ORNITHOLOGY. 



579 



Insessorcs. lous term, which, however, serves the best purpose of a 

 "~—~v~-" / name, in being generally understood to relate to the spe- 

 cies in question) are solitary birds, which feed voracious- 

 ly on insects, and fly about during the evening twilight, 

 encroaching in mid-summer on the clear and stilly hours 

 of night. Our only British species (C. Europaus) is a 

 bird of passage ; and in its beautifully brindled plumage of 

 ashy-gray, brown, and black, with here and there a patch 

 of white, presents a characteristic example of the genus. 

 It frequents commons, heaths, and uncultivated tracts, es- 

 pecially where interspersed with brushwood. When on the 

 wing, it utters occasionally a sharp hawk-like cry ; but Cu- 

 vier surely errs when he asserts that " l'air qui s'engouifre, 

 quand ils volent, dans leur large bee, y produit un bour- 

 donnement particulier." If he alludes to the peculiar pur- 

 ring and prolonged sound which some compare to that of 

 a spinning-wheel, there is no doubt of its being produced 

 when the bird is at rest, on the top of a wall, or among a 

 heap of stones. When perched upon a branch or paling, 

 its position is peculiar. It rests horizontally in the same 

 direction as that by which it is supported, instead of across 

 or at right angles. Its flight, when pursuing moths and 

 beetles, is very easy and graceful. The species of this 

 genus are widely distributed. Three occur in North Ame- 

 rica i several in the southern parts of the new world ; in 

 New Holland they are well known ; Africa produces some 

 remarkable kinds ; and those of Java and the East have 

 been described by recent naturalists. Out of these, how- 

 ever, several subordinate genera have been created. The 

 strong-billed species, which want the membrane between 

 the toes, and the dentation of the middle claw, form the 

 genus Podargus. They are natives of New Holland and 

 the eastern islands. (See Plate CCCXCI. fig. 6.) The 

 great species from Guiana, which has the sides of the 

 upper mandible dilated into a blunt tooth, constitutes the 

 genus Nyctibius of Vieillot. A very peculiar species 

 (Guacharo de caripe), which feeds on fruits, and dwells gre- 

 gariously in caverns, where the young are much sought 

 after on account of their delicious fat, forms the genus 

 Steatornis of Humboldt. 1 It is the only frugivorous 

 night-flying bird with which we are acquainted. 



Although the general title of goat-sucker is so fami- 

 liar to our ears, we confess we were never aware of how 

 it had originated, — deeming it some accidental and un- 

 meaning application, — till we had read the following pas- 

 sage in Mr Waterton's work. " When the moon shines 

 bright, you may have a fair opportunity of examining the 

 goat-sucker. You will see it close by the cows, goats, 

 and sheep, jumping up every now and then under their 

 bellies. Approach a little nearer, — he is not shy, — ' he 

 fears no danger, for he knows no sin.' See how the 

 nocturnal flies are tormenting the herd, and with what 

 dexterity he springs up and catches them, as fast as they 

 alight on the belly, legs, and udder of the animals. Ob- 

 serve how quietly they stand, and how sensible they 

 seem of his good offices ; for they neither strike at him, 

 nor hit him with their tail, nor tread on him, nor try to 

 drive him away as an uncivil intruder. Were you to dis- 

 sect him, and inspect his stomach, you would find no milk 

 there. It is full of the flies which have been annoying 

 the herd." 2 Many an hour, during the long still summer 

 evenings, have we watched the flight of our only British 

 species, while it hawked for moths along the fringed mar- 

 gins of the rocky woods, or glanced more openly across 

 the dewy meadows which bank the crystal basin of the 

 " beautiful Winander," — but we never saw it hovering 

 around or near to any kind of cattle. We doubt not, how- 

 ever, that the same habit, as noted by Mr Waterton, must 



have been observed in Europe, and has, through miscon- Insessores. 

 ception, originated the vernacular name. s " - ~"y— •-* 



Tribe 3d. — Conirostres. 



In this tribe are comprehended a considerable variety 

 of genera, exhibiting not a little disparity in size, struc- 

 ture, and habits, but agreeing in their bills being compa- 

 ratively strong, more or less conical, and without notch. 

 Several of the species, such as crows and magpies, are 

 omnivorous ; but, generally speaking, when compared with 

 either of the two preceding tribes, the diet of the Coniros- 

 tres may be termed granivorous. 



The first little group is constituted by the larks, genus 

 Alauda, Linn., of which the greater number have the 

 bill straight, moderately thick, and pointed. (See Plate 

 CCCXCII. fig. 1.) Though their flight is occasionally lofty 

 and sustained, and the sky-lark (A. arvensis) obtains its 

 name 



From warbling high 



His trembling thrilling extacy, 



As, lessening from the dazzled sight, 



He melts in air and liquid light, — 



yet they haunt, and build their humble nests, habitually 

 in fields of grain or grassy meadows. Even the wood-lark 

 {A. arborea), although it perches and sometimes sings on 

 trees, rears its young upon the ground. The shore-lark 

 of Pennant (A. alpestris, Gmel.) is common to the north- 

 ern parts of Europe, Asia, and America. 



In the genus Parus, Linn., the bill is small, short, coni- 

 cal, straight, beset at the base with hairs, and the nostrils 

 concealed by feathers. The species commonly called tit- 

 mice are lively, active little birds, usually observed flying 

 with eagerness from tree to tree in search of insects, scal- 

 ing the branches in all directions, and seemingly quite re- 

 gardless whether their heads or their heels are uppermost. 

 Their nests are usually placed under cover, either in the 

 crevice of a wall or the hollow of an old tree, and the 

 number of eggs which they lay exceeds that of most Pas- 

 seres. They eat grain and seeds, as well as insects. The 

 species are distributed over the whole world, with the ex- 

 ception of New Holland, South America, and the islands 

 of the South Pacific Ocean. Although of rather gay and 

 beautiful plumage, they are more numerous in temperate 

 and northern countries than between the tropics. We 

 have seven species in Britain, of which the bearded tit- 

 mouse {P. biarmicus) is scarce, and partially distributed, 

 and the crested species (P. cristatus) so extremely rare as 

 to be regarded as accidental. From the small size, rapid 

 movements, and usually arboreous habits of all these birds, 

 their doings can scarcely be observed with advantage during 

 the umbrageous summer. But when the woods have either 

 lost their leafy glory, or the dry red foliage hangs unresis- 

 tant of the slightest breath, then are these vivacious crea- 

 tures seen to congregate in little flocks, sometimes seve- 

 ral species joining together, and cheering each other on 

 with frequent shrilly cries. In their foraging excursions 

 they likewise visit our gardens, shrubberies, and cottage 

 doors, plundering the farm-yards, eating potatoes with the 

 pigs and poultry, and greedily searching out an old mar- 

 row-bone, or (if in Scotland) a sheep's head of the preced- 

 ing Sunday. The suspended nests of some of the foreign 

 species are extremely elegant, and even that of our own 

 long-tailed species is an object of great interest and beauty. 

 Mr Selby describes it as usually fixed in one of the smaller 

 forks of a tree branch, but occasionally amid the closer 

 screen of a fir, or the centre of a thick bush of woodbine 

 or thorn. It is of a longish oval form, composed of different 



1 Acad, des Sciencci, Mars 1S1 7, Ncuv. Bull. 1817, P- 61, 



Wanderings in South Amcrija, p. 143. 



