-The Hazel Grouse-The Pintailed Grouse-The Ptarmigan

-The Ruffed Grouse-The Peacock-The Pheasant-The

Golden, Argus, Superb, and Impeyan Pheasant-The Trumpe-

ter-The Curassow-The Cashewbird-The Partridge-The

Francolin-The Quail-The Crested Quail, &c.-The Co-

lumbine Order-The Tame Pigeon-The Ringdove-The

Crown Pigeon-The Turtle-dove-The Passenger Pigeon. 152

CHAP. III.

Of Birds of the Pie Order---The Raven-The Carrion Crow-

The Rook-The Royston Crow-The Jackdaw-The Cor-

nish Chough-The Hottentot Crow-The Bald Crow-The

Variegated, and White-breasted Crow-The Magpie—The

Jay-The Chinese, Peruvian, Canada, Siberian, and Yellow-

bellied Jays-The Nutcracker-The Roller-The Hoopoe--The

Promerops-The Kingfisher-The Cuckoo-The Woodpecker

-The Oriole-The Nuthatch-The Bee-eater-The Wry-

neck-The Creeper-The Toucan-The Momot-The Horn-

bill-The Rhinoceros, Helmet, and Pied Hornbills-The Par-

rot-The Macaw, the Lory, and Paroquet, and Cockatoo-

The Ani-The Wattle Bird-The Grackle-The Bird of

Paradise-The King Bird of Paradise--The Magnificent

Bird of Paradise--The Beef-eater-The Curucui--The Bar-

bet--The Jacamar-The Tody---The Humming Bird. 222

CHAP. IV.

Of Birds of the Passerine, or Sparrow Order.-The Stare-The

Thrush-The Throstle-The Missel Thrush-The Redwing-

The Fieldfare-The Blackbird-The Ring Ouzel-The Water

Ouzel-The Rose-coloured Ouzel-The Blue and Solitary

!

Thrushes-The Mock Bird-The Chatterer-The Bohemian

and Carunculated Chatterer-The Grosbeak-The Hawfinch

-The Pine Grosbeak-The Cross-bill-The Bulfinch-The

Yellowhammer-The Reed Sparrow-The Bunting Genus

-The Tawny Bunting-The Ortolan-The Black-throated

Bunting-The Finches—The Sparrow—The Goldfinch—The

Linnet―The Canary Bird-The Twite-The Flycatcher—

The Fan-tailed Flycatcher-The Lark Genus-The Wagtail

-The White, Yellow, and Gray Wagtail-The Warbler-

The Nightingale-The Redbreast-The Redstart-The Black-

cap-The Wren-The Hedge Sparrow-The Wheat-ear-

The Whin-chat-The Stone-chatter-The Whitethroat-The

Thorntailed Warbler-The Titmouse-The Swallow-The

Swift-The Martin-The Goatsucker-The Cloy-The Tan-

ager-The Manakin.
311

CHAP. V.

Of Waterfowl with Cloven Feet-The Spoonbill―The Heron-

The Bittern-The Crane-The Egret-The Stork--The

Crowned Crane-The Gigantic Crane-The Adjutant—The

Demoiselle, or Buffoon Bird-The Ibis-The Bay and Egyp-

tian Ibis-The Curlew-The Snipe-The Woodcock-The

Godwit-The Greenshank-The Redshank-The Jack Snipe

-The Sandpiper-The Lapwing-The Ruff-The Knot-

The Purre-The Turnstone-The Dunling-The Plover-

The Golden and Long-legged Plovers-The Dotterel-The

Sanderling-The Ringed Plover-The Oyster Catcher—The

Pratincole-The Rail-The Crake-The Gallinule-The

Water Hen-The Spotted and Purple Gallinule-The Jabiru

-The Screamer-The Boatbill-The Umbre-The Jacana

-The Sheath bill-Waterfowl with Pinnated Feet-The Pha-

larope-The Gray and Red Phalarope-The Coot-The

Grebe-The Crested, Eared, and Red-necked Grebe. . 433

NATURAL HISTORY.

CHAPTER I.*

Of Birds in general... Of the Struthious, or Ostrich Order... The OSTRICH... The Touyou...The CASSOWARY...The New Holland Emu...The DoDo... The Solitary and the Nazarene... Of Rapacious Birds... The Golden EAGLE...Different Species of Eagles... The Osprey, &c....The Condor...The VULTURE...The different Species of Vultures...The King Vulture, the Secretary, &c.... The FALCON...Description of the Art of Falconry... Species of Falcons and other Hawks ...The Kite..The Buzzard...The SHRIKE, or Butcher Bird ...The OwL... Species of the Owl.

QUADRUPEDS in their general structure have much relation with that of man; but the structure of birds is in most respects entirely dissimilar from both. One obvious mark of distinction between this class of animals and the quadruped part of the creation is, that instead of hair, birds are covered with feathers, and these appear to be nourished and kept in order in a different manner from the hair of

* In the following account of birds, they are classed agreeably to the scientific arrangement of orders, genera and species. In the contents of the chapters, therefore, the genus is distinguished by capitals, and the different species which are described are printed in Italics.

animals. Lest the feathers should spoil by exposure to the air, the bird is furnished with a gland situated on the rump of the animal, containing a proper quantity of oil, which it presses out with its beak, and occasionally anoints its feathers. In water-fowl this oil is so plentiful that it even imparts a degree of rancidity to the flesh, and we see that their coat of feathers is rendered by it completely waterproof. *

The wings of birds are remarkably strong. The flap of a swan's wing would break a man's leg, and a similar blow from an eagle has been known to lay a man dead in an instant.

The sense of seeing in birds is remarkably acute, and though they have no external ear, but only two small orifices or ear-holes, yet they do not appear to be deficient in hearing. The scent of some species is exquisitely delicate. In decoys where ducks are caught, the men who attend them generally keep a piece of turf lighted, on which they breathe, lest the fowl should smell them, and fly away. The voice of birds is much louder in proportion to their size than that of other animals; for, in fact, the bellowing of an ox is not louder than the scream of a peacock.

The legs, the wings, the bones, and every part of the

* It may not be unnecessary to explain some terms which are used in speaking of the plumage of birds. The coverts are the shorter feathers, which hide the base of the quill feathers. On the wings there are the lesser, the greater, and the under-wing coverts. The lesser coverts are small feathers which lie in several rows on the bones of the wings; the greater coverts are those which lie immediately over the quills, as well as over the secondaries, or quills of the second joint ; the under coverts line the inside of the wings. One term more it may be proper to explain, that is, the scapulars, which are the feathers that rise from the shoulders and cover the back.-EDITOR.