PASSARINE BIRDS. 24)5 



the Gallinaceous birds, the wood-grouse is sup- 

 ported by the young shoots of the pine in his 

 forests ; but the black and red grouse live upon 

 berries found on the moor, the seeds and tops of 

 the heath ; the partridge upon seeds in the field, 

 blades of grass or of corn; the pheasant upon mast, 

 acorns, berries from the hedge or the brake. The 

 bustard is content to live upon worms alone, found 

 in early morning upon downs and wide extended 

 plains, where none dispute his right or compete 

 with him, but one species of plover. The doves 

 make their principal meals in open fields, upon 

 green herbage and seeds. The stare again feeds 

 upon worms and insects, but in places remote from 

 the bustard^ nor does he contend with the rook, or 

 the daw, but takes his meat and is away. 



The Passarine birds, indeed, are remarkably 

 dissimilar in their manner of feeding. The missel- 

 thrush will have berries from the misseltoe, or seeks 

 for insects and slugs in wild and open places, the 

 heath or the down. The songthrush makes his meal 

 from the snail on the bank, or worm from the pad- 

 dock ; but the blackbird, though associating with 

 him, leaves the snails, contenting himself with worms 

 from the hedgeside, or berries from the briar or the 

 bush. The fieldfare consumes worms in the mead 

 or haws from the hedge. The crossbill will have 

 seeds from the apple, or cone of the fir the green- 

 finch, seeds from the uplands, or door of barn, or 

 rickyard. The bunting is peculiarly gifted with a 

 bony knob in the roof of his bill, upon which he 



