122 



THE EDINBURGH JOURNAL OF NATURAL HISTORY, 



by road-sides. It is merely a slight hollow scraped in the soil, with a few straws, 

 and contains from ten to fifteen eggs, of a pale greenish-brown colour, averaging an 

 inch and a half in length. Although the male takes no part in incubation, he remains 

 in the neighbourhood of the nest, and on apprehension of danger to it comes up and 

 endeavours to entice from it the person who may have approached too near for its 

 safety. The young are led about by both parents, who manifest the greatest anxiety 

 for their welfare. The female cowers over them in wet or cold weather, protects 

 them in the same manner at night, and evinces the most striking marks of maternal 

 tenderness in all her actions. The principal food of the young is insects and larvs, 

 and especially tho^e of ants. During autumn and winter the brood remain with their 

 parents, and towards the commencement of the latter season, several families unite into 

 a pack. Pailridge-shooting is a favorite diversion; but, notwithstanding the va^t 

 numbers annually killed, these birds seem to be rather increasing than diminishing ; 

 so that, as an article of food, they are not beyond the reach of the middle classes of 

 society. The Partridge thrives in a state of captivity when properly fed, but refuses 

 to breed in that condition. As may be expected in a bird apparently so dependent 

 upon the labours of man for shelter and subsistence, it varies considerably in size, it 

 being found that in the valleys of the hilly and little cultivated districts it usually attains 

 a smaller size than in the rich plains, where it finds an abundant supply of nutritious food. 



The Virginian Colin, Ortyx f-irc/miana, is much smaller than the Common 

 Partridge, and has the upper parts brownish-red, variegated with black ; the throat 

 and a broad band over the eye, white ; the loral space, and a broad band passing down 

 the neck and crossing it in front, black ; the lower parts greyish-white, undulated 

 with black. The habits of this species have been admirably described by Wilson and 

 Audubon, the latter of whom states, that it " has been introduced into various parts 

 of Europe, but is not much liked there, being of such pugnacious habits as to drive 

 off the Grey Partridge, which is considered a better bird for the table." 



The Coimmon Quail, CoUirnix dactylisonans, is a very beautiful little bird, not 

 exceeding eight inches in length, and having the u])per parts variegated with reddish- 

 grey and brownish- black, and marked with whitish longitudmal pointed streaks, of 

 which are three bands on the head. It is generallydistributed over Europe, and a 

 great part of Asia and Africa. In the former region it is migratory, airiving in the 

 beginning of summer, and departing in September, generally in vast straggling flocks. 

 Their arrival in England takes place in the middle of May. They never appear with 

 us in great numbers, but coming quietly, like the Corn Crake, spread over the country 

 unobserved, and are pretty generally distributed, although nowhere plentiful, and in 

 the northern counties very rare. It is seldom that they are now met with in Scotland. 

 The food of the Quail consists of seeds, herbage, and occasionally insects ; and its 

 haunts are chiefly the cultivated fields and pastures, where it continues during the 

 season, never entering the woods or perching. The nest is a slight hollow, with 

 some dry blades, on which it deposits its numerous eggs, sometimes amounting to 

 twenty, and of a regular oval form, reddish-yellow, marked all over with brown spots 

 and blotches. The males are extremely pugnacious, and when they meet each other 

 in their haunts engage in desperate combats. They utter a loud shrill cry, composed 

 of several notes, which have been considered as constituting a kind of song, \f\ conse- 

 quence of which these birds are often kept in cages on the Continent. 



CURIOUS HABITS OF A DOMESTIi; PIGEON. 



The following account of a Pigeon, exhibiting in a very remarkable degree the social 

 instinct misapplied, has been transmitted to us by the Rev. Mr Adam of Peebles. 

 •' About fourteen years ago," says the owner of the bird, in a letter to the gentleman 

 just mentioned, " the right wing of the Pigeon which you saw in our house was 

 broken by a shot, which was the means of his coming into our possession. After re- 

 covering of his wound, he showed his courage by defeating a hawk, who had the 

 audacity to attack him, as he sat in the sole of a window. On one occasion he was 

 sent with his mate — for we took care to furnish him with one — to the house of a 

 gentleman in our neighbourhood ; and while there, he gave many proofs of his- supe- 

 riority as a bird of courage, at least when opposed to others of his own species ; and 

 this superiority he maintained until his companion fell a prey to the Rats. Poor 

 Poodle, (as we call him,) disconsolate at the lose of his spouse, now left this place 

 for his former habitation, no doubt thinking that a change of scene might do him t^ood ; 

 but, unable to fly, he was obliged to walk a distance of somewhat more than a quarter 

 of a mile. Wayworn and bedaubed with mud, he trudged into the room, and emitted 

 his wonted coo-roo as he took possession of his old castle, to wit, that part of the floor 

 in a corner, on which stands an old table, and into which he will not allow Don- or 

 Cat to enter, or even to approach, without a blow of his wino- or bill. 



*' Wext spring, finding no mate, he attached himself to a stocking-foot stuffed with 

 straw, round which lie built a nest. The year following he took up with a Rabbit 

 that used to run about the house. This animal in its pranks, with a kind of half 

 wicked and half sportive design, would sometimes destroy Poodle's nest. This was no 

 doubt a great annoyance to the Pigeon, for it generally cost him the labour of a whole 

 week to repair the injury done. It was curious to see how he proceeded in this ope- 

 ration : having lifted a piece of twig, and placed in the position in which he wishiBd 

 it to rest upon those intended to be placed under it, he perhaps found it too lar<re, on 

 which he would not attempt to shorten it, for some kind of intuitive knowled"-e seemed 

 to assure him, that the attempt on his part would be vain ; but laid aside the lon*^ 

 twig for future use, and had recourse to one of smaller dimensions. While this Rab- 

 bit was his associate, he used to remind it at night that it was time to retire to rest ; 

 if disobeyed, he gave the intimation in another form, went out from his retirement, 

 and compelled compHani;e. During the day, if the Rabbit was on the floor, he used 

 to come out and attempt to decorate it, in which occupation he took great pleasure, 

 especially in trimming its long ears. The Rabbit would sit still all th^ while, unless 

 the Pigeon became rude, when a battle would take place. At length the Rabbit was 

 killed, and Poodle for some time had no mate ; but thinking it better to have a part- 

 ner of any sort than none at all, he attached himself to the dog, who allowed him to 

 perch on his back, and use any liberty short of inflicting pain. He always, however, 

 keeps possession of his castle, w^ich the hens, the cat, and the dog, sometimes seem 



inclined to enter, but from which, though age has damped his fire, he succeeds in re- 

 pelling them. 



'* Another curious circumstance is, that he seems fond of knowing all that is going on. 

 If a person with whom he is acquainted calls, he is sure to regard him with very par- 

 ticular attention ; and as a proof of his inquisitive disposition, it may be stated, that for 

 some time there was a hole in the floor, at which he would place himself, frequently 

 remaining half an hour, and giving good heed to what was going on in the apartment 

 beneath. Again, let it be supposed that he is sittmg on the outside of the window, 

 and that he perceives preparations going on for breakfast or dinner, he manifests great 

 joy by half flying and half tumbUng down to the ground, and makes his appearance 

 by coming up stairs. If he be asleep in his castle at supper time, and any of the 

 family say " Poodle, why don't you come fur your share ?" he replies in his own way, 

 and presently comes forth." 



These remarks, says our correspondent, are from the pen of an eye-witness ; and 

 the family in which so many creature? so different in nature dwell in amity, may well 

 be regarded as an amiable one. The dove is an emblem of peace, and if ever peace 

 dwelt on earth since the fail of man, it is among the members of that family, in the 

 midst of which Poodle has had the good fortune to find an asylum. 



OBSERVATIONS ON THE JERBOAS. BV M. F. CUVIER. 



Particular circumstances having for some time directed the attention of the Author 

 to the Glires, he has anxiously availed himself of every opportunity of extending his 

 knowledge of thtrm, in order to be able to apply to the numerous species of which 

 that great family is composed, those precise rules of the natural method, without which 

 confusion and obscurity must prevail in the study of animals. The results of his mnv 

 observations on the Jerboas have recently been communicated to the Academy of 

 Sciences. 



After much consideration, naturalists had agreed in forming the genus Jerboa of 

 Glires remarkable, more especially for the great size of their hind feet ; for having 

 three toes on these feet, which alone in walking or leaping are placed on the ground, 

 and are articulated to a single metatarsal bone ; for their broad head, short muzzle, 

 large eyes, and short tail. These Glires, however, are subdivided into several sec- 

 tions, characterized by the absence or the number of the rudimentary toes on the hind 

 feet. M. Lichtenstein, to whom w^e are indebted for an excellent memoir on the 

 Jerboas, published at Berlin in 182S, has formed three divisions of these animals: 

 1st, those which have only three toes in the normal state on the hind feet; 2d, those 

 which have an additional rudimentary toe on these feet; 3d, those which have two 

 rudimentary toes on them. Further, the form of the teeth of the species of this last 

 division was known, and was attributed to the teeth of all the species of the genus. 



The possession of skulls of several species of the first division, that which is cha- 

 racterized by three toes only on the hind feet, has shown M. Cuvier, that these spe- 

 cies are not distinguished solely by the nuniber of the toes, from those which have five 

 on the hind feet, but that they are moreover characterized by the form of the molar 

 teeth, and by the structure of several of the parts of the head. Thus, while in these 

 latter, the true molares present numerous irregular folds of enamel, these folds are in 

 the others reduced to a single one on each of the lateral faces of these teeth. On 

 the other hand, if the general structure of the head is the same in all the animals, 

 and is characterized by the size of the skull, the shortness of the muzzle, and espe- 

 cially the great size of the infraorbitary foramen, yet there are diflferences in these 

 circumstances sufficient to mark the different divisions. Thus, the species which have 

 three hind toes are remarkable for the great breadth of the head, and the capacity of 

 the skull, and this breadth is in part occasioned by the enormous development of the 

 petrous portion of the tempors^l bone, and the breadth of the zygomatic arch. On the 

 contrary, the species which are furnished v\ith five toes have the capacity of the skull 

 much reduced, all the parts of the ear are of moderate dimensions, and those which 

 compose the zygomatic arch are narrow, so as to present surfaces of small extent to the 

 muscles which arise from them. 



From these observations M. Cuvier concludes, that the species of Jerboa which 

 have three toes ought to be generically distinguished from those which have five ; and 

 as among these latter are the species which Pallas names AUactagas, he proposes giv- 

 ing them that name, and allowing the others to retain that of Jerboas. 



The observations are followed by the description of a new species of Allactaga, a native 

 of Barbary, to which M. Cuvier gives the name of Allactaga arundlnis^ from the ac- 

 count of its manners given by Shaw, who appears to have known it, although he has 

 very imperfectly described it. 



Beside the Jerboas, are pretty generally placed in systems some Glires of small size, 

 with long hind legs, terminated, like the anterior, by five more or less developed toes. 

 These animals are collectively designated by the names of Gerboides^ Gerbillus, and 

 MerioneSy and several of them have been considered as true Jerboas. 



M. Cuvier enters into a historical and critical examination of this genus, and of all 

 the species which have been referred to it, under one or other of the common names 

 mentioned. This leads him, after having shown all that is known of the organization 

 of these animals, and consequently of their generic characters, to distinguish the spe- 

 cies which have been referred to this genu^, without belonging to it ; those which have 

 been referred to it, on^more or less doubtful grounds ; and lastly, those which really be- 

 long to it, and which, from twenty-one are reduced to six species; — 1. Olivier s Ger- 

 billus, which does not differ from the Meriones quadrimucnlatus of M. Ehrenberg ; 2. 

 M. Geoffroy's Jerboa of the pyramids, to which perhaps may be referred j\I. Ruppell's 

 Meriones robustus ; 3. The Gerbille Pygargue of M. Cuvier, or Meriones Gerhdlas 

 of M. Ruppell ; 4. Mr Gray's Gerbillus Africanus, which is not distinguished from 

 that named Gerbillus Schlegelii by M. Smutz ; 5. The Indian Gerbillus, for the 

 knowledge of which we are indebted to General Hardwick ; 6. The Jird, or Mus Men- 

 dianus of Pallas. IM. Cuvier concludes his long investigation by extending and rec- 

 tifying the characters of the first five species just mentioned, and describing three new 

 species : — The short-tailed Gerbillus, which is found at the Cape of Good Hope, and 

 appears to occur also in the Indian Peninsula; the short-eared Gerbillus, which also 

 comes from India, and Burton's Gerbillus, from Senaar. 



