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diff --git a/41550.txt b/41550.txt deleted file mode 100644 index e6a1013..0000000 --- a/41550.txt +++ /dev/null @@ -1,2891 +0,0 @@ -The Project Gutenberg eBook, Nests and Eggs of Familiar British Birds, -Second Series, by Henry Gardiner Adams - - -This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere at no cost and with -almost no restrictions whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or -re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included -with this eBook or online at www.gutenberg.org - - - - - -Title: Nests and Eggs of Familiar British Birds, Second Series - Described and Illustrated; with an Account of the Haunts and Habits of the Feathered Architects, and their Times and Modes of Building - - -Author: Henry Gardiner Adams - - - -Release Date: December 4, 2012 [eBook #41550] - -Language: English - -Character set encoding: ISO-646-US (US-ASCII) - - -***START OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK NESTS AND EGGS OF FAMILIAR BRITISH -BIRDS, SECOND SERIES*** - - -E-text prepared by Chris Curnow and the Online Distributed Proofreading -Team (http://www.pgdp.net) from page images generously made available by -Internet Archive (http://archive.org) - - - -Note: Project Gutenberg also has an HTML version of this - file which includes the original illustrations. - See 41550-h.htm or 41550-h.zip: - (http://www.gutenberg.org/files/41550/41550-h/41550-h.htm) - or - (http://www.gutenberg.org/files/41550/41550-h.zip) - - - Images of the original pages are available through - Internet Archive. See - http://archive.org/details/nestseggsoffamil00adamiala - - -Transcriber's note: - - Text enclosed by underscores is in italics (_italics_). - - - - - -NESTS AND EGGS OF FAMILIAR BRITISH BIRDS, - -Described and Illustrated; With an Account of the Haunts and Habits -of the Feathered Architects, and Their Times and Modes of Building; - -SECOND SERIES. - -by - -H. G. ADAMS. - -Author of "Favorite Song Birds," "Beautiful Butterflies," -"Humming Birds," &c., &c. - -With Eight Coloured Plates of Eggs, -Containing Thirty-Eight Different Species. - - - - - - - -London: -Groombridge and Sons, 5, Paternoster Row. -M DCCC LVII. - - - - -INTRODUCTION. - -WHAT IS AN EGG? - - -It may at first strike our young readers that this is a question very -easily answered; if they think so, let them try what sort of an answer -they can give to it, and if they break down in the definition, we will -endeavour to help them, as we are told in the old fable, Jupiter did -the waggoner; but it is best for young people to _try_, and, for that -matter, old people too; let them never believe that they _can't_ do a -thing--"where there's a will there's a way." Many a boy that will take -a deal of pains, and incur no inconsiderable risk of life and limb, to -climb up a tree after a bird's nest, finds it too much trouble to read -and learn about the habits of the creature he is thus ready to deprive -of its warm comfortable home and beautiful eggs. He cannot tell you, if -you ask him, of what the nest is composed, nor how, nor when it was -built, much less can he answer the question which we have just put to -our readers,-- - -WHAT IS AN EGG? - -"Well," we hear some one say, "an Egg is a thing of an oval shape, -large or small, white or coloured and speckled, as the case may be; it -has a shell which breaks if you knock it, because it is brittle; and -inside is a yellow substance called the yolk, surrounded by a white, -clear liquid; if you boil it for a little time it becomes _set_, so -that you can take it up in a spoon, and in this state it is good to -eat. Oh! very good, I like an egg, especially for breakfast, with a -little salt; and then eggs, and other things with them, make custards, -and pancakes, and puddings, and all sorts of nice things; and then I -recollect some such funny '_Stanzas to an Egg by a Spoon_,' which begin, - - 'Pledge of a feathered pair's affection, - Kidnapped in thy downy nest, - Soon for my breakfast--sad reflection! - Must thou in yon pot be drest.'" - -Well, never mind the rest. Now listen to our definition of an Egg. The -word itself, we may observe first of all, is of Saxon origin; that this -is how the ancient dwellers on our island used to write it aeg, you may -call it _aeg_ or _oeg_, which you like. Johnson says the term means, -"That which is laid by feathered and some other animals, from which -their young is produced;" it is also, we are told by the same -authority, "the spawn or sperm of other creatures," as fish, which -are said, you know, not to lay eggs, but to _spawn_. Another -dictionary-maker defines it to be "the _ovum_ of birds," giving us here -the Latin for egg, hence that peculiar shape is called _oval_, and the -science of eggs is sometimes termed - - -OVOLOGY. - -As we have told you in the first volume of this series, _Oology_ is -another term for this science, which has occupied the attention of many -learned men, who have gone deeper into Eggs than ever you or I shall, -and told us such strange things about them, as would scarcely be -believed by the very hens that laid them. Little does the happy mother -think, when she goes cackling about the yard, proclaiming the event, -that she has produced such a wonderful object. It looks a simple affair -enough, one might make a thing very like it with a piece of chalk; -touch it, roll it about; boil it, eat it, or crack it, and let the -inside flow out; there's the yellow, and there's the white; there's -nothing very particular in that, all eggs are so. Well, who made them -so? and of what _are_ they made? and what reason is there for this -peculiar arrangement of the different parts of an Egg? and how is it -that, under certain circumstances, so complete a change should take -place in the nature of its contents--that the fluids should be -gradually absorbed into a solid body, and that, by and by, at the end -of a period which can be calculated to a nicety, the shell should be -burst open, and there should come forth a living creature? Truly this -_is_ wonderful; but we are surrounded by wonders, and only heed them -not because they are so common. - - _Common_ is the vital air, - _Common_ is the azure sky, - _Common_ flowers are everywhere, - _Common_ stars shine out on high: - Music of the forest bird, - Cometh without stint or measure, - Friendly smile and loving word, - _Common_ are as joy and pleasure; - Why from _common_ things then turn, - And for the _uncommon_ yearn? - -But about this common thing, an Egg? It is the germ or seed, so to -speak, of animal life; in it is contained all that is necessary for the -formation of the perfect living creature; in that little oval case lie -snugly packed up, bones, and muscles, and sinews, and all the delicate -parts, organs, as they would be called, from a Greek word signifying an -instrument, thus the tongue is an organ of speech, the eye of sight, -and so on. But all these organs are in an _undeveloped_ state, as the -flower is in the bud; develope is a French word, and signifies to -unroll, or unfold. The animal is there in _embryo_; this again is -Greek, and means a thing unperfected, or unfinished, so the poet -Thompson says:-- - - "While the promised fruit - Lies yet a little _embryo_ unperceived, - Within its crimson folds." - -And so with closer reference to our subject, we might say, - - While the promised bird - Lies yet a little _embryo_ unperceived, - Within its oval shell. - -Dr. Harvey, who made that great discovery, the circulation of the -blood, uttered a truth when he said _omne animal ex ovo_, every animal -is born of an egg, for although some animals are _oviparous_, and -others _viviparous_,--the two words come from _ovum_ egg, _vivum_ life, -and _pario_ to bring forth--yet may the first stage of all animal life -be compared to an Egg. From the smallest insect up to the most huge and -unwieldy creature that swims in the deep sea, or walks upon the land. -All were at one time alike, mere specks, surrounded by fluid matter, -which afforded the material for growth and nourishment, and enclosed in -some kind of a case, which if not exactly like an egg shell, answers -the same purpose of protection from injury. - -What a vast difference is there between the bright-winged insect, whose -history we traced in our volume on Butterflies, and the bird with downy -plumage and the voice of melody; between that again and the great -crocodile, in his scaly coat of mail; the mighty boa constrictor, king -of serpents; or that tyrant of the deep, the fierce voracious shark; -and yet all these come from Eggs, very similar in form, and precisely -so in their nature and internal construction. Look too at the -difference in size, between the egg of the Humming Bird, no bigger than -a pea, and that of the Ostrich, as large as a man's head nearly, or -bigger still that of the Epyornis, of which fossil remains have been -found in Madagascar, the contents of which must have been equal to six -ostrichs', or one hundred and forty-eight common hens' eggs, that is -about seventeen English pints; and yet in all these the germ, or as it -would be called, the vital principle, that is, the principle of life, -is but a tiny speck, or circle, which is attached to the membrane that -surrounds the yellow portion, or yolk; it is from this that the animal -in embryo derives nourishment, and the size of it, and consequently of -the whole egg, is in proportion to the quantity that is required to -sustain life, until the protection of the shell is no longer necessary. -There is only so much food stored up as the bird, or reptile, or -whatever it may be, requires before it is strong enough to make an -opening in its prison, and come forth to provide for itself, or be fed -by the parent. Some creatures that eventually attain a large size are -born, or _hatched_, as it is termed, comparatively small; thus the size -of the egg is not always in proportion to that of the animal which lays -it; the crocodile's egg, for instance, is but little larger than that -of the common fowl; the young comes forth like a small lizard, about -two or three inches long, takes to the water at once, and begins to -catch insects on its own account; its mother may be twenty or thirty -feet in length. Most creatures that produce eggs small in proportion to -their size lay a great many; this is especially the case with fish, -whose _spawn_ must be numbered by millions: it has been calculated that -if the young of a single pair of herrings were suffered to breed -undisturbed, they would in twenty years together make up a bulk six -times the size of the earth; but so many creatures feed upon this -spawn, that few of the eggs of which it is composed ever come to young -fish, that is comparatively few, for the vast shoals which every year -visit our shores, for the purpose of depositing their spawn in shallow -water, shew that immense numbers must escape the dangers to which they -are exposed. There are some fish of the fierce and rapacious kind, such -as the Ray, the Dog-fish, and the Shark, which attain a considerable -size before they lose the protection of the egg-shell, which is of a -very peculiar shape and construction, being of a leathery texture, -flat, and four-cornered, with a long curling string-like projection -from each corner; frequenters of the coast, to whom they are very -familiar objects, being often cast up on the beach, call them Mermaid's -purses, and Fairy-purses, while the clustered Eggs of the Cuttle-fish -they term Sea Grapes. - -All eggs require warmth to hatch them; the fishes know this, not as we -know it, because we have read, or been told so, and can _reason_ upon -causes and consequences, and so understand _why_, but they know it -_instinctively_; they possess, in common with all unreasoning -creatures, what we call _instinct_, that is, a natural impulse to do in -the right way, and at the proper time, whatever may be necessary for -the maintenance of that state of existence in which God has placed -them; so instinct directs the fishes when the time for spawning has -arrived, to leave the deep waters, where they generally remain safe -from the pursuit of man, for the shores, where the warmth of the sun -can reach the eggs, and awaken the principle of life within them. So -instinct teaches the bird to leave its winter home, in some far -southern country, and fly hundreds of miles across land and ocean, to -reach a spot suitable for the purpose of breeding and rearing its -young; to collect the materials and to build its nest, and after the -eggs are laid, to sit patiently on them the appointed time; to select -the food proper for those little gaping bills, and to tend the -fledglings carefully, until they are able to fly and provide for -themselves, and then, when their wings are strong enough for the -journey, and their food begins to get scarce, away they go back to the -south of Europe, or Africa, straight as an arrow, and the young ones, -which have never flown that way before, seem to know it as well as -those which have been backwards and forwards, often and often. - -But the egg, what of that? Can we describe its nature and construction -in a way sufficiently clear for our readers to understand? Let us -try:--it is like a series of cases or envelopes, one within the other; -the outer one only, which is the last formed, being hard and unelastic, -that is, it will not stretch or change its shape. Like the shells of -some fish, and other testaceous animals, it is composed of carbonate of -lime, which the animal has the power of secreting, as it is called, -from its food. Hens sometimes lay soft eggs, without a shell; this -shews a deficiency of the secreting power, or a want of the necessary -material, and may generally be remedied by mixing some chalk with the -food, or scattering it about the yard. Next to the shell is a skin -called the _membrana putaminis_, that means the membrane or skin of the -shell; it has also a Greek name--_chorian_; it is divided into two -layers, which separate at the larger end, and leave a space called the -_vesicula aeris_, that is, air vesicle, or little bladder; this -contains the air necessary for the chick to breathe before it chips the -shell. Enclosed in this membrane is the _albumen_, or white fluid, -sometimes called the _glair_, from the Latin _glarea_; in the same -language _albus_ means white; and our readers who live in Albion, so -called from her chalky cliffs, ought to see at once from whence we -derive the word _albumen_; the little chords by which this bag of fluid -is suspended are called _chalaza_; this word comes from a Greek root, -and has reference to the connection between the suspending chords and -the germ, or spot, in which is the vital principle. - -We now come to what may be called the provision bag, because it -encloses the yolk, which serves as food for the animal in embryo; it is -called _membrana vitelli_, or the skin of life. Thus our examination of -the egg has brought to view the three great necessities of all -existence--_protection_, the shell and albumen; _nutrition_ or food, -the yolk; and the _vital principle_, to understand the nature of which -has puzzled the greatest philosophers that the world ever saw. It is -said in the Scriptures that God breathed into man the breath of life, -but what this may be we can none of us tell; it is given to us and we -_live_, it is taken away from us and we _die_; and so do all God's -creatures, which by Him, and Him alone, live, and move, and have their -being. Man can do many wonderful things, but he has not yet been, nor -will he ever be, able to make an egg, much less to produce a chick from -it. - -Let us now fancy that we are looking upon one of these strange little -elongated globes, and that instead of being _opaque_, that is, -dark--not clear, it is transparent, so that we can see into it, and -observe the changes which are taking place there. The mother bird has -been sitting on it for, say twelve hours, and the warmth of her body -has called into action the principle of growth, or of vitality; the -little spot and ring in the centre of the yolk have become somewhat -enlarged and changed in form; they are no longer round, but the outline -is irregular, shewing a tendency to shoot or spread out on all sides. -Four hours later shews them yet more enlarged, and getting into an oval -shape, with a distinct, though somewhat broken line down the centre. -When the _incubation_ has lasted thirty-six hours, (for meaning of this -word, see the first series of "Nests and Eggs,") there is a still -greater increase in the germ, and a spreading of its mottled margin -over a portion of the yolk; if at this stage of growth we examine it -through a magnifying glass, we shall see a little body like some -curious kind of caterpillar, and veins shaped like stags' horns -branching out of it in every direction. On the fourth day the chick is -a more strange-looking object still, with great projecting eyes with -rings round them, like spectacles, and what appears to be a very blunt -sort of a snout or muzzle; the whole head, and there is not much else, -reminds one of that of a serpent, it might be the Cobra di Capello, or -the Spectacle Snake, seen through a diminishing glass. But we cannot -give a proper description of it, so we have called in the aid of our -artist, who has furnished us, on the next page, with portraits of the -interesting creature at four different stages of its growth. In the -last we get a side view, and begin to fancy we discover some -resemblance to a baby-fowl, although a very hideous one. - - [Illustration: 36 hours. - - 4 days. - - 6 days. - - 10 days.] - -All this time a great change has been going on in the whole interior of -the egg; the chick has, of course greatly increased, and the red veins -have become more numerous, and spread over the entire surface; the yolk -is scarcely distinguishable from the other portions. Now, too, the -bones of the chick have begun to form, and we clearly perceive the -projection of the wings and the stump of the tail, while the pupil of -the eye is quite clear and distinct. Larger and larger the creature -grows, until it fills all the space, and has to be doubled up in a very -curious manner, with the feet and the head brought together, and the -bill close to the shell, ready to be used as the instrument of -liberation. Many persons suppose that the parent bird chips the shell, -but this is not so, it is done by the little creature within, which has -first to make its way through a thick membrane, or skin; this it does -on the twenty-first day of incubation; we are speaking now of the -common fowl, the periods in different species of birds vary -considerably, although the process of growth in all is the same. One -wonders how, with its soft bill, the little creature can make its way -through the tough skin, and hard, though brittle shell; but it must be -remembered that the elastic skin is stretched to its greatest extent, -and when in this state, a slight prick will make a large opening; and -the shell, too, is no doubt, by the pressure from within, rendered less -capable of resisting the stroke, slight though it be, of the bill of -the prisoner, which does sometimes fail to make its escape, and dies in -confinement, if not released by some friendly hand from without. - -As if to assist in the work of opening a passage to the light and air, -there is found on the tip of the chick's bill a small horny scale, -having at the centre a hard and sharp projecting point, which, from the -position of the head, is brought into direct and constant contact with -the inner surface of the shell; this scale soon loosens and comes away -after the chick is hatched, there is then no further use for it. The -preceding figure represents the chick as it lies closely folded up on -the twenty-first day, just previous to its deliverance from bondage. - -We have now finished our account of this wonderful process, and may say -in the words of a recent writer, "Dull indeed of soul must the man be, -(or boy either,) in whom an egg does not inspire emotions of awe and -admiration, wonder and worship. The circle of life is from the adult -(fully-grown animal,) to the egg. This is the vital round--the -beginning and the ending--the ending and the beginning. The wheel goes -round continually, life kindling sparks of life; and what is called -death is the worn-out forms becoming cold and decaying away." - - -HOW TO PRESERVE EGGS FOR THE CABINET. - -For this purpose eggs which are newly laid should always be chosen, as -any decomposition of the contents will, probably, cause a -discolouration of the shell. Make a hole at the smaller end, with an -awl, or some other pointed instrument, and another at the larger end, -which should be as small as possible, merely a pin hole will do; to -this latter the mouth must be applied to blow out the contents. If the -yolk does not come out readily, get a cup full of water, and immersing -the sharp end into it, put your mouth to the blunt end, and suck up -some of the water into the shell, then shake it about well, and blow it -out again; repeat this operation two or three times, if necessary. If -the shell has got soiled in any way, wash it well in strong lather, -using a nail-brush if the stains do not come off readily, but great -care must be taken in the handling of so brittle and fragile an -article. Now as the membrane which lines the shell would be likely to -decompose, and render it offensive, if not injure its beauty, it is -best to wash the inside with a solution of the bichloride of mercury, -commonly called corrosive sublimate, in spirits of wine; this solution -should be prepared by a chemist, and used with great caution, as it is -extremely poisonous. Pour it into a wineglass, and holding the egg -firmly, yet tenderly, with the finger and thumb, which should not touch -the liquid, put the smaller end therein; then apply the mouth, as -previously directed, to the larger end, and suck up gently; cease doing -so as soon as you are aware, by a cold sensation in the finger and -thumb, that the liquid has entered the shell, which then take up by the -two ends, so as to stop the orifice, and shake it well, then blow the -solution back into the glass, taking care to wash the lips or the -fingers if it comes in contact with either of them. The Oological -specimen will soon dry, and is now ready for the cabinet. To render it -more glossy and brilliant, it may have a coat of mastic varnish, put on -thinly with a camel-hair brush, or, if the egg be of a blue or green -tint, as many are, a solution of very pure white gum arabic is best, as -the varnish is apt to injure those delicate colours. - -As to the formation of the cabinet, and arrangement of the eggs -therein, directions are scarcely necessary; this must depend very much -upon the means and conveniences, as well as the taste of the collector. -Shallow drawers with divisions sufficiently broad for the names of the -specimens to be written or pasted along the tops, are perhaps best. -Small pill-boxes, which may have the names on the lids, are not bad -receptacles, and the cost of a few dozens of these is not much; but -above all things let the arrangements be carried out with neatness and -order; do not let the specimens be huddled together, but classified, -and placed so that the hand may be laid upon any one which may be -required. Duplicates for exchanging with other collectors, or replacing -any which may be broken, may be put carefully in a drawer by -themselves, their presence with the others will only cause unnecessary -confusion and trouble. - -Care should be taken not to name a specimen positively, if there is any -doubt of its identity, it may be named with a query; and in the -note-book, which every collector should keep, should be entered all the -circumstances which weigh for or against the correctness of the -designation given to it. This note-book ought to be a complete record -of the time and place of acquisition of every specimen included in the -collection, and of all that is curious or interesting connected with -it. If nests as well as eggs are preserved, of course drawers with -divisions are the very best receptacles; they occupy a great deal of -space, and, except in some cases where the structure is peculiarly neat -or curious, it is perhaps scarcely worth while to take and preserve -them, especially as doing so often involves a cruel spoliation of the -feathered architects, whose carefully chosen situations for building -are well described by Dr. Bidlake, in his "Walks in a Forest." - - "The cavern-loving Wren sequester'd seeks - The verdant shelter of the hollow stump; - And with congenial moss, harmless deceit, - Constructs a safe abode. On topmost boughs - The glossy Raven, and the hoarse-voiced Crow, - Rock'd by the storm, erect their airy nests. - The Ouzel, lone frequenter of the grove - Of fragrant pines, in solemn depths of shade - Finds rest, or 'mid the holly's shining leaves; - A simple bush, the piping Thrush contents, - Though in the woodland concert he aloft - Trills from his spotted throat a powerful strain, - And scorns the humble choir. The Lark too asks - A lowly dwelling hid beneath the turf, - A hollow trodden by the sinking hoof: - Songster of heaven! who to the sun such lays - Pours forth as earth ne'er owns. Within the hedge - The Sparrow lays her sky-blue eggs. The barn, - With eaves o'er-pendent, holds the chattering tribe. - Secret the Linnet seeks the tangled copse. - The White Owls seek some ruin'd antique wall, - Fearless of rapine; or in hollow trees, - Which age has cavern'd, safely courts repose. - The thievish Pie, in twofold colours clad, - Roofs o'er her curious nest with firm wreath'd twigs, - And side-long forms her cautious door; she dreads - The talon'd Kite, or pouncing Hawk, savage - Herself, with craft suspicion ever dwells." - - - - -FACTS AND ANECDOTES OF NESTS AND EGGS. - - -EASTER EGGS. - -During the fifteen days after Easter, which constitute the Russian -carnival, the people of that country supply themselves with eggs, -variously coloured, which they send or give to one another as presents; -and when they meet during this time they salute with the words, "Christ -is risen;" to which the other having answered "He is certainly risen," -they kiss one another. He that salutes first is obliged to present the -other with an egg; no one, of whatever rank or sex, being allowed to -refuse either the egg or the kiss. This custom prevails in many -Catholic countries; the eggs, it appears, being considered as an emblem -of the resurrection. - - -EGGS USED AS COIN. - -The want of any copper coin in Peru has given rise to a curious -practice of which Lieutenant Maw was informed at Truxillo. A person -coming to the market of that city, and not wishing to spend a real upon -every article, purchases a real's worth of eggs, with which he or she -proceeds to market; buying an egg's worth of vegetables from one, and -so on from others, till all that was wanted has been obtained. The eggs -are taken as current payment, and finally purchased themselves by those -who require them for use. - - -ILLUMINATED NESTS. - -The birds that build hanging nests are at Cape Cormorin numerous. At -night each of their little habitations is lighted up, as if to see -company. The sagacious little bird fastens a bit of clay to the top of -the nest, and then picks up a firefly, and sticks it on the clay to -illuminate the dwelling, which consists of two rooms. Sometimes there -are three or four fire-flies, and their blaze of light in the little -cell dazzles the eyes of the bats, which often kill the young of these -birds.--_Dr. Buchanan._ - - -AN EGG WITHIN AN EGG. - -A few years since, M. Seguin submitted to the Academy of Sciences at -Paris, a hen's egg of extraordinary size, in which was a second egg. -Its dimensions were eighty-eight millimetres by fifty-nine, or nearly -three inches and a half by two and a quarter. More recently, in 1855, -there appeared in an English scientific journal, an account of a -similar oological curiosity, produced in Scotland, in the case of a -turkey's egg. - - -A BOY REPROVED BY A BIRD. - -A correspondent of "The Youths' Instructor" relates the following -anecdote, to which our young readers are earnestly requested to pay -especial attention:--"When quite young, in my boyish days, I had -watched some sparrows carrying materials to build their nests, (in the -usual season,) under the eaves of a cottage adjoining our own; and -although strict orders had been issued that none of us should climb up -to the roofs of the houses, yet birds' eggs formed a temptation too -powerful to be easily resisted, and self-gratification was considered -rather than obedience. A favourable opportunity presenting itself, the -roof of the house was ascended, and not only was the nest pillaged, but -seized and carried away. It was soon stripped of all its unnecessary -appendages, that it might appear as neat as possible. Amongst the -_externals_ thus removed, was a piece of paper, which had been a page -of one of Dr. Watts's hymn-books; and which, thrown away, had been -taken by the poor bird for the purpose of strengthening the nest, or -increasing its warmth. A word or two caught my eye, and I unfolded the -paper. Need I say that, boy as I was, I read these verses with, to say -the least, _curious_ feelings. - - "Why should I deprive my neighbour - Of his goods against his will? - Hands were made for honest labour; - Not to plunder nor to steal. - - Guard my heart, O God of heaven, - Lest I covet what's not mine; - Lest I take what is not given, - Guard my hands and heart from sin." - - - - -NESTS AND EGGS OF FAMILIAR BRITISH BIRDS. - -SECOND SERIES. - - - - -CROSSBILL. - -EUROPEAN OR COMMON CROSSBILL. SHELL OR SHIELD-APPLE. - -FIGURE 1. - -Of those curious birds called Crossbills, from the peculiar -construction of the bills, the points of which cross each other, there -are three species known in this country, but two of them, namely, the -Parrot and White-winged Crossbills, are very rare, only a few specimens -having been taken here. The more common kind is a migratory bird, -coming in large flocks at very irregular intervals, and visiting more -especially those parts of the country where there are woods and -plantations of fir and pine, of the seeds of which they are very fond, -extracting them with great dexterity from between the scales of the -cones; for this operation, the projecting points of the bill appear to -be well adapted, as well as for picking out the apple-pips, as they are -called, and kernels of other fruits; hence the name shell-apple given -to the bird, which was a not uncommon visitor to the English orchards -in former times; thus in a curious old record we are told that "In the -yeere 1593 was a greate and exceeding yeere of apples; and there were -greate plenty of strang birds, that shewed themselves at the tyme the -apples were full rype, who fedd uppon the kernells onely of those -apples, and haveing a bill with one beake wrythinge over the other, -which would presently bore a greate hole in the apple, and make way to -the kernells; they were of the bignesse of a bullfinch, the henne right -like the henne of the bullfinch in coulour; the cocke a very glorious -bird, in a manner al redde or yellowe on the brest, backe, and head." - -We would not advise our young readers to take the above as a lesson in -spelling, although it is a very lively and faithful picture of the -Crossbill, great flocks of which were English visitants in 1254, 1593, -and 1791, when a bird-catcher in Bath caught one hundred pairs, which -he sold for five shillings each; again in 1806, 1828 and 9, and 1835; -ever since which time they have generally remained with us in greater -or lesser numbers, having been probably induced to do so by the greater -abundance of fir plantations. They are very lively birds, chattering -and making a shrill noise while engaged in their favourite occupation -of picking out seeds; they swing about on the branches of the trees -often head downwards, and are very nimble and graceful in their -movements, and so fearless of the approach of man, that they can -frequently be taken with a hand-net, or knocked down with a stick. - -That the Crossbill sometimes breeds in this country there cannot be a -doubt, but it does this only as an exception to the general rule; the -nest, which has been found at various seasons, has been described as of -a loose texture, not unlike that of the Common Greenfinch, though not -nearly so well nor so carefully built; the eggs also are not unlike -those of that bird but larger. In Norway and Sweden, where the bird -habitually breeds, the nest is built in the uppermost branches of the -pines and firs; it is composed of grass, moss, and the finer portions -of these trees; one has been found here on an apple tree, and another -on a fir, and another, near Dartford, in Kent, on the lowest fork of a -pine; this was composed of dry twigs, but no eggs were laid in it, the -curiosity of frequent observers having driven the bird away. - -Although we have placed this among our _familiar_ British Birds, the -eggs to English collectors are rare and difficult of attainment, and -should be prized accordingly. The scientific name given to the species -is _Loxia curvirostra_, both the terms having reference to the shape of -the beak, the first coming from the Greek _loxos_, curved, and the -latter from the Latin _curvus_, curved or bent, and _rostra_, the beak. -By some naturalists _EuropEa_ is the generic term, and this so closely -resembles the English name as to require no explanation. - - -STARLING. - -COMMON STARLING, OR STARE. - -FIGURE 2. - -This handsome and well-known bird is sometimes called, when young, the -Solitary Thrush. Its scientific name is _Sturnus vulgaris_, which is -simply the Latin for the Common Starling. It may be met with in all -parts of Britain, even in the Orkney and Shetland Isles, where it -sometimes breeds in rocky caves, and fissures, and holes in the turf. -More towards the south its nest is found in hollow trees, cavities in -chalk-pits, sandy banks and old buildings; it is large and rudely -fashioned of straw, roots, dry grass, and other vegetable fibres, with -frequently a lining of hair and feathers; the eggs, from four to six in -number, are of a delicate greenish blue colour, sometimes altogether -plain, but frequently spotted with black; they are of a longish oval -shape. - -"Nidification," as Mr. Morris tells us, in his beautiful work on -British Birds, "commences about the beginning or middle of April." This -word, my readers should remember, comes from the Latin _nidus_, a nest. - -Incubation lasts about sixteen days; _incubatio_, as we have already -explained in the first series of "Nests and Eggs," is the Latin for to -lie or sit upon. These are words we shall often have to use, and -therefore we think it well to explain their meaning here, lest they -should have escaped the memory of some who take this volume in hand. - -The Starling is gregarious and insectivorous, that is, it goes in -flocks and feeds on insects; chiefly on insects, we should say, but not -altogether, for it likes also worms, snails, grain, fruit, and seeds of -various kinds, so that it may be almost called omnivorous, eating all -things. A bold lively bird, something like the Magpie in its habits, -given to picking and stealing when it can get a chance; it is, -nevertheless, a general favourite, on account of its beauty and -teachability, if we may use such a word. It has naturally a low musical -note, which is uttered by both male and female, although least by the -latter, and may be taught to articulate many words, so that it is often -kept in confinement, where, like the poor bird in Sterne's "Sentimental -Journey," we may fancy we hear it exclaiming in piteous tones, "I can't -get out!" - - -CHOUGH. - -CORNISH CHOUGH. RED-LEGGED, MARKET-JEW, OR HERMIT-CROW. RED-LEGGED -JACKDAW. GESNER'S WOOD-CROW. CORNISH, CHAUK, OR CLIFF-DAW. CORNWALL -KAE, OR KILLEGREW. - -FIGURE 3. - -Plenty of names here for one bird. Oh, stay, here's another--Long-billed -Chough; not to count the scientific names, the most common of which is -_Corvus graculus_, that is a Chough Crow, or a Crow Chough, whichever -may be preferred. Some naturalists use a longer specific name, and say -_Pyrrhocorax_, which comes from the Greek _pyrrhos_, red, and _Corax_, -a Crow. A fine handsome fellow is this, with his sable plumes, over -which shimmers a steely blue reflection; his bright eye, and long red -bill, and legs of the same colour; the very handsomest of the Crow -family, and with us the rarest, although, from all that we can read and -learn, it was formerly by no means uncommon, especially in Cornwall, as -its name imports. It now occasionally occurs in small flocks in various -parts of Great Britain, generally near the coast, where it builds amid -the cliffs a rude nest of sticks lined with wool and hair; the eggs are -generally five in number, of a dull white colour, spotted with grey and -light brown, most thickly at the larger end. Sometimes the nest is -found in old church or other towers, especially such as are in a -ruinous condition. - -The Chough feeds chiefly on grasshoppers, beetles, and other insects, -in search of which, says Mr. Morris, it will follow the plough like the -Rooks; it will also eat the smaller kinds of crustacea, or shell-fish, -and grain and berries. Now and then it indulges, like the Common Crow, -in a feast of carrion. It has a shrill note something like that of the -Jackdaw; it also chatters, and steals, and talks, as well as a -Starling, in short is a most accomplished feathered performer. One of -its favourite haunts is, or used to be, Shakspere's cliff at Dover, and -our great poet describing that grand and sublime scene, alludes to the -bird.-- - - "Here's the place:--stand still. How fearful - And dizzy 'tis, to cast one's eyes so low! - The crows and choughs that wing the midway air, - Show scarce so large as beetles." - - -RAVEN. - -CORBIE. CORBIE CROW. GREAT CORBIE CROW. - -FIGURE 4. - -Scientific name, _Corvus corax_, the first being the Latin, and the -second Greek, for a Crow. This is the largest, as it is also one of the -best known of the Crow tribe or family. It is found in nearly all parts -of the world--in the coldest as well as the hottest climates--amid the -wild mountainous regions of everlasting snow, in the depths of the -gloomiest forests, and on the wide prairies and sandy plains, its -hoarse cry may be heard; as well as on the lonely island, whose shores -are lashed by the foaming waves of the mighty ocean, and seldom or ever -visited by the prow of the merchant or other vessel. - -A bold familiar bird is the Raven, with jet black plumes, and a large -powerful bill, fitted for tearing to pieces the flesh of animals on -which it often feeds; and a deep hollow voice, that grates harshly upon -the ear; and strong feet armed with sharp talons; and wings that spread -out to a great extent, and with regular and well-timed beats, _flap_, -_flap_, _flap_, winnow the air, and support the bird in its long flight -over land and sea; while the broad tail, now elevated and now -depressed, now turned this way and now that, gives to the heavy body -the desired direction. "_Croak!_" one hears the sound, and scarcely -knows whether it comes from the air above or the earth beneath; but -presently the sunshine is obscured by a black shadow, and swoop! down -comes the bird of ill omen, as people have generally agreed to consider -it, down upon the sick sheep, or any other weak and defenceless -creature, that may be within the compass of its keen sight, and -commences picking out the eyes of the animal, reminding us of the -punishment threatened by the Lord against disobedient children, as -mentioned in Proverbs, and paraphrased in Dr. Watts' familiar lines:-- - - "Have you not heard what dreadful plagues - Are threatened by the Lord, - To him that breaks his father's law, - Or mocks his mother's word. - What heavy guilt upon him lies, - How cursed is his name, - The Ravens shall pick out his eyes, - And Eagles eat the same." - -Then again, as we see the strong-winged bird sweep far away over the -wide sea, we think of the time when the waters covered the face of the -whole earth, and "Noah sent forth a Raven, which went to and fro until -the waters were dried up." Or, if in some scene of wild sublimity, some -valley hemmed in by lofty mountains, through which a stream goes -winding silently, we are startled by that black shadow and harsh -grating note, we fancy ourselves by the brook Chereth, where the Ravens -brought bread and flesh, morning and evening, to the prophet Elisha, -being commanded to do so by God, who, as we are told in Job, "provideth -for the Raven his food;" and in Psalms, "heareth the young Ravens which -cry." - -In nearly all parts of Great Britain these birds are found, they were -formerly more abundant than they are at present, gamekeepers and others -having long waged war against them, on account of their real or -supposed propensity to destroy the young hares, partridges, pheasants, -etc. - -In the northern and western parts of Scotland, and in some of the -Scottish Isles they are numerous. They make large nests composed of -sticks, cemented together with mud, and lined with roots, wool, fur, -and such other soft materials as come most readily to hand, or we -should rather say, to beak and claw; they are said sometimes to rob the -sheep's backs. Their building-places are cliffs and precipices, church -towers, caves and rocky fissures, and the clefts between the forked -branches of tall trees. The eggs are from four to six in number, of a -pale olive green, more or less blotched and spotted with greenish brown -and grey. They are early builders, sometimes commencing in January; the -eggs, says Mr. Morris, have been taken in the middle of February. -Incubation lasts twenty days; both male and female sit on the eggs, in -defence of which and their young, they will fight desperately, driving -off the hawks, and even eagles and vultures. - -The Raven is known to live to a great age, often when in a domesticated -state, seeing out two or three generations of a family; it is one of -those birds which possess the power of imitating the human voice, and -many anecdotes are told of its proficiency in this respect. It is a -very sagacious bird, indeed so cunning that it has been thought by -ignorant persons, to know more than it ought, and to be in league with -witches and other "uncanny" people. Constantly do we find its cry -alluded to by both ancient and modern poets, as ominous of death. - - "The Raven is a dreaded bird, - The stoutest quail when his voice is heard, - For when, 'tis said, his dismal cry - Rends thrice the tranquil azure sky, - 'Tis the token, - Surely spoken, - That ravenous death is hovering nigh." - - -CARRION CROW. - -GOR. GORE, OR FLESH CROW. BLACK NEB. HOODY BRAN. - -FIGURE 5. - -Everybody knows the Common Crow that goes _caw-cawing_ over the fields -through the long summer day, and hunts in the freshly-turned furrows -for grubs and wire-worms, and settles down upon the marshes where the -white flocks are feeding, dotting them here and there with great black -spots, as though some literary giant had taken too much ink in his pen, -and scattered it out over the landscape before he began to write. Oh -yes, everybody knows the familiar Crow, called by scientific people -_Corvus corone_, Latin and Greek again for the same thing--a Crow! -Black and all black is he, a kind of Raven in miniature, closely -resembling that bird in his habits as well as appearance. A foul -feeder, delighting in putrid carcasses, and all kinds of meat that is -not merely a "_little_ touched," but "very far gone" indeed. The -shepherd does not like him, neither does the gamekeeper, neither does -the farmer, although we are inclined to think that the dislike of the -latter is owing to an unfounded prejudice; true it is that our friend -_Corvus_ does sometimes eat grain, but he prefers animal food, and -oftener feeds on worms and other grain-destroyers. If you wish to find -his nest, you must climb into the tall elm tree, or far up the face of -the chalky cliff; it is made of sticks, cemented together with clay, -and lined with roots, straw, wool, moss, or any soft substance which -can be had. If in a tree, it is usually placed among the topmost -branches, or else on a bough near to the trunk, so as to be well -sheltered and hidden from view. The eggs, from four to six in number, -are of a pale bluish green or grey, speckled, some very thickly, with -light brown and deep grey. - -The Crows, like the Ravens, pair for life; the work of building is -shared by both birds, and generally commences about the end of -February, or beginning of March. There is a variety of this species -which is almost wholly white, and this is the case also with the Raven. -Harrison Ainsworth has written a spirited song on the Carrion Crow, of -which this is the first verse:-- - - "The Carrion Crow is a sexton bold, - He raketh the dead from out the mould; - He delveth the ground like a miser old - Stealthily hiding his store of gold. - _Caw! Caw!_ - The Carrion Crow hath a coat of black, - Silky and sleek, like a priest's, on his back; - Like a lawyer he grubbeth, no matter what way, - The fouler the offal the richer the prey. - _Caw! Caw! the Carrion Crow!_ - _Dig! Dig! in the ground below!_" - - -HOODED CROW. - -ROYSTON. GREY, GREY-BACKED, DUN, BUNTING, HEEDY, OR SCARE-CROW. HOODY. - -FIGURE 6. - -The Hooded Crow, so called, most probably, on account of the distinct -black covering of the head and neck, is not a very common bird in -England generally, although it may often be found in certain -localities, and at certain seasons, for it is partly migratory, -frequenting the southern parts of the island only in winter, usually -from October to April. In the north of Scotland, and the Hebrides and -other islands, they are always to be found, and in great numbers. In -its habits the Hooded Crow resembles the common kind, except that it is -more of a coast bird, seldom being found far from the sea-shore, or the -banks of estuaries, or tidal rivers. - -Its nest is generally placed on tall trees, or the clefts and chasms of -rocks and hill sides. Mr. Morris describes it as composed of sticks, -roots, stalks, or heather, lined with wool and hair. The eggs are from -four to six in number, of a green tint, mottled over with greenish -brown; some have been found of a yellowish tinge, or with dashes and -streaks of yellow, others of a uniform dull dark green, with but few -spots or variations of any kind. - -It is the opinion of some naturalists, that the Hooded and Carrion -Crows are but varieties of one species, and certain it is that they do -sometimes breed together, but there appears to be sufficient -distinctive marks and characteristics to warrant the specific -difference assumed for them by most of the leading ornithologists. - -Frequenting as it does the sea-shore, the Hooded Crow, which may be -known by its distinctly marked plumage of dull grey, extending all over -the back, breast, and belly, feeds much on shell-fish, which it bears -up to a great height, and then lets fall on a large stone or piece of -rock, so as to break the shell. We have here an instance of something -very like reasoning power, in what we must call an unreasoning -creature, nor are such instances at all unfrequent in natural history. - - -ROOK. - -BARE-FACED CROW. YDFRUN, OF THE ANCIENT BRITISH. - -FIGURE 7. - -Naturalists term this bird _Corvus frugilegus_. With the meaning of the -first, or generic name, our readers are already well acquainted; the -specific name comes from the Latin _fruges_--fruits, and _lego_--to -collect or gather, and from this we learn that it is a _frugiverous_ or -fruit-eating bird; it is not, however, altogether so, for it feeds much -on insects, worms, slugs, and such small animals, in search of which it -digs or delves with its large and strong beak, all around the base of -which is bare of feathers, hence the name Bare-faced Crow, by which the -bird is known in some localities. It is a matter of dispute whether or -not this bareness is caused by the constant use of the bill as a -digging instrument; we are inclined to think not, for several reasons, -which need not here be stated; but, that the bare whitish skin which -surrounds the beak, and which offers such a strong contrast to the rest -of the purplish black plumage, is a natural distinction. - -Rooks are said to be more abundant in England than in any other part of -the world, although they are found in most temperate regions of Europe -and Asia; they do not, like many of the Corvine, or Crow family, -increase toward the north, but on the contrary, decrease in that -direction: in the Scottish islands they are not to be met with. They -are strictly gregarious birds, immense numbers of them building and -rearing their young together. Almost every English Village, or Hall, or -old Manor House, has, or at one time had, its "Rookery," where, on the -tops of the tall elms or other lofty trees, the sable birds delight to -build their large loose nests of sticks, cemented together with clay, -and lined with grass and root fibres. There do they hold their noisy -councils, morning and evening, but especially at the latter time, -before retiring to rest. One would think they had all the affairs of -the nation to settle, so long and loud is the debate, or at least that -there must be an immense deal of quarrelling about the right to this or -that resting-place; and more fighting, too, than there ought to be, -among a decent feathered community. - -There is something pleasing about the _caw_ of the Rook, whether heard -in the dreamy quietude of nature, or, as it often is, amid the bustle -of the busy town; it is a sociable bird, friendly to man and his -belongings. It is an English bird--a _home_ bird, and reminds us of -domestic scenes and pleasures. We have had rookeries in the very hearts -of cities; there was one in the Temple Gardens, in London, close by the -stream of life which ever flows and reflows up and down the Strand and -Fleet Street. Not many years since it was stated in the papers that, -"in the small church-yard of St. Peters, Westcheap, situated in Wood -Street, Cheapside, stands a solitary tree, in the lofty branches of -which, two pairs of Rooks have built themselves nests, and are now -busily engaged in rearing two broods, which have been recently -hatched." But volumes might be written, as they have been, about Rooks -and rookeries; Leigh Hunt, and Charles Lamb, and Washington Irving, and -nearly all the English poets, might be called in to give their tribute -of praise to this old familiar friend and companion of our -life-journey. - -The Rooks are frugal nest-builders; they make the same structure do -year after year. Early in March they begin to repair their old -habitations, which, during the winter, we may see far up amid the naked -branches, like so many bundles of dry sticks; the young pairs, we -suppose, build new ones, unless they should find a nest left vacant by -the removal, by death or otherwise, of parents or other relatives, for -all the community must be closely allied. - - "Where, in venerable rows, - Widely waving oaks enclose - The moat of yonder antique hall, - Swarm the Rooks with clamorous call; - And, to the toils of nature true, - Wreathe their capacious nests anew," - -says the poet Warton, describing the 1st. of April; and generally by -the end of May, or beginning of June, the young Rooks are fledged. The -eggs from which they have emerged do not differ greatly from those of -the other members of the _Corvus_ family just described. They are -usually four or five in number, of a pale greenish ground colour, -blotched and spotted with light brown and yellowish green; they, -however, vary greatly, some being nearly white, others grey, and others -olive brown, with markings more or less deep and distinct. - - -JACKDAW. - -DAW. KAE. - -FIGURE 8. - -_Corvus monedula_ is the scientific name of this species, the latter, -or specific title, being derived, as Mr. Morris supposes, from _moneo_, -to warn; the Daw, like most of the Crow tribe, having been formerly -considered a creature of evil augury. - -A pert bold fellow is the Jackdaw, restless, inquisitive, and -loquacious; ever poking and prying into every hole and corner, and -purloining whatever he can lay his claw or his bill on. He seems to -delight in mischief, and to consider that to pick and steal is the -great end and object of his existence. This is a sad character to give -a bird, but we must tell the truth at all hazards, and confess that, -notwithstanding the respectability of his appearance, with his suit of -silky black, and grey poll, like the wig of a counsellor, he is a sad -scamp. - -Oh, what a long catalogue of crimes and offences connected with this -black-coated offender, might we present, had we space and inclination -to do so; but we have not, and indeed it is not necessary, for all the -world knows the character of the subject of these remarks, as well as -Thomas Hood, who says-- - - "The Daw's not reckoned a religious bird, - Because it keeps a cawing from a steeple." - -And this brings us to one of the favourite building places of Kae, as -the Scotch people call it; ruined towers, and ivy-grown steeples, holes -in cliffs and hollow trees, are generally chosen for the heap of sticks -loosely piled together, and having a depression in the centre, where, -on a layer of wool, hair, grass, or other soft substance, the eggs are -deposited; in number from four to six, of a pale bluish white, spotted -with greyish brown; some of the spots being large and distinct, and -much deeper than the others. The young birds are generally hatched by -the end of May, or early in June, by the end of the second week in -which month they are usually fit to be taken from the nest; they are -easily reared by hand, and become very tame, learning to talk, and play -all sorts of curious tricks. - -The caw of the Daw is more high and shrill than that of most Crows; it -is found in nearly all parts of Great Britain, and is common in -Holland, Germany, France, Italy, and most countries of Europe. One -remarkable circumstance connected with its nidification is the immense -quantity of material which it collects; sometimes it builds in -chimneys, and completely stops them up with the huge pile of sticks, -which it there deposits. It is said that the fire which, some years -since partly consumed the cathedral of York, was much fed and assisted -by the Jackdaws' nests on the turrets. In Cambridge, where the Daws are -numerous, building in the colleges and church towers, no less than -eighteen dozen of deal laths, about nine inches long and one broad, -which had been purloined from the botanic gardens, where they were put -into the ground as labels for the plants, were found in the shaft of -one chimney in which the birds had built. Many anecdotes are related of -the ingenuity they manifest on getting their building materials into -the desired position; often through narrow loopholes, and up winding -staircases, they manage to convey long sticks and pieces of wood in a -manner truly surprising; and the way in which they pile up the light -fabric upon joists and cross-beams, and window-sills, and make it all -firm and stable, is no less so. Sometimes the Daws choose less lofty -situations for their nests; generally, as Bishop Mant tells us, they -make - - "In spire or looped and windowed tower - Of hallowed fane their nestling bower. - In caverned cliff beside the sea, - Or hollow of the woodland tree;--" - -But occasionally they descend, when nature - - "Prompts them in the waste to roam - And seek a subterranean home, - The burrowing rabbit's haunt, and there - Of sticks and matted wool prepare - Their dwelling, and produce their race, - In that unlikely dwelling-place." - - -MAGPIE. - -PIET. PIANET. MAG. MADGE. - -FIGURE 9. - -_Pica caudata_, _Pica melanoleuca_, and _Corvus pica_ are the several -names given by naturalists to this bird; the first word is Latin, and -means simply a pie; in the same language _caudus_ signifies a tail, and -a splendid tail our handsome Magpie possesses, long and broad, and like -the beautiful pinions, all shot with green and purple reflections. -_Melanoleuca_ is compounded of two Greek words, meaning black and -white, and no one can deny that this is very appropriate, although it -is not so commonly used as the former name. The third title may be -translated the Crow-Pie; indicating the particular genus and species of -Mag the merry. No member of the Crow family puts on so resplendent a -dress as this; beautifully do the snowy shoulders (scapulars -naturalists would say) and belly, contrast with the rich velvety black -of the back, breast, head, and neck. Rich is the sheen of emerald and -amethyst which plays about the tail and wings, as the latter are spread -out in the sunshine, and the former flirts up and down with a quick -vibrating motion. And such a droll fellow, too, is Mag, every now and -then you would think he were dancing, or imitating some fine lady or -courtly beau; he steps or hops along in such an odd, fantastic manner. -Yes, a droll fellow, but a sad thief; it is not safe to leave a gold -chain, or a ring, or a silver spoon in his way; up into the old church -steeple it is sure to go, if it is not buried in some out-of-the-way -corner, all among the moss, and dead leaves, and decayed wood, which -have accumulated there for centuries. We all remember the old story of -the Maid and the Magpie; and how nearly the poor girl suffered death -for the loss of the silver spoons stolen by the bird, who, however, was -not so guilty after all, for he did not know that the loss of the -glittering objects which attracted his attention, would be attended -with such serious consequences. He had no sense of right and wrong to -guide him as my readers have, and had never been taught the great -commandments--"Thou shalt not covet!" and "Thou shalt not steal!" - -The chattering Magpie is found chiefly in the cultivated and wooded -parts of Britain and Ireland; it is an _omnivorous_ feeder, that is, it -eats almost anything--_omnes_ in Latin, you know, means all. It is a -shy watchful bird, and very difficult to catch; it has a fine broad -tail, but we never heard that any one was able to put salt upon it. -Such a quick eye the fellow has, and a way of twisting himself about, -so as to be looking every way at once; you would catch a weasel asleep -sooner than you would Maggie. The nest is made with a hole in the side, -from whence a sharp look-out can be kept. It is placed in some thick -bush, or tall prickly hedge, generally at a considerable distance from -the ground; it is of a longish oval shape, and made of sticks and -thorns, cemented together with mud; on the lining of roots and grass -lie the bluish white eggs, spotted over with grey and greenish brown; -there may be six, seven, or even eight of them, although very rarely so -many as the latter number. The breeding-time is quite early in the -spring, and the same nest is resorted to by one pair of birds year -after year. - -It is thus that Bishop Mant describes the mode and place of building of -what he calls the "Artful Pie." - - "On turf-reared platform intermixt, - With clay and cross-laid sticks betwixt, - 'Mid hawthorn, fir, or elm tree slung, - Is piled for the expected young, - A soft and neatly-woven home, - Above of tangled thorns a dome, - Forms a sharp fence the nest about, - To keep all rash intruders out. - So like a robber in his hold, - Or some marauding baron bold, - On coasted cliff in olden time, - They sit unblenched in state sublime, - And fortress intricately planned; - As if they felt that they whose hand - Is aimed at others, rightly deem - The hand of others aimed at them. - So there they dwell, man's dwellings nigh, - But not in man's society;-- - Arabian-like: and little share - His love, nor for his hatred care; - Prompt of his rural stores a part - To seize, and joyful of their art - His efforts at revenge elude." - - -JAY. - -JAY PIE. JAY PIET. - -FIGURE 10. - -In scientific language _Corvus glandarius_, or _Garrulus glandarius_; -the specific name is from the Latin, and signifies of or belonging to -acorns; the second generic name is also Latin, and means chattering or -talkative, a leading characteristic of this bird, whose harsh cry is -frequently heard amid the stillness of the solitary woods. - - "Proud of cerulean stains - From heaven's unsullied arch purloined, - The Jay screams hoarse," - -says Gisborne, in his "Walks in a Forest," and all persons who are -accustomed to woodland scenery, must have been startled, ever and anon, -by the grating syllables _wrak, wrak_, shortly and sharply repeated by -this bird, and have noticed the dull gleam of its blue wings, as it -passed in a heavy scurrying manner from tree to tree, or shuffled away -down the glade, as though it had committed some crime, and was fearful -of being taken. - -The Blue-winged Jay is a name commonly given to this certainly handsome -bird, whose plumage of delicate brown, variegated with white and black, -and set off with "cerulean stains," as Gisborne says, give it a -striking and pleasing appearance, notwithstanding its general air of -dullness and apprehension. It is true, we seldom have an opportunity of -observing it closely, except in a state of confinement, where it is not -likely to be very lively, for it is a bird of the wild woods, and likes -not to be deprived of its free range, and brought into close -companionship with man. Sometimes, however, if taken young and properly -trained, it becomes a very amusing domestic pet, having a decided -talent for mimicry, and being gentle and teachable. - -The nest of the Jay is commonly built in a high coppice wood, or hedge, -generally many feet from the ground, although it is seldom seen near -the tops of tall trees, like those of the Magpie and Crow. Montagu -says, "He who feels inclined to study the nidification of this bird, -must search the lower branches of the oak, or inspect the woodbine -mantling round the hazel." - -Morris describes the nest as "of an open shape, formed of twigs and -sticks, and well lined with small roots, grasses, and horse-hair. Some -are much more cleverly constructed than others." And certainly from the -representation which he gives of one, we should take the Jay to be a -much neater builder than any of its _congeners_, as birds of the same -family or genus would be called. - -The eggs are five or six in number, of a greenish or yellowish white, -freckled all over with two shades of light brown. - -Several variations from this common pattern have been found and -described, some being lighter and some darker, and some having a -greater degree of polish on them than others. - -The Jay is an omnivorous feeder; but is said to have a great partiality -for acorns; and also for the eggs and young of game-birds, hence he is -shot without mercy by those interested in their preservation. - -Let us see what Bishop Mant says of him. - -"He who makes his native wood Resound his screaming, harsh and rude, -Continuously the season through; Though scarce his painted wing you'll -view With sable barred, and white and grey, And varied crest, the -lonely Jay!" - - -GREEN WOODPECKER. - -LARGE GREEN WOODPECKER. NICK-A-PECKER. ECLE. HIGH-HOE. HEW-HOLE. AWL, -OR RAIN-BIRD, OR FOWL. POPINJAY. WHITTLE. YAFFLE. YAFFER. YAPPINGALL. -WOODSPITE. WOODWALL, OR WELE. - -FIGURE 11. - -We have in England six species of Woodpeckers, namely, the Black, the -Green, the Greater Spotted, the Lesser Spotted, the Hairy, and the -Three-toed, but only the one above-named is at all common. It is a -handsome bird, with green and brown plumage, prettily marked and barred -with white; the bill is large and black, which colour extends over the -sides of the head and part of the throat; there is a light-coloured rim -round the eye, and a crest like a crimson cap, also a few feathers of -the same rich colour set in the black patches of the throat. A truly -handsome bird, rather awkward in appearance, on account of the -shortness of the tail, and the large size of the feet, head, and bill. -A shy, unsocial bird, too; not fond of exhibiting its beauties; for -ever tap-tapping the hollow beech, or other tree, in the depth of the -solitary woods; often heard but seldom seen, and when it is, in all -sorts of inelegant positions, creeping up or down the rugged bole, -clinging to the broken bough, crouching close, and peeping and peering -into every hole and crevice, in search of its favourite food--insects -and their eggs, spiders, and grubs and caterpillars; and boring into -the decayed bark with its hard wedge-shaped bill. The old poet Chaucer -describes a very busy, inquisitive person as being - - "As prate and prying as a Woodpecker, - And ever inquiring upon everything." - -And Gisborne gives us a true picture of this restless and curious -bird:-- - - "With shrill and oft-repeated cry, - Her angular course, alternate rise and fall, - The Woodpecker prolongs; then to the trunk - Close clinging, with unwearied beak assails - The hollow bark; through every call the strokes - Roll the dire echoes, that from wintry sleep - Awake her insect prey; the alarmed tribes - Start from each chink that bores the mouldering stem; - Their scattered flight with lengthened tongue the foe - Pursues; joy glistens in her verdant plumes, - And brighter scarlet sparkles in her crest." - -We have here perhaps a little bit of what is called poetic licence; -true, it has been said that the Woodpecker taps on the tree to alarm -the insects lurking within, and make them come out to see what is the -matter, but it is most likely done to ascertain which are the parts -most unsound and pervious to the bill. In the above lines is an -allusion to the shrill cry of the bird; this, heard amid the stillness -of the wood, is perfectly startling; like a peal of unearthly laughter, -it bursts forth and rings around; it has been compared to the syllables -_glu_, _glu_, _glu_, _gluck!_ finishing off with a sharp _gk_, as -though a laugh had tumbled down and broken its neck, turning into -something like a cry before it expired. Only just as you are thinking -it is really dead and done for, out it bursts again louder than ever, -and you listen aghast to - - "The ringing of the Whitwall's shrilly laughter, - Which echo follows after," - -but is never able to overtake. And we are here reminded of the long -array of names with which this noisy fellow is honoured; a different -one for almost every locality, and having reference mostly to the cry -of the bird, or its singular habits. The scientific name is _Picus -viridis_; the first signifying a Woodpecker, and the last green. - -"The Woodpecker," says Mudie, "is especially a bird of the ancient -forests. You do not find it in the hedge or the coppice, where so many -of the little birds, especially the summer migrants, build their nests, -and spend their mid-days, when the reflections of the sun come bright -on all sides of the foliage, in picking the soft caterpillars from the -leaves, or capturing the insects that resort thither for the purpose of -depositing fresh myriads; and when they have thus secured the shelter -and beauty of their habitation, farewell the evening, and again hail -the morning with their joyous songs. The aged tree is all to the -Woodpecker, and he is much to the aged tree." Yes, for he eats the -insects which are revelling in its decay, and of the fine dust thereof -he makes his nest, if nest it can be called, which is merely a hole in -the trunk, high up, perhaps twenty or thirty feet, lined with the small -particles of rotten wood. - -All the Woodpeckers lay white or nearly white eggs, and all, with whose -habits we are acquainted, are early builders; the common green species, -found in most of the southern parts of Britain, commences making a new, -or repairing its old nest as early as February; the eggs are from four -to eight in number. The young are hatched in June. - - -WRYNECK. - -CUCKOO'S MATE, MAID, OR MESSENGER. RINDING, SNAKE, TURKEY, BARLEY, OR -TONGUE BIRD. EMMET-HUNTER. LONG-TONGUE. - -FIGURE 12. - -This bird, which appears to be a kind of connecting link between the -Woodpeckers and Cuckoos, having some of the characteristics of both, is -only a summer visitant of this country, generally arriving in April. -Its scientific name is _Yunx torquilla_; the first is undoubtedly -Greek, but its meaning is not very obvious; the second comes from -_torqueo_--to turn or twist, and refers to a singular habit which the -bird has of twisting its neck with a kind of slow undulating motion, -like that of a snake; hence also the common English name Wryneck, and -one or two others given above. The Welsh consider this the forerunner -of the Cuckoo, and call it _gwas y gog_, or the Cuckoo's attendant. In -the northern counties of England the common people call it Cuckoo's -Maiden; it generally comes to us a few days in advance of that bird, as -though it were deputed to prepare a place for it. - -Although it can boast of no bright and gaudy colours, the Wryneck is a -most elegant bird, both in shape and plumage. - - "The embroidery of that vesture grey - No pen nor pencil can pourtray," - -says Bishop Mant. But it is seldom that one can get a good sight of its -beautifully marked and mottled dress, for it is, like the Woodpecker, a -shy and retiring bird; like that, too, it lays its eggs in a hole of a -tree, lined with the decayed wood; they are six or seven in number -generally, sometimes nine, and even ten, have been found in one hole; -the colour is a pure white, or slightly tinged and spotted with -yellowish brown. The time of incubation is fourteen days, and the -female is so much attached to the young birds, that she will often -suffer herself to be taken rather than desert them. These birds resort -to the same spot year after year; it is at various heights from the -ground, and sometimes the deserted nest of a Woodpecker or other bird -is used. - - -NUTHATCH. - -NUT-JOBBER. WOODCRACKER. - -FIGURE 13. - -The _Sittine_ Birds, or Nuthatches, are little short-bodied creatures, -with large heads, and very small tails; the bill is tolerably long, -straight, and slender, pentagonal, or five-sided at the base, or part -where it is inserted into the head. They are pretty lively birds, and -seem to occupy a position between the _Certhias_, or Tree Creepers, and -the _Parine_ Birds or Tits. We have but one species in this country, -known as the _Sitta EuropEa_, or European Nuthatch; the generic name -being derived, as Morris thinks, from some word in a primitive, or -early language, (from _primus_--first,) from which also comes the term -hatchet, and having reference to the habit of hacking and hewing at the -nuts, on which this bird chiefly feeds. - -The Nuthatch is not found generally throughout Britain, only in certain -localities, and very rarely in the northern parts. It has long curved -claws, by means of which it ascends the trunks of the trees, and clings -about the branches much like the Creepers and Woodpeckers, frequently -descending head downwards, which few other birds are able to do. It -bores into the nuts with its strong-pointed bill, and feeds upon the -kernels; it also with the same instrument extracts the insects from the -holes and crevices, and thus varies its diet. Its motions are abrupt -and jerking, so that it always appears in a desperate hurry, and it -keeps up a constant _quit, quit_, as though giving warning to its -landlady of an intention to leave its lodgings forthwith. Bewick says -that it will pick bones, and that it lays up a store of food for the -winter in various little granaries. - -For a nesting-place it makes choice of some hole in a tree, which it -lines with dried leaves, moss, scales of fir-cones, bits of bark, and -it may be, a little hair. If the entrance is too large it is partly -closed up with clay, so as to leave but just room for the bird to -enter. The eggs are from five to seven or eight, sometimes nine in -number; they are greyish white, with spots or blotches of reddish -brown. - -The following interesting account of a pair of Nuthatches engaged in -making their nest, is from the pen of a contributor to a periodical -called "The Naturalist;" the date of the occurrence was the 18th. of -April.--"The birds had fixed upon a hole in an ash tree, about twenty -feet from the ground, and were contracting it with a plastering of mud, -for which they flew to a small pond about fifty yards distant from the -tree, and took pieces in their beaks about as big as a bean, which they -laid on, and smoothed with their chin. Sometimes one of them would go -inside and remain for a short time, I suppose for the purpose of -smoothing the mud there. They would every now and then leave off from -their task, and chase one another up the trunk and round the branches -of the tree with amazing rapidity, uttering all the while their -flute-like whistle. They both seemed to take an equal share in the -labour; and had, like the House Martin, small pieces of straw mixed -with the mud, for the purpose of making it bind better. They seemed to -be quite at ease on the ground, and hopped about much after the same -manner as the Sparrow. The male bird was easily distinguishable by his -brighter plumage." - - -CUCKOO. - -COMMON, OR GREY CUCKOO. GOWK, OR GECK. COG, OF THE ANCIENT BRITISH. - -FIGURE 14. - -Of the _Cuculine_ Birds, or Cuckoos, none are permanently resident in -countries subject to severe winter cold. They feed mostly on insects, -worms, or soft fruit, gliding amid the trees in search of their food in -a peculiarly rapid and noiseless manner. In passing from branch to -branch they generally leap; they do not climb like the Woodpeckers and -Creepers, although they have much the same conformation of feet, the -outer toe being directed backwards, as well as the first; this is -called _Zy-go-dac-ty-lous_, a Greek word, signifying that the toes are -yoked, or in pairs, two before and two behind. We have thought it well -to introduce this queer word to our readers, lest they should stumble -over it, as they are likely to do, in many works on Natural History -which they may consult, and be frightened at its uncouth appearance; -they will now know what is meant by _zygodactylous_, or _dactytic_ -birds, such as Owls, Woodpeckers, Cuckoos, etc. But having explained -thus much, we should go a step farther, and introduce also -_A-ni-so-dac-ty-lous_, Greek again, meaning unequally yoked, that is, -when there is a wider interval between one pair of toes than between -the other. - -Of Cuckoos the British Naturalist knows of three species; the Great -Spotted Cuckoo, inhabiting chiefly the northern and western coasts of -Africa, and only now and then paying a short visit to these northern -climes; the Yellow-billed, or American Cuckoo, or Cowcow, as some call -it, which is a more frequent, although still a rare visitant, and the -Common Grey species, termed _Cuculus canorus_, that is, the Musical -Cuckoo, with whose curious cry--_cuck-oooo_, most of our readers must -be familiar. It may not be generally thought that there is much music -in this _monotonous_, that is, single-toned call, but we are assured by -a competent authority, that this is the only feathered performer who -sings in strict accordance with musical numbers, its notes being the -fifth and third of the diatonic scale. But be that as it may, the cry -of the Cuckoo is extremely pleasant to most ears, when first heard, -soon after the bird arrives in this country, which is sometimes about -the middle of April, "in April, come he will," says the old proverb; we -know that the fresh floral season of sunshine and country delights, has -fairly set in, and all through the summer, to the time of his -departure, in August or September, we love to listen to the far-away, -dreamy kind of call, for it seems like an invitation to 'follow, -follow,' some invisible leader, through greenwoods and flowery dingles, -and into scenes of quietude and peace; then, too, there is a kind of -mystery about it which excites the curiosity, for who ever sees the -utterer of these dreamy sounds. We are inclined to say with -Wordsworth,-- - - "Oh, Cuckoo, shall I call thee bird, - Or but a wandering voice." - -And indeed the Cuckoo is a flying and feathered marvel altogether; we -should fill this book were we to repeat all the strange tales that have -been told about it, and by grave authorities too, from Aristotle of -ancient Greece, to Dr. Jenner, and the rest of modern England. Amid all -the disputations that have arisen upon the points of this bird's -natural history, we can only clearly gather that it is a summer -migrant, coming and going at the times just mentioned; that while with -us it is to be found in all wooded and sheltered parts of the island, -frequenting most parks and pasture-grounds, groves and thickets, it is -more likely to be seen at early morning and evening, than during the -broad daylight, and its cry has been heard at all hours of the night, -proving it to be somewhat nocturnal in its habits,--_nox_, you know is -the Latin for night, and from thence comes this word. - -The Cuckoo lives almost entirely upon insects, devouring great numbers -of hairy caterpillars. It makes no nest of its own, but lays a single -egg in that of some other bird, or conveys it thither in its bill. Its -eggs are small for the size of the bird, in colour white, with a -greyish, or it may be a reddish tinge, with cinereous (that is, ashy) -or grey brown speckles. How many of these the bird lays no one can -tell, but it has the judgment, or compassion, or whatever it may be, to -give the Pipit, Hedge Sparrow, Wagtail, or other small bird so -favoured, the task of rearing but one of its young, which soon grows to -be quite a monster in the eyes of its foster parent, and sometimes, -says the old Greek, Aristotle, eats her up; but this is just a physical -impossibility, and a most vile slander. Whether the intruder, as Dr. -Jenner says, _shovels_ up with its broad back its fellow fledglings, to -whom the nest rightfully belongs, and pitches them over the edge to die -miserably of cold and starvation, while he gets the whole of the food -brought by the provident mother, we cannot say, but may hope, for the -credit of bird nature, that this too may be a mistake, if not a fable. - -The Cuckoo is an elegantly-formed and agreeably-coloured bird, the -prevailing tints of its plumage being a greenish grey, fading off into -white, which is barred and mottled with silky brown; the large tail is -spotted and edged with white. The male resembles the female; the young -at first have bars of light red and olive brown about the upper parts. - - -KINGFISHER. - -COMMON KING, OR KINGFISHER. GLAS Y DORIAN OF THE ANCIENT BRITISH. - -FIGURE 15. - -The Kingfishers belong to the order called _Jaculatrices_, or Darters, -and to the family _AlcedinE_; so they are _Alcedine_ birds. These terms -are not very easy of explanation. _Alcedo hispida_ is the name of the -Common Kingfisher. The second term may mean either rough, or hairy, or -wet, all of which are quite applicable to this bird, which must be -familiar to many of our readers; for although by no means common in any -part of Britain, and very rare in the north, it is yet to be found, all -the year through, in most parts of the country where there are streams -of water, and river banks, and moist meadows suited to its habits, -which are solitary. It generally nestles in holes in the declivities -near to its favourite hunting ground--the clear stream, fringed with -reeds and bulrushes, which glides away over pebbles that shine like -gold and silver, and weeds as green as emeralds, or red as rubies, amid -which dart the minnows and other small fish, on which, together with -aquatic insects, the gorgeously-painted fisher feeds. You may see him -in some quiet out-of-the-way place, beneath the shade of the grey -alders, sitting motionless as a statue upon a branch of an old thorn, -that projects over the stream. It may be that a ray of sunshine finds -its way between the shivering branches, and out flash the glorious -tints of its plumage--red, and green, and blue, and all changeable -colours. Truly he is the monarch of fishing birds, and rightly named -_King_fisher! Not handsome in form, certainly not elegant, nor well -proportioned--with his short squat body and stump of a tail, thick -neck, large head, and immense bill, little feet, that seem meant for a -Sparrow, and eyes which, although bright and sharp enough, are much too -small for the head. But he is a swift flier, for all that he looks so -awkward; and see! quick as light he darts down upon that heedless fish -that has come too near the surface, swallows it at a gulp, and is ready -for another dart before you can look round you. - -The eggs of our Common Kingfisher are what is termed broadly ovate in -shape, that is, they are nearly round, not tapering out much, as some -eggs do; they are simply white and semi (that is half) transparent. The -number is generally six or seven. They are laid some time in May, in a -hole, often that of the water-rat, sometimes on the bare earth, but -more frequently on a layer of small fish bones; now and then on a -little dried grass. The note of the bird is sharp, shrill, and piping, -like that of the Sandpipers, but is not often uttered. - - -SWALLOW. - -RED-FRONTED, COMMON, OR CHIMNEY SWALLOW. - -FIGURE 16. - -The _Hirundine_ Birds, or Swallows, form a very distinct group; they -have slender bodies, and large, powerful wings, which enable them to -fly with great velocity, skimming over the moist meadows, where their -insect food most abounds, and wheeling and circling about trees and -buildings in a swift and easy manner, which appears to be the very -perfection of motion. They are all migratory birds, coming to us from -Africa and the south of Europe to breed, and returning to those warm -climates to pass the winter. - -The Common Swallow, called by naturalists _Hirundo rustica_, the first -word signifying a Swallow, and the second, of, or belonging to the -country, generally arrives in Britain in the latter half of the month -of April, or the beginning of May, some time in which month the nest is -commenced; it is of a broad cup-like shape, and is formed of moist -earth, collected bit by bit from the side of a pond or stream, and -moulded together with straw and grass: there is a lining of feathers, -or some other soft materials. The situations chosen are sheltered spots -beneath eaves or projecting roofs of any kind, shafts of mines, holes -in the sides of pits and quarries, old wells and out-buildings, bell -turrets, the under sides of spouts and bridge arches; most usually the -spot selected is near human habitations. Who is not awakened in the -bright summer mornings by the twittering of the young birds near his -bed-room window? These birds have frequently been known to build in -empty unused rooms, to which access could be gained through a broken -pane of glass; they are said to nestle near chimneys for the sake of -the warmth, being apparently not at all annoyed by the smoke which -issues thence. - -The eggs of the Swallow are usually from four to six in number; they -are white, thickly speckled over with ash-coloured, dark red, or brown -spots. Morris says that two broods are frequently hatched in the year, -the first of which flies in June, and the second in August. It is most -interesting to see the parent birds tempting them on from one resting -point to another, and so teaching them to use their wings, feeding them -in a most dexterous manner while on the wing; it is said that these -careful parents, ere the young can provide for themselves, bring them -food about once in every three minutes throughout the day. The male -Swallow is a handsome bird; the wings, long forked tail, head, neck, -and upper part of the breast, being brownish black, with a steely blue -reflection, which is only seen in certain lights. The forehead and -throat are chestnut, and there is a tinge of the same on the delicate -white under parts of the body. Undoubtedly a handsome bird, and one of -the most familiar of our feathered friends while it remains with us, -which is until the autumn is fairly set in. You may know when the -Swallows are about to leave, by their frequent consultations on the -roofs, and by the more frequent utterance of their low, and not -unmelodious warble, which is very different from the short, sharp cry, -consisting of two notes, which they utter occasionally when hawking, as -it is called, after insects. - -Previous to their departure they may be frequently observed wheeling in -rapid circles in the air, as if trying their wings, and drilling for -their long, and no doubt orderly flight. We might quote plenty of -poetry on this bird, for its beauty, grace of motion, and familiarity -with man, have made it ever a general favourite, but for want of -sufficient space we shall not be able to make use of any. In some -allusion is made to a notion once entertained even by scientific -naturalists, that the Swallows did not actually leave this country in -the cold season, but _hybernated_, as it is called, from the Latin -_hyems_--winter; that is, wintered here, passing the time in a state of -torpor, or sleep, somewhere out of sight, as the dormouse and some -other animals do. But it is now certainly known that this is a false -impression; a few young or sickly birds, unable to endure so long a -journey, may be, and no doubt are, left behind; these constitute but an -exception to the rule of annual migration. - - -MARTIN. - -WHITE-RUMPED, WINDOW, HOUSE, OR MARTIN SWALLOW. MARTINET. HOUSE OR -WINDOW MARTIN. MARTLETT. - -FIGURE 17. - -This is the _Hirundo urbica_ of naturalists, the latter term coming -from the Latin _urbs_--a city. Its plumage is of a more decided purple -tint than the Common Swallow, from which it is also distinguished by -the absence of chestnut brown on the forehead, throat, and under parts, -which in this species are pure white. In its habits the Martin closely -resembles its congeners, than which it is, perhaps, even more a house -and city bird; hence its specific name. It reaches our island generally -a few days later than the Swallow, and departs at about the same time. - -The eggs of this bird are four or five in number, of a longish oval -shape, smooth, and perfectly white. The nest, which is composed of mud, -so cemented and tempered that it will adhere even to glass, is lined -with hay or feathers. Gilbert White, in his "Natural History of -Selborne,"--a delightful book which all young naturalists should read, -says that there are generally young birds in the nest up to Michaelmas, -there being two broods, and sometimes even three, in the year; the -first brood are generally ready to fly by the latter end of May, and -the second early in August: the period of incubation is thirteen days. - - -SWIFT. - -COMMON, OR BLACK SWIFT. BLACK, OR SCREECH MARTIN. SWIFT-SWALLOW. -DEVELING. SCREECH. SCREAMER. SQUEALER. CRAN. MARTIN DU, OF THE ANCIENT -BRITISH. - -FIGURE 18. - -Like the rest of our Swallows, this is a migratory bird, and it remains -with us a shorter time than most of the others, generally arriving in -May, and departing in August. Its scientific name is _Hirundo apus_, -meaning a Swallow without a foot, derived no doubt from the small size -of the feet, and the little use it seems to make of them, being almost -constantly in the air, where its evolutions are peculiarly rapid and -graceful, even for one of its family. The rapidity with which it skims -and dashes along, wheeling and turning in the most sudden manner, is -truly marvellous; so great is the force of its forward impetus, that it -has been known to kill itself by dashing against a wall; it has been -estimated that Wild Ducks fly ninety miles an hour, and Swallows rather -more, but the Swift above two hundred miles an hour; this may possibly -be an exaggeration, but if we make a large allowance, say one half, the -rate of progress is something astounding. - -The note of the Swift is a harsh scream, hence several of the common -names by which it is known; it is generally uttered while pursuing its -insect prey on the wing, and may be considered as an exclamation of -triumph or delight, as much as to say,--"Ha, ha, I have caught you!" - -The Swift resorts much to ruinous castles, steeples, towers, and -precipitous rocks, for the purpose of building; sometimes it nestles -under the eaves of cottages and barns, or in holes in walls, and hollow -trees, etc. The nest is rudely formed of sticks and straws stuck -together with mud; the materials are picked up with great dexterity -while the bird is on the wing, and, sometimes, it is said, the Sparrow -or other small bird is robbed of its goods and chattels by the impudent -stranger, which snatches them up, and is gone like a flash of -lightning. - -The eggs are white, of a longish oval shape, and seldom more than two -or three in number. - -This bird, like the rest of the Swallows, is pretty widely diffused -over the country during the time it remains here; it has a near -relative called the White-bellied or Alpine Swift, which is common in -the south of Europe, but which seldom comes so far north as this. There -are also belonging to this family of _gliders_, as they are sometimes -called, the Purple and Sand Martins, which are placed among British -Birds; the former is common in America, but rare with us, the latter, -the smallest of the family, are not unfrequently found in Britain. - -The whole plumage of the Common Swift, with the exception of a greyish -white patch under the chin, is blackish brown, with a bronzy green -tinge, which greatly relieves its otherwise dull appearance. - - -NIGHTJAR. - -GOATSUCKER. EUROPEAN OR NOCTURNAL GOATSUCKER. DOR, OR NIGHT-HAWK. FERN, -CHURN, OR JAR-OWL. NIGHT-JAR, OR NIGHT-CHAR. WHEELBIRD. PUCKERIDGE. -RHODWR AND ADERYN V DROELL, OF THE ANCIENT BRITISH. - -FIGURE 19. - -To the above long list of names, we might add two or three others by -which different naturalists distinguish this remarkable bird, but the -most common of its scientific designations will be sufficient; this is -_Caprimulgus Europuus_, the first name being derived from the Latin -_caper_--a goat, and _mulgio_--to milk; it having been at one time -supposed that the poor innocent bird was in the habit of sucking the -teats of the goats to obtain the milk; and there are, we believe, some -ignorant persons in out-of-the-way country-places, who still give -credence to this absurd notion, and even fancy that the udders of the -cows, as they lie asleep, are drained by the feathered depredator, as -they consider the Churn Owl to be. From this supposed habit of the -bird, and the whirring or jarring noise which it makes when flying, are -derived most of the names given above. - -The Goatsucker flies chiefly by night, and is oftener heard than seen; -_whirr, whirr, whirr_ it goes, like a spinning-wheel, and the sound is -interrupted every now and then by a shrill whistle or scream, or a -softer cry, _dec, dec_, which it generally utters when getting on the -wing. White, of Selborne, says, that when a person approaches the haunt -of the Fern Owls in an evening, they continue flying round the head of -the intruder, and by striking their wings together across their backs, -in the manner that the pigeons called Smiters are known to do, make a -smart snap. He thinks it likely that this is done by way of menace, to -scare those who are approaching their young. This author also observes, -that the powers of flight of this bird are truly wonderful, exceeding, -if possible, in graceful ease and celerity, even those of the Swallow, -than which it is a much larger bird. - -Its plumage is remarkably soft and downy, like that of the Owl, and is -prettily marked and mottled, the colours being brown, yellow, and grey -of various shades. The eye is large and hawk-like, the bill small, the -mouth capable of great distension, and fringed with small feathers, -which have a very curious appearance. - -The Goatsucker is pretty common throughout the whole of England, but -more so in the south than the north; it is a migratory bird, arriving -towards the middle or end of May and departing in September. It chiefly -inhabits woods, moors, heaths, and commons, especially where fern and -brushwood abound. Its food consists chiefly of moths, beetles, and such -insects as are most frequently met with on the wing in the morning and -evening twilight. - -The nest consists of a few dead leaves huddled together in some hollow -in the ground, among the heath, long grass, or fern; it is frequently -found at the foot of a furze or other bush. The eggs, two or three in -number, are of a perfect oval shape, beautifully clouded and streaked -with grey and light brown on a white ground; they are laid in the -beginning of July, in about the middle of which month the young are -generally hatched. - - -RING DOVE. - -RINGED DOVE, OR CUSHAT. QUEEST, OR CUSHIE. WOOD PIGEON. - -FIGURE 20. - -Of the _Columbine_ birds, or Doves, we have in this country four -distinct species, three of which are permanent residents, and one a -summer migrant. There is also a member of the family, although classed -in a different genus, of which a few specimens have been taken in this -country, namely, the Passenger Pigeon of North America. All these are -extremely beautiful birds, and general favourites on that account, as -well as for their pleasing habits and manners, which have mainly -contributed to make the name of the Dove synonymous with all that is -gentle, and peaceable, and loveable. It was a Dove, we may remember, -which first gave to Noah assurance that the waters had subsided from -the earth, by returning to the ark with an olive leaf in its beak, -since which, both bird and plant have ever been emblematical of peace; -and it is under the mystic semblance of a Dove, that we find the Holy -Spirit personated in Scripture. - -The particular species above named is termed by most naturalists -_Columba palumbus_, the first term meaning a Dove or Pigeon, and the -second a "Wood Pigeon," which, in this country, is its most common -appellation, although it is also frequently called the Ring Dove, or -Cushat. This truly elegant bird occurs throughout the whole of Great -Britain and Ireland, frequenting most the cultivated and wooded -districts, where it does a good deal of mischief by feeding upon the -wheat, peas, barley, and other agricultural produce; it also partakes -freely of beech-mast and acorns; it is _graminivorous_, that is, -feeding on grass; as well as _granivorous_--feeding on grain. Its -favourite resting-place is amid the thick branches of tall trees, -especially beech, ash, and pine, in which most frequently its nest will -be found; just a few twigs, loosely put together in a circular form; it -is generally from sixteen to twenty feet from the ground. - -The eggs are two in number, of a pure white colour, and of a roundish -form. Three broods are sometimes produced in a season, the first of -which is generally abroad by the beginning of May, and the second about -the end of July. The period of incubation is sixteen or seventeen days. - -All must be familiar with the soft _coo coo_ of this shy bird; heard in -the summer woodlands, it falls on the ear with a particularly soothing -effect. In the winter it congregates in large flocks, the number of the -permanent residents being then much increased by fresh arrivals from -the continent; and very beautiful they look, flying about amid the -snow, in their greyish blue plumage, ornamented with black and white, -green and purple, and suffused on the breast with a reddish flush, as -though the light of the setting sun were shining on them. - - -STOCK DOVE. - -BLUE-BACKED OR WOOD DOVE. - -FIGURE 21. - -_Columba Enas_ is the scientific name of this species. The first term, -as you are aware, means simply a Dove, the etymology of the second is -not so clear, most likely it comes from _oinos_--relating to wine, and -alludes to the ruddy or vinous tinge of the breast. This is a somewhat -stouter bird in the body than the last, and it wants the white patches -which so vary and enliven the plumage of the Ring Dove, than which it -is less elegant, although perhaps its plumage is more rich and -splendid, with that shifting play of golden green and violet which all -the Doves, and some other of the feathered tribes present. But for -this, the plumage of our Stock Dove, (so called, it is said, because it -is the original stock from which our common domestic Pigeons are -derived,) would be considered plain and dull; it is chiefly greyish -blue, deepening at parts into purple, and flushed here and there with -deep red; the legs of this, as of most Doves and Pigeons, are light -red, and the bill light brown or yellowish. - - "The Stock Dove builds in the old oak wood," - -says Mary Howitt, in her beautiful song of the Pheasant, and so no -doubt it often does; but more frequently, perhaps, in the fir -plantation, or among the beeches, or any other trees that present a -suitable nesting-place; a hole in the trunk is frequently chosen, it -may be only four or five, or as many as forty or fifty feet from the -ground. Sometimes the flat and shallow nest, just a few sticks loosely -put together, is placed on the ground itself, in a deserted -rabbit-burrow, or some other hollow place; beneath furze bushes it is -occasionally found, and even in hedges and fruit trees near to woods -and coppices. - -Nidification commences about the end of March or beginning of April; -incubation lasts about seventeen days, and in a month from the time of -hatching the young are ready to fly. There are two or three broods in -the year. The eggs are white, somewhat smaller than those of the Ring -Dove, and more pointed at the smaller end. The parent birds sit very -close, and will even allow themselves to be taken off by the hand; they -evince great attachment for their young, as well for each other, and -although several pairs may build within a very limited space, they do -not appear to quarrel; indeed gentleness and tenderness is the main -characteristic of all their motions, as well as of their soft notes, -the old familiar _coo, coo, coo_. In winter they consort with the Ring -Doves, but are not perhaps so numerous in this country as these birds. -They migrate from place to place, and feed on hemp, rape, and other -seeds, young shoots of plants, berries, beech-mast, acorns, and grain. - - -ROCK DOVE. - -WHITE-BACKED DOVE. WILD, OR ROCK PIGEON. - -FIGURE 22. - -Scientific name _Columba livia_; the latter name probably from -_livida_--livid, blue, or lead-coloured. It is held by some that this -species, and not the Stock Dove, has the best claim to be considered -the original of the Common Pigeon; others have confounded the species, -although there appears to be a very clear mark of distinction in the -white patch over the tail, which is never absent, the broad black band -across the grey wings, and the more deep and distinct marking of the -plumage altogether. Besides, the habits of this bird differ -considerably from those of either of the other species. - -It is, as its name implies, a haunter of rocks, in the crevices and -caverns of which it generally builds its rude nest of twigs, and grass, -and stalks of plants. It is a social bird, building in companies; the -first eggs, two in number, and white, are generally laid about the -middle of April, and the last towards the latter end of August; the -young are fledged in about three weeks, and after that, a few days' -training by their parents, enables them to fly and obtain their own -livelihood. They feed like their congeners, and are great grain-eaters, -only at times varying this kind of food with a few snails. Like all the -Doves they are swift flyers. - - -TURTLE DOVE. - -RING-NECKED TURTLE. - -FIGURE 23. - -This is perhaps the most beautiful, as it is also the smallest and -rarest of our native Doves; naturalists term it _Columba turtur_, of -which its English name is simply a translation; sometimes the specific -name _auritus_--golden, is applied to it, and this well describes the -plumage of the bird, which has a rich golden tinge throughout most -parts of the plumage, the chief colours of which are brown and grey, -running off into yellow and white, flushed at places with red, and -elegantly marked with black. - -With us, the Turtle Dove is migratory, generally arriving towards the -latter end of April, and departing early in September; it is pretty -much confined to the southern and eastern counties, but few specimens -having been found in Scotland. It frequents the wooded districts both -hilly and flat, flies in small flocks, and feeds on grain and seeds, -peas, of which it is particularly fond, and sometimes small slugs and -snails; being fond of drinking and bathing, it is commonly found in the -neighbourhood of streams and brooks; in such situations may its soft -note, _tur, tur_, doubtless the origin of its name, be frequently -heard, when the shy bird itself is hidden amid the thick shade of the -leafy boughs. - -Mr. Morris tells us that the nest is so slight and carelessly -constructed that the eggs may frequently be seen from below; it is -generally placed at some distance from the ground, ten or twenty feet, -and is commonly well concealed among the foliage. The glossy white -eggs, two in number, and of a narrow oval form, are generally laid -about the middle of May, and the young birds come forth in sixteen or -seventeen days: there are two or three broods in the year. - -The prophet Jeremiah, we may remember, speaks of this as a migratory -bird, "Yea, the Stork in the heavens knoweth her appointed times; and -the Turtle, and the Crane, and the Swallow observe the time of their -coming." The soft note of the bird is also spoken of by Solomon as one -of the signs of returning spring, "For lo! the winter is past, the rain -is over and gone, the flowers appear on the earth, the time of the -singing of birds is come, and the voice of the Turtle is heard in our -land." - - -PHEASANT. - -COMMON OR RING-NECKED PHEASANT. - -FIGURE 24. - -This glorious bird is the _Phasianus Colchicus_ of naturalists, the -first term meaning a Pheasant, and the second of Colchis, the ancient -name of a country of Asia Minor, from whence it is said the bird was -originally brought into Europe, by the old Greek navigators, called the -argonauts, say some--those who in the ship Argo, sailed the seas under -the command of Jason, and went through a series of surprising -adventures connected with the bearing away of a certain _golden fleece_ -from the King of Colchis, all of which are faithfully reported in the -mythology, for the admiration and belief of the credulous. Certain it -is that if Jason had not with him such a treasure as a golden fleece, -he had in the Pheasant a golden bird, if there really ever was such a -person, and he did in reality bring the splendid king of the English -preserves into Europe. - -A description of the bird's gorgeous plumage we need not attempt, as -all of our readers must have seen it hanging up in the poulterer's -shops, if they have not been startled by the sudden _whirr_ of its -wings as it rose from the fern-brake or thicket at their approach, as -they wandered amid the green woods where it delights to dwell. - -The nest of this bird consists of merely a few leaves placed in a -slight depression on the ground, sometimes in the open field near to a -preserve or plantation, but more frequently among the underwood, in -long grass and in hedge-rows; frequently the situation chosen is -beneath boughs that have been felled, or have fallen from the tree. The -laying of the eggs commences in April or May; incubation lasts from -twenty-four to twenty-six days; the number sat upon varies from six up -to as many as fourteen; more than this have been found in one nest, but -it was not likely to have been the produce of a single hen; the colour -of the eggs is pale olive brown, covered all over with very small dots -of a deeper tint. Poachers are ever on the look-out for these eggs, as -a sitting of them fetches a high price; they are generally, when taken -from the nest, placed under a common hen to be hatched. Some have been -found of a greyish white tinged with green. It is said that Partridges -are sometimes expelled from their nests by these birds, which will sit -upon their own eggs, and those of the rightful owner of the nest, and -hatch them all. - -Generally speaking, the Pheasant is a shy wary bird, and with good -reason, being such an object of pursuit with sportsmen, as well as -unlicensed depredators; but where secured from molestation and well -fed, it becomes bold and familiar. Its general food is grain of various -kinds, peas, beans, nuts, and berries, shoots and leaves of several -plants, roots, and insects: it is particularly partial to sunflower -seeds and buckwheat. - -The variety called the Ring-necked Pheasant is distinguished by a clear -ring of white round the neck; there is also a variety known as the -Bohemian Pheasant, which is of a stone-colour prettily marked and -mottled with black and brown. White and cream-coloured ones -occasionally occur. - - -BLACK GROUSE. - -BLACK GAME. BLACK COCK. FEMALE--GREY OR BROWN HEN. - -FIGURE 25. - -The meaning of the generic name of this bird--_Tetrao_, is by no means -clear, neither is that of its specific name _tetrix_: are they not both -derived from the Hindostanee word _Tetur_? is the query of Morris, who -does not tell us what this _tetur_ means. - -The Black Grouse, conspicuous for its large size, glossy black plumage, -forked tail, turning out like the flakes of an anchor, and noble -bearing, is, with the exception of its near relative, the Capercaillie, -or Cock of the Woods, now only to be found in some of the Scottish -forests, the largest of our native game birds. It is found chiefly in -Scotland, where it frequents those parts where there is a good growth -of underwood or heather, or other thick vegetation, and also plenty of -water, which appears to be necessary to its existence. It is also found -in many of the English counties, being tolerably plentiful in Yorkshire -and Northumberland, and about Windermere, in Westmoreland. It feeds on -juniper and most other berries, and wild fruits, heather-twigs, and -young shoots of many plants; the tops of grasses, rushes, sedge, and -buds of trees, turnip and rape leaves, and even the young fronds of the -fern. - -The nest, which is placed in some marshy spot among heath, or in -plantations or hedge-rows, amid the rank vegetation, is composed of -grass or twigs, neatly laid but not woven together. The eggs are from -five to eight or ten in number; the colour is reddish yellow, in some -nearly white; they are irregularly spotted with reddish brown: they are -generally laid in May. - -A fine full-grown Black Cock will weigh nearly four pounds; and the -Grey Hen, which has a sober dress of brown and grey prettily -intermixed, about half this weight. They are birds much valued as table -delicacies; and every year immense numbers are shot by eager sportsmen, -who leave the desk and the counter, the senate-house and the -drawing-room, to roam amid the Scottish moors and mountains, and -undergo fatigues and privations with an endurance and perseverance -worthy of a better cause. - - -RED GROUSE. - -GOR, OR MOOR-COCK. MOOR, OR MUIR-FOWL. RED-GAME. RED, OR BROWN -PTARMIGAN. - -FIGURES 26 & 27. - -_Tetrao_, or _Lagopus Scoticus_ is the scientific name of this species; -the meaning of the first term is already explained, the second comes -from _Lagos_--a hare, and _pous_--a foot, and is given to this bird -because it has the lower joints of the leg, and even the toes, -feathered, differing in this respect from the other kinds of Grouse. -_Scoticus_ means Scotch, and indicates the country in which the species -most abounds, although it is also found in various parts of England and -Wales; it is, however, peculiar to Great Britain, and therefore the -name _Britannicus_ has been suggested as a more appropriate generic -name for it. - -The Red Grouse is, perhaps, the most highly-prized of all game birds, -and the wonder is that it continues so abundant, notwithstanding the -annual slaughter which takes place in its breeding and feeding grounds, -which are mostly the open moors and hill-sides, where there is plenty -of heath and ling, and other low-growing plants of the like nature. It -is especially partial to the heather, which affords it both shelter and -food. It also feeds on various grasses and mountain berries, and grain -when its home is near cultivated districts, which it generally, -however, avoids, retiring as far as possible from the presence of man, -as though it knew and feared him as its greatest enemy. - -The nest of the Muir Cock, as the Scotch call it, is formed of heather -and grass, with a few of the soft downy feathers of the bird, and is -placed in a hollow of the ground among the heath. The first eggs are -laid in March or April; they are usually six or seven in number, -although sometimes they amount to twelve and even more; they vary -considerably in colour, the ground being usually a greyish white, with -more or less of a reddish brown or yellow tinge. They are thickly -dotted or clouded with dark grey and brown; the shape is a regular -oval. - -The Heath Poults, as the young are called, leave the nest directly they -are hatched, as do most of the game birds, and are very soon able to -fly. At first they lie close, and may almost be trodden upon, but they -get more wild and wary as the shooting-season advances; this commences -in August. - - -PTARMIGAN. - -WHITE GAME, OR GROUSE. IN GAELIC, PTARMICHAN. - -FIGURE 28. - -Rich as is the plumage of the Red Grouse, with its beautiful markings, -and warm sienna tint, which prevails throughout every part except the -snowy legs, yet we are inclined to give the preference to this, its -close relative, for elegance of appearance. It is all over of a pure -delicate white, except just the points of the toes, the larger tail -feathers, the bill, and a patch on each side of the head, which -surrounds the eye, all of black; there is also, as in every other -species of Grouse with which we are acquainted, a semicircular patch, -like a piece of crimson velvet over each eye. The edges of the white -feathers are delicately pencilled, as we see them in the Silver -Pheasant, so that they appear perfectly distinct from each other. This -is the winter dress, according well with the snowy regions which the -bird chiefly inhabits. In summer the plumage in parts becomes brown -and yellowish grey of different shades; this dress also assimilating -well with the lichen-covered rocks of those Alpine solitudes where -the Ptarmigan must be sought. With us it is found only in the -Grampians, and others of the Scottish mountains; there it dwells in -seldom-disturbed security, feeding upon such plants as grow in these -elevated places, in winter descending lower, to obtain a better supply -of food, but never venturing into the plain. - -Its eggs, which vary from seven to twelve in number, are sometimes laid -on the bare earth, under the shadow of a rock or some plant; their -colour is white, with sometimes a green, yellow, or reddish tinge; they -are blotted and spotted with dark brown. The laying does not commence -until June; incubation lasts three weeks. The young at first feed on -insects. - -The scientific name of this bird is _Tetrao lagopus_, the meaning of -which has already been explained, and _Lagopus vulgaris_, that is, -common, or mutus--changeable, in allusion to the variation in the -colour of the plumage. - - -PARTRIDGE. - -COMMON OR GREY PARTRIDGE. - -FIGURE 29. - -This is one of the best-known and most-esteemed of our native game -birds; its scientific name is _Perdix cinerea_, the first term meaning -a Partridge, and the last ash-coloured, the prevailing tint of the -plumage of this species being ashy grey and brown, with a reddish tinge -throughout. Beautifully marked and mottled is the dress of the plump -little Partridge, as our readers know well,--delicately barred, and -pencilled, and variegated, as if to shew what glorious effects may be -produced with two or three colours only. - -Partridges are tolerably plentiful in nearly all parts of Great -Britain, where cultivation has smoothed the rugged features of the -landscape; for, unlike the Grouse, which retreat as man advances -further and further into the wilds of nature, these birds seldom go far -from the farm and the home plantations. Coveys, as the family parties -are called, are sometimes met with on the edges of moors, and they -often wander, as Mr. Morris tells us, to wastes and commons; but their -home is not there; the clover, turnip, grass, or stubble field is their -cover and resting-place; there, and in the coppice and along the -hedge-row they feed, and build their nests, if the placing a few loose -straws in a hole scratched in the ground can be called building; there -they lay their eggs, generally ten or twelve in number, although -sometimes more, and of a uniform pale greenish brown colour. Early in -the spring, from the first to the middle of February, may the not -unpleasing call--_chicurr, chicurr_--of these birds be heard; and -towards the end of May, or the beginning of June, the nest will most -likely be quite finished. The hen bird alone sits, the male keeping -watch, and, when the covey are hatched, assisting to feed and protect -them from their numerous foes. The chicks run directly they are out of -the shell, frequently with portions of it sticking to them; they are -very lively and nimble, and so escape many dangers. But one brood is -reared in the year, unless the first eggs are taken, in which case -others will be laid, and the work of incubation recommenced, although -the eggs will be less in number, and the young, it is said, weaker. It -is related by Mr. Jesse, as a curious fact, that "when young Partridges -are hatched, and have left the nest, the two portions of the shell will -be found placed one within the other." We have observed this in eggs of -the Common Fowl, and believe with the above-named naturalist that it is -done by the chicks themselves, in their efforts to escape from their -confinement. - - -QUAIL. - -COMMON OR WANDERING QUAIL. - -FIGURE 30. - -The Quail can scarcely be called a common bird with us, although it may -be found occasionally in various parts of both England and Ireland, and -sometimes, though very rarely, in Scotland. It is migratory, generally -arriving in May and departing in September; some few remain throughout -the year, and scraping together a few bits of dry grass, clover, or -straw, make a rude nest in a hollow place on the ground, and there -deposit their eggs, which are of a yellowish, greenish, or reddish -white, blotched and speckled with brown. They vary in number from six -to fourteen, and even, it is said, twenty; the most common number is -ten. The period of incubation is about three weeks; the young, like -Partridges, run as soon as hatched. - -The Common Quail is a plump little bird, not much unlike the Partridge -in its form, colours, and markings, but the head and throat are -curiously barred with black and white, and the distinct patch of the -latter colour beneath the chin gives the bird a very peculiar -appearance. Naturalists call this species _Perdix coturnix_, the former -term meaning a Partridge, and the latter a Quail. - -This is thought by some to be the bird with which the children of -Israel were fed in the wilderness, as mentioned in the sixteenth -chapter of Exodus, and the immense flocks which pass from country to -country in the migratory seasons, render the supposition likely. It is -said in Numbers xi., 31, that "There went forth a wind from the Lord -and brought Quails from the sea;" and it is well known that the -direction of the wind will often determine the flight of these birds. -As many as one hundred thousand are said to have been taken in one day -in the kingdom of Naples after an unusually exhausting flight over the -Mediterranean; thousands of dozens are sent every year into the London -market, where they are eagerly purchased: their flesh is esteemed a -great delicacy. - -Quails are desperate fighters, and in some countries are kept -especially for the cruel "sport," as it is called, which their -pugnacious propensities afford. They feed upon grain, seeds, young -leaves, and insects; and have a shrill whistling note like _whit, -whit_, which is called "piping." - - -BUSTARD. - -COMMON OR BEARDED BUSTARD. - -FIGURE 31. - -If you can fancy a bird in general conformation something between an -Ostrich and a Goose, you will have a pretty fair notion of the Great -Bustard--_Otis tarda_ as naturalists call it, the first term meaning a -Bustard, and the second slow or lazy; yet lazy as he may be, this -long-legged stalker is by no means slow in his movements when once -roused to action; he runs with great swiftness, and, when he does take -wing, which he appears to do with difficulty, has a strong and -sustained flight. This is now a very rare species in Great Britain, -although once plentiful, according to old writers, who state that it -was customary with greyhounds - - "To hunt the Bustards in the fens." - -A tall, strong, and stately bird is this, slow and sedate in its -general manners and movements, frequenting plains, and heaths, and open -moors, where it can have a wide range of vision, and so be aware of the -approach of an enemy. The gradual extension of cultivation over its -favourite places of resort, and the incessant war waged against it by -sportsmen, anxious to bag such a noble head of game, have nearly driven -it from our island. A specimen was shot as late as January, 1856, near -Hungerford, in Berkshire. - -The prevailing colours in the plumage of the Great Bustard are white or -bluish grey, and yellowish or orange brown, with black mottlings; the -legs and beak are dark horn-colour; underneath the chin is a plume of -narrow feathers, falling backwards, and partly covering the front and -sides of the neck; they are six or seven inches long, and very light -and graceful. - -The Bustards are called graminivorous, but are somewhat omnivorous -feeders; mice, frogs, worms, and young birds are occasionally added to -their usual vegetable diet. We have a species called the Little -Bustard, much smaller than the one we have been describing, and also a -very rare bird. The eggs of both these species are great treasures to -collectors; those of the larger kind are like what our artist has -represented, of an olive brown colour, clouded and spotted with ash and -rust-colour. They are generally two in number, laid on the bare earth, -or in a hollow carefully lined with corn stalks or grass; the length is -nearly three inches. The eggs of the Little Bustard are more decidedly -green, with ashy or dull brown variations. - - -GOLDEN PLOVER. - -WHISTLING, YELLOW, GREEN, GREY, OR BLACK-BREASTED PLOVER. - -FIGURE 32. - -Of the _Pluveline_ Birds, or Plovers, we have several species in this -country, and the one above named is the commonest. Naturalists call it -_Pluvialis aurea_, the first term meaning a Plover, and signifying -rainy, or pertaining to rain, and the last golden; or _Charadrius -pluvialis_. Of the meaning of this generic name we are obliged to -confess our ignorance; by some it is, applied to all the Plovers, and -by others to the Sand Plovers only. This Golden species is a very -remarkable bird, both in its habits and appearance; all the under parts -of the body, the breast, throat, and sides of the head up to and above -the eyes, are of a deep velvet black; then comes all round an edging of -white, which deepens into grey tinged with yellow; and then again all -over the back, pinions, tail, and top of the head, are black feathers, -beautifully bordered, and barred with what appears to be gold -embroidery. It is a nimble active bird, constantly running about on the -open plains and ploughed fields in search of food, which consists of -insects of various kinds, green corn and leaves of vegetables, small -berries, etc.; or in flying hither and thither in the air, now close to -the ground as if about to settle, and then with a sudden upward wheel -urging a strong and swift flight to some distant part of the field, or -sea shore, which is a favourite resort in winter, where the birds -collect in large flocks, uttering their wild shrill whistle, which -harmonizes well with the sounds of the winds and waves. - -The Golden Plover may be found all over Britain, where it remains -throughout the year, generally resorting to the heaths, downs, or -marshes to breed. Its nest is merely a few stems of grass and vegetable -fibres laid in a slight hollow in the ground, just about large enough -to contain the eggs, which are usually four in number, of a yellowish -stone colour, blotted and spotted with brownish black. They are -generally placed with great regularity, with the smaller ends meeting -in the centre; they are laid early in June. The young leave the nest as -soon as hatched, and are able to support themselves in a month or five -weeks. - - -DOTTEREL. - -DOTTREL. DOTTEREL PLOVER. - -FIGURE 33. - -This, the _Charadrius morinellus_ of naturalists, is another lively and -beautiful bird, more so, perhaps, than the species last described, -having greater variety and more distinct markings in the plumage. The -crown and sides of the head are black, with a white band proceeding -from above each eye, running down into a point, and nearly meeting -another band from the back of the head; the throat is white, tinged and -spotted with grey, which is the colour of the breast, which is divided -from the orange-coloured belly by a broad waved band of white; black -and bright yellow complete the under parts; the back, wings, and tail -are brown and black, the larger feathers being distinctly edged with -golden yellow. - -"The Dotterel," says Morris, "has acquired the character of being a -foolish bird, hence its English name from the word to dote, and its -Latin one from the word _morio_--a foolish fellow." The bird was -formerly supposed to imitate the actions of the fowler, and so to fall -into the trap, instead of providing for its escape by a timely flight. - -The Dotterel, which is a migratory bird, frequents open and exposed -situations, wide heaths and barren mountainous districts, where it -generally breeds. Any hollow in the ground serves it for a nest, which -is composed of a few lichens, not woven but merely laid together. The -eggs are seldom more than three in number; they are generally laid in -June; the colour is a deep yellowish brown, or it may be a fine grey, -thickly spotted, especially about the darker end, with dark or reddish -brown, and deep grey. - - -RINGED PLOVER. - -RING, OR STONE PLOVER. RINGED DOTTEREL. SAND LARK, OR LAVROCK. -DULL-WILLY. SANDY-LOO. - -FIGURE 34. - -_Charadrius hiaticula_ is the scientific name of this species; we have -already confessed our ignorance of the meaning of the first term; -according to the old naturalist Pliny, it is "a bird the seeing of -which cures those that have the jaundice;" but we must say that we are -extremely doubtful if the sight of any bird included by modern -naturalists in the genus _Charadrius_ would have such a wonderful -effect. The Latin dictionary tells us that the term comes from the -Greek, and that one of its meanings is _terrE fissura_, which we may -translate furrowed earth; so that the name may have reference to the -bird's real or supposed habit of haunting the furrows of the ploughed -field, or the rough uneven ground of rocky shores or barren places. -With regard to the specific name _hiaticula_, we have something very -like it in English--_hiatus_, a break, an aperture, or opening; the -Latin word from which it comes is precisely similar. Why applied to -this bird cannot tell, except it be from its being chiefly found on -broken and uneven ground. - -The Ring Plover, or Dotterel, is altogether a shore bird, and may be -found on most parts of the British coast, and along the margins of the -creeks, estuaries, and tidal rivers, and sometimes by the inland lakes -and ponds. It is a bright lively creature, with party-coloured plumage -of black, brown, and white. It plays about on the sands, following the -retiring tide, and fleeing before its advance, as we see children do; -its silky feathers ruffled by the wind, and its shrill clear whistle -making pleasant music amid the rocks, and over the wide wild ocean -scenery. Its eggs are laid in some slight natural hollow in the sand or -small gravel, sheltered by a tuft of reeds or coarse herbage, sometimes -just above high-water mark, but frequently in the marshy grounds -further inland; they are four in number, of a greenish grey, buff, or -cream-colour, spotted and streaked with grey and black, or dark brown. - -These birds generally pair in May; the male and female both sit on the -eggs, and are very careful of them and the young. Their general food is -worms, marine and other aquatic insects, shrimps, and small crustaceous -animals. On moonlight nights they may be seen searching diligently with -quick and incessant movements, their white plumes flashing here and -there like silver. - - -LAPWING. - -COMMON, CRESTED, OR, GREEN LAPWING. GREEN PLOVER. LAPWING SANDPIPER. -PEWIT. TEWIT. TEACHET. PEESE-WEEP. FRENCH PIGEON. - -FIGURE 35. - -_Vanellus cristatus_ is the scientific name of this beautiful bird; the -first term may perhaps come from _vannus_--a fan, and be given to it on -account of the graceful fan-like motion of its glossy green pinions, as -it skims along the shore, or over the wide heaths, or low-lying -marshes, which it most frequents; the specific name means crested, and -has reference to the crest of long black feathers which adorn the head, -and can be raised nearly straight up or depressed at pleasure. We have -called this a beautiful bird, and truly so it is, with bronzy green and -coppery reflections playing over its black back, breast, throat, wings, -top of the head, and end of the tail; the breast, back, and sides of -the neck are pure white, as is part of the tail, and a long patch on -each side of the head; the legs, belly, and under side of the tail, are -all bright orange colour; and then its long shining crest gives it such -a pert and comical air, that it is quite a pleasure to behold. - -Lapwings, or Peewits, as they are more generally called, from their -shrill cry, which sounds like the syllables _pe-wit_, or _pees-wit_, -are tolerably familiar birds with us, being found in summer on most wet -heaths, moors, and marshy pastures. It nestles in April, and lays its -four eggs, which, in general, are of a dull green colour, blotted and -irregularly marked with brownish black, in April. A slight depression -in the ground, with perhaps a few straws for lining, suffices for a -nest; it is sometimes placed amid a tuft of rushes or long grass. Being -considered delicate food they are eagerly sought for, and great numbers -are every year taken and exposed for sale in the poulterers' shops in -London and elsewhere. - -The Lapwing feeds on worms and insects, runs with great speed, and has -a quick flight, although the flapping of its wings is heavier and more -measured than that of the Plovers. - - -TURNSTONE. - -COMMON, OR COLLARED TURNSTONE. HEBRIDAL SANDPIPER. - -FIGURE 36. - -This is a very remarkable bird with regard to personal appearance, -having a variegated dress of black, white, and brownish red, with -little fading or running off into the other, so that the colours are -strongly contrasted; it has a tolerably heavy body, a strong stout bill -of moderate length, and longish thick legs, which are of a dull orange -colour, the toes terminating in strong black claws, very useful in what -appears to be the chief occupation of the bird, namely, turning up the -stones and pieces of rock on the shore, in search of the sea-worms and -small shell-fish which lurk beneath; farther inland it searches in the -same way for beetles and other insects; hence its common name -Turnstone, and Collared Turnstone, from the distinct white mark which -passes over the neck and down each side of the breast, until it nearly -meets beneath. In the Hebrides we find that it is called a Sandpiper, -because it closely resembles, in habits and general conformation, some -of the birds which belong to the _Tringa_, or Sandpiper genus, of which -there are several species in this country. - -The most commonly used scientific name of the Turnstone is _Strepsilas -interpres_--rather a difficult name to translate; the first term -appears to come from two Greek roots, _Strepho_--to turn, and _laas_--a -stone; the second term may mean an interpreter, and is applied to the -bird, as Morris conjectures, from its habit of careful investigation, -and turning over, as a translator does the leaves of a book. So we may -set down our feathered friend, who goes poking and prying into holes -and turning up stones, as one who likes to see the bottom of things. It -is well for my readers to have the like inclination, to possess an -inquiring mind, so that they pursue their investigations with a due -regard to the wishes and interests of others, and are not merely -curious and Paul Pryish, if we may use the term. The secrets of nature -cannot be too closely and perseveringly investigated, and in her -domains much information may often be gained by becoming a Turnstone. - -This bird is one of our winter visitants, arriving, says Morris, at the -end of August; the Scottish naturalist, Macgillivray, we see, says, -"visiting our coasts at the end of October;" perhaps he refers more -particularly to Scotland and the northern parts of the island; both -agree in assigning May as the latest date of departure. - -The Turnstones frequent rocky and gravelly places more than the smooth -level sands. They are active energetic birds, running swiftly, and -flying rapidly with regular well-timed beats of the wings, sometimes in -a direct course, but oftener in curves. They have a clear twittering or -whistling cry, uttered frequently while flying. Their time of breeding -is about the middle of June, when they are found on the coast of Norway -and other northern countries of Europe. They lay their eggs on the -sandy and rocky shores, sometimes amid the stunted herbage, but often -in a slight hollow, natural or scraped out for the purpose, and lined -with a few blades of grass. The eggs are four in number, of a reddish -olive cast, spotted with dark grey, greenish brown, and black, some -very thickly, others not so much so. They are smaller than the eggs of -the Peewit, and more rounded in shape. Hewitson has remarked that those -which he met with in Norway had a beautiful purple or crimson tinge. - - [Illustrations: 1 through 38] - - - - - * * * * * * - - - - -Transcriber's note: - -The eight pages of illustrations preceding the title page have -been moved to the end of the text. - -Minor spelling and typographical errors have been corrected without -note. Dialect spellings, contractions and inconsistencies have been -retained as printed. - - - -***END OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK NESTS AND EGGS OF FAMILIAR BRITISH -BIRDS, SECOND SERIES*** - - -******* This file should be named 41550.txt or 41550.zip ******* - - -This and all associated files of various formats will be found in: -http://www.gutenberg.org/dirs/4/1/5/5/41550 - - - -Updated editions will replace the previous one--the old editions -will be renamed. - -Creating the works from public domain print editions means that no -one owns a United States copyright in these works, so the Foundation -(and you!) can copy and distribute it in the United States without -permission and without paying copyright royalties. Special rules, -set forth in the General Terms of Use part of this license, apply to -copying and distributing Project Gutenberg-tm electronic works to -protect the PROJECT GUTENBERG-tm concept and trademark. 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