INDEX. 



mate, or hunger ; cause of the annual emigrations of birds ; 

 times of migrations ; in what order performed ; follow the 

 weather rather than the country, and go on as they per- 

 ceive the atmosphere more suitable to their wants and dis- 

 positions ; in all countries longer lived than quadrupeds or 

 insects of the same climate ; surprising age of swans and 

 geese ; plumage and voice of birds in different zones ; all 

 less than quadrupeds; the greatest of one class surpass the 

 greatest of the other in magnitude ; causes of the great va- 

 riety in the middle order of birds ; the ostrich is the greatest 

 of birds, the humming-bird the smallest ; wild birds gene- 

 rally of the same magnitude and shape ; inferior to quadru- 

 peds in docility ; difference between land birds and water 

 fowls, 24, &c. Description of birds of the rapacious kind ; 

 the pie kind ; the poultry kind ; the sparrow kind ; the duck 

 kind; the crane kind, 34. The nauseous bird, or dodo, 61. 

 Powers of land birds of the rapacious kind to obtain their 

 food ; sight of such as prey by day surprisingly quick ; such 

 as ravage by night have their sight fitted to see in darkness 

 with precision ; inhabit the most lonely places and desert 

 mountains; appearing in cultivated plains, or the warbling 

 groves, is for depredation ; every order of carnivorous birds 

 seek for those of the size approaching their own ; the car- 

 nivorous kinds only breed annually, and are less fruitful 

 than others ; breed but few at a time ; where supplies of 

 food are difficult, the old soon drive the brood from the nest 

 to shift for themselves, and often destroy them in a fury, 

 caused by hunger ; almost all birds of prey unsociable ; the 

 male and female, when necessary to each other, live together, 

 but they most usually prowl alone ; birds with crooked beaks 

 and talons are solitary ; all males of prey are less and weaker 

 than females ; the females are of a greater size, more beau- 

 tiful and lovely for shape and colours, stronger, more fierce 

 and generous than tire males ; it may be necessary to be 

 thus superior, to provide for herself and her young ; these 

 birds are lean and meagre ; their flesh is stringy and ill 

 tasted, soon corrupting, and flavoured of that animal upon 

 which they subsist ; Bellonius asserts, many people like the 

 flesh of the vulture and falcon, and dress them for eating, 

 and that the osprey when young is excellent food ; five 

 kinds of land birds of a rapacious nature ; whence their dis- 

 tinctive mark, 63, &c. Bird of heaven, name given by the 

 ancients to the eagle, 72. The most formidable birds of 

 prey respect the butcher-bird, 108. The digestion of such 

 as live upon mice, lizards, or the like food, not very perfect, 

 117. Father Kircher set the voices of birds to music, 118, 

 Domestic birds of the poultry kind, maintained in our yards, 

 are of foreign extraction, 124. The wilder species cooped 

 or caged, pine away, grow gloomy, and some refuse all sus- 



