09 SKETCHES OP EUROPEAN ORNITHOLOGY. 



gasieTy the White-bellied Short-legs. The only fault which we can 

 possibly find with Mr. Gould's figures is that they are much too 

 large. Bewick's drawing of the " Swift," — p. 296, Edition of 

 1826, — is executed with admirable spirit and fidelity. Werner's — ^ 

 Livraison 22 of the Atlas, — is sadly defective in colouring. 



Plate X. — A finely drawn specimen of the male White Spoon- 

 bill, — Platalea leucorodia, — la Spatule blanche, Fr. — Pellicano vol- 

 gare. It. — Weisser Loffler, G. It is the only European species of 

 the genus ; and merely an occasional visitant of the British islands. 

 We greatly prefer to leucorodia, the specific designation, nivea, ap- 

 plied, by Cuvier, to this elegant bird. 



Plate XI. — The Dottrel, — Charadrius morinellus, — sibiricus, 

 of Gnielin, — Tataricus, et Asiaticus, of Pallas, — Pluvier Guignard, 

 Fr., — Piviere de corrione, It., — der Ddrame Regenpfeifer, Morenel 

 Regenpfeifer, G., — is here presented in admirable fidelity of out- 

 line and colouring. The two figures, presented by Mr. Gould, 

 illustrate the diversities of plumage in the adult and young bird. 

 His })resent subject is the Dottrel Plover, — Pluvialis morinellus,—^ 

 of our Derbyshire Contributor. 



Plate XII. — The Three-toed Woodpecker, — Pious tridactylus, 

 «— Pic tridactyle ou Picoide, Fr., — Picchio a tre-dita. It., — Dreijzeh- 

 iger Specht, G., — is distinguished from the other species of the 

 Pious genus by the absence of the back toe : and hence has been re- 

 moved, by Swainson, into a new genus, under the title of Apter?ius 

 tridactylus. See North American Zoology, vol. ii., p. 301. In cha- 

 racter and habits, it otherwise closely resembles its ancient conge- 

 ners. It is common in the northern parts of the European conti- 

 nent, and the Swiss Alps ; and occasionally visits France and Ger- 

 many ; but has never yet been seen in the British islands. The 

 male bird is principally distinguished from the female by the exist- 

 ence of a golden-yellow patch on the crown of the head. A figure 

 of each sex is admirably delineated by Mr. Gould. 



Plate XIH. — The Little Bustard, — Otis tetrax, Linnaeus,— 

 minor, Ray, — Outarde Canepetiere, Fr., — Gallina pratarola. It., — 

 der Kleine Trappe, G., — is transferred, by modern Ornithologists, 

 to a new genus, under the title of Tetrax campestris, or Field Buz- 

 zemel. With the peculiarities of character upon which this inno- 

 vation is founded, we are, at present, unacquainted. The little 

 Bustard, common in the southern parts of Europe and north Afri- 

 ca, is only an occasional and rare visitant of the British islands. It 

 is now ascertained that the adult male resembles in its plumage, 

 during winter, the adult female and the young bird, and merely 



