yellow; down the middle of the
breast a black streak, broad and a little divaricated on
the sides. In winter, the yellow colours disappear,
3 T
FOL. I.

506
CRIMSON BUNTING, &c.
and the pird is of a brownish colour, like a sparrow.
This bird, like the weaver oriole, has the disposition
to interweave silk between the wires of its cage.
CRIMSON BUNTING.
a
Size of the preceding ; bill dusky ; head, breast,
rump, upper tail coverts, and thighs, crimson ; hind
;
part of the neck, and back blackish, mixed with
olive and a little crimson ; wings blackish, with pale
edges ; quills and tail black, edged with greyish
green ; lower part of the breast, belly, and vent,
ash coloured ; legs flesh colour. Inhabits the Isle
of France,
و
MILITARY BUNTING.
Head and back yellowish brown ; breast and
lower part of the back yellow ; shoulders greenish ;
belly white ; quills and tail brown, tipped on the
outer edges with yellow. Inhabits Malta.
BOURBON BUNTING!
Size of the yellow. Bill brown ; plumage red;
wings, tail, and legs, inclining to dusk. Inhabits
the isle of Bourbon.
RED-EYED BUNTING.
Size between a linnet and a sparrow ; bill, irides,
and legs rose colour ; head black; all the upper
parts of the body, wings, and tail bluish ash colour;
the last edged with black; the throat black ; breast
and belly vinaceous; round the eyes naked, and of
a rose colour ; from the gape of the mouth to the
hind head, a white stripe; the under tail coverts
white. Native of the Isle of France.

SANDWICH BUNTING, &c.
-507
SANDWICH BUNTING,
LENGTH "six inches ; bill dusky ; upper parts
brown, darkest in the middle ; a yellow streak over
the eyes, a dark one under them; sides of the head,
between the streaks, dusky ; under parts of the
body dusky white, dashed with brown ; quills brown,
with pale edges ; tail brown ; legs dusky. Inhabits
Oonalasckha, and Sandwich Sound.
BROWN-HEADED BUNTING,
Size of a hedge sparrow; upper parts lively
brown ; under ash colour ; chin rusty ; frontlet
white; tail black.
YELLOW-FACED BUNTING,
Size of a hedge sparrow; forehead and throat
yellow ; general colour grey. Native place un-
certain ; but Linnæus says it inhabits warm coun-
tries.
و
WREATHED BUNTING
Size of the titmouse ; bill black; a white line
from the forehead to the nape, a white spot on the
middle of each wing; forehead, rump, and under
parts white ; rest of the plumage black.
TANAGER TRIBE,
This race of birds is distinguished by the follow
ing generic characters : bill conical, sharpened,

508
RED-BREASTED TANAGER.
notched, somewhat triangular at the base, tip sloping
downward. They are almost wholly confined to the
warmer regions of America. Though many of them
differ widely from the sparrow, in the richness and
splendor of their plumage; they strikingly resem-
ble that bird in their form, and their instinct. They
fly low, and by jerks; their notes are, for the most
part, harsh ; they live upon very small fruits ; they
;
are social with each other, and so familiar, as to
visit the dwellings; they settle on dry grounds, and
never frequent marshy places. They differ, how-
ever, from the European, but not from the American
sparrows, in laying but a small number of eggs, two,
or at the most, three, whereas the European spar-
row lays five or six.
a
RED-BREASTED TANAGER.
a
This bird corresponds to the size of our sparrow.
Length seven inches and a half ; bill stout and
black, except the base of the lower mandible, which
is rounded at the back part, and broad, and of a fine
white silver polish ; irides brown ; plumage in
general black, glossed with purple ; except the chin,
throat, and breast, which are of a deep crimson ;
forepart of the head crimson in some specimens, in
others not.
This species is very common in Cayenne, Mexico,
and other parts of America, where it lives on
various kinds of fruits, and frequently visits the
hahitations and gardens, appearing generally in
pairs. The female makes her nest of a cylindrical
form, six inches long, and four and a quarter in
diameter, composed of dried fibres and leaves, and
lined with large pieces of the same leaves within.
This is fastened to the horizontal branch of some
low tree, with the mouth downward.

BRASILIAN TANAGER, &c.
509
BRASILIAN TANAGER.
LARGER than the house-sparrow ; length six inches
and a quarter. Bill black, except the under man-
dible, which is white half way from the base ;
general plumage fine crimson, unless the thighs,
which are black ; lesser wing-coverts black, mixed
with crimson ; rest of the wing-coverts, quills, under
wing-coverts, tail, and legs, full black
SUMMER RED BIRD.
WHOLLY red, except the wings, the ends of which
are brown; bill yellow. Female brown. This bird in-
habits the woods on the Mississippi. Sings agreeably.
It collects against winter a vast magazine of maize,
which it carefully conceals with dry leaves, leaving
only the hole by way of entrance, and is so jealous of
it, as never to quit its neighbourhood except to
drink.
SCARLET SPARROW
Is distinguished from the former species by its
being of a brighter scarlet, a whitish bill, and black
tail and legs. Female said to be green. Size of a
sparrow. Inhabits from New York to the Brasils.
Is a very shy bird, and lives in the deepest woods.
OLIVE TANAGER.
UPPER part olive green ; wings, tail, and legs,
brown ; two former edged with white ; throat and
;
breast of a fine yellow. Inhabits from New York
to Cayenne.

510
CAPE TANAGER, &c.
GREY TANAGER.
Of different shades of grey ; wings and tail
dusky. Inhabits Guiana and Louisiana.
BISHOP.
BLACK bill; plumage bluish grey ; legs ash-
coloured Inhabits the same country as the preced-
ing; haunts the skirts of the forests, and feeds on
the smaller fruits. Has a disagreeable note.
MISSISSIPPI TANAGER,
ABOUT the size of the scarlet tanager ; the bill
longer in proportion, of a brown colour, and both
mandibles somewhat curved inwards. It differs
likewise from that bird, in having the wings and
tail of the same red colour as the rest of the plu-
mage, though rather deeper ; legs reddish.
This is found in the neighbourhood of the river
Mississippi, and is said to sing very agreeably,
though much louder than the scarlet tanager. It is
said to collect against winter a quantity of maize,
and is so careful of its hoard, as seldom to stir from
the place where it has stored it up, except to drink;
and the quantity has been known to equal a bushel.
It secures this winter magazine by covering it with
dry leaves, only leaving a hole for itself to enter.
GREAT TANAGER.
Size of a thrush ; length eight inches and a half ;
bill brown ; upper parts olive brown ; forehead and
sides of the head blue ; over the eye a streak of
white ; on each side of the upper mandible a black
streak like a whisker; throat red, and in the middle
a

CRESTED TANAGER, &c.
511
of the red a spot of wnite ; rest of the under parts
pale red ; legs blue. Inhabits the thick woods in
Guiana, and sometimes perches on the bushes in
more open spots. They live on insects as well as
small fruits, and are called olive birds at Cayenne.
CRESTED TANAGER.
Size of a sparrow ; length six inches and a quarter.
Bill black; head crested, and orange colour ; chin,
lower part of the back, and rump, pale buff colour ;
edge of the wing, for one inch from the bend,
white; a streak of white on the scapulars ; rest of
the plumage black ; legs lead colour. Is common
in Guiana, where it lives on the lesser kind of fruits,
and has a note like that of a chaffinch.
a
VIOLET TANAGER.
LENGTH eight inches ; bill stout, dusky, black;
plumage violet, shaded with green on the wings
and tail ; legs blackish ; claws strong and large.
Inhabits Buenos Ayres.
STOLACK-FACED TANAGER.
A size smaller than the preceding ; bill three
quarters of an inch, strong and black; the upper
mandible whitish at the base ; all the fore part of
the head, sides, chin, and fore part of the neck,
black, ending in a point on the breast ; the rest of
the plumage ash colour, palest beneath ; quills and
;
tail deepest ; the last rounded in shape ; legs dusky.
Inhabits Guiana, where it frequents the open parts,
but is not common.

512
HOODED TANAGER, &c.
HOODED TANAGER.
Size of the hedge-sparrow; bill and legs dusky :
crown and sides of the head black; which colour
goes downward on each side of the neck, and ends
in a point near the wings ; between the bill and eye
is a spot of white ; the upper parts are of a bluish
ash colour, deepest on the wings and tail ; the under
parts are of a greyish white. Inhabits Guiana and
Brazil.
BLACK-CROWNED TANAGER.
Size of the common bunting ; length seven inches
and a half. Bill livid blue; sides of the under
mandible bent inwards, and the end of the upper
one margined ; base furnished with a few hairs ;
irides brown; crown and sides of the head beneath
the eye black; hind part of the neck and back
rusty brown, brightest on the rump ; under parts
deep yellow ; wings streaked with white; tail
forked, brown, edged with pale yellow ; legs dusky
flesh colour.
This species is found in the neighbourhood of the
Carcassian mountains, and near Teflio in Georgia ;
it frequents the Christ's thorn, and makes the nest
on the branches of it, which being well defended
with sharp spines, secures the brood from birds of
prey. The food chiefly consists of the seeds of the
same plant. It is a solitary bird, and has a voice
resembling the greater titmouse.
BLACK-HEADED TANAGER.
LENGTH seven inches. Bill dusky black; head,
wings, and tail, fine glossy black; inner edge of
the wing dashed with white ; rest of the body red;

STRIATED TANAGER, &c.
513
tail rounded ; legs brown. Inhabits Guiana, but is
a scarce bird.
STRIATED TANAGER.
Size of the preceding ; the head is striped with
black and blue ; the upper parts of the neck black-
;
ish, the lower bright orange; the upper tail coverts
olive brown ; upper wing coverts, quills, and tail,
black, edged with blue; the under parts yellow.
A singularity belongs to this bird, which is, that each
claw has a furrow on the sides, parallel to the edge.
Inhabits South America.
a
GUIANA TANAGER.
LENGTH from six inches and a half to seven inches :
the male is wholly black, except a spot of white at
the inner bend of the wing. The female is wholly
rufous, inclining to ash colour beneath , the bill
dusky ; legs yellowish. These are common in
Guiana, in the open spots ; live on small fruits and
insects, like the rest of the genus ; have a shrill
voice, but not a song ; are generally in pairs, never
in flocks.
TURGNOISE TANAGER.
Size of a chaffinch: bill blackish: the bead, fore
part of the neck, and lower part of the back, cine-
rious blue ; the hind part of the neck, upper part of
the back, and round the bill, black; on the breast a
spot of the same ; tail and legs are also black.
Some of those birds have the under parts white.
Inhabits Brazil.
VOL. 1.
35

514
ST. DOMINGO TANAGER.
ST. DOMINGO TANAGER.
:
و
Size of a sparrow : bill stout, and of a greyish
brown; the upper parts of the head and body olive
brown; the under dull white, with a dash of brown
;
down the middle of each feather ; quills brown,
edged with olive ; tail cinerious brown, a little
forked; the two middle feathers are olive brown,
the others have the outer margins inclined to olive ;
Jegs brown. This inhabits the island of St. Do-
mingo.
SAYACU TANAGER.
Size of the hedge sparrow : bill and eyes black ;
general colour of the plumage cinerious, mixed
with sea-green ; the upper parts partaking most
of the last colour; and the bird, if exposed to the
ar appears very glossy. Inhabits Cayenne.
SPOTTED TANAGER.
Size of a linnet. Bill and legs brown ; upper
parts green, mixed with brown ; rump green ; chin
and throat brown, edged with white; breast brown,
mixed with yellow ; from thence to the vent yellow-
ish white, tinged with green ; quills and tail brown,
edged with green. Inhabits Cayenne.
RED-HEADED TANAGER.
LENGTH seven inches : bill brown; head, chin,
and throat crimson, tending to a point ; throat spot-
ted with purple ; upper parts glossy black; under
parts pure white ; legs dusky. Inhabits Guiana and
Cayenne, but is not very common.

GREEN TANAGER, &c.
515
GREEN TANAGER.
a
LARGER than a house sparrow. Bill dusky; head
and upper parts green; between the bill and eyes
a black spot, beneath which is a deep blue band,
which extends the whole length of the under man-
dible ; throat of a fine black; fore part of the neck
yellow ; rest of the under parts yellowish green ;
wing coverts glossy green ; quills dusky, with blue
edges ; tail greenish ; legs brown. Inhabits
Mexico, Peru, and Brazil.
a
CHINESE TANAGER.
Size of the house sparrow ; bill red brown, with
a yellow tip ; the upper parts of the plumage olive
green ; between the bill and eye a yellowish white
spot; all the under parts yellow, growing pale on
the belly and vent ; quills dusky, edged with
yellow, inclined to ferruginous near the base ; tail
the same as the quills ; legs dusky,
MEXICAN TANAGER.
Less than a sparrow. Bill, tail, and legs black;
upper part and sides of the head, throat, neck,
breast, lower part of the back, and rump, fine blue ;
hind part of the head and neck, upper part of the
back and scapulars, black; belly, thighs, and vent,
yellowish white, spotted with black and blue on the
sides, and on the thighs with black ; upper wing
;
coverts glossy blue green; greater ones black, edged
with blue; quills black, some of them edged with
green, and others with white. Inhabits Mexico and
Guiana, especially the fields and mountainous parts.
It is not common, but has an agreeable song, and is
gocd food.

516
GREY-HEADED TANAGER, &c.
GREY-HEADED TANAGER.
a
LENGTH five inches. Plumage green of different
shades ; head grey ash colour, forehead, and a band
;
on the back of the head, which springs from it,
reddish. Inhabits the great forests of Guiana,
where it is, however, a rare bird.
CAYENNE TANAGER.
;
Size of a linnet. Bill and legs dusky ; crown
rufous; sides of it black ; hind part of the neck,
lower part of the back, and rump, of a pale gilded
yellow, tinged with green ; upper parts of the back,
scapulars, and upper tail coverts, green; beneath
the throat is blue grey ; rest of the upper parts con-
fusedly mixed with pale gilded yellow, rufous, and
blue grey, each appearing in different lights ; quills
and tail brown, edged with gilded green.
Is well known in Cayenne. It frequents the
open places, and approaches habitations, feeds on
fruits, and among others is very fond of bananas and
guayas ; it is very destructive in the rice fields.
;
Though they are very numerous, they never flock,
but are constantly seen in pairs only the desire of
similar food leads many to the same field, but they do
not associate together.
PERUVIAN TANAGER.
Size of a linnet : bill born colour; general plu-
mage shining green ; the head rufous; breast pale
blue ; on the upper part of the wing a spot of yel-
low ; quills and tail brown, edged with green, and
the two middle feathers of the last wholly green ;
legs pale brown.
Inhabits various parts of South America, Peru,

BLUE TANAGER, &c.
517
Cayenne, Guiana, &c. It is met with twice or three
times a year at this last place, frequenting large
trees, which grow in the forests in great numbers,
to eat the fruit which they bear, disappearing as
soon as such fruits begin to fail : they are seldom
met with near inhabited places.
BLUE TANAGER.
LENGTH five inches ; bill dusky; plumage blue;
legs reddish brown. Inhabits Cayenne. Supposed
by Buffon to be a variety of the former,
VARIABLE TANAGER.
a
Size of a linnet. Bill horn colour ; general plu-
mage glossy green, varying in different lights ;
through the eyes a streak of black ; quills and tail
dusky, edged with green ; legs pale.
;
TRI-COLOURED TANAGER.
LENGTH five inches and a quarter. Bill black;
base surrounded with black feathers ; general colour
green, glossed with gold on the upper parts, and
sides of the neck ; a large patch of black on the
throat; upper part of the back black ; lower and
rump orange yellow ; forepart of the neck and
breast sea-green, separated from the black on the
throat by a band of blue ; under parts yellowish
green, lesser and middle wing coverts violet blue,
greater coverts greenish black; tail marked with a
small violet blue spot on the outer margin, at the tip;
legs lead colour. Inhabits Cayenne
PARADISE TANAGER.
SOMEWHAT .ess than a goldfinch : bill black ; the
upper part and sides of the head yellowish green ;
:

518
BLACK-THROATED TANAGER.
the feathers small, and seem distinct from each
other; the hind part of the head and neck, the
upper part of the back and scapulars, of a velvet
black; the lower part of the back and rump of a
bright flame colour, verging to orange towards the
tail; the throat and fore part of the neck glossy
violet blue ; breast, belly, sides, and vent sea-green;
thighs dull green ; the lesser wing coverts green
gold, the middle ones blue, and the greater violet
blue; the quills black, with blue margins ; the
second quills, tail, and legs, black.
The females, and young males, differ from the
above description, as they have not the flame colour
on the lower part of the back; the males gain this
at a mature age, but it is even then wanting in the
a
female, as that part is wholly of an orange colour,
and in general the whole plumage is less brilliant :
not but both males and females vary much, as some
of them are of a bright red, both on the back and
rump, while others have those parts wholly of a gold
yellow
This beautiful species is very common about the
inhabited parts of Guiana. It appears in large
flocks in the neighbourhood of Cayenne, first about
September, and frequents a particular large tree,
which is just then in flower, and, as soon as the
fruit sets, begins its depredations thereon : it gene-
rally stays six weeks, and then passes elsewhere, but
returns again in April and May, at which time the
fruit ripens : it is about this tree alone that it is found,
for it does not frequent others. These birds may be
kept in a cage; will feed on bread; are said to
have no song, but only a short shrill note.
BLACK-THROATED TANAGER,
LENGTH five inches : upper mandible black;
under grey ; head and upper parts of the body

JACARINI TANAGER, &c.
519
olive green ; throat black ; breast orange colour ;
sides of the neck, and under parts of the body fine
yellow ; wing coverts, quills, and tail, brown edged
with olive ; legs blackish. Inhabits Guiana.
JACARINI TANAGER.
:
Size of a goldfinch : bill and legs ash coloured ;
plumage black, glossed with blue and green ; tail
forked.
This species inhabits Brazil and Guiana, fre-
quenting principally small trees, in newly cultivated
grounds, particularly the coffee tree, and it is re-
markable for frequently hopping upwards on the
branch, first alighting down on one foot, and then on
the other, each leap being accompanied by a pleasing
note, and spreading out the tail at the same time.
This leaping motion is made only by the male.
The nest is hemispherical in shape, and about two
inches in diameter, composed of dried herbs, of a
grey colour. The female lays but two eggs, which
are greenish white, spotted with red.
GOLDEN TANAGER.
Size of a canary bird. Bill and legs black; fore-
head and under parts gold colour ; rest of the plu-
mage deep glossy purple ; inner part of all the
quills, except the three first, is white from the base
for two thirds of the length, as are all the tail
feathers, except the two middle ones, which are
wholly black. The plumage of the female is less
brilliant, being composed of olive yellow and brown.
The female makes a nest, like the preceding, of
dried leaves, but chooses those that are reddish
instead of grey. They associate with the jacarinis,
and both of them do great damage to the rice fields,
which they sometimes attack in large flocks. They

520
BLACK AND YELLOW TANAGER, &c.
are often kept in cages, and will do well if five 0
six of them are confined together; in this case, they
are said to be lively, and acquire the song of other
birds.
BLACK AND YELLOW TANAGER.
Size of the preceding : almost the whole of the
crown, and the under parts are yellow ; chin, and
neck, and the upper parts of the body, black. It is
found in the same place with the preceding, and re-
sembles it in most of its habits.
NEGRO TANAGER.
Size of the white throat. Bill and legs dusky;
plumage blue black, except the under part of the
wings, and a small space on each side of the breast,
which are yellow, but this is so much hid when the
wings are closed, that the bird appears wholly black.
Inhabits Brazil, Mexico, and Guiana.
RUFOUS-THROATED TANAGER.
LENGTH five inches and three quarters : bill and
legs black ; plumage deep blue; throat reddish;
wings and tail dusky. Inhabits Martinico and
Jamaica.
BLACK TANAGER.
Size of the thrush. Bill,
Bill, legs and plumage
black, glossed with blue on the back. Inhabits the
East Indies.
WHITE-BILLED TANAGER.
Size of a starling ; bill white and bare at the base,
as in the grosbeaks, but long as in the starling,

MILITARY TANAGER, &c.
521
though thicker ; general colour of the plumage
black; the bottom of the feathers on the back white;
the rump tawny yellow ; on the wing coverts a ful.
vous spot ; quills black; tail even and yellow; the
end half towards the tip black; claws stout. Inha.
bits America.
MILITARY TANAGER.
a
Size of a lark. Bill and legs pale brown, upper
;
parts of the plumage brown; throat, fore part of the
breast and of the wings crimson ; belly, thighs, and
vent dull black brown. These birds inhabit various
parts of South America, and said to be met with in
China.
2.
WHITE-HEADED TANAGER.
ފް
LENGTH four inches. Bill and legs yellow; fore-
head white; upper parts blackish brown, throat,
and fore part of the neck pale red: breast and wings
purplish red; belly and vent pale yellow; tail black
ish brown. Frequents the mountainous parts of
Brazil.
YELLOW TANAGER.
a
Size of a lark. Bill short and black; all the up-
per parts, and the lower belly yellow like bee's wax :
fore parts to the breast black ; quills and tail dusky,
edged with sea green ; legs ash colour. Inhabits
Brazil.
AMBOYNA TANAGER.
LENGTH six inches and three quarters ; crown of
the head black; the rest of the upper parts variegat-
ed with black and blue ; rump and upper tail coverts
YOL. I.
3 X

522
WARBLING TANAGER, &c.
pale blue green ; cheeks, and beneath to the breast
blue ; belly, thighs, and vent white; upper wing co-
verts blue, marked with a spot of purple ; quills va-
riegated with blae, black, and green ; tail brown,
tipped with pale red, inclining to grey. Inhabits
America.
WARBLING TANAGER.
Size of the house sparrow. Bill brownish ; gea
neral colour of the plumage blue, with a little mix-
ture of black ; tail black, tipped with white; legs
grey. Inhabits New Spain. It is said to sing the
best of any of the tribe, and is accounted good food.
CAPITAL TANAGER.
LENGTH five inches. Bill and legs flesh colour ;
head, throat, and fore part of the neck as far as the
breast black; upper half of the neck, behind the sides
of it, and the under parts fine yellow ; rest of the
plumage pale olive green; wing and tail darker,
edged with yellow. Native country unknown.
SIBERIAN TANAGER.
NEARLY as large as a thrush. General plamage
black ; tips of the feathers between the shoulders,
and upon the rump white; bill short, pale, tipped
with brown ; tail notched at the tip ; legs black;
hind claw nearly twice as long as the rest. .
CAPE TANAGER.
UPPER parts rusty brown; beneath rusty, and
varied with white; tail blackish in the middle, the
sides brownish; bill yellowish ; legs black. Inha-
bits the Cape of Good Hope
و

FINCH TRIBE, &c
523
FINCH TRIBE.
The finches are distinguished from the other birds
by having a conical bill : very thick at the base, but
somewhat slender and sharp pointed towards the end.
They are numerous and active ; dispersed widely
over the world, and feeding principally on seeds,
grain, and insects; many of them are much esteemed
for their plumage and their song.
HOUSE SPARROW.
THE length of this bird is five inches and three
quarters ; the bill is dusky ; eyes hazel ; the top of
the head, and back part of the neck are of an asht co-
lour; the throat, fore part of the neck, and space
round the eyes black; the cheeks are whitish; the
breast, and all the under parts are of a pale ash co-
lour ; the back, scapulars, and wing coverts are of a
reddish brown, mixed with black; the latter are tip-
ped with white, forming a light bar across the wing;
the quills are dusky with reddish edges : the tail is
brown, edged with grey, and a little forked ; the legs
are pale brown. The female is distinguished from
the male by wanting the black patch on the throat,
and by having a little streak behind each eye; she is
also much plainer and duller in the whole plumage
This bird, as seen in large and smoky towns, is
nera sooty and unpleasing in its appearance ;
but among barns and stack-yards, the cock bird ex-
hibits a very great variety in his plumage, and is far
from being the least beautiful of our British birds.
It is said that these birds were unknown in the
greatest part of Siberia, before the Russians attracted

524
HOUSE-SPARROW.
a
them by the cultivation of corn. By a wonderful in-
stinct these and many others discover the effects of rural
economy, which draws various species unknown be-
fore from distant countries to share with mankind
the several sorts of grains or seeds which are most
grateful to their taste. Thus partridges keep pace
with the spreading of corn over many parts of the
earth, appearing where they were before unknown;
and the rice-birds quickly discovered the cultivation of
rice in South Carolina, and make in consequence an
annual visit to that province from the distance of se-
veral hundred miles.
No bird is better known in every part of Great
Britain than the sparrow ; which frequents our ha-
bitations, and is seldom absent from our gardens or
fields. It is a very familiar bird, but so crafty as not
to be easily taken in snares.
In a wild state its note is only a chirp : this arises,
however, not from want of powers, but from its at-
tending solely to the note of the parent bird. A spar-
row, when fledged, was taken from the nest, and
educated under a linnet : it also heard by accident a
goldfinch; and its song was, in consequence, a mix-
ture of the two.
Few birds are more execrated by the farmers, and,
perhaps, more unjustly so, than the sparrows. It is
true, they do some injury in our rural economy; but
they have been fully proved to be much more useful
than they are noxious. Mr. Bradley, in his General
Treatise on Husbandry and Gardening shews, that
a pair of sparrows, during the time they have their
young to feed, destroy on an average every week
3360 caterpillars. This calculation he found upon
actual observation. He discovered that the two pa-
rents carried to the nest forty caterpillars in an hour.
He supposed the sparrows to enter the nest only du-
ring twelve hours each day, which would cause a
daily consumption of 480 caterpillars. This sum

HOUSE-SPARROW
525
a
0
a
gives 3360 caterpillars extirpated weekly from a gar-
den. But the utility of these birds is not limited to
this circumstance alone ; for they likewise feed their
young with butterflies, and other winged insects,
each of which, if not destroyed in this manner, would
be the parent of hundreds of caterpillars.
Sparrows build early in the spring ; generally
forming their nests under the eaves of houses, and in
holes in the walls. When such convenient situations
are not to be had, they build in the trees a nest big-
ger than a man's head, with an opening like a mouth
at the side, resembling that of a magpie, except that
it is formed of straw and hay, and lined with feathers,
and so nicely managed, as to be a defence both against
wind and rain. They likewise form their nests in
the bottoms of rooks' nests; and this seems a favou-
rite situation with them.
Mr. Smellie relates a pleasing anecdote of the
affection of these birds towards their young:
When I was a boy (says this gentleroan,) I carried
off a nest of young sparrows, about a mile from my
place of residence. After the nest was completely
removod, and while I was marching home with them
in triumph, I perceived with some degree of astonish-
ment, both parents following me at some distance, and
observing my motions in perfect silence. A thought
then struck me, that they might follow me home, and
feed the young according to their usual manner.
When just entering the door I held up the nest, and
marle the young utter the cry which is expressive of
food. I immediately put the nest and the young in
the corner of a wire cage, and placed it on the out-
side of a window. I chose a situation in the room
where I could perceive all that should happen, with-
out being myself seen. The young animals soon
cried for food. In a short time both parents, having
their bills filled with small caterpillars, came to the
cage; and after chatting a little, as we would do with
a
a

526
HOUSE-SPARROW.
a friend through the lattice of a prison, gave a small
worm to each. This parental intercourse continued
regularly for some time ; till the young were com-
pletely fledged, and had acquired a considerable
degree of strength. I then took one of the strongest
of them, and placed him on the outside of the cage,
in order to observe the conduct of the parents after
one of their offspring was emancipated. In a few
minutes both parents arrived, loaded, as usual, with
food. They no sooner perceived that one of their
children had escaped from prison, than they fluttered
about, and made a thousand noisy demonstrations of
joy both with their wings and their voices. These
tumultuous expressions of unexpected happiness at
last gave place to a more calm and soothing conver-
sation. By their voices and their movements it was
evident that they earnestly intreated him to follow
them, and to fly from his present dangerous state.
He seemed to be impatient to obey their mandates ;
but, by his gestures, and the feeble sounds he ut-
tered, he plainly expressed that he was afraid to try
an exertion he had never before attempted. They,
however, incessantly repeated their solicitations ; by
flying alternately from the cage to a neighbouring
chimney-top, they endeavoured to shew him how
easily the journey was to be accomplished. He at
last committed himself to the air, and alighted in safety.
Upon his arrival another scene of clamorous and
active joy was exhibited. Next day I repeated the
same experiment, by exposing another of the young
on the top of the cage. I observed the same con-
I
duct with the remainder of the brood, which con-
sisted of four. I need hardly add, that not one either
of the parents or children ever afterwards revisited
the execrated cage.

MOUNTAIN SPARROW, &c.
527
MOUNTAIN SPARROW.
This bird is somewhat less than the common spar-
row. The bill is black; eyes hazel ; the crown of
the head, and hinder part of the neck are of a ches-
nut colour; sides of the head white; throat blaek ;
behind each eye there is a pretty large black spot;
the upper parts of the body are of a rusty brown,
spotted with black ; the breast and under parts dirty
white; the quills are black, with reddish edges ; as
are also the greater coverts; the lesser are hay, edged
with black, and crossed with two white bars; the
tail is of a reddish brown, and even at the end ; the
legs are pale yellow.
This species is frequent in Yorkshire, Lancashire,
and also in Lincolnshire, but has not been seen fur-
ther north than those counties ; it differs from "he
house-sparrow, in making its nest in trees and not in
buildings. Buffon says that it feeds on fruits, seeds,
and insects. It is a lively active little bird, and when
it alights has a variety of motions, whirling about,
and jerking its tail upwards and like the wagtail. It
is found in Italy, France, Germany, and Russia, and
is much more plentiful in many parts of the continent
than in England.
FRIZZLED SPARROW.
BILL white; head and neck black; upper parts of
the body, wings, and tail deep olive; under parts
yellow ; legs brown ; feathers of the body frizzled
like those of some poultry. Inhabits Angola and
Brazil.
RING SPARROW
an
LARGER than the common. Bill strong ; upper
mandible brown ; under pale grey, 'tipped with

528
FOOLISH SPARROW, &c.
brown; head, upper part of the neck and back grey,
spotted with brown; under parts grey and white
mixed ; fore part of the neck yellow; round the
head above the eyes a ring of dirty white; quills and
tail dusky, edged with grey. This bird frequents
different parts of Europe, but is most plentiful in
some parts of Germany. It is migratory unless in
warm climates where it frequents woods, and builds
in the holes of trees. At the end of July they collect
in flocks and remain so till the spring. It is a tender
bird often found dead in the hollows of trees during
hard winters. It lives both on seeds and insects, and
has been discovered at Norton Sound on the western
coast of America.
a
FOOLISH SPARROW.
Size of the house-sparrow ; reddish grey above,
spotted with rusty colour; over the head a white
streak; and a yellow spot on the throat ; beneath
yellowish ; two bands of white on the wings; and a
blackish tail edged with rufous. Native of Italy
SPECKLED SPARROW OF BOLOGNA.
3
Size of the preceding. Bill yellow ; irides, head,
and neck white, two latter spotted with yellowish;
back and rump white and yellowish mixed ; under
parts yellowish white; quills dusky; tail and legs
yellowish
;
WHITE-TAILED SPARROW.
YELLOWISH above, spotted with chesnut and streak-
ed with white; head, and under parts yellowish
white; tail cinerious white. Found in the neigh-
bourhood of Bologna.


MOUNTAIN SPARROW
BRAMBLING-

SHORT-TAILED SPARROW, &c.
529
SHORT-TAILED SPARROW.
BilL deep yellow ; plumage yellowish ; breast
and belly palest. Native also of Italy.
DALMATIC SPARROW.
This is longer than the house sparrow: bill
whitish; and the upper parts of the body reddish;
the under whitish; tail forked ; legs pale yellow.
Inhabits Dalmatia.
AMERICAN TREE SPARROW.
End of the bill dusky ; base of the lower mandible
yellow; cheeks and under side of the neck pale ash
colour, from the base of the bill on each side is a
red line passing above the throat ; the top of the
head, hind part of the neck, and ridge of the wings
are hay ; back rusty, varied with black ; coverts of
the wings black, edged with rust colour, and crossed
with two bars of white; belly and breast of a dirty
white; tail dusky, edged with ash colour. Length
six inches and a half; extent ten. Inhabits various
parts of North America ; breeds in the north.
BABAMA SPARROW.
Size of a canary bird. Head, neck, and breast,
black; the remaining parts of a dirty green.
Inhabits the woods of the Bahama islands, sits
perched on a bush, and sings repeating one set
tune.
1 i
LITTLE SPARROW.
ABOUT the size of a house sparrow. Head and
back ash colour, edged with rust; wing coverts and
VOL. I.
3 Y

530
CHAFFINCH.
tail bright rust; inner webs of the primaries and
tail dusky, exterior rusty ; under parts white, with
large rusty spots. Inhabits from Newfoundland to
Pensylvania. It is called in New York the shep-
herd, from its note, shep, shep; stays there only
the winter. Fond of scraping the ground.
CHAFFINCH.
a
The bill is of a pale blue, tipped with black ;
eyes hazel ; the forehead black; the crown of the
head, and the hinder part and sides of the neck, are
of a bluish ash colour ; sides of the head, throat, fore
part of the neck, and the breast, are of a vinaceous
red; belly, thighs, and vent white, slightly tinged
with red; the back is of a reddish brown, changing
to green on the rump; both greater and lesser
coverts are tipped with white, forming two pretty
large bars across the wing; the bastard wing and
quill feathers are black, edged with yellow; the tail,
which is a little forked, is black, the outermost
feathers edged with white; the legs are brown.
The female wants the red upon the breast; her
plumage in general is not so vivid, and inclines to
green ; in other respects it is not much unlike that
of the male.
This beautiful little bird is every where well
known ; it begins its short and frequently repeated
song, carly in the spring, and continues it till about
the middle of summer, after which it is no where
heard. It is a lively bird, which, together with its
elegant plumage, has given rise to the proverb, " as
gay as a chaffinch." Its nest is constructed with
much art, of small fibres, roots, and moss, and lined
with wool, hair, and feathers ; the fe-sale lays gene-
rally five or six eggs, of a pale reddish colour,
sprinkled with dark spots, principally at the larger
end. The male is very assiduous in his attendance

SOLITARY SPARROW
신
​

MOUNTAIN FINCH, OR BRAMBLING.
531
during the time of hatching, seldom straying far
from the place, and then only to procure food.
Chaffinches subsist chiefly on small seeds of various
kinds ; they likewise eat caterpillars and insects,
with which they also feed their young. They are
seldom kept in cages, as their song possesses no
variety, and they are not very apt in learning the
notes of other birds. The males frequently maintain
obstinate combats, and fight till one of them is van-
quished, and compelled to give way. In Sweden,
these birds perform a partial migration ; the fe-
males collect in vast flocks in the latter end of Sep-
tember, and leaving their mates, spread themselves
through various parts of Europe : the males con-
tinue in Sweden, and are again joined by their
females, who return in great numbers about the
beginning of April, to their wonted haunts. With
us, both male anel female remain the whole year:
Mr. White, in his history of Selbourne, observes,
that great flocks sometimes appear in that neighbour-
hood about Christmas, and that they are almost
entirely hens. It is difficult to account for so singular
a circumstance as the parting of the two sexes in
this instance ; perhaps the males, being more hardy,
and better able to endure the rigours of the northern
winters, are content to remain in the country, and
pick up such fare as they can find, whilst the fe-
males seek for subsistance in more temperate
regions.
MOUNTAIN FINCH, OR 'BRAMBLING.
LENGTH somewhat above six inches. Bill yellow,
blackish at the tip; eyes hazel; the feathers on the
head, neck, and back, are black, edged with rusty
brown ; sides of the neck, just above the wings,
blue ash ; rump white; the throat, fore part of the
neck, and the breast, are of a pale orange ; belly

532
GREAT MOUNTAIN FINCH.
white ; lesser wing coverts pale reddish brown,
edged with white; greater coverts black, tipped
with pale yellow ; quills dusky, with pale yellowish
edges; the tail is forked, the outermost feathers
edged with white, the rest black, with whitish edges ;
legs pale brown
The mountain finch is a native of northern cli-
mates, whence it spreads into various parts of Europe :
it arrives in this country in the latter end of summer,
and is the most common in the mountainous parts of
our island. Vast flocks of them sometimes come
together, they fly very close, and on that account
great numbers of them are frequently killed at one
shot. In France they are said to appear sometimes
in such immense numbers, that the ground where
they have roosted has been covered with their dung
for a considerable space; and in one year, they
were so numerous, that more than six hundred dozen
were killed every night during the greater part of
the winter. They are said to build their nests in
fir-trees, at a considerable height ; it's composed of
long moss, and lined with hair, wool, and feathers;
the female lays four of fivy eggs, white, spotted
with yellow. The flesh of the mountain finch,
though bitter, is said to be good to eat, and better
than that of the chaffinch ; but its song is much
inferior, and is only a disagreeable kind of chirping.
It feeds on seeds of various kinds, and is said to be
particularly fond of beech mast.
GREAT MOUNTAIN FINCH.
This species has a yellow bill, with a dusky
point ; crown black; from the base of the bill
proceeds a white line, passing under cach eye,
descending down the sides of the neck, and bending
towards the breast ; throat, and forepart of the
breast black ; belly and sides white ; hind part of
;

GOLDFINCH, OR THISTLE-FINCH,
533
ounce.
the neck and back brown, mixed with rust colour;
tail forked ; that and the wings dusky, edged with
rust; some of the exterior feathers of the tail marked
near the ends with a white spot ; legs dark brown ;
hind claw long, like a lark's, and almost straight.
Length five inches ; extent seven ; weight half an
It is a bird of a hardy constitution. Inhabits
"Hudson's Bay during winter, living among the
juniper bushes; it also inhabits Greenland in the
;
summer, and breeds there. It makes an artless nest
of moss and grass, lined with a few feathers, and
lays in June five or six eggs of a clay colour clouded.
It is found in Lapland, the Ferro isles, and the
northern parts of Russia and Siberia, where also it
breeds. It arrives in flocks from the south, and fre-
quents the fields at the first flowering of the whitlow-
grass. It has nearly the note of a linnet, but its
flight is higher and more lasting. It runs on the
ground like a lark, and feeds upon seeds.
GOLDFINCH, OR THISTLE-FINCH.
The bill of this bird is white, tipped with black ;
from each corner of the bill to the eyes passes a
black line, dividing the rich scarlet colour of the
forehead and chin ; the eyes are dark ; the top of
the head black; a stripe of which colour extends
downward on each side, dividing the white on the
cheeks and throat, from that on the hind part of the
neck; the back, rump, and breast are of a pale
brown; belly white; the quill feathers blac,
marked on the middle of each feather with yellow,
forming a large patch of that colour, which nearly
crosses the wing, being bounded by the outer edge
of the outer feather ; the tips of both primary and
secondary feathers are white; the tail feathers are
black, with a white spot on each, near the end ; the
legs of a pale flesh colour.

534
GOLDFINCHI
There are not fewer than eight varieties of the
goldfinch, besides extraordinary instances of their
occuring wholly white or entirely black. They will
also breed with the canary.
This intermixture
succeeds best between the cock goldfinch and the
hen canary, whose offspring are productive, and are
said to resemble the male, in the shape of the bill
and in the colours of the head and wings, while the
rest of the body has the appearance of the canary.
They breed twice in the year. They assemble in
winter in large flocks, and particularly frequent
those places which are overgrown with thistles, the
seed of which is their favourite food. They construct
a very neat and compact nest, which is composed of
moss, dried grass, and roots ; lined with wool, hair,
,
the down of thistles, and other delicate substances.
The female lays five eggs of a whitish colour, marked
with deep purple spots. They feed their young
with caterpillers and insects. They begin to sing
early in the spring, and continue till the time of
breeding is over. In a cage they will sing the
greater part of the year.
Some years ago the Sieur Roman exhibited in this
country the wonderful performances of his birds.
These were goldfinches, linnets, and canary-birds.
-One appeared dead, and was held up by the tail
or claw without exhibiting any signs of life. A A
second stood on its head, with its claws in the air.
A third imitated a Dutch milkmaid going to mar-
ket, with pails on its shoulders. A fourth mimicked
a Venetian girl looking out at a window. A fifth
appeared as a soldier, and mounted guard as a sen-
tinel. The sixth was a cannoner, with a cap on
its head, a firelock on its shoulder, and a match in
its claw, and discharged a small cannon.
The same
bird also acted as if it had been wounded : it was
wheeled in a little barrow, to convey it (as it were)
to the hospital ; after which it flew away before the
a

a
ARCTIC FINCH, &c.
535
company. The seventh turned a kind of windmill.
And the last bird stood in the midst of some fire-
works which were discharged all round it; and this
without exhibiting the least sign of fear.
In solitude the goldfinch delights to view its
image in a mirror ; fancying, probably, that it sees
another of its own species : and this attachment to
society seems to equal the cravings of nature ; for it
is often observed to pick up the hemp-seed, grain by
grain, and advance to eat it at the mirror, imagining,
no doubt, that it is thus feeding in company..
Towards winter these birds usually assemble in
flocks. They feed on various kinds of seeds, but
are more partial to those of the thistle than any
others.
ARCTIC FINCH.
YELLOW bill; body black and ash-colour ; wings
and tail black ; tail glossed with crimson ; female
dusky ash. Inhabits Siberia, and the most northern
regions.
LULEAN FINCH.
UPPER part dusky ash-colour; chin white;
breast and shoulders rusty ; belly whitish ; primaries
dusky; on part of the wings are four lines, two
black, one rusty, and the fourth white. Inhabits
about Lulea in West Bothnia.
FLAME-COLORED FINCH.
LENGTH four inches. Bill and legs pale brown ;
head deep flame-colour, inclining to crimson, and
the feathers somewhat longer than the rest ; plu-
mage of the upper parts brown ; beneath pale
crimson. Inhabits Norland.

536
LAPLAND FINCH.
LAPLAND FINCH.
Size larger than the chaffinch : bill horn colour,
with a black tip ; head blackish, spotted with red-
dish white ; upper part of the neck, back, and body,
rufous, spotted with brown ; behind each eye' a
curved white spot ; throat, forepart of the neck,
and breast, pale rufous ; middle ones black, edged
with yellow, and tipped with white, forming a bar
on the wing ; quills black, with pale yellowish
green edges ; tail the same; legs black. The
female only differs from the male in being paler.
This species is found at Hudson's Bay, where it,
is called tecumashish; but differs somewhat in size,
measuring only five inches. The head is black;
the curved mark behind the eye the same; breast
whitish, with a longitudinal black streak down it ;
in other things not greatly different. It is found in
the neighbourhood of Severn river, in winter only,
appearing first about November, and is commonly
found near juniper trees. Some of the males have
more rust about the head. It is also met with in
Lapland, and the interior of Siberia, being often
found near the Uralian chain. It breeds in the
northern parts, and unites into flocks : when it
changes place, it runs like a lark on the ground;
sings like a linnet, frequently while vibrating in the
air, like the lark.
This inhabits, though in less numbers, the fields
of the inner bays of Greenland, and makes the nest
in June, of moss and grass, lined with feathers ;
lays five or six eggs, of a brownish slate colour,
mixed with a duller colour; is supposed to migrate
into America in autumn.
а

SNOW FINCH, &c.
581
SNOW FINCH
10 LENGTH seven inches : bill black; head, and
hind part of the neck, ash colour ; under parts,
wing coverts, and secondaries, white as snow, exa
cept the two secondaries nearest the body which are
brown; bastard wing, primaries, and two middle
feathers of the tail, black; other tail feathers white,
tipped with black. This species inhabits various
parts of the European continent, especially the south of
France, in the neighbourhood of the Alps, as also
the snowy tops of the Carcasian mountains, and those
of Persia, descending from thence into the plains in
winter.
SERIN FINCH.
Size of the canary: upper mandible grey brown,
under whitish ; plumage on the upper parts browa,
mixed with yellowish green ; under parts greenish
yellow, spotted on the sides with brown ; wings
banded with green ; quills and tail brown, margined
with greenish grey ; legs brown. Inhabits the south
of France, the circle of Austria and Italy. The
Italians highly value this bird on account of its me-
lodious song, whence some have derived the original
of the word serenade, which signifies a kind of soft
and pleasant music, which the lovers in Italy are
accustomed to play at night under the windows of
their mistresses.
Scopoli observes, that in spring they collect in
flocks, and frequent orchards. It is fond of cab-
bage and hemp seed, frequently takes sudden flights
upwards, and after ſluttering in the air for a little
time and warbling at the same time, alights with its
expanded wings near on the same spot whence it
rose.
VOL. I.
32

538
CITRIL FINCH, &c.
CITRIL FINCH.
LARGER than the preceding : bill brown; upper
parts yellowish green, spotted with brown ; under
parts and rump greenish yellow ; breast of the male
much inclined to yellow ; lesser wing coverts, quills
and tail, greenish; greater dusky, edged with green;
legs flesh colour.
Is common in the south of France, and vicinity
of Rome. It is also found in many parts of the
Turkish Empire.
OKER FINCH
Size of a chaffinch; bill and legs yellow ; general
colour of the plumage white, except the head, fore
part of the neck, breast, and wing coverts, which
are more or less of the colour of yellow oker. Said
to inhabit Austria.
TESTACEOUS FINCH.
LENGTH five inches and a half : bill pale red;
irides black ; head, neck, and back, rusty, mottled
with black ; breast, and belly, the same, but paler ;
wings and tail brown ; legs flesh colour.
و
AMADAVAD FINCH.
.
Size of a wren : bill dull red ; upper parts brown,
mixed with red; under the same, but paler ; all the
feathers of the upper wing coverts, breast, and sides,
tipped with white ; quills hrown; tail black ; legs
yellowish white. Inhabits the East Indies,

BLACK AND ORANGE FINCH, &c.
539
BLACK AND ORANGE FINCH.
Size of a linnet : bill pale brown ; general colour
of the plumage black, except the wings and tail, the
edges of which are deeply margined with rusty ; on
the belly a few spots of white; legs brown. This
is said to come from Macao, and feeds on ants.
WHITE BREASTED FINCH.
Size of the preceding : general colour black, ex-
cept an irregular bar of white across the breast; bill
and legs palish brown. Native of Java.
OLIVE FINCH.
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Size of a linnet : bill yellowish ; the upper parts
of the body olive brown, with a reddish tinge on the
wing coverts, back, and rump; round the bill, the
throat, and fore part of the neck, olive green ; the
rest of the under parts rufous, tinged with (yellow on
the belly; under tail coverts, and under wing coverts,
of a fine yellow; the greater wing coverts, and
feathers from the body, black ; tail black, with the
base of the feathers yellow ; legs yellowish. This
species inhabits China.
BLACK HEADED FINCH.
LENGTH four inches : bill red; back, wings, and
tail, ferruginous brown; head, and fore part of the
neck, black; sides of the neck, and sides under the
wings, a little - streaked with black ; hind part of
the neck and belly, white ; quills black; legs lead
colour.

540
BROWN FINCH, &c.
BROWN FINCH.
Size of a wren: bill dusky; upper part of the
plumage brown; the feathers edged with dark
brown ; under parts brownish white ; legs dusky.
This and the last are natives of China.
3
INDIAN FINCH.
Size of the preceding : bill, and head, black :
round the bill and eyes, and the threat, white, passing
round the neck as a collar ; on the lower part of
the neck before, a black bar; the rest of the under
parts are reddish white; the upper parts cinerious
brown, palest on the rump; the wing coverts are
black, fringed with glossy rufous ; greater quills
black; tail and legs cinerious brown. Inhabits
India.
و
GREEN GOLDFINCH.
Size of the commor: goldfinch: bill flesh coloured ;
fore part of the head and throat, of a bright red :
between the hill and eye bluish ash colour: the up-
per parts of the bird are golden green ; the wing
coverts and secondaries greenish, with red margins ;
quills dusky; breast olive green, changing into
white on the belly and under the tail ; all beneath
variegated with broken, dusky, transverse lines ; the
tump, and tail, bright red ; legs pale brown. This
is said to inhabit China and Brazil.
YELLOW FINCH.
Size of the canary ; bill dark brown ; irides
hazel ; plumage on the upper parts olive green;
rump and under parts yellow; over the eye a

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SYRIAN FINCH, &c.
541
yellowish streak; a smaller streak or two beneath
the eye ; and one of green passing through it ; the
quills olive green, edged with white; the tail yellow-
ish green ; legs brown. Inhabits the East Indies.
SYRIAN FINCH.
A size larger than the linnet ; bill thick, short,
and of a lead-colour ; top of the head fine bright
red ; cheeks, throat, fore part of the neck, black,
mixed with brown ; the rest of the neck, breast,
upper parts of the body, and lesser wing coverts,
brown, dusky, and yellow, mixed ; the greater wing
coverts deep ash-colour, edged with paler; quilis
and tail the same, but edged with bright orange ;
belly and vent dirty white, marked with obscure
yellow and dusky spots ; legs lead colour. This
species is found about Tripoli
, in Syria : it is a bird
of passage, and sings very finely.
BENGAL FINCH.
Size of the lesser redpole : bill flesh colour;
irides hazel; head and upper parts of the body grey ;
the lower part of the back and rump, and all the
under parts, blue ; on each side of the head is a
curved purplish red 'spot, placed ber-eath the eyes,
and rather behind them; the quills are brown,
edged with grey ; the tail pale blue, and wedge-
shaped ; legs whitish.
WHITE-EARED FINCH.
OSBECK mentions fwe small birds, which he takes
to be finches, and all varieties of the same species.
The first with the head, hack, and wing coverts,
purple ; the under side of the body yellow ; prime
quills and tail fine blue; the secondaries green ; on

542
CEYLON FINCH, &c.
the
ears a white spot. The second like the former,
but the back and tail purple. The third with a
green head, and a purple breast, and tail. The
fourth with the breast of a light green; the head and
lesser wing coverts brown. The fifth with the head,
back; wing coverts, and tail, of a fine deep brown;
the under side of the body, and under wing coverts,
fine crimson. Each of these birds is distinguished
by a white spot on the ears.
CEYLON FINCH.
This is a very small species : bill and head black ;
the whole body yellow, inclining to green on the
back; the under parts white and dusky ; quills and
tail dusky; the outer edges yellow. Inhabits China,
and the island of Ceylon.
BROWN-THROATED FINCH.
Bill red ; crown of the head green ; from the
eyes a line of white, passing backwards ; throat pale
brown; beneath a patch of ash-colour, then a spot
of pale red; the back rusty ; rump and vent green ;
;
wings dusky ; on the lower part of the quills a yellow
spot; tail half yellow, half black; legs yellow.
Native of China.
BLUE-HEADED FINCH.
Size of the greater redpole : bill brown; head
and neck blue; across the forehead a narrow black
line ; chin and throat black ; across the upper part
of the back, a semicircle of black; wing coverts,
lower part of the back, and rump, blue ; breast,
belly, and vent, blue, appearing green in some
lights; tail dark brown ; legs brown.

AZURB-HEADED FINCH, &c.
543
AZURE-HEADED FINCH.
LENGTH four inches : bill red ; crown of the head
pale blue ; hind part of the neck, throat, breast, and
under tail coverts, red; belly pale ash colour ; back
and lesser wing coverts purplish ; greater coverts
green ; lower part of the back and rump yellow;
quills and tail blue; legs red. Inhabits China.
LUNAR FINCH.
;
LENGTH six inches and a half : bill slender, dusky
black; head, neck, and back, reddish, the last in-
clining to brown ; rump pale blue; across the
throat a narrow crescent of black, bounded below
with yellow ; quills black, the ends of them blue,
with a white spot at the tip of each ; tail and legs
black. Inhabits the East Indies.
MANY-COLOURED FINCH.
Bill bluish ; head, hind part of the neck, upper
part of the back, and tail, black; cheeks, chin, and
the rest of the under parts, light yellow ; vent yellow;
wings black; on the coverts a white spot ; the
secondaries crossed at the ends with white; lower
part of the back and thighs green ; legs grey,
From Ceylon.
PERIAL FINCH.
Size of the Amadavad finch ; length three inches
and a half: Bill dusky red ; crown, and all the
under parts of the body yellow; the upper parts
pale rusty rose-colour ; quills and tail dusky ; legs
pale dusky red. Inhabits China.

514
ROSEATE FINCH, &c.
ROSEATE FINCH.
a
a
Size of a mountain finch : the plumage is mostly
of a fine roseate colour ; front silvery white; back
marked with brownish grey stripes ; wings and tail
blackish ; tail feathers rosy on the outer edge.
Inhabits Siberia.
PINE FINCH.
The plumage above is reddish testaceous ; be-
neath yellow ; breast with a transverse ferruginous
band. Inhabits the pine groves of Siberia.
WOOD FINCH
HEAD barred : body above varied with black and
grey; breast and belly hoary. Inhabits also the
pine forests of Siberia.
CASPIAN FINCH.
BilL short and thick ; upper mandible black ;
under yellowish ; a few bristles at the opening ;
forepart of the head and throat white; rest of the
plumage reddish; wings and tail black; legs
vellowish. Inhabits Abyssinia and the south of
Barbary, where it flies in flocks, and frequents farm-
yards and granaries, like our sparrow. It has an
exceedingly fine note, superior to that of the canary-
bird. It feeds much on dates, and is so delicate that
it will not bear removal to another climate.
CRESCENT FINCH.
LENGTH six inches ; bill, bead, and forepart of the
neck, black ; a streak of white passes from the eye

ELEGANT FINCH, &c.'
545
down each side of the neck, and surrounds the fore
part like a crescent ; hind part of the necké, brown;
back scapulars; and lesser wing coverts, chesnut ;
middle coverts black, tipped with white; greatest
coverts and quills brown, edged with grey, tail deep
brown, legs brown.
ELEGANT FINCH.
Size of the house sparrow : bill, fore head, all
round the bill, and throat, red; breast yellow ; hind
part of the head, and neck, dusky ash-colour ; back,
and wings, green ; quills tipped with dusky ; breast,
belly, and sides, crossed with irregular lines of white
spots; rest of the under parts white; rump, and tail,
red; legs flesh colour. Inhabits Africa.
LONG-EILLED FINCH.
A size bigger than the chaffinch : bill grey brown;
head, and throat, black; round the neck a collar
of chesnut ; back, wing coverts, scapulars, and
rump, brown and yellow, mixed ; all the under parts
orange yellow ; quills brown, edged with olive with-
out, and within fringed with yellow; the outer edges
of the secondaries are also fringed with ye
tail olive ; legs grey brown. Inhabits Senegal.
low;
WHITE CHEEKED FINCH.
Size of a sparrow: bill pale ash; head, neck, and
under parts, the same ; back, and wings, reddish,
with dusky streaks ; sides of the head, white ; a
reddish streak through the eye, bounded on the under
part with black ; on the under jaw is a streak of
black, which joins the black above the eye at the
hinder part ; tail dusky ; legs black. Inhabits the
Cape of Good Hope,
VOL. I.
4 А

546
RED FACED FINCH, &c.
RED FACED FINCH.
LENGTH near six inches : cheeks tinged with
crimson ; tail dull crimson ; prime quills dusky with
dull orange edges; rest of the plumage deep dull
green. Inhabits Angola.
RED HEADED FINCH.
LENGTH near five inches : bill, space round the
eyes, and the tail black; head and neck, rich scarlet ;
back, breast, and belly, olive; wings black, with
two bars of white on the coverts ; legs grey. In-
habits the island of Maunituis.
ABYSSINIAN FINCH.
Size and shape of the canary bird : bill black ;
sides of the head, beneath the eyes, the throat, fore
part of the neck, breast, and upper part of the belly,
black ; upper part of the head, the rest of the body,
and lower part of the belly, yellow; at the back of
the neck a collar of black, which meets the black on
the fore part; the wing coverts and quills black,
with pale edges; tail black, edged with greenish
yellow ; legs pale brown.
This inhabits Abyssinia, where it is met with in
flocks. It feeds on the seeds of a plant called nuh,
which has a yellow flower, and the seed produces
an oil in much use with the monks.
ULTRAMARINE FINCH,
Size of a canary: bill white; plumage wholly
of a fine deep ultramarine blue; legs red. Females
a
grey. Inhabits Abyssinia, and is said to have a fine
song

SENEGAL FINCH, &c.
547
SENEGAL FINCH.
و
LITTLE bigger than a wren.
Bill reddish, edged
with brown, and marked on the under mandible with
a brown line, and with another on the ridge of the
upper mandible ; upper part of the head, throat,
forepart and sides of the neck, breast, and upper
part of the belly, sides, rump, and upper tail coverts,
vinaceous red ; lower part of the belly, thighs, and
under tail coverts, greenish brown ; hind part of the
head, neck, back, scapulars, and wing coverts brown ;
tail black ; legs grey.
These birds are natives of Guinea, and feed on
millet. This circumstance affords the natives an
easy method of catching them : they support a large
hollow gourd, the bottom uppermost on a stick, with
a string leading to some covered place, and strew
under it some millet ; the little birds hastening in
numbers to pick it up, are caught beneath the trap,
by the stick being pulled away by the observer at a
distance. The females are said to sing nearly as
well as the males. They are familiar birds, and
when once used to the climate, will live five or six
years in a cage ; they are even bred in Holland by
the bird fanciers.
CAPE FINCH.
LARGER than the house sparrow : bill ash colour ;
head and neck black, the black ending in a point on
the breast ; the breast and the rest of the under
parts white ; thighs reddish ; upper parts of the
body chesnut; quills blackish ; inner part of the
;
secondaries, and under the wings,, chesnut ; tail of
this last colour, and the four outer feathers marked
with a longitudinal blackish spot at the tip ; legs
brown. Inhabits the Cape of Good Hope.
و

548
FIRE FINCH, &c.
FIRE FINCH.
Size of the smaller redpole : bill dusky; general
colour of the plumage brownish red ; quills and
tail dusky ; legs flesh colour. The female has the
fore head and space between the eyes crimson.
Inhabits Gambia in Africa.
5
BLUE-CROWNED FINCH.
A LARGE species ; length seven inches. Bill
dusky; crown blue, bounded with red; round the
eye white ; hind part of the neck and back pale
reddish brown ; lower part of the back and rump
pale blue ; under parts yellow; thiglis and vent
white; middle and greater coverts margined with
white ; quills and tail black; legs pale brown.
Inhabits Senegal.
AMERICAN GOLDFINCH.
Has a flesh coloured bill; forepart of the head
black; rest of the head, neck, and whole body of a
most beautiful gold colour, whitening towards the
vent'; wings black, with two lines of white; tail
black, inner webs of the exterior feathers white;
legs brown. Female inclines to an olive.
BAHAMA FINCH.
Has a yellow throat ; head and neck black, wili
a long white line above and beneath each eye ;
breast orange-coloured ; belly white ; wing coverts
black ; lowest order of the feathers white; primaries
and tail dusky, edged with white ; legs lead colour.
Head of the female ash colour, Inhabits the Bahama
isles.

RED BREASTED TINCH. &c.
549
RED BREASTED FINCH.
Bill white : cheeks, throat, and under side of the
neck, and breast, of a rich crimson ; belly white ;
crown, upper part of the neck, hack, wings, and tail,
black, coverts crossed with two lines of white; legs
black. Eight of these were driven in a storm on
ápndy Hook, in April, 1779.
WHITE THROATED FINCH.
a
Has a broad bar extending from the bill over each
eye towards the hind part ; orange coloured near the
bill
, white beyond the eyes, and bounded above and
below, with a dusky line; crown divided lengthways
by a white stroke; throat white ; hind part of the
neck, back, and coverts of the wings, prettily spotted
with black, ash colour, and rusty ; primaries and tail
dusky, edged with white ; ridge of the ving pale
yellow ; breast and belly of a brownish white; legs
yellowish. Inhabits Pennsylvania, New York, and
New Foundland.
а
YELLOW THROA" -D FINCH.
Has the head and upper part of the body, ash
coloured; primaries dusky, edged with pale brown ;
chin white; on the throat a pale yellow spot ; belly
dirty white ; legs and bill of a bluish grey. Inhabits
New York.
a
STRIPED FINCH.
BILL lead coloured; forehead yellow ; . crown
white, with three black stripes; behind each eye
a black spot; cheeks and chin whitish ; hind part of
the neck and back brown, spotted with dusky ; wing
a

550
FASCIATED FINCH, &c.
coverts and tail, brown ; primaries dusky ; breast
and belly light grey. Inhabits New York.
FASCIATED FINCH.
Upper parts rust colour, spotted with black; wing
coverts rusty ; primaries dusky, varied with black
and white ; tail brown, with dusky bars. Inhabits
New York.
WINTER FINCH.
Upper part light brown, spotted with black; under
parts white with small brown spots ; wings brown,
edged with white. Inhabits New York.
BLACK FACED FINCH.
Facc black, crown, neck, and rump, crimson ;
back, tail, and wings, black, edged with rust ; breast
crossed with a black band ; belly brownish. In-
habits Carolina.
NORTON FINCH.
GENERAL colour bright bay ; head and neck,
black ; throat buff coloured ; belly and sides white ;
primaries and tail, dusky; the latter edged with
dirty white. Discovered in Norton Sound.
.
CRIMSON HEADED FINCH.
Head and breast crimson ; upper plumage black,
cdged with crimson ; belly white, tinged with red.
Inhabits New York in the summer, when it is fre-
quently seen among the red cedars.

PURPLE FINCH, &c
551
PURPLE FINCH.
;
GENERAL colour purple, mixed with rust ; belly
white. Female brown. Spends the winter in
Carolina, where it feeds upon juniper berries, and
destroys the swelling buds of fruit trees.
ASH-COLOURED FINCH.
UPPER part brown ash colour; face marked with
grey and dusky lines; throat grey ; belly whitish;
bill long and dusky. Inhabits Oonalaschka.
AMERICAN MOUNTAIN FINCH.
Size of a sparrow; bill reddish; upper parts
brown, mixed with darker brown ; quills and tail
darkest, edged with a paler colour; two bars of
white across the wings; crown of the head chesnut,
mixed in the middle with grey brown ; sides of the
head and neck, and under parts, white ; legs
brown. Inhabits Canada.
BRASILIAN FINCH.
This beautiful bird is near five inches in length;
bill like red coral ; irides dark ; eye-lids scarlet ;
sides of the head, round the eye, blossom-coloured
violet ; base of the bill above blue ; throat, lower
part of the belly, and thighs greenish black; the
rest of the head and body chesnut ; the back and
scapulars incline to brown ; the rump blue ; the
quills are brown; tail black ; legs pale grey.
Those often differ in colour; some have a spot of
brown between the bill and eye ; and the hinder
parts of the body, both above and beneath, violet ;
others are of the same colour on the lower belly and

552
RUTOUS-CHINNED FINCH, &c.
thighs as on the upper parts. in some birds the tail
is reddish. The female has a red bill; a little
purple under the eyes; the top of the head tawny ;
the back grey brown ; throat and under parts pale
tawny ; the lower part of the belly and vent whitish;
the rest as in the male, but less bright. This curious
bird inhabits Brazil, has an agreeable song, and is
frequently kept in cages by the Europeans, being a
very lively bird.
RUFOUS-CHINNED FINCH.
LENGTH four inches and three quarters : bill
black, as is the whole plumage, except the chin, and
a spot of red orange between the bill and the eye ;
legs blackish ; irides red. Inhabits the West
Indies and South America.
GLOSSY FINCH
Less than a sparrow : bill flesh-colour ; irides
white ; plumage black steel colour ; legs flesh colour.
Native of Cayenne.
JAMAICA FINCH.
:
LENGTH five inches : bill and legs black ; upper
parts dull blue; feathers very soft ; under parts
pale blue, inclining to yellow on the belly; wings
and tail greenish blue.
GREY-HEADED FINCH.
A LARGE species ; length eight inches. Upper
mandible bluish brown ; under paler; head and
throat grey ; upper
part of the neck and body yel-
low brown ; vent white ; wings and tail dull brown,
streaked with white ; legs bluish. Inhabits Jamaica.

SAVANNA FINCH, &c.
553
SAVANNA FINCH.
.
LENGTH only four inches : bill brown ; a yellow
streak over the eye ; crown and upper parts of the
body dull brown, mixed with whitish and fillenot
colour ; beneath, as far as the breast, pale yellowish
brown ; belly white ; quills brown, tipped with
white; tail brown ; legs wbitish. Inhabits Jamaica,
where it runs on the ground, as low as it can, to
avoid being discovered ; and when raised does not
fly high, but soon lights again.
و
SURINAM FINCH
BILL sharp and yellow; body grey ; belly
whitish ; quills black ; primaries, near the base,
white ; secondaries white; both at the base and tips ;
tail blackish, some of the feathers spotted, and others
tipped with white.
EUSTATIAN FINCH.
Size of a chaffinch : bill red; the head, neck, and
upper parts of a fine yellow ; on each side of the
head, unler the eye, is a spot of blue; the breast
and under parts orange; wings, tail, and legs red.
Inhabits the isle of Eustatiu.
VARIEGATED FINCH.
LENGTH five inches and three quarters ; bill yel-
lowish, shaded with a deeper colour ; the body
covered with (feathers, marbled with red, yellow,
blue, and white ; quills and tail variegated like the
back ; legs red. Inhabits New Spain.
VOL 1.
4B

554
AUTUMNAL FINCH, &c.
AUTUMNAL FINCH.
PLUMAGE greenish ; crown rusty ; vent testa-
ceous ; tail even. Inhabits Surinam,
LEPID FINCH.
A SMALL species. Bill and eyes black ; plumage
greenish brown; chin tawny; a stripe of the same
colour above, and another below the eye ; breast
black ; legs grey. Inhabits Cuba, is very easily
tamed, is frequently singing, but with so weak a
voice, as scarcely to be heard.
CUBA FINCH.
LENGTH only three inches and three quarters ;
bill grey ; head, neck, and under parts of the body,
blackish ; back and upper parts purplish chesnut ;
;
brightest on the rump; a chesnut band across the
breast ; tail chesnut ; quills brown, edged with
chesnut ; legs lead colour. Inhabits Cuba, and the
East Indies. They frequently fly in vast flocks, and
are very destructive to the rice fields.
TRI-COLOURED FINCH.
FOREHEAD, temples, and throat, blue; nostrils,
back, and quills greenish black; tail black ; shoul-
ders green ; primaries deep green on the outer edge;
under parts yellowish white. Inhabits Surinam.
CARTHAGENIAN FINCH.
A LITTLE larger than the canary : bill pale brown;
plumage ash colour, spotted with brown and yellow;
legs brown. Has a note like a chaffinch.
a

RUSTY COLLARED FINCH, &c.
555
RUSTY COLLARED FINCH.
a
GENERAJ colour of the plumage brown, with a fer-
ruginous, or rusty grey collar. Inhabits Terra del
Fuego.
MARTINICO FINCH.
GENERAL colour black : throat reddish, with a
black patch on the breast. Feeds on grass seeds.
NEGRO FINCH.
COLOUR deep black ; irides red. It inhabits the
Colour
woods of South America, feeds on fruits and seeds,
and is easily tamed. It sings with the feathers of the
head erected.
ILIAC FINCH.
Size of a thrush: feathers of the upper parts
steel blue at the base, olive in the middle, and tipped
with brown white beneath, a few tipped with chesnut;
tail feathers and upper coverts, rufous ; bill and legs
yellow ; former with a brown ridge and tip ; tem-
ples white ; lower wing coverts ash colour, edged
and tipped with white ; upper coverts reddish; quills
blackish brown ; outer edge rufous. Inhabits North
America.
HUDSON'S BAY FINCH.
The plumage above is black; beneath white;
outmost tail feathers white

556
SCARLET FINCH, &c.
SCARLET FINCH.
LENGTH four inches and a half : plumage deep
scarlet orange ; wings and tail dusky ; outer edges
of the quills fringed with orange ; ends of the pri-
maries black ; legs black. Inhabits the Sandwich
Islands.
PARROT FINCH.
Size of the sparrow; bill black; fore part of the
face, the throat, rump, and tail, deep scarlet ; rest
of the body parrot green; inner edge of the quills,
brown ash colour ; two middle feathers of the tail,
deep scarlet, with brown shafts; the other five
on each side, have the outer webs scarlet ; the inner
brown. Inhabits New Caledonia.
SAFFRON FRONTED FINCH.
Size of a canary: general colour yellow ; fore
head saffron colour; back greenish ; quills and tail,
edged with yellow; bill and legs pale ; latter with
brown tip.
Siskin, OR ABEREDVINE.
LENGTH nearly five inches.
Bill white; eyes
black ; top of the head and throat black; over each
eye there is a pale yellow streak; back of the neck
and back, yellowish white, faintly marked with dusky
streaks down the middle of each feather ; rump yel-
low; under parts greenish yellow, palest on the
breast; thighs grey, 'marked with dusky streaks ;
greater wing coverts of a pale yellowish green, and
tipped with black; quills dusky, faintly edged with
yellow; the outer web of each, at the base, is of a

SISKIN, OR ABERDEVINE.
557
fine pae yellow, forming when the wing is closed,
an irregular bar of that colour across it, the tail is
förked, the middle feathers black, with faint edges ;
the outer ones yellow, with black tips: the legs
pale brown ; claws white.
Mr. Bewick describes one that was caught on the
banks of the Tyne, and kept some years afterwards
in a cage ; its song, he says, though not so loud as
that of the canary, was pleasing and sweetly various ;
it imitated the notes of other birds, even to the chirp-
ing of the sparrow: it was familiar, docile, and
cheerful, and began its song early in the morning.
Like the goldfinch, the siskin may easily be taught
to draw up its little bucket with water and food. The
latter consist chiefly of seeds; it drinks frequently,
and seems fond of throwing water over its feathers.
It breeds freely with the canary. When the siskin
is paired with the hen canary, he is assiduous in
his attention to his mate, carrying materials for the
nest, and arranging them; and during the time of
incubation, regularly supply the female with food.
These birds are common in various parts of Europe;
they are in most places migratory, but do not seem
to observe any regular periods, as they are sometimes
seen in large, and at other times in very small num-
bers. Buffon observes that those immense flights
happen only once in the course of three or four years.
It conceals its nest with so much art, that it is ex-
tremely difficult to discover it. Kramer says, that
in the forests bordering on the Danube, thousands
of young siskins are frequently found, which have
not dropt their first feathers, and yet it is rare to
meet with a nest. It is not known to breed in this
island, nor is it said from whence they come over to
In some parts of the south it is called the barley
bird, being seen about that seed time; and in the
neighbourhood of London, it is called the aber-
devine.
175.

558
CANARY FINCH."
CANARY FINCH.
This bird is somewhat larger than the last, being
about five inches and a half in length. The bill is
of a pale flesh colour; general colour of the plumage
yellow, more or less mixed with grey, and in some
with brown on the upper parts ; the tail is somewhat
forked ; legs pale flesh colour.
The canary-bird" says Goldsmith, “is now be-
come so common, and has continued so long in a do-
mestic state, that its native habits, as well as its native
country, scem almost forgotten. Though, by the
name, it appears that these birds came originally from
the Canary Islands, yet we have it only from Germany,
where they are bred up in great numbers, and sold
into different parts of Europe. At what period they
were brought into Europe is not well known ; but
it is certain that about a century ago they were sold
at very high prices, and kept only for the amuse-
ment of the great. They have since been multiplied
in great abundance; and their price is diminished in
proportion to their plenty.
In its native islands, a region equally noted for
the beauty of its landscapes and the harmony of its
groves, the canary-bird is of a dusky grey colour, and
so different from those usually seen in Europe, that
some have even doubted whether it be of the same
species. With us, they have that variety of colouring
usual in all domestic fowls; some white, some mottled,
some beautifully shaded with green ; but they are
more esteemed for their note than their beauty, having
a high piercing pipe, as indeed all those of the finch
tribe have, continuing for some time in one breath
without intermission, then raising it higher and
higher hy degrees, with great variety.
" It is this that has rendered the canary-bird, next
to the nightingale, the most celebrated songster;
66

CANARY FINCH.
559
and, as it is more easily reared than any of tne soft-
billed birds, and continues its song throughout the
year, it is rather the most common in our houses.
Rules, therefore, have been laid down, and copious
instructions given, fo breeding these birds in a
domestic state ; which as a part of them may con
duce towards the natural history of the bird, I will
take leave to transcribe.
" In choosing the canary-bird, those are best that
appear with life and boldness, standing upright upon
the perch, like a sparrow-hawk, and not apt to be
frighted at every thing that stirs. If its eyes look
cheerful and not drowsy, it is a sign of health ; but,
on the contrary, if it hides its head under the wing,
and gathers its body up, these are symptoms of its
being out of order. In choosing them, the melody
of the song should also be minded : some will open
with the notes of the nightingale, and running
through a variety of modulations, end like the tit-
lark. Others will begin like the sky-lark, and, by a
soft melodious turn, fall into the notes of the night-
ingale. These are lessons taught this bird in its
domestic state, and generally taught it by others;
but its native note is loud, shrill, piercing, and
enough to deafen the hearers. There are persons
who admire each of these songs, but the second is in
the most general estimation.
Canary-birds sometimes breed all the year
round; but they most usually begin to pair in
April, and to breed in June and August. Those
are said to be the best breeders that are produced
between the English and the French.
“ Towards the latter end of March, a cock and a
hen should be put together in a small cage, where
they will peck at each other in the beginning, but
will soon become thoroughly reconciled. The room
where they are kept to breed, should be so situated
as to let the birds have the benefit of the morning

560
CANARY FINCH.
sun, and the windows should be of wire, not glass
that they may enjoy the benefit of the air. The
floor of the room should be kept clean, and some-
times there should be dry gravel or sand sifted upon
it. There should also be two windows, one at each
end, and several perches at proper distances for the
birds to settle on, as they fly backwards and forwards.
A tree in the middle of the room would be the most
convenient to divert the birds, and sometimes to
serve for building their nests upon.
“ In Germany they prepare a large room, and
build it in the manner of a barn, being much longer
than broad, with a square place at each end, and
several holes to go into those square places. In
those outlets they plant several sorts of trees, in
which the birds take great delight to sing and breed.
The bottom of the place they strew with sand, and
upon it cast rape-seed, chick-weed, and groundsel,
which the old birds feed upon while breeding. In
the body of the house they put all sorts of stuff for
building the nest, and brooms, one under the other,
in all the corners, for the birds to build in. These
they separate by partitions from each other, to pre-
vent those above flying down upon, or otherwise in-
commoding such as breed below. The light also
is excluded, for no bird is fond of having light come
to its nest.
« With us the apparatus for breeding is less expen-
sive ; a little breeding cage sometimes suffices, but
seldom any thing more extensive than a small room.
While the birds are pairing, it is usual to feed them
with soft meat ; that is, bread, maw-seed, a little
scalded rape-seed, and near a third part of an egg.
The room should be furnished with stuff for making
their nests; such as fine hay, wool, cotton, and hair.
These materials should be thoroughly dry, and then
mixed and tied together in such a manner that the
birds may readily pull out what they want. This
a

NEW YORK SISKIN.
561
should be hung in a proper part of the room, and
the male will take his turn in building the nest, sitting
upon the eggs, and feeding the young: They are
generally two or three days in building their nests;
the hen commonly lays five eggs ; and in the space
of fourteen days the young will be excluded. So
prolific are these birds sometimes, that the female
will be ready to hatch a second brood before the first
are able to quit the nest. On these occasions, she
leaves the nest and the young to provide herself with
another to lay her new brood in. In the mean time
the male, more faithful to the duties of his trust, breeds
up the young left behind, and fits them for a state
of independence.
“When the young ones are excluded, the old ones
should be supplied with a sufficiency of soft food
every day, with likewise fresh greens, such as cabbage,
lettuce, and chickweed ; in June, shepherd's purse ;
and in July and August, plantane. They are never
to have groundsel after the young are excluded.
With these different delicacies, the old ones will
take particular care to feed and bring up their young;
but it is usual when they can feed themselves, to bo
taken from the nest and put into cages. Their
meat then is the yolk of an egg boiled hard, with an
equal quantity of fine bread, and a little scalded rape-
seed : this must be bruised till it becomes fine, and
then it may be mixed with a little maw-seed; after
which blend all together ; which is to be supplied
them fresh every day.”
а
NEW YORK SISKIN.
Has a black crown : neck encircled with yellow;
breast and rump of the same colour, the last fading
into white; back olive brown ; wings and tail black,
edged with white. Larger than the European
kind; but is perhaps only a variety.
4 c
VOL, "I.

56
MEXICAN SISKIN.
MEXICAN ŠISKIN.
3
Size of the common siskin ; upper parts greenish;
the under yellowish white; quills and tail green, like
the back.
CATOTOL SISKIN.
Size of the preceding : upper parts varied with
yellow, and blackish ; under white; legs ash colour.
Inhabits the plains of Mexico, and has an agreeable
note.
CHINESE SISKIN.
;
Bill, head, and leg's, black ; hind part of the
neck and back, olive green ; fore part of the neck,
belly, vent, and wing coverts, yellow ; lesser wing
coverts, crossed with two black bands, the larger
tipped with a spot of black ; quills black ; greater
ones yellow, half way from the face ; tail half
black,
and half yellow.
BEARDED SISKIN.
;
PLUMAGE pale yellow; wings green, spotted with
black and red; chin bearded ; bill white, tipped with
black; head black ; chin black and bearded. In-
habits the mounta s of Chili in summer, in winter
descends to the plains : it is easily tamed ; sings
charmingly, and imitates the notes of other birds.
CHILIAN. SJSKIN.
Size of the preceding : general plumage blue ;
chin white. Inhabits Chili, about houses ; sings
finely, especially at sun-rise.

LINNET, &c.
563
LINNET.
; ; :
The length of this bird is about five inches and a
half. The bill is bluish grey ; the eyes are hazel
the upper parts of the head, neck, and back, are of
a reddish brown, edges of the feathers pale ; the
under parts are of a dirty reddish white; the breast
is deeper than the rest, and in spring becomes of a
very beautiful crimson ; the sides are streaked with
brown; the quills are dusky, edged with white; the
tail brown, with dusky edges, except the two middle
feathers, which have reddish margins ; legs brown.
The tail is somewhat forked; the female wants the
red on the breast, instead of which it is marked with
streaks of brown ; has less white on her wings, and
has in general duller colours.
This well known bird is common in every part of
Europe. They are frequently found in flocks, es-
pecially during the winter, when they feed on
various sorts of seeds, but are said to be particularly
fond of lint seed. The song of the linnet is lively,
and sweetly varied ; its manners are gentle, and its
disposition so docile, that it easily adopts the songs
of other birds when confined with them, and some-
times has been taught to pronounce words. It
builds its nest in low bushes, making the outside of
dried grass, roots, and moss, and lining it within with
hair and wool. The female lays four or five eggs of
a pale blue colour, spotted with brown at the larger
end; she generally breeds twice a year.
TWITE.
This species has a short yellow bill; head ash
coloured and black; a spot of pale brown above
each eye; the back rusty, spotted with black ;
coverts of the tail rich scarlet ; tips of the greater

564
MOUNTAIN LINNET, &c.
wing coverts white ; primaries dusky; inner sides
white; tail dusky, all but the two middle feathers,
edged with white. About five inches in length.
Inhabits Finland; some parts of Germany, and
Great Britain. It flits in great numbers in spring
and autumn, in the neighbourhood of London, to
and from its breeding place.
MOUNTAIN LINNET.
:
;
LENGTH six inches and a half : bill pale ; irides
hazel ; feathers on the upper parts of the body
dusky; those on the head edged with ash colour,
the others with brownish red; the rump pale
crimson ; the under parts of the body pale; those
on the throat and breast blackish, with pale edges ;
the wings and tail dusky; the tips of the greater
coverts and secondaries whitish; the legs brown.
The female wants the red mark on the rump.
;
STRASBURG LINNET.
Size of the common. Head and upper part, as
far as the rump, brown ; beneath, as far as the
upper part of the belly and sides, whitish ; quills and
tail brown ; legs reddish.
ANGOLA LINNET.
Size of the chaffinch : bill brown ; the feathers
round the base black ; upper parts of the head,
neck, and body brownish ash colour, each feather
darker in the middle ; round the eyes, and on each
side of the throat, white ; the under parts dull
orange, the rump and upper tail coverts bright
yellow; greater wing coverts and quills brown,
edged with yellow ; tail edged with grey ; legs
flesh colour.

DUSKY LINNET, &c.
563
DUSKY LINNET.
An elegant species. Length four inches;
general colour dusky brown, inclining to red ash
colour on the breast and rump; all the feathers
tipped with a lighter colour ; legs dusky. Inhabits
both Angola and Brazil, and has a sweet song..
LONG TAILED LINNET.
a
LENGTH seven inches and a half; bill and legs
brown ; upper part of the plumage like that of a
sky-lark ; middle of each feather very dark ; under
parts pale ash; tail long and wedge-shaped ; two
middle feathers narrow, sharp at the ends, and of a
greenish brown colour ; quills brown, with greenish
margins; legs brown. Native of Cayenne
GREATER REDPOLF
This bird is about the size of the twite, and differs
principally from the linnet in being marked on the
forehead by a blood coloured spot, and having the
breast tinged with a rose colour, in other respects
it resembles the linnet so much, that Buffon supposes
them to be the same; and that the red spots on the
head and breast are equivocal marks, differing at
different periods, and appearing at one time and dis-
appearing at another, in the same bird. It is certain,
that during a state of captivity, the red marks dis-
appear entirely; and that in the time of moulting,
they are nearly obliterated, and for some time do not
recover their usual lustre. But however plausible
this may appear, it is not well founded. The redpole
is smaller than the linnet ; it makes its nest on the
ground, while the latter builds in furze and thorn
hedges ; they differ likewise in the colour of their

566
LESSER REDPOLE, &c.
eggs, those of the redpole being of a very pale green,
with rusty coloured spots. The head of the female
is ash coloured, spotted with black, and of a dusky
yellow on the breast and sides, which are streaked
with dusky lines.
Redpoles are common in the northern and eastern
parts of England, where they breed chiefly in
mountainous places.
LESSER REDPOLE, OR FRENCH LINNET.
a
;
This little bird is about five inches long. The
bill is pale brown, with a dusky point; the forehead
and breast are of a purplish red, the former is bright-
est; the feathers on the back are dusky, edged with
pale brown , the greater and lesser wing coverts,
;
are tipped with dirty white, forming two light bars
across the wing; ne belly and thighs white, va-
riegated with light brown ; quills and tail dusky,
edged with dirty white, the latter somewhat forked ;
legs dusky.
Mr. Bewick supposes this to be the twite of Mr.
Pennant. The female has no red on the breast, and
the spot on her head is of a saffron colour,
This species is found in every part of Europe, and
is very common in Russia, Siberia, and America.
They breed in the northern parts of this Island, and
on the mountains of Wales: they make a shallow,
open, nest, three or four feet from the ground, com-
posed of dried grass and wool, and lined with hair
and feathers. The female lays four whitish eggs,
marked with reddish spots. In the winter they mix
with other birds, and migrate in vast flocks to the
southern countries, where they feed on small seeds of
various kinds, especially those of the alder: they
hang like the titmouse, with their back downward
when they feed, and in this situation may be easily
caught with line twigs.


ih umat, in
or sport
YELLOW-HEADED-ILINNET

COWPEN BIRD, &c.
567
CowPEN-BIRD.
Head and neck dusky brown ; rest of the plumage
a fine black, glossed with green and blue; legs
black, Female of various shades of brown. Inhabits
.
New York in summer, and the southern states in
winter. It associates with the red-winged orioles
and purple grakles. It delights much to feed about
the pens of cattle, which gave occasion to their
name.
GRASS-BIRD
UPPER parts varied with ash-coloured, rusty, and
black; cheeks brown ; wings bay, black, and white;
lower part of the neck, and sides white, with small
white streaks ; belly pure white ; tail dusky. In-
habits New York. Lays,five eggs in the grass.
FLAMING FINCH.
PALE brown bill; crown of a deep crimson
flame colour, slightly crested; upper part of the body
and wings, brown; lower parts of a light rose colour;
legs pale brown. Length four inches. Inhabits
Sweden.
LARK TRIBE.
The general characters of this tribe are, the bill
is straight and slender, bending a little towards the
end, and sharp pointed ; the nostrils are covered with
feathers and bristles ; the tongue cloven at the end ;

568
SKY-LARK.
tail comewhat forked ; claw of the hinder toe very
long, and almost straight; the toes divided to their
origin.
This is one of the most distinguished tribes of
singing birds delighting to pour forth their melodious
strains either on the wing as the sky-lark, or on the
larger branches of trees. The peculiar structure of
their toes unfits them for perching upon twigs. They
build their nest upon the ground, which exposes them
to the voracity of the weasel, and the craft of the
cuckoo, who substitutes her eggs in the place of
theirs.
SKY-LARK.
3
LENGTH nearly seven inches ; weight an ounce
and a half; bill dusky; the under mandible somewhat
yellow ; eyes hazel ; over each eye there is a pale
;
streak, which extends to the bill, and round the eye
on the under side ; on the upper parts of the body,
the feathers are of a reddish brown colour, dark in
the middle, with pale edges; the fore part of the
neck is of a reddish white, dashed with brown ;
breast, belly, and thighs, white; the quills brown,
with pale edges ; tail the same, and somewhat
forked, the two middle feathers darkest, the outer-
most white on the outer edges ; the legs dusky.
The sky-lark forms its nest on the ground, gene-
rally between two clods of earth, and lines it with
dried grass and roots. In this the female lays four
or five eggs, which are hatched in about a fortnight ;
and she generally produces two broods in the year.
.
When hatched, the mother watches over them
with a truly maternal affection ; she may then be
seen fluttering over their heads, directing their mo-
tions, anticipating their wants, and guarding them
from danger.

SKY-LARK.
569
The instinctive warmth of attachment which the
female sky-lark bears to her young, often discovers
itself at a very early period ; and even before she is
capable of becoming a mother, which might be sup-
posed to precede, in the order of nature, the maternal
solicitude. A young hen bird, says the comte de
Buffon, was brought to me in the month of May,
which was not able to feed without assistance: I
caused her to be educated, and she was hardly fledg-
ed, when I received from another place a nest of
three or four unfledged sky-larks. She took a
strong liking to these new-comers, which were
scarcely younger than herself; she tended them
night and day, cherished them beneath her wings,
and fed them with her bill. Nothing could interrupt
her tender offices ; if the young were torn from 'her,
she flew back to them as soon as she was liberated,
and would not think of effecting her own escape,
which she might have done a hundred times. Her
affection grew upon her ; she neglected food and
drink; she now required the same support as her
adopted offspring, and expired at last consumed
with maternal anxiety. None of the young ones sur-
vived her; they died one after another; so essential
were her cares, which were equally tender and
judicious.
The common food of the youag sky-larks is
worms and insects ; but after they are grown up,
they live chiefly on seeds, herbage, and most other
vegetable substances.
They are easily tamed, and become so familiar as
to eat off the table, and even alight on the hand; but
they cannot cling by the toes, on account of the
form of the hind toe, which is too long and straight.
This is the reason why they never perch on trees.
The lark commences his song early in spring, and
continues it during the whole of the summer.
It is
VOL. I.
4 D

570
SKY-LARK.
heard ciefly in the morning and evening, and it is
one of those few birds that chaunt their mellow notes
on the wing. Thomson elegantly describes it as the
leader of the warbling choir :-
-
Up springs the lark,
Shrill voic'd and loud, the messenger of morn:
Ere yet the shadows fly, he, mounted, sings
Amid the dawning clouds, and from their haunts
Calls
up
the tuneful nations.
a
The lark mounts almost perpendicularly, and by
successive springs, into the air, where it hovers at
a vast height. Its descent is in an oblique direction,
unless threatened by some ravenous bird of prey, or
attracted by its mate ; when it drops to the ground
like a stone. When it first leaves the earth, its notes
are feeble and interrupted ; but as it rises, they gra-
dually swell to their full tone. There is something
in the concomitant scenery, that renders the music
of the lark peculiarly delightful; the placid land-
scape and various rural charms all contribute to
heighten our relish for its pleasing song.
These birds become musical in the spring, and
continue so for several months ; but in winter their
song forsakes them. They then assemble in flocks,
grow fat, and are caught in vast numbers by the
bird-catchers. As many as four thousand dozen
have been known to be taken in the neighbourhood
of Dunstable between September and February ;
but this holds no proportion to what are sometimes
caught in different parts of Germany where there is
an excise upon them. Keysler says, that the excise
alone produced six thousand dollars (about nine
hundred pounds sterling) every year to the city of
Leipsic; the larks of which place are famous all
over Germany, as being of a most delicate flavour.

FIELD LARK.
571
But it is not only at Leipsic that they are taken in
such numbers; but also in the country about Naum-
burg, Merseburg, Halle, and other parts.
Those caught in the day-time are taken in clap-
nets, of fifteen yards in length, and two and a half
in breadth ; and are enticed by means of bits of
looking-glass fixed in a piece of wood, and placed in
the middle of the nets. These are put in a quick
whirling motion, by a string which the larker com-
mands; he also makes use of a decoy bird. This
kind of nets are used only till the fourteenth of No-
vember ; for the larks will not frolic in the air, and
of course cannot be inveigled in this manner, except
in fine sunny weather. When the weather grows
gloomy, the larker changes his engine ; and makes
use of a trammel net, twenty-seven or twenty-eight
feet long, and five broad; which is put on two poles,
eighteen feet long, and carried by men, who pass
over the fields, and quarter the ground as a setting-
dog would ; when they hear or feel that a lark
has hit the net, they drop it down, and so the birds
are taken.
The lesser crested lark and the duskylark,
are supposed by some, to be varieties of this species.
FIELD LARK.
This exceeds the tit-lark in size, being about six
inches long. Its bill is slender ; the plumage on
the head, neck, and back, is of a dark greenish
brown, streaked with black, palest on the rump ;
above each eye is a pale streak ; quill feathers dusky
brown, with pale edges; the scapulars faintly bor-
dered with white; the throat and under parts of the
body are of a dirty white; the breast is yellowish,
and marked with large black spots; the sides and
thighs streaked with black; the tail dusky, two outer
feathers white, except a small part of the inner web;

572
GRASSHOPPER LARK.
the next two are tipped with white : the legs are
of a yellowish brown; the hinder claws somewhat
curved.
This bird is similar to the titlark in plumage ; its
song is, however, totally different, as are also its
haunts, which are chiefly near woods, and not un-
frequently on trees; it builds its nest like the last
and in similar situations, on the ground, and some-
times in a low bush near the ground. Its male
is scarcely to be distinguished from the female in its
outward appearance.
GRASSHOPPER LARK.
brown ;
This is the smallest of the lark kind, and has been,
by some, ranked among the warblers. The bill is
slender and dusky; the upper parts of the body are
of a greenish colour, variegated and mixed with
the under parts of a yellowish white,
speckled irregularly on the breast and neck; the
feathers of the wings and tail are of a palish dusky
brown, with light edges; the legs pale dingy brown;
its hinder claws, though shorter and more crooked
than those of the sky-lark, sufficiently mark its kind.
It builds its nest on the ground, in solitary spots,
and conceals it beneath a turf: the female lays five
eggs, marked with brown near the larger end.
In the spring, the cock bird sometimes perches
on a tall branch, singing with much emotion; at in-
tervals he rises to a considerable height, hovers a
few moments, and drops almost on the same spot,
continuing to sing all the time ; his tones are soft,
clear, and melodious. In winter its cry is said to
resemble that of the grasshopper, though stronger
and shriller : it has been called the pipit lark, from
its small shrill cry. Mr. Whites observes that its
note seems close to a person, though at an hundred
yards distance; and when close to the ear, seems

TREE LARK, &c.
573
scarcely louder than when a great way off. It skulks
in hedges and thick bushes, and runs like a mouse
through the bottom of the thorns evading the sight.
Sometimes early in the morning, when undisturbed,
it sings on the fop of a twig, gaping and shivering
with its wings.
a
TREE LARK.
Of this bird Mr. Bewick gives us the following
account, We have occasionally met with another
bird of the lark kind, which we have ventured to de-
nominate the tree lark : it frequents woods, and sits
on the highest branches of trees, whence it rises
singing to a considerable height, and descends
slowly, with its wings set up and tail spread out like
a fan. Its note is full, clear, melodious, and peculiar
to its kind.
WOOD LARK.
This bird is somewhat smaller than the field lark :
the colours of its plumage are very similar, but on
the upper parts are paler, and not so distinctly de-
fined: a white streak passes from the bill over each
a
eye towards the nape, nearly surrounding the head
like a coronet; the under parts are wbite, tinged with
yellow on the throat, and red on the breast, and
spotted with black. The tail is rather shorter than
that of other larks, which gives this bird a less, tall,
and slender shape : the legs are of a dull yellow;
the
hinder claws very long, and somewhat curved.
The wood lark is generally found near the borders
of woods, from which it derives its name; it perches
on trees, and sings during the night, so as sometimes
to be mistaken for the nightingale; it likewise sings
as it flies, and builds its nest on the ground. The

574
TITLARK.
female rays five eggs of a dusky hue, marked with
brown spots. It builds very early, the young in some
seasons being able to fly about the latter end of
March. It makes two nests in the year like the sky-
lark, but is not nearly so numerous as that bird. In
autumn the wood larks are fat, and are then esteemed
excellent eating
TITLARK.
a
;
a
Tuis bird is less than the wood lark, being not
more than five inches and a half long. Its bill is black
at the tip, and of a yellowish brown at the base ;
its eyes are hazel, and over each is a pale streak.
In the disposition of its colours it is very similar to
the sky-lark, but somewhat darker on the upper
parts, and inclining to a greenish brown. The breast
is beautifully spotted with black on a light yellow
ground; the belly light ash colour, obscurely
streaked on the sides with dusky; the tail is almost
black, the two outer feathers white on the exterior
edges, the outermost but one tipped with a white spot
on the end : the legs are yellowish ; feet and claws
brown. The female differs only in that its plumage
is less bright than that of the male.
The titlark is common in this country; and, though
it sometimes perches on trees, is generally found in
meadows and low marshy grounds. It makes its nest
on the ground, lining it with hair: the female lays
five or six eggs, of a deep brown colour: the young
are hatched about the beginning of June. During
the time of incubation, the male sits on a neighbour-
ing tree, rising at times and singing. The tit-lark
is disturbed by the least noise, and darts away with
a rapid flight. Its note is fine, but short and with-
,
out much variety ; it warbles in the air like the sky-
lark, and increases its song as it descends slowly to
;
:

ITALIAN LARK, &c.
,
575
the branch on which it chuses to perch. It is further
distinguished by the shake of its tail, particularly
whilst it eats.
ITALIAN LARK.
و
Bill red ; plumage of the back chesnut brown ;
breast, belly, and sides, white ; eight of the middle
tail feathers chesnut brown ; last but one the
same, tipped with white; outer one quite white.
MARSH-LARK.
It is of a slender make, and less than the sky-lark ;
the plumage inclines to rufous; the top of the head
and upper part of the body, rufous mixed with brown;
on the sides of the head, under the eye, are three
slender brown stripes ; the under parts of the body
reddish white; the breast is marked with slender
lines of brown. This is found in Germany,
particularly in Alsace; and builds on the banks
of the Moselle, in the neighbourhood of Metz,
where it is seen every October. It has a melodious
note.
MEADOW-LARK.
Size of the tit-lark : upper mandible blackish,
lower flesh coloured ; upper parts greyish olive
brown ; under parts yellowish white ; outermost tail
feathers white the whole way on the outer web,
and half the way from the tip on the inner web, the
next has a white spot at the tip. A variety of this
bird is sold at Venice in the markets.
a

576
BLACK LARK, &c.
BLACK LARK.
Size of a starling: nostrils covered with bristles ;
plumage dusky black; feathers of the head, neck, and
upper parts, edged with white ; quills black, heart-
shaped at the tip. Inhabits Siberia and Tartary.
SHORE LARK.
a
a
;
This species is larger than the sky-lark. It has
cheeks and forehead yellow; belly white ; head di-
vided by a line of black; another passes between
each eye bounding the throat, which is yellow ; across
the upper part of the breast is a broad black mark ;
beneath that is a tinge of red; the upper part of the
neck and coverts of the wings and tail, are rusty;
back brown ; primaries dusky ; two middle feathers
of the tail brown, rest black; those on the outside
edged with white ; legs dusky, as is the head of the
female.
They inhabit and breed in the large plains of the
northern provinces of America.
They feed on the seeds of grass, and the buds
of the sprig birch. They frequently shelter in small
holes, and generally keep close to the ground.
They frequent sand hills on the sea shore, and have
a single note like the sky-lark in winter. They are
common in Russia and Siberia during winter,
but retire northward on the approach of spring.
RED LARK.
Has a white line above and beneath each eye ;
thickish bill; chin and throat whitish ; general
colour pale rust spotted with black ; breast whitish,
with dusky spots; belly of a dirty white; tail and
legs dusky Much resembles the wagtail. In-

CALANDRA LARK, &c.
577
habits Pensylvania, and is sometimes found near
London
CALANDRA LARK.
LARGER than the sky-lark, and much allied to the
bunting. It is thicker, both as to the bill and body,
than most of the tribe. A black line passes through
each eye; above and beyond which there are two
faint lines of white ; upper parts reddish brown,
spotted with black ; primaries and tail dusky ;
throat white; upper part of the breast crossed by a
narrow black crescent; lower part çf the breast pale
brown, spotted with a darker brown; belly and vent
white ; tail a little forked ; legs a pale flesh-colour.
Inhabits North America, the southern parts of
Europe, and some parts of Asia.
CRESTED LARK.
LARGER than the sky-lark, and decorated with an
upright crest of dark feathers, nearly half an inch
in length ; back more ash-coloured and less spotted
than in the common; breast and belly white, dashed
with yellow ; throat spotted ; tail feathers white, on
the outer edges dashed with red. Inhabits Italy,
Germany, France, Denmark, and Russia. Sings
like the sky-lark ; lays four or five eggs, and is said
3
to hatch twice a year.
LITTLE CRESTED LÁRK.
A SPECIES much smaller than the preceding; it
flies in flocks, contrary to the manner of the greater
crested lark, which is seldom seen but alone; and
it is mostly found in woods, where it makes its nest.
It inhabits Italy, Austria, Poland, and Silesia ; and
VOL, I.

578
WAVED LARK, &c.
is found in the northern parts of England, particu-
larly in Yorkshire.
WAVED LARK.
This species is decorated with a flat crest, which it
can erect at pleasure, it is black, with white edges ;
the general plumage is blackish, waved with pale
rufous ; wing coverts tipped with white; the throat
and under parts of the body are white, marked with
blackish spots on the neck and breast. Inhabits
Provence in France, and has a pleasing song.
TESTACEOUS LARK.
UPPER parts of the body testaceous ; crown and
wing coverts dashed with black; under parts
whitish ; quills dusky. Inhabits Gibralter.
PORTUGAL LARK.
UPPER parts cream coloured; each feather dusky
brown in the middle; coverts and quills edged with #
grey ; under parts yellowish white.
DUSKY LARK.
This is a newly discovered and dubious species;
native of Sardinia : the general plumage of the head,
back, wings, and tail, is of a dark or dusky hue ;
the under parts are white, but destitute of the spots
which distinguish most of the other larks.
MALABAR LARK.
FEATHERS of the crown of the head brown, tipped
with white, and forming a crest; those of the neck

GINGICAN LARK, &c.
579
reddish, streaked with black; throat and belly
reddish white ; back and wing coverts brown, with
a white spot at the tip of each.
GINGICAN LARK.
Size of the goldfinch: upper parts greyish brown;
head grey ash colour ; a streak of black passes
through the eye; throat and under parts black.
Inhabits the coast of Coromandel.
MUTABLE LARK
GENERAL colour black, edged with hoary on the
neck and back ; quills and tail tipped with brown.
Inhabits Siberia.
MONGOLIAN LARK
:
This is still a larger species than the Calandra
lark : head and neck, rusty, deepest on the crown,
which is encircled with white, and has a spot
of white in the middle of it : on the throat is a large
divided patch of black. This inhabits the salt marshes,
between the river Argun and Onon, on the Chinese
frontiers, and has a sweet song.
GOLDEN LARK.
This is a most beautiful species: the forehead,
chin, throat, and the sides of the head, are bright
gold yellow; between the eye and bill is a black
spot, which passes under the eye, and unites in a
larger one beneath ; on the breast is a broad band
of black; the wing quills are grey; the upper tail
coverts are yellow; the tail feathers are black, edged
with grey, the two outer ones with white. Inhabits te
Siberia, but is a rare species.
و

580
SIBERIAN LARK, &c.
SIBERIAN LARK.
HEAD and neck, brown; throat spotted ; wing
coverts and tail, rusty; primaries edged with white.
YELTON LARK.
BLACK, variegated with reddish and white. In-
nabits the neighbourhood of the lake Yelton, in
Siberia. It is gregarious, and in August is fat, and
esteemed delicious food.
CAPE LARK.
This is a large species : the upper parts of the
body and tail are brown ; over the eye is a yellow-
ish streak and beneath, on the ear, a dusky one ;
four of the outer tail feathers are tipped with white,
These birds inhabit the Cape of Good Hope, where
they are seen in flocks.
CINERIOUS LARK.
UPPER parts ash colour ; under parts white;
quills and tail dark brown ; outer tail feathers white
near the tip. Inhabits the Cape of Good Hope.
AFRICAN LARK.
UPPER parts a mixture of brown, red, and white ;
wing coverts, quills, and tail, brown, edged with
white; under parts white, marked with longi-
tudinal brown spots. Native of the Cape of Good
Hope.

SENEGAL LARK.
581
SENEGAL LARK.
Has a slight crest ; plumage grey, mixed with
brown, under parts whitish, spotted with brown ;
on the throat ; sides, and under parts of the wings,
incline to reddish; two middle tail feathers grey,
others brown.
i
RUFOUS-BACKED LARK.
This is much less than the sky-lark, measuring
scarcely five inches. The hind part of the neck,
the back, and scapulars, are of a rufous orange; the
lesser and middle wing coverts blackish, edged with
tawny. Native of Buenos Ayres in South America.
a
LOUISIANA LARK.
A LARGE species : greenish and blackish brown
mixed; outer tail feathers half brown, half white,
last but one tipped with white; throat yellowish
grey ; neck and breast spotted with brown ; rest
of the under parts tawny.
RUFOUS LARK.
Upper parts black, tinged with red ; under parts
white ; primaries grey ; secondaries brown ; both
edged with red; tail feathers brown, eight middle
ones bordered with pale red, two outer ones with
white. Inhabits the neighbourhood of the river La
Plata in South America.
GREAT LARK.
Size of a blackbird, Crown and neck brown;
from the base of the bill over the crown, a stripe

582
NEW ZEALAND LARK, &c.
of pale grey ; between the bill and eye a pale
yellow spot; and behind each eye a black stripe ;
upper parts brown, like a partridge; under parts
yellow, with a black crescent on the breast. It is
a bird of passage at New York.
NEW ZEALAND LARK,
THE
The upper parts of the body are dusky, edged
with pale ash colour ; above the eye a white streak;
through the eye one of mottled black ; forepart of
the neck marked as the upper parts, but paler.
Inhabits Charlotte Sound.
WAGTAIL TRIBE.
The celebrated Swedish naturalist, Linnæus, con-
founded these birds with the warblers ; but Pennant
and Latham have with greater judgment divided
them into two distinct genera. They are easily
distinguished by their brisk and lively motions, as
well as by the great length of their tails, from the
incessant motion of which they derive their name.
They do not hop, but run nimbly along the ground.
They feed on insects and worms, and in pursuit of
this food, follow the plough and visit the sheep-fold,
They frequent the sides of pools, and pick up the
insects which swarm on the surface. They seldom
perch; their flight is weak and undulated, and while
on the wing they make a twittering noise.
a
PIED, OR WHITE WAGTAIL.
The length of its bill is about seven inches. The
bill is black; eyes hazel ; hinder part of the head

PIED, OR WHITE WAGTAIL. .
583
and neck, black; the forehead, cheeks, and sides
of the neck, are white; the fore part of the neek
and part of the breast, are black, bordered by a line
of white, in the form of a gorget; the back and rump
are of a deep ash colour; wing coverts and secondary
quills dusky, edged with light grey; prime quills
black, with pale edges ; lower part of the breast and
belly, white; the middle feathers of the tail are black
the outermost white, except at the base and tips of the
inner webs, which are black ; légs black. There
are slight sariations in these birds; some are white
on the chin and throat, leaving a crescent of black on
the breast. The head of the female is brown.
This is a very common bird with us, and may be
seen running on the ground, and frequently leaping
after flies and other insects, on which it feeds. Its
usual haunts are the shallow margins of waters, into
which it will sometimes wade a little in search of its
food. It makes its nest on the ground, of dry grass,
moss, and small roots, lined with hair and feathers :
the female lays five white eggs, spotted with brown.
The parent birds are very attentive to their young,
and continue to feed and train them for three or four
weeks after they are able to fly: they will defend them
with great courage when in danger, or endeavour to
draw away the enemy by various little arts. They are
very attentive to the cleanliness of the nest, and will
throw out the excrements; they have been known to
remove light substances, such as paper or straw,
which have been laid as a mark for the nest.
The wagtail is said by some authors to migrate into
other climates about the end of October; with us it
is known to change its quarters as the winter ap-
proaches from north to south. Its note is small, but
frequently repeated, especially while on the wing:

584
GREY WAGTAIL, &c."
GREY WAGTAIL.
This bird is somewhat larger than the last, owing
to the great length of its tail. Its bill is dark brown;
over each eye there is a pale streak; the head, neck,
and back, are of a greyish ash colour; the throat and
chin are black; the rump and áil the under parts of
the body, are of a bright yellow ; wing coverts and
quills are dark brown, the former with pale edges ;
the secondaries, which are almost as long as the pri-
maries, are white at the base, and tipped with yellow
on the outer edges; the middle feathers of the tail are
black, the outer ones white ; legs yellowish brown.
This elegant little bird frequents the same places
-as the last, and feeds on the same kind of food. It
remains with us during the winter, frequenting the
neighbourhood of springs and running waters. The
female builds her nest on the ground, and sometimes
in the banks of rivulets; it is composed of nearly the
same materials as that of the last : she lays from six
to eight eggs, of a dirty waite, marked with yellow
spots. She differs from the male in having no black
on the throat.
YELLOW WAGTAIL.
a
a
LENGTH six inches and a half. Bill black; eyes
hazel; the head and all the upper parts of the body
are of an olive green, palest on the rump; the under
parts are of a bright yellow, dashed with a few dusky
spots on the breast and belly ; over each eye there
is a pale yellow streak, and beneath a dusky line,
curving upwards towards the hinder part of the
head; wing coverts edged with pale yellow ; quills
dusky; tail black, except the outer feathers which
are white ; legs black ; hinder claws long.

*
TERN.
YELLOW-WAG TATILA


YELLOW-HEADED WAGTAIL, &c.
585
YELLOW-HEADED WAGTAIL.
GENERAL colour yellowish : hind part of the neck
marked with a black crescent; back bluish grey :
common in Siberia.
TCHUTSCHI WAGTAIL.
Crown and back olive brown ; a spot of white
between the upper mandible and eye; wings deep
brown, crossed with two bars of white ; under part
rusty white; tail very long, dusky, varied with white;
legs black. Inhabits the north east of S'beria
CINERIOUS WAGTAIL.
LENGTH six inches and three quarters ; bill and
legs brown ; upper parts grey ash colour ; under
parts white; breast banded with brown; wing co-
verts and secondaries blackish, edged with white ;
primaries blackish brown; tail dusky black, margined
with white. Inhabits the continent of Europe, where
it is frequently seen in the summer months in con-
siderable numbers, in pastures among cattle, retiring
to the streams when the flies become scarce. It
differs from ours in constructing the nest, which it
builds on some low willow near the ground, and
hatches twice in the year.
MADRAS WAGTAIL.
Bill, head, neck, breast, and upper parts of the
body, black ; under parts white ; wings banded
with white; middle tail feathers black, outer ones
white.
INDIAN WAGTAIL..
Bill and legs pale red; irides yeuow; head, hind
part of the neck, back, and rump, greenish grey
VOL. I.
4 F

$86
GREEN WAGTAIL; &c.
throat, breast, and belly, light yellow ; on the breast
are two black curved bands, joining at their ends ;
lesser wing coverts like the back ; others yellow;
and the secondaries part brown and part yellow;
two middle tail feathers greenish grey; others black
ish brown ; two outer ones white, as are also tbe
thighs and vent.
GREEN WAGTAIL.
LENGTH four inches : head, wings, and tail, aså
colour ; two latter edged with white; neck, back;
and breast, pale green; belly white. Inhabits Ceylon.
Sole
CAPE WAGTAIL.
Size of the white : bill, legs, and a band across
the breast, dusky ; upper parts and quills, brown,
latter edged with grey ; under parts white, inclining
to dusky on the sides over the eye a whitish streak;
tail black, two outer feathers tipped with white.
a
AFRICAN WAGTAIL.
BILL broad at the base, and a little curved ; the
;
wings, tail, and legs, black; a black streak over the
eye ; upper parts yellowish brown; beneatı yellow;
under tail coverts white. Inhabits the Cape of Good
Hope.
.
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END OF THE FIRST VOLUME. W Mi
bril
BRIGHTLY AND CO. PRINTERS, BUNGAY
I OY



UNIVERSITY OF MICHIGAN
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