of 



jtaturr. 



225 



engaged with his mate collecting bill-fulls j be of singular use to the animal in securing 

 of cotton. It did not seem to be a thing its prey. In the cases of Radiuta at the 



immediately settled that they should set 

 to work and gather their materials at once. 

 They had alighted on the tree as if they had 

 very unexpectedly found what they were 

 seeking. The male began to twitter a song 

 of joy, dancing and jumping about ; and the 

 female, intermingling every now and then a 

 chirp, frisked from stem to stem, and did 

 very little more than survey the riches of 

 the tree : at last she plucked now and then 

 a bill-full of the filaments, and spreading it to 

 flaunt to the wind, tossed it away, as if she 

 had been merely showing that it every way 

 answered the purpose of length and softness, 

 and was in every respect the thing they 

 wanted." We are also told that they build 

 a very snug domed nest, globular in form, 

 and about as large as an infant's head, with 

 an opening in one side, composed of dry 

 grass, the dried stems of the Tillandsia, 

 tendrils of passion-flower, bits of rag, c., 

 profusely intermixed with cotton and the 

 down of plants. 



EUPLOCOMUS. A genus of Gallina- 

 ceous birds found in Asia, the males of which 

 have generally very fine plumage. The 

 Fire-backed Pheasant is one of these. [See 

 PHEASANT.] 



EURYALE. A remarkable genus of 

 Radiated animals belonging to the Aste- 

 riudue, or Star-fishes, in which each division 

 of the rays is branched again and again, so 



that the whole resembles a bunch of serpents' 

 tails. The figure which we subjoin repre- 

 sents the whole of the body, with only two 

 of the rays given in detail, as the cut would 

 otherwise occupy too much space. They 

 are sometimes known by the name of Me- 

 dusa's heads. These little branches must 



age and other circumstances. 

 characterized by 



prey. 



British Museum may be seen seme fine ex- 

 amples of these " furies of the deep." [See 

 STAK-FISHES.J 



EURYNOME. A genus of Crustacea, be- 

 longing to the family Lambrkkc; of which 

 one species is found in the British seas the 

 Eurynome aspcra. It is a pretty little spe- 

 cies, rough with projecting knobs ; often 

 symmetrically arranged, and of a reddish 

 colour. The fore legs in the male are elon- 

 gated. 



EVANIAD^E. A family of Hymenop- 

 terous insects, ot small extent, and not 

 possessing any remarkable points of interest. 

 The species are parasitical, the Kvania ap- 

 jH-tulirjastcr beiug attached to the Cockroach 

 (Blatta orifntalis). 



EXOCETUS. [See FLYIKO-FISH.] 



EWE. The female of the Sheep kind. 

 [See SHEEP.] 



FALCONID^E. The genus Falco of au- 

 thors may be considered as constituting five 

 tribes or families of Accipitrine birds, viz. 

 Engles,Falcons, Kites, Buzzards, and Hawks. 

 They prey, in general, on living animals : the 

 species are extremely numerous ; the females 

 are larger than the males ; and they_ vary 

 considerably in their plumage according to 

 They are 



powerful form of the 

 beak, which is generally armed with a kind 

 of tooth or process on each side near the 

 apex ; and their wings are strong, long, and 

 pointed : they are likewise distinguished by 

 their undaunted courage and great activity. 

 The true Falcons are peculiarly symmetrical 

 in their forms ; their flight is" both graceful 

 and vigorous ; they possess great strength as 

 well as flexibility ; and their sight is so very 

 acute, that they are enabled to discern their 

 prey at a great distance, and to pounce down 

 upon it with unerring certainty. The Falcon 

 builds in the hollows of rocks exposed to the 

 south ; usually laying its eggs about the 

 close of winter, or very early in the spring : 

 these are often four in number, and are 

 white, spotted with brown. So rapid is said 

 to be the growth of the young, that in the 

 space of three months they equal the parents 

 in size. There are many varieties. 



The " noble " breed of Falcons which our 

 ancestors introduced into their service, and 

 so greatly prized, are distinguished from the 

 " ignoble " or baser race of kites, sparrow- 

 hawks, and buzzards, by the peculiar length 

 of their wings, which reach almost as far as 

 their tails ; this superiority of wing giving 

 them confidence in the pursuit of the game, 

 and their great power emboldening them to 

 attack it. To train these birds, however, 

 required no small degree of skill and assi- 

 duity : but so thoroughly antiquated and 

 obsolete has the once princely sport of Fal- 

 conry become, that we think the reader will 

 commend us for omitting that which a few 

 centuries ago would have been regarded as 

 indispensable : we mean, a circumstantial 

 account of the training, or education, iiccee- 



