84 



CLASS AVES. 



ORDER GRALLATORIA. 



one male to several females, and the latter become solitary when they begin 

 to lay ; they make their nests in hollow places among the corn, and the 

 young shift for themselves as soon as hatched. They moult twice a year, 

 and the colours of the male are more varied than those of the female. 



There are eight species, which Temminck has divided into two sections : 

 those which have the beak compressed, and those which have it depressed 

 at the base. 



The Great Bustard (O. Tank) is about three feet three inches in length, 

 but of less size according to the locality. On each side of the lower man- 

 dible a tuft of long, delicate, thread-like feathers ; the head, neck, chest, and 

 edge of the wings ash, with a longitudinal band along the middle of the 

 head ; back yellowish-rust streaked with black ; under parts white ; greater 

 quill-feathers black; tail consisting of twenty feathers white, tinged with 

 reddish for three-fourths of its length, and striped across with two black 

 bands ; beak bluish. The female is distinguished by not having the tufts of 

 feathers on the lower mandible, by the stripe on the head not being so dis- 

 tinct, and by the ashy colour of the head being deeper. The young are buff- 

 coloured varied with black above. The Bustard feeds on green com, clover, 

 and turnip-tops ; it makes its nest in rye or other corn, and lays two eggs of 

 an olive-brown colour, blotched with rusty and grey spots. It is found in 

 some parts of France, in Italy, and Germany, but less commonly in northern 

 than in southern countries. It is rare in England, was formerly found on 

 Salisbury Plain, but is now very uncommon, though it still exists in Nor- 

 folk. How the bird has acquired the cognomen Tarda seems difficult to 

 understand, as it runs extremely fast, and when put up flies many miles and 

 not very slowly. The males are very remarkable for being provided with a 

 large pouch which is capable of holding near seven quarts of water ; it opens 

 beneath the tongue and descends along the neck : it is supposed that this 

 apparatus is provided to enable the bird to carry water to the female whilst 

 sitting ; and Bewick states that it serves him also as a defence against the 

 predaceous birds by which he is occasionally attacked. 



(EwcsEMns Thick-knee. The Common Thick-knee (CE. Crepitans). All 

 the upper parts ferruginous-ash, with a longitudinal streak on the middle 

 of each feather ; belly and thighs pure white ; neck and chest tinged with 

 ferruginous and sprinkled with longitudinal brown streaks ; under tail-coverts 

 ferruginous, caudal quills, excepting the middle, tipped with black ; base of 

 the beak light yellowish, other part black ; ocular circlet and legs yellow. 

 Is very common in the south of Europe, rare in Holland, not unfrequent in 

 England, and a bird of passage in Germany ; lays two eggs of a yellowish- 

 brown colour tinged with green and marked with olive and black spots. 



CHARADRIUS Plover. The birds of which this genus is composed derive 

 their name from the circumstance of their generally depositing their eggs in 

 excavations in the ground. They live on open heaths, by the sides of hills, 

 and the neighbourhood of the sea-coast ; and their food consists of worms 

 and aquatic insects. This genus is considered by Bewick to form the link 

 between the land and water birds. About twelve species. 



The Golden Plover (C. Pluvialis) is the size of a Turtle-dove ; general 

 colour above, dark brown, or black spotted with yellow, as is also the neck, 

 but paler; belly whitish; tail marked with dusky and yellow bars; beak 

 and legs black. Common in this country, in the north of Europe, and 

 America. They fly in small flocks, making a whistling noise, by imitation 

 of which they may be enticed within gun-shot. 



VANELLUS Lapwing. This genus is distinguished from the Charadrii, 

 with which they are allied, by the similarity of their beak, by the existence 

 of a very small hind toe, which never reaches the ground, and is sometimes 

 scarcely discernible ; its presence, however, led Linnaeus to include these 

 birds in his genus Tringa, and it connects the genus with the other four-toed 

 Waders. They are migratory, leaving in cold weather and returning some- 

 times as early as February, travelling in large flocks by the union of many 

 coveys. They inhabit marshy districts, both in the neighbourhood of the 

 sea and fresh waters, feeding on worms, insects and their larvse, and slugs. 

 Those which are found in this country moult twice a year, and there is not 

 any distinction in the plumage of the sexes ; but whether the foreign species 

 are subject to a double moult is unknown. Cuvier divides the genus, which 



includes about ten species, into two, by the names Squatarola (Bastard Lap- 

 wing) and VaneUus (True Lapwing). 



The Grey Sandpiper (V. Melanogaster), figured on Plato 13, is ten inches 

 and a hah in length ; beak black ; irides blackish : its plumage undergoes 

 several changes according to the seasons and its age; but throughout tln-se 

 several changes, it greatly resembles the Golden Plover, C/iaradrius pluvialis : 

 it is, however, distinguished by the presence of the hind toe, and by the long 

 black feathers on the insides of the wings close to the body. This S]xrii-s 

 is found in the northern hemisphere, in Europe, Asia, and America. It is 

 met with in Egypt, and is also found in the Isles of Sonda and in New 

 Guinea. In this country it makes its ap]>earance, in its northward journey, 

 on the Norfolk coast during May, and returns southward in September. 



The Crested Lapwing (V. Cristatus) is a species very common throughout 

 the old world. They are very numerous in the warrens of Norfolk, and in 

 the fenny districts of Cambridge and Lincolnshire. They make their ap- 

 pearance in England in February or early in March, soon spread over the 

 country, and remain with us till November. After pairing on their arrival, 

 they perform very curious evolutions in the air, darting upwards perpen- 

 dicularly to a considerable height, then throwing a summerset, they drop 

 nearly to the ground, and, after wheeling about rapidly several times, they 

 again tower. By the rapid movement of the wings in these exercises a loud 

 hissing noise is produced, and this is accompanied with a long uninterrupted 

 cry, very different from that of alarm, which has attached to them in this 

 country the name of Pee-wit, and in Germany the corresponding Kielitz. 



H.SMATOPUS Oyster-catcher. The Oyster-catchers are always found on 

 the sea-shore, following the tide in search of marine animals, which they 

 drag along the shore, and, if bivalves, open by means of their narrow, 

 wedge-shaped beak, which is admirably adapted for that purpose ; and they 

 also dig in the sand for worms. They both run and fly quickly, and have- a 

 long, shrill cry. Although assembling in large groups for their migration, 

 they live solitarily during the breeding season, and build in the marshes near 

 the sea. 



There is but one English species, the Sea Pie, or Pied Oyster-catcher 

 (H. Ostralegus), which is about fifteen inches long, and two feet wide ; the 

 bill is a bright orange, as are also the naked ocular circlets ; the head, neck, 

 upper part of the chest, back, wings, and tip of the tail deep black ; the 

 under eyelids white, as also a crescent-shaped collar under the throat, which 

 latter is black in pairing-time in the spring ; all the under parts are beauti- 

 fully white ; hides crimson ; legs pale red like blood, whence the generic 

 name. They lay their eggs in open, dry situations, only sheltered by a few 

 blades of grass, which are left during the day to the heat of the sun, but at 

 night are carefully sat on by the hen. The young are easily tamed, and will 

 live among poultry. Although not good swimmers, they are not averse to 

 the water, on which they float rather than swim. Native of the British 

 coasts, and of the northern parts of Europe and America. 



CrjRSORlUS The Bronze-winged Courser (Plate 12) is a fair repre- 

 sentative of this African genus. These birds approximate the Bustard both 

 in habits and appearance ; they inhabit the arid inland tracts of Northern 

 Africa, where they run with great swiftness. 



DlCHOLOPHUS. A South American bird; wild, and of very ret in ,1 

 habits, preferring the vast uninhabited plains to the neighbourhood of 

 human habitations. Hunters catch them with great difficulty, for the bird 

 as soon as it espies the approach of its enemy, which it can at a vast 

 distance, it immediately sets off with great rapidity. 



The Dicholophus is related to the poultry, as is seen by the fact, that 

 notwithstanding its shyness in its wild state, it is easily tamed, and will 

 live sociably with its fellow-occupants of the poultry-yard. 



Marcgrave's Cariama (D. Cristata), Plate 12, is larger than the H. 

 its plumage is yellow, with wavy streaks of brown ; a few disunited 

 feathers form a light crest, which overhangs the base of die bill ; space 

 round the eyes destitute of feathers, the skin being of a bluish colour ; the 

 naked parts of the leg, feet, and toes are orange. Its food, in its wild state, 

 consists of Lizards and insects ; and its voice is loud, like that of a young 

 Turkey. The flesh of the Dicholopliiis is much esteemed. 



