

29tctianarn of 



|2ature. 201 



the long feathers of the wings are adorned 

 with red eyes ; and the legs and feet are of 

 an orange hue. The HOOK-BILLED DUCK 

 (Anas adunca), which differs but little from 

 the common Wild Duck except in the bill. 

 The FKECKLED DUCK (Anas nrevosa) ; a 

 very rare species which inhabits the neigh- 

 bourhood of Swan River, in Australia, but 

 from its scarcity it is little known either to 

 the colonists or the natives. According to 

 Mr. Gould's description of the specimen in 

 his possession, the whole of the plumage is 

 dark brown, minutely freckled and spotted 

 with irregular oblong marks of white in 

 the direction of the feathers ; the under 

 surface the same, but lighter and tinged 

 with buff ; wings without a speculum ; pri- 

 maries plain brown ; irides light brown ; 

 bill greenish gray, becoming much darker at 

 the tip ; legs bluish green. 



DUGONG. (Halicore.) A marine animal, 

 herbivorous in regard to its food, and fish- 

 like in its form. It ranks among the Cetacece ; 

 is about seven or eight feet in length ; and 



D0OONO (HALIOORB DUOONO ) 



has two large permanent incisive teeth in 

 the upper j aw, and four molar teeth above 

 and below. It is a native of the Indian seas, 

 being common among the . islands of the 

 Indian Archipelago, and visiting also the 

 coasts of New Holland. Its flesh is said to 

 be tender, and not unlike beef. Professor 

 Owen, in the Appendix to Juke's Voyage of 

 II. M. S. Fly, has described a new species 

 from the Eastern seas. 



DUNLIN. (Pelidna.) A genus of birds 

 belonging to the Scolopacidce or Snipe tribe. 

 The Dunlins in appearance resemble larks ; 



they fly in troops near the coast ; and lay 

 eir eggs in the sand. There are several 



the! 



species ; but it will be sufficient to describe 

 one of them : RED DUNLIN. (Pelidna sub- 

 arcuata.) This bird is about eight inches in 

 length ; top of the head is black, edged with 

 rufous ; the forehead and throat are white 

 dotted with brown ; the nape is red, with 

 small longitudinal black dashes ; the neck, 

 breast, and under parts are red chestnut, 

 sometimes marked with black spots or 

 variegated with white : tail coverts white, 

 transversely rayed with black and red : 

 the back, scapulars, and large wing-co- 

 verts of a deep black ; on the edge of the 

 feathers is a range of angulated bright red 

 spots, the greater portion of which are ter- 

 minated with bright ash ; the tail is of a 

 dusky ash, bordered with white. The beak 

 is black ; and the legs are brown. This bird 

 is a native of most parts of Europe, and is 



sometimes seen on the British coasts. It 

 rarely appears at any considerable distance 

 inland ; but migrates in the spring and 

 autumn. It lays four or five eggs, of a dirty 

 white colour, spotted with brown ; and its 

 flesh is esteemed a delicacy. The names 

 of the other species are the PIERHE DUNLIN, 

 (Pelidna variabilis) ; LITTLE DUNLIN (Pe- 

 lidna pvsilla) ; TEMMINCK'S DUNLIN (Pe- 

 UdiiaTvmminckii); MINUTE DUNLIN (Pelidna 

 minuta); and the St. DOMINGO DUNLIN, 

 (Pelidna Dominicensis'). 



DYNASTID^E. A family of Lamellicorn 

 Coleoptera, comprising several beetles re- 

 markable for their size, strength, and for- 

 midable appearance. The males are pre- 

 eminently distinguished by various singular 

 protuberances, horns, or tubercles, arising 

 from the head or thorax, and often from 

 both of these parts of the body. " It must 

 be borne in mind, however," as Mr. West- 

 wood observes, " that these horns are im- 

 movable portions of the horny skeleton, and 

 offer no real analogy with the horns of the 

 mammalia ; although it is interesting, in 

 respect to the analogies existing in remote 

 tribes of the animal kingdom, that the quad- 

 rupeds which are cornuted are herbivorous, 

 and as comparatively harmless as the Dy- 

 nastidae." They chiefly inhabit the tropical 

 regions, excavating burrows in the earth, 



HZRCULES BEETLE. {DYNA8TE8 HBRC'JI.BS-') 



where they conceal themselves during the 

 day, or reside in the decomposed trunks of 

 trees ; and they are generally of a dark rich 

 brown or chestnut colour. On the approach 

 of night they leave their retreats, and run 

 ab out the footpaths in woods, or fly around 

 the trees to a considerable height, with a 



