CHAMBERS'S INFORMATION FOR THE PEOPLE. 



and returning northward in spring. It is about 

 three feet in length ; its colour is of an ash 

 gray, with a bluish tinge ; and its head is 

 ornamented with a crest The Bittern, or Mire 

 Drum (Botaurus stellaris), was once well known 

 in Britain, but is becoming rare, as waste lands 

 are reclaimed. It is the emblem of desolation, 

 and as such is spoken of by the prophet in his 

 denunciation against Babylon : ' I will also make 

 it a possession for the bittern, and pools of water : 

 and I will sweep it with the besom of destruction, 

 saith the Lord of hosts.' The booming of the 

 bittern is peculiarly dismal ; and from this circum- 

 stance, and the lonely marshes it inhabited, it 

 was the unconscious hero of many a ghost story 

 in the superstitions that are past. 



Of the Ibises (Tantalince), the most noted is 

 the Ibis religiosa, which was held in great venera- 

 tion in ancient Egypt, being often embalmed with 

 their mummies, or figured on their monuments. 



The Ciconina (Storks) have the bill strong and 

 compressed. They are all large birds and feed 

 upon reptiles and other small animals. They 

 migrate in summer from Africa over a wide range 

 of temperate latitudes. The Stork (Ciconia alba} 

 stands about four feet high. In Holland, they 

 prepare false chimneys on their houses, that the 

 stork may build in them, each returning regularly 

 to its own nest every year. 



The Spoonbills (Plataleadce) are large birds 

 like the storks, but their bill is flattened in a 

 broad spoon-like plate. 



The family Scolopacida (Snipes) include the 

 Snipe, Woodcock, &c. Their bill is long, slender, 

 and cylindrical, and is used for searching in the 

 mud for worms and insects. The Woodcock is 

 well known in Britain, and is much esteemed for 

 the exquisite flavour of its flesh. The Common 

 Snipe (Scolopax gallinago) is one of the most 

 common visitors of the British Isles. It chooses 

 swampy parts of meadows ; and insects, worms, 

 &c. constitute its food. The Curlew (Numeniits 



Curlew (Numenius arquata). 



arquatd), whose name is derived from its peculiar 

 cry, also belongs to the family. The Sandpipers 

 (Tringidce), the Ruffs, and Avocat need no 

 particular notice. 



The Family RalUda (Rails), in which the bill 

 is sharp, compressed, and wedge-shaped, in- 

 cludes several genera. Gallinula (Water-hen) is 

 common throughout Europe. It frequents ponds 

 and quiet water-courses. It is of a deep olive- 

 brown colour above, and slaty gray below, with 



170 



a frontal shield of bright red. The Coot (Fulicar 

 atrd) is another well-known example of the Rails j 

 the commonest species is the Crex pratensis 

 (Land-rail, or Corn-crake), which is a regular 

 summer visitor in the British Isles. It is of a 

 reddish-brown colour, and conceals itself amongst 

 grass and young corn, where it utters its peculiar 

 cry. The Common Rail (Rallus aquaticus) re- 

 mains in this country all the year round. In the 

 Jacana, which inhabits Brazil, the feet are ex- 

 ceedingly long and slender, thus enabling it to run* 

 on the leaves of aquatic plants. 



The CharadriicUe, or Plover tribe, are less 

 aquatic than most of the other families. Their 

 legs are short, and the hind toe is either absent, 

 or so short as not to reach the ground. They 

 congregate in flocks, on sandy and unsheltered 

 shores, or on exposed commons, and run with 

 great swiftness. The bill is of considerable 

 strength, to enable them to penetrate the ground 

 in search of worms. Several species of plovers 

 exist in Britain, such as the Charadrius pluvialis 

 or Golden Plover ; the C. mortnellus, or Dotterel ' f 

 and the C. hiaticula, or Ring Plover. Some 

 frequent the sea-coast, and others the upland 

 moors. The Lapwings ( Vanellus cristatus) are 

 nearly allied to the plovers, and, like them, are 

 migratory ; they are peculiar to the Eastern 

 hemisphere. They are very noisy birds, and 

 defend themselves bravely against birds of prey. 

 They derive their name from the stratagem by 

 which they lure away intruders from their nests ; 

 they drop their wings in flight, appearing as if 

 wounded, and thus induce their pursuers to follow 

 them to a considerable distance. They are 

 abundant in England, and are easily known by 

 their wild and plaintive cry of ' peewit.' 



The Oyster-catcher (Hcematopus ostralegus) 

 has a long, straight, wedge-shaped beak, which is 

 strong enough to enable it to force open the 

 bivalves upon which it feeds. The Turnstones 

 (Strepsilas) derive their name from the habit they 

 have of turning over the stones along the water's 

 edge, in order to obtain the insects and small 

 Crustacea which are found beneath them. 



Connecting the Grallatores with Rasores are the 

 Bustards (Otidce), in which the legs are long, and 

 the toes are furnished with stout claws. Their 

 wings are large, and their flight is easy. They 

 are entirely confined to the Old World. The 

 Great Bustard (Otis tardd), which is the largest of 

 European birds, is one of the noblest of native 

 British birds, and one of the finest kinds of game. 



Order Cursores, or Runners. 



ORDER 3. Cursores. In this group, the wings 

 are quite rudimentary, and the animals included 

 under it are destitute of the power of flight. To 

 compensate for this, they have remarkably strong 

 limbs for running over the plains which they 

 inhabit. Hence their name as an order. Their 

 feathers present some resemblance to hairs. 



The Ostrich (Struthio camelus) is an inhabitant 

 of the wide-spread plains of Africa and Arabia. 

 It is incapable of flight, but is remarkable for its 

 swiftness of foot, being able to outstrip the fleetest 

 horse. The legs are very strong, and terminated 

 by two toes. It is from seven to eight feet in 

 height. 



The Rhea (American Ostrich) inhabits 

 plains of South America. It is smaller than 



