to the net was an English nobleman of a moft diftinguished character, the great Robert Dudley, duke of Northumberland. The Pointer, which is a dog of a foreign extraction, was unknown to our ancestors. The Aquaticus, or Fynder, was another fpecies ufed in fowling; was the fame as our water fpaniel; and was used to find or recover the game that was shot. The Melitaus, or Fotor; the fpaniel gentle or comforter of Dr. Caius (the modern lap dog) was the laft of this divifion. The Maltefe little dogs were as much ef teemed by the fine ladies of past times, as thole of Bologna are among the modern. Old Hollinghed is ridiculously fevere on the fair of his days, for their exceffive paffion for thefe little animals; which is fufficient to prove it was in his time a novelty. The fecond grand divifion of dogs comprehends the Ruftici; or thofe that were ufed in the country. The firft fpecies is the Paftoralis, or fhepherd's dog; which is the fame that is uled at prefent, either in guarding our flocks, or in driving herds of cattle. This kind is fo well trained for thofe purposes, as to attend to every part of the herd be it ever fo large; confine them to the road, and force in every straggler without doing it the leaft injury. The next is the Villaticus, or Catenarius; the mastiff or band dog; a species of great fize and ftrength, and a very loud barker. Manhood fays, it derives its name from mafe thefefe, being fuppofed to frighten away robbers by its tremendous voice. Caius tells us that three of these were reckoned a match for a bear; and four for a lion but from an experiment made in the tower by James the Firt, that noble quadruped was found an unequal match to only three. Two of the dogs were difabled in the combat, but the third forced the lion to feck for fafety by flight. The English bulldog feems to belong to this fpecies and probably is the dog our author mentions under the title of Laniarius. Great-Britain was fo noted for its maftiffs, that the Roman emperors appointed an officer in this ifland with the title of Procurator Cynegii, whofe fole bufiness was to breed, and tranfmit from hence to the amphitheatre, fuch as would prove equal to the combats of that place. Magnaque taurorum fracturi colla Britannî. And British dogs fubdue the ftoutest bulls. Gratius fpeaks in high terms of the excellency of the British dogs: 0 quarta eft merces et quantum impendia fupra! Strabo tells us, that the maftiffs of Britain were trained for war, and were used by the Gauls in their battles and it is certain a well trained maftiff might be of confiderable ufe in diftreffing fuch balfarmed and irregular combatants as the adverfaries of the Gauls feem generally to have been before the Romans conquered them. The laft divifion is that of the Degeneres, or Curs. The firft of these was the Wappe, a name derived from its note: its only ufe was to alarm the family by barking, if any períon approached the house, Of this clafs was the Verfator, or turn(pit; and lastly the Saltator, or dancing dog, or fuch as was taught variety of tricks, and carried about by idle people as a fhew. Thofe Degeneres were of no certain fhape, being mongrels or mixtures of all kinds of dogs. We fhould now, according to our plan, after enumerating the feveral varieties of British dogs, give its general natural hiftory; but fince Linnæus has already performed it to our hand, we fhall adopt his fenfe, tranflating his very words (wherever we may) with literal exactness. "The dog eats flesh, and farinaceous vegetables, but not greens: its ftomach digefts bones: it uses the tops of grafs "as a vomit. It voids its excrements on "a ftone: the album græcum is one of the greatest encouragers of putrefaction. It laps up its drink with its tongue: it voids its urine fideways, by lifting up "one of its hind legs; and is moft diuretic in the company of a frange dog. Oda<s rat anum alterius: its fcent is most exquifite, when its nofe is moift: it treads lightly on its toes; fcarce ever sweats; "but when hot lolls out its tongue. It generally walks frequently round the "place place it intends to lie down on its fenfe "of hearing is very quick when afleep: "it dreams. Procis rixant bus crudelis: *catulit cum variis: mordet illa illos: cohæret copula jun&us: it goes with young fixty"three days; and commonly brings from "four to eight at a time: the male pup"pies refemble the dog, the female the "bitch. It is the most faithful of all ani mals; is very docible: hates ftrange "dogs: will fnap at a stone thrown at it: "will howl at certain mufical notes: all (except the South American kind) will bark at ftrangers: dogs are rejected by "the Mahometans." 64 § 5. The WILD CAT. This animal does not differ fpecifically from the tame cat; the latter being originally of the fame kind, but altered in colour, and in fome other trifling accidents, as are common to animals reclaimed from the woods and domefticated. The cat in its favage ftate is three or four times as large as the houfe-cat; the head larger, and the face flatter. The teeth and claws tremendous: its mufcles very strong, as being formed for rapine: the tail is of a moderate length, but very thick, marked with alternate bars of black and white, the end always black: the hips and hind part of the lower joints of the leg, are always black, the fur is very foft and fine. The general colour of thefe animals is of a yellowish white, mixed with a deep grey: these colours, though they appear at firft fight confufedly blended together, yet on clofe inspection will be found to be difpofed like the ftreaks on the fkin of the tiger, pointing from the back down wards, rifing from a black lift that runs from the head along the middle of the back to the tail. This animal may be called the British tiger: it is the fierceft, and most deftructive beast we have; making dreadful havock among our poultry, lambs, and kids. It inhabits the most mountainous and woody parts of these islands, living moftly in trees, and feeding only by night. It multiplies as faft as our common cats; and often the females of the latter will quit their domeftic mates, and return home pregnant by the former. They are taken either in traps, or by fhooting in the latter cafe it is very dangerous only to wound them, for they will attack the perfon who injured them, and have ftrength enough to be no defpicable 4 enemy. Wild cats were formerly reckon- Felemque minacem Nemefiani Cynegeticon, L. 55. § 6. The DOMESTIC CAT. This animal is fo well known as to make a defcription of it unneceffary. It is an useful, but deceitful domeftic; active, neat, fedate, intent on its prey. When pleafed purrs and moves its tail: when angry fpits, hiffes, and strikes with its foot. When walking, it draws in its elaws: it drinks little is fond of fish: it washes its face with its fore-foot, (Linnæus fays at the approach of a ftorm :) the female is remarkably falacious; a piteous, fqualling, jarring lover. Its eyes fhine in the night its hair when rubbed in the dark emits fire; it is even proverbially tenacious of life: always lights on its feet: is fond of perfumes, marum, cat-mint, valerian, &c. Our ancestors feem to have had a high fenfe of the utility of this animal. That excellent prince Hoel dda, or Howel the Good, did not think it beneath him (among his laws relating to the prices, &c. of animals) to include that of the cat; and to defcribe the qualities it ought to have. The price of a kitling before it could fee, was to be a penny; till it caught a mouse two-pence; when it commenced moufer four-pence. It was required befides, that it should be perfect in its fenfes of hearing and feeing, be a good moufer. have the claws whole, and be a good nurse : but if it failed in any of thefe qualities, the feller was to forfeit to the buyer the third part of its value. If any one stole or killed the cat that guarded the prince's granary, he was to forfeit a milch ewe, its fleece and lamb; or as much wheat as when poured on the cat fufpended by its tail (the head touching the floor) would form a heap high enough to cover the tip of the former. This laft quotation is not only curious, as being an evidence of the fimplicity fimplicity of ancient manners, but it almoit proves to a demonftration that cats are not aborigines of these iflands; or known to the earliest inhabitants. The large price fet on them, (if we confi der the high value of specie at that time) and the great care taken of the improvement and breed of an animal that multiples fo faft, are almost certain proofs of their being little known at that period. Fig. § 7. EXPLANATION of fome TECHNICAL TERMS in ORNITHOLOGY. I. Cere. Cera Reatrices 15. Sapular feathers 16. Nucha 17. Roftrum fubulatum The naked skin that covers the base of the bill in the Hawk kind. A word ufed by Linnæus to express the short feathers on the forehead just above the bill. In Crows thefe fall forwards over the noftrils. The space between the bill and the eye, generally covered with feathers, but in fome birds naked, as in the black and white Grebe. The skin that furrounds the eye, which is generally bare, particularly in the Heron and Parrot. A bill is called roftrum emarginatum when there is a fmall notch near the end: this is confpicuous in that of Butcherbirds and Thruskes. Vibrija pectinata, fliff hairs that grow on each fide the mouth, formed like a double comb, to be feen in the Geatfucker, Flycatcher, &c. A fmall joint rifing at the end of the middle part of the wing, or the cubitus; on which are three or five feathers. The mall feathers that lie in feveral rows on the bones of the wings. The under coverts are thofe that line the infide of the wings. The feathers that lie immediately over the quill-feathers and fecondary feathers. The largest feathers of the wings, or those that rife from the 'first bone. Thofe that rife from the fecond. Thofe that cover the bafe of the tail. Thofe that lie from the vent to the tail. Criffum Linnai. That rife from the fhoulders, and cover the fides of the back. The hind part of the head. A term Linnæus uses for a ftrait and flender bill. Such as thofe of the Grebes, &c. Such as are indented are called fcalloped; fuch are thofe of Coots and scallop-toed Sandpipers. Such as want the back toe. When the webs only reach half way of the toes. When the hind claw adheres to the leg without any toe, as in the Petrels. All the four toes connected by webs, as in the Corverants. EXPLANATION Roftrum cultratum Unguiculatum Lingua ciliata Integra Lumbriciformis Pedes compedes Nares Lineares Marginata EXPLANATION of other LINNEAN TERMS. When the edges of the bill are very fharp, fuch as in that of the Crow. A bill with the nail at the end, as thofe of the Goofanders and Ducks. When the tongue is edged with fine bristles, as in Ducks. When the tongue is long, round, and slender, like a worm, as that of the Woodpecker. When the legs are placed fo far behind as to make the bird walk with difficulty, or as if in fetters; as is the cafe with the Acks, Grebes, and Divers. When the noftrils are very narrow, as in Sea Gulls. 8. The PIGEON. The tame pigeon, and all its beautiful varieties, derive their origin from one fpecies, the Stock Dove: the English name implying its being the flock or fem from whence the other domeftic kinds fprung. Thefe birds, as Varro obferves, take their (Latin) name, Columba, from their voice or cooing; and had he known it, he might have added the British, &c. for K'lommen, Kylobman, Kulm, and Kolm, fignify the fame bird. They were and ftill are, in most parts of our island, in a ftate of nature; but probably the Romans taught us the method of making them domeftic, and conftructing pigeon-houfes. Its characters in the ftate neareft that of its origin, is a deep bluish ath-colour; the breaft dafhed with a fine changeable green and purple; the fides of the neck with thining copper colour; its wings marked with two black bars, one on the coverts of the wings, the other on the quill-feathers. The back white, and the tail barred near the end with black. The weight fourteen ounces. In the wild ftate it breeds in holes of rocks, and hollows of trees, for which reafon fome writers ftile it columba cavernalis, in oppofition to the Ring Dove, which makes its neft on the boughs of trees. Nature ever preferves fome agreement in the manners, characters, and colours of birds reclaimed from their wild ftate. This fpecies of pigeon foon takes to build in artificial cavities, and from the temptations of a ready provifion becomes eafily domefticated. The drakes of the tame duck, however they may vary in colour, ever retain the mark of their origin from our English mallard, by the curled feathers of the tail: and the tame goofe betrays its defcent from the wild kind, by the invariable whiteness of its rump, which they always retain in both states. Multitudes of thefe birds are obferved to migrate into the fouth of England; and while the beech woods were fuffered to cover large tracts of ground, they used to haunt them in myriads, reaching in strings of a mile in length, as they went out in the morning to feed. They visit us the lateft of any bird of paffage, not appearing till November; and retire in the fpring. I imagine that the fummer haunts of these are in Sweden, for Mr. Eckmark makes their retreat thence coincide with their arrival here. But many breed here, as I have observed, on the cliffs of the coaft of Wales, and of the Hebrides. The varieties produced from the domestic pigeon are very numerous, and extremely elegant; thefe are diftinguished by names expreffive of their feveral properties, fuch as Tumblers, Carriers, Jacobines, Croppers, Powters, Runts, Turbits, Owls, Nuns, &c. The most celebrated of thefe is the Carrier, which, from the fuperior attachment that pigeon fhews to its native place, is employed in many countries as the most expeditious courier: the letters are tied under its wing, it is let loose, and in a very short space returns to the home it was brought from, with its advices. This practice was much in vogue in the Eaft: and at Scanderoon, till late years, ufed on the arrival of a fhip, to give the merchants at Aleppo a more expeditious notice than could be done by any other means. In our own country, thefe aërial meffengers have been employed for a very fingular purpose, being let loofe at Tyburn at the moment the fatal cart is drawn away, to notify to diftant friends the departure of the unhappy criminal. In the Eaft, the ufe of thefe birds feems to have been improved greatly, by having, if we may use the expreffion, relays of them ready to spread intelligence to all parts of 3 Z the the country. Thus the governor of Damiata circulated the news of the death of Orrilo: Tofto che'l Caftellan di Damiata But the fimple use of them was known in very early times: Anacreon tells us, he conveyed his billet-doux to his beautiful Bathyllus by a dove. Εγώ δ' Ανακρέοντι I am now Anacreon's flave, Each foft line, with nimble wing, Taurofthenes alfo, by means of a pigeon he had decked with purple, fent advice to his father, who lived in the isle of Ægina, of his victory in the Olympic games, on the very day he had obtained it. And, at the fiege of Modena, Hirtius without, and Brutus within the walls, kept, by the help of pigeons, a conftant correfpondence; baffling every ftratagem of the befieger Antony to intercept their couriers. In the times of the crufades, there are many more inftances of thefe birds of peace being employed in the fervice of war; Joinville relates one during the crufade of Saint Louis; and Taffo an other, during the fiege of Jerufalem. The nature of pigeons is to be gregarious; to lay only two eggs; to breed many times in the year: to bill in their courtship; for the male and female to fit by turns, and alfo to feed their young; to caft their provifion out of their craw into the young one's mouths; to drink, not like other birds by fipping, but by continual draughts like quadrupeds; and to have notes mournful or plaintive. $9 The BLACKBIRD. This bird is of a very retired and foli. tary nature; frequents hedges and thickets, in which it builds earlier than any other bird the net is formed of moss, dead grafs, fibres. &c. lined or plaiftered with clay, and that again covered with hay or fmall ftraw. It lays four or five eggs of a bluish green colour, marked with irregular dufky fpots. The note of the male is extremely fine, but too loud for any place except the woods: it begins to fing early in the fpring, continues its mufic part of the fummer, defifts in the moulting season; but refumes it for fome time in September, and the firft winter months. The colour of the male, when it has attained its full age, is of a fine deep black, and the bill of a bright yellow; the edges of the eye-lids yellow. When young the bill is dufky, and the plumage of a rafty black, fo that they are not to be diftinguished from the females; but at the age of one year they attain their proper colour. § 10. The BULLFINCH. The wild note of this bird is not in the leaft mufical; but when tamed it becomes remarkably docile, and may be taught any tune after a pipe, or to whiftle any notes in the jufteft manner: it feldom forgets what it has learned; and will become fo tame as to come at call, perch on its mafter's fhoulders, and (at command) go through a difficult mufical leffon. They may be taught to speak, and fome thus inftructed are annually brought to London from Germany. The male is diftinguished from the female by the fuperior blackness of its crown, and by the rich crimson that adorns the cheeks, breaft, belly, and throat of the male: thofe of the female being of a dirty colour: the bill is black, fhort, and very thick: the head large: the hind part of the neck and the back are grey: the coverts of the wings are black; the lower croffed with a white line: the quill-feathers duiky, but part of their inner webs white: the coverts of the tail and vent-feathers white: the tail black. gardens, and are very deftructive to our In the fpring thefe birds frequent our fruit-trees, by eating the tender buds. They breed about the latter end of May, or beginning of June, and are feldom seen at that time near houses, as they chuse some very retired place to breed in. Thefe birds |