THE SMITSSON1AN INSTITUTION. 68 



and other Hawks. ..Mississippi Kite. ..Black Kite. ..Gray Sea Eagle... Northern Sea Eagle... 

 the California Vulture, the largest species in Western United States. 



Four of these Vultures were seen to drag off the body of a grizzly bear weighing 200 pounds, a distance of 

 six hundred feet. It is inferior in size only to the gigantic Condor of South America. 



CASE 11. 



Serpents. 



CASE 18. 



EAST SIDE Upper Shelf. Red and yellow-shafted Flickers. ..Chuck-Will's- Widow... 

 Whip-poor-will. ..Wood, and other Pewees... Olive-sided and other Fly-Catchers, which catch 

 their insect prey flying. ..King Birds. 



The Scissor-tail or Swallow-tailed Fly-Catcher or the Texas Bird of Paradise, is an exquisitely beautiful and 

 graceful bird. 



Middle Shelf. Swallows. ..Thrushes... Warblers. ..Stone Chat, &c. 



Lower Shelf. Finches... Sparrows... Cross-bills... Oregon Snow-Bird. ..Buntings. 



WEST SIDE Upper Shelf. Cuckoos. ..Woodpeckers. ..Sapsuckers... Humming Birds. 



The feathers of the Red-shafted Woodpecker are highly prized by the Indians on account of their beauty and 

 rarity. They ornament their head dresses with them. 



Middle Shelf. Warblers. ..Red Birds. ..Tanagers. Notice especially the California Ant- 

 eating Woodpecker. 



Found in every portion of the country. They are very gay and sociable, and make a great deal of noise. In 

 the fall this species has the curious and peculiar habit of laying up provisions against the inclement season. 

 Small 'round holes are dug in the bark of the pine and oak, into each one of which Ls inserted an acorn, and so 

 tightly is it fitted or driven in that it is with difficulty extracted. The bark ol the pine trees, when thus filled, 

 presents at a short distance the appearance of being studded with brass headed nails. Stowed away in large 

 quantities in this manner, tLe acorns not only supply the wants of the Woodpeckers, but the Squirrels, Mice, 

 and Jays avail themselves likewise of the fruits of its provident labor. The nest is hollowed out from the 

 body of a tree or some decayed branch, and varies from 6 inches to 2 feet in depth. The eggs, 4 or 5 in number, 

 of a pure white, are placed at the bottom of this cavity, resting on the soft bed of dust and chips which 

 have there fallen during the labor of excavation. 



Lower Shelf. Nut-hatchers. ..Titmice. ..Wrens. ..Shrikes, or Butcher-Birds. 



They derive their name from the manner in which they treat the insects, young frogs, &a, DJI which they 

 feed, often impaling them on thorns, and tearing them to pieces at their leisure. 



Sky-larks. ..Grosbeaks. ..Finches. ..Creepers. 



CASE 19. 



Serpents. 



CASE 20. 



EAST SIDE Upper Shelf. Cardinal Grosbeaks. 



The Cardinal Grosbeak is also called the " Red Bird" and the " Virginia Nightingale." With the most 

 brilliant plumage, it unites the sweetest song. 



Middle Shelf. Partridges... Prairie Hens... Ptarmigans. 



Large numbers of Ptarmigan are sent from Norway to London every winter. The birds are caught in snares, 

 and kept in a frozen state for the dealers. One dealer will buy and sell 50,000 Ptarmigans in a season. 



Lower Shelf. Golden Plovers, or Bull-heads... King Plover. ..Piping Plover. ..The largest 

 is the Black-bellied. 



These birds prefer bare places, ropose on the ground, and never perch at night or roost on trees. Inhabits the 

 entire American continent. 



Kill-deer, one of the few birds of our country known to all classes and ages of the 

 people. 



WEST SIDE Upper Shelf. Jays. ..Crows... Ravens. 



The Raven is the largest bird of the crow kind. It is found in all climes, and its age is said at times to reach 

 one hundred years. It sustains equally the warmth of the sun at the equator and the cold of Iceland ; it feeds 

 on everything, and is highly venerated in some countries. 



Orioles. ..Arctic Blue Bird. 



Middle Shelf. Cock of the Plains, or Sage Cock. ..Oregon Cocks... Grouse. 



Lower Shelf. Snipes... Buff-breasted Sandpiper, a little bird of remarkable and handsome 

 plumage. ..Marbled Godwit, a great favorite with sportsmen for shooting.. .Long-billed Cur- 

 lew, abundant in. every part of the United States, 



