ENGLAND. 



705 



and wild, like deer ; of a pure white colour, with black 

 ' muzzles, ears, and tails, and a stripe of the same hue 

 along the back. 



Of the order BELLU.B, the genus Etjuut will be after- 

 wards treated of; and also the genus Stis. The wild 

 boar was formerly a native of our country, as appears 

 from the laTs of Hoel Dha, the Welsh legislator, who 

 permitted his grand huntsman to chase that animal from 

 the middle of November to the beginning of Decem- 

 ber. William the Conqueror subjected to the loss of 

 their eyes those who were convicted of killing a wild 

 boar in his forests. It is not exactly known at what 

 period this animal became extinct in England. f 



Order CETK. Genus Baltena : B. mysticetus, the 

 common whale, is sometimes found as far south as the 

 coasts of England. Genus Delphinus : D. phocena, 

 the porpus ; and D. orca, the grampus. 



Ornithology. 



Order ACCIPITRES. Genus Falco. F. albicilla, the 

 erne, though common in Scotland, is very rarely met 

 with in England. F. ossifragus, the sea eagle ; this al- 

 so is a very rare bird. Willoughby mentions one that 

 had its aerie in Westmoreland, and soared aloft in the 

 air with a cat in its talons. F. chrysaetos, the golden 

 eagle, is found in the mountains of Wales. F. fulvus, 

 the ring-tailed eagle. F. milvus, the kite. F. ater, 

 the black eagle, has appeared in Derbyshire. F. haliae- 

 tos, the bald buzzard. F. buteo, the buzzard, the most 

 -common of our hawks. F. apivorus, the honey bu/- 

 zard. F. aeruginosus, the moor buzzard. F. palumba- 

 rius, the goss-hawk. When falconry was a favourite 

 pursuit in this country, this bird was in high esteem : 

 in the reign of Edward III. it was made felony to steal 

 it ; and to take its eggs, even in a person's own grounds, 

 was punishable with imprisonment for a year and a day. 

 Elizabeth reduced the imprisonment to three months. 

 F. gentilis, the gentle falcon. F. peregrinus, pere- 

 grine falcon. This species breeds among the rocks of 

 Llandiden, in Caernarvonshire, which have been long 

 famous for producing a generous race. F. versicolor, 

 spotted falcon. This species is not common ; two of 

 them were shot near Longnor in Shropshire. F. gri- 

 seus, grey falcon. This also is uncommon. A bird of 

 this species was shot at Halifax in the year 1762. F. 

 candicans, the gyr-falcon. F. lanarius, the lanner. F. 

 cyancus, the hen-harrier. This bird breeds on the Che- 

 viot hills. One of the species was shot some years ago 

 near London. F. pygargus, the ring-tail. F. tinnun- 

 culus, the kestril. F. nisus, the sparrow-hawk. F. 

 subbuteo, the hobby. This bird migrates in October, 

 but it breeds in England. F. aesalon, the merlin, does 

 not breed in England, but migrates, and appears again 

 in October. 



Of the genus Strix, S. bubo, the great horn owl, has 

 been shot in England, but is very rarely seen. S. 

 otus, the horn owl, or long-eared owl, is found in the 

 north of England and Wales. S. brachyotos, the short- 

 eared owl, is a bird of passage here, and leaves this 

 country at the same time as the woodcock. S. flam- 

 mea is the most common species with us. S. stridula, 

 the screech owl. S. ulula. S. passerina, the little 

 owl, is rarely met with here, but is sometimes found in 

 Yorkshire, North Wales, and the neighbourhood of 

 London : it does not breed in England. Genus Lani- 

 us : L. excubitor, greater butcher-bird. L. collurio, 

 lesser butcher-bird. 



Order Pu .E. Genus Corvus. C. corax, the raven. 



VOL. VIII. PART II. 



C. coroni, the carrion crow. C. frugelegus, the rook : Statistics. 

 this bird remains in England during the whole year, S T-'' 

 whereas in France they migrate : none are found in 

 Jersey. C. cornix, the hooded crow : in England, this 

 is a bird of passage, appearing in the beginning of win- 

 ter, and going away with the woodcock, probably to 

 the western islands of Scotland, where they are known 

 to breed. C. monedula, the jack daw : in Hampshire, 

 where there are few towers or steeples, (in which these 

 birds delight to build), they have been known to oc- 

 cupy rabbit-holes. C. glandarius, the jay : this is one 

 of the most beautiful of the English birds. C. pica, the 

 magpie. C. graculus, the Cornish chough : besides 

 Cornwall, in which it is very common, and from which 

 it takes its name, this bird is found in North Wales, in- 

 habiting the cliffs and ruinous castles : a few are found 

 on Dover Cliff, where a pair, sent from Cornwall, esca- 

 ped, and have since stocked the spot, but do not ap- 

 pear much attached to it. The Corvus caryocatactes 

 sometimes accidentally visits England. Genus Cora- 

 das. C. carrula, the roller : this bird has been shot in 

 England, but is only an occasional visitant. Genus 

 Oriolus : O. galbula, golden oriole, sometimes acci- 

 dentally appears in this country. Genus Cuculus : 

 C. canorus, the cuckoo : it is not ascertained whether 

 this bird migrates from England or not. Genus Yunx : 

 Y. torquilla, the wryneck : it derives its English name 

 from its often turning about its head. Genus Picas : 

 P. viridis, green woodpecker. P. major, greater spot- 

 ted woodpecker. P. medius, middle spotted wood- 

 pecker. P. minor, lesser spotted woodpecker : this 

 species is not nearly so frequently met with in Eng- 

 land as the others. Genus Sitta : S. europea, Euro- 

 pean nuthatch. Genus Alcedo: A. ispida, the com- 

 mon kingsfisher: this bird migrates from England. 

 Genus Upupa : U. eppps, hoopoe: this species does not 

 breed here, nor does it visit us at stated times. Genus 

 Cerlhia : C. familiaris, the creeper : this is the least of 

 our birds, except the crested wren. 



Order ANSKRES. Genus Anas. A. cygnus, the wild Anseres. 

 swan. A. olor, the tame swan : this bird is the prin- 

 cipal ornament of the artificial waters and lakes of our 

 nobility and gentry ; and they are seen in great plenty 

 on the Thames, where they are royal property : it is 

 felony to steal their eggs. In the reign of Edward IV. 

 whoever did not possess a freehold of the clear annual 

 value of five marks, was prohibited from keeping a 

 swan. Formerly, there was a noble swannery at Ab- 

 botsbury in Dorsetshire, but the collection is now much 

 diminished. A. tadorna, the shieldrake. A. nigra, the 

 scoter : in very severe weather, during winter, this 

 bird is sometimes seen on the English coast. A. albi- 

 frons, white-fronted goose : this species visits the fens 

 and other parts of England, during winter, in small 

 flocks : none are seen after the middle of March. A. 

 anser, the wild goose. The domestic goose will be 

 considered when we come to treat of the agriculture of 

 England. A. segetum, the bean goose : this bird mi- 

 grates to England in autumn, from the Hebrides, where 

 it breeds. A. moschata, Muscovy duck : this bird, a 

 native of the Brazils, (and not of Muscovy, as its name 

 would seem to indicate,) is domesticated in this country. 

 A. clypeata, the shoveller, remains with us all the year. 

 A. rubens, the red-breast shoveller, is an uncommon bird 

 even in Lincolnshire, where all the species of this genus 

 most abound. A. strepera, the gadwall, or gray. A", 

 clangula, the golden eye. A. glaucion, the morillon. 

 This species is seldom seen except on the sea coast. A. 

 glocitans, bimaculated duck. This bird is not common 

 4 o 



