36,3 



ORDER III. RASORES. SCRAPING BIRDS. 



' The careful Hen 



Calls all her chirping family around, 

 Fed and defended by the fearless Cock, 

 Whose breast with ardour flames, as on he walks 

 Graceful, and crows defiance." SPUING. 



THE present order includes the common Barn-door Fowl, 

 such as the Cocks, Hens, Pea-fowl, and Turkies; also 

 the different kinds of Pigeons, Pheasants, Grouse, and Par- 

 tridge. They are not in general adapted for rapid flight. 

 They have the hody hulky, the wings short, the legs rohust, 

 and the feet formed for walking; the feet are also employed 

 in scratching the ground, and thus exposing to view the seeds 

 or other food on which the hirds subsist. This action is one of 

 such constant occurrence in the Domestic Hen, that it cannot 

 have escaped the notice of the most careless ohserver. It is 

 this hahit of scraping or scratching the ground, that gives the 

 name to the order, the Latin word rasores literally signifying 

 " scrapers." Passing hy those which are living in a domes- 

 ticated state, the species known as native in these countries 

 may he arranged in four families Doves, Pheasants, Grouse, 

 and Bustards. 



Columbidce. To this family helongs the Ring-dove, or 

 Wood-pigeon (Colwriba palumbus}\ it is the Cushat of the 

 poets, and the Wood-quest of the North of Ireland. This 

 species frequents woods, and in certain situations is so 

 numerous that many hundreds may he seen in a single flock. 

 Great are the complaints made by farmers of the injury they 

 sustain by the quantity of grain consumed by these birds; 

 and some who have advocated the utility of the Rooks have 

 felt unable to do the same with regard to Wood-pigeons. 

 Not so, hoAvever, Mr. St. John. An agricultural friend called 

 his attention on the 6th of March, to an immense flock of 

 these birds busily at work on a field of young clover, which 

 had been under barley the last season, " On this," says he, 



