462 SKITTY. 



The eggs and young of this bird which we found in the nests, were 

 so like those of the herring gull, that there was no discriminating 

 mark; the eggs, indeed, were in general larger; the young were 

 covered with a soft brown down, mottled with dusky. This is by far 

 a less numerous species than the herring gull. 



SISKIN. — A name for the Aberdevine. 



SITTA (Linn^us.) — * Nuthatch, a genus thus characterised. Bill 

 straight, cylindrical, slightly compressed, awl-shaped; upper mandible 

 rather longer than the lower one ; the tip sharpened ; tongue short, 

 horny, and armed at the point ; nostrils at the base and rounded, 

 partly hidden by reflected bristles ; feet with three toes before and one 

 behind, the outer toe being joined at its base to the middle one ; hind 

 toe of the same length as, or longer than, the middle toe, with a long 

 and hooked claw ; tail consisting of twelve feathers ; wings rather short ; 

 the first quill very short, the third and fourth being the longest in the 

 wing.* 



SKART. — A name for the Cormorant. 



SKEER DEVIL.— * A name for the Swift.* 



SKIDD Y COCK.— A name for the Bilcock. 



SKIR DEVIL.— * A name for the Swift.* 



SKITTY (Gallinula Porzana, Latham.) 



Rallus Porzana, Linn. Syst. 1. p. 262. 2 Gmel. Syst. 2. p. 712.— Lath. Ind. 



Orn. 2. 772. 19. — Rallus aquaticus minor, sive Maruetta, Briss. 5. p. 155. 2. t. 

 13. f. 1.— Ib. 8vo. 2. p. 252.— Gallinula ochra Gesneri, Rail, Syn. p. 115. 7 — 



Will. p. 236.— Ib. (Arigl.) p. 316 Petit Rale d'eau, ou le Marouette, Buff. 



Ois. 8. p. 157.— Gallinula Porzana, Temm. Man. d'Orn. 2. p. 688.— Spotted 



Gallinule, Br. Zool. 2. No. 215.— Ib. fol. 130. t. L.* 1 Arct. Zool. Supp. p. 



69.— Lath. Syn. 5. p. 264. 18 Wale. Syn. 2. t. 172.— Lewin's Br. Birds, 5. 



1. 192.— Don. Br. Birds, 5. t. 122.— Flem. Br. Anim. p. 99.— Mont. Orn. Diet. 



Provincial. — Spotted Water Hen. 



The weight of this elegant species is about four ounces ; length nine 

 inches ; the bill is yellowish green ; the base red orange ; irides reddish 

 hazel ; the crown of the head, back, and rump, olive-brown, streaked 

 with dusky ; the two last spotted with white ; the sides of the head and 

 neck dashed with cinereous, and minutely spotted with white ; the 

 breast and wing coverts olive-brown, spotted with white ; the larger 

 coverts barred and streaked with white ; belly and vent dirty yellowish 

 white ; the sides above the thighs, barred with white ; legs pale green. 



This is rather a scarce bird with us, and is certainly a migrative 

 species. We have met with it as early as the first of April, and as late 

 as the middle of October, about which time it probably retires south to 

 pass the winter. We have received it from Sussex, Hampshire, and 

 Caermarthenshire. It does not appear to be found far inland, but 



