178 



OBSERVATIONS ON BIRDS. 



mination. These birds are seen with us in the 

 spring and autumn only, for a short time, on their 

 passage to and from the North, where they breed. 

 The largest flocks generally occur in September. 

 Those killed in the present instance consisted of 

 one male and three females. The former, though not 

 an old individual, was in his full spring plumage, 

 and made a lively appearance. In the females the 

 colours were similar, but less bright and fixed. 



On opening these birds, we found them loaded 

 with fat, which lay spread in broad bands over the 

 surface of the breast and abdomen : here and there 

 was noticed a peculiar oily secretion, intermixed 

 with the fat, and collected in large drops, which 

 floated on water. The liver was large, concealing 

 the stomach, and consisted of two lobes, the right 

 one nearly double the size of the left. The lower 

 part of the oasophagus was considerably dilated. 

 The stomach was a true gizzard, with the coats 

 very strong and muscular, varying in thickness 

 from two to four lines ; it was filled with the ely- 

 tra and other remains of coleopterous insects, espe- 

 cially the smaller carabidcs^ intermixed with a few 

 gravels. The length of the intestinal canal was 

 sixteen inches and a half ; its diameter nearly uni- 

 form throughout : at its further extremity were two 

 caeca, two inches in length, and taking their origin 

 about that distance from the vent. 



In the female birds the ova were found to be 

 scarcely at all developed. It is probable, therefore, 

 that this species is a late breeder ; and that, though 

 found on our open lands to the middle or even the 



