462 
SKITTY. 
The egg’s 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.* 
SKIDDY 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. ll2.~Laih. Ind. 
Orn. 2. 772. 19. — Rallus aquaticus minor, sive Maruetta, JBriss. 5. p. 155. 2. t. 
13. f. 1. — Ib. 8vo. 2. p. 252. — Gallinula ochra Gesneri, Raii, Syn. p. 115. 7. — 
Will. p. 236. — Ib. (Angl.) 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. W.— Walc. 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 
