68 



THE CABINET OF NATURAL HISTORY, 



of the Loggerhead Shrike. This bird has been represent- 

 ed as very suspicious, shy, and watchful, but I found it 

 quite the contrary; its nest was built on an orange tree in 

 my friend's yard, not more than nine feet from the 

 ground, under which the family and servants passed 

 hourly. This and the Blue-bird are the earliest which 

 incubate in the southern states. Noticed other birds just 

 building their nests, among which were the Mocking-bird 

 and Yellow-throat Warbler. These sea islands abound 

 with the ground Dove, sometimes to an injurious extent. 



5l/i. Entered a dark grove of pines, which were made 

 more sombrous by being shrouded with moss, {Tillandsia 

 Usneoides.) Here I very fortunately succeeded in shoot- 

 ing a male and female Chuck-wills-widow, (Caprimulgus 

 Carolinensis,) — birds hard to be procured, because they 

 seclude themselves during the day time in the most dense 

 and silent retreats, and only appear on wing at night. 



The mournful appearance of the woods in many parts of 

 the south, occasioned by the vast quantities of moss ap- 

 pended to every branch of the trees, affords but a gloomy 

 aspect, and tends to impart melancholy feelings to a stran- 

 ger travelling through these lonely parts. Nature seems 

 enshrouded in eternal mourning, from which the eye can 

 get no relief by resting on objects of a more enlivening 

 kind. The moment you enter these almost endless depths, 

 the mind is wrapt in solemnity, as though you were 

 treading the mansions of the dead, and, as you proceed 

 farther into these gloomy recesses, the feelings involun- 

 tarily accord with the melancholy silence which every 

 where surrounds you. No noise save that of your own 

 footsteps, and the monotonous notes of the ivory-billed 

 Woodpecker, break through the dreary silence, and no 

 animated being disturbs the reigning solitude, but the 

 Owl and the Chuck-wills-widow in their noiseless flight. 

 The pendulous shreds of moss of a dark grayish-olive co- 

 lour, hang in dense masses, alike from the topmost, middle, 

 and lowermost branches of the trees, until they trail the 

 ground, and frequently form festoons from limb to limb of 

 the same as well as the neighbouring trees. Such is the 

 abode of the birds of night, and those timid animals which 

 shun the face of man. 



Saw a Fish Hawk take its prey to a large dead tree for 

 the purpose of devouring it, and with much caution suc- 

 ceeded in shooting it. Before I had left the spot a large 

 white-headed Eagle settled on the same tree, drawn thither 

 no doubt by the appearance of the hawk, but it shared the 

 same fate. Returned to the house, and prepared these two 

 birds, and next morning departed for Savannah. 



On my passage between Savannah and Charleston, saw 

 numbers of water birds, especially the Cormorants, which 



were arranged in multitudes on the sand-bars in the differ- 

 ent sounds through which the steam-boat plyed her way; 

 was more particularly interested by seeing several flocks 

 of the Scarlet Ibis, (Tuntalus ruber,) which, while skim- 

 ming the dark green wave, afforded a beautiful contrast 

 between it and their brilliant plumage. 



The vicinity of Charleston affords a vast field for 

 scientific research; and it is often explored by resi- 

 dent naturalists, as well as those who are mere transi- 

 tory visiters. Among the most scientific and enterprising 

 of the former is the Rev. J. Backman, whose unceasing 

 efforts in the cause of the natural sciences has done much 

 to increase and sustain the love and pursuit of these studies 

 in other members of that community. Mr. Backman has 

 discovered several new birds and quadrupeds not hitherto 

 known, and furnished details of their histories to some of 

 the scientific journals now in course of publication. On the 

 entrance of a stranger into Charleston, his attention will 

 immediately be attracted by the number of the Black Vul- 

 tures, (Vultur jola,) which may be seen perched on 

 the tops of the houses in different parts of the city. As far 

 as my observation went, I did not discover a single Tur- 

 key Buzzard, (Vultur Aura,) in the thickly settled 

 part of the city. Witnessed the actions of one in the out- 

 skirts of the town, which convinced me, that these birds 

 are not altogether dependant on sight to direct them to 

 their food. I believe they are governed by both tin 

 senses, sight and scent, but more particularly by the for- 

 mer in eight cases out of ten. In the instance above 

 alluded to, I saw the bird skimming the surface of a mud 

 flat, which the tide had left bare, and then rise and make 

 a circle over the same spot for several minutes. At 

 length the Buzzard descended, and settled within twenty- 

 five yards of where I was standing, and drew from be- 

 neath the surface of the mud the carcase of a cat. It was 

 impossible that the bird could have been directed to this 

 object by sight, as from the manner it was imbedded it was 

 hidden entirely from view. 



While at Charleston, I procured several specimens of 

 the great Crow Black Bird, the nest, and eggs. This bird, 

 I believe, is never found north of the Roanoke; their song, 

 when congregated, is not unlike that of the Purple Mar- 

 tin, (Hirundo Purpurea,) but much louder. The male 

 bird is very shy, but the female manifests much concern 

 when an enemy approaches her nest, and will at times 

 settle on a limb of the same tree during this encroachment. 

 The nest I procured was taken from the top of a wild 

 orange tree, and contained five eggs; there were on this 

 and five other adjoining trees, thirty-six nests, containing 

 from one to five eggs each. 



