560 



ANNUAL REGISTEPx, 1816. 



%ermllion stii])e runs above each 

 eye, not protuberant but uneven, 

 with a number of minute rounded 

 dots. 'I'lie bird feeds on wild 

 fruits, particularly tbe berry of 

 the sacacommis, and ex.clusi\ely 

 resides in that j)()rtion of tlie 

 Rocky mountains watered by the 

 Columbia. 



2. The small speckled pheasant 

 resides in the same country witl\ 

 the foregoing;, and differs only in 

 size and colour. He is half the 

 size of the black and white phea- 

 sant, associates in much larger 

 flocks, and is very gentle : the 

 black is more predominant, and 

 the dark lirown feathers less fre- 

 quent in this than in the larger 

 species : the mixture of white is 

 more general on every part. Tiiis 

 bird is smaller than our pheasant, 

 and the body more round : the 

 flesh of both these species is dark, 

 and with our means of cooking, 

 not well fiavom-ed. 



3. The small brov^n pheasant 

 is an inhabitant of the same coun- 

 try, and is of the same size and 

 shape as the speckled pheasant, 

 which he likewise resembles in 

 his habits. The stripe above the 

 eye in this species is scarcely per- 

 ceptible, and is, when closely ex- 

 amined, of a yellow or orange co- 

 lour, instead of the vermihon of 

 the other species : the colour is a 

 uniform mixture of dark yellowish 

 brown, with a slight aspersion of 

 brownish white on the breast, 

 belly, and feathers underneath the 

 tail : the whole appearance has 

 much the resemblance of the com- 

 mon quail : this bird is also boot- 

 ed to the toes : the flesh of tliis 

 is preferable to the other two. 



4. The buzzard is, we believe, 

 the largest bird of North Ame- 



rica. One which was taken by 

 our himters was not in good con- 

 dition, and yet the weight was 

 tweniy-five pounds. Between the 

 extremity of the wings the bird 

 measured nine feet and two in- 

 ches : from the extremity of the 

 beak to the toe, three feet nine 

 and a half inches ; from the hip 

 to the toe, two feet ; the circum- 

 ference of the head was nine and 

 thiee-quarter inches : that of the 

 neck seven and a half inches ; 

 that of the body inclusive of two 

 feet three inclies : the diameter of 

 the ev e is four and a half tenths 

 of an inch ; the iris is of a pale 

 scarlet red, and the pupil of a 

 deep sea-green : the head and 

 part of the neck are uncovered by 

 feathers ; the tail is composed of 

 twelve featheis of equal length, 

 each of the length of fourteen in- 

 ches : the legs are uncovered and 

 not entii ely smooth : the toes are 

 four in number, three forward, 

 and that in the centre much the 

 largest ; the fourth is short, in- 

 serted near the inner of the three 

 other toes, and rather projecting 

 forward : the thigh is covered 

 with feathers as low as the knee, 

 the toj) or upper part of the toes 

 is imbricated with broad scales, 

 Ivin"- transverselv : the nails are 

 black, short, and bluntly pointed : 

 the under side of the wing is 

 covered with a\ hite down and fea- 

 thers : a white stripe of about 

 two inches in width marks the 

 outer part of the wing, embracing 

 the lower jioints of the plumage, 

 covering the joints of the wing : 

 the remainder is of a deep black : 

 the skin of the beak and head to 

 the joining of the neck, is of a 

 pale orange colour; the other 

 part; destitute of plumage, is of 



light 



