80 
NATURAL HISTORY. 
their males, and then terrify them, when they have come 
near, with the screams of the eagle. The mock-bird, how- 
ever, pleases most when it is most itself. At those times it 
usually frequents the houses of the American planters; and, 
sitting all night on the chimney-top, pours forth the sweetest 
and the most various notes of any bird whatever. It would 
seem, if accounts be true, that the deficiency of most other 
song-birds in that country is made up by (his bird alone. 
They often build their nests in the fruit-trees about houses, 
and are easily rendered domestic. 
The Chatterers form a very beautiful race of birds, 
including about ten species. That which is called the 
Waxen , or Bohemian Chatterer , is the size of a large lark, 
eight inches. Its head is adorned with a beautiful pointed 
crest. The upper parts of the body are of a reddish ash- 
colour; the breast and belly of a pale, purplish chestnut ; 
a black streak passes over each eye ; the chin also and quills 
are black. Their native country is Bohemia, whence they 
wander in flocks all over Europe, and were formerly super- 
stitiously considered as a presage of a pestilence. They 
are seldom seen in the southern parts of Britain. 
The Carvnculated Chatterer is a native of Cayenne and 
Brazil. It is about twelve inches long. The plumage of the 
male is of a pure white, except a tinge of yellow on the rump, 
quills, and tail. The female has the upper parts of the plum- 
age olive-grey, and the lower parts grey, edged with olive. 
Both have a fleshy carbuncle at the base of the bill, which 
projects over it like that of a turkey-cock. Their voice is 
(like that of all the kind) noisy and garrulous, and so loud, 
that it may be heard at the distance of half a league. 
The. Grosbeaks form a very extensive genus of birds, 
including nearly 100 species, of which, how'ever, not more 
than five are common in Europe, viz. the hawfinch, the 
pine grosbeak, the crossbill, the bullfinch, and the green 
grosbeak, or greenfinch. The common character is a short, 
thick bill, and a tongue as if cut off’ at the end. 
The first of these, the Hawfinch , visits England at un- 
certain times. It is in length six inches and three quarters. 
The chin is black ; the neck ash colour, the body brown, 
with the greater quill-feathers black, and the under-parts 
of the body of a dirty flesh-colour. 
The Pine Grosbeak is quite the size of the bullfinch. 
The head, neck, breast, and rump are crimson ; the back 
and wing-coverts black It frequents the pine-forests in 
all the northern parts of Europe. 
