Birds 1817 



poor bird in selecting a locality [in the trunk of a tree], and her perseverance in bur- 

 rowing into so solid a structure, are not sufficient to ensure her safety or that of her 

 young. The aperture by which she herself enters and departs affords also a ready en- 

 trance to a subtle and voracious enemy, the yellow boa. A young friend of mine once 

 observing a parroquet enter into a hole in a large duck-ant's nest, situated on a bastard 

 cedar, mounted to take her eggs or young. Arrived at the place, he cautiously in- 

 serted his hand, which presently came in contact with something smooth and soft. 

 He guessed it might be the callow young ; but hesitating to trust it, he descended, 

 and proceeded to cut a stick, keeping his eye on the orifice, from which the old bird 

 had not yet flown. Having again mounted, he thrust in the slick, and forced oft' the 

 whole upper part of the structure, disclosing, to his utter discomfiture and terror, an 

 enormous yellow snake, about whose jaws the feathers of the swallowed parroquet were 

 still adhering, while more of her plumage scattered in the nest revealed her unhappy 

 fate. The serpent instantly darted down the tree, and the astonished youth, certainly 

 not less terrified, also descended with precipitation, and ran, as if for life, from the 

 scene." — p. 264. 



The Kiideer Plover {/Egialites vociferus). — " One which was shot, and wounded in 

 the wing, I introduced to the doves, in a large packing-case, the front of which was re- 

 moved and replaced by gauze. Immediately on being put in, it began vigorously 

 charging at the gauze, as if it had no idea of any impediment there, running back- 

 ward a little way, and then dashing at it ; and this without an instant's intermission, 

 now and then leaping up, and uttering its wild cry. For a few minutes its impetuous 

 motions seemed to stupify all the doves, who gazed in astonishment ; but presently a 

 young bald-pate, who occupied one of the front corners, a very cross and surly fellow, 

 began to peck and beat the little plover, driving him about the cage without mercy. 

 I had been struck, at the first entry of the bird, with its remarkable height, owing to 

 the length of the tarsi, and the upright, bold attitude in which it stood. At length, to 

 escape the persecutions of the bald-pate, it suddenly squatted down in one of the back 

 corners, bringing the tarsi flat on the ground, and the tibiae on them, so that I was 

 now struck with its flatness and closeness on the ground ; and I saw how it is that we 

 so often hear their cry very near, when we can see no trace of them, and often sud- 

 denly lose sight of them when watching them running. I feel assured that this 

 squatting is the bird's natural resource for concealment; for on being alarmed sud- 

 denly, its first impulse is to bend partially the heel, bringing the body nearer 

 the grouud ; if the danger appear to increase, it brings the tarsi flat, the tibia? still 

 being inclined ; the body seems now in contact with the ground ; but a greater terror 

 brings it still lower, so that it really appears as if half sunk in the earth ; and now no 

 advance of the danger affects it, if there be no opening to run ; it lies quite passive ; 

 its resource isjexhausted. 



" My captive lay thus unmoved for awhile, though the restless pea-doves, in run- 

 ning from side to side, walked over it, trampling it under foot at every turn. When 

 it did get up, however, and came to the front, it was again instantly assaulted by the 

 bald-pate, who struck it with his wing, and seized its beak with his own, and pinched 

 it. Pitying it under these inflictions, I took it out, and allowed it to run about the 

 room. Its actions now became quite entertaining ; it ran backward and forward with 

 surprising fleetness, but not being used to the smoothness of board, though the floor 

 was not at all polished, aud wanting the support of the back toe, its speed was con- 

 tinually causing it to slip, the feet sliding forward, so as to bring the bird down upon 



