176 



(rcauvj) of Natural ^ 



the species being in the collection of the 

 British Museum, and many of them are to 

 be seen alive in the Gardens of the Zoologi- 

 cal Society, and used to adorn the noble me- 

 nagerie of the Earl of Derby (President of 

 that Society), at Knowsley, Lancashire. 



DEINACRIDA. A genus of Orthoptern, 

 belonging to the GryUidce or Cricket tribe. 

 Our figure is copied from the one that ac- 

 companies Mr. White's description in the 

 Zoology of the Voyage of H. M. SS. Erebus 

 and Terror. Mr. W. Stephcnson, speaking 

 of it in his remarks on the entomology of 

 New Zealand, says, "It is a peculiarly for- 

 midable insect, found in old trees, secreting 



ODEINAORIDA HETBRACANIHA.) ' 



itself in rents and crevices. It is an abundant 

 species in New Zealand, and is carnivorous. 

 It is called by the Maories Weta." The male 

 is distinguished from the other sex (here 

 figured) by its enormous head, the bite of 

 which is very severe. Both sexes are ap- 

 terous, the female being very prolific in ova. 

 Mr. Stephenson believes there are more than 

 one species of this genus. It is allied to the 

 genus Anastostomus of Mr. G. R. Gray. 



DELPHINID^E. The Dolphin tribe, a 

 family of cetaceous animals, characterized 

 by the moderate size of the head, and usu- 

 ally by the presence of teeth in both jaws. 

 It includes, with the Dolphin and Porpoise, 

 many animals which are ordinarily called 

 Whales ; a considerable number of which 

 occasionally visit the northern coasts of Bri- 

 tain. They are in general voracious feeders ; 

 and their flesh is for the most part rank, 

 oily, and unwholesome. [See WHALE.] 



DEMOISELLE. ( Anthropoides Virgo.) 

 The Demoiselle, or Numidian Crane, is re- 

 markable for the grace and symmetry of its 

 form, and the elegance of its deportment. 

 It measures three feet three inches in length ; 

 and has a beak two inches and a half long, 

 the base of which is greenish and the tip red: 

 the irides are crimson : the crown of the 

 head is cinereous ; the rest of the head, and 

 neck, black : the feathers of the breast are 

 long and drooping : the under parts of the 

 body, from the breast, the back, and the tail, 



are bluish ash ; the latter and the quills are 

 tipped with black ; and the legs are black. 

 This gralhitoriul bird is a native of many parts 

 of Asia and Africa ; and is to be met with 

 along the whole of the southern and eastern 

 shores of the Mediterranean. It delights in 

 damp and marshy places, frequenting those 

 parts in search of small fishes, frogs, &c., 

 which are its favourite food. It is easily 

 domesticated. 



There is another species, called the CROWN- 

 ED DEMOISELLE (Anthropoides Pnvonia), 

 which is less than the one above described, 

 and about the size of the common heron. 

 The crown of the head is covered with soft 

 black feathers, like velvet ; on the hind part 



(ANTIIROI 



is a tuft of stiff hair, which spreads put on 

 all sides in a globular form ; this is four 

 inches in length, and of a reddish brown 

 colour : the sides of the head are bare of fea- 

 thers ; and on each side of the throat hangs 

 a kind of wattle. The general colour of the 

 bird is a bluish ash : the feathers on the 

 fore part of the neck are very long, and hang 

 over the breast ; wing-coverts white ; the 

 greater ones incline to rufous, and those 

 farthest from the body to black : the greater 

 quills and tail are black, and the secondaries 

 chestnut. The female is black where the 

 male is blue-ash, and the wattles on the 

 throat are wanting. This bird is a tame 

 species, and, like the preceding, is often kept 

 in aviaries : it runs very fast ; flies strong, 

 and is able to keep on the wing for a long 

 time together. Another species, the STANLEY 

 DEMOISELLE (Anthropoides paradise,a), is 

 even more elegant than either of the pre- 

 ceding ; it is of a light ashy blue, and in. 

 proportion, colour, length of feathers, and 

 grace, is worthy of all admiration. 



DENDROCOLAPTES, or HOOKED- 

 BILLED CREEPERS. A genus of Tenuiros- 

 tral Birds, with the bill generally long and 

 curved, the tail feathers stiff and pointed to 

 assist the birds in climbing ; the claws are 

 long and curved. There are several species, 

 natives of South America ; their general 

 colour is brown, with grey mixtures, and in 

 most of the species there are whitish lines or 

 spots about the head and neck : these birds 

 are marked features in the Fauna of South 

 America. [See FURNAKIUS.] 



DENDROLAGUS, or TREE -KANGA- 

 ROO. A genus of Marsupialian animals 



