THE EDINBURGH 



JOUKNAL OF NATURAL HISTORY, 



AND OF 



THE PHYSICAL SCIENCES. 



JUNE, 1836. 



ZOOLOGY. 



DESCIIIPTION OF THE PLATE — THE QUAILS. 



Tills gonus was instituted by Mr Stephens, in his continuation of *' Shaw's Gen- 

 oral Zoology," for the reception of such of the Partridges as had thick bills. Thesa 

 are only found in North and South America, They frequent the borders of woods, 

 and reside among brushwood, or in plains where the grass is thick and high, or 

 among grain in fields which are cultivated. If disturbed, they fly to trees, where 

 they perch for safety, and " walk with ease on the branches," according to 

 Audubon ; who says they pt^rforra occasional migrations from north-west to south- 

 east^ usually in the beginning of October, and somewhat in the manner of the; Wild 

 Turkey. 



Figs. 1 and 2. The Virginian Quail, male and femih (Ortt/x Virginiana). — 

 This handsome bird abounds in the Eastern and Middle States of America, and is to 

 be found in most districts of the Union, where it is called ** the Partridge." It emi- 

 grates about the beginning of October, at whicii time, the nortli-eastorn shores of 

 the Ohio are literally covered with them. During these excursions, they frequently 

 fall into the water, and many of them perish, but if they drop at no great distance 

 from the land, they easily reach the shore by swimming, which Audubon affirms they 

 can do '* surprisingly." 



If Virginian Quails are molested, they take refuge in trees, always resorting to the 

 middle branches; and if they think they are noticed by the sportsman, they erect the 

 feathers on the crown of their head, emit a low note, and escape to another part of the 

 tree, or to a more distant one. When they take to flight without being disturbed, 

 tlie whole covey pursue the same course ; but when frightened they disperse in 

 ^-arious directions, and after having alighted call to each other, and arc soon congre- 

 gated by the note of the patriarch-bird of the flock. 



The nest of this bird is of a circular form, in which it leaves an aperture not unlike in 

 shape to that of a common oven. It is placed at the side of a thick tuft of grass, and 

 ii partly sunk in the ground. The female lays from ten to eighteen pure white eggs ; 

 and is assisted by the male in the tedious operation of incubation. They only rear one 

 breed during a year. 



Their manni^r of reposing at night is rather curious, as mentioned by Audubon. 

 He says, ** the Partridge rests at night on the ground, either amongst the grass or 

 under a bent log. The individuals which compose the flock form a ring, and movinf^ 

 backwards, approach each other until their bodies are nearly in contact. This ar- 

 rangement enables the whole covey to take wing when suddenly alarmed, each flying 

 off in a direct course, so as not to interfere with the rest." The flesh of this bird is 

 considered a delicate and agreeable food. 



Figs. 3 and 4. The Californian Quail, male and female (0. Calif urnica). The 

 hrst person who noticed these beautiful birds was an Editor of the voyage of the un- 

 fortunate La Perouse, who also figured them in the plates illustrating that work. 

 They are known to assemble in flocks of two or three hundreds in the low woods and, 

 plains of California. The flesh is said to be of a fine flavour. These quails are easily 

 tamed, and soon become quite reconciled to a state of captivity. They are birds of 

 an elegant bearing, the crests giving them a fine and striking appearance. 



Fig. 5. The Long-tailed Quail (O. Macroura). — Nothing is known of the history 

 of this species ; it is a native of Mexico. 



Fig. 6. .Montezuma's Quail (0. Montezuma). — This is also a Mexican species, 

 but its locality is not known. Some years ago there was a fine specimen of the bird 

 in the Zoological Gardens of London, which is now dead, and its skin is preserved 

 in the iNIuseum of the Zoological Society. 



DESCRIPTION OF THE PLATE — THE KINGLETS. 



These very beautiful Birds were formerly ranked among the Wrens, but Cuvier, 

 following Ray, formed a new genus for their reception under the title of Regulus. 

 They subsist almost entirely on Insects, in the pursuit of which they exhibit great 

 nirableness of action. They construct their nest with much neatness. The British 

 fpecies usually suspend them to the extreme branch of a tree, and cover them exter- 

 nally with mosses, selecting the same kind which is on the tree for their purpose. 



Figs. 1 and 2. The Ruby-crowned Kinglet (Regulus Calendulas). — This beauti- 

 ful species is a native oi North America, They are birds of passage, and visit the 

 United States from the South, about the beginning of April. Their food at this 

 season consfsts of the blossoms of the Maple Tree, and when these fail, they have re- 

 course to those of the Peach, Apple, and other fruit trees. They eat only the sta- 



mens of these flowers, but they also subsist upon the Insects which hover round them. 

 These Birds penetrate far to the North, and even build and incubate in the country 

 around Hudson's Bay. The Ruby-crowned Kinglet is only four inches long, and six 

 in extent of wings. 



Fig. 3. Cuvier's Kinglet (/?.CKi';eri() is a native of Pennsylvania, and was first 

 discovered by Audubon. We know nothing of its history. 



Fi^s. 4 and 5. The American Kinglet (72. ,4/nencan7is).— AVilson and other na- 

 turalists confound this Bird with the European Kinglet — -fig. 8 of this plate — from 

 which it differs in several essential particulars. The length of the American Regulus 

 is three inches and seven-eighths, while the European species varies from three inches 

 and a half to three inches and three quarters ; the bill is also longer, and more dilated 

 at the base, and the crest differs mateiially. 



The American Kinglet is an active, unsuspicious Bird, climbing and hanging occa- 

 sionally among the branches, and sometimes even on the body of the tree, in search 

 of the larvaj of Insects. It also retires northwards to incubate, and is seldom 

 to be met with in the State of Pennsylvania from May to October; after which it 

 becomes very abundant in orchards, and assists greatly in thinning them of the nume- 

 rous Insects with which they are infested at this time of the year. It is four inches 

 long, and six in extent. 



Fig. (>. Byron's Kinglet (fl. Byronensis). — This interesting species is a native of 

 Chili, wliLiucj it was brought by Lord Byron, who presented it to the British Mu- 

 seum. Its habits are unknown. 



Fig. 7. The All-Coloured Kinglet (R. Omnicolor) is a native of Brazil, and in- 

 habits the extensive forests which border the Rio-Grande. It is remarkable for the 

 brilliancy of its plumage; and differs from its congeners in being provided with an 

 ample tuft of feathers on the crown of the head; its bill differs, also, in being some- 

 what straighter. 



Fig. M. The European Kinglet (iZ. Cristatns). This species is to be met with 

 all over Europe, and is plentiful in some parts of this Island. It is a resident With 

 us the whole year rjund ; but S^lby recjrJs two instances where it migrated ; in 

 October 1822 and January 1823. In the latter case, the whole tribe disappeared. 

 This happened a few days prior to the long-continued snow-storm, so severely felt 

 through the Northern Counties of England, and along the eastern parts of Scotland. 

 It is the smallest British Bird, being only throe inches and three quarters in length, 

 and seldom exceeds sixty grains in weight. It is commonly known by the name of 

 ** The Golden- crested Wren." 



Maternal Affection of the iETiiioriAS Sow. — In chasing the old Sows of 

 this species, with their young ones. Dr. Sparmann observed that the heads of the 

 females became suddenly enlarged and more shapeless than they were before. This 

 momentary and wonderful change astonished him so much the more, as, riding hard 

 over a country full of bushes and pits, he had been prevented from giving sufficient 

 attention to the manner in which it was brought about. The whole of the mystery, 

 however, consisted in this : each of the old ones, during its flight, had taken a pig 

 in its mouth ; this also readily explained the reason of his surprise, upon finding that 

 all the pigs which he had been chasing along with the old ones, had vanished on a 

 sudden. In this action we find a kind of unanimity among these animals in which 

 they resemble the tame species, and which they have in a greater degree than many" 

 others. It is likewise very astonishing, that the pigs should be carried about in thii 

 manner, between such large tusks as those of their mother, without being hurt or 

 crying out in the least. 



Migration of Whales — It is now well ascertained that all the Whales which 

 frequent the Pjlar Seas pass annually to the southward, in large bodies, in the 

 months of JMarch and April, about midway between the coasts of Ireland and New- 

 foundland. From the late report of the Committee of the House of Commons on 

 the public works of irelaud, we learn that Whales appear in great numbers on the 

 western coast of that country in the Spring months, and are totally neglected and 

 "unpursued, in consequence of tho poverty and want of means of equipment of the 

 people of that coast. This being the case, it is evident that, the Polar Seas have 

 been too long and needlessly visited in search of cetaceous animals, at the expense of 

 much lo5s of property, time, and human life; as Whales may be equally well encoun- 

 tered and captured in the Atlantic Ocean, as in the dangerous northern regions. 



The Poison of Snakes. — Sir Thomas Brisbane mentions, that one of the poison- 

 ous Snakes which he kept at home, while Governor of New South Wales, bit two 

 of his Pointt^r=, one of which died in three minutes, and the other in about thirty 

 minutes; ihus C4ua!li:ig prussic acid in the rapidity of its effects. 



