THE EDINBURGH 



L OF NATURAL H 



ORY, 



AND OF 



THE PHYSICAL SCIENCES. 



DECEMBER, 1838. 



ZOOLOGY. 



DESCRIPTION OF THE PLATE. THE HOWLERS. 



The Monkeys of America are distinguished from those of the Old Continent by having 

 four additional grinders, and by being destitute of cheek-pouches as well as callosities. 

 Some of them have an elongated prehensile tail, and of these the first group is that 

 composed of the Howlers, constituting the genus Mtjcetes of llliger. They are so 

 named on account of the frightful noises which they are enabled, by a peculiar inflation 

 of the hyoid bone and larynx, to omit. 



-Fi». 1. The Red or Royal Howler {Mycetes Senicubts), which is of the size 

 of a Fox, and somewhat similar in colour, inhabits the forests of Guiana. 



Fi"^. 2. The Ursine Howler (A/. ursi?uis) is very similar to the last, and occurs 

 in the same country. 



Fig. 3. The GoLDEN-TAiLEn Howler (M. chrystirus) is also similar in size and 

 colour, but with the upper part of the body and the terminal portion of the tail bright 

 yellow. 



Fig. 4. The Black Howler (M. niger), of a blackish colour, paler beneath, 

 inhabits Brazil. 



Fig. a. The female is of a yellowish-grey tint. 



Fi"-. 6. Represents a variety of the same species of a yellow colour. 



DESCRIPTIOX OF THE PLATE. THE SHRIKES. 



The Shrikes arc in a manner intermediate between the Thrushes and the Falcons, 

 resembling the former in their general appearance and in the form of their feet, while 

 their notched and curved upper mandible indicates their affinity to the latter, which 

 they also imitate in their predatory habits, although they also feed on insects and 

 fruits. IMost of the species represented in the plate are such as may be called 

 typical. 



Fig. I. The Cape Shrike (Lanius capeiisis), variegated with white and black, 

 inhabits southern Africa. 



Fig. 2. The Sharp-tailed Shrike (L. pi/rrhonotns), with an elongated and 

 graduated tail, and variegated with ash-grey, light red, white and brownish-black, is 

 from the same country. 



Fig. 3. The Red-backed Shrike (L. Collurio) is pretty similar to the last, but 

 smaller and with a shorter tail. It is a regular summer visitant in most parts of 

 Europe, and is not uncommon in some portions of England, chiefly frequenting copses 

 and commons. 



Fig. 4. The Blue Shrike (L. hicolor) has the upper parts bright blue, the 

 lower white. 



Fig. 5. The Great Cinereous Shrike {L. Excuhitor) is common to Europe 

 and North America, although some ornithologists have alleged that the Shrike of the 

 latter country difl"ers from ours. It is a rare visitant in Britain, comuig late in au- 

 tumn and departing in spring. 



Fig. 6. The Collared Shrike (L. collaris), which inhabits Africa, is described 

 by Vaillant as transfixing its prey on a thorn, which is a habit common to many other 

 species. 



Fig. 7. The Rufous Shrike {L. rjifus) has been seen in England, where, how- 

 ever, it is extremely rare, although it occurs in summer in many parts of the con- 

 tinent. 



BRITISH BIRDS THE CURLEW. 



With the history of tke Curlew might be connected, and not inappropriately, much 

 of the wild scenery of our land, for, daring the breeding season, its retreats are the 

 barren heath and the mountain side. Let it be now the middle of October. We 

 are traversing the mud flat that extends from the village of Cramond to near Queens- 

 ferry, on the southern shore of the Frith of Forth. Many Gulls are scattered over 

 the sands, small flocks of Ducks are swimming in the river, straggling bands of Terns 

 hover and scream along the edge of the water, here and there may be seen a solitary 

 Gannet gliding past, and far out at sea are some dusky birds, which may be Cormo- 

 rants or Red-throated Divers. On that shoal is a vast assemblage of small birds, 

 probably Dunlins ; farther on are some black and white Waders, which we may con- 

 jecture to be Oyster- catchers ; and here, scattered over the miry flat, are very many 

 grey-backed, long-legged, long-necked, and long-billed stragglers, the very birds of 

 which we are in search. They observe us, one utters a loud shrill cry, to which an- 

 43 



other responds, and presently all are on the wing. Mark how they fly, at a moderate 

 height, with contracted neck, outstretched bill, feet folded hack, wide-spread wings 

 moved in regular time. Away they speed, one screaming now and then, and alarm- 

 ing the gulls and other birds in their course; nor do they stop until, airiving at a 

 suitable spot a quarter of a mile off, they perform a few circling evolutions, and alighl 

 by the^margin of the sea, into which some of them wade, while the rest disperse over the 

 sand. All that we can see or say of them here is, that at this season they have arrived 

 on the. sea shore, where they frequent the beaches, searching for food in the same way 

 as the Godwits, Longshanks, and Sandpipers, but in what precise manner they procure 

 it, or of what it consists, remains to be discovered. To see these vigilant and sus- 

 picious birds at hand, we must find some place resorted to by them, in which we may 

 draw near without being perceived. Let us then betake ourselves to the Island of 

 Harris. 



Here is a low tract of sandy pasture, with a shallow pool upon it, and extending 

 along a large ford or expanse of sand, covered by the tide, and laid bare when it re- 

 cedes. Many Curlews and Golden Plovers, a few Ringed Dotterels, two or three 

 Mallards, and, doubtless, hundi'eds of Snipes, arc dispersed over the plashy ground. 

 That old turf cattle-fold will enable us to'approach the birds unseen, unless some of the 

 Curlews should happen to fly over head and discover us, when they will be sure to 

 sound an alarm. A'ow crawl this way, and see that the muzzle of your gun is not 

 filled with sand. From this slap in the wall, cautiously raising our heads until we 

 can bring an eye to bear on them, we may observe their motions. There, twenty 

 paces off, stalks an old Curlew, cunning and sagacious, yet not aware of our proximity. 

 He haa heard, or fancied that he has heard, some unusual sound, and there he moves 

 slowly, with raised head, and ear attent; but some appearance in the soft sand has 

 attracted his notice, and, forgetting his fears, he thrusts, or rather works his 

 bill into it, and, extracting something which he swallows, withdraws it, and pro- 

 ceeds, looking carefully around. Now from the surface he picks up a Snail, of 

 that small kind named Helix- erici'torum, which, raising bis head, and moving it 

 rapidly baokwards and forwards, at the same time slightly opening and closing his 

 mandibles, he gradually brings within reach of his tongue, when he swallows it. 

 Thero he has dragged a worm from the sand, and again has obtained a small crab or 

 insect. But now two others have come up; they are within range; let me fire. 

 There they lie, two dead; the other, with broken wing, runs off loudly screaming. 

 Curlews, Plovers, Redshanks, Dotterels, Ducks, and Snipes, all rise, and move to a 

 distance corresponding to their feais, the Curlews flying out of sight, the Snipes 

 coming back to the same spot, and the Plovers alighting about two hundred yards 

 off 



The Curlew is extremely shy and suspicious, so that at this season, unless by some 

 stratagem or accident, one can very seldom obtain a shot at it. In Harris 1 once 

 shot three from a fold in the manner described above. On another occasion, having 

 a musket with large shot, I let fly at one feeding in a field as 1 was passing along, hit 

 it in the wing, and on measuring the distance found it to be seventy-five yards. In 

 the Hebrides it is a common saying, that to kill seven Curlews is enough for a lifetime ; 

 but one, by lying among the rocks on a point frequented by them, might, I doubt not, 

 shoot as many in less than a week. This method, however, I have never tried, it 

 being much more pleasant to be moving about than lying jammed into the crevice of 

 a cliff. When alarmed, they spread out their wings, run rapidly forward some paces, 

 and, springing into the air, uttering their loud cries, fly off at a rapid rate. When 

 looking for food, they generally walk sedately, unlike the Redshank, which is con- 

 tinually running, stooping, or vibrating, but sometimes run, and that with great ce- 

 lerity. Dry pastures, moist ground, and shallow pools, are equally frequented by 

 them, and they may be seen wading in the water up to the tarsal joint. 



Towards the end of March they generally leave the shores, where they have re- 

 sided in flocks from September, and separating in pairs, betake themselves to the in- 

 terior, where, in the higher and less frequented moors, they deposit their eggs and 

 rear their young. 



It is now the beginning of May. The sunny banks are covered with primrose?, 

 the golden catkins of the willow fringe the brooks, while the spikes of the cotton-grass 

 ornament the moss-clad moor. Let us ascend the long glen, and, wandering on the 

 heathy slopes, listen to the clear but melancholy whistle of the Plover, the bleating 

 of the Snipe, and the loud scream of the Curlew. Here is a bog, interspersed with 

 tufts of heath, among which is a profusion of Myrica Gale. Some Lapwings are 

 coming up, gliding ai;d flapping their long broad wings; a black*brcasted Piorer has 



