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and swimming with rapidity. Its figure is 

 elegant, the body, which is longer and flatter 

 than that of the Trout, seldom exceeds 

 eighteen inches : the head is small and 

 pointed, flattened at the top ; teeth nume- 

 rous, small, and incurved ; behind the head, 

 the nape and neck rise suddenly ; the body 

 deepest at the commencement of the dorsal 

 fin, then tapering off to the tail ; the back 

 nnd sides are a fine silvery gray, but when 

 the fish is just caught they are slightly varied 

 with blue, green, and gold, with a few de- 

 cided dark spots. The lateral line is straight ; 



the scales are large, their lower edges being 

 jg regular rows from head 

 to tail : the top of the back fin is red, the lower 



dusky, and forming regular rows from 

 to tail : the top of the back fin is red, the 

 part being of a purple hue ; the ventral fins 



NO. (TSYMALI/OS VULGARIS.) 



are bluish, spotted with black ; and the tail 

 is considerably forked. The lips are rough ; 

 the tongue is smooth ; and the gills are 

 quadruple. It is tolerably abundant in seve- 

 ral rivers in the north, and also in the north- 

 western counties of Hampshire and Wilt- 

 shire, where it is found in the Test and both 

 the Avons. It is known to be plentiful in 

 Sweden, Norway, and Lapland ; and it may 

 be generally remarked that it thrives best in 

 rivers with rocky or gravelly bottoms, where 

 stream and pool alternate. The spawning 

 season is in April or May, therein differing 

 from most of the other Salmonidke, which 

 generally spawn late in the autumn : whereas 

 the Grayling is in the finest condition in 

 October and November, when Trout are out 

 of season. 



QBE BE. (Podiceps.) The name given 

 to a natural group of Water birds, allied to 

 the Divers. Their distinguishing characters 

 are a long, straight, and sharp pointed 

 bill ; no tail ; the toes flattened, separate, 

 but broadly fringed at their edges by a firm 

 membrane. This division of the webbed 

 foot probably assists its action, in waters 

 where there are many aquatic plants. The 

 quickness with which they dive is very re- 

 markable : their progression on land, how- 

 ever, is extremely awkward ; for they are 

 obliged to lie upon the whole length of the 

 body, and then to shuffle along like seals, by 

 the action of their feet against the ground. 

 Their flight is very feeble ; but in the act of 

 diving, their wings are of great assistance to 

 them. 



The GREAT-CRESTED GREBE. (Podiceps 

 erfetofMO The length of this bird is about 

 twenty-one inches, and the expansion of 

 its wings thirty. The bill is red at the base 

 and black at the point, and between the 

 bill and the eyes there is a stripe of black 

 naked skin ; the irides are pale red, and the 

 head is adorned with a large dusky crest, 

 divided in the middle. The cheeks and 

 throat are surrounded with a long pendent 



ruff of a bright tawny colour edged with 

 black ; the chin is white ; the hind part of 

 the neck and the back are of a sooty hue j 

 and the rump is covered with long soft down, 

 which supplies the place of a tail. The co- 

 vert-feathers on the second and third joints 

 of the wings and the secondaries are wnite ; 

 all the other wing-feathers are dusky : the 

 breast and belly are of a silvery white colour, 

 soft and glossy ; the plumage under the wings 

 is dusky ; the outsides of the legs are also 

 dusky, but the insides and the toes are a pale 

 green. This bird is found on almost every 

 lake in the north of Europe, and is common 

 in marshes and meres in many parts of 

 England ; it breeds among reeds and flags, 

 in a floating nest kept steady by the weeds 

 of the margin ; preys on fish ; and very 

 rarely quits its watery abode, where by 

 diving and swimming, it is taught to expect 

 food and security. The Grebe is mostly 

 valued for the plumage of its breast, the 

 flesh being rank and nauseous. 



The other species of Grebes are the EARED 

 GREBE (Podiceps auritus) ; the RED-NECKED 

 GREBE (Podiceps rubricoUis) -, and the LIT- 

 TLE GREBE (Podiceps minor). 



GREENFINCH. (Chloroepiza Moris.) 

 This bird, which is also known as the Green 

 Linnet and Green Grosbeak, is rather larger 

 than a Sparrow : the beak is thick and 

 whitish : head and back yellowish green ; 

 the edges of the feathers grayish inclining to 

 ash-colour about the sides of the head and 

 neck : rump and breast more yellow ; greater 

 quills yellow on the outer webs : tail slightly 

 forked ; the middle feathers dusky, and the 

 four outer feathers on each side yellow on 

 their exterior webs : legs flesh-colour. Fe- 

 male less bright, and with a brown cast. 

 The Greenfinch is one of the most common 

 birds in this country : it builds its nest in a 

 low and thick bush or hedge, of hay, stubble, 

 grass, and moss, lined with hair, wool, and 

 feathers ; laying four or five eggs of a pale 

 green colour, sprinkled with small reddish 

 spots, which are thickest at the larger ends. 

 Its food is principally seed and grain ; and 

 it is very easily tamed. Though Green- 

 finches are frequently caged, their note is 

 not to be much admired ; but some, if brought 

 up from the nest, will learn to imitate the 

 songs of most other birds. In the winter 

 this bird flocks with the Chaffinches and 

 Yellowhammers ; and migrates into warmer 

 districts if the weather be very severe. 



GREYHOUND. (Cania \_familiaria) 

 grains.) This elegant variety of the hound 

 is of no modern origin ; for the sport of 

 coursing the hare with Greyhounds was 

 well known in Gaul in the fifth century ; 

 and in the annals of our own country it is 

 recorded that among the dogs kept by royal 

 sportsmen of the olden time, this was one ; 

 nay, by the forest laws of king Canute it 

 was enacted, that no one under the degree of 

 a gentleman should presume to keep a grey- 

 hound ; and even he could keep it only if he 

 lived more than two miles beyond a royal 

 forest, unless two of the dog's toes were cut off. 

 "The third Edward," as Mr. Bell writes, "who 

 usually held his Court at Greenwich during 



BBS 



