854 
SKETCHES OF EUROPEAN ORNITHOLOGY. 
rump distinguish it from its congeners. Mr. Gould believes 1 * IVf. Brehms T. 
Sckinzii to he identical with T. variabilis. It is hy no means shy, and associates 
in the Winter either with birds of its own kind or with other Tringas, but they 
become more restless in Winter. Frequents marshy shores, and the borders of 
brackish waters, near which it breeds, laying four yellowish-grey eggs spotted 
with olive or chesnut brown. 
Spur-winged Pluvian, Pluvianus sjnnosus ,—Pluvier arme, Fr. —The plate 
represents an adult male, a singular-looking creature, of the natural size. In* 
habits nearly the whole of Africa, Anatolia, &c., and occasionally visits the South 
and East of Europe ; it also inhabits Russia. It is very clamorous, and has a hasty 
and almost continual movement of the head and neck, as if it were making rapid 
and eager blows. The sexes are similar. 
American Cuckoo, Coccyzus Americanus ,—Coucou cendreillard, Fr. —This 
bird is well figured, of the living size. Two specimens of this American species 
have been shot in England, and two in Ireland ; the first notice of it as a British 
and European bird appeared in Rennie’s Field Naturalist. From its common 
cry resembling the word cow , it is often called the Cow-bird in America, and also 
Rain-crow, from being particularly vociferous before rain. It builds its own nest, 
and attends to its young with assiduity, but sometimes lays one of its eggs in 
the nests of other birds. In shape its nest is like that of a Pigeon, and it lays 
four or five eggs of an elongated form, and bright green colour. Only one brood 
is reared in a season, except, of course, in case of the destruction of the first nest. 
Temminck thinks this bird inhabits the North of Europe, as he has a difficulty 
in conceiving that it should migrate to us from America. 
White-headed Elanus, Elanus leucocephalus ,—Milan de-la-Caroline, Fr .—- 
A very beautiful figure represents the bird of the natural size. One specimen 
has occurred in Argyleshire, and another in Yorkshire. Seizes Locusts and other 
insects, and feeds on them while flying, and also eats the nests of Wasps and 
Locusts, with their lame. “ Snakes and Lizards are their common food in all 
parts of America. In October they begin slowly to migrate Southward. Its 
flight is extremely graceful, and it remains on the wing nearly the whole day, 
roosting at night on lofty trees. The nest is placed on the top of a tall Oak or 
Pine-tree, being formed of sticks, intermixed with Moss and Grass, lined with a 
few feathers. The eggs, four or six in number, are greenish-white, irregularly 
blotched with dark brown; when just hatched, the young are covered with 
white down.’’ 
Audouin’s Gull, Larzts Audouinii ,—Mouette a’Audouin, Fr. —A male is 
figured in Summer plumage, and nearly of the natural dimensions. “ It is pro* 
bable that, independent of those of the Mediterranean, the whole of the coasts of 
