THE EDINBURGH 



JOURNAL OF NATURAL HISTORY, 



AND OF 



THE PHYSICAL SCIENCES. 



JANUARY, 1838. 



ZOOLOGY. 



DESCniPTlON OF THE PLATE THE PROEOSCIS AND SOLEMN APES. 



Fi". 1. The Proboscis Monkey of Pennant (^Nasalis larmt-us), distinguished 

 from all others by the elongation of its nose, is the only species of the genus to which 

 it belongs. It is of a reddish fawn colour, lives in troops in the forest, and inhabits 

 the Island of Borneo. 



Fi". 2. The Douc (Semnopithecus Nemaus) belongs to a section of Monkeys 

 which have thirty-two teeth, a facial angle of about 45", a round head, flat nose, ears 

 of moderate size, very long limbs, short thumbs, and a very long and slender tail. 

 This species, which inhabits Cochin China and Madagascar, has its fur diversified 

 with brilliant colours. 



F."-. 3. The Entellus (5". Entellus), of a yellowish white colour, with the face 

 and hands hlack, inhabits various parts of India. 



Fig. 4. The Cimepaye (5. mclaloplms) has its upper p.arts yellowish red, the 

 lower whitish, and the face blue. It inhabits the island of Sumatra. 



Fig. 6. The Crested Ape (S. comatus), gray above, dingy white beneath, with 

 a tuft of black hair on the head, inhabits Sumatra. 



Fig. 6. The Tchincou (S. Maiirus), or Negro Monkey, so named on account of 

 its black colour, is found in the island of Java. 



DESCRIPTION OF THE PLATE THE FISHER-EAGLES. 



Those Eagles which are characterized by having the bill nearly as long as the 

 head, very high, and compressed, with naked tarsi, and very large toes, of which 

 the claws arc remarkably strong, have been separated from the rest, to constitute a 

 genus, to which the name of Haliaetus is given. Tliey are mostly maritime or la- 

 custrine, and feed in a great measure on fish, which they frequently clutch as they 

 swim at the surface, but which they also obtain by depriving olhcr birds of the pro- 

 duce of their industry. 



Fig. 1. The White-headed Fisher-Eagle (//. leucocepliuliis) may be briefly 

 described as having the head, the neck, the hind part of the back, and the tail white, 

 the rest of the plumage being brown ; the bill, cere, iris, and feet yellow, the claws 

 black. It is about the size of our ^Wite-tailed Fisher-Eagle, H. Jlbicilla, measur- 

 ing nearly three feet in length, and seven feet between the tips of the win-'S. It is 

 not uncommon along the coasts, and on the lakes and great rivers of the United States 

 of America. " During spring and summer," says an enthusiastic ornithologist of that 

 country, "no sooner does the. Fish- Hawk make its appearance along onr Atlantic shores, 

 or ascend our numerous and large rivers, than the Eagle follows it, and, hke a selfish op- 

 pressor, robs it of the hard earned fruits of its'labour. Perched on some tall summit, 

 in view of the ocean, or of some water-course, he watches every motion of the osprey, 

 while on the wing. When the latter rises from the water, with a fish in its grasp, forth 

 rushes the Eagle in pursuit. He mounts above the Fish-Hawk, and threatens it by ac- 

 tions well understood, when the latter, fearing perhaps that its life is in danger, drops 

 Its prey. In an instant, the Eagle, accurately estimating the rapid descent of the fish, 

 closes its wings, follows it with the swiftness of thought, and the next moment grasps 

 It. The prize is carried off in silence to the woods, and assists in feeding the ever- 

 hungry brood of the Eagle. It now and then, however, procures fish for itself, by 

 pursuing them into the shallows of small creeks. It does not confine itself to this kind 

 of food, but gi-eedily devours young pigs, lambs, fawns, poultry, and the putrid flesh 

 of carcasses of every description, driving off the vultures and carrion-crows, or the 

 dogs, and keeping a whole party at defiance until it is satiated." 



Fig. 2. The White-headed Fisher-Eagle. Young. In its first plumage this 

 species is of a uniform chocolate brown on the head, neck, and upper parts, the tail 

 dusky, with brownish-white patches. 



Fig. 3. The Vociferods Fisher-Eagle (H. Vocifer), which is of smaller size 

 than the preceding, with the head, neck, and tail white, the back and wings dark- 

 brown, the breast white, spotted with dusky, and the abdomen and tibial feathers 

 brownish-red, inhabits various parts of Africa. 



BRITISH BIRDS THE RINGED DOVE OR CnSHAT. 



The Pigeons or Doves form a very natural family, perfectly distinct from the Gal- 

 inaceous birds, to which they exhibit little more affinity than is indicated by their very 

 large crop, which, however, is of a different form, and then- granivorons habits. They 



vary much in form, some having the body full, others slender, while the tail is very 

 short, moderate, or greatly elongated. In all, however, the head is small, oblong, 

 compressed, with the fore part rounded. The bill is especially characterized by hav- 

 ing the nasal membrane bare, generally scurfy, fleshy, and tumid, with the narrow 

 longitudinal nostrils placed under its anterior margin. It varies in size, but the upper 

 mandible has its ridge always obliterated at the base, by the encroachment of the nasal 

 membranes, and its extremity horny, arched or convex, more or less compressed, with 

 a blunt thin-edged point. The esophagus expands into a large crop, consisting as it 

 were of two united membraneous sacs ; the stomach is a powerful gizzard, of a some- 

 what rhomboidal form; the intestine is long and slender; and the cceca are very small 

 and cylindrical. The tarsi are generally short and stout, either scutellate or feathered ; 

 the foot is of that kind equally adapted for walking or perching, having three toes be- 

 fore, and one behind, the latter on the same level, and shorter than the lateral, the 

 claws short, and moderately arched. The plumage is various, but the feathers have 

 always the tube very short, and the shaft thick at the base. The wings are large, 

 more or less pointed, and the tail is even, rounded, or graduated. Several genera, 

 some of them founded on slight differences, have been instituted in this family. The 

 four species which occur in Britain belong to the genus Columba, which may be cha- 

 racterized as follows : The bill rather short and slender, the upper mandible tumid and 

 scurfy at the base, horny, arcuato-dcclinate, convex above, compressed, thin-edged 

 towards the end ; the wings long, l>road, rather pointed, the second and third quills 

 longest ; the tail of moderate length, or rather long, straight, even, or slightly round- 

 ed, of twelve broad feathers. 



The Ringed Dove or Cushat (Cobnnba Paluntbim) is distinguished by having 

 the plumage of the upper parts greyish blue ; the wings and scapulars tinged with 

 brown ; the hind part and sides of the neck bright-green ami purplish red, with two 

 cream-coloured patches; the fore part of the neck and breast light reddish purple ; a 

 white patch on the wing, including the four outer secondary coverts. It is the largest 

 of our native species, measuring about seventeen inches in len;^th, and about thirty 

 between the lips of the wings. It is a strong bird of its size, elegantly formed, 

 and agreeably, although not gaudily, coloured. Its food consists of seeds of the culti- 

 vated cereal grasses, wheat, barley, and oats, as well as of leguminous plants, beans and 

 pease, the field mustard and charlock, leaves of the turnip clover, and other plants, 

 beech-nuts, acorns, and other vegetable substances. It is generally distributed, being 

 found in all the more or less wooded districts of England and Scotland; but it pre- 

 fers cultivated tracts, and is not found in the bare and treeless parts of the country. 

 In winter it appears in large flocks, sometimes amounting to many hundreds, when 

 the individuals of a district congregate in some favorable locality, although in ordi- 

 nary circumstances it is not so decidedly gregarious as the Rock-Dove. Its flight is 

 strong and rapid, being performed by quick beats of the half-extended wings, with oc- 

 casional intermissions, its pinions sounding as it glides along. When it has espied a 

 place likely to aflFord a supply of food, it alights abruptly, and usually stands for a 

 short time to look about, after which it commences its search. It walks in the man- 

 ner of the Domestic Pigeon, that is, with short ari(l quick steps, moving its head gently 

 backwards and forwards. The flock disperses and spreads over the field, it being 

 seldom that tno or three individuals keep close together, and they generally take care 

 not to approach the enclosing walls or hedges, so that it is difl&cult to shoot them on the 

 ground. In the time of snow or hard frost, they frequent turnip fields, and are more 

 easily approached ; but in general they are very suspicious and vigilant, ever ready to 

 fly off', on the slightest appearance of danger. Frequently, however, in the woods, 

 one may surprise them within shooting distance ; and by waiting for their arrival at 

 their roosting places in winter, considerable execution may occasionally be^done among 

 them. As the flesh of the pigeon affords a sufficiently palatable article of food, it is 

 abundant in our markets in winter and spring, but generally brings a low price, from 

 sixpence to a shilling. 



Soon after sunset, the Cushats betake themselves to their roosting places in the 

 woods, and before settling, usually wheel round the spot selected. Should they be 

 disturbed, they fly off to a short distance and return ; but if repeatedly molested, 

 they betake themselves to a distant station. In severe weather they sometimes per- 

 form partial migrations, but in general are stationary, not finding it necessary to ex- 

 tend their range in the cultivated and sheltered districts, where turnips may always be 

 had during the winter. 



In fine weather they bask in the sun on dry banks, or in the open fields, rubbing 

 themselves, and as it were burrowing, in the sand or soil, and throwing it about with 

 their wings, as if washing in water, which they do like most birds. In drinking, they 



