THE SPECIES. Ill 



Oceanitea. Plate xxxiii. PROCELLARIIDM. 



398. oceanicus, 7J in. Wilson's Petrel. Black, with a white bar on 



upper base of tail, and white spots on the flanks ; 



tail square ; legs long. 



Wilson's Petrel — Dimensions, Gl ; Eggs, Hq — has been occasionally noted among our 



visitors since 1838. It is recognisable at once by its long legs. In flight it seems invariably 



to cross the waves at right angles, leaping from one to the other in the Petrel way, Petrel 



being Peterel, or Little Peter, from the Apostle who tried to walk on water. Its eggs have 



been found on Kerguelen Island. 



CEdemia. Plate xxii. ANA TID^. 



256. nigra, 20 in. Scoter. All black; remiges z6 ; tail of 16 



feathers. 

 258. perspicillata, 21 in. Surf Scoter. All black, except patches of white 

 on forehead and nape. 



257. ftisca, 22 in. Velvet Scoter. All black, except a white patch 



on wing. 



The Scoter — Dimensions, Pf; Eggs, Qk — is our common black Sea Duck, so plentiful in 

 the winter. Its black and yellow bill, with the knob at the base, at once distinguishes it. It 

 dives well, and flies rapidly. The note of the male is " tu, tu, tu" ; to which the female 

 replies with a louder^ grating " kre-kr-kre." The nest is a mere hollow on the shore, hidden 

 among the bushes, hned with dead ^rass and leaves, and much down ; the down in colour 13 

 like the Wild Duck's, but the quantity is far greater. There are from six to nine eggs. 



The Surf Scoter — Dimensions, Pm ; Eggs, Qc — is a North American, occasionally wander- 

 ing over here. It is the " Coot " of the American magazines, having received the name from 

 the white patch on the forehead, which is a very diflferent sort of thing from that of the shield 

 of Fulica. 



The Velvet Scoter — Dimensions, Ps ; Eggs, Rf — is one of our doubtful residents. It is 

 never very numerous, but appears every winter, mostly along the east coast. Its diving 

 propensities have led to its being taken, in fishing nets, under water. It is occasionally seen 

 mland. It flies rapidly, and is the boldest of the Scoters. The nest is a mere hollow, lined 

 with leaves, and a lar^e quantity of down, browner than that of the Black Scoter, darker ip 

 the centre, and larger m size. The eggs are from 8 to 10 in number. 



(Edicnemus. Plate xxv. (EDICNEMID^. 



290. scolopax, 15 in. Stone Curlew. Greyish brown above ; whitish 

 below ; eye very large ; bill half yellov/ half black ; 

 remiges 29 ; breast boldly streaked ; dark band 

 across wing, with pale narrow band inside it, 

 between the lesser and greater coverts, the latter of 

 which are tipped with white ; central feathers ot 

 tail more than one inch longer than the outer one^ ; 

 tarsus reticulate. 



The Stone Curlew — Dimensions, Mn : Eggs, Oa — is often called the Thicknee, which may 

 have its advantages as suggestive of the CEthickneemidae, but is otherwise misleading, as it 

 is not the bird's knee which is thick, but its ankle. It is also known as the Norfolk Plover. 

 It is a resident, whose numbers are increased by migrants in the Summer. The Stone 

 Curlew always runs for a few yards before taking to flight, and as it flies the markings on its 

 secondaries are conspicuous. It has a loud plaintive cry. The nest is a mere hollow among 

 shingle, and the eggs, like all those laid on a beach, are found by looking for two stones 

 alike. 



Oriolus. Plate v. ORIOLINM (Passeridas). 



72. galhda, 9 in. Golden Oriole. All yellow except wings, which 



are black with a yellow bar, and the central tail 



feathers ; black spot between bill and eye ; remiges 



20 ; first primary half the length of the second. 



The Golden Oriole— Dimensions, lb; Eggs, He— is too conspicuous a bird to be left in 



peace, although it still breeds in Cornwall every year, and is frequently reported from the 



eastern counties. It does not walk, but is one of our largest birds that hop, and it is^ noticeable 



that its folded wings reach to within an inch of the end of its tail. Its flight is easy and 



undulatory. Its call is " Ah! How d'ye do?" and its alarm is a *'khrr." The female is 



greener than the male, and her tail is brown, with a narrow yellow tip. The nest is a 



suspended one, hanging from two forking branches, and formed of interwoven bark strips and 



sedge leaves lined with grass flowers. There are four or five eggs. 



