7034 



Birds. 



at one time they might be seen busily searching among moss and dead 

 leaves; at another, in the midst of a tuft of coarse weeds ; and again 

 intently examining the spider's webs upon the walls. 



It was quite a common occurrence to see them in open meadows 

 scattering aside the horse-dung with their bills, and thus procuring 

 abundant supplies of worms and grubs. I once crept very close to 

 one thus engaged, and was amused to observe how cleverly it used its 

 bill, first striking off large masses, and then dashing them into frag- 

 ments in all directions by a rapid and peculiar movement of the head 

 from side to side. Although telescopic evidence is usually of a some- 

 what doubtful nature, yet I spent many a happy half hour in 

 observing these interesting birds by means of a powerful pocket-glass. 

 In this manner I could see them climbing the face of a large rock or 

 of a rough stone wall, curiously peering into every crevice, and occa- 

 sionally varying the amusement by a smart tap or two upon the un- 

 yielding surface of the stone. 



I once saw two upon the ground engaged in desperate combat, 

 tearing, fluttering, and tumbling about in a most comical manner, at 

 the same time uttering a shrill noise which was half scream and half 

 chatter. Upon my approaching a little too near, they hastily took 

 wing, and were immediately afterwards to be seen perched upon the 

 top of a neighbouring rock, enjoying the warm sunshine, and appa- 

 rently already in happy forgetfulness of their "little difference." 

 The longer the birds remained in the island the more worn their 

 tails and claws became, but it was only in a very few instances that 

 any injury to the bill could be detected. 



I carefully dissected several of the victims above-mentioned, but 

 without observing anything particularly worthy of note, with the ex- 

 ception, perhaps, of the large size of the cutaneous nerves, and the 

 closeness with which the skin adhered to the body. I should be glad 

 to ascertain whether these peculiarities have been remarked in the 

 green woodpecker, for possibly that bird's well-known susceptibility 

 to atmospheric influences may thus be in some measure accounted 

 for, though why such a peculiarity should be so strongly developed 

 only in certain genera is a question of a totally different nature, and 

 one upon which I will not at present hazard my own imperfectly- 

 matured conjectures. 



Henry L. Saxby. 



54, Gilmore Place, Edinburgh, 

 February 1, 1802. 



