THE EDINBURGH 



JOURNAL OF NATURAL HISTORY, 



AND OF 



THE PHYSICAL SCIENCES. 



APRIL, 1838. 



ZOOLOGY. 



DESCRIPTION OF THE PLATE-. — THE OSTRICHES. 

 In the system of Cuvier the 0?triches and Cassowaries constitute the family of 

 Brevipejtnes, belonging to the order of the GralliE. They are characterized by the 

 shortness of their wings, which prevents them from flying; by a fotm of bill and 

 granivorous habits which indicate an affinity to the Gallinaceous birds; and by the 

 great length and muscularity of their legs, which approximate them to the other 

 GrallfB. They are destitute of the hind toe, as well as of the crest of the sternum; 

 their furcula is imperfect, and their pelvis complete. The Ostriches, of which two 

 species are known, have the bill horizontally depressed, of moderate length, with the 

 point blunl ; the tongue short and rounded ; their cesophagns dilated into a large crop ; 

 their stomach a powerful gizzard ; their intestines large, and their coDca long. Their 

 eyes are large, and their eyelids furnished with lashes. Their plumage is soft, the 

 feathers are in a manner double, the plumage being equal in length to the other part, 

 and the wings, instead of quills, are ornamented with gracefully undulating plumes, 

 of which the filaments are disunited, while the tail is similarly decorated. 



Fig. I. The Ostrich properly so called (^Stnilldo Caitiftus'), male. This is the 

 largest bird known, its height sometimes exceeding seven feet. The male is gener- 

 ally black, mixed with white, of which latter colour are the beautiful plumes of the 

 wings and tail, which are in great request as ornamental articles of dress. Ostriches 

 live in large flocks in the sandy deserts of Africa and Arabia. Although incapable of 

 flying, they run with extreme rapidity, so as, for a time, to outstrip the swiftest 

 steed ; and their legs, which are of vast size, are furnished with only two toes, a ru- 

 dimentary inner toe, however, having been recently detected beneath the skin. Their 

 flesh is considered good when the birds are young, but otherwise it is extremely tough, 

 although it was considered a delicacy by the Romans. The eggs, which are about 

 twenty times the size of those of our domestic fowl, arc of an elliptical form, with a 

 very thick, yellowish shell, which is sometimes used as a cup. Their number, ac- 

 cording to ^ aillant, is about ten, but so many as forty have been found deposited to- 

 gether. They are laid on the sand, and are hatched by the heat of the sun, although 

 the female sometimes sits upon them at night ; but, in the more temperate regions, 

 and particularly near the Cape of Good Hope, they are deposited in a pit about three 

 feet in diameter, and the female sits regularly upon them. The younn- are tended 

 with the greatest care. The food of this bird consists of vegetable substauces. 

 Like other granivorous and graminivorous birds, it swallows fragments of stone to aid 

 its trituration, and, in captivity, is not nije as to the articles selected for this purpose, 

 picking up pieces of iron, copper, lead, &c. This circumstance has been attributed 

 to the peculiar obtuseness of its taste, but with little reason, for in granivorous birds, 

 which swallow their food without mastication, the tongue is an organ of prehension 

 and deglutition, but not of taste, so that in this respect the Ostrich does not differ 

 fi'om other birds. 



Fig. 2. Female. The female is generally of a grey colour, and is somewhat in- 

 ferior to the male in size. 



DESCRIPTION OF THE PLATE THE LORIES AND PARRAKEETS. 



The numerous family of the PsiUacida is divided into several sections or families, 

 representatives of two of which .ire here figured. 



Fig. 1. The Sparkling Lokt (Lorius scintillatus) is so named on account of 

 the bright yellow streaks on the plumage of its breast and sides. It is from New 

 Guinea. 



Fig. 2. The Tiriba Parrakeet {Psittacula cruentata), having the top of the 

 head dark brown, the plumage generally green, with patches of bright red, yellow, 

 and purplish blue, was discovered in Brazil by Prince Maximilian of Neuwied. 



Fig. 3. The Coquette (Ps. jilacentis), male. This species was found in New 

 Guinea, by the Dutch naturalists .Macklot and Jliillcr, who visited that country in the 

 Triton corvette. 



Fig. 4. The Coquette, female. 



Fig. o. The Slender Parrakeet {Ps. eutelcs) was discovered by the same 

 naturalists in the island of Timor. 



Fig. 6. The Iris Parrakeet (Ps. Iris) was also found by them in the same 

 island, where it appeared to inhabit the woods near the shores in »reat numbers. 

 3.5 



Sympathetic affection amongst Rooks — During a severe winter, when the 

 snow had lain long and deep upon the ground, the feathered tribes were reduced to 

 the point of starvation. One morning the Strathendry Crows had fixed on some bar- 

 ley, a little to the east of the steading, and had nearly uncovered the stack to get at 

 the grain. To save the barley, one of the men took his gun, and contrived to get 

 within range ; but the moment he raised his head, the sentinel on duty sounded the 

 alarm, aTid the man fired into the dense cloud, as they floated off the stack. Amongst 

 the wounded, one had lost the extremity of his right wing by the joint. Thus dis- 

 abled, he was soon secured, and given in charge of a servant's wife, who had shown 

 herself an adept in training birds and cats, to try what we could elicit of the innate 

 dispositions and mental faculties of the Crow. 



Daily were this person's birds and cats to be seen feeding, in perfect harmony, from 

 the same dish ; and I have frequently seen a cat pretty sharply admonished by a blackbird, 

 when overstepping the bounds of good manneis while feeding. No cages were wanted 

 for her birds, though both doors and windows stood open as occasion required. Her 

 feathered and feline family went and came as pleased themselves. If any were ab- 

 sent ai feeding time, slie went to the door and called them in Gaelic, as she said she 

 never could make bird or cat obey her in English. 



The first lesson given to the poor mutilated crow was to place him on her knee» 

 while yet starving, with a hand over his shoulders to prevent his stirring, but allowing 

 hira full freedom to look down on Larks, Linnets, Blackbirds, and Cats, forming a circle 

 round the feeding dish. He seimed to eye the cats with suspicion, but " hunger 

 tames the Tiger." Stretching his neck towards the provisions, and indicating a 

 desire to raise his wings, he was allowed to go down. He shyed at first, walked round 

 them for a time, but at length struck in, and made a hearty meal. From this time 

 he felt quite at home, seemed to study the rules of the house, and kept his place in 

 the crowd, or before the fire, where he often lay quite at his ease, along with the cats, 

 tnjoying himself on the warm hearth. It was quite amusin;^ to see with what fami- 

 liaiity he would stalk about, with all the strut and dignity of a lord of the manor, 

 mixing inquisitively among the servants, and eyeing all their motions, like an atten- 

 tive superintendent, returning to head-quarters when called, or marching off to dine 

 with the servants in the bothy. The servants dubbed him ** Captain." The most re- 

 markable part of his history, however, remains to be told. 



Experience had taught him that his confidence was not misplaced. His gratitude 

 for the protection and ease which he enjoyed was evinced in his fihal familiarity and 

 obedience. One day, however, he was observed evidently watching an opportunity 

 to carry off a piece of boiled potato, which he at last accomplished, and walked with 

 it to the door, as if to hide it, for some future occasion. This he was observed to 

 repeat as often as he found opportunity, as he conceived, unobserved. The circum- 

 stance was mentioned to me, and 1 resolved to watch him out of doors. To prevent 

 detection within, he left the house, and I soon after observed him casting his eyes 

 about him, pause, and then march i.ff towards the bothy, 



" Looking round wi' canny care. 

 Lest boggles catch*d him unaware," 



walk cautiously forward, drive his beak into a cold boiled potato, march away in 

 double quick time, crouching as if afraid of being detected in the act of thieving, and, 

 turning the nearest stack, disappear. Something prevented my following him at 

 the moment, but he soon reappeared for a further supply, took the same route, and 

 again disappeared. 1 immediately took a cold potato in my hand and followed. On 

 rounding the stack, to my astonishment I found him in the act of feeding another 

 disabled crow. I cautiously neared them. The stranger shyed, lifting his wings 

 to fly off. Captain, however, remained undisturbed. I held out my potato. Captain 

 came with evident satisfaction, took a portion of it from my hand, while the stranger, 

 who halted at a safe distance, was looking on. Captain then walked with the potato 

 towards his friend, who met him, and in the course of feeding I observed, with a 

 painful sensation, that the poor stranger had lost his bill, and consequently was inca- 

 pable of helping himself, although food had lain before him. What free-masonry 

 passed between them 1 know jiot ; but on Captain s returning for the remaining por- 

 tion of my potato, the stranger followed in his rear, with all the familiarity and con- 

 fident bearing of an old acquaintance. However much my admiration was excited on 

 this first interview with the stranger, I was still more astonished to see hira walk side 

 by side with his preserver into the servants' bothy, while the servants were at dinner. 



