USE OF THE TABLES. 25 



Again : a bird is brought to him, which, on comparing 

 with the characters given in the first Table, he finds to 

 have no back-toe, and that the fore-toes are united by 

 a membrane; he rightly, therefore, concludes, that it 

 belongs to the order Palmipedes, or Web-footed; and 

 he is directed for further particulars to Table XXVI. 

 Thus he perceives, that as his specimen has only three 

 front-toes, that its beak is not toothed, or serrated like 

 a file or saw, and that its wings are very short, it must be 

 of the tribe Brevipennes, arid he is referred to Table 

 XXX. Then, as the wings are feathered, and it has no 

 back-toe, it must be of the genus Alca ; and he will have 

 little difficulty, on referring to its colours, size, and a few 

 other particulars, to ascertain its species. 



In the above references, the birds for consideration 

 were a Sparrow-hawk and Puffiji, species more or less 

 known to most of our readers. One more, however, 

 shall be added, entirely foreign. Its colour a brilliant 

 green, beautifully mottled and variegated on the upper 

 part, the lower part of the breast and leg-feathers being 

 of a delicate lemon-colour ; the size, rather smaller than 

 a Thrush. On looking to Table I., the hind-toes are 

 found to be two, and two before ; it is therefore of the 

 order Scansores, or Climbers, and reference is made to 

 Table XIV., when, as its beak is not very large at the 

 base, and not toothed, it must be of the Cuneirostral 

 tribe, Table XV. On examining its beak, and finding it 

 rather curved, with mandible rounded, and nostrils pro- 

 jecting, there can be no hesitation in pronouncing it to be 

 a Cuculus, or Cuckoo. And so it is: the Golden Cuckoo, 

 one of the most splendid ornaments of the South African 

 forests, and not uncommon at the Cape of Good Hope ; 

 and in such a gorgeous garb, little likely to be taken by 

 an ignorant observer, for a bird belonging to the family 

 of the gray and sober livery-clad class of Cuckoos, pecu- 

 liar to our northern latitudes. 



