THE EDINBURGH 



JOUENAL OF NATUEAL HISTOEY, 



AND OF 



THE PHYSICAL SCIENCES. 



AUGUST, 1837. 



ZOOLOGY. 



DESCRIPTION OF THE PLATE THE WEEPERS. 



The Weeping Monkeys form a section of the Quadrumana characterized hy having 

 four incisors Tbove and below, and a canine tooth and six grinders on each side of 

 either javv ; the head round, the forehead somewhat prominent, the muzzle short, 

 the occiput projecting, the ears rounded; and the tail prehensile, hut entirely 

 covered with hair. The species greatly resemble each other in their external form, 

 so as to render it difficult to characterize them ; and, accordingly, authors have 

 differed as to what ought to be considered as species or varieties. They live in 

 troops in the forests of South America, residing on the trees, and feeding on fruits 

 and insects. 



Fiu. 1. The Common Weeper {Cebus Apella). This species, which is found 

 in French Guiana, has the upper parts of a dusky-brown, the lower paler, the top 

 of the head, the feet, and the tail, blackish-brown ; the outer side of the arms yel- 

 lowish-brown. 



Fii'. 2. The Fearful Weeper, here represented, is generally considered a dark 

 coloured variety of the Common Weeper. 



Ficj. 3. The Capuchin Weeper (C Capucinus) is characterized by having the 

 body of an olivaceous grey, subject, however, to great variation ; the top of the 

 head and the hands black ; the forehead, cheeks, and outer side of the arms, yellowish- 

 grey. It inhabits Guiana. 



Fi". 4. The White-throated Weeper is nearly a variety of the Capuchin, of 

 a darker colour, but with the forehead, throat, and shoulders, greyish-white. 



Fi". 5. The Bearded Weeper (C. barbattis) is so named on account of a circle 

 of long whitish hairs surrounding the face. The general colour is a dull greyish-red, 

 varying, however, to brown or grey. 



Fig. 6. The Horned Weeper (C. fatuellus) is distinguished by two tufts of 

 long hair on the forehead. Its colour is brown, paler beneath ; the extremities 

 blackish-brown. It inhabits Guiana. 



DESCKIPTION OF THE PLATE. THE OWLS. 



The Owls are nocturnal predaceous birds, easily recognised by their pecuhar form, 

 although closely allied to the falconine family. They are characterized by the enor- 

 mous size of their head ; their flattened face ; their very large eyes, which are di- 

 rected forwards, so as to enable them to see an object at once with both ; their 

 hooked bill and claws ; and their peculiarly soft and tufty plumage. Their ears are 

 generally extremely large, and furnished with a flap or operculum, but differ greatly 

 in form and extent, sometimes extending from over the eyes to the throat in a semi- 

 circle, and sometimes of a roundish form, as in the Falcons. Many species have tufts 

 on the head, which, although vulgarly called ears or horns, have no relation whatever 

 to these organs. Some Owls are diurnal, pursuing their prey in open day ; but by 

 far the greater number are nocturnal or crepuscular. The larger species prey on 

 quadrupeds, birds, and fishes ; the smaller chiefly on insects. Squirrels, Rats, Mice, 

 and small birds, are favorite articles of food with those of medium size. Their 

 flight is peculiarly noiseless, buoyant, and wavering ; and they are extremely light 

 for their size, the great bulk of their body being made up chiefly of feathers, while 

 that of the head is partly owing to the same cause, and partly to the separation of 

 the two tables of the skull by very large cells, which communicate with the organ of 

 hearing. Owls are found in all parts of the globe. They inhabit forests, woods, 

 and rocky places ; breed in rocks, towers, old buildings, out-houses, or trees, accord- 

 ing to the species. Their eggs are always white, and more rounded than those of 

 any other birds. This great family has been divided into several genera or sections, 

 respecting the limits of which, however, no two authors are agreed. Cuvier con- 

 siders them as forming only a single genus, which he divides into groups according 

 to their tufts, the size of their ears, the extent of the circle of feathers surrounding 

 their eyes, and other characters. Those represented in the plate belong to his 

 Cheveches, which have no tufts on the head, and are further characterized by having 

 the ears comparatively small. 



Fig. 1. Tengmalm's Owl (^Strix Tengmalmi). This species is about twelve 

 inches in length ; its upper parts are liver-brown, spotted with white, the tail barred 

 with the same colour, the lower parts yellowish-white. It is common to Europe and 

 North America ; is strictly nocturnal ; builds in trees, laying two white eggs, and 

 feeds on mice and insects. 



Fig. 2. The Great Ci.v-erecus Owl (S. chierea). This is the largest of the 

 American species ; and, according to Dr Richardson, inhabits the woody districts of the 

 fur countries ; hunts by day, preys on hares and other animals, and nestles on high trees. 



Fig. 3. Dalhousie's Owl (5. Valhoiisiana). This species, one of the smallest 

 with which we are acquainted, is named in honour of Lady Dalhousie, who presented 

 a specimen of it, along with many other birds, to the Museum of the Edinburgh 

 University. It is a native of Canada. 



Fi". 4. The Little or Passerine Owl (5. passerina) is nearly of the same 

 size as Ten^nialm's Owl, from which it is distinguished by having the lower parts 

 marked with longitudinal brown spots, as well as by other circumstances. It is com- 

 mon to Europe and North America. 



Remarkable instance or Sagacity in a Dog. — M. Alphonse De Candolle 

 bein" last October in the neighbourhood of Aigucsraortes, had occasion to observe a 

 remarkable instance of sagacity in a Dog. The day was hot, and the season unfa- 

 vorable, on account of the trade winds, which are productive of so much inconve- 

 nience on the shores of the Mediterranean. After walking several hours in the 

 desert which separates the town of Aiguesmortes from Carmagne, he arrived with his 

 companions at a plain, where they found some remains of a shipwreck. Of three 

 Dogs which had followed their guide, two accompanied them to this spot. Their 

 black hair imbibed the heat from the sun's rays, and they seemed to find the sand 

 very unpleasant. M. De Candolle sat down on a mat half buried in the sand. One 

 of the Dogs nestled close to a horizontal plank, by way of procuring a little shade, 

 but findin"- this insufficient, scraped up the sand until it came to the part moistened by 

 the sea-water. It then stretched itself with delight in this fresh and shady bed. 

 The other Dog, however, though of the same breed, knevp not what to do, and 

 writhed in the hot sand. 



Hairs in the Intestines of Horses — -IM. Maillet of .\lfort b.as proved by 

 numerous dissections, that hairs exist in some parts of the digestive ca.ial in almost 

 all horses. They are found especially in the pylorus and stomach, and are also fre- 

 quently seen in the colon and coecum. 



BRITISH BIRDS NO. IV. 



The Swift, Cypselus murarins^ arrives in Britain from the 20th of .\pril to the be- 

 ginning- of May. It has been stated by Mr Selby, that " it is seldom seen in the 

 northern parts of England before the end of May, or the beginning of June;" but 

 this appears to be a mistake, for in Edinburgh it always comes before the 5th of 

 May, and even in the very severe weather of 1837, it was seen at Newington and 

 Canonmills on the 3d of that month. It is not in general, however, until after the 

 different species of swallow have made their appearance that it presents itself, a 

 few individuals only being seen at first, and the number gradually increasing until at 

 length they become in many places plentiful, and attract attention by their extremely 

 rapid flight and loud screams. The plumage is perfect at the period of its arrival, 

 and it does not moult during its sojourn in this country. 



The "eneral form of the Swift is rather full ; the body somewhat depressed, the 

 neck very short ; the head broad ; the bill extremely small, but expanded at the base ; 

 the feet remarkably short, but strong ; the tarsus anteriorly feathered ; the four toes 

 nearly of equal length, and all directed forwards ; the claws very strong and curved ; 

 the wint's are exceedingly long and sickle-shaped ; the tail forked. The bill, feet, 

 and eyes, are black ; the colour of the plumage is blackish-brown, generally glossed 

 with greenish, the throat whitish. The length of the male is seven and a half inches ; 

 the extent of its wings sixteen and a half. 



The Swift betakes itself to steeples, high towers, ruinous castles, and abrupt rocks, 

 where it nestles in the holes and crevices. At early dawn, in fine weather, it is to be 

 seen shooting through the air in all directions, with a rapidity scarcely equalled by that 

 of any other bird. Its flight is performed by quick flaps of its long narrow wings, 

 alternatin" with long gUdings or sailings, during which these organs seem motionless, 

 but extended at a moderately open angle. If you watch an individual, you observe 

 it sneedintr away with quick motions of its wings, which, being raised and depressed 

 over a ^reat range, seem to alternate with each other, although this is not in reality 

 the case, all birds moving their wings synchronously. There it shoots along, tuVns 

 to the riL'ht and left, flutters for a moirent, ascends, comes down abruptly, curves 

 and winds m various directions, darts in among its fellows, and is lost to your view. 

 The ease with which it rises, falls, bends to either side, glides in short or long 



