388 



EDWARDSIA-EEL. 



toward the forehead, at their points : the tail is much 

 forked, and the two outside feathers are considerably 

 longer than the others, and they are peculiar in thei 

 form. The webs on both sides for a portion of the 

 length near the middle, are very short ; but beyonc 

 this they expand into two palettes or discs, which 

 are turned round partially in a sort of spiral form 

 It is on account of these flat discs on the ends of the 

 feathers, that this species gets the name of platurus, 

 or " flat-tail." It does not appear that this species 

 is found so far inland or northward in India as some 

 of the others. 



EDOLIUS REMIFER. This species is found in Java 

 and the other eastern islands, and also in India. It 

 is not quite so large as the one last mentioned. The 

 length from the point of the beak to the end of the 

 middle feathers of the tail, is about nine inches. The 

 greater part of the tail-feathers are of equal length, 

 forming a squared termination ; but the two outside 

 ones are much longer than the rest, and peculiar in 

 their form, for all that part of their length which 

 they extend beyond the intermediate feathers, they 

 have only rudimental necks ; and thus they project 

 beyond the squared extremity of the tail, like two 

 little rods, or spines, tapering off to mere fibres at the 

 points. The absence of the discs at the end of the 

 produced feathers, makes this species to be at once 

 distinguished from the last mentioned one. The 

 reflected colours are al*o different : the upper colour 

 is black with bright reflections of a very peculiar 

 rust-coloured brown ; and that on the under part is 

 dead or flat black, without any reflections. The hairs 

 at the base of the bill are Ions and velvety, and 

 incline forward at the points. The bill and feet are 

 quite black. 



EDOLIUS LEUCOPH^EUS. This species is found in 

 Java, in Ceyion, and also in India. In its colour it 

 differs considerably from any of those which we have 

 noticed. The general colour of the plumage is one 

 uniform tint of dark leaden grey ; and the bill and 

 feet are of the same. The coverts of the wings are 

 blackish brown, and the outer webs of the quills black. 

 The tail is long ami much forked. The entire length 

 of the- bird is about nine inches. Though more 

 calm in the tints of its plumage, this is one of the 

 most active and graceful on the wing of the whole 

 genus. 



EDOLIUS MASERUS. This is a native of the shores 

 of Southern Africa. It is between eight and nine 

 inches in length. The general colour of the plumage 

 is black, with much less brilliant reflections than any 

 of the others. The inner sides of the quills are grey 

 for the greater part of their length, and brown at the 

 points. The tail is very slightly forked. 



EDOLIUS FOKTIFIRATERS. This is another South 

 African species, being found not unfrequently near 

 the shores in the colony of the Cape. It is larger 

 than the former one, and more brilliant in its appear- 

 ance. The length is about ten inches ; the bill and 

 feet are leaden black ; the general colour is black, 

 with very bright green reflections. A crest is formed 

 by long and straight feathers which rise in front of the 

 forehead, and bend forward over the bill. It is a 

 very handsome as well as a very active species. 



EDOLIUS MYSTACEUS. This is also an African 

 species, about the same size with the preceding, but 

 it differs in colour and in the situation of the produced 

 feathers. The general plumage is black, with green 

 reflections, not quite so brilliant as those of the for- 



mer ; but the wings and tail have a shade of brown 

 in them. The bill and feet are also black. There 

 are two tufts of produced hair-like feathers, which 

 form a sort of mustachoes close by the bottom of the 

 gape. The female has some white spots on the belly. 



Such are the specimens of this very peculiar genus 

 of birds, birds which have the general form of the 

 fly-catchers, and the bill not unlike that of the shrikes ; 

 but they have not the habits or the colours of either. 

 They are more social, more noisy, and seek their food 

 more by continued flight in the open air. The times 

 when they are understood to be most on the alert, are 

 those when the bees are setting out for their pas- 

 tures, and again when they are returning home. 

 They do not confine themselves to bees, however, but 

 are very active in capturing many of the other insects 

 with which the shores and margins of the tropical 

 countries abound so much. They have few or no 

 attractions as cage birds, and they are not at all 

 tempting as game ; but still they give a great deal of 

 liveliness to the places which they haunt, and may 

 be considered as forming a feature in the scenery on 

 the tropical shores of the eastern world. 



EDW ARDSI A (Salisbury). A genus of highly 

 ornamental shrubs introduced from New Zealand. 

 Li nnaean class and order Decandria Monogynia, natural 

 order Leguminosce. Generic character : calyx pot 

 shaped, cut 01 rent above, remains of the margin five- 

 toothed ; corolla standard connivent ; keel obtuse, a 

 little longer than the wings ; stamens imposed on a 

 discous ring round the germen ; style filiform, pro- 

 truding ; pod beaded, square, many-seeded. This 

 genus is nearly allied to Sophora, and is what may be 

 called half-hardy. They do well trained to a south 

 wall, if the root be protected in winter. It may be 

 propagated by layers, cuttings, seeds. The latter 

 ripen frequently. 



EEL (Anguilta). A genus of soft-finned fishes 

 without ventral fins, of which the general appearance 

 is so familiar to eveiy body, and so different from 

 that of the majority of fishes, that it requires no par- 

 ticular description. In the articles ANGUILLID.* and 

 ANC.UILLA, in their proper place of the alphabet in 

 this work, there will be found some particulars relat- 

 ing to the general characters of the family, and to its 

 subdivision into genera ; and under the word MUR^ENA 

 we shall give some account of those species which 

 inhabit the sea, and which, independently of the fact 

 of their being salt water fishes, have other characters 

 sufficient to warrant their separation from the fresh 

 water eels, which are the true eels, and to which we 

 purpose to restrict the remainder of this short article. 

 In many points of view, eels are a highly interest- 

 ng genus of fishes. They are exceedingly numerous, 

 hey are found in almost every part of the world, they 

 are wholesome and agreeable as food, and many of 

 their habits are very peculiar. Nor are they interest- 

 "ng only for the truth, which is now tolerably well 

 established, with regard to all their leading habits, for 

 hey are almost equally interesting in consequence of 

 he prejudices on the part of people generally, and 

 he blunders on the part of naturalists, of which they 

 lave been the innocent causes. 



The serpent-like shape of an eel, and the fact of its 

 iving generally at the bottom of the waters, and in 

 mud if possible, caused it to be mixed up with all the 

 irrjudU-cs which mankind have entertained against 

 he serpent tribe ; and so inveterate appears to have 

 )een, and in many cases still to be, this prejudice, 



