614 



ORNITHOLOGY. 



Rasores. England, where it breeds in woods. It. is sometimes seen 



v ~-" _ v~' / towards the end of summer in little flocks of a score or 



two together. This bird leaves Britain in the course of 



the autumn, and does not to our knowledge remain in any 



part of Europe throughout the winter season. 



Of the exotic pigeons one of the most remarkable is the 

 goura, or great-crowned pigeon, Lophyrus coronatus, Vieil- 

 lot (see Plate CCCXCIX. fig. 1). It is by far the largest 

 of the tribe, measuring nearly two feet and a half in length. 

 It inhabits Java, New Guinea, and most of the Molucca 

 Islands, and is occasionally brought alive to Europe, where, 

 however, the climate is too moist and variable to admit of 

 its ever attaining to a good old age. 



One of the most magnificent of the tribe is the hackled 

 pigeon (C. Francice), distinguished by the irregular form 

 of the feathers on the head, neck, and breast, which are 

 long and narrow, and terminate in a shining appendage 

 resembling in consistence, though not in colour, the tips 

 of the wing-feathers of the waxen chatterer. It inhabits 

 Southern Africa and the island of Madagascar. Another 

 singular species is the parabolic pigeon (C. arquatrix), 

 discovered by Vaillant, and figured in his splendid work on 

 the birds of Africa. The flight of this bird is very re- 

 markable. It never proceeds in a straight line, but on 

 commencing its route describes a parabola, and continues 

 forming a series of arcs during the whole time, frequently 

 uttering a peculiar cry. It inhabits the forests of Anteni- 

 quois, and is so bold as to persecute the white eagle. 



The carunculated pigeon (C. carunculata, Temm.) is 

 placed by Mr Selby with the ground doves, genus Geo- 

 philus of that author. This little group is not only dis- 

 tinguished by a greater length of tarsus and other organic 

 characters, but by a striking departure from the general 

 economy of the Columbidae, the number of eggs not being 

 confined to two, but extending to eight or ten. Incuba- 

 tion also takes place upon the ground ; and the young, like 

 those of the true gallinaceous birds, are produced from the 

 egg in so matured a state as to follow their parents from 

 the first. They live entirely on the ground, but roost at 

 night on trees and bushes. The carunculated species just 

 referred to is observed by M. Temminck to show a strong 

 resemblance to the gallinaceous tribes both in aspect and 

 manners. The fleshy scarlet lobes around the eyes and 

 throat correspond, it is supposed, to the wattles of domes- 

 tic poultry. It builds its nest in slight depressions on the 

 ground, of twigs and stems of grass, and lays from six to 

 eight eggs, which are sat upon alternately by male and fe- 

 male. The young are able to follow their parents as soon 

 as hatched, and are led about by them, and brooded over 

 with extended wings. Their first food consists chiefly of 

 the larvae of ants and other insects, and when greater 

 strength is gained, of seeds and berries. The beautiful 

 Nicobar pigeon (C. Nicobarica, Lath.) has been likewise 

 referred to the same genus. Though of a heavy form and 

 ungraceful carriage, it yields to none of its tribe in splen- 

 dour of plumage, of which the prevailing hue is rich metal- 

 lic green, with various reflections of copper and purplish 

 red. It is generally described as residing habitually upon 

 the ground, where it runs with great celerity, — perching 

 on the lower limbs of trees at night. Yet Mr Bennet al- 

 ludes to this species as usually seen perched on trees, even 

 on the loftiest branches, — where, he adds, it rears its 

 young " similar to all the pigeon tribe." 1 It inhabits Ni- 

 cobar, Java, Sumatra, and other eastern islands. 



We have already alluded briefly to the turtle-dove. The 

 most common kind in cages, in this country, is not the 

 English species, but that called the laughing or collared 



turtle, T. risorius (torquatus, Briss.). 



It is bred with great 



facility in Britain, but the winter cold would probably be 

 too much for it out of doors ; and it seems, moreover, to 

 want that instinct of local attachment which induces our v 

 common pigeon to continue in the place where it was born 

 and bred. In its natural state this species occurs in vari- 

 ous parts of Africa. 



Somewhat resembling the turtles in the length of its 

 wings and tail is the famous passenger pigeon of America, 

 of whose rapid flight and countless congregations we have 

 such graphic accounts in the delightful pages of Wilson 

 and Audubon. This bird is the Columba migratoria of 

 authors, and is placed by Mr Swainson in his genus Ecto- 

 pistes. It may be presumed to be sufficiently common in 

 North America, from a fact, or rather calculation, given by 

 Alexander Wilson. He estimated a flock which continued 

 to pass above him for the greater part of a day, to have 

 been a mile in breadth, and 240 miles in length, and to 

 have contained (three birds being assigned to every square 

 yard), at least two thousand two hundred and thirty million 

 two hundred and seventy-two thousand pigeons ! Mr Audu- 

 bon confirms his predecessor's account by a narrative still 

 more extraordinary ; and adds, that as every pigeon con- 

 sumes fully half a pint of food (chiefly mast), the quantity 

 necessary for supplying his flock must have amounted to 

 eight millions seven hundred and twelve thousand bushels 

 per day ! 2 We wonder, after this, that any farmer should 

 ever dare to migrate to America. 



The genus Vinago of Cuvier consists of pigeons with 

 strong solid compressed bills, short tarsi, and broad distinct- 

 ly bordered feet. They inhabit forests, live on fruits and 

 berries, and occur in the tropical regions of the old world. 

 Their prevailing colours are various shades of green and 

 yellow, contrasted with purple or reddish brown. The 

 Columba aromatica of Latham is a Vinago. (See Plate 

 CCCXCIX. fig. 3.) 



We shall now close our brief sketch of the gallinaceous 

 order. 



Order V.— GRALLATORES. 3 



SHORE-BIRDS, OR WADERS. 



The characters of this order, so far as they can be for- 

 mally stated, are as follows. The shape of the bill is in- 

 determinate. The legs are long and slender, and more 

 or less bare above the tarsus. There are three anterior 

 toes, more or less united at their bases by a membrane or 

 rudimentary web. The hind toe is wanting in one division 

 of the order. 



Among the extensive and varied tribes which constitute 

 the grallatorial order, the bill, as we have just intimated, 

 is formed after so many different models (though always 

 in beautiful accordance with the habits of each particular 

 group), that its structure cannot be generalised, or senten- 

 tiously expressed. The structure of the feet and legs is 

 also admirably adapted for the exercise of their peculiar 

 habits of life, being so lengthened as to admit of the species 

 wading to a considerable depth without wetting their fea- 

 thers, and of running with great rapidity along the mar- 

 gins of lakes and rivers, or the sea's more sandy shores. 

 It is to this length of limb that they owe the name of Gral- 

 lalores, as if they went on stilts. The French title of 

 echassiers is also derived from the resemblance which the 

 legs bear to the echasses, so frequently used by the natives 

 of the landes of Aquitaine. A too exclusive attention, 

 however, to this character seems to have misled some mo- 

 dern naturalists, who have included several very remotely 



Gralla. 

 tores. 



1 Wanderings, &c. vol. ii. p. 64. 



s See his interesting account of the passenger-pigeon, in Ornithological Biography, vol. i. p. 319-26. 



3 Grall^b, Linn. 



