popular JBtctfnnarn nf gfotmafrt Mature. 467 



tribes together. For these vermin, the 

 Starlings search with great diligence ; in the 

 ground, at the roots of plants, in orchards, 

 and meadows, as well as among buds, leaves, 

 and blossoms ; and, from their known vo- 

 racity, the multitudes of these insects which 

 they destroy must be immense. Let me 

 illustrate this by a short computation : if 

 ! we suppose each bird, on an average, to 

 ; devour fifty of these larvse in a day (a very 

 i moderate allowance), a single pair, in four 

 months, the usual time such food is sought 

 i after, will consume upwards of twelve thou- 

 sand. It is believed, that not less than a 

 million pair of these birds are distributed 

 over the whole extent of the United States 

 in summer ; whose food, being nearly the 

 same, would swell the amount of vermin 

 ' destroyed to twelve thousand millions. But 

 the number of young birds may be fairly 

 estimated at double that of their parents ; 

 and, as these are constantly fed on larva;, 

 : for at least three weeks, making only the 

 i same allowance for them as for the old ones, 

 their share would amount to four thousand 

 two hundred millions ; making a grand total 

 of sixteen thousand two hundred millions of 

 noxious insects destroyed in the space of 

 four months by this single species ! The 

 combined ravages of such a hideous host of 

 vermin would be sufficient to spread famine 

 and desolation over a wide extent of the 

 richest and best cultivated country on earth. 

 All this, it may be said, is mere supposition. 

 It is, however, supposition founded on known 

 and acknowledged facts. I have never dis- 

 sected any of these birds in spring without 

 receiving the most striking and satisfactory 

 proofs of these facts ; and though, in a 

 matter of this kind, it is impossible to as- 

 certain precisely the amount of the benefits 

 derived by agriculture from this and many 

 other species of our birds, yet, in the present 

 case, I cannot resist the belief, that the ser- 

 1 vices of this species, in spring, are far more 

 important aad beneficial than the value of 

 all that portion of corn which a careful and 

 active farmer permits himself to lose by it. 



" The Red-winged Starling is nine inches 

 long, and fourteen inches in extent ; the 

 general colour is a glossy black, with the 

 exception of the whole lesser wing-coverts, 

 the first, or lower row of which is of a reddish 

 cream colour, the rest a rich and splendid 

 scarlet ; legs and bill, glossy brownish black ; 

 irides, hazel ; bill, cylindrical above, com- 

 pressed at the sides, straight, running con- 

 siderably up the forehead, where it is pro- 

 minent, rounding and flatfish towards the 

 tip, though sharp-pointed ; tongue, nearly 

 as long as the bill, tapering and lacerated at 

 i the end ; tail, rounded, the two middle 

 i feathers also somewhat shorter than those 



the latter inclining to cream on the breast ; 

 whole plumage above, black, each feather 

 bordered with pale brown, white, or bay, 

 giving the bird a very mottled appearance ; 

 lesser coverts, the same ; bill and legs as in 

 the male." 



We observe that Mr. Darwin, in his ' Re- 

 searches,' speaking of the various birds which 

 abound on the undulating grassy plains of 

 Maldonado, says, " Several species of the 

 genus Cassicus, allied to our Starlings in 

 habits and structure, and of Tyrant Fly- 

 catchers, and a Mocking-bird, from their 

 numbers, give a character to the ornithology. 

 Some of the Cassici are very beautiful, black 

 and yellow being the prevailing colours ; but 

 Orioius riibcr offers an exception, in having 

 its head, shoulders, and thighs of the most 

 splendid scarlet. This bird differs from its 

 congeners in being solitary. It frequents 

 marshes ; and, seated on the summit of a 

 low bush, with its mouth wide o]*n, utters 

 a plaintive agreeable cry, which can be heard 

 at a long distance." 



ORNITIIORHYNCHUS, or DUCK- 

 BILLED PLATYPUS. (On0&ar*wdte0 

 jxiniiloxiis.) This extraordinary animal, 

 which almost appears to be a link between 

 the aquatic birds and the mammalia, is pe- 

 culiar to New Holland and Van Diemcn's 

 Land. When the first specimen was sent 

 to this country, the abnormal character of 



i immediately adjoining. 



The female is seven inches and a quarter 

 in length, and twelve inches in extent ; 

 chin, a pale reddish cream ; from the nostril 

 over the eve. and from the lower mandible, 

 run two stripes of the same, speckled with 

 black ; from the posterior angle of the eye 

 backwards, a streak of brownish black covers 

 the auriculars ; throat, and whole lower 

 parts, thickly streaked with black and white, 



DOOK-BIt-LBD MOLLTNaOUa. 

 (ORNITHORHTNOnOS PARA.DOX0S.} 



its beak excited the suspicion of naturalists 

 that some trick had been attempted to be 

 played off upon them ; nor was it until one 

 or two more arrived, that they were disposed 

 to believe it was a txma fide appendage to 

 the animal's body. The Ornithorhynchus is 

 about twenty inches long, having a long and 

 flattened body like that of the Otter, covered 

 with a thick soft fur, moderately dark brown 

 above, and whitish beneath. The muzzle is 

 elongated, enlarged, and flattened, resem- 

 | bling the beak of a duck, like which, its 

 ; edges are armed with transversal plates. The 

 I teeth are situate in the back part of the 

 month, two on each side, with flat tops and no 

 ! roots. The feet are furnished with a mem- 

 ; brane uniting the toes, and in the anterior 

 feet extending beyond the nails. The tail 

 is flat and obtuse. From the form of this 

 animal it is fitted to reside in the water ; 

 j and it must feed on soft food, as the structure 

 I of the beak will not enable it to grasp any 

 i thing firmly. The central portion of the 

 mandibles is a bony continuation from the 

 skull, and anteriorly and laterally a carti- 

 laginous substance, perfectly movable, ex- 

 tends some little distance from the bony 

 i portion. Feet five-toed and webbed. In 

 j the fore feet the web extends a short distance 



