BIRDS IN GENERAL. 



17 



All birds in general are less than quadru- 

 peds; that is, the greatest of one class far sur- 

 pass the greatest of the other in magnitude. 

 The ostrich, which is the greatest of birds, 

 bears no proportion to the elephant ; and the 

 smallest humming-bird, which is the least of 

 the class, is still far more minute than the 

 mouse. In these the extremities of nature are 

 plainly discernible ; and in forming them she 

 appears to have been doubtful in her opera- 

 tions: the ostrich, seemingly covered with 

 hair, and incapable of flight, making near ap- 

 proaches to the quadruped class; while the 

 humming bird, of the size of an humble-bee, 

 and with a fluttering motion, seems nearly 

 allied to the insect. 



These extremities of this class are rather 

 objects of human curiosity than utility : it is 

 the middle order of birds which man has 

 taken care to propagate and maintain. Of 

 those which he has taken under his protection, 

 and which administer to his pleasures or ne- 

 cessities, the greatest number seem creatures 

 of his formation. The variety of climate to 

 which he consigns them, the food with which 

 he supplies them, and the purposes for which 

 he employs them, produce amazing varieties, 

 both in their colours, shape, magnitude, and 

 the taste of their flesh. Wild birds are, for 

 the most part, of the same magnitude and 

 shape ; they still keep the prints of primeval 

 nature strong upon them, except in a few ; 

 they generally maintain their very colour: 

 but it is otherwise with domestic animals; 

 they change at the will of man of the tame 

 pigeon, for instance, it is said they can be 

 bred to a feather. 



As we are thus capable of influencing their 

 form and colour, so also is it frequent to see 

 equal instances of our influencing their habi- 

 tudes, appetites, and passions. The cock, for 

 instance, is artificially formed into that cour- 

 age and activity which he is seen to possess ; 

 and many birds testify a strong attachment to 

 the hand that feeds them ; how far they are 

 capable of instruction, is manifest to those that 

 have the care of hawks. But a still more 

 surprising instance of this was seen some time 

 ago in London : a canary bird was taught to 

 pick up the letters of the alphabet, at the 

 word of command, so as to spell any person's 

 name in company ; and this the little animal 

 did by motions from its master, which were 

 imperceptible to every other spectator. Upon 

 the whole, however, they are inferior to quad- 

 rupeds in docility ; and seem more mechani- 

 cally impelled by all the power of instinct. 



VOL. II 



CHAP. III. 



OF THE DIVISION OP BIRDS. 



THOUGH birds are fitted for sporting in the air, 

 yet as they find their food upon the surface of 

 the earth, there seems a variety equal to the 

 different aliments with which it tends to sup- 

 ply them. The flat and burning desert, the 

 rocky cliff, the extensive fen, the stormy ocean, 

 as well as the pleasing landscape, have all 

 their peculiar inhabitants. The most obvious 

 distinction therefore of birds, is into those that 

 live by land and those that live by water ; 

 or, in other words, into land birds, and water 

 fowl. 



It is no difficult matter to distinguish land 

 from water fowl, by the legs and toes. All 

 land birds have their toes divided without any 

 membrane or web between them ; and their 

 legs and feet serve them for the purposes of 

 running, grasping, or climbing. On the 

 other hand, water fowl have their legs and 

 feet formed for the purposes of wading in 

 water, or swimming on its surface. In those 

 that wade, the legs are usually long and 

 naked; in those that swim, the toes are web- 

 bed together, as we see in the feet of a goose, 

 which serve, like oars, to drive them forward 

 with greater velocity. The formation there- 

 fore, of land and water fowl, is as distinct as 

 their habits ; and Nature herself seems to of- 

 fer us this obvious distribution, in methodizing 

 animals of the feathered creation. 



However, a distinction so comprehensive 

 goes but a short way in illustrating the differ- 

 ent tribes of so numerous a class. The num- 

 ber of birds already known, amounts to above 

 eight hundred ;* and every person who turns 

 his mind to these kinds of pursuits, is every 

 day adding to the catalogue. It is not 

 enough, therefore, to be able to distinguish a 

 land from a water fowl ; much more is still 

 required to be able to distinguish the differ- 

 ent kinds of birds from each other; and even 

 the varieties in the same kind, when they 

 happen to offer. This certainly is a work of 

 great difficulty ; and perhaps the attainment 

 will not repay the labour. The sensible part 

 of mankind will not withdraw all their atten- 

 tion from more important pursuits, to give it 

 entirely up to what promises to repay them 

 only with a very confined species of amuse- 

 ment. In my distribution of birds, therefore, 

 I will follow Linnaeus in she first sketch of 

 his system ; and then leave him, to follow the 

 most natural distinctions, in enumerating the 



1 Since Goldsmith's time, nearly three thousand spe- 

 cies of birds have been ascertained, and many of tlie 

 species have several varieties. 

 c 



