THE EDINBURGH 



JOURNAL OF NATURAL HISTORY, 



AND OF 



THE PHYSICAL SCIENCES. 



MARCH, 1838. 



ZOOLOGY. 



DESCRIPTION OF THI! PLATE THE PANDAS AND COATIS. 



The -™us Allnn.s is eo,„posed of .1 single species of carnivorous quadruped, allied 

 to the°Civets and Martins on the one hand, and to the Benturongs and Coatis on the 

 other, being in some measure plantigrade like the latter, but in form more resembling 

 the former. 



Fig. 1. The Shiking Panda (J. refnjpens), of a liglit red colour above. j)aler 

 on th^e sides, the face white, and the lower parts and legs dusky. It inhabits South 

 Amei'ica. 



The Benturongs have been separated from the genus Viverra, to constitute a small 

 frroup characterized by their seraipalmated feet, plantigrade mode of walkincr, and 

 lonjr spirally twisted tail, which, huuever. is not prehensile. They inhabit ihe In- 

 dian Peninsula, and in habits resemble the Civets, feeding on small quadi upeds, birds, 

 and other animals. 



Fin-. 2 The White- fronted Benturong {Ictidvs aUnfrons) is characterized 

 by h^vin- the fur lonjr, and formed of a mixture of black and white hairs, the fore- 

 head whitish, the tail hlack, and a patch of the same colour includinji the eye. 



Y\%. 3 The Black Bentitrong (/. niger), the JMusanga of Raffles, is ofa black 

 colour all over, excepting ihe face, which is whitish. 



The Coatis, which by Brisson were ref.-rred to the genus Ursus, and by Linna?us 

 t-o Viverra, are now separated to constitute the genus Nasua, so named on -account of 

 the prolontjalion of their nose, which is also possessed of considerable mobility. They 

 pre small, plantigrade, nocturnal animals, with an elongated tapering head, limbs of mode- 

 rate size, and a long tail. They feed on animal substances, chmbing on trees likf^ thy 

 Opossums, and inhabit South America. 



Fi-T. 4. The Brown Coati (iV. nurica), of a dusky-biown colour, the tail ringed 

 with dark brown, and with threp white spots near the eye. 

 Fig. 5. Female Brown Coati. 



Fi"-. 6. The Red Coati (iV. rvfa). This species diifers from the Brown, in 

 hiving its fur of a light brownish-red colour, the bands on the tail lighter, and the 

 muzzle greyish-black, with white spots round the eye. 



DESCRIPTION OF THE PLATE THE PROMEUOPSES. 



The f'enus Epimachus is referred by Cuvier to the family of the Tenuirostres, or 

 slender-billed birds, and is nearly allied to the Hoopoes, having the bill longer than 

 the head, arched, and tapering ; the mandibles pointed ; the tarsi short, the outer toe 

 united at the base to tlie middle one. The plumage is glossed or velvety, the tail 

 elont^ated, and the wings long and rounded, the ft-urth and 6fth feathers longest. 

 These birds, which inhabit Africa and New Guinea, are supposed to live chiefly upon 

 insects. 



Fig. 1. The Red-billed Promerops {Epimachua eryOiTorhynchtis)^ which has 

 the bill and feet red, the plumage black, but lightly glossed with green and purple, 

 the tail very long, with all the feathers, excepting the two middle, marked near the 

 end, with an ovul white spot, inhabits Southern Africa. 



Fi-T. 2. The Superb Promerops (E. svperbus) resembles the Birds of Paradise in 

 the extraordinary development of its hypochondrial feathers, and in the texture of its 

 plumage, of which the colour is black, with purple and green reflections . the scapulars 

 sickle -shaped, purphsh-black on the inner web, greenish-yellow on the edges and tip. 

 The tail is extremely elongated, so that the bird, although its body is not much larger 

 than that of a Jay, measures four feet in length. It inhabits New Guinea. 



Fio-. 3. The Blue Promerops {E. caruleus) is of the same form as the red- 

 billed, but of a greyish-blue colour all over. 



BRITISH BIRD?- NO. X. THE ItOCK DOVE. 



Having in a former Number described the Ring Dove or Cushat, we now present an 

 account of the Rock Dove, which is the original of our Domestic Pigeons, and is of 

 frequent occurrence on many of our rocky coasts. The plumage of this species is light 

 greyish-blue, the lower parts being as deeply coloured as the upper. The middle of 

 the neck all round is splendent with green, its lower part with purplish-red. The back 

 and the upper part of the sides, from near the shoulders to near the tail, aie pure 

 white, as are the lower wing-coverts and axil'aries. The primaries and their coverts 

 34 



are brownish-grey on the outer web, the former dusky towards the end, as are the 

 outer secondaries. There are two broad bars of black on the wing, one extending 

 over the six inner secondary quills, the other over the secondary coverts, the outer 

 two excepted. The tail has a broad terminal band of black, and the outer web of 

 the lateral feathers is white. The downy part of Ihe feathers is greyish-white, ex- 

 cepting on the white part of the back, where it is pure white. The horny part of 

 the bill is brownish-black, as is the anterior half of its tumid portion, of which the rest is 

 white ; the iris is bright yellowish-red ; the bare space around the eye flesh-coloured; 

 the tarsi and toes carmine-purple ; the claws greyish-black. The length is fourteen 

 inches, and the extended wings measure twenty-seven. The female is a little smaller, 

 and has the shining colours on the neck less extended. 



This beautiful bird occurs in great abundance in the outer Hebrides, in Skye, IMull, 

 and other islands on the north-west coast of Scotland, in Shetland and Orkney, and 

 here and there along the rocky shores of all parts of the northern division of Britain, 

 as well as on some of the southern.. At early dawn, the Pigeons may be seen issuing 

 from their retreats in straggling parties, which soon take a determinate direction, and 

 meeting with others by the way, proceed in a loose body along the shores until they 

 reach the cultivated parts of the country, where they settle in large flocks, diligently 

 seekin"- for grains of barley and oats, pods of the charlock, seeds of the wild mustard, 

 polygona, and other plants, together with several species of small shell-snails, which 

 abound in the sandy pastures. When they have young, they necessarily make several 

 trips in the course of the day, but from the end of autumn to the beginning of summer, 

 they continue all day in the fields. In winter they collect into flocks, sometimes com- 

 posed of several hundred individuals ; and, as at this season they are anxious to make 

 the best use of the short period of day-light, they may easdy be approached by a per 

 son acquainted with the useful art of creeping and skulking. In general, however, 

 thpy are rather shy, and very seldom allow a person to advance openly within sixty or 

 seventy yards. After the corn has ripened they soon become plump, and continue 

 in good condition until the middle of winter, or even later, should the season prove 

 mild ; but in spring and summer they are lean and tough. Their flesh is superior to 

 that of the Wood Pigeon, but not equal to that of the Golden Plover, a bird which 

 is equally abundant in the northern and western islands. 



The manners of the Rock Doves are similar to those of our Domestic Pigeons. 

 When searching for food, they walk about with great celerity, moving the head back- 

 wards and forwards very prettily at each step. In windy weather, they usually move 

 in a direction more or less opposite to the blast, and keep their body nearer to the 

 ground than when it i.s calm, the whole flock going together. When startled, they 

 rise suddenly, and by striking the ground with their wings produce a crackling noise. 

 Their flight is very similar to that of the Ringed and Golden Plovers, birds which in 

 form approach very nearly to the Pigeons ; when at fall speed, they fly with great 

 celerity, the air whistling against their pinions. They usually alight abruptly when 

 the place is open and clear, and if very hungry immediately commence their search; 

 but on other occasions they fly ov(ir the field in circles, gradually descend, and on 

 alighting stand and look round them for a few moments. The notes of this species re- 

 semble the syllables coo-roo-coo, quickly repeated, the last prolonged. Its nuptials 

 are celebrated with much cooing and elrcumambulation on the part of the male, and 

 the first eggs are laid as early as the beginning of April, several broods being reared 

 in the season. The nest is rudely constructed of straws, grass, various other plants, 

 and frequently a few feathers ; the eggs, like those of all other Pigeons, are two in 

 number, smooth, and pure white. The young, which are at first covered with loose 

 yellow down, are fed by their parents, who, -applying their bill to that of the nest- 

 lings, force up the food from their crops, so as to be within reach of the bill of the 

 young, which all the while flaps its wings, and utters a low cheeping note, indicative 

 of its eagerness to have its wants supplied. When fledged, they are of the same co- 

 lour as the old birds, the head and neck, however, being of a dull purplish-blue, with- 

 out the bright green and purple tints of the old, and the wings tinged with brown. 

 At the first moult they acquire their full colour. 



In Shetland, according to the Rev. Mr James Barclay, they are met with in con- 

 siderable numbers, and are especially abundant in the parishes of Sandwick and Dun- 

 rossness, as well as in Fetlar, these places being the most extensively cultivated. 

 They flock twice in the year, first in August or September, and again in wii.ter. 

 One pair when tamed generally breed four times in the season ; and so great is their 



