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Title: Ornithological biography, Vol. 3 (of 5): An account of the habits of the birds of the United States of America,
Author: Audubon, John James
Language: English
As this book started as an ASCII text book there are no pictures available.
*** Start of this LibraryBlog Digital Book "Ornithological biography, Vol. 3 (of 5): An account of the habits of the birds of the United States of America," ***
VOL. 3 (OF 5) ***
Transcriber’s Note:
Inconsistent hyphenation, capitalization, and spelling in the original
document have been preserved. Obvious typographical errors have been
corrected.
Italic text is denoted by _underscores_.
The following inconsistencies were noted and retained:
Grous and Grouse
John Bullow and John Bulow
Ingalls and Ingals
Lehman and Leehman
lents and lints
Magdaleine and Magdeleine Islands
oppossum and opossum
waggons and wagons
Schuylkill and Schuylkil
arcuato-declinate and arcuate-declinate
cæca and cœca
Macculloch and M’Culloch
The following are possible errors, but retained:
unrol
“at the height of fifty years or more”
John Quincey Adams
Daniel Boon
“The matin calls”
Persimons
pork-rhind
p. 487 of Vol. II should possibly be page 435 of that volume.
The Errata on page 632 have been corrected in the text.
ORNITHOLOGICAL BIOGRAPHY.
ORNITHOLOGICAL BIOGRAPHY,
OR AN ACCOUNT OF THE HABITS OF THE
BIRDS OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA,
ACCOMPANIED BY DESCRIPTIONS OF THE OBJECTS REPRESENTED
IN THE WORK ENTITLED
THE BIRDS OF AMERICA,
AND INTERSPERSED WITH DELINEATIONS OF AMERICAN
SCENERY AND MANNERS.
BY JOHN JAMES AUDUBON, F.R.SS.L. & E.
FELLOW OF THE LINNEAN AND ZOOLOGICAL SOCIETIES OF LONDON;
MEMBER OF THE LYCEUM OF NEW YORK, OF THE NATURAL HISTORY
SOCIETY OF PARIS, THE WERNERIAN NATURAL HISTORY SOCIETY
OF EDINBURGH; HONORARY MEMBER OF THE SOCIETY OF NATURAL
HISTORY OF MANCHESTER, AND OF THE SCOTTISH ACADEMY OF
PAINTING, SCULPTURE, AND ARCHITECTURE; MEMBER OF THE AMERICAN
PHILOSOPHICAL SOCIETY, OF THE ACADEMY OF NATURAL SCIENCES
AT PHILADELPHIA, OF THE NATURAL HISTORY SOCIETIES OF BOSTON,
OF CHARLESTON IN SOUTH CAROLINA, &C. &C.
Vol. III
EDINBURGH:
ADAM & CHARLES BLACK, EDINBURGH;
LONGMAN, REES, BROWN, GREEN & LONGMAN, LONDON; R.
HAVELL, ENGRAVER, 77. OXFORD STREET, LONDON; THOMAS
SOWLER, MANCHESTER; MRS ROBINSON, LEEDS; ALEXANDER HILL,
EDINBURGH; J. HENRY BEILBY, BIRMINGHAM; E. CHARNLEY,
NEWCASTLE-UPON-TYNE; AND GEORGE SMITH, LIVERPOOL.
MDCCCXXXV.
PRINTED BY NEILL & Co. Old Fishmarket, Edinburgh.
INTRODUCTION.
Ten years have now elapsed since the first number of my Illustrations
of the Birds of America made its appearance. At that period I
calculated that the engravers would take sixteen years in accomplishing
their task; and this I announced in my prospectus, and talked of to
my friends. Of the latter not a single individual seemed to have the
least hope of my success, and several strongly advised me to abandon
my plans, dispose of my drawings, and return to my country. I listened
with attention to all that was urged on the subject, and often felt
deeply depressed, for I was well aware of many of the difficulties
to be surmounted, and perceived that no small sum of money would be
required to defray the necessary expenses. Yet never did I seriously
think of abandoning the cherished object of my hopes. When I delivered
the first drawings to the engraver, I had not a single subscriber.
Those who knew me best called me rash; some wrote to me that they did
not expect to see a second fasciculus; and others seemed to anticipate
the total failure of my enterprise. But my heart was nerved, and
my reliance on that Power, on whom all must depend, brought bright
anticipations of success.
Having made arrangements for meeting the first difficulties, I turned
my attention to the improvement of my drawings, and began to collect
from the pages of my journals the scattered notes which referred
to the habits of the birds represented by them. I worked early and
late, and glad I was to perceive that the more I laboured the more I
improved. I was happy, too, to find, that in general each succeeding
plate was better than its predecessor, and when those who had at first
endeavoured to dissuade me from undertaking so vast an enterprise,
complimented me on my more favourable prospects, I could not but feel
happy. Number after number appeared in regular succession, until at
the end of four years of anxiety, my engraver, Mr HAVELL, presented
me with the First Volume of the Birds of America.
Convinced, from a careful comparison of the plates, that at least
there had been no falling off in the execution, I looked forward with
confidence to the termination of the next four years’ labour. Time
passed on, and I returned from the forests and wilds of the western
world to congratulate my friend HAVELL, just when the last plate of
the second volume was finished.
About that time, a nobleman called upon me with his family, and
requested me to shew them some of the original drawings, which I
did with the more pleasure that my visitors possessed a knowledge
of Ornithology. In the course of our conversation, I was asked how
long it might be until the work should be finished. When I mentioned
eight years more, the nobleman shrugged up his shoulders, and sighing,
said, “I may not see it finished, but my children will, and you may
please to add my name to your list of subscribers.” The young people
exhibited a mingled expression of joy and sorrow, and when I with them
strove to dispel the cloud that seemed to hang over their father’s
mind, he smiled, bade me be sure to see that the whole work should be
punctually delivered, and took his leave. The solemnity of his manner
I could not forget for several days; I often thought that neither
might I see the work completed, but at length I exclaimed “my sons
may.” And now that another volume, both of my Illustrations and of my
Biographies is finished, my trust in Providence is augmented, and I
cannot but hope that myself and my family together may be permitted
to see the completion of my labours.
I have performed no long journey since I last parted from you, and
therefore I have little of personal history to relate to you. I have
spent the greater part of the interval in London and Edinburgh, in
both which cities I have continued to enjoy a social intercourse with
many valued friends. In the former, it has been my good fortune to add
to the list the names of WILLIAM YARRELL, Esq., Dr BELL, Dr BOOTT,
Captain JAMES CLARK ROSS, R. N., and Dr RICHARDSON. From Mr YARRELL
and the two latter gentlemen, both well known to you as intrepid and
successful travellers, I have received much valuable information,
as well as precious specimens of birds and eggs, collected in the
desolate regions of the extreme north. My anxiety to compare my
specimens with those of the Zoological Society of London, induced me
to request permission to do so, which the Council freely accorded.
For this favour I now present my warm acknowledgments to the Noble
EARL of DERBY, the Members of the Council, their amiable Secretary Mr
BENNETT, and to Mr GOULD, who had the kindness to select for me such
specimens as I wanted. My friend Professor JAMESON of Edinburgh has
been equally kind in allowing me the means of comparing specimens.
From America I have received some valuable information, and many
interesting specimens of birds and eggs, for which I am indebted to
the Rev. JOHN BACHMAN, Dr RICHARD HARLAN, Dr GEORGE PARKMAN, EDWARD
HARRIS, Esq. and others.
The number of new species described in the present volume is not
great. Among them, however, you will find the largest true Heron
hitherto discovered in the United States. I have corrected some errors
committed by authors, and have added to our Fauna several species
which, although described by European writers, had not been observed
in America. The habits of many species previously unknown have also
been given in detail.
Having long ago observed, in works on the Birds of the United States,
the omission of the females and the different appearances produced
by the change of season in most water birds, I have represented the
male accompanied by his mate, and, in as many instances as possible,
the young also. The technical descriptions have been given at greater
length than in the former volumes, with the view of preventing
error even in comparing dried skins with either the figures or the
descriptions. I have also given the average measurement of the eggs,
which I regret I had omitted to do in the other volumes; an error
which I purpose to atone for by presenting you, in the last number
of my Illustrations, with figures of all those which I have collected.
The figures in the third volume of my Illustrations amount to one
hundred and eighty-two, and are thus much fewer than those in either
of the preceding volumes. This, however, was rendered necessary by
the comparatively large size of the originals, the aquatic species of
Birds greatly exceeding the terrestrial in this respect. Many of them
in fact are so large that only a single figure could be given, and
that not always in so good an attitude as I could have wished. For
this reason I have sometimes been obliged to give the figure of the
young in a separate plate; and this I shall in a few cases continue
to do, in order to correct the errors of authors respecting certain
species, which I have proved to be merely nominal. Still the number
contained in the three volumes being six hundred and seventy-four,
there are more than two to each species.
The engraving and colouring of the plates of this volume have generally
been considered as much superior even to those of the second. Indeed,
some of my patrons, both in Europe and America, have voluntarily
expressed their conviction of the superiority of these plates. This
is the more gratifying to me, that it proves the unremitted care and
perseverance of Mr HAVELL and his assistants, of whom I mention with
approbation Messrs BLAKE and EDINGTON.
The Ornithology of the United States may be said to have been
commenced by ALEXANDER WILSON, whose premature death prevented him
from completing his labours. It is unnecessary for me to say how
well he performed the task which he had imposed upon himself; for all
naturalists, and many who do not aspire to the name, acknowledge his
great merits. But although he succeeded in observing and obtaining a
very great number of our birds, he left for others many species which
he was unable to procure. These have been sought for with eagerness,
and not without success, by persons who have engaged in the pursuit
with equal ardour. The PRINCE OF MUSIGNANO, full of enthusiasm, having
his judgment matured by long observation, and his mind stored with
useful learning, collected in our woods and prairies, by our great
rivers, and along our extended shores, materials sufficient for four
superb volumes, intended as a continuation of WILSON’s work. THOMAS
NUTTALL, equally learned and enthusiastic, next entered the field.
His Manual of our Birds contains a mass of useful information, and
is for the most part excellent. Many others have, in various ways,
endeavoured to extend our knowledge on this subject; but with the
exception of THOMAS SAY, none have published their discoveries in a
connected form. Dr HARLAN has given to the world an excellent account
of our Mammalia; various works on Mollusca have appeared, and at
present Dr HORLBECK of Charleston is engaged in publishing an account
of our Reptiles.
Along our extended frontiers I have striven to observe and gather
whatever had escaped the notice of the different collectors; and
now, kind Reader, to prove to you that if not so fortunate as I had
wished, I yet have done all that was in my power, I present you with
a third volume of Ornithological Biographies, in which you will find
some account of about sixty species of Water Birds not included in the
works of WILSON. These, at one season or other, are to be met with
along the shores or streams of the United States. Some of them are
certainly very rare, others remarkable in form and habits; but all,
I trust, you will find distinct from each other, and not inaccurately
described.
The difficulties which are to be encountered in studying the habits of
our Water Birds are great. He who follows the feathered inhabitants
of the forests and plains, however rough or tangled the paths may
be, seldom fails to obtain the objects of his pursuit, provided he
be possessed of due enthusiasm and perseverance. The Land Bird flits
from bush to bush, runs before you, and seldom extends its flight
beyond the range of your vision. It is very different with the
Water Bird, which sweeps afar over the wide ocean, hovers above the
surges, or betakes itself for refuge to the inaccessible rocks on the
shore. There, on the smooth sea-beach, you see the lively and active
Sandpiper; on that rugged promontory the Dusky Cormorant; under the
dark shade of yon cypress the Ibis and Heron; above you in the still
air floats the Pelican or the Swan; while far over the angry billows
scour the Fulmar and the Frigate bird. If you endeavour to approach
these birds in their haunts, they betake themselves to flight, and
speed to places where they are secure from your intrusion.
But the scarcer the fruit, the more prized it is; and seldom have I
experienced greater pleasures than when on the Florida Keys, under a
burning sun, after pushing my bark for miles over a soapy flat, I have
striven all day long, tormented by myriads of insects, to procure a
heron new to me, and have at length succeeded in my efforts. And then
how amply are the labours of the naturalist compensated, when, after
observing the wildest and most distrustful birds, in their remote and
almost inaccessible breeding places, he returns from his journeys,
and relates his adventures to an interested and friendly audience.
I look forward to the summer of 1838 with an anxious hope that I may
then be able to present you with the last plate of my Illustrations,
and the concluding volume of my Biographies. To render these volumes
as complete as possible, I intend to undertake a journey to the
southern and western limits of the Union, with the view of obtaining
a more accurate knowledge of the birds of those remote and scarcely
inhabited regions. On this tour I shall be accompanied by my youngest
son, while the rest of my family will remain in Britain, to direct
the progress of my publication.
In concluding these prefatory remarks, I have to inform you that one
of the tail-pieces in my second volume, entitled “A Moose Hunt,” was
communicated to me by my young friend THOMAS LINCOLN of Dennisville
in Maine; and that it was at his particular request, and much against
my wishes, that his name was not mentioned at the time. I have now,
however, judged it proper to make this statement.
JOHN J. AUDUBON.
EDINBURGH, 1st December 1835.
TABLE OF CONTENTS.
Page
The Canada Goose, _Anser canadensis_, 1
The Red-throated Diver, _Colymbus septentrionalis_, 20
The Great Red-breasted Rail, _Rallus elegans_, 27
or Fresh-water Marsh-Hen,
The Clapper Rail, or Salt-water _Rallus crepitans_, 33
Marsh-Hen,
The Virginian Rail, _Rallus virginianus_, 41
THE AMERICAN SUN PERCH, 47
The Wood Duck, _Anas Sponsa_, 52
The Booby Gannet, _Sula fusca_, 63
The Esquimaux Curlew, _Numenius borealis_, 69
Wilson’s Plover, _Charadrius Wilsonius_, 73
The Least Bittern, _Ardea exilis_, 77
THE EGGERS OF LABRADOR, 82
The Great Blue Heron, _Ardea Herodias_, 87
The Common American Gull, _Larus zonorhynchus_, 98
The Puffin, _Mormon arcticus_, 105
The Razor-billed Auk, _Alca Torda_, 112
The Hyperborean Phalarope, _Phalaropus hyperboreus_, 118
FISHING IN THE OHIO, 122
The Wood Ibis, _Tantalus Loculator_, 128
The Louisiana Heron, _Ardea ludoviciana_, 136
The Foolish Guillemot, _Uria Troile_, 142
The Black Guillemot, _Uria Grylle_, 148
The Piping Plover, _Charadrius melodus_, 154
THE WRECKERS OF FLORIDA, 158
The Mallard, _Anas Boschas_, 164
The White Ibis, _Ibis alba_, 173
The American Oyster-Catcher, _Hæmatopus palliatus_, 181
The Kittiwake Gull, _Larus tridactylus_, 186
The Kildeer Plover, _Charadrius vociferus_, 191
THE WHITE PERCH AND ITS FAVOURITE BAIT, 197
The Whooping Crane, _Grus americana_, 202
The Pintail Duck, _Anas acuta_, 214
The Green-winged Teal, _Anas Crecca_, 219
The Scaup Duck, _Fuligula Marila_, 226
The Sanderling, _Tringa arenaria_, 231
A RACOON HUNT IN KENTUCKY, 235
The Long-billed Curlew, _Numenius longirostris_, 240
The Hooded Merganser, _Mergus cucullatus_, 246
The Sora Rail, _Rallus carolinus_, 251
The Ring-necked Duck, _Fuligula rufitorques_, 259
The Sooty Tern, _Sterna fuliginosa_, 263
A WILD HORSE, 270
The Night Heron, _Ardea Nycticorax_, 275
The Hudsonian Curlew, _Numenius hudsonicus_, 283
The Great Marbled Godwit, _Limosa Fedoa_, 287
The American Coot, _Fulica americana_, 291
The Roseate Tern, _Sterna Dougallii_, 296
REMINISCENCES OF THOMAS BEWICK, 300
The Great Black-backed Gull, _Larus marinus_, 305
The Snowy Heron, _Ardea candidissima_, 317
The American Snipe, _Scolopax Wilsonii_, 322
The Common Gallinule, _Gallinula Chloropus_, 330
The Large-billed Guillemot, _Uria Brunnichii_, 336
PITTING OF WOLVES, 338
The Eider Duck, _Fuligula mollissima_, 342
The Velvet Duck, _Fuligula fusca_, 354
The Pied-billed Dobchick, _Podiceps carolinensis_, 359
The Tufted Puffin, _Mormon cirrhatus_, 364
The Arctic Tern, _Sterna arctica_, 366
A TOUGH WALK FOR A YOUTH, 371
The Brown Pelican, _Pelecanus fuscus_, 376
The Florida Cormorant, _Phalacrocorax floridanus_, 387
The Pomarine Jager, _Lestris pomarinus_, 396
Wilson’s Phalarope, _Phalaropus Wilsonii_, 400
The Red Phalarope, _Phalaropus fulicarius_, 404
BREAKING UP OF THE ICE, 408
The Reddish Egret, _Ardea rufescens_, 411
The Double-crested Cormorant, _Phalacrocorax dilophus_, 420
The Hudsonian Godwit, _Limosa hudsonica_, 426
The Horned Grebe, _Podiceps cornutus_, 429
The Forked-tailed Petrel, _Thalassidroma Leachii_, 434
A MAPLE-SUGAR CAMP, 438
The Whooping Crane, _Grus americana_, 441
The Tropic Bird, _Phaeton æthereus_, 442
The Curlew Sandpiper, _Tringa subarquata_, 444
The Fulmar Petrel, _Procellaria glacialis_, 446
The Buff-breasted Sandpiper, _Tringa rufescens_, 451
THE OPOSSUM, 454
The Common Cormorant, _Phalacrocorax Carbo_, 458
The Arctic Jager, _Lestris parasiticus_, 470
The American Woodcock, _Scolopax minor_, 474
The Greenshank, _Totanus Glottis_, 483
Wilson’s Petrel, _Thalassidroma Wilsonii_, 486
A LONG CALM AT SEA, 491
The Frigate Pelican, _Tachypetes Aquilus_, 495
Richardson’s Jager, _Lestris Richardsonii_, 503
The Cayenne Tern, _Sterna cayana_, 505
The Semipalmated Snipe, _Totanus semipalmatus_, 510
or Willet,
The Noddy Tern, _Sterna stolida_, 516
STILL BECALMED, 520
The King Duck, _Fuligula spectabilis_, 523
Hutchins’s Goose, _Anser Hutchinsii_, 526
Schinz’s Sandpiper, _Tringa Schinzii_, 529
The Sandwich Tern, _Sterna cantiaca_, 531
The Black Tern, _Sterna nigra_, 535
NATCHEZ IN 1820, 539
The Great White Heron, _Ardea occidentalis_, 542
The White-winged Silvery Gull, _Larus leucopterus_, 553
The Wandering Shearwater, _Puffinus cinereus_, 555
The Purple Sandpiper, _Tringa maritima_, 558
The Forked-tailed Gull, _Larus Sabini_, 561
THE LOST PORTFOLIO, 564
The White-fronted Goose, _Anser albifrons_, 568
The Ivory Gull, _Larus eburneus_, 571
The Yellowshank, _Totanus flavipes_, 573
The Solitary Sandpiper, _Totanus chloropygius_, 576
The Red-backed Sandpiper, _Tringa alpina_, 580
LABRADOR, 584
The Herring Gull, _Larus argentatus_, 588
The Crested Grebe, _Podiceps cristatus_, 595
The Large-billed Puffin, _Mormon glacialis_, 599
The Pectoral Sandpiper, _Tringa pectoralis_, 601
The Manks Shearwater, _Puffinus Anglorum_, 604
GREAT EGG HARBOUR, 606
The Barnacle Goose, _Anser leucopsis_, 609
The Harlequin Duck, _Fuligula histrionica_, 612
The Red-necked Grebe, _Podiceps rubricollis_, 617
The Dusky Petrel, _Puffinus obscurus_, 620
The Golden Plover, _Charadrius pluvialis_, 623
REMARKS ON THE FORM OF THE TOES OF BIRDS, 629
ORNITHOLOGICAL BIOGRAPHY.
THE CANADA GOOSE.
_ANSER CANADENSIS_, VIEILL.
PLATE CCI. MALE AND FEMALE.
Although the Canada Goose is considered as a northern species,
the number of individuals that remain at all seasons in the milder
latitudes, and in different portions of the United States, fully
entitles this bird to be looked upon as a permanent resident there.
It is found to breed sparingly at the present day, by many of the
lakes, lagoons, and large streams of our Western Districts, on the
Missouri, the Mississippi, the lower parts of the Ohio, on Lake Erie,
the lakes farther north, and in several large pools situated in the
interior of the eastern parts of the States of Massachusetts and
Maine. As you advance farther toward the east and north, you find it
breeding more abundantly. While on my way to Labrador, I found it in
the Magdeleine Islands, early in June, sitting on its eggs. In the
Island of Anticosti there is a considerable stream, near the borders
of which great numbers are said to be annually reared; and in Labrador
these birds breed in every suitable marshy plain. The greater number
of those which visit us from still more northern regions, return in
the vernal season, like many other species, to the dismal countries
which gave them birth.
Few if any of these birds spend the winter in Nova Scotia, my friend
Mr THOMAS M’CULLOCH having informed me that he never saw one about
Pictou at that period. In spring, as they proceed northward, thousands
are now and then seen passing high in the air; but in autumn, the
flocks are considerably smaller, and fly much lower. During their
spring movements, the principal places at which they stop to wait for
milder days are Bay Chaleur, the Magdeleine Islands, Newfoundland, and
Labrador, at all of which some remain to breed and spend the summer.
The general spring migration of the Canada Goose, may be stated to
commence with the first melting of the snows in our Middle and Western
Districts, or from the 20th of March to the end of April; but the
precise time of its departure is always determined by the advance of
the season, and the vast flocks that winter in the great savannahs
or swampy prairies south-west of the Mississippi, such as exist in
Opellousas, on the borders of the Arkansas River, or in the dismal
“Ever Glades” of the Floridas, are often seen to take their flight, and
steer their course northward, a month earlier than the first of the
above mentioned periods. It is indeed probable that the individuals
of a species most remote from the point at which the greater number
ultimately assemble, commence their flight earlier than those which
have passed the winter in stations nearer to it.
It is my opinion that all the birds of this species, which leave our
States and territories each spring for the distant north, pair before
they depart. This, no doubt, necessarily results from the nature of
their place of summer residence, where the genial season is so short
as scarcely to afford them sufficient time for bringing up their young
and renewing their plumage, before the rigours of advancing winter
force them to commence their flight towards milder countries. This
opinion is founded on the following facts:—I have frequently observed
large flocks of Geese, in ponds, on marshy grounds, or even on dry
sand bars, the mated birds renewing their courtship as early as the
month of January, while the other individuals would be contending or
coquetting for hours every day, until all seemed satisfied with the
choice they had made, after which, although they remained together,
any person could easily perceive that they were careful to keep in
pairs. I have observed also that the older the birds, the shorter
were the preliminaries of their courtship, and that the barren
individuals were altogether insensible to the manifestations of love
and mutual affection that were displayed around them. The bachelors
and old maids, whether in regret, or not caring to be disturbed by
the bustle, quietly moved aside, and lay down on the grass or sand at
some distance from the rest; and whenever the flocks rose on wing,
or betook themselves to the water, these forlorn birds always kept
behind. This mode of preparing for the breeding season has appeared
to me the more remarkable, that, on reaching the place appointed for
their summer residence, the birds of a flock separate in pairs, which
form their nests and rear their young at a considerable distance from
each other.
It is extremely amusing to witness the courtship of the Canada Goose in
all its stages; and let me assure you, reader, that although a Gander
does not strut before his beloved with the pomposity of a Turkey, or
the grace of a Dove, his ways are quite as agreeable to the female of
his choice. I can imagine before me one who has just accomplished the
defeat of another male after a struggle of half an hour or more. He
advances gallantly towards the object of contention, his head scarcely
raised an inch from the ground, his bill open to its full stretch,
his fleshy tongue elevated, his eyes darting fiery glances, and as he
moves he hisses loudly, while the emotion which he experiences, causes
his quills to shake, and his feathers to rustle. Now he is close to
her who in his eyes is all loveliness; his neck bending gracefully in
all directions, passes all round her, and occasionally touches her
body; and as she congratulates him on his victory, and acknowledges
his affection, they move their necks in a hundred curious ways. At
this moment fierce jealousy urges the defeated gander to renew his
efforts to obtain his love; he advances apace, his eye glowing with
the fire of rage; he shakes his broad wings, ruffles up his whole
plumage, and as he rushes on the foe, hisses with the intensity of
anger. The whole flock seems to stand amazed, and opening up a space,
the birds gather round to view the combat. The bold bird who has
been caressing his mate, scarcely deigns to take notice of his foe,
but seems to send a scornful glance towards him. He of the mortified
feelings, however, raises his body, half opens his sinewy wings, and
with a powerful blow, sends forth his defiance. The affront cannot
be borne in the presence of so large a company, nor indeed is there
much disposition to bear it in any circumstances; the blow is returned
with vigour, the aggressor reels for a moment, but he soon recovers,
and now the combat rages. Were the weapons more deadly, feats of
chivalry would now be performed; as it is, thrust and blow succeed
each other like the strokes of hammers driven by sturdy forgers. But
now, the mated gander has caught hold of his antagonist’s head with
his bill; no bull-dog could cling faster to his victim; he squeezes
him with all the energy of rage, lashes him with his powerful wings,
and at length drives him away, spreads out his pinions, runs with
joy to his mate, and fills the air with cries of exultation.
But now, see yonder, not a couple, but half a dozen of ganders are
engaged in battle! Some desperado, it seems, has fallen upon a mated
bird, and several bystanders, as if sensible of the impropriety of
such conduct, rush to the assistance of the wronged one. How they
strive and tug, biting, and striking with their wings! and how their
feathers fly about! Exhausted, abashed, and mortified, the presumptuous
intruder retreats in disgrace;—there he lies almost breathless on
the sand!
Such are the conflicts of these ardent lovers, and so full of courage
and of affection towards their females are they, that the approach of
a male invariably ruffles their tempers as well as their feathers. No
sooner has the goose laid her first egg, than her bold mate stands
almost erect by her side, watching even the rustling sound of the
breeze. The least noise brings from him a sound of anger. Should
he spy a racoon making its way among the grass, he walks up to him
undauntedly, hurls a vigorous blow at him, and drives him instantly
away. Nay I doubt if man himself, if unarmed, would come off unscathed
in such an encounter. The brave gander does more; for, if imminent
danger excite him, he urges his mate to fly off, and resolutely remains
near the nest until he is assured of her safety, when he also betakes
himself to flight, mocking as it were by his notes his disappointed
enemy.
Suppose all to be peace and quiet around the fond pair, and the female
to be sitting in security upon her eggs. The nest is placed near
the bank of a noble stream or lake; the clear sky is spread over the
scene, the bright beams glitter on the waters, and a thousand odorous
flowers give beauty to the swamp which of late was so dismal. The
gander passes to and fro over the liquid element, moving as if lord
of the waters; now he inclines his head with a graceful curve, now
sips to quench his thirst; and, as noontide has arrived, he paddles
his way towards the shore, to relieve for a while his affectionate
and patient consort. The lisping sounds of their offspring are heard
through the shell; their little bills have formed a breach in the
inclosing walls; full of life, and bedecked with beauty, they come
forth, with tottering steps and downy covering. Toward the water
they now follow their careful parent, they reach the border of the
stream, their mother already floats on the loved element, one after
another launches forth, and now the flock glides gently along. What
a beautiful sight! Close by the grassy margin, the mother slowly
leads her innocent younglings; to one she shews the seed of the
floating grass, to another points out the crawling slug. Her careful
eye watches the cruel turtle, the garfish, and the pike, that are
lurking for their prey, and, with head inclined, she glances upwards
to the eagle or the gull that are hovering over the water in search
of food. A ferocious bird dashes at her young ones; she instantly
plunges beneath the surface, and, in the twinkling of an eye, her
brood disappear after her; now they are among the thick rushes, with
nothing above water but their little bills. The mother is marching
towards the land, having lisped to her brood in accents so gentle
that none but they and her mate can understand their import, and all
are safely lodged under cover until the disappointed eagle or gull
bears away.
More than six weeks have now elapsed. The down of the goslings,
which was at first soft and tufty, has become coarse and hairlike.
Their wings are edged with quills, and their bodies bristled with
feathers. They have increased in size, and, living in the midst of
abundance, they have become fat, so that on shore they make their
way with difficulty, and as they are yet unable to fly, the greatest
care is required to save them from their numerous enemies. They grow
apace, and now the burning days of August are over. They are able to
fly with ease from one shore to another, and as each successive night
the hoarfrosts cover the country, and the streams are closed over by
the ice, the family joins that in their neighbourhood, which is also
joined by others. At length they spy the advance of a snow-storm,
when the ganders with one accord sound the order for their departure.
After many wide circlings, the flock has risen high in the thin air,
and an hour or more is spent in teaching the young the order in which
they are to move. But now, the host has been marshalled, and off it
starts, shewing, as it proceeds, at one time an extended front, at
another a single lengthened file, and now arraying itself in an angular
form. The old males advance in front, the females follow, the young
come in succession according to their strength, the weakest forming
the rear. Should one feel fatigued, his position is changed in the
ranks, and he assumes a place in the wake of another, who cleaves the
air before him; perhaps the parent bird flies for a while by his side
to encourage him. Two, three, or more days elapse before they reach
a secure resting place. The fat with which they were loaded at their
departure has rapidly wasted; they are fatigued, and experience the
keen gnawings of hunger; but now they spy a wide estuary, towards
which they direct their course. Alighting on the water, they swim
to the beach, stand, and gaze around them; the young full of joy,
the old full of fear, for well are they aware that many foes have
been waiting their arrival. Silent all night remains the flock, but
not inactive; with care they betake themselves to the grassy shores,
where they allay the cravings of appetite, and recruit their wasted
strength. Soon as the early dawn lightens the surface of the deep
they rise into the air, extend their lines, and proceed southward,
until arriving in some place where they think they may be enabled to
rest in security, they remain during the winter. At length, after
many annoyances, they joyfully perceive the return of spring, and
prepare to fly away from their greatest enemy, man.
The Canada Goose often arrives in our Western and Middle Districts
as early as the beginning of September, and does not by any means
confine itself to the seashore. Indeed, my opinion is, that for every
hundred seen during the winter along our large bays and estuaries,
as many thousands may be found in the interior of the country,
where they frequent the large ponds, rivers, and wet savannahs.
During my residence in the State of Kentucky, I never spent a winter
without observing immense flocks of these birds, especially in the
neighbourhood of Henderson, where I have killed many hundreds of
them, as well as on the Falls of the Ohio at Louisville, and in the
neighbouring country, which abounds in ponds overgrown with grasses
and various species of Nympheæ, on the seeds of which they greedily
feed. Indeed all the lakes situated within a few miles of the Missouri
and Mississippi, or their tributaries, are still amply supplied with
them from the middle of autumn to the beginning of spring. In these
places, too, I have found them breeding, although sparingly. It seems
to me more than probable, that the species bred abundantly in the
temperate parts of North America before the white population extended
over them. This opinion is founded on the relations of many old and
respectable citizens of our country, and in particular of General
GEORGE CLARK, one of the first settlers on the banks of the Ohio,
who, at a very advanced age, assured me that, fifty years before the
period when our conversation took place (about seventy-five years
from the present time), wild geese were so plentiful at all seasons
of the year, that he was in the habit of having them shot to feed
his soldiers, then garrisoned near Vincennes, in the present State
of Indiana. My father, who travelled down the Ohio shortly after
BRADOCK’s defeat, related the same to me; and I, as well as many
persons now residing at Louisville in Kentucky, well remember that,
twenty-five or thirty years ago, it was quite easy to procure young
Canada Geese in the ponds around. So late as 1819, I have met with
the nests, eggs, and young of this species near Henderson. However,
as I have already said, the greater number remove far north to breed.
I have never heard of an instance of their breeding in the Southern
States. Indeed, so uncongenial to their constitution seems the extreme
heat of these parts to be, that the attempts made to rear them in a
state of domestication very rarely succeed.
The Canada Goose, when it remains with us to breed, begins to form
its nest in March, making choice of some retired place not far from
the water, generally among the rankest grass, and not unfrequently
under a bush. It is carefully formed of dry plants of various kinds,
and is of a large size, flat, and raised to the height of several
inches. Once only did I find a nest elevated above the ground. It
was placed on the stump of a large tree, standing in the centre of a
small pond, about twenty feet high, and contained five eggs. As the
spot was very secluded, I did not disturb the birds, anxious as I
was to see in what manner they should convey the young to the water.
But in this I was disappointed, for, on going to the nest, near the
time at which I expected the process of incubation to terminate, I
had the mortification to find that a racoon, or some other animal,
had destroyed the whole of the eggs, and that the birds had abandoned
the place. The greatest number of eggs which I have found in the
nest of this species was nine, which I think is more by three than
these birds usually lay in a wild state. In the nests of those which
I have had in a domesticated state, I have sometimes counted as many
as eleven, several of them, however, usually proving unproductive.
The eggs measure, on an average, 3-1/2 inches by 2-1/2, are thick
shelled, rather smooth, and of a very dull yellowish-green colour.
The period of incubation is twenty-eight days. They never have more
than one brood in a season, unless their eggs are removed or broken
at an early period.
The young follow their parents to the water a day or two after they
have issued from the egg, but generally return to land to repose in
the sunshine in the evening, and pass the night there under their
mother, who employs all imaginable care to ensure their comfort and
safety, as does her mate, who never leaves her during incubation for
a longer time than is necessary for procuring food, and takes her
place at intervals. Both remain with their brood until the following
spring. It is during the breeding-season that the gander displays
his courage and strength to the greatest advantage. I knew one that
appeared larger than usual, and of which all the lower parts were
of a rich cream colour. It returned three years in succession to a
large pond a few miles from the mouth of Green River in Kentucky,
and whenever I visited the nest, it seemed to look upon me with utter
contempt. It would stand in a stately attitude, until I reached within
a few yards of the nest, when suddenly lowering its head, and shaking
it as if it were dislocated from the neck, it would open its wings,
and launch into the air, flying directly at me. So daring was this
fine fellow, that in two instances he struck me a blow with one of
his wings on the right arm, which, for an instant, I thought, was
broken. I observed that immediately after such an effort to defend
his nest and mate, he would run swiftly towards them, pass his head
and neck several times over and around the female, and again assume
his attitude of defiance.
Always intent on making experiments, I thought of endeavouring to
conciliate this bold son of the waters. For this purpose I always
afterwards took with me several ears of corn, which I shelled, and
threw towards him. It remained untouched for several days; but I
succeeded at last, and before the end of a week both birds fed freely
on the grain even in my sight! I felt much pleasure on this occasion,
and repeating my visit daily, found, that before the eggs were hatched,
they would allow me to approach within a few feet of them, although
they never suffered me to touch them. Whenever I attempted this the
male met my fingers with his bill, and bit me so severely that I gave
it up. The great beauty and courage of the male rendered me desirous
of obtaining possession of him. I had marked the time at which the
young were likely to appear, and on the preceding day I baited with
corn a large coop made of twine, and waited until he should enter.
He walked in, I drew the string, and he was my prisoner. The next
morning the female was about to lead her offspring to the river,
which was distant nearly half a mile, when I caught the whole of the
young birds, and with them the mother too, who came within reach in
attempting to rescue one of her brood, and had them taken home. There
I took a cruel method of preventing their escape, for with a knife
I pinioned each of them on the same side, and turned them loose in
my garden, where I had a small but convenient artificial pond. For
more than a fortnight, both the old birds appeared completely cowed.
Indeed, for some days I felt apprehensive that they would abandon the
care of the young ones. However, with much attention, I succeeded
in rearing the latter by feeding them abundantly with the larvæ of
locusts, which they ate greedily, as well as with corn-meal moistened
with water, and the whole flock, consisting of eleven individuals,
went on prosperously. In December the weather became intensely cold,
and I observed that now and then the gander would spread his wings,
and sound a loud note, to which the female first, and then all the
young ones in succession, would respond, when they would all run as
far as the ground allowed them in a southerly direction, and attempt
to fly off. I kept the whole flock three years. The old pair never
bred while in my possession, but two pairs of the young ones did,
one of them raising three, the other seven. They all bore a special
enmity to dogs, and shewed dislike to cats; but they manifested a
still greater animosity towards an old swan and a wild turkey-cock
which I had. I found them useful in clearing the garden of slugs and
snails; and although they now and then nipped the vegetables, I liked
their company. When I left Henderson, my flock of geese was given
away, and I have not since heard how it has fared with them.
On one of my shooting excursions in the same neighbourhood, I chanced
one day to kill a wild Canada Goose, which, on my return, was sent to
the kitchen. The cook, while dressing it, found in it an egg ready for
being laid, and brought it to me. It was placed under a common hen,
and in due time hatched. Two years afterwards the bird thus raised,
mated with a male of the same species, and produced a brood. This
goose was so gentle that she would suffer any person to caress her,
and would readily feed from the hand. She was smaller than usual,
but in every other respect as perfect as any I have ever seen. At
the period of migration she shewed by her movements less desire to
fly off than any other I have known; but her mate, who had once been
free, did not participate in this apathy.
I have not been able to discover why many of those birds which I have
known to have been reared from the egg, or to have been found when
very young and brought up in captivity, were so averse to reproduce,
unless they were naturally sterile. I have seen several that had been
kept for more than eight years, without ever mating during that period,
while other individuals had young the second spring after their birth.
I have also observed that an impatient male would sometimes abandon
the females of his species, and pay his addresses to a common tame
goose, by which a brood would in due time be brought up, and would
thrive. That this tardiness is not the case in the wild state I feel
pretty confident, for I have observed having broods of their own many
individuals which, by their size, the dulness of their plumage, and
such other marks as are known to the practical ornithologist, I judged
to be not more than fifteen or sixteen months old. I have therefore
thought that in this, as in many other species, a long series of years
is necessary for counteracting the original wild and free nature which
has been given them; and indeed it seems probable that our attempts
to domesticate many species of wild fowls, which would prove useful
to mankind, have often been abandoned in despair, when a few years
more of constant care might have produced the desired effect.
The Canada Goose, although immediately after the full development
of its young it becomes gregarious, does not seem to be fond of
the company of any other species. Thus, whenever the White-fronted
Goose, the Snow Goose, the Brent Goose, or others, alight in the same
ponds, it forces them to keep at a respectful distance; and during
its migrations I have never observed a single bird of any other kind
in its ranks.
The flight of this species of Goose is firm, rather rapid, and capable
of being protracted to a great extent. When once high in the air, they
advance with extreme steadiness and regularity of motion. In rising
from the water or from the ground, they usually run a few feet with
outspread wings; but when suddenly surprised and in full plumage, a
single spring on their broad webbed feet is sufficient to enable them
to get on wing. While travelling to some considerable distance, they
pass through the air at the height of about a mile, steadily following
a direct course towards the point to which they are bound. Their notes
are distinctly heard, and the various changes made in the disposition
of their ranks are easily seen. But although on these occasions they
move with the greatest regularity, yet when they are slowly advancing
from south to north at an early period of the season, they fly much
lower, alight more frequently, and are more likely to be bewildered
by suddenly formed banks of fog, or by passing over cities or arms of
the sea where much shipping may be in sight. On such occasions great
consternation prevails among them, they crowd together in a confused
manner, wheel irregularly, and utter a constant cackling resembling
the sounds from a disconcerted mob. Sometimes the flock separates,
some individuals leave the rest, proceed in a direction contrary to
that in which they came, and after a while, as if quite confused,
sail towards the ground, once alighted on which they appear to become
almost stupified, so as to suffer themselves to be shot with ease,
or even knocked down with sticks. This I have known to take place on
many occasions, besides those of which I have myself been a witness.
Heavy snow-storms also cause them great distress, and in the midst
of them some have been known to fly against beacons and lighthouses,
dashing their heads against the walls in the middle of the day. In the
night they are attracted by the lights of these buildings, and now and
then a whole flock is caught on such occasions. At other times their
migrations northward are suddenly checked by a change of weather,
the approach of which seems to be well known to them, for they will
suddenly wheel and fly back in a southern direction several hundred
miles. In this manner I have known flocks to return to the places
which they had left a fortnight before. Nay even during the winter
months, they are keenly sensible to changes of temperature, flying
north or south in search of feeding-grounds, with so much knowledge
of the future state of the weather, that one may be assured when he
sees them proceeding southward in the evening, that the next morning
will be cold, and _vice versa_.
The Canada Goose is less shy when met with far inland, than when
on the sea-coast, and the smaller the ponds or lakes to which they
resort, the more easy it is to approach them. They usually feed in
the manner of Swans and fresh-water Ducks, that is, by plunging their
heads towards the bottom of shallow ponds or the borders of lakes and
rivers, immersing their fore parts, and frequently exhibiting their
legs and feet with the posterior portion of their body elevated in
the air. They never dive on such occasions. If feeding in the fields
or meadows, they nip the blades of grass sidewise, in the manner of
the Domestic Goose, and after rainy weather, they are frequently
seen rapidly patting the earth with both feet, as if to force the
earth-worms from their burrows. If they dabble at times with their
bills in muddy water, in search of food, this action is by no means so
common with them as it is with Ducks, the Mallard for example. They
are extremely fond of alighting in corn-fields covered with tender
blades, where they often remain through the night and commit great
havoc. Wherever you find them, and however remote from the haunts of
man the place may be, they are at all times so vigilant and suspicious,
that it is extremely rare to surprise them. In keenness of sight and
acuteness of hearing, they are perhaps surpassed by no bird whatever.
They act as sentinels towards each other, and during the hours at
which the flock reposes, one or more ganders stand on the watch.
At the sight of cattle, horses, or animals of the deer kind, they
are seldom alarmed, but a bear or a cougar is instantly announced,
and if on such occasions the flock is on the ground near water, the
birds immediately betake themselves in silence to the latter, swim
to the middle of the pond or river, and there remain until danger is
over. Should their enemies pursue them in the water, the males utter
loud cries, and the birds arrange themselves in close ranks, rise
simultaneously in a few seconds, and fly off in a compact body, seldom
at such times forming lines or angles, it being in fact only when the
distance they have to travel is great that they dispose themselves in
those forms. So acute is their sense of hearing, that they are able
to distinguish the different sounds or footsteps of their foes with
astonishing accuracy. Thus the breaking of a dry stick by a deer is
at once distinguished from the same accident occasioned by a man. If
a dozen of large turtles drop into the water, making a great noise in
their fall, or if the same effect is produced by an alligator, the
Wild Goose pays no regard to it; but however faint and distant may
be the sound of an Indian’s paddle, that may by accident have struck
the side of his canoe, it is at once marked, every individual raises
its head and looks intently towards the place from which the noise
has proceeded, and in silence all watch the movements of their enemy.
These birds are extremely cunning also, and should they conceive
themselves unseen, they silently move into the tall grasses by the
margin of the water, lower their heads, and lie perfectly quiet until
the boat has passed by. I have seen them walk off from a large frozen
pond into the woods, to elude the sight of the hunter, and return as
soon as he had crossed the pond. But should there be snow on the ice
or in the woods, they prefer watching the intruder, and take to wing
long before he is within shooting distance, as if aware of the ease
with which they could be followed by their tracks over the treacherous
surface.
The Canada Geese are fond of returning regularly to the place which
they have chosen for resting in, and this they continue to do until
they find themselves greatly molested while there. In parts of the
country where they are little disturbed, they seldom go farther than
the nearest sandbank or the dry shore of the places in which they
feed; but in other parts they retire many miles to spots of greater
security, and of such extent as will enable them to discover danger
long before it can reach them. When such a place is found, and proves
secure, many flocks resort to it, but alight apart in separate groups.
Thus, on some of the great sandbars of the Ohio, the Mississippi,
and other large streams, congregated flocks, often amounting to a
thousand individuals, may be seen at the approach of night, which
they spend there, lying on the sand within a few feet of each other,
every flock having its own sentinel. In the dawn of next morning they
rise on their feet, arrange and clean their feathers, perhaps walk
to the water to drink, and then depart for their feeding grounds.
When I first went to the Falls of the Ohio, the rocky shelvings of
which are often bare for fully half a mile, thousands of wild geese
of this species rested there at night. The breadth of the various
channels that separate the rocky islands from either shore, and the
rapidity of the currents which sweep along them, render this place
of resort more secure than most others. The wild geese still betake
themselves to these islands during winter for the same purpose, but
their number has become very small; and so shy are these birds at
present in the neighbourhood of Louisville, that the moment they are
disturbed at the ponds where they go to feed each morning, were it
but by the report of a single gun, they immediately return to their
rocky asylums. Even there, however, they are by no means secure, for
it not unfrequently happens that a flock alights within half gunshot
of a person concealed in a pile of drifted wood, whose aim generally
proves too true for their peace. Nay, I knew a gentleman, who had a
large mill opposite Rock Island, and who used to kill the poor geese
at the distance of about a quarter of a mile, by means of a small
cannon heavily charged with rifle bullets; and, if I recollect truly,
Mr TARASCON in this manner not unfrequently obtained a dozen or more
geese at a shot. This was done at dawn, when the birds were busily
engaged in trimming their plumage with the view of flying off in a
few minutes to their feeding grounds. This war of extermination could
not last long: the geese deserted the fatal rock, and the great gun
of the mighty miller was used only for a few weeks.
While on the water, the Canada Goose moves with considerable grace,
and in its general deportment resembles the wild Swan, to which I
think it is nearly allied. If wounded in the wing, they sometimes
dive to a small depth, and make off with astonishing address, always
in the direction of the shore, the moment they reach which, you see
them sneaking through the grass or bushes, their necks extended
an inch or so above the ground, and in this manner proceeding so
silently, that, unless closely watched, they are pretty sure to
escape. If shot at and wounded while on the ice, they immediately
walk off in a dignified manner, as if anxious to make you believe
that they have not been injured, emitting a loud note all the while;
but the instant they reach the shore they become silent, and make off
in the manner described. I was much surprised one day, while on the
coast of Labrador, to see how cunningly one of these birds, which,
in consequence of the moult, was quite unable to fly, managed for a
while to elude our pursuit. It was first perceived at some distance
from the shore, when the boat was swiftly rowed towards it, and it
swam before us with great speed, making directly towards the land; but
when we came within a few yards of it, it dived, and nothing could be
seen of it for a long time. Every one of the party stood on tiptoe
to mark the spot at which it should rise, but all in vain, when the
man at the rudder accidentally looked down over the stern and there
saw the goose, its body immersed, the point of its bill alone above
water, and its feet busily engaged in propelling it so as to keep
pace with the movements of the boat. The sailor attempted to catch it
while within a foot or two of him, but with the swiftness of thought
it shifted from side to side, fore and aft, until delighted at having
witnessed so much sagacity in a goose, I begged the party to suffer
the poor bird to escape.
The crossing of the Canada Goose with the common domestic species
has proved as advantageous as that of the wild with the tame Turkey,
the cross breed being much larger than the original one, more easily
raised, and more speedily fattened. This process is at present carried
on to a considerable extent in our Western and Eastern States, where
the hybrids are regularly offered for sale during autumn and winter,
and where they bring a higher price than either of the species from
which they are derived.
The Canada Goose makes its first appearance in the western country,
as well as along our Atlantic coast, from the middle of September to
that of October, arriving in flocks composed of a few families. The
young birds procured at this early season soon get into good order,
become tender and juicy, and therefore afford excellent eating. If a
sportsman is expert and manages to shoot the old birds first, he is
pretty sure to capture the less wily young ones afterwards, as they
will be very apt to return to the same feeding places to which their
parents had led them at their first arrival. To await their coming
to a pond where they are known to feed is generally effectual, but
to me this mode of proceeding never afforded much pleasure, more
especially because the appearance of any other bird which I wished
to obtain would at once induce me to go after it, and thus frighten
the game, so that I rarely procured any on such occasions. But yet,
as I have witnessed the killing of many a fine goose, I hope you will
suffer me to relate one or two anecdotes connected with the shooting
of this kind of game.
Reader, I am well acquainted with one of the best sportsmen now
living in the whole of the western country, one possessed of strength,
activity, courage, and patience,—qualities of great importance in a
gunner. I have frequently seen him mount a capital horse of speed and
bottom at midnight, when the mercury in the thermometer was about
the freezing point, and the ground was covered with snow and ice,
the latter of which so encased the trees that you might imagine them
converted into glass. Well, off he goes at a round gallop, his steed
rough shod, but nobody knows whither, save myself, who am always by
his side. He has a wallet containing our breakfast, and abundance of
ammunition, together with such implements as are necessary on occasions
like the present. The night is pitch-dark, and dismal enough; but who
cares! _He_ knows the woods as well as any Kentucky hunter, and in
this respect I am not much behind him. A long interval has passed,
and now the first glimpse of day appears in the east. We know quite
well where we are, and that we have travelled just twenty miles.
The Barred Owl alone interrupts the melancholy silence of the hour.
Our horses we secure, and on foot we move cautiously towards a “long
pond,” the feeding-place of several flocks of geese, none of which
have yet arrived, although the whole surface of open water is covered
with Mallards, Widgeons, Pintail Ducks, Blue-winged and Green-winged
Teals. My friend’s gun, like mine, is a long and trusty one, and the
opportunity is too tempting. On all fours we cautiously creep to the
very edge of the pond; we now raise ourselves on our knees, level
our pieces, and let fly. The woods resound with repeated echoes, the
air is filled with Ducks of all sorts, our dogs dash into the half
frozen water, and in a few minutes a small heap of game lies at our
feet. Now, we retire, separate, and betake ourselves to different
sides of the pond. If I may judge of my companion’s fingers by the
state of my own, I may feel certain that it would be difficult for
him to fasten a button. There we are shivering, with contracted feet
and chattering teeth; but the geese are coming, and their well known
cry, _hauk, hauk, awhawk, awhawk_, resounds through the air. They
wheel and wheel for a while, but at length gracefully alight on the
water, and now they play and wash themselves, and begin to look about
for food. There must be at least twenty of them. Twenty more soon
arrive, and in less than half an hour we have before us a flock of a
hundred individuals. My experienced friend has put a snow-white shirt
over his apparel, and although I am greatly intent on observing his
motions, I see that it is impossible even for the keen eye of the
sentinel goose to follow them. Bang, bang, quoth his long gun, and
the birds in dismay instantly start, and fly towards the spot where
I am. When they approach I spring up on my feet, the geese shuffle,
and instantaneously rise upright; I touch my triggers singly, and
broken-winged and dead two birds come heavily to the ground at my
feet. Oh that we had more guns! But the business at this pond has
been transacted. We collect our game, return to our horses, fasten
the necks of the geese and ducks together, and throwing them across
our saddles, proceed towards another pond. In this manner we continue
to shoot until the number of geese obtained would seem to you so very
large that I shall not specify it.
At another time my friend proceeds alone to the Falls of the Ohio,
and, as usual, reaches the margins of the stream long before day.
His well-trained steed plunges into the whirls of the rapid current,
and, with some difficulty, carries his bold rider to an island, where
he lands drenched and cold. The horse knows what he has to do as
well as his master, and while the former ranges about and nips the
frozen herbage, the latter carefully approaches a well-known pile
of drifted wood, and conceals himself in it. His famous dog Nep is
close at his heels. Now the dull grey dawn gives him a dim view of the
geese; he fires, several fall on the spot, and one severely wounded
rises and alights in the Indian Chute. Neptune dashes after it, but
as the current is powerful, the gunner whistles to his horse, who,
with pricked ears, gallops up. He instantly vaults into the saddle,
and now see them plunge into the treacherous stream. The wounded
game is overtaken, the dog is dragged along, and at length on the
Indiana shore the horse and his rider have effected a landing. Any
other man than he of whose exploits I am the faithful recorder, would
have perished long ago. But it is not half so much for the sake of
the plunder that he undergoes all this labour and danger, as for the
gratification it affords his kind heart to distribute the game among
his numerous friends in Louisville.
On our eastern shores matters are differently managed. The gunners
there shoot geese with the prospect of pecuniary gain, and go to work
in another way. Some attract them with wooden geese, others with
actual birds; they lie in ambush for many hours at a time, and destroy
an immense number of them, by using extremely long guns; but as there
is little sport in this sort of shooting, I shall say no more about
it. Here the Canada Goose feeds much on a species of long slender
grass, the _Zostera marina_, along with marine insects, crustacea,
and small shell-fish, all of which have a tendency to destroy the
agreeable flavour which their flesh has when their food consists of
fresh-water plants, corn, and grass. They spend much of their time
at some distance from the shores, become more shy, diminish in bulk,
and are much inferior as food to those which visit the interior of
the country. None of these, however, are at all to be compared with
the goslings bred in the inland districts, and procured in September,
when, in my opinion, they far surpass the renowned Canvass-backed Duck.
A curious mode of shooting the Canada Goose I have practised with
much success. I have sunk in the sand of the bars to which these
birds resort at night, a tight hogshead, to within an inch of its
upper edges, and placing myself within it at the approach of evening,
have drawn over me a quantity of brushwood, placing my gun on the
sand, and covering it in like manner with twigs and leaves. The birds
would sometimes alight very near me, and in this concealment I have
killed several at a shot; but the stratagem answers for only a few
nights in the season. During severe winters these birds are able to
keep certain portions of the deepest parts of a pond quite open and
free from ice, by their continued movements in the water; at all
events, such open spaces occasionally occur in ponds and lakes, and
are resorted to by the geese, among which great havoc is made.
It is alleged in the State of Maine that a distinct species of Canada
Goose resides there, which is said to be much smaller than the one
now under your notice, and is described as resembling it in all other
particulars. Like the true Canada Goose, it builds a large nest, which
it lines with its own down. Sometimes it is placed on the sea-shore,
at other times by the margin of a fresh-water lake or pond. That
species is distinguished there by the name of _Flight Goose_, and is
said to be entirely migratory, whereas the Canada Goose is resident.
But, notwithstanding all my exertions, I did not succeed in procuring
so much as a feather of this alleged species.
While we were at Newfoundland, on our return from Labrador, on the
15th August 1833, small flocks of the Canada Goose were already
observed flying southward. In that country their appearance is hailed
with delight, and great numbers of them are shot. They breed rather
abundantly by the lakes of the interior of that interesting country.
In the harbour of Great Macatina in Labrador, I saw a large pile of
young Canada Geese, that had been procured a few days before, and were
already salted for winter use. The pile consisted of several hundred
individuals, all of which had been killed before they were able to
fly. I was told there that this species fed much on the leaves of the
dwarf firs, and, on examining their gizzards, found the statement to
be correct.
The young dive very expertly, soon after their reaching the water, at
the least appearance of danger. In the Southern and Western States, the
enemies of the Canada Goose are, by water, the Alligator, the Garfish,
and the Turtle; and on land, the Cougar, the Lynx, and the Racoon.
While in the air, they are liable to be attacked by the White-headed
Eagle. It is a very hardy bird, and individuals have been kept in a
state of captivity or domestication for upwards of forty years. Every
portion of it is useful to man, for besides the value of the flesh as
an article of food, the feathers, the quills, and the fat, are held
in request. The eggs also afford very good eating.
ANAS CANADENSIS, _Linn._ Syst. Nat. vol. i. p. 198.—_Lath._
Ind. Ornith. vol. ii. p. 838.
ANSER CANADENSIS, _Ch. Bonaparte_, Synopsis of Birds of
the United States, p. 377.
CANADA GOOSE, ANAS CANADENSIS, _Wils._ Amer. Ornith. vol.
viii. p. 52. pl. 67. fig. 4.
ANSER CANADENSIS, CANADA GOOSE, _Swains. and Richards._
Fauna Bor. Amer. p. 468.
CANADA GOOSE, _Nuttall_, Manual, vol. ii. p. 349.
Adult Male. Plate CCI. Fig. 1.
Bill shorter than the head, rather higher than broad at the base,
somewhat conical, depressed towards the end, rounded at the tip.
Upper mandible with the dorsal line sloping, the ridge broad and
flattened, the sides sloping, the edges soft and obtuse, the oblique
marginal lamellæ short, transverse, about thirty on each side; the
unguis obovate, convex, denticulate on the inner edge. Nasal groove
oblong, parallel to the ridge, filled by the soft membrane of the
bill; nostrils medial, lateral, longitudinal, narrow-elliptical,
open, pervious. Lower mandible straight, with the angle very long,
narrow, and rounded, the edges soft and obtuse, with about thirty
oblique lamellæ on a perpendicular plane.
Head small, oblong, compressed. Neck long and slender. Body full,
slightly depressed. Feet short, stout, placed behind the centre of
the body; legs bare a little above the tibio-tarsal joint; tarsus
short, a little compressed, covered all round with angular reticulated
scales, which are smaller behind; hind toe very small, with a narrow
membrane; third toe longest, fourth a little shorter, but longer than
second; all the toes reticulated above at the base, but with narrow
transverse scutella towards the end; the three anterior connected by
a reticulated membrane, the outer with a thick margin, the inner with
the margin extended into a two-lobed web; claws small, arched, rather
compressed, except that of the middle toe, which is bent obliquely
outwards and depressed, with a curved edge. Wings of moderate length,
with an obtuse protuberance at the flexure.
Plumage close, rather short, compact above, blended on the neck
and lower parts of the body. The feathers of the head and neck very
narrow, of the back very broad and abrupt, of the breast and belly
broadly rounded. Wings, when closed, extending to about an inch from
the end of the tail, acute; primaries very strong, curved, the second
longest, the third slightly shorter, the first almost as long as the
third, the rest rapidly graduated; secondaries long, rather narrow,
rounded. Tail very short, rounded, of eighteen stiff, rounded, but
acuminate, feathers.
Bill, feet, and claws black. Iris chestnut-brown. Head and two upper
thirds of the neck glossy black; forehead, cheeks, and chin, tinged
with brown; lower eyelid white; a broad band of the same across
the throat to behind the eyes; rump and tail-feathers also black.
The general colour of the rest of the upper parts is greyish-brown,
the wing-coverts shaded into ash-grey; all the feathers terminally
edged with very pale brown; the lower part of the neck passing into
greyish-white, which is the general colour of the lower parts, with
the exception of the abdomen, which is pure white, the sides, which
are pale brownish-grey, the feathers tipped with white, and the lower
wing-coverts, which are also pale brownish-grey. The margins of the
rump, and the upper tail-coverts, pure white.
In very old males, I have found the breast of a fine pale buff.
Length to end of tail 43 inches, extent of wings 65; bill along the
ridge 2-1/2, in depth at the base 1-2/12, in breadth 1; tarsus 3-7/12;
middle toe and claw 4-1/4; wing from flexure 20; tail 7-1/2. Weight
7 lb.
Adult Female. Plate CCI. Fig. 2.
The Female is somewhat less than the male, but similar in colouring,
although the tints are duller. The white of the throat is tinged with
brown; the lower parts are always more grey, and the black of the
head, neck, rump, and tail, is shaded with brown.
Length 41 inches. Weight 5-3/4 lb.
THE RED-THROATED DIVER.
_COLYMBUS SEPTENTRIONALIS_, LINN.
PLATE CCII. MALE IN SUMMER, YOUNG MALE IN WINTER, FEMALE, AND YOUNG
UNFLEDGED.
Whilst the icicles are yet hanging from the rocks of our eastern
shores, and the snows are gradually giving way under the influence
of the April rains, the Bluebird is heard to sound the first notes
of his love-song, and the Red-throated Diver is seen to commence his
flight. Already paired, the male and female, side by side, move swiftly
through the air, steering their course, at a great height, towards
some far distant region of the dreary north. Pair after pair advance
at intervals during the whole day, and perhaps continue their journey
all night. Their long necks are extended, their feet stretched out
rudder-like beyond the short tail, and onwards they speed, beating the
air with great regularity. Now they traverse a great arm of the sea,
now cross a peninsula; but let what may intervene, their undeviating
course holds straight forwards, as the needle points to its pole.
High as they are, you can perceive the brilliant white of their lower
parts. Onward they speed in silence, and as I stand gazing after
them, they have already disappeared from my view.
The middle of May has arrived; our woods are once more filled with
the melodies of numberless warblers, and the Divers have ceased to
be seen on our eastern coasts. To study their habits at this season,
we must follow them to the islands in the mouth of the broad St
Lawrence, or to the granitic rocks of Labrador. The voyage cannot be
performed without great expense, and may be attended with danger,
but enthusiasm urges me on, and now my bark skims over the blue
waters. At length arrived on the rocky shores, I prepare to visit
the interior of that rude and moss-clad region. Thousands of little
lakes are seen, on which are numberless islets richly clad with grass
and sedge, the whole of which seems as if it had grown in a day, so
tender are the fresh blades, and so pure their light green tint. High
over these waters, the produce of the melted snows, the Red-throated
Diver is seen gambolling by the side of his mate. The males emit their
love-notes, and, with necks gracefully curved downwards, speed by the
females, saluting them with mellow tones as they pass. In broad circles
they wheel their giddy flight, and now, with fantastic glidings and
curves, they dive towards the spot of their choice. Alighted on the
water, how gracefully they swim, how sportively they beat it with
their strong pinions, how quickly they plunge and rise again, and
how joyously do they manifest to each other the depth and intensity
of their affection! Now with erected neck and body deeply immersed
they swim side by side. Reynard they perceive cunningly advancing
at a distance; but they are too vigilant for him, and down like a
flash they go, nor rise again until far beyond his reach. Methinks
I see them curiously concealed among the rank weeds under the bank
of their own islet, their bills alone raised above the water, and
there will they remain for an hour, rather than shew themselves to
their insidious enemy, who, disappointed, leaves them to pursue their
avocations.
The Red-throated Diver is found, in tolerable abundance, on the
sea-coast of the United States during autumn, winter, and early
spring, from Maryland to the extremities of Maine. The younger the
birds, the farther south do they proceed to spend the winter, and it
is rare to see an old bird, of either sex, at any season to the south
of the Bay of Boston. Farther eastward they become more common, and
they may be said to be plentiful towards the entrance of the Bay of
Fundy, in the vicinity of which a few remain and breed. I found some
in December, January, and February at Boston, where I procured males,
females, and young birds. The old had the red patch on the throat
rather darker than in the breeding season; the delicate grey and
white lines on the neck were as pure as I observed them to be during
summer in Labrador; and I have since been convinced that birds of this
family undergo very little if any change of colouring after they have
once acquired their perfect plumage, the Loon and the Black-throated
Diver being included in this remark; while, on the contrary, all the
Grebes with which I am acquainted, lose the beauty of their plumage
as soon as the breeding season is over. This remarkable difference
between the Divers and the Grebes would of itself be sufficient to
separate the two genera, were there not also other distinctions.
The Divers, moreover, live on the sea during the greater part of the
year, and resort to ponds, lakes, or the borders of rivers to breed;
whilst the Grebes spend most of their time on inland lakes, marshes,
and streams. Immediately after the breeding season, as soon as the
young are able to fly, the families of Divers make their way to the
arms and inlets of the sea, rarely entering the fresh waters until
the following spring.
The Red-throated Diver is at all times an extremely shy and vigilant
bird, ever on the alert to elude its numerous enemies. The sight of
man seems invariably to alarm it, even in the wildest countries in
which it breeds. I have often observed that, while yet several hundred
yards from them, they marked my approach with great watchfulness.
First they would dive and make their way to the farther end of the
pond, after which, with outstretched necks, they would remain silent
and motionless, until I approached within about a hundred yards, when,
instead of diving again, as the Loon always does, they at once, with
a single spring, rose from the water, and ere I had proceeded a few
yards, they were already eight or ten feet above it. If I crept towards
them through the tangled mosses or shrubs, they would swim about with
their heads elevated, as if determined to make their escape on the
appearance of imminent danger. In many instances, my party observed
this species in small flocks of five or six in the same lake, when
it happened to be of considerable extent; and as this was during the
height of the breeding season, we concluded that these associated
birds were barren, as I ascertained that males and females, when once
paired, remain together until their young are able to fly, when they
part company, until the next pairing season, which is about the first
of March.
This species begins to breed in Labrador in the beginning of June, and
about a fortnight earlier along the Bay of Fundy. The numerous nests
which our party found in the former district were all placed on small
sequestered islands in the middle of lakes or large ponds of fresh
water, rarely more than one mile distant from the sea-shore. These
nests consisted merely of a few blades of rank grasses loosely put
together, and were quite flat, without any down to warm or conceal
the eggs at any period of incubation. The nest was placed within a
few feet of the water, and well-beaten tracks, such as are made by
otters, led to it. Whenever the birds went to this spot they walked
nearly erect in an awkward manner, but when they sat in their nest
they laid themselves flat on the eggs, in the manner of a Goose or
Duck. In no instance did they alight on the islands, but always on
the water, at some distance, when, after examining all around them
for a while, they crawled silently out, and moved to the spot which
contained their treasure.
Having been told that the Red-throated Diver covers its eggs with down
in the manner of many ducks, I was surprised to find the assertion
incorrect, and having killed several individuals during the period
of incubation and immediately after it, I carefully examined them,
and found all of them fully covered with down, they being, in this
respect, quite different from the Eider Duck, the Velvet Duck, the
Harlequin Duck, and other species of that family, nay even from the
Black Guillemot, of which I shall speak in the present volume. Probably
it is on account of those birds breeding much farther north, that,
according to Dr Richardson, they there line their nest with down. We
also found the _Colymbus glacialis_ incubating without any in its
nest. The idea generally entertained that this species never lays
more than two eggs I found equally incorrect, for of five nests, two
contained two eggs each, two had three each, and the fifth had three
young birds. The eggs measure 3 inches in length by 1-3/4 in breadth,
and are of an elongated elliptical form, nearly equally rounded at
both ends; they are of a deep olive-brown colour, irregularly marked
with spots of a darker dull brown. The male incubates as well as the
female, and both are extremely solicitous about the safety of their
young, which betake themselves to the water on the day succeeding
that of their escape from the egg, and are from the first most expert
swimmers and divers. Two of the young were shot by Captain EMERY,
having been easily approached in the absence of their parents, at
which he had shot without success, they not having yet learned from
experience the danger of the proximity of man. They dived beautifully,
and swam with great buoyancy, inclining their necks forwards, in the
manner of the old birds. This was on the 5th July 1833. On the 15th
of the same month, THOMAS LINCOLN and my son JOHN WOODHOUSE, saw
several young ones, which, although quite small, were equally expert at
diving. When swimming by the side of their mother they floated high,
with the neck quite erect, while the old bird swam deep, with her
neck inclined forward. When the little ones dived, they moved under
the water like so many turtles, and at last were caught on the bottom
of the pond, which was small and shallow, by placing the gun-rods
upon them. So averse from moving are the old birds when sitting on
their eggs, that they will not bestir themselves until in imminent
danger, on which, however, they scramble to the water, dive, and, on
emerging, immediately rise on wing without uttering any note. The
male only is noisy on such occasions, and more especially when it
returns from afar to its mate, when it evinces its satisfaction by
calling aloud, as it repeatedly passes and repasses over the spot,
and then alights in a pompous manner on the water.
The sexes differ materially in size, the male birds being much larger
than the females, and weighing at an average fully a pound more. These
birds are extremely tenacious of life. One which my son shot on the
wing fell, dived instantly, and swam to a considerable distance under
water, but returned to the surface, back downwards, and quite dead.
The notes of the Red-throated Diver are harsh and rather loud; they
resemble the syllables _cac, cac, cac, carah, carah_, enounced in
rapid succession. In some instances the young men of my party found
that the most successful method of approaching these birds whilst
on the water, was to run as fast as possible towards them and shout
loudly, for on such occasions the birds dived instead of flying at
once, and on emerging again, afforded them much better chances as
they took to wing. At certain times, when approached while they have
young, they utter a soft plaintive note, which evidently conveys to
their offspring their wish that they should remain quiet in their
hiding-places.
The Red-throated Diver does not acquire the full beauty of its plumage
until its fourth year. The young are at first covered with thick
hairy down, of a blackish colour, inclining to brown. Before they
are fully able to fly, this is changed into a dull grey on the upper
parts, thickly sprinkled with white dots on the extremity of each
feather, the lower parts being of a sullied white. During the second
year these tints are firmer, there are fewer spots above, and the
texture of the lower parts is more silky. In the third, both sexes
assume the fine grey of the hind-neck, with its longitudinal white
stripes, and here and there a few spots of red on the lower part of
the throat. The next spring their plumage is perfect.
I have never observed any of these birds on our inland lakes or
rivers. In the neighbourhood of Boston, and along the Bay of Fundy,
they are best known by the names of “Scape-grace” and “Cape-racer.”
By the 9th of August the young birds had left the fresh-water lakes
and ponds for the bays on the coast, and we were informed by the
settlers, both in Newfoundland and Labrador, that, by the last days
of September, none were to be found in those countries.
The dislike which this species shews to fresh-water after the
breeding-season is such, that they are rarely seen in the upper part
of large bays, but prefer for their winter residence the shores of
sea-islands and barren rocks. Thus, at that season, they are met
with about the outer islands of the Bay of Fundy, and those along
our eastern coast.
While in fresh water, the Red-throated Diver feeds principally on
small fish, shrimps, leeches, snails, and aquatic insects. The masses
of feather-like substances often found in the stomachs of Grebes,
I have never met with in this species. Its flesh is oily, tough,
dark-coloured, and disagreeable to the taste, although I saw some
Mountain Indians feeding upon it at Labrador with apparent pleasure.
COLYMBUS SEPTENTRIONALIS, _Linn._ Syst. Nat. vol. i. p.
220.—_Lath._ Ind. Ornith. vol. ii. p. 801.—Ch. Bonap.
Synops. of Birds of the United States, p. 421.
RED-THROATED DIVER, COLYMBUS SEPTENTRIONALIS, _Richards.
and Swains._ Fauna Bor. Amer. part ii. p. 476.—_Nuttall_,
Manual, vol. ii. p. 519.
Adult Male in summer. Plate CCII. Fig. 1.
Bill as long as the head, slender but strong, straight, rather
compressed, tapering to a point. Upper mandible with the dorsal line
almost straight, the ridge convex, as are the sides, the edges sharp
and involute; nasal groove basal, short; nostrils basal, lateral,
direct, oblong, pervious. Lower mandible with the angle extremely
narrow and extending beyond the middle, the dorsal line straight and
sloping upwards to the point, the ridge convex, but narrower than
that of the upper mandible, the edges sharp and involute; the point
of both mandibles rather sharp.
Head of moderate size, oblong, narrowed before. Neck rather long and
slender. Eyes rather small. Body elongated, somewhat depressed. Wings
small. Feet short, rather large, placed very far back; tibia almost
entirely concealed; tarsus short, exceedingly compressed, sharp-edged
before and behind, covered all over with reticulated angular scales;
hind toe extremely small, connected with the second by a very small
membrane; the anterior toes united by reticulated membranes, the fourth
longest, the third a little shorter, the second considerably shorter
than the third; all covered anteriorly with very narrow transverse
scutella, the second toe with a free two-lobed membrane; claws very
small, depressed, rounded.
Plumage short and dense; of the head and neck very short, blended;
of the lower parts blended, short, and with a silky gloss; of the
upper slightly glossed and somewhat compact; the feathers in general
oblong and rounded. Wings proportionally very small and narrow,
curved; primaries strong, tapering, first longest, second almost as
long, the rest rapidly graduated; secondaries broad, rounded. Tail
extremely short, rounded, of twenty rounded feathers.
Bill bluish-black. Iris deep bright red. Feet brownish-black, the
anterior edge of the tarsus, the upper surface of the toes, the claws,
and part of the webs, pale livid flesh-colour. Fore part and sides of
the head, throat, and sides of the neck, of a fine bluish-grey; fore
part of the neck rich brownish-red; hind part of the head and hind
neck longitudinally streaked with greenish-black and pure white, each
feather black in the middle, with the sides white, the colours disposed
in lines. The upper surface brownish-black, tinged with green, more
or less mottled with white according to age, excepting the primary
quills and the tail-feathers, the latter of which are merely paler at
the end. The whole under surface pure white, excepting the feathers
on the sides under the wings, some of those about the vent, and the
lower tail-coverts, which are greyish-brown, with white margins and
tips.
Length to end of tail 25-1/2 inches, to end of claws 27, extent of
wings 43-1/12; bill 2-2/12; gape 3-3/8; tarsus 3, fourth toe and claw
3-3/4; wing from flexure 11-3/4, tail 3. Weight 4 lb.
Adult Female in summer. Plate CCII. Fig. 3.
The female is precisely similar to the male in form and colouring,
but is considerably smaller.
Length to end of tail 25 inches, to end of claws 28-1/12; extent of
wings 43. Weight 3 lb.
Male in winter immature. Plate CCII. Fig. 2.
In this state the principal differences are the following:—The fore
part of the neck, instead of being of a uniform rich brownish-red,
is merely mottled with that colour; all the feathers of the upper
surface have each two white spots towards the end; the tail-feathers
are edged and terminated with white; the colouring in general is
somewhat less pure and deep, and the bill is of a much paler tint.
Young bird unfledged. Plate CCII. Fig. 4.
The young are at first covered with a dense elastic down of a greyish
black colour, tinged with brown. The bill is bluish-black, its basal
edges yellow; the iris reddish-brown.
THE GREAT RED-BREASTED RAIL, OR FRESHWATER MARSH-HEN.
_RALLUS ELEGANS._
PLATE CCIII. MALE AND YOUNG.
No doubt exists in my mind that Wilson considered this beautiful bird
as merely the adult of _Rallus crepitans_, the manners of which he
described, as studied at Great Egg Harbour in New Jersey, while he
gave in his works the figure and colouring of the present species. My
friend THOMAS NUTTALL has done the same, without, I apprehend, having
seen the two birds together. Always unwilling to find faults in so
ardent a student of nature as WILSON, I felt almost mortified when,
after having, in the company of my worthy and learned friend, the
Reverend JOHN BACHMAN, carefully examined the habits of both species,
which, in form and general appearance, are closely allied, I discovered
the error which he had in this instance committed. Independently of
the great difference as to size between the two species, there are
circumstances connected with their habits which mark them as distinct.
The _Rallus elegans_ is altogether a fresh-water bird, while the _R.
crepitans_ never removes from the salt-water marshes, that are met
with along our eastern Atlantic coasts, from the Jerseys to the Gulf
of Mexico. Nay, the present species is found at considerable distances
inland, where it breeds and spends the whole year; whereas the latter
never goes farther from its maritime haunts than the borders of the
salt-marshes, and this merely on certain occasions, when driven thither
by the high risings of tides. The Fresh-water Marsh-hen, besides, is
confined to the Southern States, a few stragglers only having been
observed farther eastward than the State of Pennsylvania, and these
only in fresh-water meadows.
So long ago as the year 1810, on the 29th May, I caught one of these
birds, a female, at Henderson, in the State of Kentucky, when I made
the following memorandum respecting it:—“It is an excessively shy
bird, runs with great celerity, and when caught, cries like a common
fowl.” It weighed eleven ounces avoirdupois; its total length was
20-1/2 inches, and its alar extent 22.
This species constantly resides in the fresh-water marshes and
ponds in the interior of South Carolina, Georgia, the Floridas, and
Louisiana, from which a few migrate, and probably breed as far to the
eastward as the wet meadows of the Delaware and Schuylkil rivers,
in the vicinity of which I killed one female in New Jersey, a few
miles from Camden, in July 1832, in company with my friends EDWARD
HARRIS and Mr OGDEN, of that city. On inquiring of numerous hunters,
I was told by several of them that they now and then obtained a few
of these birds, which they considered as very rare, and knew only by
the name of “King Rails.” On recently examining the museums of our
eastern cities my friend JOHN BACHMAN saw only one specimen; and Mr
WILLIAM COOPER of New York assured him that he had never seen any
other individuals than those sent to him from Charleston. Mr BACHMAN
was present at the killing of a specimen near Philadelphia, which was
_considered_ as a very old individual of the _Rallus crepitans_. In
Louisiana, the Creoles know this bird by the name of _Grand Râle de
Prairie_.
As the Fresh-water Marsh-Hen is abundant in South Carolina, I shall
attempt to describe its habits as observed in that State, both by
myself and by my friend JOHN BACHMAN, of whose notes, delivered to
me for the purpose, I shall make free use. “Although not nearly so
numerous as the other species, they are not rare in that country, in
certain favourable situations. Wherever there are extensive marshes by
the sides of sluggish streams, where the bellowings of the alligator
are heard at intervals, and the pipings of myriads of frogs fill the
air, there is found the Fresh-water Marsh-hen, and there it may be
seen gliding swiftly among the tangled rank grasses and aquatic weeds,
or standing on the broad leaves of the yellow Cyamus and fragrant
Water-lily, or forcing its way through the dense foliage of Pontederiæ;
and Sagittariæ. There, during the sickly season, it remains secure
from the search of man, and there, on some hillock or little island
of the marsh, it builds its nest. In such places I have found so many
as twenty pairs breeding within a space having a diameter of thirty
yards. The nests were placed _on the ground_, and raised to the height
of six or eight inches by means of withered weeds and grasses. The
number of eggs was nine or ten. About the middle of March I found a
few nests containing two or three eggs each; but, in my opinion, the
greater number of these birds commence breeding about the middle of
April. They appear to repair their nests from time to time, and to
return to them several years in succession.”
The young, which are at first black, leave the nest as soon as
they burst the shell, and follow their mother, who leads them along
the borders of the streams and pools, where they find abundance of
food, consisting of grass-seeds, insects, tadpoles, leeches, and
small crayfish. At this early period, when running among the grass,
which they do with great activity, they may easily be mistaken for
meadow-mice. My friend BACHMAN, who had several times attempted to
raise these birds, with the view of domesticating them, did not
succeed, principally, he thinks, on account of the difficulty of
procuring enough of their accustomed food. They all died in a few
days, although the greatest attention was paid to them.
When grown they feed on a variety of substances, and it has appeared
to me that they eat a much greater proportion of seeds and other
vegetable matters than the Salt-water Marsh-Hens. It is true, however,
that, in the gizzard of the latter we find portions of the _Spartina
glabra_; but when that kind of food is not to be procured, which is
the case during three-fourths of the year, they feed principally on
“Fiddlers,” small fish, and mollusca. In the gizzard of the present
species, besides the food already mentioned, I have always found a much
greater quantity of the seeds of such grasses as grow in the places
frequented by them. On one occasion I found the gizzard crammed with
seeds of the cane (_Arundo tecta_); and that of another contained a
large quantity of the seed of the common oat, which had evidently
been picked up on a newly sown field adjoining to the marsh. In
autumn I have killed this species in cornfields, in the company of
JOHN BACHMAN, PAUL H. LEES, Esq. and others. These birds are rarely
shot by common gunners, on account of the difficulty of raising them,
and because they generally confine themselves to places so swampy
and covered with briars, smilaxes, and rough weeds, that they are
scarcely accessible. But although they are thus safe from man, they
are not without numerous enemies.
My friend BACHMAN once killed a large Moccasin snake, on opening which
he found an old bird of this species, that had evidently been swallowed
but a short time before. Its feathers are frequently found lying on the
banks of rice-fields, ponds, and lagoons, in places where the tracks
of the minx plainly disclose the plunderer. The Barred Owl and the
Great Horned Owl also occasionally succeed in capturing them in the
dusk. “On one occasion,” says my friend BACHMAN, in a note addressed
to me, “while placed on a stand for deer, I saw a wild cat creeping
through a marsh that was near to me, evidently following by stealthy
steps something that he was desirous of making his prey. Presently he
made a sudden pounce into a bunch of grass, when I immediately heard
the piercing cries of the Marsh-Hen, and shortly after came passing
by me the successful murderer with the bird in his mouth.”
“In seasons of great drought, when the marshes which are their
favourite haunts become dry, these birds have been known entirely to
disappear from the neighbourhood, and not to return until after heavy
rains, having in the mean time, no doubt, retired to the shores of
the larger and deeper ponds of the swamps of the interior.”
The young of this species acquire the redness of their plumage during
the first summer, and increase in size and beauty for several years,
without experiencing any change in their colouring after the spring
following that of their birth. The sexes are scarcely distinguishable
otherwise than by the difference of size, the males being considerably
larger than the females. I am not aware that this species raises
more than one brood in the season, although, when its eggs have been
destroyed, it may lay a second time.
The flight of this Rail resembles that of the salt-water kind, but
is considerably stronger and more protracted. When suddenly flushed,
they rise and go off with a chuck, their legs dangling beneath, and
generally proceed in a straight line for some distance, after which
they drop among the thickest grass, and run off with surprising
speed. In several instances they have been known to stand before
a careful pointer. They are less apt to take to the water than the
_Rallus crepitans_, and are by no means so expert at diving. Their
number does not appear to be diminished in winter by any migratory
movements. Their cries, which do not differ much from those of the
other species, are less frequently repeated after the breeding season.
Few birds afford better food than this species: during autumn, when,
feeding chiefly on grass seeds, they are juicy and tender; in spring,
however, they are less delicate. Their superiority in size over all
other birds of the genus that occur in the United States, renders
them valuable game to the knowing sportsman and epicure. Their eggs
also are excellent as food, being much preferable to those of the
common fowl.
I regret that I am obliged to conclude this account, without being
able to describe the eggs, which, although well known to my friend
JOHN BACHMAN, have not yet come under my inspection, but which I trust
I shall have an opportunity of figuring in the concluding plates of
my work.
GREAT RED-BREASTED RAIL, OR FRESH-WATER MARSH HEN.
RALLUS ELEGANS.
Adult Male. Plate CCIII. Fig. 1.
Bill much longer than the head, slender, compressed, very slightly
curved, deep at the base. Upper mandible with the dorsal line almost
straight until towards the end, where it is slightly curved, the ridge
flattish at the base, and extending a little on the forehead, convex
towards the end; a deep groove runs on either side parallel to the
ridge for two-thirds of the whole length; the edges inflected, with a
very slight notch close to the tip. Nostrils lateral, linear, direct,
open and pervious. Lower mandible with the angle very long, extremely
narrow, the sides erect, slightly convex, the edges inflected, the
tip narrowed.
Head small, oblong, much compressed. Neck long and slender. Body
slender, much compressed. Feet long; tibia bare a considerable way
above the joint; tarsus rather long, strong, compressed, anteriorly
covered with broad scutella, posteriorly with smaller, and on the sides
reticulated; hind toe very small and slender, middle toe longest,
fourth considerably shorter, and but little longer than the second;
toes free, scutellate above, compressed, granulate beneath; claws of
moderate length, arched, slender, much compressed, acute, flat, and
marginate beneath.
Plumage rather stiff, compact and glossed on the upper parts. Feathers
of the head and neck short and blended; of the forehead with the
shaft enlarged, and extended beyond the tip. Wings very short and
broad; alula large; primaries curved, broad, tapering but obtuse,
third longest, second scarcely shorter, first and seventh about equal;
secondaries weak, broad, rounded. Tail very short, much rounded, of
twelve feeble rounded feathers; the upper and lower coverts nearly
as long as the tail-feathers.
Lower mandible and edges of upper brownish-yellow; ridge of upper,
and tips of both, deep brown. Iris bright red. Feet yellowish-brown,
tinged with olive; claws of the same colour. Upper part of head
and hind neck dull brown, the bristle-like shafts of the frontal
feathers brownish-black; a brownish-orange line from the bill over
the eye; a broader band of the same colour from the lower mandible,
the intermediate space dusky; chin white. The upper parts in general
are streaked with brownish-black and light olive-brown, the two
sides of each feather being of the latter colour. Wing-coverts dull
chestnut, most of them irregularly tipped with brownish-white. Alula
and primaries deep olive-brown; secondaries and tail-feathers like
the back. Sides and fore part of the neck, and greater part of the
breast, bright orange-brown; sides and lower wing-coverts undulated
with deep brown and greyish-white; tibial feathers pale greyish-brown,
faintly barred with darker, as is the hind part of the abdomen, the
fore part being uniform pale greyish-brown; lateral lower tail-coverts
white, each with a blackish-brown spot near the end; those in the
middle barred with black and white.
Length to end of tail 19 inches, to end of claws 26, extent of wings
25; bill 2-5/6; tarsus 2-1/2, middle toe and claw 2-10/12; wing from
flexure 7, tail 2-1/2. Weight 1 lb. 9 oz.
Adult Female.
The female, which is smaller, is similar to the male, but has the
tints somewhat duller.
Length to end of tail 18 inches, to end of claws 22-1/2, extent of wings
24. Weight 1 lb. 2 oz.
Young in autumn. Plate CCIII. Fig. 2.
The young in autumn and fully fledged resemble the female, but are
duller in their colours.
THE CLAPPER RAIL, OR SALT-WATER MARSH-HEN.
_RALLUS CREPITANS_, GMEL.
PLATE CCIV. MALE AND FEMALE.
Although this species is a constant resident, and extremely abundant
along the salt marshes and reedy sea islands of South Carolina,
Georgia, Florida, Alabama, and Louisiana, to the mouths of the
Mississippi, and probably farther south, at all seasons of the year,
it leaves these districts in considerable numbers in spring, and
extends its movements along the Atlantic shores as far as the Middle
States. They confine themselves entirely to the salt-marshes in the
immediate vicinity of the Atlantic, the islands and the channels
between them and the main shores, but are never seen inland or on
fresh waters, unless when, during high tides, they remove to the
margins of the main, where, indeed, during heavy gales and high seas,
these poor birds are forced to take refuge, in order to escape the
destructive fury of the tempest that, notwithstanding their utmost
exertions, destroys great numbers of them. On all such occasions
the birds appear greatly intimidated and stupified, and as if out
of their proper element. Those individuals which leave the south for
a season, reach the shores of New Jersey about the middle of April,
and return to the southern States about the beginning of October, to
spend the winter along with their young, after which period none are
to be found in the Middle Districts. Few if any ever go beyond Long
Island in the State of New York; at least I have never seen or heard
of one farther east. Their migrations take place under night, and in
perfect silence; but the moment they arrive at their destination, they
announce their presence by a continuation of loud cacklings, meant
no doubt as an expression of their joy. Having studied the habits
of these interesting birds in the Jerseys, in South Carolina, and in
the Floridas, on the maritime borders of all of which they breed, I
shall here attempt to describe them.
In these countries, from about the beginning of March to that of
April, the salt-marshes resound with the cries of the Clapper Rail,
which resemble the syllables _cac, cac, cac, cac, cā, cāhā, cāhā_.
The commencement of the cry, which is heard quite as frequently
during day as by night, is extremely loud and rapid, its termination
lower and protracted. At the report of a gun, when thousands of these
birds instantaneously burst forth with their cries, you may imagine
what an uproar they make. This bird seems to possess the power of
ventriloquism, for, when several hundred yards off, its voice often
seems to be issuing from the grass around you. At this period, the
males are very pugnacious, and combats are rife until each has selected
a female for the season. The males stand erect and cry aloud the
least sound they hear, guard their mates, and continue faithfully to
protect them until the young make their appearance. These come more
under the care of the mother, who leads them about until they have
attained a considerable size, and are able to shift for themselves.
The nest is large, constructed of marsh plants, and fastened to the
stems in the midst of the thickest tufts, above high-water mark. The
materials of which it is formed are so well interlaced with the plants
around them, as to prevent their being washed away by extraordinarily
high tides, which, however, sometimes carry off and destroy the eggs,
as well as many of the sitting birds, whose attachment to them is so
great, that they are now and then drowned while endeavouring to keep
them safe. The nest is very deep, so that the eggs seem placed in the
bottom of a bowl or funnel. They are from eight to fifteen in number,
measure an inch and a half in length by one and an eighth in breadth,
and have a pale buff colour, sparingly sprinkled with light umber
and purplish spots. The period of incubation is fourteen days. When
undisturbed, this species lays only one set of eggs in the season;
but as the eggs are in request as a delicious article of food, they
are gathered in great numbers, and I myself have collected so many
as seventy-two dozens in the course of a day. The nest is generally
open at top, and then is very easily discovered, although sometimes
the reeds are so arranged about them as to conceal them from the view.
When the birds are sitting, they suffer you to approach within a few
feet; but, as if aware of your intention, they glide away in silence
to some distance, and remain crouched among the grass until you have
retired. When, on returning, the poor bird finds that her treasure
has been stolen, she immediately proclaims her grief aloud, and in
this is joined by her faithful mate. In a few days, however, more
eggs are deposited, although, I believe, never in the same nest. This
species may be called gregarious, yet the nests are seldom nearer to
each other than five or ten yards. They are placed in the thickest
and most elevated tufts of grass, principally near the edges of the
many lagoons that everywhere intersect the sea marshes, so that a man
may go from one to another, finding them with ease as he proceeds
along the muddy shores. In the Jerseys, it forms almost a regular
occupation to collect the eggs of this bird, and there I have seen
twenty or more persons gathering them by thousands during the season;
in fact, it is not an uncommon occurrence for an egger to carry home
a hundred dozens in a day; and when this havock is continued upwards
of a month, you may imagine its extent. The abundance of the birds
themselves is almost beyond belief; but if you suppose a series of
salt marshes twenty miles in length, and a mile in breadth, while at
every eight or ten steps one or two birds may be met with, you may
calculate their probable number.
During ebb, the Clapper Rail advances towards the edge of the waters
as they recede, and searches, either among the grasses, or along the
deep furrows made by the ebb and flow of the tides, for its food,
which consists principally of small crabs, a species of salt-water
snail attached to the rushes, the fry of fishes, aquatic insects, and
plants. When the tide flows, they gradually return, and at high-water
they resort to the banks, where they remain concealed until the waters
begin to retreat. This species is by no means exclusively nocturnal,
for it moves about in search of food during the whole of the day, in
this respect resembling the Gallinules. Their courage is now and then
brought to the test by the sudden approach of some of their winged
enemies, such as a Hawk or an Owl, especially the Marsh Hawk, which
is often attacked by them while sailing low over the grass in which
they are commonly concealed. On such occasions, the Rail rises a
few yards in the air, strikes at the marauder with bill and claws,
screaming aloud all the while, and dives again among the grass, to
the astonishment of the bird of prey, which usually moves off at full
speed. They are not so fortunate in their encounters with such hawks
as pounce from on high on their prey, such as the Red-tailed and
Red-shouldered Hawks, against which they have no chance of defending
themselves. Minxes, racoons, and wild cats destroy a great number
of them during night, and many are devoured by turtles and ravenous
fishes; but their worst enemy is man. My friend BACHMAN has shot so
many as sixty in the course of four hours, and others have killed
double that number in double the time.
The Salt-water Marsh Hen swims with considerable ease, though not
swiftly or gracefully. While in this act, it extends its neck forward,
and strikes the water with its feet, as if unwilling to move far at
a time, the motion of its neck resembling that of the Gallinules.
It dives well, remains a considerable time under water, and in this
manner dexterously eludes its pursuers, although it certainly does not
possess the power of holding fast to the bottom, as some persons have
alleged. When hard pressed, it often sinks just below the surface,
keeping the bill above in order to breathe, and in this position,
if not detected, remains for a considerable time. If perceived and
approached, it instantly dives, and uses its wings to accelerate its
progress, but rises as soon as it comes to a place of safety.
Their movements on the ground, or over the partially submersed or
floating beds of weeds, are extremely rapid, and they run swiftly off
before a dog, the utmost exertions of which are required to force them
on wing. Such an attempt by man would prove utterly futile, unless he
were to come upon them unawares. When not pursued, and feeling secure,
they walk in a deliberate manner, the body considerably inclined, now
and then jerking the tail upwards, although by no means so frequently
as Gallinules are wont to do. On the least appearance of danger, they
lower the head, stretch out the neck, and move off with incomparable
speed, always in perfect silence. They have thousands of paths among
the rank herbage, crossing each other so often that they can very
easily escape pursuit; and besides, they have a power of compressing
their body to such a degree, as frequently to force a passage between
two stems so close, that one could hardly believe it possible for
them to squeeze themselves through. When put up, they fly slowly
and generally straight before you, with their legs dangling, so that
they are very easily shot by a quick sportsman, as they rarely fly
far at a time on such occasions, but prefer pitching down again into
the first tuft of rank grass in their way. When on their migrations,
however, they pass low and swiftly over the marshes, or the water,
stretched to their full extent, and with a constant beat of the wings.
The young, which are at first covered with down of a black colour,
obtain their full plumage before the winter arrives, and after this
undergo little change of colour, although they increase in size for
a year after. In the Eastern States, this species is not held in
much estimation as an article of food, perhaps in a great measure on
account of the quantity of Soras met with there during early autumn,
and which are certainly more delicate; but in the Southern States,
especially during winter, they are considered good for the table,
and a great number are killed and offered for sale in the markets.
Numbers are destroyed by torch light, which so dazzles their eyes,
as to enable persons fond of the sport to knock them down with poles
or paddles during high tides. It is by day, however, that they are
usually shot, and as this kind of sport is exceedingly pleasant, I
will attempt to describe it.
About Charleston, in South Carolina, the shooting of Marsh Hens takes
place from September to February, a few days in each month during the
spring-tides. A light skiff or canoe is procured, the latter being
much preferable, and paddled by one or two experienced persons, the
sportsman standing in the bow, and his friend, if he has one with him,
taking his station in the stern. At an early hour they proceed to the
marshes, amid many boats containing parties on the same errand. There
is no lack of shooting-grounds, for every creek of salt-water swarms
with Marsh Hens. The sportsman who leads has already discharged his
barrels, and on either side of his canoe a bird has fallen. As the
boat moves swiftly towards them, more are raised, and although he may
not be ready, the safety of the bird is in imminent jeopardy, for now
from another bark double reports are heard in succession. The tide is
advancing apace, the boats merely float along, and the birds, driven
from place to place, seek in vain for safety. Here, on a floating mass
of tangled weeds, stand a small group side by side. The gunner has
marked them, and presently nearly the whole covey is prostrated. Now,
onward to that great bunch of tall grass all the boats are seen to
steer; shot after shot flies in rapid succession; dead and dying lie
all around on the water; the terrified survivors are trying to save
their lives by hurried flight; but their efforts are unavailing,—one
by one they fall, to rise no more. It is a sorrowful sight, after
all: see that poor thing gasping hard in the agonies of death, its
legs quivering with convulsive twitches, its bright eyes fading into
glazed obscurity. In a few hours, hundreds have ceased to breathe the
breath of life; hundreds that erst revelled in the joys of careless
existence, but which can never behold their beloved marshes again.
The cruel sportsman, covered with mud and mire, drenched to the skin
by the splashing of the paddles, his face and hands besmeared with
powder, stands amid the wreck which he has made, exultingly surveys his
slaughtered heaps, and with joyous feelings returns home with a cargo
of game more than enough for a family thrice as numerous as his own.
How joyful must be the congratulations of those which have escaped,
without injury to themselves or their relatives! With what pleasure,
perhaps, have some of them observed the gun of one of their murderers,
or the powder-flask of another, fall overboard! How delighted have
they been to see a canoe overturned by an awkward movement, and their
enemies struggling to reach the shore, or sticking fast in the mud!
Nor have the minx and racoon come off well, for notwithstanding the
expertness of the former at diving, and the cunning of the latter,
many have been shot, and the boatmen intend to make caps of their fur.
In the Carolinas there are some most expert marksmen, of whom I know
two who probably were never surpassed. One of them I have seen shoot
fifty Marsh-Hens at fifty successive shots, and the other, I am
assured, has killed a hundred without missing one. I have heard or read
of a French king, who, on starting a partridge, could take a pinch
of snuff, then point his gun, and shoot the bird; but whether this
be true or not I cannot say, although I have witnessed as remarkable
a feat, for I have seen a Carolinian, furnished with two guns, shoot
at and kill four Marsh-Hens as they flew off at once around him! On
speaking once to a friend of the cruelty of destroying so many of
these birds, he answered me as follows:—“It gives variety to life; it
is good exercise, and in all cases affords a capital dinner, besides
the pleasure I feel when sending a mess of Marsh-Hens to a friend
such as you.”
RALLUS CREPITANS, _Gmel._ Syst. Nat. vol. i. p. 713.—_Lath._
Ind. Ornith. vol. ii. p. 756.
CLAPPER RAIL, RALLUS CREPITANS, _Wils._ Amer. Ornith.
vol. vii. p. 112, but not the figure, which is that of the
preceding species.—_Nuttall_, Manual, vol. ii. p. 201.
Adult Male. Plate CCIV. Fig. 1.
Bill much longer than the head, slender, compressed, slightly curved,
rather deep at the base. Upper mandible with the dorsal line almost
straight until towards the end, where it is slightly curved, the ridge
slightly flattened for a short space at the base, and extending a
little on the forehead, narrow and convex to the end; a deep groove
runs on either side parallel to the ridge for two-thirds of the
whole length; the edges inflected, with a very slight notch close to
the tip. Nostrils lateral, linear, direct, open and pervious. Lower
mandible with the angle very long, extremely narrow, the sides erect,
slightly convex, the edges inflected, the tip narrowed.
Head small, oblong, much compressed. Neck long and slender. Body
slender, much compressed. Feet long; tibia bare a considerable way
above the joint; tarsus of moderate length, strong, compressed, and
anteriorly covered with broad scutella, posteriorly with smaller, and
on the sides reticulated. Hind toe very small and slender, middle toe
longest, fourth considerably shorter, and but little longer than the
second; toes free, scutellate above, compressed, granulate beneath.
Claws of moderate length, arched, slender, much compressed, acute,
flat and marginate beneath.
Plumage rather stiff, compact and glossed on the upper parts. Feathers
of the head and neck short and blended, of the forehead with the shaft
enlarged and extended beyond the tip. Wings very short and broad; alula
large; primaries curved, broad, tapering, but obtuse, third longest,
second scarcely shorter, first and seventh about equal; secondaries
weak, broad, rounded. Tail extremely short, much rounded, of twelve
feeble, rounded feathers; the upper and lower coverts nearly as long
as the tail-feathers.
Lower mandible and edges of upper yellowish-brown; ridge of upper
and tips of both deep brown. Iris pale yellow. Feet pale livid grey,
tinged with orange about the tibio-tarsal joint; claws dusky. Upper
part of the head and hind neck dull brown, the bristle-like shafts
of the frontal feathers brownish-black; a pale brownish-orange
line from the bill over the eye; loral space and sides of the head
dull bluish-grey, the two sides of each feather being of the latter
colour. Wing-coverts dull olive, tinged with grey, some of them with
slight irregular whitish markings; alula and primaries olive-brown;
secondaries and tail feathers like the back. Chin yellowish-white,
edged on either side with pale yellowish-brown; sides and fore part
of the neck bluish-grey, tinged more especially before with dull pale
yellowish-brown; the fore part of the breast of the latter colour.
Lower wing-coverts, sides, hind part of abdomen, and middle lower
tail-coverts undulated with deep greyish-brown and greyish-white,
lateral tail-coverts with the outer webs white; tibial feathers
similarly barred, but paler, middle of the abdomen greyish-white.
Length to end of tail 15 inches, to end of claws 20, extent of wings
20-3/4; bill 2-5/8; tarsus 2, middle-toe and claw 2-5/12; wing from
flexure 6-2/12; tail 2-5/8. Weight 11 oz.
Adult Female. Plate CCIV. Fig. 2.
The Female, which is smaller than the male, is similar in colouring,
but has the tints somewhat duller.
Length to end of tail 14 inches, to end of claws 17-3/4; extent of wings
19-1/4. Weight 7-3/4 oz.
THE VIRGINIAN RAIL.
_RALLUS VIRGINIANUS_, LINN.
PLATE CCV. MALE, FEMALE, AND YOUNG.
This species, which, although smaller, bears a great resemblance to
the Great Red-breasted Rail or Fresh-water Marsh-Hen, is met with in
most parts of the United States at different seasons. Many spend the
winter within our southern limits, and I have found them at that time
in Lower Louisiana, the Floridas, Georgia, and the Carolinas. In the
Western country some have been known to remain until severe frost
came on, and there they usually stay to a much later period than in
our Middle Districts, from which they generally retire southward in
the beginning of October. During spring and summer, I observed some
in different places from the shores of the Wabash River in Illinois,
to those of the St John’s in the British province of New Brunswick.
In the latter district, they were considered extremely rare birds by
the inhabitants, some of whom brought me a few as great curiosities.
Farther north, I neither saw nor heard of any; but on the borders of
Lakes Erie and Michigan, they breed in considerable numbers, as well
as near our maritime districts.
In its habits the _Rallus virginianus_ is intermediate between the
_R. crepitans_ and _R. carolinus_: it obtains its food as well _in
salt-water marshes_, as in fresh meadows, watery savannahs, and the
borders of ponds and rivers. The latter situations, however, seem
to suit it best during summer; but whenever both kinds of places are
combined, or near each other, there you are sure to meet with it.
The time of breeding varies according to the latitude of the place. I
have found the female sitting on her eggs in the beginning of March,
a few miles from New Orleans; in that of April in Kentucky, near
Henderson; about a fortnight later near Vincennes, in Illinois; and
from the 10th of May to the middle of June, in the Middle and Eastern
States. The males usually arrive at the breeding-places a week or ten
days before the females. They travel silently and by night, as I have
ascertained by observing them proceed singly and in a direct course,
at a height of only a few feet, over our broad rivers, or over level
land, when their speed is such as is never manifested by them under
ordinary circumstances. Their movements can be easily traced for
fifty yards or so during nights of brilliant moonshine, when you see
them passing with a constant beat of the wings, in the manner of a
Green-winged Teal. As soon as they arrive at their destination, they
may be heard emitting their cries about sunset, occasionally through
the night, and again with increased vigour at the dawn of day, as
if expressing their impatience for the arrival of their companions.
The love-notes of this species have some resemblance to those of
the Clapper Rail, but now and then are changed for others something
like _crek, crek, creek_, or _creek, creek, creek_. Being expert
ventriloquists, like their congeners, they sometimes seem to be far
off, when in fact they are within a few yards of you. One morning I
had the good fortune to witness their amatory gestures, which I will
here try to describe, that you may in some degree participate in the
amusement which the scene afforded me.
The sun had scarcely begun to send his horizontal rays over the
lake, on the margin of which I stood, revolving in my mind the many
enjoyments which the Author of nature has benignantly accorded to
his creatures. The air was clear and serene, and the waters spread
before me without a ruffle on their surface. The notes of the Rail
came loudly on my ear, and on moving towards the spot whence they
proceeded, I observed the bird exhibiting the full ardour of his
passion. Now with open wings raised over its body, it ran around its
beloved, opening and flirting its tail with singular speed. Each time
it passed before her, it would pause for a moment, raise itself to the
full stretch of its body and legs, and bow to her with all the grace
of a well-bred suitor of our own species. The female also bowed in
recognition, and at last, as the male came nearer and nearer in his
circuits, yielded to his wishes, on which the pair flew off in the
manner of house-pigeons, sailing and balancing their bodies on open
wings until out of sight. During this exhibition, the male emitted
a mellow note, resembling the syllables _cuckoe, cuckoe_, to which
the female responded with the kind of lisping sound uttered by young
birds of the species when newly hatched.
Excepting our Little Partridge, I know no bird so swift of foot as the
Virginian Rail. In fact, I doubt if it would be an easy matter for
an active man to outstrip one of them on plain ground; and to trust
to one’s speed for raising one among the thick herbage to which they
usually resort, would certainly prove fallacious. There they run to
a short distance, then tack about, and again scud away in a lateral
direction, so as to elude the best dog, or if likely to be overtaken,
rise on wing, fly with dangling legs eight or ten yards, drop among
the weeds, and run off as swiftly as before. Notwithstanding all this,
I managed to secure a good number of them by means of a partridge
net, setting the wings of that apparatus at very obtuse angles, and
calling them by imitating the lisping notes of the female from some
distance beyond the bag of the net. Now and then I found them too
cunning for me, as, on discovering that the wings of the net were in
their way, they would get over it in the same manner as that in which
a sailor mounts the shrouds of a ship. Our Common Coot uses the same
artifice, as I shall elsewhere describe.
The nest of the Virginian Rail is not easily found after incubation
has commenced, for then the male, contrary to the habits of most
birds, becomes comparatively silent, and the female quite mute. At
such times I have once or twice almost trodden on one, which I should
never have discovered, had not the poor bird fluttered off in despair,
employing all the artifices used by other species on such occasions.
It is placed on a small elevation formed by the accumulation of
the stalks of a large bunch of grasses, in the centre of which some
dry weeds are arranged to the height of two or three inches, with a
very shallow cavity. The eggs are four or five, seldom more than six
or seven, and resemble in colour those of the _Rallus crepitans_,
although smaller, measuring an inch and a quarter in length, by
eleven-twelfths in breadth, and being rather more rounded. The young
are covered with a jet black down, and run after their mother as soon
as they make their escape from the egg;—at least I suppose this to
be the case, on account of my having caught some that seemed newly
hatched. The mother leads them with the greatest care among the long
grass of the damp meadows, or the weeds growing near the ponds, to
which they resort at all times, and particularly near the margins
of pools or muddy streams, into which they run and disperse on the
least appearance of danger. When no water is near, the little ones
squat in silence, and await the call of their parent, to which all
at once answer, when they quickly collect once more around her.
This species is able to cling to, and climb along the blades of tall
grasses, even under water, when in danger, and is equally able to swim
gracefully to a considerable distance, as to alight on low bushes, in
which situation I have shot a few of them. When amid the broad leaves
of water-lilies, they walk and run on them with as much ease as the
Gallinules; and I would be inclined to assign them an intermediate
station between the genera Rallus and Crex, as they partake of the
habits of both. When pursued, the Virginian Rail is, with great
difficulty, put up, as I have already mentioned, but when it is once
on wing it may be shot by a very ordinary gunner. It rises without
noise, flies off with its legs dangling and its neck stretched out,
but seldom proceeds farther than twenty or thirty yards at a time,
unless when it has a stream to cross, or during its migrations. Like
all the other species with which I am acquainted, it feeds both by
day and by night. Its food consists of small slugs, snails, aquatic
insects, worms, crustacea, and the seeds of those grasses which grow
in salt or fresh water marshes, in either of which they reside and
even breed. I have not been able to ascertain whether they lay more
than once in the season; but, on account of the comparatively small
number of this species, I am inclined to suppose that they seldom
raise more than one brood, unless their eggs have been destroyed,
whether by inundation or otherwise.
The Virginian Rail is not without enemies; and, although it manifests
a good deal of courage, and at times acts towards the Marsh Hawk
in the same manner as the _Rallus crepitans_, it seldom succeeds in
its attempts, and on several occasions I have seen that bird seize
them as they attempted to strike it with their bill and claws for
the purpose of driving it away. The minx, the garfish, the snapping
turtle, and sometimes eels, destroy them, as well as the Sora Rail.
Whilst at Charleston in South Carolina, I frequently saw little strings
of these birds exposed in the market, at a very low price; and they
are excellent eating during autumn and winter. Their comparative
scarcity, however, prevents the gunner from searching after them with
the same eagerness as he pursues the _Rallus crepitans_, and to shoot
a dozen in the course of a day may be considered a remarkable feat.
In that country, during the latter part of autumn, and in winter,
they are usually met with in the salt-marshes bordering the estuaries
of large rivers.
Like the two preceding species, the Virginian Rail has the power of
contracting its body to enable it to pass with more ease between the
stalks of strong grasses or other plants. When observed unseen, it
frequently jerks the tail upwards, in the manner of Gallinules, but
the moment it notices any one of its enemies, it droops the tail,
lowers its head, and runs off with the quickness of thought.
The young of this species are at first of a black colour, like that of
_Rallus crepitans_ and _R. elegans_; but, like those of the latter,
attain the rufous hue of the parent birds before the commencement of
winter, although they increase in size and improve in the depth of
their tints probably for several years.
RALLUS VIRGINIANUS, _Linn._ Syst. Nat. vol. i. p. 263.—_Ch.
Bonaparte_, Synops. of Birds of the United States, p. 334.
RALLUS AQUATICUS, var. _Lath._ Ind. Ornith. vol. ii. p. 755.
VIRGINIAN RAIL, RALLUS VIRGINIANUS, _Wils._ Amer. Ornith.
vol. vii. p. 109. pl. 62. fig. 2.
LESSER CLAPPER RAIL, _Nuttall_, Manual, vol. ii. p. 205.
Adult Male. Plate CCV. Fig. 1.
Bill longer than the head, slender, compressed, slightly curved, deep
at the base. Upper mandible with the dorsal line slightly curved, the
ridge flattish at the base, and extending a little on the forehead,
convex and narrow towards the end; a deep groove runs on either side
parallel to the ridge for two-thirds of the whole length; the edges
inflected, with a very slight notch close to the tip. Nostrils lateral,
linear, direct, open and pervious. Lower mandible with the angle
very long, extremely narrow, the sides erect, slightly convex, the
edges inflected, the tip narrowed, the dorsal and marginal outlines
slightly arched.
Head rather small, oblong, compressed. Neck rather long. Body slender,
much compressed. Feet rather long; tibia bare a considerable way above
the joint; tarsus of ordinary length, compressed, anteriorly covered
with broad scutella, posteriorly with smaller, and on the sides
reticulated. Hind toe very small and slender, middle toe longest,
fourth considerably shorter, and but little longer than the second;
toes free, scutellate above, compressed, granulate beneath. Claws of
moderate length, arched, slender, much compressed, acute, flat and
marginate beneath.
Plumage rather stiff, compact, slightly glossed on the back. Feathers
of the head and neck short and blended; of the forehead with the shaft
enlarged and extended beyond the tip. Wings very short and broad;
alula large; primaries curved, broad, tapering, but obtuse, third
longest, second very little shorter, first and sixth about equal;
secondaries broad and rounded. Tail extremely short, much rounded,
of twelve feeble rounded feathers; the upper and lower tail-coverts
nearly as long as the tail-feathers.
Bill dark brown, the lower mandible and edges of upper yellowish-brown.
Iris bright red. Feet yellowish-brown, tinged with olive; claws more
dusky. The general colour of the upper parts is deep brownish-black,
with streaks of light olive-brown; sides of the head dull bluish-grey,
loral space of a deeper tint; a brownish-orange line over the eye.
Alula, primary quills, and tail blackish-brown; secondary quills
like the back, but edged with greenish-brown, smaller coverts
dark chestnut. Throat reddish-white; fore neck and breast bright
orange-brown, approaching to yellowish-red; sides, abdomen, and lower
wing-coverts barred with brownish-black and white, the bands of the
latter narrower; tibial feathers dusky anteriorly, light reddish
behind. Lower tail-coverts each with a central brownish-black spot,
the edges white, the tips pale reddish.
Length to end of tail 10-1/2 inches, to end of claws 13, extent of
wings 14-1/4; bill 1-7/12; tarsus 1-5/12, middle toe and claw 1-9/12;
wing from flexure 4-1/2, tail 1-10/12.
Adult Female. Plate CCV. Fig. 2.
The Female is considerably smaller than the male, but resembles it
in colouring, only the dark tints of the upper parts are lighter, the
chestnut of the wings paler, and the lower parts of a less bright red.
Length 9-1/4.
Young bird fledged. Plate CCV. Fig. 3.
When fully fledged the young does not differ materially in colour
from the old, the tints being merely somewhat duller.
In colouring this species is so nearly allied to _R. elegans_, that
the description of the one might pass very well for that of the other;
the principal difference being that the sides of the head are grey
in the former, and dusky in the latter. Of course, the difference
in size and habits is sufficient to prevent their being confounded
together.
THE AMERICAN SUN PERCH.
Few of our smaller fresh-water fishes excel either in beauty or in
delicacy and flavour the species which I have chosen as the subject of
this article, and few afford more pleasure to young fishers. Although
it occurs in all our streams, whether rapid or gentle, small or large,
in the mill-dam overshadowed by tall forest-trees, or in the open
lake margined with reeds, you must never expect to find it in impure
waters. Let the place be deep or shallow, broad or narrow, the water
must be clear enough to allow the sun’s rays to fall unimpaired on
the rich coat of mail that covers the body of the Sun-fish. Look at
him as he poises himself under the lee of the protecting rock beneath
our feet! See how steadily he maintains his position, and yet how many
rapid motions of his fins are necessary to preserve it! Now another
is by his side, glowing with equal beauty, and poising itself by
equally easy and graceful movements. The sun is shining, and under
the lee of every stone and sunk log, some of the little creatures
are rising to the surface, to enjoy the bright blaze, which enhances
all their beauty. The golden hues of some parts of the body blend
with the green of the emerald, while the coral tints of the lower
parts and the red of its sparkling eye, render our little favourite
a perfect gem of the waters.
The rushing stream boils and gurgles as it forces its way over the
obstacles presented by its bed, the craggy points, large stones, and
logs that are strewn along the bottom. Every one of these proves a
place of rest, safety and observation to the little things, whose eyes
are ever anxiously watching their favourite prey as it passes. There
an unfortunate moth, swept along by the current, labours in vain to
extricate itself from the treacherous element; its body, indeed, at
intervals, rises a little above the surface, but its broad wings,
now wet and heavy, bear it down again to the water. The Sun-fish has
marked it, and as it passes his retreat, he darts towards it, with
twenty of his fellows, all eager to seize the prize. The swiftest
swallows it in a moment, and all immediately return to their lurking
places, where they fancy themselves secure. But, alas, the Sun-fish is
no more without enemies than the moth, or any other living creature.
So has Nature determined, evidently to promote prudence and industry,
without which none can reap the full advantage of life.
On the top of yon miller’s dam stands boldly erect the ardent fisher.
Up to the knees, and regardless of the danger of his situation, he
prepares his apparatus of destruction. A keen hook attached to his
grass-line is now hid within the body of a worm or grasshopper. With
a knowing eye he marks one after another every surge of the water
below. Observing the top of a rock scarcely covered, he sends his
hook towards it with gentleness and certainty; the bait now floats
and anon sinks; his reel slowly lengthens the line, which is suddenly
tightened, and he feels that a fish is secured. Now whirls the reel
again, thrice has the fish tried its utmost strength and speed, but,
soon panting and exhausted, it is seen floating for a moment on the
surface. Nothing now is required but to bring it to hand, which done,
the angler baits anew, and sends forth the treacherous morsel. For an
hour or more he continues the agreeable occupation, drawing from the
stream a fish at every short interval. To the willow-twig fastened
to his waist, a hundred “sunnies” are already attached. Suddenly the
sky is overcast, and the crafty fisher, although aware that, with
a different hook and bait, he might soon procure a fine eel or two,
carefully wades to the shore, and homeward leisurely plods his way.
In this manner are the sun-fishes caught by the regular or “scientific”
anglers, and a beautiful sight it is to see the ease and grace with
which they allure the objects of their desire, whether in the open
turbulence of the waters, or under the low boughs of the overhanging
trees, where, in some deep hole, a swarm of the little creatures
may be playing in fancied security. Rarely does his tackle become
entangled, whilst, with incomparable dexterity, he draws one after
another from the waters.
Thousands of individuals, however, there are, who, less curious in
their mode of fishing, often procure as many sunnies without allowing
them to play for a moment. Look at these boys! One stands on the shore,
while the others are on fallen trees that project over the stream.
Their rods, as you perceive, are merely shoots of the hazel or hickory,
their lines are simply twine, and their hooks none of the finest. One
has a calabash filled with worms and grubs of many sorts, kept alive
in damp earth, and another is supplied with a bottle containing half
a gross of live “hoppers;” the third has no bait at all, but borrows
from his nearest neighbour. Well, there they are, “three merry boys,”
whirling their rods in the air to unrol their lines, on one of which,
you observe, a cork is fastened, while on another is a bit of light
wood, and on the third a grain or two of large shot, to draw it at
once to a certain depth. Now their hooks are baited, and all are
ready. Each casts his line as he thinks best, after he has probed the
depth of the stream with his rod, to enable him to place his buoy at
the proper point. Bob, bob, goes the cork; down it moves; the bit
of wood disappears; the leaded line tightens; in a moment up swing
the sunnies, which, getting unhooked, are projected far among the
grass, where they struggle in vain, until death ends their efforts.
The hooks are now baited anew, and dropped into the water. The fish
is abundant, the weather propitious and delightful, for it is now
October, and so greedy have the sunnies become of grasshoppers and
grubs, that dozens at once dash at the same bait. The lads, believe
me, have now rare sport, and in an hour scarcely a fish remains in
the hole. The happy children have caught perhaps some hundreds of
delicious “pan-fish,” to feed their parents, and delight their little
sisters. Surely their pleasure is fully as great as that experienced
by the scientific angler.
I have known instances when the waters of a dam having been let out,
for some reason better known to the miller than to myself, all the
sun-fish have betaken themselves to one or two deep holes, as if to
avoid being carried away from their favourite abode. There I have seen
them in such multitudes that one could catch as many as he pleased
with a pinhook, fastened to any sort of line, and baited with any
sort of worm or insect, or even with a piece of a newly caught fish.
Yet, and I am not able to account for it, all of a sudden, without
apparent cause, they would cease to take, and no allurement whatever
could entice them or the other fishes in the pool to seize the hook.
During high freshets, this species of perch seldom bites at any thing,
but you may procure them with a cast-net or a seine, provided you are
well acquainted with the localities. On the contrary, when the waters
are low and clear, every secluded hole, every eddy under the lee of
a rock, every place sheltered by a raft of timber, will afford you
amusement. In some parts of the Southern States, the Negroes procure
these fishes late in the autumn in shallow ponds or bayous, by wading
through the water with caution, and placing at every few steps a
wicker apparatus, not unlike a small barrel, open at both ends. The
moment the fishes find themselves confined within the lower part of
this, which is pressed to the bottom of the stream, their skippings
announce their capture, and the fisher secures his booty.
This species, the _Labrus auritus_ of Linnæus, the _Pomotis vulgaris_
of Cuvier, seldom exceeds five or six inches in length, but is rather
deep in proportion. The usual size is from four to five inches, with
a depth of from two to two and a half. They are not bony, and at
all seasons afford delicate eating. Having observed a considerable
change in their colour in different parts of the United States; and
in different streams, ponds, or lakes, I was led to think that this
curious effect might be produced by the difference of colour in the
water. Thus, the Sun-fish caught in the deep waters of Green River,
in Kentucky, exhibit a depth of olive-brown quite different from the
general tint of those caught in the colourless waters of the Ohio
or Schuylkill; those of the reddish-coloured waters of the Bayous
of the Louisiana swamps, look as if covered with a coppery tarnish;
and, lastly, those met with in streams that glide beneath cedars or
other firs, have a pale and sallow complexion.
The Sun Perch, wherever found, seems to give a decided preference to
sandy, gravelly, or rocky beds of streams, avoiding those of which
the bottom is muddy. At the period of depositing their eggs, this
preference is still more apparent. The little creature is then seen
swimming rapidly over shallows, the bed of which is mostly formed of
fine gravel, when after a while it is observed to poise itself and
gradually sink to the bottom, where with its fin it pushes aside the
sand to the extent of eight or ten inches, thus forming a circular
cavity. In a few days a little ridge is thus raised around, and in
the cleared area the roe is deposited. By wading carefully over the
extent of the place, a person may count forty, fifty, or more of these
beds, some within a few feet of each other, and some several yards
apart. Instead of abandoning its spawn, as others of the family are
wont to do, this little fish keeps guard over it with all the care
of a sitting bird. You observe it poised over the bed, watching the
objects around. Should the rotten leaf of a tree, a piece of wood, or
any other substance, happen to be rolled over the border of the bed,
the Sun-fish carefully removes it, holding the obnoxious matter in its
mouth, and dropping it over the margin. Having many times witnessed
this act of prudence and cleanliness in the little sunny, and observed
that at this period it will not seize on any kind of bait, I took
it into my head one fair afternoon to make a few experiments for the
purpose of judging how far its instinct or reason might induce it to
act when disturbed or harassed.
Provided with a fine fishing-line, and such insects as I knew were
relished by this fish, I reached a sand-bar covered by about one foot
of water, where I had previously seen many deposits. Approaching the
nearest to the shore with great care, I baited my hook with a living
ground-worm, the greater part of which was left at liberty to writhe
as it pleased, and throwing the line up the stream, managed it so
that at last it passed over the border of the nest, when I allowed it
to remain on the bottom. The fish, I perceived, had marked me, and
as the worm intruded on its premises, he swam to the farther side,
there poised himself for a few moments, then approached the worm,
and carried it in his mouth over the side next to me, with a care
and gentleness so very remarkable as to afford me much surprise. I
repeated the experiment six or seven times, and always with the same
result. Then changing the bait, I employed a young grasshopper, which
I floated into the egg-bed. The insect was removed, as the worm had
been, and two attempts to hook the fish proved unsuccessful. I now
threw my line with the hook bare, and managed as before. The sunny
appeared quite alarmed. It swam to one side, then to another, in
rapid succession, and seemed to entertain a fear that the removal of
the suspicious object might prove extremely dangerous to it. Yet it
gradually approached the hook, took it delicately up, and the next
instant dropped it over the edge of the bed!
Reader, if you are one who, like me, have studied Nature with a
desire to improve your mental faculties, and contemplate the wonderful
phenomena that present themselves to the view at every step we take
in her wide domain, you would have been struck, had you witnessed the
actions of this little fish, as I was, with admiration of the Being
who gave such instincts to so humble an object. I gazed in amazement
on the little creature, and wondered that nature had endowed it
with such feelings and powers. The irrepressible desire of acquiring
knowledge prompted me to continue the experiment; but with whatever
dexterity I could in those days hook a fish, all my efforts proved
abortive, not with this individual only, but with many others, which
I subjected to the same trials.
Satisfied that at this period the Sun-fish was more than a match for
me, I rolled up my line, and with the rod gave a rap on the water as
nearly over the fish as I could. The sunny darted off to a distance
of several yards, poised itself steadily, and as soon as my rod was
raised from the water, returned to its station. The effect of the
blow on the water was now apparent, for I perceived that the fish was
busily employed in smoothing the bed; but here ended my experiments
on the Sun-fish.
THE WOOD DUCK.
_ANAS SPONSA_, LINN.
PLATE CCVI. MALES, FEMALES, AND NEST.
I have always experienced a peculiar pleasure while endeavouring to
study the habits of this most beautiful bird in its favourite places
of resort. Never on such occasions have I been without numberless
companions, who, although most of them were insensible of my presence,
have afforded me hours of the never-failing delight resulting from
the contemplation of their character. Methinks I am now seated by
the trunk of a gigantic sycamore, whose bleached branches stretch up
towards the heavens, as if with a desire to overlook the dense woods
spread all around. A dark-watered bayou winds tortuously beneath the
maples that margin its muddy shores, a deep thicket of canes spreading
along its side. The mysterious silence is scarcely broken by the hum
of myriads of insects. The blood-sucking musquito essays to alight
on my hand, and I willingly allow him to draw his fill, that I may
observe how dexterously he pierces my skin with his delicate proboscis,
and pumps the red fluid into his body, which is quickly filled, when
with difficulty he extends his tiny wings and flies off, never to
return. Over the withered leaves many a tick is seen scrambling, as
if anxious to elude the searching eye of that beautiful lizard. A
squirrel spread flat against a tree, with its head directed downwards,
is watching me; the warblers, too, are peeping from among the twigs.
On the water, the large bull-frogs are endeavouring to obtain a peep
of the sun; suddenly there emerges the head of an otter, with a fish
in its jaws, and in an instant my faithful dog plunges after him, but
is speedily recalled. At this moment, when my heart is filled with
delight, the rustling of wings comes sweeping through the woods, and
anon there shoots overhead a flock of Wood Ducks. Once, twice, three
times, have they rapidly swept over the stream, and now, having failed
to discover any object of alarm, they all alight on its bosom, and
sound a note of invitation to others yet distant.
Scenes like these I have enjoyed a thousand times, yet regret that I
have not enjoyed them oftener, and made better use of the opportunities
which I have had of examining the many interesting objects that
attracted my notice. And now, let me endeavour to describe the habits
of the Wood Duck, in so far as I have been able to apprehend them.
This beautiful species ranges over the whole extent of the United
States, and I have seen it in all parts from Louisiana to the confines
of Maine, and from the vicinity of our Atlantic coasts as far inland
as my travels have extended. It also occurs sparingly during the
breeding-season in Nova Scotia; but farther north I did not observe it.
Everywhere in this immense tract I have found it an almost constant
resident, for some spend the winter even in Massachusetts, and far
up the warm spring waters of brooks on the Missouri. It confines
itself, however, entirely to fresh water, preferring at all times
the secluded retreats of the ponds, bayous, or creeks, that occur
so profusely in our woods. Well acquainted with man, they carefully
avoid him, unless now and then during the breeding-season, when, if
a convenient spot is found by them in which to deposit their eggs
and raise their young, they will even locate themselves about the
miller’s dam.
The flight of this species is remarkable for its speed, and the ease
and elegance with which it is performed. The Wood Duck passes through
the woods and even amongst the branches of trees, with as much facility
as the Passenger Pigeon; and while removing from some secluded haunt
to its breeding-grounds, at the approach of night, it shoots over the
trees like a meteor, scarcely emitting any sound from its wings. In
the lower parts of Louisiana and Kentucky, where they abound, these
regular excursions are performed by flocks of from thirty to fifty
or more individuals. In several instances I have taken perhaps undue
advantage of their movements to shoot them on the wing, by placing
myself between their two different spots of resort, and keeping myself
concealed. In this manner I have obtained a number in the course of
an hour of twilight; and I have known some keen sportsmen kill as
many as thirty or forty in a single evening. This sport is best in
the latter part of autumn, after the old males have joined the flocks
of young led by the females. Several gunners may then obtain equal
success by placing themselves at regular distances in the line of
flight, when the birds having in a manner to run the gauntlet, more
than half of a flock have been brought down in the course of their
transit. While passing through the air on such occasions, the birds
are never heard to emit a single note.
The Wood Duck breeds in the Middle States about the beginning of
April, in Massachusetts a month later, and in Nova Scotia or on our
northern lakes, seldom before the first days of June. In Louisiana
and Kentucky, where I have had better opportunities of studying their
habits in this respect, they generally pair about the 1st of March,
sometimes a fortnight earlier. I never knew one of these birds to form
a nest on the ground, or on the branches of a tree. They appear at
all times to prefer the hollow broken portion of some large branch,
the hole of our largest Woodpecker (_Picus principalis_), or the
deserted retreat of the fox-squirrel; and I have frequently been
surprised to see them go in and out of a hole of any one of these,
when their bodies while on wing seemed to be nearly half as large
again as the aperture within which they had deposited their eggs. Once
only I found a nest (with ten eggs) in the fissure of a rock on the
Kentucky River a few miles below Frankfort. Generally, however, the
holes to which they betake themselves are either over deep swamps,
above cane brakes, or broken branches of high sycamores, seldom more
than forty or fifty feet from the water. They are much attached to
their breeding-places, and for three successive years I found a pair
near Henderson, in Kentucky, with eggs in the beginning of April, in
the abandoned nest of an Ivory-billed Woodpecker. The eggs, which are
from six to fifteen, according to the age of the bird, are placed on
dry plants, feathers, and a scanty portion of down, which I believe
is mostly plucked from the breast of the female. They are perfectly
smooth, nearly elliptical, of a light colour between buff and pale
green, two inches in length by one and a half in diameter; the shell
is about equal in firmness to that of the Mallard’s egg, and quite
smooth.
No sooner has the female completed her set of eggs than she is
abandoned by her mate, who now joins others, which form themselves
into considerable flocks, and thus remain apart until the young are
able to fly, when old and young of both sexes come together, and so
remain until the commencement of the next breeding season. In all the
nests which I have examined, I have been rather surprised to find a
quantity of feathers belonging to birds of other species, even those
of the domestic fowl, and particularly of the wild goose and wild
turkey. On coming upon a nest with eggs when the bird was absent in
search of food, I have always found the eggs covered over with feathers
and down, although quite out of sight, in the depth of a woodpecker’s
or squirrel’s hole. On the contrary, when the nest was placed in the
broken branch of a tree, it could easily be observed from the ground,
on account of the feathers, dead sticks, and withered grasses about
it. If the nest is placed immediately over the water, the young, the
moment they are hatched, scramble to the mouth of the hole, launch
into the air with their little wings and feet spread out, and drop
into their favourite element; but whenever their birth-place is at
some distance from it, the mother carries them to it one by one in
her bill, holding them so as not to injure their yet tender frame.
On several occasions, however, when the hole was thirty, forty, or
more yards from a bayou or other piece of water, I observed that the
mother suffered the young to fall on the grasses and dried leaves
beneath the tree, and afterwards led them directly to the nearest
edge of the next pool or creek. At this early age, the young answer to
their parents’ call with a mellow _pee, pee, pee_, often and rapidly
repeated. The call of the mother at such times is low, soft, and
prolonged, resembling the syllables _pe-ēē, pe-ēē_. The watch-note
of the male, which resembles _hoe-ēēk_, is never uttered by the
female; indeed, the male himself seldom uses it unless alarmed by
some uncommon sound or the sight of a distant enemy, or when intent
on calling passing birds of his own species.
The young are carefully led along the shallow and grassy shores, and
taught to obtain their food, which at this early period consists of
small aquatic insects, flies, musquitoes, and seeds. As they grow up,
you now and then see the whole flock run as it were along the surface
of the sluggish stream in chase of a dragon-fly, or to pick up a
grasshopper or locust that has accidentally dropped upon it. They are
excellent divers, and when frightened instantly disappear, disperse
below the surface, and make for the nearest shore, on attaining which
they run for the woods, squat in any convenient place, and thus elude
pursuit. I used two modes of procuring them alive on such occasions.
One was with a bag net, such as is employed in catching our little
partridge, and which I placed half sunk in the water, driving the
birds slowly, first within the wings, and finally into the bag. In
this manner I have caught young and old birds of this species in
considerable numbers. The other method I accidentally discovered while
on a shooting excursion, accompanied by an excellent pointer dog. I
observed that the sight of this faithful animal always immediately
frightened the young ducks to the shores, the old one taking to her
wings as soon as she conceived her brood to be safe. But the next
instant Juno would dash across the bayou or pond, reach the opposite
bank, and immediately follow on their track. In a few moments she
would return with a duckling held between her _lips_, when I would
take it from her unhurt.
While residing at Henderson, I thought of taming a number of Wood
Ducks. In the course of a few days Juno procured for me, in the
manner above described, as many as I had a mind for, and they were
conveyed home in a bag. A dozen or more were placed in empty flour
barrels, and covered over for some hours, with the view of taming
them the sooner. Several of these barrels were placed in the yard,
but whenever I went and raised their lids, I found all the little
ones hooked by their sharp claws to the very edge of their prisons,
and, the instant that room was granted, they would tumble over and
run off in all directions. I afterwards frequently saw these young
birds rise from the bottom to the brim of a cask, by moving a few
inches at a time up the side, and fixing foot after foot by means
of their diminutive hooked claws, which, in passing over my hand, I
found to have points almost as fine as those of a needle. They fed
freely on corn meal soaked in water, and as they grew, collected flies
with great expertness. When they were half-grown I gave them great
numbers of our common locusts yet unable to fly, which were gathered
by boys from the trunks of trees and the “iron weeds,” a species of
wild hemp very abundant in that portion of the country. These I would
throw to them on the water of the artificial pond which I had in my
garden, when the eagerness with which they would scramble and fight
for them always afforded me great amusement. They grew up apace,
when I pinioned them all, and they subsequently bred in my grounds
in boxes which I had placed conveniently over the water, with a board
or sticks leading to them, and an abundant supply of proper materials
for a nest placed in them.
Few birds are more interesting to observe during the love season
than Wood Ducks. The great beauty and neatness of their apparel, and
the grace of their motions, always afford pleasure to the observer;
and, as I have had abundant opportunities of studying their habits
at that period, I am enabled to present you with a full account of
their proceedings.
When March has again returned, and the Dogwood expands its pure
blossoms to the sun, the Cranes soar away on their broad wings, bidding
our country adieu for a season, flocks of water-fowls are pursuing
their early migrations, the frogs issue from their muddy beds to pipe
a few notes of languid joy, the Swallow has just arrived, and the
Bluebird has returned to his box. The Wood Duck almost alone remains
on the pool, as if to afford us an opportunity of studying the habits
of its tribe. Here they are, a whole flock of beautiful birds, the
males chasing their rivals, the females coquetting with their chosen
beaux. Observe that fine drake! how gracefully he raises his head
and curves his neck! As he bows before the object of his love, he
raises for a moment his silken crest. His throat is swelled, and from
it there issues a guttural sound, which to his beloved is as sweet
as the song of the Wood Thrush to its gentle mate. The female, as
if not unwilling to manifest the desire to please which she really
feels, swims close by his side, now and then caresses him by touching
his feathers with her bill, and shews displeasure towards any other
of her sex that may come near. Soon the happy pair separate from
the rest, repeat every now and then their caresses, and at length,
having sealed the conjugal compact, fly off to the woods to search
for a large woodpecker’s hole. Occasionally the males fight with each
other, but their combats are not of long duration, nor is the field
ever stained with blood, the loss of a few feathers or a sharp tug
of the head being generally enough to decide the contest. Although
the Wood Ducks always form their nests in the hollow of a tree, their
caresses are performed exclusively on the water, to which they resort
for the purpose, even when their loves have been first proved far
above the ground on a branch of some tall sycamore. While the female
is depositing her eggs, the male is seen to fly swiftly past the hole
in which she is hidden, erecting his crest, and sending forth his
love-notes, to which she never fails to respond.
On the ground the Wood Duck runs nimbly and with more grace than
most other birds of its tribe. On reaching the shore of a pond or
stream, it immediately shakes its tail sidewise, looks around, and
proceeds in search of food. It moves on the larger branches of trees
with the same apparent ease; and, while looking at thirty or forty
of these birds perched on a single sycamore on the bank of a secluded
bayou, I have conceived the sight as pleasing as any that I have ever
enjoyed. They always reminded me of the Muscovy Duck, of which they
look as if a highly finished and flattering miniature. They frequently
prefer walking on an inclined log or the fallen trunk of a tree, one
end of which lies in the water, while the other rests on the steep
bank, to betaking themselves to flight at the sight of an approaching
enemy. In this manner I have seen a whole flock walk from the water
into the woods, as a steamer was approaching them in the eddies of
the Ohio or Mississippi. They swim and dive well, when wounded and
closely pursued, often stopping at the edge of the water with nothing
above it but the bill, but at other times running to a considerable
distance into the woods, or hiding in a cane-brake beside a log. In
such places I have often found them, having been led to their place of
concealment by my dog. When frightened, they rise by a single spring
from the water, and are as apt to make directly for the woods as to
follow the stream. When they discover an enemy while under the covert
of shrubs or other plants on a pond, instead of taking to wing, they
swim off in silence among the thickest weeds, so as generally to elude
your search, by landing and running over a narrow piece of ground to
another pond. In autumn, a whole covey may often be seen standing or
sitting on a floating log, pluming and cleaning themselves for hours.
On such occasions the knowing sportsman commits great havock among
them, killing half a dozen or more at a shot.
The food of the Wood Duck, or as it is called in the Western and
Southern States, the Summer Duck, consists of acorns, beech-nuts,
grapes, and berries of various sorts, for which they _half-dive_,
in the manner of the Mallard for example, or search under the trees
on the shores and in the woods, turning over the fallen leaves with
dexterity. In the Carolinas, they resort under night to the rice
fields, as soon as the grain becomes milky. They also devour insects,
snails, tadpoles, and small water lizards, swallowing at the same
time a quantity of sand or gravel to aid the trituration of their food.
The best season in which to procure these birds for the table is from
the beginning of September until the first frost, their flesh being
then tender, juicy, and in my opinion excellent. They are easily
caught in figure-of-four traps. I know a person now residing in South
Carolina, who has caught several hundreds in the course of a week,
bringing them home in bags across his horse’s saddle, and afterwards
feeding them in coops on Indian corn. In that State, they are bought
in the markets for thirty or forty cents the pair. At Boston, where
I found them rather abundant during winter, they bring nearly double
that price; but in Ohio or Kentucky twenty-five cents are considered
an equivalent. Their feathers are as good as those of any other
species; and I feel well assured that, with a few years of care, the
Wood Duck might be perfectly domesticated, when it could not fail to
be as valuable as it is beautiful.
Their sense of hearing is exceedingly acute, and by means of it they
often save themselves from their wily enemies the minx, the polecat,
and the racoon. The vile snake that creeps into their nest and destroys
their eggs, is their most pernicious enemy on land. The young, when on
the water, have to guard against the snapping turtle, the gar-fish,
and the eel, and in the Southern Districts, against the lashing tail
and the tremendous jaws of the alligator.
Those which breed in Maine, New Brunswick, and Nova Scotia, move
southward as soon as the frosts commence, and none are known to spend
the winter so far north. I have been much surprised to find WILSON
speaking of the Wood Ducks as a species of which more than five or
six individuals are seldom seen together. A would-be naturalist in
America, who has had better opportunities of knowing its habits than
the admired author of the “American Ornithology,” repeats the same
error, and, I am told, believes that all his statements are considered
true. For my own part, I assure you, I have seen hundreds in a single
flock, and have known fifteen to be killed by a single shot. They,
however, raise only one brood in the season, unless their eggs or
young have been destroyed. Should this happen, the female soon finds
means of recalling her mate from the flock which he has joined.
On having recourse to a journal written by me at Henderson nearly
twenty years ago, I find it stated that the attachment of a male to
a female lasts only during one breeding season; and that the males
provide themselves with mates in succession, the strongest taking
the first choice, and the weakest being content with what remains.
The young birds which I raised, never failed to make directly for
the Ohio, whenever they escaped from the grounds, although they
never had been there before. The only other circumstances which I
have to mention are, that when entering the hole in which its nest
is, the bird dives as it were into it at once, and does not alight
first against the tree; that I have never witnessed an instance of
its taking possession, by force, of a woodpecker’s hole; and lastly,
that during winter they allow ducks of different species to associate
with them.
ANAS SPONSA, _Linn._ Syst. Nat. vol. i. p. 207.—_Lath._
Ind. Ornith. vol. ii. p. 871.—_Ch. Bonaparte_, Synops. of
Birds of the United States, p. 385.
SUMMER DUCK, OR WOOD DUCK, ANAS SPONSA, _Wils._ Amer. Ornith.
vol. viii. p. 97. pl. 78. fig. 3.—_Nuttall_, Manual, vol.
ii. p. 394.
DENDRONESSA SPONSA, _Richards. and Swains._ Fauna Bor.
Amer. part ii. p. 446.
Adult Male. Plate CCVI. Fig. 1, 3.
Bill shorter than the head, deeper than broad at the base, depressed
towards the end, slightly narrowed towards the middle of the unguis,
the frontal angles prolonged and pointed. Upper mandible with the
dorsal line at first sloping, then concave, along the unguis convex,
the ridge broad and flat at the base, then broadly convex, the sides
concave and perpendicular at the base, convex and sloping towards
the end, edges soft, with about twenty-two internal lamellæ, unguis
broadly elliptical, curved, rounded. Nostrils subbasal, lateral,
rather small, oval, pervious. Lower mandible flattish, with the angle
very long and rather narrow, the dorsal line very short, convex, the
sides convex, the edges soft and rounded, lamellate above.
Head of moderate size, neck rather long and slender, body full and
depressed, wings rather small. Feet very short, strong, placed rather
far back; tarsus very short, considerably compressed, at its lower
part anteriorly with two series of scutella, the rest covered with
reticulated angular scales. Toes scutellate above; first very small,
free, with a narrow membrane beneath, third longest, fourth a little
shorter; claws small, curved, compressed, acute, the hind one smaller
and more curved, that of the third toe with an inner sharp edge.
Plumage dense, soft, blended, generally glossed. Feathers of the middle
of the head and upper part of hind neck, very narrow, elongated, and
incurved, of the rest of the head and upper part of neck very short,
of the back and lower parts in general broad and rounded, excepting
on the shoulders before the wings, where they are enlarged, very
broad and abrupt. Wings of moderate length, narrow, acute; primaries
curved, strong, tapering, first and second longest; secondaries
broad, rounded. Tail of moderate length, rather broad, much rounded,
of sixteen rounded feathers.
Upper mandible bright red at the base, pale yellow on the sides, the
intermediate space along the ridge, and the unguis, black, as in the
lower mandible and its membrane. Iris and edges of eyelids bright red.
Feet dull orange, claws black. Upper part of head, and space between
the bill and eye deep green, and highly glossed; below the latter
space a patch of dark purple, and a larger one of the same colour,
but lighter, behind the eye; sides of the neck, its hind part under
the crest, and the middle all round very dark purple. A narrow line
along the base of the upper mandible and over the eye, meeting on
the occiput, pure white, as are some of the feathers of the crest;
another from behind the eye, meeting below the occiput, and including
several of the lower elongated feathers. Throat, for more than three
inches, pure white, with a process on each side a little beyond the
eye, and another nearly halfway down the neck. Sides of the neck,
and its lower part anteriorly reddish-purple, each feather on the
latter with a triangular white tip. Middle of the neck behind, back
and rump, very dark reddish-brown, the latter deeper, and tinged
with green; upper tail-coverts and tail greenish-black; some of the
lateral tail-coverts dull reddish-purple, a few on either side with
their central filaments light red. Smaller wing-coverts, alula and
primaries dull greyish-brown; most of the latter with part of their
outer web greyish-white, and their inner towards the end darker and
glossed with green. Secondary quills tipped with white, the outer
webs green, with purple reflections, those of the inner secondaries
and scapulars velvet-black, their inner webs partially glossed and
changing to green. The broad feathers anterior to the wings are white,
terminated with black; breast and abdomen greyish-white; feathers
under the wings yellowish-grey, minutely undulated with black and
white bars; lower wing-coverts and axillar feathers white, barred
with greyish-brown; lower tail-coverts dull greyish-brown.
Length 20-1/2 inches, to end of claws 17-1/2, extent of wings 28; bill
1-5/12; tarsus 1-5/12, middle toe and claw 2-3/12; wing from flexure 9,
tail 4-1/4.
Adult Female. Plate CCVI. Figs. 2, 4.
The female is considerably smaller, and differs greatly from the
male in colouring. The feathers of the head are not elongated, but
those of the upper part of the neck behind are slightly so. In other
respects the plumage presents nothing very remarkable, and is similar
to that of the male, only the feathers anterior to the wing, the upper
hypochondrial, the inner secondaries and the rump-feathers are not
enlarged, as in him. Bill blackish-brown; feet dusky, tinged with
yellow. Upper part of head dusky, glossed with green, sides of the
head and neck, with the hind part of the latter, light brownish-grey;
throat white, but without the lateral processes of the male. Fore
part of neck below and sides light yellowish-brown, mottled with dark
greyish-brown, as are the sides under the wings; breast and abdomen
white, the former spotted with brown. Hind neck, back, and rump, dark
brown, glossed with green and purple. Wings as in the male, but the
speculum less, and the secondaries externally faint reddish-purple,
the velvet black of the male diminished to a few narrow markings. Tail
dark brown, glossed with green; lower tail-coverts pale greyish-brown,
mottled with white; lower wing-coverts as in the male.
Length 19-1/2 inches.
* * * * *
The tree represented in the plate is the _Platanus occidentalis_,
which in different parts of the United States is known by the names
of Buttonwood, Sycamore, Plane-tree, and Water Beech, and in Canada
by that of Cotton-tree. It is one of our largest trees, and on the
banks of our great western and southern rivers, often attains a
diameter of eight or ten feet. Although naturally inclined to prefer
the vicinity of water, it grows in almost every kind of situation,
and thrives even in the streets of several of our eastern cities,
such as Philadelphia and New York.
THE BOOBY GANNET.
_SULA FUSCA_, BRISS.
PLATE CCVII. MALE.
As the Marion was nearing the curious islets of the Tortugas, one
of the birds that more particularly attracted my notice was of this
species. The nearer we approached the land, the more numerous did they
become, and I felt delighted with the hope that ere many days should
elapse, I should have an opportunity of studying their habits. As night
drew her sombre curtain over the face of nature, some of these birds
alighted on the top-yard of our bark, and I observed ever afterwards
that they manifested a propensity to roost at as great a height as
possible above the surrounding objects, making choice of the tops
of bushes, or even upright poles, and disputing with each other the
privilege. The first that was shot at, was approached with considerable
difficulty: it had alighted on the prong of a tree which had floated
and been fastened to the bottom of a rocky shallow at some distance
from shore; the water was about four feet deep and quite rough; sharks
we well knew were abundant around us; but the desire to procure the
bird was too strong to be overcome by such obstacles. In an instant,
the pilot and myself were over the sides of the boat, and onward we
proceeded with our guns cocked and ready. The yawl was well manned,
and its crew awaiting the result. After we had struggled through the
turbulent waters about a hundred yards, my companion raised his gun
and fired; but away flew the bird with a broken leg, and we saw no
more of it that day. Next day, however, at the same hour, the Booby
was seen perched on the same prong, where, after resting about three
hours, it made off to the open sea, doubtless in search of food.
About eight miles to the north-east of the Tortugas Lighthouse, lies a
small sand-bar a few acres in extent, called Booby Island, on account
of the number of birds of this species that resort to it during the
breeding-season, and to it we accordingly went. We found it not more
than a few feet above the surface of the water, but covered with
Boobies, which lay basking in the sunshine, and pluming themselves.
Our attempt to land on the island before the birds should fly off,
proved futile, for before we were within fifty yards of it, they
had all betaken themselves to flight, and were dispersing in various
directions. We landed, however, distributed ourselves in different
parts, and sent the boat to some distance, the pilot assuring us that
the birds would return. And so it happened. As they approached, we
laid ourselves as flat as possible in the sand, and although none
of them alighted, we attained our object, for in a couple of hours
we procured thirty individuals of both sexes and of different ages,
finding little difficulty in bringing them down as they flew over
us at a moderate height. The wounded birds that fell on the ground
made immediately for the water, moving with more ease than I had
expected from the accounts usually given of the awkward motions of
these birds on the land. Those which reached the water swam off with
great buoyancy, and with such rapidity, that it took much rowing to
secure some of them, while most of those that fell directly into the
sea with only a wing broken, escaped. The island was covered with
their dung, the odour of which extended to a considerable distance
leeward. In the evening of the same day we landed on another island,
named after the Noddy, and thickly covered with bushes and low trees,
to which thousands of that species of Tern resort for the purpose of
breeding. There also we found a great number of Boobies. They were
perched on the top-branches of the trees, on which they had nests,
and here again we obtained as many as we desired. They flew close
over our heads, eyeing us with dismay but in silence; indeed, not one
of these birds ever emitted a cry, except at the moment when they
rose from their perches or from the sand. Their note is harsh and
guttural, somewhat like that of a strangled pig, and resembling the
syllables _hork, hork_.
The nest of the Booby is placed on the top of a bush at a height
of from four to ten feet. It is large and flat, formed of a few dry
sticks, covered and matted with sea-weeds in great quantity. I have
no doubt that they return to the same nest many years in succession,
and repair it as occasion requires. In all the nests which I examined,
only one egg was found, and as most of the birds were sitting, and some
of the eggs had the chick nearly ready for exclusion, it is probable
that these birds raise only a single young one, like the Common Gannet
or Solan Goose. The egg is of a dull white colour, without spots,
and about the size of that of a common hen, but more elongated, being
2-3/8 inches in length, with a diameter of 1-3/4. In some nests they
were covered with filth from the parent bird, in the manner of the
Florida Cormorant. The young, which had an uncouth appearance, were
covered with down; the bill and feet of a deep livid blue or indigo
colour. On being touched, they emitted no cry, but turned away their
heads at every trial. A great quantity of fish lay beneath the trees
in a state of putrefaction, proving how abundantly the young birds
were supplied by their parents. Indeed, while we were on Noddy Island,
there was a constant succession of birds coming in from the sea with
food for their young, consisting chiefly of flying-fish and small
mullets, which they disgorged in a half macerated state into the open
throats of their offspring. Unfortunately the time afforded me on
that coast was not sufficient to enable me to trace the progress of
their growth. I observed, however, that none of the birds which were
still brown had nests, and that they roosted apart, particularly on
Booby Island, where also many barren ones usually resorted, to lie
on the sand and bask in the sun.
The flight of the Booby is graceful and extremely protracted. They pass
swiftly at a height of from twenty yards to a foot or two from the
surface, often following the troughs of the waves to a considerable
distance, their wings extended at right angles to the body; then,
without any apparent effort, raising themselves and allowing the
rolling waters to break beneath them, when they tack about, and
sweep along in a contrary direction in search of food, much in the
manner of the true Petrels. Now, if you follow an individual, you
see that it suddenly stops short, plunges headlong into the water,
pierces with its powerful beak and secures a fish, emerges again with
inconceivable ease, after a short interval rises on wing, performs
a few wide circlings, and makes off toward some shore. At this time
its flight is different, being performed by flappings for twenty
or thirty paces, with alternate sailings of more than double that
space. When overloaded with food, they alight on the water, where,
if undisturbed, they appear to remain for hours at a time, probably
until digestion has afforded them relief.
The range to which this species confines itself along our coast, seldom
extends beyond Cape Hatteras to the eastward, but they become more
and more numerous the farther south we proceed. They breed abundantly
on all such islands or keys as are adapted for the purpose, on the
southern and western coasts of the Floridas and in the Gulf of Mexico,
where I was told they breed on the sand-bars. Their power of wing
seems sufficient to enable them to brave the tempest, while during a
continuance of fair weather they venture to a great distance seaward,
and I have seen them fully 200 miles from land.
The expansibility of the gullet of this species enables it to swallow
fishes of considerable size, and on such occasions their mouth seems
to spread to an unusual width. In the throats of several individuals
that were shot as they were returning to their nests, I found mullets
measuring seven or eight inches, that must have weighed fully half a
pound. Their body beneath the skin, is covered with numerous air-cells,
which probably assist them in raising or lowering themselves while
on wing, and perhaps still more so when on the point of performing
the rapid plunge by which they secure their prey.
Their principal enemies during the breeding-season are the American
Crow and the Fish Crow, both of which destroy their eggs, and the
Turkey Buzzard, which devours their young while yet unfledged. They
breed during the month of May, but I have not been able to ascertain
if they raise more than one brood in the season. The adult birds chase
away those which are yet immature during the period of incubation.
It would seem that they take several years in attaining their perfect
state.
When procured alive, they feed freely, and may be kept any length of
time, provided they are supplied with fish. No other food, however,
could I tempt them to swallow, excepting slices of turtle, which
after all they did not seem to relish. In no instance did I observe
one drinking. Some authors have stated that the Frigate Pelican and
the Lestris force the Booby to disgorge its food that they may obtain
it; but this I have never witnessed. Like the Common Gannet, they
may be secured by fastening a fish to a soft plank, and sinking it a
few feet beneath the surface of the water, for if they perceive the
bait, which they are likely to do if they pass over it, they plunge
headlong upon it, and drive their bill into the wood.
When a Booby has alighted on the spar of a vessel, it is no easy
matter to catch it, unless it is much fatigued; but if exhausted and
asleep, an expert seaman may occasionally secure one. I was informed
that after the breeding-season, these birds roost on trees in company
with the Brown Pelican and a species of Tern, _Sterna stolida_, and
spend their hours of daily rest on the sand-banks. Our pilot, who, as
I have mentioned in my second volume, was a man of great observation,
assured me that while at Vera Cruz, he saw the fishermen there go to
sea, and return from considerable distances, simply by following the
course of the Boobies.
The bills and legs of those which I procured in the brown plumage, and
which were from one to two years of age, were dusky blue. These were
undergoing moult on the 14th of May. At a more advanced age, the parts
mentioned become paler, and when the bird has arrived at maturity,
are as represented in my plate. I observed no external difference
between the sexes in the adult birds. The stomach is a long dilatable
pouch, thin, and of a yellow colour. The body is muscular, and the
flesh, which is of a dark colour, tough, and having a disagreeable
smell, is scarcely fit for food.
I am unable to find a good reason for those who have chosen to call
these birds _boobies_. Authors, it is true, generally represent them
as extremely _stupid_; but to me the word is utterly inapplicable
to any bird with which I am acquainted. The Woodcock, too, is said
to be stupid, as are many other birds; but my opinion, founded on
pretty extensive observation, is, that it is only when birds of any
species are unacquainted with man, that they manifest that kind of
_ignorance_ or _innocence_ which he calls _stupidity_, and by which
they suffer themselves to be imposed upon. A little acquaintance
with him soon enables them to perceive enough of his character to
induce them to keep aloof. This I observed in the Booby Gannet, as
well as in the Noddy Tern, and in certain species of land birds of
which I have already spoken. After my first visit to Booby Island in
the Tortugas, the Gannets had already become very shy and wary, and
before the Marion sailed away from those peaceful retreats of the
wandering sea-birds, the _Boobies_ had become so knowing, that the
most expert of our party could not get within shot of them.
PELECANUS SULA, _Linn._ Syst. Nat. vol. i. p. 218.—_Lath._
Index Ornith. vol. ii. p. 892.
SULA FUSCA, _Ch. Bonaparte_, Synops. of Birds of the United
States, p. 408.
BOOBY, SULA FUSCA, _Nuttall_, Manual, vol. ii. p. 500.
Adult Male. Plate CCVII.
Bill longer than the head, opening beyond the eyes, straight,
elongated-conical, broader above than beneath at the base, compressed.
Upper mandible with the dorsal line convex at the base, then a little
concave, and towards the tip slightly arched, ridge very broad,
convex, separated by a seam on each side, from the sides, which are
nearly perpendicular, edges sharp, inflected, serrated, tip acute. No
external nostrils. Lower mandible prolonged at the base behind the
upper, its angle very long, wide at the base, with a bare membrane,
very narrow towards the end, dorsal line straight, ascending, sides
convex, tip very acute, edges serrated towards the end.
Head rather large; neck rather long and thick; body of moderate bulk,
rather elongated; wings long. Feet short, strong, placed rather far
behind; tibiæ concealed; tarsus very short, rounded before, sharp
behind, covered all round with reticular scales; toes all united
by membranes; first very short, being about half the length of the
second, third and fourth longest and nearly equal, but the claw
of the third is much longer than that of the fourth; claws small,
compressed, acute, curved, that of the third toe largest, depressed,
curved outwards, with a thin pectinated inner edge.
Plumage generally short, close, rather compact, the feathers small
and rounded; those on the head very small; loral and orbital spaces
bare, as is that in the angle of the lower mandible, and a short space
above the tibio-tarsal joint; wings long, acute, narrow; primaries
strong, narrow, tapering rapidly to a rounded point, first and second
longest and about equal, the rest rapidly graduated; secondaries
short, rather broad, narrowed towards the rounded point. Tail rather
long, cuneate, of twelve narrow, tapering feathers.
Bill and naked parts at its base bright yellow, pale flesh-coloured
towards the end; a dusky spot before the eye. Iris white. Tarsi,
toes, and their connecting webs, pale yellow, claws white. Head, neck
all round, upper parts in general, and lower surface of wings, dusky
brown, tinged with grey; the breast, abdomen, and lower tail-coverts,
pure white.
Length 31 inches, to end of claws 27, extent of wings 29-1/4; bill along
the back 3-11/12, along the edge 5; tarsus 1-8/12, middle toe and claw
3-1/2. Wing from flexure 16-1/2, tail 8-1/2. Weight 3 lb. 4-1/2 oz.
The Female resembles the male, but is smaller.
The Young, when fledged, are of a greyish-brown colour all over, the
breast and abdomen being merely a little lighter than the rest. The
bill and claws are dusky, the tarsi and toes with their membranes
dull yellow.
ESQUIMAUX CURLEW.
_NUMENIUS BOREALIS_, LATH.
PLATE CCVIII. MALE AND FEMALE.
I regret that I am unable to present a complete history of the
Esquimaux Curlew. It is true I might somewhat enlarge my account of
its habits, were I to borrow from others, but as I have resolved to
confine myself to the results of my own observation, unless in certain
cases, in which I always take care to give my authorities, I hope
you will be pleased with the little which I have to offer.
Previous to my voyage to Labrador, I had seen only a single bird of
this species, which was kindly given me by my learned friend WILLIAM
OAKES, Esq. of Ipswich, Massachusetts, who had procured it in his
immediate neighbourhood, where, as I have since ascertained, the
Esquimaux Curlew spends a few days in early autumn, while on its
way southward. During their short stay in that State, they are met
with on the high sandy hills near the sea-shore, where they feed on
the grasshoppers and on several kinds of berries. On this food they
become fat, so as to afford excellent eating, in consequence of which
they have probably acquired the name of “Dough Bird,” which they bear
in that district, but which is also applied to several other birds.
How this species manages to cross the whole extent of the United
States without being seen after leaving Massachusetts, is to me very
wonderful. On one occasion only have I ever had a glimpse of it. I
was in company with my learned and generous friend JOHN BACHMAN of
Charleston, on one of the islands on the coast of South Carolina,
whither we had gone with the view of watching the Long-billed Curlews
(_Numenius longirostris_). It was at the dawn of a fine day, when
a dense flock of the northern Curlews passed to the southward, near
enough to enable us to ascertain the species, but so swiftly, that
in a few minutes they were quite out of sight.
On the 29th of July 1833, during a thick fog, the Esquimaux Curlews
made their first appearance in Labrador, near the harbour of Bras d’Or.
They evidently came from the north, and arrived in such dense flocks
as to remind me of the Passenger Pigeons. The weather was extremely
cold as well as foggy. For more than a week we had been looking
for them, as was every fisherman in the harbour, these birds being
considered there, as indeed they are, great delicacies. The birds at
length came, flock after flock, passed close round our vessel, and
directed their course toward the sterile mountainous tracts in the
neighbourhood; and as soon as the sun’s rays had dispersed the fogs
that hung over the land, our whole party went off in search of them.
I was not long in discovering that their stay on this coast was
occasioned solely by the density of the mists and the heavy gales
that already gave intimation of the approaching close of the summer;
for whenever the weather cleared up a little, thousands of them set
off and steered in a straight course across the broad Gulf of St
Lawrence. On the contrary, when the wind was high, and the fogs thick,
they flew swiftly and low over the rocky surface of the country,
as if bewildered. Wherever there was a spot that seemed likely to
afford a supply of food, there the Curlews abounded, and were easily
approached. By the 12th of August, however, they had all left the
country.
In Labrador they feed on what the fishermen call the Curlew berry,
a small black fruit growing on a creeping shrub, not more than an
inch or two in height, and so abundant, that patches of several acres
covered the rocks here and there. When the birds were in search of
these feeding-grounds, they flew in close masses, sometimes high,
at other times low, but always with remarkable speed, and performing
beautiful evolutions in the air. The appearance of man did not seem
to intimidate them, for they would alight so near us, or pass over
our heads at so short a distance, that we easily shot them. While
on wing, they emitted an oft repeated soft whistling note, but the
moment they alighted they became silent. They ran swiftly along, all
in the same direction, picking up the berries in their way, and when
pursued, would immediately squat in the manner of a snipe or partridge,
sometimes even laying their neck and head quite flat on the ground,
until you came within a short distance, when, at the single whistle of
any one of the flock, they would all immediately scream and fly off,
rambling about for a while, and not unfrequently realighting on the
same spot. Now and then, however, their excursion would last a long
time, they would rise high in the air, make towards the sea, and, as
if aware of the unfavourable state of the weather for pursuing their
southward course, would return.
They continued to arrive at Bras d’Or for several days, in flocks
which seemed to me to increase in number. I saw no Hawks in their
rear, and I was the more astonished at this, that at that period the
Pigeon Hawk and Petit Caporal Hawk were pretty abundant.
They rose from the ground by a single quick spring, in the manner
of a snipe, when they would cut backward, forward, and all around,
in a very curious manner, and would now and then pause in the air,
like a Hawk, remaining stationary for a few moments with their head
meeting the wind, when immediately afterwards they would all suddenly
alight. In calm and fair weather, they were more shy than at other
times. While on their passage across the Gulf, they flew high in close
bodies, and with their usual speed, by no means in regular lines,
nor in any order, but much in the manner of the Migratory Pigeon,
now and then presenting a broad front, and again coming together so
as to form a close body.
Those which we procured were extremely fat and juicy, especially the
young birds, of which we ate a good many. Mr JONES, an old settler
of Bras d’Or, and his son, shoot a great number every season, which
they salt for winter food. They informed us that these birds pass over
the same tract about the middle of May, on their way northward, and
that they never found them breeding in their neighbourhood. Little
difference could be observed at that season between the males and
females, or between the old and young birds.
NUMENIUS BOREALIS, _Lath._ Ind. Ornith. vol. ii. p. 712.—_Ch.
Bonaparte_, Amer. Ornith. vol. iv. p. 26. fig. 3.—Synops.
of Birds of the United States, p. 314.—_Richardson and
Swainson_ Fauna Boreali-Americana, part ii. p. 378.
ESQUIMAUX CURLEW, NUMENIUS BOREALIS, _Nuttall_, Manual,
vol. ii. p. 101.
Plate CCVIII. Adult Male. Fig. 1.
Bill much longer than the head, very slender, subcylindrical,
compressed, slightly arched. Upper mandible with the dorsal
line slightly arched, the sides, excepting at the base, nearly
perpendicular, and marked with a narrow groove extending more than
two-thirds of its length, edges rather obtuse. Nostrils basal, lateral,
longitudinal, elliptical. Lower mandible with the dorsal line arched,
the angle extremely narrow and extended to near the end, the sides
convex, the edges rather obtuse, the tips obtuse, that of the upper
mandible longer.
Head rather small, oblong, compressed. Neck rather long, slender.
Body slender. Feet of moderate length, slender. Toes small; first
very small, second and fourth about equal, third considerably longer.
Claws small, compressed, blunt, that of middle toe much longer, curved
outwards, with a sharp dilated inner edge.
Plumage soft and blended, on the fore part of the head very short.
Wings rather long, very acute, narrow, the first quill longest, the
second a little shorter, the rest regularly and rapidly graduated;
secondaries short, incurved, rounded, excepting some of the inner,
which are greatly elongated and tapering. Tail short, nearly even,
of twelve rounded feathers.
Bill brownish-black, the lower mandible flesh-coloured at the base.
Iris dark brown. Feet greyish-blue, claws black. The upper part of
the head is brownish-black, streaked with pale yellowish-brown, and
having an indistinct central line of the latter. The back is also
brownish-black, marked with numerous spots of light brownish-yellow,
there being several along the margin of each feather. Wing-coverts
and secondaries of a lighter brown, similarly spotted; alula, primary
coverts and quills unspotted, the shafts of most of the latter pale
brown, but of the outer white. Tail pale greyish-brown, with light
deep brown bars, and tipped with brownish-white. Sides of the head,
and the neck all round, pale yellowish-brown, striped with dark brown;
breast and sides of the same tint, with longitudinal and transverse
dark markings. Lower wing-coverts and lower tail-coverts similarly
barred; axillar feathers regularly banded, and of a deeper tint.
Abdomen without markings. Throat and a line over the eye nearly white.
Length to end of tail 14-1/2, to end of wings 14-7/8, to end of claws
16-3/4; wing from flexure 8-1/2, tail 3-1/4; extent of wings 27-3/8;
bill along the back 2-1/4, along the edge 2-1/2; tarsus 1-8/12, middle
toe 11/12, its claw (5-1/2)/12. Weight 1/2 lb.
Adult Female. Plate CCVIII. Fig. 2.
The Female resembles the male, and is scarcely inferior in size.
WILSON’S PLOVER.
_CHARADRIUS WILSONIUS_, ORD.
PLATE CCIX. MALE AND FEMALE.
Reader, imagine yourself standing motionless on some of the sandy
shores between South Carolina and the extremity of Florida, waiting
with impatience for the return of day;—or, if you dislike the idea,
imagine me there. The air is warm and pleasant, the smooth sea reflects
the feeble glimmerings of the fading stars, the sound of living thing
is not heard; nature, universal nature, is at rest. And here am I,
inhaling the grateful sea-air, with eyes intent on the dim distance.
See the bright blaze that issues from the verge of the waters! and
now the sun himself appears, and all is life, or seems to be; for as
the influence of the Divinity is to the universe, so is that of the
sun to the things of this world. Far away beyond that treacherous
reef, floats a gallant bark, that seems slumbering on the bosom of
the waters like a silvery sea-bird. Gentle breezes now creep over
the ocean, and ruffle its surface into tiny wavelets. The ship glides
along, the fishes leap with joy, and on my ear comes the well known
note of the bird which bears the name of one whom every ornithologist
must honour. Long have I known the bird myself, and yet desirous
of knowing it better, I have returned to this beach many successive
seasons for the purpose of observing its ways, examining its nest,
marking the care with which it rears its young, and the attachment
which it manifests to its mate. Well, let the scene vanish! and let
me present you with the results of my observations.
WILSON’s Plover! I love the name because of the respect I bear towards
him to whose memory the bird has been dedicated. How pleasing, I have
thought, it would have been to me, to have met with him on such an
excursion, and, after having procured a few of his own birds, to have
listened to him as he would speak of a thousand interesting facts
connected with his favourite science and my ever-pleasing pursuits.
How delightful to have talked, among other things, of the probable
use of the _double claws_ which I have found attached to the toes
of the species which goes by his name, and which are also seen in
other groups of shore and sea birds. Perhaps he might have informed
me why the claws of some birds are pectinated on one toe and not on
the rest, and why that toe itself is so cut. But alas! Wilson was
with me only a few times, and then _nothing_ worthy of his attention
was procured.
This interesting species, which always looks to me as if in form a
miniature copy of the Black-bellied Plover, is a constant resident in
the southern districts of the Union. There it breeds, and there too
it spends the winter. Many individuals, no doubt, move farther south,
but great numbers are at all times to be met with from Carolina to
the mouths of the Mississippi, and in all these places I have found
it the whole year round. Some go as far to the eastward as Long
Island in the State of New York, where, however, they are considered
as rarities; but beyond this, none, I believe, are seen along our
eastern shores. This circumstance has seemed the more surprising
to me, that its relative the Piping Plover proceeds as far as the
Magdeleine Islands; and that the latter bird should also breed in
the Carolinas a month earlier than WILSON’s Plover ever does, seems
to me not less astonishing.
WILSON’s Plover begins to lay its eggs about the time when the young
of the Piping Plover are running after their parents. Twenty or thirty
yards from the uppermost beat of the waves, on the first of June,
or some day not distant from it, the female may be seen scratching
a small cavity in the shelly sand, in which she deposits four eggs,
placing them carefully with the broad end outermost. The eggs, which
measure an inch and a quarter by seven and a half eighths, are of
a dull cream colour, sparingly sprinkled all over with dots of pale
purple and spots of dark brown. The eggs vary somewhat in size, and
in their ground colour, but less than those of many other species of
the genus. The young follow their parents as soon as they are hatched,
and the latter employ every artifice common to birds of this family,
to entice their enemies to follow them and thus save their offspring.
The flight of this species is rapid, elegant, and protracted. While
travelling from one sand-beach or island to another, they fly low over
the land or water, emitting a fine clear soft note. Now and then,
when after the breeding season they form into flocks of twenty or
thirty, they perform various evolutions in the air, cutting backwards
and forwards, as if inspecting the spot on which they wish to alight,
and then suddenly descend, sometimes on the sea-beach, and sometimes
on the more elevated sands at a little distance from it. They do not
run so nimbly as the Piping Plovers, nor are they nearly so shy. I
have in fact frequently walked up so as to be within ten yards or so
of them. They seldom mix with other species, and they shew a decided
preference to solitary uninhabited spots.
Their food consists principally of small marine insects, minute
shellfish, and sandworms, with which they mix particles of sand.
Towards autumn they become almost silent, and being then very plump,
afford delicious eating. They feed fully as much by night as by day,
and the large eyes of this as of other species of the genus, seem to
fit them for nocturnal searchings.
The young birds assemble together, and spend the winter months apart
from the old ones, which are easily recognised by their lighter tints.
While in the Floridas, near St Augustine, in the months of December
and January, I found this species much more abundant than any other;
and there were few of the Keys that had a sandy beach, or a rocky
shore, on which one or more pairs were not observed.
WILSON’S PLOVER, CHARADRIUS WILSONIUS, _Wils._ Amer. Ornith.
vol. ix. p. 77. pl. 73. fig. 5.—_Nuttall_, Manual, vol.
ii. p. 21.
CHARADRIUS WILSONIUS, _Ch. Bonaparte_, Synops. of Birds of
the United States, p. 296.
Adult Female. Plate CCIX. Fig. 2.
Bill as long as the head, stout, straight, cylindrical, obtuse,
and somewhat turgid at the tip. Upper mandible with the dorsal
line straight until towards the end, when it is slightly arched and
declinate, the sides convex, the edges sharp and slightly inflected.
Nasal groove extending to about half the length of the bill; nostrils
lateral, linear, direct, in the lower part of the bare membrane.
Lower mandible with the angle rounded, the dorsal line convex and
ascending, the back broad, the sides convex, the edges inflected.
Head large, a little compressed, the forehead prominent; eyes large.
Neck short. Body rather full. Wings long. Legs rather long, slender;
tibia bare a little above the joint; tarsus of ordinary length,
somewhat compressed, covered with angular scales; toes small and
slender, covered above with numerous small scutella, first toe wanting,
fourth longer than second, third longest, the two outer connected at
the base by a pretty large web; claws small, slightly arched, much
compressed, obtuse.
Plumage soft and rather blended. Wings long, narrow, primaries nearly
straight, narrow and tapering, the first longest, second a little
shorter, the rest rapidly graduated; outer secondaries very short,
inner elongated so as to extend as far as the second primary. Tail
of moderate length, straight, rounded, of twelve feathers.
Bill black. Edges of eyelids grey; iris reddish-brown. Feet light
flesh-coloured; claws dusky. The general colour of the plumage above
is light brownish-grey. Lower part of forehead and a broad streak over
the eyes white; throat white, that colour extending narrow behind
so as to form a collar, below which is another of the general tint
of the back across the fore neck. The rest of the lower parts white.
Quills and tail of a deeper greyish-brown, the shafts white, the two
lateral tail-feathers whitish.
Length to end of tail 7-8/12 inches, to end of wings 7-7/12, to end
of claws 8-8/12; extent of wings 14-1/4; wing from flexure 5; tail
2-1/4; bill along the back (9-1/2)/12, along the edges 1; tarsus
1-2/12; middle toe 10/12, its claw 2/12.
Young Male in winter plumage. Plate CCIX. Fig. 1.
The Adult Male which is represented in Plate 284, is similar in
colouring to the female as described above, but the lore is dusky,
the white band on the forehead is surmounted by one of brownish black,
and there is a half collar of the same colour across the neck in front.
THE LEAST BITTERN.
_ARDEA EXILIS_, GMEL.
PLATE CCX. MALE, FEMALE, AND YOUNG.
One morning while I was at the Cincinnati Museum in the State of Ohio,
a woman came in holding in her apron one of this delicate species
alive, which she said had fallen down the chimney of her house under
night, and which, when she awoke at daybreak, was the first object she
saw, it having perched on one of the bed posts. It was a young bird.
I placed it on the table before me, and drew from it the figure on
the left of my plate. It stood perfectly still for two hours, but on
my touching it with a pencil, after my drawing was done, it flew off
and alighted on the cornice of a window. Replacing it on the table,
I took two books and laid them so as to leave before it a passage of
an inch and a half, through which it walked with ease. Bringing the
books nearer each other, so as to reduce the passage to one inch,
I tried the Bittern again, and again it made its way between them
without moving either. When dead, its body measured two inches and a
quarter across, from which it is apparent that this species, as well
as the Gallinules and Rails, is enabled to contract its breadth in
an extraordinary degree.
While I was in Philadelphia, in September 1832, a gentleman presented
me with a pair of adult birds of this species, alive and in perfect
plumage. They had been caught in a meadow a few miles below the city,
and I kept them alive several days, feeding them on small fish and
thin stripes of pork. They were expert at seizing flies, and swallowed
caterpillars, and other insects. My wife admired them much on account
of their gentle deportment, for although on being tormented, they would
spread their wings, ruffle their feathers, and draw back their head as
if to strike, yet they suffered themselves to be touched by any one
without pecking at his hand. It was amusing to see them continually
attempting to escape through the windows, climbing with ease from the
floor to the top of the curtain by means of their feet and claws. This
feat they would repeat whenever they were taken down. The experiment
of the books was tried with them, and succeeded as at Cincinnati.
At the approach of night they became much more lively, walked about
the room, in a graceful manner with much agility, and generally kept
close together. I had ample opportunities of studying their natural
positions, and drew both of them in the attitudes exhibited in the
plate. I would gladly have kept them longer; but as I was bound for
the south, I had them killed for the purpose of preserving their skins.
This bird ranges over most part of the United States, but is nowhere
to be found in tolerable abundance excepting about the mouths of the
Mississippi and the Southern portions of the Floridas, especially
the “Ever-glades.” I have met with them to the eastward as far as
New Brunswick, on our large lakes, and in the intermediate portions
of the country, although I have seldom found more than one or two at
a time. In the Floridas and Carolinas they have been known to breed
in small communities of four or five pairs. One instance of this
was observed by my friend Dr HORLBECK of Charleston, and Dr LEITNER,
another friend of mine, found them quite abundant in certain portions
of the Florida marshes.
Although the Least Bittern is not unfrequently started in salt
marshes, it gives a decided preference to the borders of ponds, lakes
or bayous of fresh water, and it is in secluded situations of this
kind that it usually forms its nest. This is sometimes placed on the
ground, amid the rankest grasses, but more frequently it is attached
to the stems several inches above it. It is flat, composed of dried
or rotten weeds, and in shape resembles that of the Louisiana Heron,
although this latter employs nothing but sticks. The eggs are three
or four, seldom more, of a dull yellowish-green, without spots, an
inch and a quarter in length, almost equal at both ends.
When the young are yet quite small, their heads are covered with
large tufts of reddish down, their bill is very short, and they sit
on their rump with their legs extended on each side before their
body, in the manner of young Herons. If disturbed when about two
weeks old, they leave the nest and scramble through the grass with
celerity, clinging to the blades with their sharp claws whenever this
is necessary. At a later period they seem to await the coming of their
parents with impatience; and if no noise is made, you may hear them
calling continually in a low croaking voice for half an hour at a
time. As soon as they are able to fly, they not unfrequently alight
on the branches of trees to escape from their various enemies, such
as minxes and water snakes, the latter of which destroy a good number
of them.
In two instances, I found the nests of the Least Bittern about three
feet above the ground, in a thick cluster of smilax and other briary
plants. In the first, two nests were placed in the same bush, within a
few yards of each other. In the other instance there was only one nest
of this bird, but several of the Boat-tailed Grakle, and one of the
Green Heron, the occupants of all of which seemed to be on friendly
terms. When startled from the nest, the old birds emit a few notes
resembling the syllable _quā_, alight a few yards off, and watch all
your movements. If you go towards them, you may sometimes take the
female with the hand, but rarely the male, who generally flies off,
or makes his way through the woods. Its ordinary cry, however, is a
rough croak resembling that of the Great Blue Heron, but much weaker.
The flight of this bird is apparently weak by day, for then it seldom
removes to a greater distance than a hundred yards at a time, and
this, too, only when frightened in a moderate degree, for, if much
alarmed, it falls again among the grass in the manner of the Rail;
but in the dusk of the evening and morning I have seen it passing
steadily along, at the height of fifty years or more, with the neck
retracted, and the legs stretched out behind, in the manner of the
larger Herons. On such occasions it uttered, at short intervals, its
peculiar cry, and continued its flight until out of sight. Several
individuals were together, and I imagined them to be proceeding
in search of breeding-grounds, or on a migratory expedition. When
disturbed by day, they fly with extended neck and dangling legs, and
are easily shot, as their course is generally direct and their flight
slow. When walking, it shoots its head forward at every step, as if
about to thrust its bill into some substance; and, if you attempt to
lay hold of it when disabled, it is apt to inflict a painful wound.
The food of this bird consists of snails, slugs, tadpoles, or young
frogs and water-lizards. In several instances, however, I have found
small shrews and field-mice in their stomach. Although more nocturnal
than diurnal, it moves a good deal about by day in search of food.
About noon, being doubtless much fatigued, they are not unfrequently
observed standing erect on one foot, and so soundly asleep as to
be easily knocked down or even caught by the hand, if cautiously
approached. This very remarkable habit of both our species of Bittern
has brought upon them the charge of extreme _stupidity_, whence the
name of _Butor_ given to them by the Creoles of Louisiana. Whether or
not this term be appropriate to the case, I leave for you to determine;
but, my opinion is, that the animal truly deserving to be called
stupid, yet remains to be discovered, and that the quality designated
by that epithet occurs nowhere else than among the individuals of
that species which so thoughtlessly applies the opprobrium.
ARDEA EXILIS, _Ch. Bonaparte_, Synopsis of Birds of the
United States, p. 308.
LEAST BITTERN, ARDEA EXILIS, _Wils._ Amer. Ornith. vol.
viii. p. 37. pl. 65. fig. 4.—_Nuttall_, Manual, vol. ii.
p. 66.
Adult Male. Plate CCX. Fig. 1.
Bill longer than the head, slender, straight, tapering to a point,
deeper than broad at the base, compressed towards the end. Upper
mandible with its dorsal line almost straight, the ridge broad and
rather rounded at the base, narrowed towards the end, the sides
sloping, the edges very sharp, the tip acute. Nasal groove long;
nostrils basal, linear, longitudinal. Lower mandible with the angle
very long and narrow, the dorsal line sloping upwards, the sides
nearly flat, the edges sharp and inflected, the tip very acute.
Head oblong, much compressed. Neck long. Body very slender, much
compressed. Feet long, rather robust; tibia nearly entirely feathered;
tarsi covered anteriorly with broad oblique scutella; toes scutellate
above; hind toe stout, second and fourth nearly equal, third much
longer; claws long, slender, arched, compressed, acute, that of middle
toe serrated on the inner edge.
Eyelids and a large space before and beneath the eye, bare. Plumage
soft, blended; feathers of the hind head elongated, as are those of
the neck generally, but especially of its lower part anteriorly. Wings
short, broad, rounded, the second quill longest. Tail very short,
rounded, of twelve feathers.
Bill dark olive-brown above, edges of upper mandible and bare frontal
space yellow; lower mandible pale yellow, inclining to flesh colour.
Iris yellow. Feet dull greenish-yellow, claws brown. Upper part of
the head, and the back, greenish-black and glossy; sides of the head
and hind part of neck, brownish-red or light chestnut; wing-coverts
pale greyish-brown, quills purplish-grey, tipped with yellowish-brown,
the inner secondaries broadly margined with light chestnut, of which
colour also are the secondary coverts and the edge of the wing at
the flexure; the tail greenish-black. The throat and fore neck are
reddish-white; the rest of the lower parts are of the same colour,
excepting the fore part of the breast, which is blackish-brown, the
feathers tipped with reddish-yellow, and the outer tibial feathers,
which are reddish. In younger individuals the fore neck is more or
less spotted with light brown, as was the case with that represented;
but in old birds that part is unspotted.
Length to end of tail 13-1/2 inches, to end of claws 16; to end of wings
12-4/12; extent of wings 17-3/4; wing from flexure 5-1/4; tail 1-11/12;
bill along the ridge 1-3/4, along the edge of lower mandible 2-1/2;
tarsus 1-8/12; middle toe 1-1/2, its claw 5/12. Weight 4-3/4 oz.
Adult Female. Plate CCX. Fig. 2.
The Female is smaller, and differs considerably from the male in
colour. The bare parts and iris are the same. The upper part of the
head is reddish-brown, with a tinge of green; the back and scapulars
are dark chestnut, and there is a line of yellowish-white along each
side of the back, formed by the outer edges of the feathers. The rump
is darker, the tail bluish-black as in the male. In other respects
the colouring is similar, but the feathers of the fore neck and sides
have each a narrow central line of dark brown.
Length to end of tail 12 inches; wing from flexure 4-3/4; tail 1-3/4;
bill along the ridge 1-3/4, along the edge of lower mandible 2-2/12;
tarsus 1-1/2; middle toe 1-5/12, its claw 5/12. Weight 3-1/2 oz.
Young in first plumage. Plate CCX. Fig. 3.
The young has the bill, eyes and feet, nearly of the same tints as
the old; but the upper parts of the plumage are generally of a light
brownish-red, variegated with brownish-yellow; the primary quills
and tail black.
I have lately received a letter from my friend JOHN BACHMAN, stating
that he had found this species breeding in considerable numbers on
the plantation of JAMES H. SMITH, Esq. six miles east of Charleston,
where he procured specimens both of the birds and of their eggs. Mr
SMITH’s sons had killed, in the course of a couple of weeks, not less
than fourteen of these diminutive Herons. He describes the nest as
flat, composed of pieces of dry rushes about a foot in length, and
placed in a bunch of Juncus effusus. The eggs were nearly white with
a very light tinge of blue.
THE EGGERS OF LABRADOR.
The distinctive appellation of Eggers is given to certain persons who
follow, principally or exclusively, the avocation of procuring the
eggs of wild birds, with the view of disposing of them at some distant
port. Their great object is to plunder every nest, whenever they can
find it, no matter where, and at whatever risk. They are the pest
of the feathered tribes, and their brutal propensity to destroy the
poor creatures after they have robbed them, is abundantly gratified
whenever an opportunity presents itself.
Much had been said to me respecting these destructive pirates before
I visited the coast of Labrador, but I could not entirely credit all
their cruelties until I had actually witnessed their proceedings,
which were such as to inspire no small degree of horror. But you
shall judge for yourself.
See yon shallop shyly sailing along;—she sneaks like a thief, wishing
as it were to shun the very light of heaven. Under the lea of every
rocky isle some one at the tiller steers her course. Were his trade
an honest one, he would not think of hiding his back behind the
terrific rocks that seem to have been placed there as a resort to
the myriads of birds that annually visit this desolate region of the
earth, for the purpose of rearing their young, at a distance from
all disturbers of their peace. How unlike the open, the bold, the
honest mariner, whose face needs no mask, who scorns to skulk under
any circumstances! The vessel herself is a shabby thing:—her sails
are patched with stolen pieces of better canvass, the owners of which
have probably been stranded on some inhospitable coast, and have
been plundered, perhaps murdered, by the wretches before us. Look at
her again!—Her sides are neither painted, nor even pitched; no—they
are daubed over, plastered and patched with stripes of seal-skins,
laid along the seams. Her deck has never been washed or sanded, her
hold—for no cabin has she,—though at present empty, sends forth an
odour pestilential as that of a charnel-house. The crew, eight in
number, lie sleeping at the foot of their tottering mast, regardless
of the repairs needed in every part of her rigging. But see! she
scuds along, and as I suspect her crew to be bent on the commission
of some evil deed, let us follow her to the first harbour.
There rides the filthy thing! The afternoon is half over. Her crew
have thrown their boat overboard; they enter and seat themselves,
each with a rusty gun. One of them skulls the skiff towards an island
for a century past the breeding place of myriads of Guillemots, which
are now to be laid under contribution. At the approach of the vile
thieves, clouds of birds rise from the rock and fill the air around,
wheeling and screaming over their enemies. Yet thousands remain in
an erect posture, each covering its single egg, the hope of both
parents. The reports of several muskets loaded with heavy shot are
now heard, while several dead and wounded birds fall heavily on the
rock or into the water. Instantly all the sitting birds rise and fly
off affrighted to their companions above, and hover in dismay over
their assassins, who walk forward exultingly, and with their shouts
mingling oaths and execrations. Look at them! See how they crush the
chick within its shell, how they trample on every egg in their way
with their huge and clumsy boots. Onward they go, and when they leave
the isle, not an egg that they can find is left entire. The dead birds
they collect and carry to their boat. Now they have regained their
filthy shallop; they strip the birds by a single jerk of their feathery
apparel, while the flesh is yet warm, and throw them on some coals,
where in a short time they are broiled. The rum is produced when the
guillemots are fit for eating, and after stuffing themselves with
this oily fare, and enjoying the pleasure of beastly intoxication,
over they tumble on the deck of their crazed craft, where they pass
the short hours of night in turbid slumber.
The sun now rises above the snow-clad summit of the eastern mount.
“Sweet is the breath of morn” even in this desolate land. The gay
Bunting erects his white crest, and gives utterance to the joy he
feels in the presence of his brooding mate. The Willow Grous on the
rock crows his challenge aloud. Each floweret, chilled by the night
air, expands its pure petals; the gentle breeze shakes from the blades
of grass the heavy dewdrops. On the Guillemot Isle the birds have
again settled, and now renew their loves. Startled by the light of
day, one of the Eggers springs on his feet and rouses his companions,
who stare around them for a while, endeavouring to recollect their
senses. Mark them, as with clumsy fingers they clear their drowsy
eyes! Slowly they rise on their feet. See how the filthy lubbers
stretch out their arms and yawn; you shrink back, for verily “that
throat might frighten a shark.”
But the master, soon recollecting that so many eggs are worth a
dollar or a crown, casts his eye towards the rock, marks the day
in his memory, and gives orders to depart. The light breeze enables
them to reach another harbour a few miles distant, one which, like
the last, lies concealed from the ocean by some other rocky isle.
Arrived there, they re-act the scene of yesterday, crushing every
egg they can find. For a week each night is passed in drunkenness and
brawls, until, having reached the last breeding place on the coast,
they return, touch at every isle in succession, shoot as many birds
as they need, collect the fresh eggs, and lay in a cargo. At every
step each ruffian picks up an egg so beautiful that any man with a
feeling heart would pause to consider the motive which could induce
him to carry it off. But nothing of this sort occurs to the Egger, who
gathers and gathers, until he has swept the rock bare. The dollars
alone chink in his sordid mind, and he assiduously plies the trade
which no man would ply who had the talents and industry to procure
subsistence by honourable means.
With a bark nearly half filled with fresh eggs they proceed to
the principal rock, that on which they first landed. But what is
their surprise when they find others there helping themselves as
industriously as they can! In boiling rage they charge their guns, and
ply their oars. Landing on the rock, they run up to the Eggers, who,
like themselves, are desperadoes. The first question is a discharge
of musketry, the answer another. Now, man to man, they fight like
tigers. One is carried to his boat with a fractured skull, another
limps with a shot in his leg, and a third feels how many of his teeth
have been driven through the hole in his cheek. At last, however, the
quarrel is settled; the booty is to be equally divided; and now see
them all drinking together. Oaths and curses and filthy jokes are all
that you hear; but see, stuffed with food, and reeling with drink,
down they drop one by one; groans and execrations from the wounded
mingle with the snorings of the heavy sleepers. There let the brutes
lie.
Again it is dawn, but no one stirs. The sun is high; one by one they
open their heavy eyes, stretch their limbs, yawn, and raise themselves
from the deck. But see, here comes a goodly company. A hundred honest
fishermen, who for months past have fed on salt meat, have felt a
desire to procure some eggs. Gallantly their boats advance, impelled
by the regular pull of their long oars. Each buoyant bark displays
the flag of its nation. No weapons do they bring, nor any thing that
can be used as such save their oars and fists. Cleanly clad in Sunday
attire, they arrive at the desired spot, and at once prepare to ascend
the rock. The Eggers, now numbering a dozen, all armed with guns and
bludgeons, bid defiance to the fishermen. A few angry words pass
between the parties. One of the Eggers, still under the influence
of drink, pulls his trigger, and an unfortunate sailor is seen to
reel in agony. Three loud cheers fill the air. All at once rush on
the malefactors; a horrid fight ensues, the result of which is, that
every Egger is left on the rock beaten and bruised. Too frequently
the fishermen man their boats, row to the shallops, and break every
egg in the hold.
The Eggers of Labrador not only rob the birds in this cruel manner,
but also the fishermen, whenever they can find an opportunity; and
the quarrels they excite are numberless. While we were on the coast,
none of our party ever ventured on any of the islands which these
wretches call their own, without being well provided with means of
defence. On one occasion, when I was present, we found two Eggers
at their work of destruction. I spoke to them respecting my visit,
and offered them premiums for rare birds and some of their eggs; but
although they made fair promises, not one of the gang ever came near
the Ripley.
These people gather all the eider down they can find; yet so
inconsiderate are they, that they kill every bird that comes in their
way. The eggs of Gulls, Guillemots, and Ducks are searched for with
care; and the Puffins and some other birds they massacre in vast
numbers for the sake of their feathers. So constant and persevering
are their depredations, that these species, which, according to the
accounts of the few settlers I saw in the country, were exceedingly
abundant twenty years ago, have abandoned their ancient breeding
places, and removed much farther north in search of peaceful security.
Scarcely, in fact, could I procure a young Guillemot before the Eggers
had left the coast, nor was it until late in July that I succeeded,
after the birds had laid three or four eggs each, instead of one,
and when nature having been exhausted, and the season nearly spent,
thousands of these birds left the country without having accomplished
the purpose for which they had visited it. This war of extermination
cannot last many years more. The Eggers themselves will be the first
to repent the entire disappearance of the myriads of birds that made
the coast of Labrador their summer residence, and unless they follow
the persecuted tribes to the northward, they must renounce their trade.
Had not the British Government long since passed strict laws against
these ruthless and worthless vagabonds, and laid a heavy penalty on
all of them that might be caught in the act of landing their cargoes
in Newfoundland or Nova Scotia, I might—
THE GREAT BLUE HERON.
_ARDEA HERODIAS_, LINN.
PLATE CCXI. MALE.
The State of Louisiana has always been my favourite portion of
the Union, although Kentucky and some other States have divided my
affections; but as we are on the banks of the fair Ohio, let us pause
a while, good Reader, and watch the Heron. In my estimation, few of
our waders are more interesting than the birds of this family. Their
contours and movements are always graceful, if not elegant. Look
on the one that stands near the margin of the pure stream:—see his
reflection dipping as it were into the smooth water, the bottom of
which it might reach had it not to contend with the numerous boughs
of those magnificent trees. How calm, how silent, how grand is the
scene! The tread of the tall bird himself no one hears, so carefully
does he place his foot on the moist ground, cautiously suspending it
for a while at each step of his progress. Now his golden eye glances
over the surrounding objects, in surveying which he takes advantage
of the full stretch of his graceful neck. Satisfied that no danger
is near, he lays his head on his shoulders, allows the feathers of
his breast to droop, and patiently awaits the approach of his finned
prey. You might imagine what you see to be the statue of a bird,
so motionless is it. But now, he moves; he has taken a silent step,
and with great care he advances; slowly does he raise his head from
his shoulders, and now, what a sudden start! his formidable bill has
transfixed a perch, which he beats to death on the ground. See with
what difficulty he gulps it down his capacious throat! and now his
broad wings open, and away he slowly flies to another station, or
perhaps to avoid his unwelcome observers.
The “Blue Crane” (by which name this species is generally known in
the United States) is met with in every part of the Union. Although
more abundant in the low lands of our Atlantic coast, it is not
uncommon in the countries west of the Alleghany Mountains. I have
found it in every State in which I have travelled, as well as in
all our “Territories.” It is well known from Louisiana to Maine, but
seldom occurs farther east than Prince Edward’s Island in the Gulf
of St Lawrence, and not a Heron of any kind did I see or hear of
in Newfoundland or Labrador. Westward, I believe, it reaches to the
very bases of the Rocky Mountains. It is a hardy bird, and bears the
extremes of temperature surprisingly, being in its tribe what the
Passenger Pigeon is in the family of Doves. During the coldest part
of winter the Blue Heron is observed in the State of Massachusetts
and in Maine, spending its time in search of prey about the warm
springs and ponds which occur there in certain districts. They are
not rare in the Middle States, but more plentiful to the west and
south of Pennsylvania, which perhaps arises from the incessant war
waged against them.
Extremely suspicious and shy, this bird is ever on the look-out.
Its sight is as acute as that of any falcon, and it can hear at a
considerable distance, so that it is enabled to mark with precision
the different objects it sees, and to judge with accuracy of the
sounds which it hears. Unless under very favourable circumstances,
it is almost hopeless to attempt to approach it. You may now and
then surprise one feeding under the bank of a deep creek or bayou, or
obtain a shot as he passes unawares over you on wing; but to walk up
towards one would be a fruitless adventure. I have seen many so wary,
that, on seeing a man at any distance within half a mile, they would
take to wing; and the report of a gun forces one off his grounds from
a distance at which you would think he could not be alarmed. When in
close woods, however, and perched on a tree, they can be approached
with a good chance of success.
The Blue Heron feeds at all hours of the day, as well as in the
dark and dawn, and even under night, when the weather is clear, his
appetite alone determining his actions in this respect; but I am
certain that when disturbed during dark nights it feels bewildered,
and alights as soon as possible. When passing from one part of the
country to another at a distance, the case is different, and on such
occasions they fly under night at a considerable height above the
trees, continuing their movements in a regular manner.
The commencement of the breeding season varies, according to the
latitude, from the beginning of March to the middle of June. In the
Floridas it takes place about the first of these periods, in the
Middle Districts about the 15th of May, and in Maine a month later.
It is at the approach of this period only that these birds associate
in pairs, they being generally quite solitary at all other times;
nay, excepting during the breeding season, each individual seems to
secure for itself a certain district as a feeding ground, giving chase
to every intruder of its own species. At such times they also repose
singly, for the most part roosting on trees, although sometimes taking
their station on the ground, in the midst of a wide marsh, so that
they may be secure from the approach of man. This unsocial temper
probably arises from the desire of securing a certain abundance of
food, of which each individual in fact requires a large quantity.
The manners of this Heron are exceedingly interesting at the approach
of the breeding season, when the males begin to look for partners.
About sunrise you see a number arrive and alight either on the
margin of a broad sand-bar or on a savannah. They come from different
quarters, one after another, for several hours; and when you see forty
or fifty before you, it is difficult for you to imagine that half the
number could have resided in the same district. Yet in the Floridas I
have seen hundreds thus collected in the course of a morning. They are
now in their full beauty, and no young birds seem to be among them.
The males walk about with an air of great dignity, bidding defiance
to their rivals, and the females croak to invite the males to pay
their addresses to them. The females utter their coaxing notes all at
once, and as each male evinces an equal desire to please the object of
his affection, he has to encounter the enmity of many an adversary,
who, with little attention to politeness, opens his powerful bill,
throws out his wings, and rushes with fury on his foe. Each attack is
carefully guarded against, blows are exchanged for blows; one would
think that a single well-aimed thrust might suffice to inflict death,
but the strokes are parried with as much art as an expert swordsman
would employ; and, although I have watched these birds for half an
hour at a time as they fought on the ground, I never saw one killed
on such an occasion; but I have often seen one felled and trampled
upon, even after incubation had commenced. These combats over, the
males and females leave the place in pairs. They are now mated for
the season, at least I am inclined to think so, as I never saw them
assemble twice on the same ground, and they become comparatively
peaceable after pairing.
It is by no means a constant practice with this species to breed in
communities, whether large or small; for although I have seen many
such associations, I have also found many pairs breeding apart. Nor
do they at all times make choice of the trees placed in the interior
of a swamp, for I have found heronries in the pine-barrens of the
Floridas, more than ten miles from any marsh, pond, or river. I have
also observed nests on the tops of the tallest trees, while others
were only a few feet above the ground: some also I have seen on the
ground itself, and many on cactuses. In the Carolinas, where Herons
of all sorts are extremely abundant, perhaps as much so as in the
lower parts of Louisiana or the Floridas, on account of the numerous
reservoirs connected with the rice plantations, and the still more
numerous ditches which intersect the rice-fields, all of which contain
fish of various sorts, these birds find it easy to procure food in
great abundance. There the Blue Herons breed in considerable numbers,
and if the place they have chosen be over a swamp, few situations
can be conceived more likely to ensure their safety, for one seldom
ventures into those dismal retreats at the time when these birds
breed, the effluvia being extremely injurious to health, besides the
difficulties to be overcome in making one’s way to them.
Imagine, if you can, an area of some hundred acres, overgrown with
huge cypress trees, the trunks of which, rising to a height of perhaps
fifty feet before they send off a branch, spring from the midst of
the dark muddy waters. Their broad tops, placed close together with
interlaced branches, seem intent on separating the heavens from the
earth. Beneath their dark canopy scarcely a single sunbeam ever makes
its way; the mire is covered with fallen logs, on which grow matted
grasses and lichens, and the deeper parts with nympheæ and other
aquatic plants. The Congo snake and water-moccasin glide before you
as they seek to elude your sight, hundreds of turtles drop, as if
shot, from the floating trunks of the fallen trees, from which also
the sullen alligator plunges into the dismal pool. The air is pregnant
with pestilence, but alive with musquitoes and other insects. The
croaking of the frogs, joined with the hoarse cries of the Anhingas
and the screams of the Herons, forms fit music for such a scene.
Standing knee-deep in the mire, you discharge your gun at one of the
numerous birds that are breeding high over head, when immediately
such a deafening noise arises, that, if you have a companion with
you, it were quite useless to speak to him. The frightened birds
cross each other confusedly in their flight; the young attempting to
secure themselves, some of them lose their hold, and fall into the
water with a splash; a shower of leaflets whirls downwards from the
tree-tops, and you are glad to make your retreat from such a place.
Should you wish to shoot Herons, you may stand, fire, and pick up
your game as long as you please; you may obtain several species, too,
for not only does the Great Blue Heron breed there, but the White,
and sometimes the Night Heron, as well as the Anhinga, and to such
places they return year after year, unless they have been cruelly
disturbed.
The nest of the Blue Heron, in whatever situation it may be placed,
is large and flat, externally composed of dry sticks, and matted with
weeds and mosses to a considerable thickness. When the trees are
large and convenient, you may see several nests on the same tree.
The full complement of eggs which these birds lay is three, and in
no instance have I found more. Indeed, this is constantly the case
with all the large species with which I am acquainted, from _Ardea
cœrulea_to _Ardea occidentalis_; but the smaller species lay more as
they diminish in size, the Louisiana Heron having frequently four, and
the Green Heron five, and even sometimes six. Those of the Great Blue
Heron are very small compared with the size of the bird, measuring
only two and a half inches by one and seven-twelfths; they are of a
dull bluish-white, without spots, rather rough, and of a regular oval
form.
The male and the female sit alternately, receiving food from each
other, their mutual affection being as great as it is towards their
young, which they provide for so abundantly, that it is not uncommon
to find the nest containing a quantity of fish and other food, some
fresh, and some in various stages of putrefaction. As the young advance
they are less frequently fed, although still as copiously supplied
whenever opportunity offers; but now and then I have observed them,
when the nests were low, standing on their haunches, with their legs
spread widely before them, and calling for food in vain. The quantity
which they require is now so great that all the exertions of the old
birds appear at times to be insufficient to satisfy their voracious
appetite; and they do not provide for themselves until fully able to
fly, when their parents chase them off, and force them to shift as
they can. They are generally in good condition when they leave the
nest; but from want of experience they find it difficult to procure
as much food as they have been accustomed to, and soon become poor.
Young birds from the nest afford tolerable eating; but the flesh of
the old birds is by no means to my taste, nor so good as some epicures
would have us to believe, and I would at any time prefer that of a
Crow or young Eagle.
The principal food of the Great Blue Heron is fish of all kinds; but
it also devours frogs, lizards, snakes, and birds, as well as small
quadrupeds, such as shrews, meadow-mice, and young rats, all of which I
have found in its stomach. Aquatic insects are equally welcome to it,
and it is an expert flycatcher, striking at moths, butterflies, and
libellulæ, whether on the wing or when alighted. It destroys a great
number of young Marsh-Hens, Rails, and other birds; but I never saw
one catch a fiddler or a crab; and the only seeds that I have found
in its stomach were those of the great water-lily of the Southern
States. It always strikes its prey through the body, and as near the
head as possible. When the animal is strong and active, it kills it
by beating it against the ground or a rock, after which it swallows
it entire. While on the St John’s River in East Florida, I shot one
of these birds, and on opening it on board, found in its stomach a
fine perch quite fresh, but of which the head had been cut off. The
fish, when cooked, I found excellent, as did Lieutenant PIERCY and
my assistant Mr WARD, but Mr LEEHMAN would not so much as taste it.
When on a visit to my friend JOHN BULOW, I was informed by him, that
although he had several times imported gold fishes from New York,
with the view of breeding them in a pond, through which ran a fine
streamlet, and which was surrounded by a wall, they all disappeared
in a few days after they were let loose. Suspecting the Heron to be
the depredator, I desired him to watch the place carefully with a gun;
which was done, and the result was, that he shot a superb specimen
of the present species, in which was found the last gold fish that
remained.
In the wild state it never, I believe, eats dead fish of any sort,
or indeed any other food than that killed by itself. Now and then
it strikes at a fish so large and strong as to endanger its own
life; and I once saw one on the Florida coast, that, after striking
a fish, when standing in the water to the full length of its legs,
was dragged along for several yards, now on the surface, and again
beneath. When, after a severe struggle, the Heron disengaged itself,
it appeared quite overcome, and stood still near the shore, his head
turned from the sea, as if afraid to try another such experiment. The
number of fishes, measuring five or six inches, which one of these
birds devours in a day, is surprising: Some which I kept on board the
Marion would swallow, in the space of half an hour, a bucketful of
young mullets; and when fed on the flesh of green turtles, they would
eat several pounds at a meal. I have no doubt that, in favourable
circumstances, one of them could devour several hundreds of small
fishes in a day. A Heron that was caught alive on one of the Florida
keys, near Key West, looked so emaciated when it came on board, that
I had it killed to discover the cause of its miserable condition.
It was an adult female that had bred that spring; her belly was in
a state of mortification, and on opening her, we found the head of
a fish measuring several inches, which, in an undigested state, had
lodged among the entrails of the poor bird. How long it had suffered
could only be guessed, but this undoubtedly was the cause of the
miserable state in which it was found.
I took a pair of young Herons of this species to Charleston. They
were nearly able to fly when caught, and were standing erect a few
yards from the nest, in which lay a putrid one that seemed to have
been trampled to death by the rest. They offered little resistance,
but grunted with a rough uncouth voice. I had them placed in a large
coop, containing four individuals of the _Ardea occidentalis_, who
immediately attacked the new-comers in the most violent manner, so
that I was obliged to turn them loose on the deck. I had frequently
observed the great antipathy evinced by the majestic white species
towards the blue in the wild state, but was surprised to find it
equally strong in young birds which had never seen one, and were at
that period smaller than the others. All my endeavours to remove their
dislike were unavailing, for when placed in a large yard, the White
Herons attacked the Blue, and kept them completely under. The latter
became much tamer, and were more attached to each other. Whenever a
piece of turtle was thrown to them, it was dexterously caught in the
air and gobbled up in an instant, and as they became more familiar,
they ate bits of biscuit, cheese, and even rhinds of bacon.
When wounded, the Great Blue Heron immediately prepares for defence,
and woe to the man or dog who incautiously comes within reach of
its powerful bill, for that instant he is sure to receive a severe
wound, and the risk is so much the greater that birds of this species
commonly aim at the eye. If beaten with a pole or long stick, they
throw themselves on their back, cry aloud, and strike with their bill
and claws with great force. I have shot some on trees, which, although
quite dead, clung by their claws for a considerable time before they
fell. I have also seen the Blue Heron giving chase to a Fish Hawk,
whilst the latter was pursuing its way through the air towards a
place where it could feed on the fish which it bore in its talons.
The Heron soon overtook the Hawk, and at the very first lounge made
by it, the latter dropped its quarry, when the Heron sailed slowly
towards the ground, where it no doubt found the fish. On one occasion
of this kind, the Hawk dropped the fish in the water, when the Heron,
as if vexed that it was lost to him, continued to harass the Hawk,
and forced it into the woods.
The flight of the Great Blue Heron is even, powerful, and capable of
being protracted to a great distance. On rising from the ground or
on leaving its perch, it goes off in silence with extended neck and
dangling legs, for eight or ten yards, after which it draws back its
neck, extends its feet in a straight line behind, and with easy and
measured flappings continues its course, at times flying low over the
marshes, and again, as if suspecting danger, at a considerable height
over the land or the forest. It removes from one pond or creek, or
even from one marsh to another, in a direct manner, deviating only on
apprehending danger. When about to alight, it now and then sails in a
circular direction, and when near the spot it extends its legs, and
keeps its wings stretched out until it has effected a footing. The
same method is employed when it alights on a tree, where, however,
it does not appear to be as much at its ease as on the ground. When
suddenly surprised by an enemy, it utters several loud discordant
notes, and mutes the moment it flies off.
This species takes three years in attaining maturity, and even after
that period it still increases in size and weight. When just hatched
they have a very uncouth appearance, the legs and neck being very
long, as well as the bill. By the end of a-week the head and neck
are sparingly covered with long tufts of silky down, of a dark grey
colour, and the body exhibits young feathers, the quills large with
soft blue sheaths. The tibio-tarsal joints appear monstrous, and at
this period the bones of the leg are so soft, that one may bend them
to a considerable extent without breaking them. At the end of four
weeks, the body and wings are well covered with feathers of a dark
slate colour, broadly margined with ferruginous, the latter colour
shewing plainly on the thighs and the flexure of the wing; the bill
has grown wonderfully, the legs would not now easily break, and the
birds are able to stand erect on the nest or on the objects near it.
They are now seldom fed oftener than once a-day, as if their parents
were intent on teaching them that abstinence without which it would
often be difficult for them to subsist in their after life. At the
age of six or seven weeks they fly off, and at once go in search of
food, each by itself.
In the following spring, at which time they have grown much, the
elongated feathers of the breast and shoulders are seen, the males
shew the commencement of the pendent crest, and the top of the head
has become white. None breed at this age, in so far as I have been
able to observe. The second spring, they have a handsome appearance,
the upper parts have become light, the black and white marks are
much purer, and some have the crest three or four inches in length.
Some breed at this age. The third spring, the Great Blue Heron is as
represented in the plate.
The males are somewhat larger than the females, but there is very
little difference between the sexes in external appearance. This
species moults in the Southern States about the beginning of May,
or as soon as the young are hatched, and one month after the pendent
crest is dropped, and much of the beauty of the bird is gone for the
season. The weight of a full grown Heron of this kind, when it is
in good condition, is about eight pounds; but this varies very much
according to circumstances, and I have found some having all the
appearance of old birds that did not exceed six pounds. The stomach
consists of a long bag, thinly covered by a muscular coat, and is
capable of containing several fishes at a time. The intestine is not
thicker than the quill of a swan, and measures from eight and a half
to nine feet in length.
ARDEA HERODIAS, _Linn._ Syst. Nat. vol. i. p. 237.—_Lath._
Ind. Ornith. vol. ii. p. 692.—_Ch. Bonaparte_, Synops. p.
304.
GREAT HERON, ARDEA HERODIAS, _Wils._ Amer. Ornith. vol.
vii. p. 106. pl. 61. Fig. 1.—_Nuttall_, Manual, vol. ii. p.
42.
Adult Male in spring. Plate CCXI.
Bill much longer than the head, straight, compressed, tapering to a
point, the mandibles nearly equal; upper mandible with the dorsal line
nearly straight, the ridge broadly convex at the base, narrowed towards
the end, a groove from the base to near the tip, beneath which the
sides are convex, the edges extremely thin and sharp, towards the end
broken into irregular serratures, the tip acute. Lower mandible with
the angle extremely narrow and elongated, the dorsal line beyond it
ascending, and slightly curved, the ridge convex, the sides flattish
and ascending, the edges as in the upper, the tip acuminate. Nostrils
basal, linear, longitudinal, with a membrane above and behind.
Head of moderate size, oblong, compressed. Neck very long and slender.
Body slender and compressed; wings large. Feet very long; tibia
elongated, its lower half bare, very slender, covered all round with
hexagonal scales; tarsus elongated, thicker than the lower part of the
tibia, compressed, covered anteriorly with large scutella, excepting at
the two extremities, where it is scaly, the sides and hind part with
angular scales. Toes of moderate length, rather slender, scutellate
above, reticularly granulate beneath, third toe much longer than
second and fourth, which are nearly equal, first shorter, but strong;
claws of moderate size, strong, compressed, arched, rather acute,
the thin inner edge of that of the third toe finely serrated.
Space between the bill and eye, and around the latter, bare, as is
the lower half of the tibia. Plumage soft, generally loose. Feathers
of the upper part of the head long, tapering, decurved, two of them
extremely elongated; of the back long and loose, of the rump soft and
downy; scapulars with extremely long slender rather compact points.
Feathers of the fore neck much elongated and extremely slender, of the
sides of the breast anteriorly very large, curved and loose; of the
forepart of the breast narrower and elongated, as they are generally
on the rest of the lower surface; on the tibia short. Wings, large,
rounded; primaries curved, strong, broad, tapering towards the end, the
outer cut out on both margins, second and third longest; secondaries
very large, broad and rounded, extending beyond the primaries when
the wing is closed. Tail of moderate length, rounded, of twelve rather
broad, rounded feathers.
Bill yellow, dusky green above, loral and orbital spaces light green.
Iris bright yellow. Feet olivaceous, paler above the tibio-tarsal
joints; claws black. Forehead pure white; the rest of the elongated
feathers bluish-black; throat white, neck pale purplish-brown,
the elongated feathers beneath greyish-white, part of their inner
webs purplish-blue. Upper parts in general light greyish-blue, the
elongated tips of the scapulars greyish-white, the edge of the wing,
some feathers at the base of the fore neck, and the tibial feathers,
brownish-orange. The two tufts of large curved feathers on the fore
part of the breast bluish-black, some of them with a central stripe of
white. Lower surface of the wings and the sides light greyish-blue;
elongated feathers of the breast white, their inner edge black, of
the abdomen chiefly black; lower tail-coverts white, some of them
with an oblique mark of black near the tip.
Length to end of tail 48 inches, to end of claws 63 inches, extent
of wings 72; bill 5-1/2, gape 7-4/12; tarsus 6-1/2, middle toe and
claw 5, hind toe and claw 2-1/4, naked part of tibia 4; wings from
flexure 20; tail 7.
The Female, when in full plumage, is precisely similar to the Male.
On Prince Edward’s Island, in the Gulf of St Lawrence, there is a
fine breeding-place of the Great Blue Heron, which is probably the
most northern on the Atlantic coast of North America. The birds there
are more shy than they usually are at the period of breeding, and in
the most cowardly manner abandon their young to the mercy of every
intruder. A friend of mine who visited this place for the purpose of
procuring adult birds in their best plumage, to add to his already
extensive collection, found it extremely difficult to obtain his
object, until he at length thought of covering himself with the hide
of an ox, under the disguise of which he readily got within shot of
the birds, which were completely deceived by the stratagem.
THE COMMON AMERICAN GULL.
_LARUS ZONORHYNCHUS_, RICHARDSON.
PLATE CCXII. ADULT MALE, AND YOUNG IN WINTER.
No country can afford greater facilities for the migration of
water-birds than the United States of America. Even the Gulls are
enabled to traverse their whole extent from north to south, and in the
contrary direction, without suffering from want of food or of proper
resting places. The Gull that has been bred in Labrador, or still
farther north, can reach the Gulf of Mexico without being seriously
incommoded by the storms that now and then rage along the Atlantic
coast. The broad waters of the St Lawrence leads it to our great
lakes, from which hundreds of streams conduct it to the head waters
of the Ohio or the Mississippi, by following the windings of which it
at length arrives in the warm regions of the Mexican Gulf, on whose
waters the traveller can spend the winter. That these advantages are
embraced by many species of Gull, there can be no doubt; and should
you, as I have done, repeatedly visit our broad lakes, or the great
rivers just mentioned, you would find there, at particular seasons,
not only this species, but several others, as well as various kinds
of Terns, but none of the genus Lestris. Lake Erie supplies with
food the _Larus marinus_, _L. argentatus_, _L. atricilla_, and some
others, as well as the Great, the Arctic, the Roseate, and the Black
Terns, all of which pass at times over to the Ohio, and from thence
to the ocean. During these inland movements, the birds seem to be
peculiarly attracted by certain places, at which they remain for a
while. Thus, at the Falls of the Ohio, some species remain for weeks,
and wherever much shipping occurs on that river or the Mississippi,
Gulls are sure to be seen gleaning the garbage that has been thrown
overboard, or seizing such fishes as rise incautiously to the surface
of the water. In the months of September and October, Gulls and Terns
might almost be said to abound on our great streams, and many return
thither during the spring months on their way northward. Nay, to some
species of Tern, the beautiful sand-bars and rocky beaches that occur
here and there, are so attractive as to induce a few to remain and
breed there. This is especially the case with the Black Terns, some
of which rear their young by the rapids of the Ohio below Louisville,
amidst the roaring sounds of which may be heard their shrill and
continued cries.
You must not suppose, however, that all the Gulls which migrate in that
country take the same route; for thousands follow the sinuosities of
our Atlantic coast, some of them perhaps proceeding as far south in
that direction as those which follow our rivers. My opinion is, that
the feebler individuals of the different species follow the inland
route, while the older and more hardy birds keep along the shores
of the ocean. The examination of numerous specimens on both of these
extensive tracks has almost rendered this a matter of certainty, yet
I should be much pleased to find this opinion corroborated by the
observations of any other student of nature.
While on the coast of Florida, in the winter of 1832-33, I every day
saw Gulls of many species, but among them all were no adult birds,
with the exception of the Black-headed Gull of WILSON, which was very
abundant. This greatly tended to strengthen my opinion, that the young
gulls are of more delicate constitution than their parents, which
are better enabled to stand the rigours of the winter in the Middle
States, where they are found equally abundant at that season. For
similar reasons, I also feel assured that the oldest birds are those
which go farthest north to breed, and that the older and stronger
individuals are larger, with more purely tinted plumage, and with
the colours of their legs, feet and bills, as well as of the circle
around the eye, more vivid, than those which, although found breeding,
yet have not acquired their full maturity. In consequence of these
circumstances, some species have been described as forming several,
and the great difference between the plumage of the young and the
old birds has led to similar errors.
Our Common Gull is seldom seen in the adult plumage of winter beyond
the shores of Maryland southward, or in full summer plumage beyond
the Bay of New York, and this rarely after the middle of April, as
at that period they gather into flocks, and remove farther north to
breed. The places to which this species resorts for that purpose,
and which I have visited, are several islands between Boston and
Eastport, another close to Grand Manan at the entrance of the Bay of
Fundy, the great Gannet Rock of the Gulf of St Lawrence, and certain
rocky isles in the deep bays on the coast of Labrador.
This species, although one of those most abundant on our coast, is so
well acquainted with the artifices of man, that it keeps more than
others beyond the reach of the gun. While in our harbours or rivers
it sails at a moderate height, sometimes mingling with the Silvery
Gull, or even with the Great Black-backed. Its movements are graceful
and easy, and it floats as it were in the air, whether proceeding in
a direct line, or in irregular curves, when, suddenly checking its
speed, it partially closes its wings, and descends with rapidity in
a spiral manner. As it approaches the water, it allows its legs to
hang, opens its bill, and while seizing its food, raises its wings
erect and flaps them quickly to support its body. Now with loaded
bill it sweeps off to some distance, alights, and devours its prey.
When in pursuit of a shoal of small fish, it assembles in flocks, keeps
up a constant yelping noise, dips every instant among the fry, and
continues to feed until so gorged as to be unable to fly. Alighting
in groups, they float with great buoyancy, and it is pleasant to
see them rising and falling alternately on the waves of a moderately
agitated sea, the snowy whiteness of their under parts contrasting
with the deep green water, and their elongated wings extending beyond
the tail, giving the appearance of lightness and agility to their form.
The flight of this species is light and long sustained, and the
circumstance of birds of this genus being able to find food almost
anywhere, induces them at times to proceed far out to sea; and I have
now and then been gratified by the sudden appearance of several birds
of the present species to the lee of the ship, on whose deck I was
with impatience watching for the sight of land. The winged pilgrims
would no sooner come up than they also would express their pleasure by
their cries, especially when they received from the passengers bits
of bread or such garbage as might be at hand. Once fed, they would
fly about us the whole day, and sometimes would be seen the next; and
then perhaps all at once, as if made aware of the existence of land
in a particular direction, they would fly off, and we would see no
more of them.
When spring has fairly commenced, our Common Gulls assemble in parties
of hundreds, and alight on mud flats or sandy beaches, in our eastern
estuaries and bays. For a while they regularly resort to these places,
which to the Gulls are what the scratching or tooting grounds are
to the Pinnated Grous. The male Gulls, however, although somewhat
pugnacious, are not very inveterate in their quarrels, making up by
clamour for the deficiency of prowess in their tournaments. The males
bow to the females with swollen throats, and walk round them with
many odd gesticulations. As soon as the birds are paired, they give
up their animosities, and for the rest of the season live together
on the best terms. After a few weeks spent in these preparatory
pleasures, the flocks take to wing, and betake themselves to their
breeding places.
On an island within a few miles of Eastport in Maine, I found these
birds breeding in great numbers in the beginning of May. Their nests
were there placed amid the scanty tufts of grass. On the Gannet Rock,
early in June, they were breeding on the shelves towards the summit,
along with the Guillemots, while the Kittiwakes had secured their
nests far below. The different species kept apart, but yet exhibited
no antipathy towards each other. On the 18th of July, we discovered a
low rocky island at the bottom of a bay ten miles from the open sea,
opposite the harbour of Little Macatina, on the coast of Labrador,
where we found upwards of two hundred nests, all containing eggs
with the chicks more or less advanced. The number of eggs in each
nest was three or four, more generally three. They resembled those
of the Great Black-backed Gull in form and colour, but were much
smaller, measuring two inches and three quarters in length, by one
and five and a half eighths in their greatest diameter. There was
considerable diversity both in the tint of their ground colour, and
in the number and size of the spots on them, as is the case with
the eggs of most water birds. In general, however, they were of a
dull dark cream-colour, thickly blotched, sprinkled and touched with
different shades of purple, umber, and black. When fresh, these eggs
are delicious food, as I have had abundant occasion to know. The nests
were in this place all situated on the bare rock, but in all other
respects resembled those found among the grass or on more elevated
rocks; they were formed of seaweeds, well constructed, about six
inches across within, and twelve in their greatest diameter. Some of
the nests were much thicker and larger than others; many were placed
within the distance of a foot from each other; and the whole place
was covered with feathers and dung, which emitted a very disagreeable
stench, proving to us that it was annually resorted to by these
birds. To our surprise the birds were very shy. Among those killed
by us were some having all the appearance of mature age, such as I
have mentioned above. The number of individuals among them having the
black ring on the bill was much greater than among those found near
Grand Manan; some, however, were without this ring, and on others
it was but partially marked. Some had no white on the tips of the
primaries, and differences were also observable in the length of the
tarsus and toes; but all had the same voice, and were actually of the
same species. We also found considerable differences in their size
and weight, even in individuals of the same sex, some weighing one
pound, others four ounces more, and some so much as one pound ten
ounces. The males, at an average, were larger than the females. Not
a bird of any other species was found there, or on the grassy islands.
Whatever opinion may be held as to the synonyms of this Gull, I am
perfectly assured of the above mentioned variations in the colour,
size, and markings of the younger and older birds. I am equally sure
that no individuals acquire the full beauty of their plumage before
the third spring. The young are at first of a dull greenish-yellow,
spotted with dark brown on the head and rump. In a very few days they
leave the nest, ramble about in its vicinity, waiting the arrival of
their parents with food, and conceal themselves under stones or in
crevices at the appearance of danger. When a few weeks old, they do
not hesitate, on being pursued, to betake themselves to the water,
where they swim with great lightness. When about the size of pigeons,
they assume a brownish colour, each feather being broadly banded or
tipped with light ferruginous and grey. At this season, the fishermen
of Labrador and Newfoundland kill them in great numbers, and pack
them in salt for winter use. I was much surprised one morning while
at Labrador, to see one of the barges of the Gulnare come alongside
of the Ripley after a long cruize, when officers and men were glad
to have a good mess of these young Gulls in the bow of their boat,
they having run short of provisions.
LARUS ZONORHYNCHUS, _Swains. and Richards._ Fauna Bor.
Amer. part ii. p. 421.
RING-BILLED MEW-GULL, LARUS ZONORHYNCHUS, _Nuttall_, Manual,
vol. ii. p. 300.
Adult Male in summer plumage. Plate CCXII. Fig. 1.
Bill shorter than the head, robust, nearly straight, compressed. Upper
mandible with the dorsal line nearly straight at the base, arched
and declinate towards the end, the ridge convex, the sides slightly
convex, the edges sharp inflected, arched, the tip rather obtuse.
Nasal groove rather long and narrow; nostrils in its fore part,
lateral, longitudinal, linear, wider anteriorly, open, and pervious.
Lower mandible with a prominence at the end of the angle, which is
long and narrow, the dorsal line then nearly straight and ascending,
the sides convex, the edges sharp and inflected.
Head rather large. Neck of moderate length. Body rather full. Wings
long. Feet of moderate length, rather slender; tibia bare below; tarsus
somewhat compressed, covered before and behind with numerous broad
scutella, the sides reticulated; hind toe very small and elevated,
the fore toes rather long and slender, the fourth longer than the
second, the third longest, all scutellate above, and connected by
reticulated entire membranes, the lateral toes margined externally
with a narrow membrane. Claws small, compressed, slightly arched,
rather obtuse.
The plumage in general is close, elastic, very soft and blended, on
the back rather compact. Wings very long, rather broad, acute, the
first quill longest, the other primaries rapidly graduated; secondaries
broad and rounded, the inner elongated and narrow. Tail of moderate
length, even, of twelve rounded feathers.
Bill marked opposite the angle with a broad transverse band of
brownish-black, between which and the base it is light greenish-yellow,
the tips orange-yellow. Edges of eyelids greenish-yellow; iris bright
yellow. Feet greenish-yellow, the webs tinged with orange; claws
black. The general colour of the plumage is pure white, excepting the
back and wings, which are light pearl-grey. The first six quills are
black towards their extremities, the first and second being almost
entirely so, the sixth with only a small spot. The tips of these
feathers are white, that of the first having merely a narrow margin of
that colour, which gradually enlarges on the rest, the first moreover
has near the end a long patch of white, the second a smaller one on
the inner web. The proportional size of the white marks on the outer
primaries varies in individuals. The other quills and secondaries
are all white at the ends.
Length to end of tail 20 inches, to end of wings 22-1/4, to end of claws
20-1/2; extent of wings 48; wing from flexure 15-1/2, tail 6;
bill along the back 1-3/4, along the edge 2-5/8, depth at the base
(8-3/4)/12, depth at the prominence 1/2; bare part of the tibia 3/4,
tarsus 2; middle toe 1-3/12, its claw (2-1/2)/12; hind toe (2-1/2)/12,
its claw 3/12. Weight 1-1/2 lb.
Young bird, after first moult, shot on 26th November. Plate CCXII.
Fig. 2.
Bill black, base of lower mandible and edges of upper towards the
base, livid flesh-colour. Edges of eyelids livid blue; iris hazel.
Feet purplish-grey; claws brownish-black. The general colour of the
plumage is dull white, mottled with greyish-brown beneath, on the
back with large brownish-black spots, the dark markings being central.
Anterior to the eye is a crescent of greyish-black. The outer primary
quills are black, the two first without white at the ends, the rest
margined round the ends with that colour. The abdominal and tibial
feathers are white; the lower and upper tail-coverts white, with
brown spots.
Length to end of tail 18-3/8, to end of wings 20-1/2, extent of wings
44-1/2; tarsus 2, middle toe 1-3/12, its claws 2/12. Weight 1 lb. 3
ounces.
On a rocky island on the coast of Labrador, where this bird was
breeding in great numbers, a comparatively small number of individuals
only had the bill marked with the black ring, the others, although
precisely similar in other respects, wanted that mark. This bird
although in many respects precisely similar to that which is usually
named _Larus canus_ in Europe, differs greatly in the size of the
bill, which even in young birds is much deeper than in the oldest
individuals of that species.
THE PUFFIN.
_MORMON ARCTICUS_, ILLIGER.
PLATE CCXIII. MALE AND FEMALE.
The Sea Parrot, as this bird is usually called on the eastern coasts
of the United States, as well as by the fishermen of Newfoundland
and Labrador, sometimes proceeds as far south as the entrance of the
River Savannah in Georgia, where I saw a good number in the winter
of 1831-32. It is by no means, however, common with this species to
extend its southward migrations so far, and I suspect it does so only
in very severe weather. It is never plentiful off Long Island, but
becomes more abundant the farther you proceed eastward, until you
reach the entrance to the Bay of Fundy, where it is quite common,
and on the Islands of which many breed, although not one perhaps now
for a hundred that bred there twenty years ago. Those which proceed
farther north leave the United States about the middle of April,
and move along the coast, none ever crossing over the land to any
extent. On my voyage to Labrador I observed Puffins every day; but
although we reached that country in the early part of June, none had
then begun to breed. As we approached the shores of that inhospitable
land, we every now and then saw them around the vessel, now floating
on the swelling wave, now disappearing under the bow, diving with
the swiftness of thought, and sometimes rising on wing and flying
swiftly, but low, over the sea. The nearer we approached the coast
the more abundant did we find the Puffins, and sometimes they were
so numerous as actually to cover the water to the extent of half
an acre or more. At first we paid little attention to them, but as
soon as I became aware that they had begun to breed, I commenced an
investigation, of which I now proceed to lay before you the result.
The first breeding place which I and my party visited was a small
island, a few acres in extent, and pleasant to the eye, on account of
the thick growth of green grass with which it was covered. The shores
were exceedingly rugged, the sea ran high, and it required all the good
management of our captain to effect a safe landing, which, however,
was at length accomplished at a propitious moment, when, borne on
the summit of a great wave, we reached the first rocks, leaped out
in an instant, and held our boat, while the angry waters rolled back
and left it on the land. After securing the boat, we reached with
a few steps the green sward, and directly before us found abundance
of Puffins. Some already alarmed flew past us with the speed of an
arrow, others stood erect at the entrance of their burrows, while some
more timid withdrew within their holes as we advanced towards them.
In the course of half an hour we obtained a good number. The poor
things seemed not at all aware of the effect of guns, for they would
fly straight towards us as often as in any other direction; but after
a while they became more knowing, and avoided us with more care. We
procured some eggs, and as no young ones were yet to be found, we went
off satisfied. The soil was so light, and so easily dug, that many
of the burrows extended to the depth of five or six feet, although
not more than a few inches below the surface, and some of the poor
birds underwent a temporary imprisonment in consequence of the ground
giving way under our weight. The whole island was perforated like a
rabbit-warren, and every hole had its entrance placed due south, a
circumstance which allowed the birds to emerge in our sight almost
all at once, presenting a spectacle highly gratifying to us all. Our
visit to this island took place on the 28th of June 1833.
On the 12th of August, the day after my son procured the two Jerfalcons
mentioned in the second volume of this work, our Captain, my friends
GEORGE SHATTUCK and WILLIAM INGALLS, with four sailors, and another
boat in company, went on a visit to “Perroket Island,” distant about
two miles from the harbour of Bras d’Or. The place is known to all
the cod-fishers, and is celebrated for the number of Puffins that
annually breed there. As we rowed towards it, although we found the
water literally covered with thousands of these birds, the number
that flew over and around the green island seemed much greater,
insomuch that one might have imagined half the Puffins in the world
had assembled there. This far-famed isle is of considerable extent,
its shores are guarded by numberless blocks of rock, and within a few
yards of it the water is several fathoms in depth. The ground rises in
the form of an amphitheatre to the height of about seventy feet, the
greatest length being from north to south, and its southern extremity
fronting the Streight of Belleisle. For every burrow in the island
previously visited by us there seemed to be a hundred here, on every
crag or stone stood a Puffin, at the entrance of each hole another,
and yet the sea was covered and the air filled by them. I had two
double-barrelled guns and two sailors to assist me; and I shot for
one hour by my watch, always firing at a single bird on wing. How
many Puffins I killed in that time I take the liberty of leaving you
to guess.
The burrows were all inhabited by young birds, of different ages and
sizes, and clouds of Puffins flew over our heads, each individual
holding a “lint” by the head. This fish, which measures four or five
inches in length, and is of a very slender form, with a beautiful
silvery hue, existed in vast shoals in the deep water around the
island. The speed with which the birds flew made the fish incline
by the side of their neck. While flying the Puffins emitted a loud
croaking noise, but they never dropped the fish, and many of them,
when brought down by a shot, still held their prey fast. I observed
with concern the extraordinary affection manifested by these birds
towards each other; for whenever one fell dead or wounded on the
water, its mate or a stranger immediately alighted by its side, swam
round it, pushed it with its bill as if to urge it to fly or dive,
and seldom would leave it until an oar was raised to knock it on the
head, when at last, aware of the danger, it would plunge below in
an instant. Those which fell wounded immediately ran with speed to
some hole, and dived into it, on which no further effort was made to
secure them. Those which happened to be caught alive in the hand bit
most severely, and scratched with their claws at such a rate that we
were glad to let them escape. The burrows here communicated in various
ways with each other, so that the whole island was perforated as if
by a multitude of subterranean labyrinths, over which one could not
run without the risk of falling at almost every step. The voices of
the young sounded beneath our feet like voices from the grave, and
the stench was extremely disagreeable, so that as soon as our boats
were filled with birds we were glad to get away.
During the whole of our visit, the birds never left the place, but
constantly attended to their avocations. Here one would rise from
beneath our feet, there, within a few yards of us, another would
alight with a fish, and dive into its burrow, or feed the young that
stood waiting at the entrance. The young birds were far from being
friendly towards each other, and those which we carried with us kept
continually fighting so long as we kept them alive. They used their yet
extremely small and slender bills with great courage and pertinacity,
and their cries resembled the wailings of young whelps. The smaller
individuals were fed by the parents by regurgitation, or received
little pieces of fish which were placed in their mouths; the larger
picked up the fish that were dropped before them; but almost all of
them seemed to crawl to the entrance of the holes for the purpose
of being fed. In all the burrows that communicated with others, a
round place was scooped out on one side of the avenue, in the form of
an oven; while in those which were single, this oven-like place was
found at the end, and was larger than the corridor. All the passages
were flattish above, and rounded beneath, as well as on the sides.
In many instances we found two birds sitting each on its egg in the
same hole.
The Puffin never lays more than one egg, unless the first may have
been destroyed or taken away; nor does it raise more than a single
young one in the season. The time of incubation is probably from
twenty-five to twenty-eight days, although I have not been able to
ascertain the precise period. Both birds work in digging the hole,
using their bills and feet; they also sit alternately on their egg,
although the female engages more industriously in this occupation,
while the male labours harder at the burrow. The egg is pure white
when first deposited, but soon becomes soiled by the earth, as no
nest is formed for its reception. It generally measures two and a half
inches by one and three-fourths, but varies in size according to the
age of the bird, as well as in shape, some being considerably more
rounded at the smaller end than others. When boiled, the white is of
a livid-blue colour. The captain and myself were the only persons of
our party who tried to eat some. The eggs are certainly very bad, and
are never collected by “The Eggers.” The flesh of the birds is very
dark, tough, and so fishy, as to be eatable only in cases of great
want. Two Italians who had come to Labrador to purchase cod-fish,
and were short of provisions, fed upon Puffins daily, to the great
amusement of our party. The fishermen at times, when bait is scarce
along the coast, destroy a great number of these birds, which they
skin like rabbits, and then cut the flesh into slices.
The flight of the Puffin is firm, generally direct, now and then
pretty well sustained. It is able to rise at once from the water or
the land, although at times it runs on both before taking to wing.
This depends much on necessity, for if pushed it flies at once from
the ground, or plunges under the surface of the water. There they
swim, with the wings partially opened, at a small depth, passing
along in the manner of Divers; and by this means they catch their
prey; but at other times they dive to the bottom, many fathoms deep,
for shell-fish and other objects.
During the love season, the males chase each other in the air, on
the water, or beneath its surface, with so much quickness, as to
resemble the ricochets of a cannon-ball. Having kept several for
about a week, I threw them overboard in the harbour where we were
at anchor, and where the water was beautifully clear. On leaving my
gloved hand, they plunged through the air, entered the water, and
swam off, assisting themselves by their wings to the distance of from
fifty to an hundred yards. On coming up, they washed their plumage
for a long time, and then dived in search of food. While on board,
they ran about from the dark towards the light, keeping themselves
erect, and moving with great briskness, until at times close to my
feet, when they would watch my motions like hawks, and if I happened
to look towards them, would instantly make for some hiding-place.
They fed freely and were agreeable pets, only that they emitted an
unpleasant grunting noise, and ran about incessantly during the night,
when each footstep could be counted. When on rocky shores, or islands
with large stones, I observed that the Puffins often flew from one
crag or stone to another, alighting with ease, and then standing erect.
The young, while yet covered with down, are black, with a white patch
on the belly. Their bills do not acquire much of the form which they
ultimately have for several weeks; nor do they assume their perfect
shape for years. I have examined many hundred individuals, among which
I have found great differences in the size and form of the bill. In
fact, the existence of this diversity has induced many persons to
think that we have several species of Puffin on our coasts; but,
after having examined many specimens in Europe, I am decidedly of
opinion that this species is the same that occurs in both continents,
and that we have only one more at all common on our eastern coasts.
The sexes differ in no perceptible degree, only that the males are
somewhat larger. When two years old they may be considered of their
full size, although the bill continues to grow and acquires furrows,
until it becomes as you see it in the Plate.
ALCA ARCTICA, _Linn._ Syst. Nat. vol. i. p. 211.—_Lath._
Ind. Ornith. vol. ii. p. 792.
MORMON ARCTICUS, _Ch. Bonaparte_, Synopsis of Birds of the
United States, p. 430.
PUFFIN, OR COULTERNEB, _Nuttall_, Manual, vol. ii. p. 542.
Adult Male in summer. Plate CCXIII. Fig. 1.
Bill about the length of the head, nearly as high as long, exceedingly
compressed, at the base as high as the head, obliquely furrowed on
the sides. Upper mandible with a horny rim along the basal margin, its
dorsal line curved from the base, the ridge very narrow but rounded,
the sides rapidly sloped, and marked with three curved oblique grooves,
the edges obtuse, their outline nearly straight, the tip deflected,
very narrow but obtuse. Between the basal rim and the first groove is
a triangular flat space analogous to the nasal groove, in the lower
part of which, close to the edge of the bill, is the linear direct
nostril. Lower mandible with the angle very narrow, and so placed
that the base of the bill is inflected beyond the perpendicular,
the dorsal line a little convex at first, towards the end straight,
the ridge narrow, broader about the middle, the sides nearly flat,
grooved and ridged as in the upper, the edges strong, the tip very
narrow. The gape extends downwards a little beyond the base of the
bill, and is furnished with a soft corrugated extensible membrane.
Head large, oblong, anteriorly compressed. Eye rather small, with bare
orbits; over the upper eyelid an oblong, nearly erect, horny body,
along the lower a more elongated one of the same nature. Neck short
and thick. Body full and rounded. Wings short. Feet short, rather
stout; tibia bare for a short way above the joint. Tarsus very short,
little compressed, anteriorly with a series of small scutella, the
rest with reticular angular scales. Hind toe wanting. Toes of moderate
length, rather slender, scutellate above, connected by reticulated
entire membranes which project a little, the third and fourth toes
about equal, the second considerably shorter, with a narrow marginal
web. Claws strong, of moderate length, compressed, slightly arched,
that of the inner toe much curved and acute.
Plumage close, blended, soft, very short on the head. Wings curved,
short, narrow, acute. Primary quills narrow, incurved, first longest,
second a little shorter, the rest rapidly graduated. Secondaries
very short, small and rounded. Tail very short, slightly rounded, of
sixteen narrow rounded feathers.
Bill with the basal rim and first ridge of upper mandible dull yellow,
the intervening space greyish-blue, basal margin of lower bright
red, first ridge and intervening space as in the upper, the rest
bright red (carmine tinged with vermilion); membrane at the base of
the gape gamboge-yellow, inside of mouth and tongue yellow. Edge of
eyelids vermilion, horny appendages of eyelids greyish-blue. Iris
light blue. Feet vermilion, claws black. Throat and sides of the head
white, that colour extending over the eye, and passing in a narrow
line behind the occiput. Upper part of the head blackish-grey, tinged
with olive, paler anteriorly. The middle of the neck all round, and
all the upper parts of the body, deep black, with blue reflections,
the quills tinged with brown. The whole under surface white, except
the upper part of the sides, which are dusky.
Length to end of tail 11-3/4 inches, to end of claws 13-1/2, extent of
wings 23; bill along the back 2, along the edge of upper mandible 1-1/4;
depth of bill at base 1-5/8, its greatest diameter 5/8; tarsus 1, middle
toe 1-1/2, its claw 1/2. Weight 3/4 lb.
Female. Plate CCXIII. Fig. 2.
The Female is precisely similar to the male, but of somewhat smaller
size.
THE RAZOR-BILLED AUK.
_ALCA TORDA_, LINN.
PLATE CCXIV. MALE AND FEMALE.
A few birds of this species occasionally go as far south as New York
during winter; but beyond that parallel I never met with one. From
Boston eastward many are seen, and some breed on the Seal Islands
off the entrance of the Bay of Fundy. These Auks generally arrive
on our Atlantic coast about the beginning of November, and return
northward to breed about the middle of April. During their stay with
us, they are generally seen singly, and at a greater distance from the
shores than the Guillemots or Puffins; and I have no doubt that they
are able to procure shell-fish at greater depths than these birds.
I have observed them fishing on banks where the bottom was fifteen
or eighteen fathoms from the surface, and, from the length of time
that they remained under water, felt no doubt that they dived to it.
On my voyage round Nova Scotia and across the Gulf of St Lawrence,
we saw some of them constantly. Some had eggs on the Magdeleine
Islands, where, as the inhabitants informed us, these birds arrive
about the middle of April, when the Gulf is still covered with ice.
As we proceeded towards Labrador, they passed us every now and then
in long files, flying at the height of a few yards from the water,
in a rather undulating manner, with a constant beat of the wings,
often within musket-shot of our vessel, and sometimes moving round
us and coming so close as to induce us to believe that they had a
wish to alight. The thermometer indicated 44°. The sight of these
files of birds passing swiftly by was extremely pleasing; each bird
would alternately turn towards us the pure white of its lower parts,
and again the jetty black of the upper. As I expected ere many days
should pass to have the gratification of inspecting their breeding
grounds, I experienced great delight in observing them as they sped
their flight toward the north.
After we had landed, we every day procured Auks, notwithstanding
their shyness, which exceeded that of almost all the other sea-birds.
The fishermen having given me an account of their principal breeding
places, the Ripley proceeded toward them apace. One fair afternoon
we came in view of the renowned Harbour of Whapati Guan, and already
saw its curious beacon, which, being in form like a huge mounted
cannon placed on the elevated crest of a great rock, produced a most
striking effect. We knew that the harbour was within the stupendous
wall of rock before us, but our pilot, either from fear or want of
knowledge, refused to guide us to it, and our captain, leaving the
vessel in charge of the mate, was obliged to go off in a boat, to
see if he could find a passage. He was absent more than an hour.
The Ripley stood off and on, the yards were manned on the look-out,
the sea was smooth and its waters as clear as crystal, but the swell
rose to a prodigious height as it passed sluggishly over the great
rocks that seemed to line the shallows over which we floated. We were
under no apprehension of personal danger, however, for we had several
boats and a very efficient crew; and besides, the shores were within
cannon shot; but the idea of losing our gallant bark and all our
materials on so dismal a coast haunted my mind, and at times those
of my companions. From the tops our sailors called out “Quite shallow
here, Sir.” Up went the helm, and round swung the Ripley like a duck
taken by surprise. Then suddenly near another shoal we passed, and
were careful to keep a sharp look-out until our commander came up.
Springing upon the deck, and turning his quid rapidly from side to
side, he called out, “All hands square the yards,” and whispered to
me “All’s safe, my good Sir.” The schooner advanced towards the huge
barrier, merrily as a fair maiden to meet her beloved; now she doubles
a sharp cape, forces her way through a narrow pass; and lo! before
you opens the noble harbour of Whapati Guan. All around was calm and
solemn; the waters were smooth as glass, the sails fell against the
masts, but the impetus which the vessel had received urged her along.
The lead was heaved at every yard, and in a few minutes the anchor
was dropped.
Reader, I wish you had been there, that you might yourself describe
the wild scene that presented itself to our admiring gaze. We were
separated from the rolling swell of the Gulf of St Lawrence by an
immense wall of rock. Far away toward the east and north, rugged
mounds innumerable rose one above another. Multitudes of frightened
Cormorants croaked loudly as they passed us in the air, and at a
distance fled divers Guillemots and Auks. The mossy beds around us
shone with a brilliant verdure, the lark piped its sweet notes on
high, and thousands of young codfish leaped along the surface of the
deep cove as if with joy. Such a harbour I had never seen before; such
another, it is probable, I may never see again; the noblest fleet that
ever ploughed the ocean might anchor in it in safety. To augment our
pleasures, our captain some days after piloted the Gulnare into it.
But, you will say, “Where are the Auks, we have lost sight of them
entirely.” Never fear, good reader, we are in a delightful harbour,
and anon you shall hear of them.
Winding up the basin toward the north-east, Captain Emery, myself,
and some sailors, all well armed, proceeded one day along the high
and precipitous shores to the distance of about four miles, and at
last reached the desired spot. We landed on a small rugged island. Our
men were provided with long poles, having hooks at their extremities.
These sticks were introduced into the deep and narrow fissures, from
which we carefully drew the birds and eggs. One place, in particular,
was full of birds; it was a horizontal fissure, about two feet in
height, and thirty or forty yards in depth. We crawled slowly into
it, and as the birds affrighted flew hurriedly past us by hundreds,
many of their eggs were smashed. The farther we advanced, the more
dismal did the cries of the birds sound in our ears. Many of them,
despairing of effecting their escape, crept into the surrounding
recesses. Having collected as many of them and their eggs as we could,
we returned, and glad were we once more to breathe the fresh air. No
sooner were we out than the cracks of the sailors’ guns echoed among
the rocks. Rare fun to the tars, in fact, was every such trip, and,
when we joined them, they had a pile of Auks on the rocks near them.
The birds flew directly towards the muzzles of the guns, as readily
as in any other course, and therefore it needed little dexterity to
shoot them.
When the Auks deposit their eggs along with the Guillemots, which
they sometimes do, they drop them in spots from which the water can
escape without injuring them; but when they breed in deep fissures,
which is more frequently the case, many of them lie close together,
and the eggs are deposited on small beds of pebbles or broken stones
raised a couple of inches or more, to let the water pass beneath them.
Call this instinct if you will:—I really do not much care; but you
must permit me to admire the wonderful arrangements of that Nature
from which they have received so much useful knowledge. When they lay
their eggs in such a horizontal cavern as that which I have mentioned
above, you find them scattered at the distance of a few inches from
each other; and there, as well as in the fissures, they sit flat upon
them like Ducks, for example, whereas on an exposed rock, each bird
stands almost upright upon its egg. Another thing quite as curious,
which I observed, is, that, while in exposed situations, the Auk
seldom lays more than one egg, yet in places of greater security
I have, in many instances, found two under a single bird. This may
perhaps astonish you, but I really cannot help it.
The Razor-billed Auks begin to drop their eggs in the beginning of
May. In July we found numerous young ones, although yet small. Their
bill then scarcely exhibited the form which it ultimately assumes.
They were covered with down, had a lisping note, but fed freely on
shrimps and small bits of fish, the food with which their parents
supply them. They were very friendly towards each other, differing
greatly in this respect from the young Puffins, which were continually
quarrelling. They stood almost upright. Whenever a finger was placed
within their reach, they instantly seized it, and already evinced the
desire to bite severely so cordially manifested by the old birds of
this species, which in fact will hang to your hand until choked rather
than let go their hold. The latter when wounded threw themselves on
their back, in the manner of Hawks, and scratched fiercely with their
claws. They walked and ran on the rocks with considerable ease and
celerity, taking to wing, however, as soon as possible. When thus
disturbed while breeding, they fly round the spot many times before
they alight again. Sometimes a whole flock will alight on the water
at some distance, to watch your departure, before they will venture
to return.
This bird lays one or two eggs, according to the nature of the place.
The eggs measure at an average three inches and one-eighth, by two
and one-eighth, and are generally pure white, greatly blotched with
dark reddish-brown or black, the spots generally forming a circle
towards the larger end. They differ considerably from those of the
Common and the Thick-billed Guillemots, being less blunted at the
smaller end. The eggs afford excellent eating; the yolk is of a pale
orange colour, the white pale blue. The eggers collect but few of
the eggs of this bird, they being more difficult to be obtained than
those of the Guillemot, of which they take vast numbers every season.
The food of the Razor-billed Auk consists of shrimps, various other
marine animals, and small fishes, as well as roe. Their flesh is by the
fishers considered good, and I found it tolerable, when well stewed,
although it is dark and therefore not prepossessing. The birds are
two years in acquiring the full size and form of their bill, and,
when full grown, they weighed about a pound and a half. The stomach
is an oblong sac, the lower part of which is rather muscular, and
answers the purpose of a gizzard. In many I found scales, remnants
of fish, and pieces of shells. The intestines were upwards of three
feet in length.
Immediately after the breeding season, these birds drop their quills,
and are quite unable to fly until the beginning of October, when they
all leave their breeding grounds for the sea, and move southward. The
young at this period scarcely shew the white streak between the bill
and the eye; their cheeks, like those of the old birds at this time,
and the fore part of the neck, are dingy white, and remain so until
the following spring, when the only difference between the young and
the old is, that the former have the bill smaller and less furrowed,
and the head more brown. The back, tail, and lower parts do not seem
to undergo any material change.
ALCA TORDA, _Linn._ Syst. Nat. vol. i. p. 210.—_Lath._ Ind.
Ornith. vol. ii. p. 793.—_Ch. Bonap._ Synops. of Birds of
the United States, p. 431.
RAZOR-BILL, _Nuttall_, Manual, vol. ii. p. 547.
Adult Male in summer. Plate CCXIV. Fig. 1.
Bill shorter than the head, feathered as far as the nostrils, beyond
which it is very high, exceedingly compressed, and obliquely furrowed
on the sides. Upper mandible with the dorsal line curved so as to form
the third of a circle, the ridge extremely narrow but rounded, the
sides nearly flat, with five grooves, the one next the base deeper
and more narrow, the edges inflected and sharp, the tip decurved
and obtuse. Nostrils medial, marginal, linear, short, pervious, but
concealed by the feathers. Lower mandible with the angle very narrow,
and having a horny triangular appendage, the base at first horizontal
and extremely narrow, then sloping forwards and rounded, the dorsal
outline rounded, towards the end concave, the sides slightly concave,
the edges inflected, the tip decurved.
Head large, oblong, anteriorly narrowed. Eyes small. Neck short and
strong. Body full, rather depressed. Wings small. Feet placed far
behind, short, rather strong; tibia bare a short way above the joint;
tarsus very short, compressed, anteriorly scutellate, laterally covered
with reticulated angular scales, posteriorly granulate. Hind toe
wanting; toes of moderate length, rather slender, scutellate above,
connected by reticulated entire membranes, the inner toe having also
a projecting margin; outer toe slightly longer than middle one; inner
considerably shorter. Claws rather small, arched, compressed, obtuse.
Plumage close, blended, very soft, on the head very short and velvety.
Wings short, curved, narrow, acute. Primary quills narrow, incurved,
acute, first longest, second slightly shorter, the rest rapidly
graduated; secondary quills very short, obliquely rounded. Tail short,
tapering, of twelve narrow, pointed feathers.
Bill black, with a white line across each mandible; inside of the
mouth gamboge-yellow. Iris deep hazel. Feet black. Fore part of neck
below, and all the lower parts, white; the rest black, the head, hind
neck, and back, glossed with olive-green, the throat and sides of
the neck tinged with chocolate, the wings with brown, the tips of the
secondary quills, and a narrow line from the bill to the eye, white.
Length to the end of tail 17 inches, to the end of claws 17-3/4; extent
of wings 29-1/2; wing from flexure 8-1/4, tail 4; bill along the ridge
1-7/12, along the edge 2-2/12, its greatest depth 11/12; tarsus 1-2/12,
middle toe 1-8/12, its claw 5/12. Weight 1-1/2 pound.
Adult Female in summer. Plate CCXIV. Fig. 2.
The female is precisely similar to the male.
The Young in their winter plumage have the colouring distributed as
in the old birds, but with the black duller, the wings more brown,
the throat and sides of the head mottled with white, the white line
from the bill to the eye existing, but the bill much smaller, without
furrows or a white line.
The Old Birds in winter have the throat and sides of the neck mottled
as described above; but in other respects their colours are the same
as in summer.
The gullet wide, dilated towards the lower extremity, its mucous
coat longitudinally corrugated; the proventriculus very wide and
glandular; the stomach rather small, oblong, muscular, with an inner,
longitudinally corrugated and horny cuticular coat. Pylorus very
small; intestine near its commencement 4/12 of an inch in diameter,
gradually contracted to the cæca, where it is 2/12: cæca half an inch
long, tapering. The length of the gullet and stomach together is 8,
that of the intestine 41 inches.
HYPERBOREAN PHALAROPE.
_PHALAROPUS HYPERBOREUS_, LATH.
PLATE CCXV. MALE, FEMALE, AND YOUNG.
Few individuals of this species are ever seen to the South of New
York. Near Boston I procured several, and my learned friend THOMAS
NUTTALL presented me with some that had been shot in the neighbourhood
of that city, as did Mr JOHN BETHUNE and Mr RODMAN of New Bedford.
As we advanced eastward in the month of May, we saw more and more of
them, and while at Eastport in Maine my son John shot several out
of flocks of sixty or more. At one time a flock consisting of more
than a hundred was seen in the Bay of Fundy. They were exceedingly
shy, and the gunners of Eastport, who knew them under the name of
Sea Geese, spoke of them as very curious birds.
They procure their food principally upon the water, on which they
alight like Ducks, float as light as Gulls, and move about in search of
food with much nimbleness. The sight of a bank of floating sea-weeds
or garbage of any kind induces them at once to alight upon it, when
they walk about as unconcernedly as if on land. Their notes, which
resemble the syllables _tweet, tweet, tweet_, are sharp and clear,
and in their flight they resemble our common American Snipe. At the
approach of an enemy, they immediately close their ranks, until they
almost touch each other, when great havock is made among them; but
if not immediately shot at, they rise all at once and fly swiftly
off emitting their shrill cries, and remove to a great distance.
These Phalaropes congregate in this manner for the purpose of moving
northwards to their breeding grounds, although some remain and breed
as far south as Mount Desert Island. I have met with them in equally
large flocks at a distance of more than a hundred miles from the
shores. They were feeding on great beds of floating seaweeds, and in
several instances some Red Phalaropes were seen in their company.
Whilst in Labrador, I observed that the Hyperborean Phalarope occurred
only in small parties of a few pairs, and that instead of keeping
at sea or on the salt-water bays, they were always in the immediate
vicinity of small fresh-water lakes or ponds, near which they bred.
The nest was a hollow scooped out among the herbage, and covered
with a few bits of dried grass and moss. The eggs are always four;
they measure at an average an inch and three-sixteenths in length,
seven-eighths in their greatest diameter, are rather pointed at the
smaller end, and are more uniform in their size and markings than
those of most water-birds. The ground colour is a deep dull buff,
and is irregularly marked with large and small blotches of dark
reddish-brown, which are larger and more abundant on the crown. The
birds shewed great anxiety for the safety of their eggs, limping
before us, or running with extended wings, and emitting a feeble
melancholy note as if about to expire. When we approached them, they
resumed all their natural alacrity, piped in their usual manner, flew
off and alighted on the water. Captain Emery and myself followed some
nearly an hour, assisted by a pointer dog, in the hope of tiring them
out; but they seemed to laugh at our efforts, and when Dash was quite
close to them, they would suddenly fly off in another direction, and
with great swiftness, always leading us farther from their nests. The
young leave the nest shortly after they are hatched, and run after
their parents over the moss, and along the edges of the small ponds;
but I saw none on the water that were not fully fledged. Both young
and old had departed by the beginning of August.
The Hyperborean Phalarope seems to undergo an almost continual moult,
and is in full plumage only about six weeks each year. The young when
fledged are nearly grey above, and all white beneath. Some of them
breed before they have acquired what may be considered the perfect
plumage; and the very old birds become greyish also at the approach
of winter, the red of the throat and other parts becoming bright
again in the beginning of May, or sometimes in April. The scapulars
of the young are conspicuously shorter than the longest primaries,
but after the first moult are equal in length. The upper wing-coverts
are then also short.
I have never met with this species in any part of the interior,
although I have procured the Red Phalarope and Wilson’s Phalarope in
many parts to the west of the Alleghany Mountains, at a distance of
more than a thousand miles from the sea coast.
PHALAROPUS HYPERBOREUS, _Lath._ Ind. Ornith. vol. ii. p.
774.—_Ch. Bonaparte_, Synops. of Birds of the United States,
p. 342.—_Swains. and Richards._ Fauna Bor. Amer. part ii.
p. 406.
HYPERBOREAN PHALAROPE, _Ch. Bonaparte_, Amer. Ornith. vol.
iii.—_Nuttall_, Manual, vol. ii. p. 239.
Adult Male in Summer. Plate CCXV. Fig. 1.
Bill long, very slender, flexible, nearly cylindrical, but towards
the point tapering. Upper mandible with the dorsal line straight,
excepting at the end, where it is a little curved, the ridge broad
and depressed, the sides slightly sloping, the edges rounded, and
inflected towards the narrow slightly curved, acute tip. Nasal groove
long, linear; nostrils basal, linear, pervious. Lower mandible with
the angle very long and narrow, the sides convex, the tip narrowed.
Head small, with the fore part high and rounded. Eyes small. Neck
rather long and slender. Body slender. Wings long. Feet of moderate
length, slender; tibia bare a considerable way above the joint; tarsus
much compressed, narrowed before, very thin behind, covered anteriorly
with numerous scutella; toes slender; first extremely small, free,
with a slight membrane beneath; second slightly shorter than fourth,
third considerably longer; toes all scutellate above, margined on
both sides with lobed and pectinated membranes, which are united at
the base, so as to render the foot half webbed; the outer web much
longer than the inner. Claws very small, compressed, arched, that of
the middle toe with a recurved sharp edge.
Plumage soft and blended. Feathers of the back, and especially the
scapulars, elongated. Wings long and pointed; primary quills tapering,
but rounded, the first longest, the second scarcely shorter, the
rest rapidly graduated; secondary quills rather short and narrow,
the inner tapering and elongated so as nearly to equal the longest
primaries when the wing is closed. Tail rather short, much rounded,
of twelve feathers.
Bill black. Iris dark brown. Feet bluish-grey; claws black. The general
colour of the upper parts is greyish-black, the head lighter and more
tinged with grey, the scapulars and some of the feathers of the back
edged with yellowish-red, of which colour also are the sides of the
head and neck; throat and sides of the upper part of the neck white.
Wing-coverts and quills brownish-black, tinged with grey, the shafts
of the quills, the margins and tips of the secondaries, and a broad
bar on the tips of the secondary coverts, white. Tail light grey, the
feathers margined with white, the two middle ones dark brownish-grey,
the lateral upper tail-coverts white, barred with dusky. The breast
and abdomen white.
Length to end of tail 6 inches, to end of claws 6-1/4, to end of wing
5-3/4; extent of wings 13-1/2; wing from flexure 4-1/2; tail 2-1/4;
bill along the back 11/12, along the edge of lower mandible 11/12;
tarsus 10/12,middle toe 10/12, its claw 2/12.
Adult Female. Plate CCXV. Fig. 2.
The Female is similar to the male, but the red markings are not so
deep in tint.
Young fully fledged. Plate CCXV. Fig. 3.
The young bird has the markings similarly disposed, but the upper parts
are in general of a dull dark grey, the red of the neck much fainter,
and that of the scapulars much paler, and inclining to greyish-yellow.
FISHING IN THE OHIO.
It is with mingled feelings of pleasure and regret that I recall to my
mind the many pleasant days I have spent on the shores of the Ohio.
The visions of former years crowd on my view, as I picture to myself
the fertile soil and genial atmosphere of our great western garden,
Kentucky, and view the placid waters of the fair stream that flows
along its western boundary. Methinks I am now on the banks of the
noble river. Twenty years of my life have returned to me; my sinews are
strong, and the “bowstring of my spirit is not slack;” bright visions
of the future float before me, as I sit on a grassy bank, gazing on
the glittering waters. Around me are dense forests of lofty trees
and thickly tangled undergrowth, amid which are heard the songs of
feathered choristers, and from whose boughs hang clusters of glowing
fruits and beautiful flowers. Reader, I am very happy. But now the
dream has vanished, and here I am in the British Athens, penning an
episode for my Ornithological Biography, and having before me sundry
well-thumbed and weather-beaten folios, from which I expect to be
able to extract some interesting particulars respecting the methods
employed in those days in catching Cat-fish.
But, before entering on my subject, I will present you with a brief
description of the place of my residence on the banks of the Ohio.
When I first landed at Henderson in Kentucky, my family, like the
village, was quite small. The latter consisted of six or eight houses;
the former of my wife, myself, and a young child. Few as the houses
were, we fortunately found one empty. It was a log-_cabin_, not a
log-_house_; but as better could not be had, we were pleased. Well,
then, we were located. The country around was thinly peopled, and all
purchasable provisions rather scarce; but our neighbours were friendly,
and we had brought with us flour and bacon-hams. Our pleasures were
those of young people not long married, and full of life and merriment;
a single smile from our infant was, I assure you, more valued by us
than all the treasures of a modern Crœsus would have been. The woods
were amply stocked with game, the river with fish; and now and then
the hoarded sweets of the industrious bees were brought from some
hollow tree to our little table. Our child’s cradle was our richest
piece of furniture, our guns and fishing-lines our most serviceable
implements, for although we began to cultivate a garden, the rankness
of the soil kept the seeds we planted far beneath the tall weeds that
sprung up the first year. I had then a partner, a “man of business,”
and there was also with me a Kentucky youth, who much preferred the
sports of the forest and river to either day-book or ledger. He was
naturally, as I may say, a good woodsman, hunter, and angler, and,
like me, thought chiefly of procuring supplies of fish and fowl. To
the task accordingly we directed all our energies.
Quantity as well as quality was an object with us, and although we
well knew that three species of Cat-fish existed in the Ohio, and that
all were sufficiently good, we were not sure as to the best method
of securing them. We determined, however, to work on a large scale,
and immediately commenced making a famous “trot-line.” Now, reader,
as you may probably know nothing about this engine, I shall describe
it to you.
A trot-line is one of considerable length and thickness, both
qualities, however, varying according to the extent of water, and
the size of the fish you expect to catch. As the Ohio, at Henderson,
is rather more than half a mile in breadth, and as Cat-fishes weigh
from one to an hundred pounds, we manufactured a line which measured
about two hundred yards in length, as thick as the little finger of
some fair one yet in her teens, and as white as the damsel’s finger
well could be, for it was wholly of Kentucky cotton, just, let me
tell you, because that substance stands the water better than either
hemp or flax. The main line finished, we made a hundred smaller ones,
about five feet in length, to each of which we fastened a capital
hook of KIRBY and Co.’s manufacture. Now for the bait!
It was the month of May. Nature had brought abroad myriads of living
beings: they covered the earth, glided through the water, and swarmed
in the air. The Cat-fish is a voracious creature, not at all nice in
feeding, but one who, like the vulture, contents himself with carrion
when nothing better can be had. A few experiments proved to us that,
of the dainties with which we tried to allure them to our hooks, they
gave a decided preference, at that season, to _live toads_. These
animals were very abundant about Henderson. They ramble or feed,
whether by instinct or reason, during early or late twilight more
than at any other time, especially after a shower, and are unable to
bear the heat of the sun’s rays for several hours before and after
noon. We have a good number of these crawling things in America,
particularly in the western and southern parts of the Union, and are
very well supplied with frogs, snakes, lizards, and even crocodiles,
which we call alligators; but there is enough of food for them all,
and we generally suffer them to creep about, to leap or to flounder
as they please, or in accordance with the habits which have been
given them by the great Conductor of all.
During the month of May, and indeed until autumn, we found an abundant
supply of toads. Many “fine ladies,” no doubt, would have swooned, or
at least screamed and gone into hysterics, had they seen one of our
baskets filled with these animals, all alive and plump. Fortunately
we had no tragedy queen or sentimental spinster at Henderson. Our
Kentucky ladies mind their own affairs, and seldom meddle with those of
others farther than to do all they can for their comfort. The toads,
collected one by one, and brought home in baskets, were deposited in
a barrel for use. And now that night is over, and as it is the first
trial we are going to give our trot-line, just watch our movements
from that high bank beside the stream. There sit down under the large
cotton-wood tree. You are in no danger of catching cold at this season.
My assistant follows me with a gaff hook, while I carry the paddle of
our canoe; a boy bears on his back a hundred toads as good as ever
hopped. Our line—oh, I forgot to inform you that we had set it last
night, but without the small ones you now see on my arm. Fastening
one end to yon sycamore, we paddled our canoe, with the rest nicely
coiled in the stern, and soon reached its extremity, when I threw
over the side the heavy stone fastened to it as a sinker. All this
was done that it might be thoroughly soaked, and without kinks or
snarls in the morning. Now, you observe, we launch our light bark,
the toads in the basket are placed next to my feet in the bow; I have
the small lines across my knees all ready looped at the end. NAT,
with the paddle, and assisted by the current, keeps the stern of our
boat directly down stream; and DAVID fixes, by the skin of the back
and hind parts, the living bait to the hook. I hold the main line
all the while, and now, having fixed one linelet to it, over goes the
latter. Can you see the poor toad kicking and flouncing in the water?
“No”—well, I do. You observe at length that all the lines, one after
another, have been fixed, baited, and dropped. We now return swiftly
to the shore.
“What a delightful thing is fishing!” have I more than once heard
some knowing angler exclaim, who, with “the patience of Job,” stands
or slowly moves along some rivulet twenty feet wide, and three or
four feet deep, with a sham fly to allure a trout, which, when at
length caught, weighs half a pound. Reader, I never had such patience.
Although I have waited ten years, and yet see only three-fourths of
the Birds of America engraved, although some of the drawings of that
work were patiently made so long ago as 1805, and although I have
to wait with patience two years more before I see the end of it, I
never could hold a line or a rod for many minutes, unless I had—not
a “nibble,” but a hearty bite, and could throw the fish at once over
my head on the ground. No, no—If I fish for trout, I must soon give
up, or catch, as I have done in Pennsylvania’s Lehigh, or the streams
of Maine, fifty or more in a couple of hours. But the trot-line is in
the river, and there it may patiently wait, until I visit it toward
night. Now I take up my gun and note-book, and, accompanied by my
dog, intend to ramble through the woods until breakfast. Who knows
but I may shoot a turkey or a deer? It is barely four o’clock; and
see what delightful mornings we have at this season in Kentucky!
Evening has returned. The heavens have already opened their twinkling
eyes, although the orb of day has yet scarcely withdrawn itself from
our view. How calm is the air! The nocturnal insects and quadrupeds
are abroad; the bear is moving through the dark canebrake, the land
crows are flying towards their roosts, their aquatic brethren towards
the interior of the forests, the squirrel is barking his adieu, and
the Barred Owl glides silently and swiftly from his retreat, to seize
upon the gay and noisy animal. The boat is pushed off from the shore;
the main-line is in my hands; now it shakes; surely some fish have been
hooked. Hand over hand I proceed to the first hook. Nothing there!
But now I feel several jerks stronger and more frequent than before.
Several hooks I pass; but see, what a fine Cat-fish is twisting round
and round the little line to which he is fast! NAT, look to your
gaff—hook him close to the tail. Keep it up, my dear fellow!—there
now, we have him. More are on, and we proceed. When we have reached
the end many goodly fishes are lying in the bottom of our skiff. New
bait has been put on, and, as we return, I congratulate myself and my
companions on the success of our efforts; for there lies fish enough
for ourselves and our neighbours.
A trot-line at this period was perfectly safe at Henderson, should
I have allowed it to remain for weeks at a time. The navigation was
mostly performed by flat-bottomed boats, which during calm nights
floated in the middle current of the river, so that the people on
board could not observe the fish that had been hooked. Not a single
steamer had as yet ever gone down the Ohio; now and then, it is
true, a barge or a keel-boat was propelled by poles and oars; but
the nature of the river is such at that place, that these boats when
ascending were obliged to keep near the Indiana shore, until above
the landing of the village, (below which I always fixed my lines),
when they pulled across the stream.
Several species or varieties of Cat-fish are found in the Ohio, namely
the Blue, the White, and the Mud Cats, which differ considerably in
their form and colour, as well as in their habits. The Mud Cat is
the best, although it seldom attains so great a size as the rest.
The Blue Cat is the coarsest, but when not exceeding from four to six
pounds, it affords tolerable eating. The White Cat is preferable to
the last, but not so common; and the Yellow Mud Cat is the best and
rarest. Of the blue kind some have been caught that weighed a hundred
pounds. Such fishes, however, are looked upon as monsters.
The form in all the varieties inclines to the conical, the head being
disproportionately large, while the body tapers away to the root of the
tail. The eyes, which are small, are placed far apart, and situated
as it were on the top of the forehead, but laterally. Their mouth is
wide, and armed with numerous small and very sharp teeth, while it
is defended by single-sided spines, which, when the fish is in the
agonies of death, stand out at right angles, and are so firmly fixed
as sometimes to break before you can loosen them. The Cat-fish has
also feelers of proportionate length, apparently intended to guide
its motions over the bottom, whilst its eyes are watching the objects
passing above.
Trot-lines cannot be used with much success unless during the middle
stages of the water. When very low, it is too clear, and the fish,
although extremely voracious, will rarely risk its life for a toad.
When the waters are rising rapidly, your trot-lines are likely to be
carried away by one of the numerous trees that float in the stream.
A “happy medium” is therefore best.
When the waters are rising fast and have become muddy, a single line
is used for catching Cat-fish. It is fastened to the elastic branch
of some willow several feet above the water, and must be twenty or
thirty feet in length. The entrails of a Wild Turkey, or a piece of
fresh venison, furnish good bait; and if, when you visit your line the
next morning after you have set it, the water has not risen too much,
the swinging of the willow indicates that a fish has been hooked,
and you have only to haul the prize ashore.
One evening I saw that the river was rising at a great rate, although
it was still within its banks. I knew that the White Perch were
running, that is, ascending the river from the sea, and, anxious to
have a tasting of that fine fish, I baited a line with a cray-fish,
and fastened it to the bough of a tree. Next morning as I pulled in
the line, it felt as if fast at the bottom, yet on drawing it slowly I
found that it came. Presently I felt a strong pull, the line slipped
through my fingers, and next instant a large Cat-fish leaped out of
the water. I played it for a while, until it became exhausted, when
I drew it ashore. It had swallowed the hook, and I cut off the line
close to its head. Then passing a stick through one of the gills, I
and a servant tugged the fish home. On cutting it open, we, to our
surprise, found in its stomach a fine White Perch, dead, but not
in the least injured. The Perch had been lightly hooked, and the
Cat-fish, after swallowing it, had been hooked in the stomach, so
that, although the instrument was small, the torture caused by it
no doubt tended to disable the Cat-fish. The Perch we ate, and the
Cat, which was fine, we divided into four parts, and distributed
among our neighbours. My most worthy friend and relative, NICHOLAS
BERTHOUD, Esq., who formerly resided at Shippingport in Kentucky, but
now in New York, a better fisher than whom I never knew, once placed
a trot-line in “the basin” below “Tarascon’s Mills,” at the foot of
the Rapids of the Ohio. I cannot recollect the bait which was used;
but on taking up the line we obtained a remarkably fine Cat-fish, in
which was found the greater part of a sucking pig!
I may here add, that I have introduced a figure of the Cat-fish in
Plate XXXI. of my first volume of my Illustrations, in which I have
represented the White-headed Eagle.
THE WOOD IBIS.
_TANTALUS LOCULATOR_, LINN.
PLATE CCXVI. MALE.
This very remarkable bird, and all others of the same genus that
are known to occur in the United States, are constant residents in
some part of our Southern Districts, although they perform short
migrations. A few of them now and then stray as far as the Middle
States, but instances of this are rare; and I am not aware that any
have been seen farther to the eastward than the southern portions
of Maryland, excepting a few individuals of the Glossy and the White
Ibises, which have been procured in Pennsylvania, New Jersey, and New
York. The Carolinas, Georgia, the Floridas, Alabama, Lower Louisiana,
including Opellousas, and Mississippi, are the districts to which
they resort by preference, and in which they spend the whole year.
With the exception of the Glossy Ibis, which may be looked upon as
a bird of the Mexican territories, and which usually appears in the
Union singly or in pairs, they all live socially in immense flocks,
especially during the breeding season. The country which they inhabit
is doubtless the best suited to their habits; the vast and numerous
swamps, lagoons, bayous, and submersed savannahs that occur in the
lower parts of our Southern States, all abounding with fishes and
reptiles; and the temperature of these countries being congenial to
their constitutions.
In treating of the bird now under your notice, Mr WILLIAM BARTRAM says,
“This solitary bird does not associate in flocks, but is generally
seen alone.” This was published by WILSON, and every individual who
has since written on the subject, has copied the assertion without
probably having any other reason than that he believed the authors of
it to state a fact. But the habits of this species are entirely at
variance with the above quotation, to which I direct your attention
not without a feeling of pain, being assured that Mr BARTRAM could
have made such a statement only because he had few opportunities of
studying the bird in question in its proper haunts.
The Wood Ibis is rarely met with single, even after the breeding
season, and it is more easy for a person to see an hundred together
at any period of the year, than to meet with one by itself. Nay, I
have seen flocks composed of several thousands, and that there is
a natural necessity for their flocking together I shall explain to
you. This species feeds entirely on fish and aquatic reptiles, of
which it destroys an enormous quantity, in fact more than it eats;
for if they have been killing fish for half an hour and have gorged
themselves, they suffer the rest to lie on the water untouched, when
it becomes food for alligators, crows, and vultures, whenever these
animals can lay hold of it. To procure its food, the Wood Ibis walks
through shallow muddy lakes or bayous in numbers. As soon as they
have discovered a place abounding in fish, they dance as it were all
through it, until the water becomes thick with the mud stirred from
the bottom by their feet. The fishes, on rising to the surface, are
instantly struck by the beaks of the Ibises, which, on being deprived
of life, they turn over and so remain. In the course of ten or fifteen
minutes, hundreds of fishes, frogs, young alligators, and water-snakes
cover the surface, and the birds greedily swallow them until they
are completely gorged, after which they walk to the nearest margins,
place themselves in long rows, with their breasts all turned towards
the sun, in the manner of Pelicans and Vultures, and thus remain for
an hour or so. When digestion is partially accomplished, they all
take to wing, rise in spiral circlings to an immense height, and sail
about for an hour or more, performing the most beautiful evolutions
that can well be conceived. Their long necks and legs are stretched
out to their full extent, the pure white of their plumage contrasts
beautifully with the jetty black of the tips of their wings. Now in
large circles they seem to ascend toward the upper regions of the
atmosphere; now, they pitch towards the earth; and again, gently
rising, they renew their gyrations. Hunger once more induces them
to go in search of food, and, with extended front, the band sails
rapidly towards another lake or bayou.
Mark the place, reader, and follow their course through cane-brake,
cypress-swamp, and tangled wood. Seldom do they return to the same
feeding place on the same day. You have reached the spot, and are
standing on the margin of a dark-watered bayou, the sinuosities of
which lead your eye into a labyrinth ending in complete darkness. The
tall canes bow to each other from the shores; the majestic trees above
them, all hung with funereal lichen, gently wave in the suffocating
atmosphere; the bullfrog, alarmed, shrinks back into the water; the
alligator raises his head above its surface, probably to see if the
birds have arrived, and the wily cougar is stealthily advancing toward
one of the Ibises, which he expects to carry off into the thicket.
Through the dim light your eye catches a glimpse of the white-plumaged
birds, moving rapidly like spectres to and fro. The loud clacking
of their mandibles apprises you of the havock they commit among the
terrified inhabitants of the waters, while the knell-like sounds of
their feet come with a feeling of dread. Move, gently or not, move
at all, and you infallibly lose your opportunity of observing the
actions of the birds. Some old male has long marked you; whether it
has been with eye or with ear, no matter. The first stick your foot
cracks, his hoarse voice sounds the alarm. Off they all go, battering
down the bending canes with their powerful pinions, and breaking the
smaller twigs of the trees, as they force a passage for themselves.
Talk to me of the stupidity of birds, of the dulness of the Wood Ibis!
say it is fearless, easily approached, and easily shot. I listen, but
it is merely through courtesy; for I have so repeatedly watched its
movements, in all kinds of circumstances, that I am quite convinced
we have not in the United States a more shy, wary, and vigilant bird
than the Wood Ibis. In the course of two years spent, I may say, among
them, for I saw some whenever I pleased during that period, I never
succeeded in surprising one, not even under night, when they were
roosting on trees at a height of nearly a hundred feet, and sometimes
rendered farther secure by being over extensive swamps.
My Journal informs me, that, one autumn while residing near Bayou
Sara, being intent on procuring eight or ten of these birds, to skin
for my learned and kind friend the Prince of Musignano, I took with
me two servants, who were first-rate woodsmen, and capital hands at
the rifle, and that notwithstanding our meeting with many hundreds of
Wood Ibises, it took us three days to shoot fifteen, which were for
the most part killed on wing with rifle-balls, at a distance of about
a hundred yards. On that occasion we discovered that a flock roosted
regularly over a large corn field covered with huge girted trees, the
tops of which were almost all decayed. We stationed ourselves apart
in the field, concealed among the tall ripened corn, and in silence
awaited the arrival of the birds. After the sun had disappeared,
the broad front of a great flock of Ibises was observed advancing
towards us. They soon alighted in great numbers on the large branches
of the dead trees; but whenever one of the branches gave way under
their weight, all at once rose in the air, flew about several times,
and alighted again. One of my companions, having a good opportunity,
fired, and brought two down with a single bullet; but here the sport
was ended. In five minutes after, not an Ibis was within a mile of
the place, nor did any return to roost there for more than a month.
When on the margin of a lake, or even in the centre of it—for all the
lakes they frequent are exceedingly shallow—the first glimpse they
have of a man induces them to exert all their vigilance; and should
he after this advance a few steps, the birds fly off.
The name of “Wood Ibis” given to this bird, is not more applicable to
it than to any other species; for every one with which I am acquainted
resorts quite as much to the woods at particular periods. All our
species may be found on wet savannahs, on islands surrounded even by
the waters of the sea, the Florida Keys for example, or in the most
secluded parts of the darkest woods, provided they are swampy, or are
furnished with ponds. I have found the Wood, the Red, the White, the
Brown, and the Glossy Ibises, around ponds in the centre of immense
forests; and in such places, even in the desolate pine-barrens of the
Floridas; sometimes several hundred miles from the sea coast, on the
Red River, in the State of Louisiana, and above Natchez, in that of
Mississippi, as well as within a few miles of the ocean. Yet, beyond
certain limits, I never saw one of these birds.
One of the most curious circumstances connected with this species is,
that although the birds are, when feeding, almost constantly within
the reach of large alligators, of which they devour the young, these
reptiles never attack them; whereas if a Duck or a Heron comes within
the reach of their tails, it is immediately killed and swallowed. The
Wood Ibis will wade up to its belly in the water, round the edges of
“alligators’ holes,” without ever being injured; but should one of
these birds be shot, an alligator immediately makes towards it and
pulls it under water. The gar-fish is not so courteous, but gives
chase to the Ibises whenever an opportunity occurs. The Snapping
Turtle is also a great enemy to the young birds of this species.
The flight of the Wood Ibis is heavy at its rising from the ground.
Its neck at that moment is deeply curved downward, its wings flap
heavily but with great power, and its long legs are not stretched
out behind until it has proceeded many yards. But as soon as it
has attained a height of eight or ten feet, it ascends with great
celerity, generally in a spiral direction, in silence if not alarmed,
or, if frightened, with a rough croaking guttural note. When fairly
on wing, they proceed in a direct flight, with alternate flappings
and sailings of thirty or forty yards, the sailings more prolonged
than the flappings. They alight on trees with more ease than Herons
generally do, and either stand erect or crouch on the branches, in
the manner of the Wild Turkey, the Herons seldom using the latter
attitude. When they are at rest, they place their bill against the
breast, while the neck shrinks as it were between the shoulders. In
this position you may see fifty on the same tree, or on the ground,
reposing in perfect quiet for hours at a time, although some individual
of the party will be constantly on the look-out, and ready to sound
the alarm.
In the spring months, when these birds collect in large flocks, before
they return to their breeding places, I have seen thousands together,
passing over the woods in a line more than a mile in extent, and
moving with surprising speed at the height of only a few yards above
the trees. When a breeding place has once been chosen, it is resorted
to for years in succession; nor is it easy to make them abandon it
after they have deposited their eggs, although, if much annoyed, they
never return to it after that season.
Besides the great quantity of fishes that these Ibises destroy,
they also devour frogs, young alligators, wood-rats, young rails
and grakles, fiddlers and other crabs, as well as snakes and small
turtles. They never eat the eggs of the alligator, as has been alleged,
although they probably would do so, could they demolish the matted
nests of that animal, a task beyond the power of _any_ bird known
to me. I never saw one eat any thing which either it or some of its
fellows had not killed. Nor will it eat an animal that has been dead
for some time, even although it may have been killed by itself. When
eating, the clacking of their mandibles may be heard at the distance
of several hundred yards.
When wounded, it is dangerous to approach them, for they bite severely.
They may be said to be very tenacious of life. Although usually fat,
they are very tough and oily, and therefore are not fit for food. The
Negroes, however, eat them, having, previous to cooking them, torn off
the skin, as they do with Pelicans and Cormorants. My own attempts,
I may add, were not crowned with success. Many of the Negroes of
Louisiana destroy these birds when young, for the sake of the oil
which their flesh contains, and which they use in greasing machines.
The French Creoles of that State name them “Grands Flamans,” while
the Spaniards of East Florida know them by the name of “Gannets.”
When in the latter country, at St Augustine, I was induced to make an
excursion, to visit a large pond or lake, where I was assured there
were Gannets in abundance, which I might shoot off the trees, provided
I was careful enough. On asking the appearance of the Gannets, I was
told that they were large white birds, with wings black at the end,
a long neck, and a large sharp bill. The description so far agreeing
with that of the Common Gannet or Solan Goose, I proposed no questions
respecting the legs or tail, but went off. Twenty-three miles, Reader,
I trudged through the woods, and at last came in view of the pond;
when, lo! its borders and the trees around it were covered with
Wood Ibises. Now, as the good people who gave the information spoke
according to their knowledge, and agreeably to their custom of calling
the Ibises Gannets, had I not gone to the pond, I might have written
this day that Gannets are found in the interior of the woods in the
Floridas, that they alight on trees, &c. which, if _once_ published,
would in all probability have gone down to future times through the
medium of compilers, and all perhaps without acknowledgment.
The Wood Ibis takes four years in attaining full maturity, although
birds of the second year are now and then found breeding. This is
rare, however, for the young birds live in flocks by themselves,
until they have attained the age of about three years. They are at
first of a dingy brown, each feather edged with paler; the head is
covered to the mandibles with short downy feathers, which gradually
fall off as the bird advances in age. In the third year, the head is
quite bare, as well as a portion of the upper part of the neck. In
the fourth year, the bird is as you see it in the plate. The male is
much larger and heavier than the female, but there is no difference
in colour between the sexes.
TANTALUS LOCULATOR, _Linn._ Syst. Nat. vol. i. p.
240.—_Lath._ Ind. Ornith. vol. ii. p. 702.—_Ch. Bonaparte_,
Synops. of Birds of the United States, p. 310.
WOOD IBIS, TANTALUS LOCULATOR, _Wils._ Amer. Ornith. vol.
viii. p. 39. pl. 68. fig. 1. Adult.—_Nuttall_, Manual, vol.
ii. p. 82.
Adult Male. Plate CCXVI.
Bill long, stout, at the base as wide as the face, deeper than broad,
compressed, tapering towards the end, which is curved. Upper mandible
with the dorsal line straight to near the end, then considerably
curved, the ridge rather broad and flattened at the base, narrowed
at the middle, convex towards the end, the sides sloping and rather
flat at the base, towards the end rounded, the edges overlapping,
inflected, sharp but strong, the tip declinate, narrow, rounded, with
a notch on either side. Nostrils basal, close to the ridge, direct,
pervious, oblong; no nasal groove. Lower mandible curved towards the
end, like the upper, its angle rather wide, and having a bare dilatable
membrane, the sides rather flat and erect at the base, afterwards
narrowed and with the back rounded, the edges erect, sharp, with a
groove externally for the insertion of those of the upper mandible.
Head of ordinary size, short, compressed. Neck long. Body rather
slender, deeper than broad. Wings large. Feet very long, slender,
like those of the Herons. Tibia long, slender, bare for one-half
of its length; and with the long, compressed tarsus, covered all
round with hexagonal scales. Toes rather long and slender, the first
smallest, the second next in length, the third longest, the fourth
intermediate between the second and third, all covered above with
numerous scutella, laterally with angular scales, beneath flattened
with soft margins, the anterior connected at the base by pretty large
webs, of which the outer is larger. Claws small, rather compressed,
rounded above, obtuse, the thin edge of that of the third not serrated.
The head all round, and the hind neck half way down, destitute of
feathers, the skin wrinkled and covered with irregular scurfy scales.
Plumage in general rather loose, more so on the neck. Wings long,
ample, primaries strong, the third longest, second almost as long,
fourth about the same length as third, first considerably shorter,
all curved, emarginate, of twelve broad, rounded feathers.
Bill dusky yellowish-brown, the edges yellow. Sides of the head
dark bluish-purple, upper part of the head horn-colour or dull
greyish-yellow, the rest of the bare skin of the same tint, many of
the scales anteriorly blue. Iris deep brown, at a distance seeming
black. Tibia and tarsus indigo-blue. Toes above black, on the lateral
and hind toes, however, many of the scutella bluish-grey; the webs
pale yellowish flesh-colour; claws black.
The general colour of the plumage is pure white with a tinge of yellow.
Alula, primary coverts, primary and secondary quills, excepting the
inner, and tail, black, with green and purplish-blue reflections,
according to the light in which they are viewed.
Length to end of tail 44-1/2 inches, to end of claws 59-1/2, to end of
wings 46-1/2; from flexure 18; tail 6; extent of wings 62; bill along
the back 9-1/2, along the edge 9, its greatest depth 2-1/4; bare part of
tibia 6; tarsus 9; middle toe 4-2/12, its claw 3/4. Weight 11-3/4 lb.
The Female is precisely similar to the Male, differing merely in
being smaller. Its weight is 9-1/4 lb.
The Young are dusky grey all over, the quills and tail brownish-black.
The head all covered with down, excepting just at the base of the
bill. After the first moult, the bare space extends over the head and
cheeks; the downy feathers of the hind head and neck are dusky; the
general colour of the plumage is white, the quills and tail nearly
as in the adult, but with less gloss. A Male of this description shot
in January was in length 35 inches, its bill 7-1/2, tarsus 7, middle toe
4, its claw 1/2; its weight 7-3/4 lb.
When the Wood Ibis has caught a fish too large to be easily swallowed,
it shakes its head in a violent manner, as if to force its prey down
or drive it up again. In the latter case, it carries the fish to the
shore, and breaks it into pieces, which it then swallows.
This species has the subcutaneous cellular tissue highly developed,
especially along the breast, and the lower parts of the body, although
not by any means so much so as in the Brown Pelican. I have represented
a flock of these birds in the back ground, with the view of giving
you an idea of the swamps to which they usually resort. They are
on the edge of an alligator’s hole, at their avocations. The trees,
clad with dangling mosses, afford evidence of the insalubrity of the
atmosphere. You see the alligators with their heads and backs above
water, watching the motions of the birds.
LOUISIANA HERON.
_ARDEA LUDOVICIANA_, WILS.
PLATE CCXVII. MALE.
Delicate in form, beautiful in plumage, and graceful in its movements,
I never see this interesting Heron, without calling it the Lady of
the Waters. Watch its motions, as it leisurely walks over the pure
sand beaches of the coast of Florida, arrayed in the full beauty of
its spring plumage. Its pendent crest exhibits its glossy tints, its
train falls gracefully over a well defined tail, and the tempered
hues of its back and wings contrast with those of its lower parts.
Its measured steps are so light that they leave no impression on the
sand, and with its keen eye it views every object around with the most
perfect accuracy. See, it has spied a small fly lurking on a blade of
grass, it silently runs a few steps, and with the sharp point of its
bill it has already secured the prey. The minnow just escaped from
the pursuit of some larger fish has almost rushed upon the beach for
safety; but the quick eye of the Heron has observed its motions, and
in an instant it is swallowed alive. Among the herbage yet dripping
with dew the beautiful bird picks its steps. Not a snail can escape
its keen search, and as it moves around the muddy pool, it secures
each water lizard that occurs. Now the sun’s rays have dried up the
dews, the flowers begin to droop, the woodland choristers have ended
their morning concert, and like them, the Heron, fatigued with its
exertions, seeks a place of repose under the boughs of the nearest
bush, where it may in safety await the coolness of the evening. Then
for a short while it again searches for food. Little difficulty does
it experience in this; and at length, with the last glimpse of day, it
opens its wings, and flies off towards its well-known roosting-place,
where it spends the night contented and happy.
This species, which is a constant resident in the southern parts of
the peninsula of the Floridas, seldom rambles far from its haunts
during the winter season, being rarely seen at that period beyond
Savannah in Georgia to the eastward. To the west it extends to the
broad sedgy flats bordering the mouths of the Mississippi, along the
whole Gulf of Mexico, and perhaps much farther south. In the beginning
of spring, it is found abundantly in the Carolinas, and sometimes as
far east as Maryland, or up the Mississippi as high as Natchez. You
never find it far inland: perhaps forty miles would be a considerable
distance at any time of the year. It is at all seasons a social bird,
moving about in company with the Blue Heron or the White Egret. It
also frequently associates with the larger species, and breeds in the
same places, along with the White Heron, the Yellow-crowned Heron,
and the Night Heron; but more generally it resorts to particular spots
for this purpose, keeping by itself, and assembling in great numbers.
Those which visit the Carolinas, or the country of the Mississippi,
make their appearance there about the first of April, or when the
Egrets and other species of Heron seek the same parts, returning to
the Floridas or farther south about the middle of September, although
I have known some to remain there during mild winters. When this is
the case, all the other species may be met with in the same places,
as the Louisiana Heron is the most delicate in constitution of all.
Whilst at St Augustine in Florida, in the month of January, I found
this species extremely abundant there; but after a hard frost of a
few days, they all disappeared, leaving the other Herons, none of
which seemed to be affected by the cold, and returned again as soon
as the Fahrenheit thermometer rose to 80°. There they were in full
livery by the end of February, and near Charleston by the 5th of April.
Although timid, they are less shy than most other species, and more
easily procured. I have frequently seen one alight at the distance
of a few yards, and gaze on me as if endeavouring to discover my
intentions. This apparent insensibility to danger has given rise to
the appellation of _Egrette folle_, which is given to them in Lower
Louisiana.
The flight of this beautiful Heron is light, rather irregular, swifter
than that of any other species, and capable of being considerably
protracted. They usually move in long files, rather widely separated,
and in an undulating manner, with constant flappings. When proceeding
towards their roosts, or when on their migrations, they pass as high
over the country as other species; on the former occasion, they pass
and repass over the same tract, thus enabling the gunner easily to
shoot them, which he may especially calculate on doing at the approach
of night, when they are gorged with food, and fly lower than in the
morning. They may, however, be still more surely obtained on their
arriving at their roosting place, where they alight at once among
the lowest branches. On being shot at, they seldom fly to a great
distance, and their attachment to a particular place is such that
you are sure to find them there during the whole period of their stay
in the country, excepting the breeding time. At the cry of a wounded
one, they assail you in the manner of some Gulls and Terns, and may
be shot in great numbers by any person fond of such sport.
On the 29th of April, while wading around a beautiful key of the
Floridas, in search of certain crustaceous animals called the sea
Cray-fish, my party and I suddenly came upon one of the breeding
places of the Louisiana Heron. The southern exposures of this lovely
island were overgrown with low trees and bushes matted together by
thousands of smilaxes and other creeping plants, supported by various
species of cactus. Among the branches some hundred pairs of these
lovely birds had placed their nests, which were so low and so close
to each other, that without moving a step one could put his hand
into several. The birds thus taken by surprise rose affrighted into
the air, bitterly complaining of being disturbed in their secluded
retreat. The nests were formed of small dried sticks crossing each
other in various ways. They were flat, had little lining, and each
contained three eggs, all the birds being then incubating. Observing
that many eggs had been destroyed by the Crows and Buzzards, as the
shells were scattered on the ground, I concluded that many of the
Herons had laid more than once, to make up their full complement of
eggs; for my opinion is, that all our species, excepting the Green
Heron, never lay more nor less than three, unless an accident should
happen. The eggs of the Louisiana Heron measure one inch and six and
a half twelfths in length, an inch and a quarter in breadth; they
are nearly elliptical, of a beautiful pale blue colour inclining to
green, smooth, and with a very thin shell. The period of incubation
is twenty-one days. Like all other species of the genus, this raises
only one brood in the season. The little island of which I have spoken
lies exposed to the sea, and has an extent of only a few acres. The
trees or bushes with which it was covered seemed to have been stunted
by the effect produced by their having been for years the receptacles
of the Herons’ nests.
On the 19th May, in the same year, I found another breeding place of
this species not far from Key West. The young birds, which stood on
all the branches of the trees and bushes on the southern side of the
place, were about the size of our Little Partridge. Their notes, by
which we had been attracted to the spot, were extremely plaintive,
and resembled the syllables _wiee, wiee, wiee_. When we went up to
them, the old birds all flew to another key, as if intent on drawing
us there; but in vain, for we took with us a good number of their
young. It was surprising to see the little fellows moving about among
the branches, clinging to them in all sorts of curious positions, and
persevering in forcing their way toward the water, when over which they
at once dropped, and swam off from us with great vigour and speed.
When seized with the hand, they defended themselves to the utmost.
At this early period, they plainly shewed the sprouting feathers of
the crest. Many Crow Blackbirds had nests on the same mangroves, and
a Fish-Hawk also had formed its nest there at a height of not more
than five feet from the water. On the 24th of May, these Herons were
fully fledged, and able to fly to a short distance. In this state
we, with some difficulty, procured one alive. Its legs and feet were
green, the bill black, but its eyes, like those of an adult bird,
were of a beautiful red hue. Many were caught afterwards and taken
as passengers on board the Marion. They fed on any garbage thrown
to them by the sailors; but whenever another species came near them,
they leaped towards its bill, caught hold of it as if it had been a
fish, and hung to it until shaken off by their stronger associates.
On several occasions, however, the _Ardea occidentalis_ shook them
off violently, and after beating them on the deck, swallowed them
before they could be rescued!
The place farthest up on the Mississippi where I have found this
species breeding was on Buffalo Creek, about forty miles below Natchez,
and ten miles in a direct line from the great river. To the eastward
I have found them, breeding in company with the Green Heron and the
Night Heron, within a few miles of Charleston.
During summer and autumn, after the old birds have left their young,
both are frequently seen in the rice-fields, feeding along the ditches
by which the water is led to those places. At this season they are
uncommonly gentle and easily approached.
The Louisiana Heron acquires the full beauty of its plumage the second
year after its birth, although it continues for some time to increase
in size. The train and crest lengthen for several years until they
become as represented in the plate. To procure specimens in such
complete plumage, however, requires some care, for this state does
not last many days after pairing has taken place, and by the time
the young are hatched much of this fine plumage has dropped. When
autumn has come, only a few of the long barbs remain, and in winter
no appearance of them can be seen.
The flesh of the young birds affords tolerable eating. The food of
this species consists of small fry, water insects, worms, slugs, and
snails, as well as leeches, tadpoles, and aquatic lizards.
LOUISIANA HERON, ARDEA LUDOVICIANA, _Wils._ Amer. Ornith.
vol. viii. p. 13. pl. 64. fig. 1. adult.—_Nuttall_, Manual,
vol. ii. p. 51.
ARDEA LUDOVICIANA, _Ch. Bonaparte_, Synops. of Birds of
the United States, p. 305.
Adult Male. Plate CCXVII.
Bill much longer than the head, straight, compressed, tapering to a
point, the mandibles nearly equal. Upper mandible with the dorsal line
nearly straight, the ridge broad and slightly convex at the base,
narrowed towards the end, a groove from the base to two-thirds of
the length, beneath which the sides are convex, the edges thin and
sharp, with a notch on each side close to the sharp tip. Nostrils
basal, linear, longitudinal, with a membrane above and behind. Lower
mandible with the angle extremely narrow and elongated, the dorsal
line beyond it ascending and almost straight, the edges sharp and
slightly inflected, the tip acuminate.
Head rather small, oblong, compressed. Neck very long and slender.
Body slender and compressed; wings rather large. Feet very long;
tibia elongated, its lower half bare, very slender, covered all round
with angular scales, of which the posterior are scutelliform; tarsus
elongated, slender, compressed, covered anteriorly with numerous
scutella, laterally and behind with angular scales. Toes of moderate
length, rather slender, scutellate above, reticularly granulate
beneath; third toe much longer than second, which is very little
longer than fourth, the hind toe much shorter but strong; claws of
moderate size, rather strong, arched, compressed, rather acute, that
of the hind toe much larger, the edge of that of the third regularly
pectinated.
Space between the bill and eye, and around the latter, bare, as is
the lower half of the tibia. Plumage soft, generally loose. Feathers
of the upper and hind part of the head elongated, tapering, decurved,
about six of them larger and much longer; of the sides, and especially
of the lower part of the neck, also much elongated and narrow. The
feathers of the fore part of the back long and narrow-pointed, those
behind extremely elongated, with long loose threadlike barbs; the
rest of the back with short soft feathers. Wing of moderate length;
primaries tapering but rounded, the third longest, second very little
shorter, first and fourth about equal; secondaries broad and rounded,
some of the inner as long as the longest primaries, when the wing is
closed. Tail very short, small, slightly rounded, of twelve rather
weak feathers.
Bill brownish-black on the greater part of the upper mandible, and on
the sides of the lower mandible towards the point; the rest yellow,
as is the bare space before and around the eye. Iris bright red.
Feet light yellowish-green, the anterior scutella dusky, as are the
claws. The general colour of the upper parts is light purplish-blue;
the elongated feathers of the head and hind neck above of a fine
reddish-purple, as are those of the lower part of the neck; the six
longest feathers of the head white. The long loose feathers of the
back dull purplish-yellow, paler towards their extremities. Throat
white, its lower part chestnut; a line of white all the way down the
fore part of the neck; the longer feathers of the fore part of the
breast dusky blue on their inner webs. The breast, abdomen, tibiæ,
and under wing-coverts, white; the lower tail-coverts tipped with blue.
Length to end of the tail 27 inches, to end of wings 28, to end of
claws 34-1/2; extent of wings 37; loose feathers from 4 to 5 inches
beyond the tail; wing from flexure 10-3/4; tail 3-1/2; bill along the
back 4, along the edges 5; bare part of tibia 2-1/4; tarsus 4-1/8,
middle toe 2-1/2, its claws 1/2. Weight 1 lb.
The Adult Female is precisely similar to the male.
The Young, when newly hatched, are covered above with pale
purplish-grey down, which is of greater length on the head, as in
other species.
The young fully fledged have the neck and fore part of the back
light brownish-red, the throat and lower parts white, as is the
hind part of the back; the quills, larger wing-coverts and tail,
light purplish-blue. The feathers of the head, neck and back are not
yet elongated. The bill nearly as in the adult, but the legs deep
greenish-olive.
After the first moult, the feathers of the head, neck and back, are a
little elongated, and begin to be tinged with the colours which they
have when the bird is full grown. The red of the neck is changed for
tints of blue and purple, as is that of the back, although remnants
of it are still seen. The fore part of the neck is white, mixed with
brownish-red; the legs lighter.
THE FOOLISH GUILLEMOT.
_URIA TROILE_, LATH.
PLATE CCXVIII. MALE AND FEMALE.
This bird is seldom found farther south than the entrance of the Bay
of New York, where, however, it appears only during severe winters,
for being one of the most hardy inhabitants of the northern regions,
its constitution is such as to enable it to bear without injury
the rigours of their wintry climates. About the bays near Boston
the Guillemots are seen every year in greater or less numbers, and
from thence to the eastward they become gradually more abundant. A
very old gunner whom I employed while at Boston, during the winter
of 1832-3, assured me, that when he was a young man, this species
bred on many of the rocky islands about the mouth of the bay there;
but that for about twenty years back none remained after the first
days of April, when they departed for the north in company with the
Thick-billed Guillemot, the Common Auk, the Puffin, and the Eider and
King Ducks, all of which visit these bays in hard weather. In the
Bay of Fundy, the Foolish Guillemot is very numerous, and is known
by the name of _Murre_, which it retains among all the eggers and
fishermen of Newfoundland and Labrador, where it breeds in myriads.
To those countries, then, I must lead you, good Reader, as there we
can with ease study the habits of these birds.
Stay on the deck of the Ripley by my side this clear and cold morning.
See how swiftly scuds our gallant bark, as she cuts her way through
the foaming billows, now inclining to the right and again to the left.
Far in the east, dark banks of low clouds indicate foul weather to
the wary mariner, who watches the approach of a northern storm with
anxiety. Suddenly the wind changes; but for this he has prepared; the
topsails are snugged to their yards, and the rest are securely reefed.
A thick fog obscures all around us. The waters suddenly checked in
their former course, furiously war against those which now strike them
in front. The uproar increases, the bark is tossed on every side; now
a sweeping wave rushes against the bows, the vessel quivers, while
down along her deck violently pour the waters, rolling from side to
side, seeking for a place by which they may escape. At this moment all
about you are in dismay save the Guillemots. The sea is covered with
these intrepid navigators of the deep. Over each tumultuous billow
they swim unconcerned on the very spray at the bow of the vessel,
and plunging as if with pleasure, up they come next moment at the
rudder. Others fly around in large circles, while thousands contend
with the breeze, moving directly against it in long lines, towards
regions unknown to all, save themselves and some other species of
sea birds.
The Guillemots pair during their migrations;—many of them at least
do so. While on my way toward Labrador, they were constantly within
sight, gambolling over the surface of the water, the males courting
the females, and the latter receiving the caresses of their mates.
These would at times rise erect in the sea, swell their throats,
and emit a hoarse puffing guttural note, to which the females at
once responded, with numerous noddings to their beaux. Then the pair
would rise, take a round in the air, re-alight, and seal the conjugal
compact; after which they flew or swam together for the season, and
so closely, that among multitudes on the wing or on the waves, one
might easily distinguish a mated pair.
Not far from Great Macatina Harbour lie the Murre Rocks, consisting
of several low islands, destitute of vegetation, and not rising high
from the waters. There thousands of Guillemots annually assemble in
the beginning of May, to deposit each its single egg, and raise its
young. As you approach these islands, the air becomes darkened with
the multitudes of birds that fly about; every square foot of the
ground seems to be occupied by a Guillemot planted erect as it were
on the granite rock, but carefully warming its cherished egg. All
look toward the south, and if you are fronting them, the snowy white
of their bodies produces a very remarkable effect, for the birds at
some distance look as if they were destitute of head, so much does
that part assimilate with the dark hue of the rocks on which they
stand. On the other hand, if you approach them in the rear, the isle
appears as if covered with a black pall.
Now land, and witness the consternation of the settlers! Each
affrighted leaves its egg, hastily runs a few steps, and launches
into the air in silence. Thrice around you they rapidly pass, to
discover the object of your unwelcome visit. If you begin to gather
their eggs, or, still worse, to break them, in order that they may
lay others which you can pick up fresh, the Guillemots all alight at
some distance, on the bosom of the deep, and anxiously await your
departure. Eggs, green and white, and almost of every colour, are
lying thick over the whole rock; the ordure of the birds mingled with
feathers, with the refuse of half-hatched eggs partially sucked by
rapacious Gulls, and with putrid or dried carcasses of Guillemots,
produces an intolerable stench; and no sooner are all your baskets
filled with eggs, than you are glad to abandon the isle to its proper
owners.
On one occasion, whilst at anchor at Great Macatina, one of our boats
was sent for eggs. The sailors had eight miles to pull before reaching
the Murre Islands, and yet ere many hours had elapsed, the boat was
again alongside, loaded to a few inches of the gunwale, with 2500
eggs! Many of them, however, being addle, were thrown overboard. The
order given to the tars had been to bring only a few dozens; but, as
they said, they had forgotten!
The eggs are unaccountably large for the size of the bird, their
average length being three inches and three-eighths, and their
greatest breadth two inches. They are pyriform or elongated, with a
slight compression towards the smaller end, which again rather swells
and is rounded at the extremity. They afford excellent food, being
highly nutritive and palatable, whether boiled, roasted, poached, or
in omelets. The shell is rough to the touch, although not granulated.
Some are of a lively verdigris colour, others of different tints, but
all curiously splashed, as it were, with streaks or blotches of dark
umber and brown. My opinion, however, is, that, when first dropped,
they are always pure white, for on opening a good number of these
birds, I found several containing an egg ready for being laid, and
of a pure white colour. The shell is so firm that it does not easily
break, and I have seen a quantity of these eggs very carelessly removed
from a basket into a boat without being damaged. They are collected
in astonishing quantities by “the eggers,” to whom I have already
given a character, and sent to distant markets, where they are sold
at from one to three cents each.
Although the Guillemots are continually harassed, their eggs being
carried off as soon as they are deposited, and as long as the birds
can produce them, yet they return to the same islands year after year,
and, notwithstanding all the efforts of their enemies, multiply their
numbers.
The Foolish Guillemot, as I have said, lays only a single egg, which
is the case with the Thick-billed Guillemot also. The Razor-billed
Auk lays two, and the Black Guillemot usually three. I have assured
myself of these facts, not merely by observing the birds sitting on
their eggs, but also by noticing the following circumstances. The
Foolish Guillemot, which lays only one, plucks the feathers from its
abdomen, which is thus left quite bare over a roundish space just
large enough to cover its single egg. The Thick-billed Guillemot does
the same. The Auk, on the contrary, forms two bare spots, separated
by a ridge of feathers. The Black Guillemot, to cover her three eggs,
and to warm them all at once, plucks a space bare quite across her
belly. These observations were made on numerous birds of all the
species mentioned. In all of them, the males incubate as well as the
females, although the latter are more assiduous. When the Guillemots
are disturbed, they fly off in silence. The Auks, on the contrary,
emit a hoarse croaking note, which they repeat several times, as they
fly away from danger. The Foolish Guillemot seldom if ever attempts
to bite, whereas the Razor-billed Auk bites most severely, and clings
to a person’s hand until choked. The plumage of all the birds of
this family is extremely compact, closely downed at the root, and
difficult to be plucked. The fishermen and eggers often use their
skins with the feathers on as “comforters” round their wrists. The
flesh is dark, tough, and not very palatable; yet many of these birds
are eaten by the fishermen and sailors.
The young, which burst the egg about the beginning of July, are covered
with down of a brownish-black colour. When eight or ten days old they
are still downy, but have acquired considerable activity. As they grow
up, they become excessively fat, and seem to be more at ease on the
water than on the land. About the middle of August they follow their
parents to the open sea, the latter being then seldom able to fly,
having dropped their quills; and by the middle of September scarcely
any of these birds are to be found on or near the islands on which
they breed, although great numbers spend the winter in those latitudes.
There is no perceptible difference between the sexes as to colour, but
the males are larger than the females. The white line that encircles
the eye and extends toward the hind head is common to both sexes,
but occurs only in old birds. Thousands of these Guillemots however
breed, without having yet acquired it, there merely being indications
of it to be seen on parting the feathers on the place, where there
is a natural division.
The flight of the Foolish Guillemot is rapid and greatly protracted,
being performed by quick and unintermitted beatings. They move through
the air either singly or in bands, in the latter case seldom keeping
any very regular order. Sometimes they seem to skim along the surface
for miles, while at other times they fly at the height of thirty or
forty yards. They are expert divers, using their wings like fins,
and under water looking like winged fishes. They frequently plunge at
the flash of the gun, and disappear for a considerable time. Before
rising, they are obliged to run as it were on the water, fluttering
for many yards before they get fairly on wing.
Those which I kept alive for weeks on board the Ripley, walked about
and ran with ease, with the whole length of their tarsus touching the
deck. They took leaps on chests and other objects to raise themselves,
but could not fly without being elevated two or three feet, although
when they are on the rocks, and can take a run of eight or ten yards,
they easily rise on wing.
The islands on which the Guillemots breed on the coast of Labrador,
are flattish at top, and it is there, on the bare rock, that they
deposit their eggs. I saw none standing on the shelvings of high
rocks, although many breed in such places in some parts of Europe.
Their food consists of small fish, shrimps, and other marine animals;
and they swallow some gravel also.
URIA TROILE, _Lath._ Ind. Ornith. vol. ii. p. 796.—_Ch.
Bonaparte_, Synops. of Birds of the United States, p.
424.—_Swains. and Richards._ Fauna Bor. Amer. vol. ii. p.
477.
FOOLISH GUILLEMOT, OR MURRE, _Nuttall_, Manual, vol. ii.
p. 526.
Adult Male, in summer. Plate CCXVIII.
Bill of moderate length, rather stout, tapering, compressed, acute.
Upper mandible with the dorsal line slightly curved, the ridge
narrow, broader at the base, the sides sloping, the edges short and
inflected, the tip a little decurved with a slight notch. Nasal groove
broad, feathered; nostrils at its lower edge, sub-basal, lateral,
longitudinal, linear, pervious. Lower mandible, with the angle medial,
narrow, the dorsal line sloping upwards, and straight, the back very
narrow, the sides nearly flat, the edges sharp and inflected.
Head oblong, depressed, narrowed before. Eyes rather small. Neck short
and thick. Body stout, rather depressed. Wings rather small. Feet
short, placed far behind; the greater part of the tibia concealed,
its lower portion bare; tarsus short, stout, compressed, anteriorly
sharp, and covered with a double row of scutella, the sides with
angular scales; toes of moderate length, the first wanting, the third
nearly longest, the fourth longer than the second; all covered above
with numerous scutella, webbed, the lateral ones with small margins;
claws small, slightly arched, compressed, rather acute, the middle
one larger, with a dilated inner edge.
Plumage dense, very soft, blended; on the head very short. Wings
rather short, narrow, acute; primary quills curved, tapering, the
first longest, the second little shorter, the rest rapidly graduated;
secondaries short, incurved, broad, rounded. Tail very short, rounded,
of twelve narrow feathers.
Bill black; inside of mouth gamboge-yellow. Iris dark brown. Feet
black. The general colour of the plumage is greyish-black on the
upper parts; the sides of the head and upper part of the neck black,
tinged with brown. A white bar across the wing, formed by the tips
of the secondary quills, and a line of the same encircling the eye,
and extending behind it. The lower parts white.
Length to end of tail 17-1/2 inches, to end of claws 19-1/4, to end
of wings 17-1/2; extent of wings 30 inches; wing from flexure 7-1/2;
tail 2; tarsus 1-3/12; middle toe 1-7/12, its claw 5/12. Weight 2 lb.
Adult Female. Plate CCXVIII. Fig. 2.
The Female is similar to the male, and, when mature, has the white
line round and behind the eye.
THE BLACK GUILLEMOT.
_URIA GRYLLE_, LATH.
PLATE CCXIX. ADULT IN SUMMER, ADULT IN WINTER, AND YOUNG.
It was a frightful thing to see my good Captain, HENRY EMERY, swinging
on a long rope upon the face of a rocky and crumbling eminence, at a
height of several hundred feet from the water, in search of the eggs
of the Black Guillemot, with four or five sailors holding the rope
above, and walking along the edge of the precipice. I stood watching
the motions of the adventurous sailor. When the friction of the rope
by which he was suspended loosened a block, which with awful crash
came tumbling down from above him, he, with a promptness and dexterity
that appeared to me quite marvellous, would, by a sudden jerk, throw
himself aside to the right or left, and escape the danger. Now he
would run his arm into a fissure, which, if he found it too deep, he
would probe with a boat-hook. Whenever he chanced to touch a bird,
it would come out whirring like a shot in his face; while others
came flying from afar toward their beloved retreats with so much
impetuosity as almost to alarm the bold rocksman. After much toil and
trouble he procured only a few eggs, it not being then the height
of the breeding season. You may imagine, good Reader, how relieved
I felt when I saw Mr EMERY drawn up, and once more standing on the
bold eminence waving his hat as a signal of success. This happened
in one of the Magdeleine Islands, in the Gulf of St Lawrence.
During severe winters, I have seen the Black Guillemot playing over
the waters as far south as the shores of Maryland. Such excursions,
however, are of rare occurrence, and it is seldom that any of these
birds are to be seen until you reach the Bay of Boston. About the
different entrances of the Bay of Fundy, this species is a constant
resident, and many individuals breed in fissures, at a moderate
height above the water, on the rocky shores of the Island of Grand
Manan, and others in the same latitude. Proceeding farther toward
the north-east, we found them on Jesticoe Island, and wherever else
we happened to touch on our way to Labrador, in which country there
is a regular nursery of these birds.
Unlike the Foolish and Thick-billed Guillemots, or the Razor-billed
Auk, they do not confine themselves to any particular spot, but take
up their abode for the season in any place that presents suitable
conveniences. Wherever there are fissures in the rocks, or great piles
of blocks with holes in their interstices, there you may expect to
find the Black Guillemot.
Whether European writers have spoken of this species at random, or
after due observation, I cannot say. All I know is, that every one of
them whose writings I have consulted, says that the Black Guillemot
lays only _one egg_. As I have no reason whatever to doubt their
assertion, I might be tempted to suppose that our species differs
from theirs, were I not perfectly aware that birds in different
places will construct different nests, and lay more or fewer eggs.
Our species always deposits three, unless it may have been disturbed;
and this fact I have assured myself of by having caught the birds in
more than twenty instances sitting on that number. Nay, on several
occasions, at Labrador, some of my party and myself _saw_ several
Black Guillemots sitting on eggs in the same fissure of a rock, where
every bird had three eggs under it, a fact which I communicated to my
friend THOMAS NUTTALL. What was most surprising to me was, that even
the fishermen there thought that this bird laid only a single egg;
and when I asked them how they knew, they simply and good-naturedly
answered that they had heard so. Thus, Reader, I might have been
satisfied with the sayings of others, and repeated that the bird
in question lays one egg; but instead of taking this easy way of
settling the matter, I found it necessary to convince myself of the
fact by my own observation. I had therefore to receive many knocks
and bruises in scrambling over rugged crags and desolate headlands;
whereas, with less incredulity, I might very easily have announced
to you from my easy chair in Edinburgh, that the Black Guillemots of
America lay only a single egg. No true student of nature ought ever to
be satisfied without personal observation when it can be obtained. It
is the “American Woodsman” that tells you so, anxious as he is that
you should enjoy the pleasure of studying and admiring the beautiful
works of Nature.
To satisfy yourself as to the correctness of the statements which he
here lays before you, go to the desolate shores of Labrador. There,
in the vernal month of June, place yourself on some granite rock,
against the base of which the waves dash in impotent rage; and ere
long you will see the gay Guillemot coming from afar by the side
of its mate. They shoot past you on fluttering wings, and suddenly
disappear. Go to the place; lay yourself down on the dripping rock,
and you will be sure to see the birds preparing their stony nest, for
each has brought a smooth pebble in its bill. See how industriously
they are engaged in raising this cold fabric into the form of a
true nest, before the female lays her eggs, so that no wet may reach
them, from the constant trickling of the waters beneath. Up to the
height of two or three inches the pebbles are gradually raised, the
male stands by his beloved; and some morning when you peep into the
crevice, you observe that an egg has been deposited. Two days after
you find the number complete.
A closet-naturalist was quite surprised, I have been told, when he
read in one of my volumes that Grakles form no nests in one portion
of the United States, being there contented with merely dropping their
eggs in the bottom of a Woodpecker’s hole; while in the Middle States
the same species forms a very snug nest. That _his_ astonishment was
great I do not in the least doubt, especially as I know how surprised
I was to find the _Larus argentatus_ breeding on fir-trees forty feet
above the ground, and to see three eggs, instead of one, placed on a
bed of small pebbles beautifully arranged, and every one belonging
to a single pair of Black Guillemots. Yet, good Reader, as I have
also been told, the same person had no doubt whatever that ermines
turn from brown to white in winter, that snakes and crabs cast off
their skins and shells, and that “fleas are not lobsters;” but then
the reason of his belief was simply that he had read of these things;
and his doubts as to the Grakles arose from the facts having been
recently reported by a stranger from the “far west,” who, it seems,
talked of things which he had not read of before.
Whilst in Labrador, I was delighted to see with what judgment the
Black Guillemot prepares a place for its eggs. Whenever the spot
chosen happens to be so situated as to preclude damp, not a pebble
does the bird lay there, and its eggs are placed on the bare rock. It
is only in what I call cases of urgency that this trouble is taken.
About fifty or sixty pebbles or bits of stone are then used, and the
number is increased or diminished according to circumstances.
The eggs of this species, which appear disproportionately large,
measure two inches and three eighths in length, by an inch and
five-eighths in breadth. Their form is regular; they are rather rough
to the touch, although not granulated; their ground colour an earthy
white, thickly blotched with very dark purplish-black, the markings
larger and closer towards the great end, which, however, is generally
left free of them. The shell is much thinner than that of the egg
of the Foolish Guillemot or Razor-billed Auk. As an article of food
they are excellent, being delicate and nutritious.
The parents pluck the feathers from a space across the lower part of
their belly, as soon as incubation commences; and this bare place,
when the bird is taken alive, it immediately conceals by drawing
the feathers of the upper part of the abdomen over it, as if it were
anxious that it should not be observed. When driven from the nest,
the Black Guillemot at once runs out of its hiding-place and flies to
the water, on which it plays, bathes as it were, dives a few times,
and anxiously watches your retreat, after which it soon returns and
resumes the arduous task of incubation.
The young, which are at first quite black, are covered with soft down,
and emit, although in an under tone, the same lisping notes as their
parents. Their legs, feet, and bill are black. The red colour of the
legs of the old birds is much brighter during the breeding-season
than at any other time, and the mouth also is bright red. About the
first of August the Guillemots lead their progeny to the water, and
although at this time neither old nor young are able to fly, they dive
deeply and with great ease, which enables them to procure abundance
of food, for at this season, lints, shrimps, and marine insects are
plentiful in all the waters.
While in Labrador, I made a severe experiment to ascertain how long
the Black Guillemot could live without food,—an experiment on which I
have never since been able to think, without some feeling of remorse.
I confined a pair of them in the fissure of a rock for many days in
succession. After the entrance was securely closed, I left the place,
and for eight days the wind blew so hard that no boat was safe on
the waters without the harbour. Many a time I thought of the poor
captives, and at last went to their retreat one rainy afternoon, over
a great swell of the sea. The entrance of the fissure was opened,
and a stick pushed into the hole, when I had the pleasure of seeing
both birds, although apparently in a state of distress, run out by
me, and at once fly to the water.
The flight of the Black Guillemot is rapid and continued. As they
proceed in their course, they alternately shew the black of their
lower parts and the white of their wings. They walk on the rocks
with considerable ease, using short steps, and whenever they wish to
remove from one crag or block to another, make use of their wings.
When their nests are very high above the water, they fly directly
into them; and from such heights, if necessity demands it, they at
once dive towards the water.
I kept many alive on board the Ripley. They ran on the floor in an
erect position for a few yards, fell down on their breasts, rose
again, and continued their exertions to escape, until they got fairly
concealed behind a chest or barrel.
The winter plumage of this species differs so greatly from that of
summer, that I have been induced to present you with a figure of
the bird in both states. It is difficult to perceive any external
difference between the sexes, only the males are rather larger than
the females. Their flesh, although black and tough, is not very
unpalatable.
The trachea is flattened, with numerous close, transparent rings. The
gullet, as in all the other species of this genus, is very dilatable.
The gizzard, which is small, has its inner membrane thin and of a
yellow colour. The intestines are about the thickness of a goose
quill, and measure two feet eight inches in length.
URIA GRYLLE, _Lath._ Ind. Ornith. vol. ii. p. 797.—_Ch.
Bonaparte_, Synops. of Birds of the United States, p.
423.—_Swains. and Richards._ Fauna Boreali-Americana, part
ii. p. 478.
BLACK GUILLEMOT, _Nuttall_, Manual, vol. ii. p. 523.
Adult in Summer. Plate CCXIX. Fig. 1.
Bill shorter than the head, straight, rather stout, tapering,
compressed, acute. Upper mandible with the dorsal line nearly straight
and sloping, towards the tip slightly arched, the sides sloping
and towards the end a little convex, the edges sharp and slightly
inflected. Nostrils basal, lateral, linear, partially concealed by
the feathers. Lower mandible with the angle long and very narrow, the
dorsal line ascending, straight, the sides sloping upwards, slightly
convex, flat at the base, the edges sharp and inflected, the tip acute.
Head of moderate size, oblong; neck short; body full, depressed; wings
rather small. Feet placed far behind, short, of moderate size; tarsus
short, compressed, anteriorly scutellate, laterally covered with
reticulated angular scales; toes rather slender, scutellate above,
connected by entire reticulated webs, the outer and inner with a small
marginal membrane; the first toe wanting, the third and fourth about
equal, the second shortest; claws small, arched, compressed, rather
obtuse, that of the middle toe with a dilated thin inner edge.
Plumage soft, close, blended and velvety; feathers of the head very
short, on the back broadly rounded, of the lower parts more elongated.
Wings rather small; primary quills curved, the first longest, the
second little shorter, the rest rather rapidly diminishing; secondary
incurved, broadly rounded. Tail short, narrow, rounded, of twelve
rather pointed feathers.
Bill black, inside of mouth vermilion tinged with carmine. Iris deep
brown. Feet of the same colour as the mouth, claws black. The general
colour of the plumage is deep black, on the upper part tinged with
green, on the lower with red, there being only a large patch on each
wing, including the secondary coverts and some of the smaller feathers
pure white, as are the lower wing-coverts. The quills and tail are
tinged with brown.
Length to end of tail 13-7/8 inches, to end of claws 16-1/4, to end
of wings 13; extent of wings 21-1/2; wing from flexure 6-1/2, tail
2; bill along the ridge 1-1/4, along the gape 1-7/8; tarsus 1-2/12,
middle toe 1-1/2, its claw 3/8. Weight 13-1/2 oz.
Adult in winter. Plate CCXIX. Fig. 2.
The bill and iris are of the same colour as in summer, but the red
of the feet is paler. The general colour of the plumage is white,
the sides of the head, the neck all round, the lower parts, and the
rump being of that colour, more or less shaded with grey. The upper
part of the head obscurely mottled with greyish-black; the back and
scapulars black, each feather tipped with greyish-white, those of the
latter more broadly. The wings and tail brownish-black, the former
with the conspicuous white patch, as in summer.
Young a few days old. Plate CCXIX. Fig. 3.
Bill and feet black, the former tinged with red; iris dark brown.
The general colour of the soft thick down with which the whole body
is covered is brownish-black.
THE PIPING PLOVER.
_CHARADRIUS MELODUS_, ORD.
PLATE CCXX. MALE AND FEMALE.
During the spring and summer months, this pretty little Plover is
found on the sandy beaches of our extensive coasts, from the southern
point of the Floridas to the confines of Maine. As you proceed
towards Labrador, you find it in every suitable place, as far as
the Magdeleine Islands, on the sands of which I saw many that were
paired and had eggs on the 11th of June 1833. It breeds on all parts
of the eastern coast of the United States, wherever the locality is
adapted to its habits. On the 3d of May, this bird was found with
eggs on the Keys of the Floridas; about a month later, you may meet
with it in the States of Maryland, New Jersey, and New York. Those
which leave the south at the approach of spring, return to it about
October: and during the whole winter you may find them on the sandy
beaches, from South Carolina to the western coast of the Floridas.
The species, therefore, may be considered as resident with us.
While migrating eastward, the Piping Plovers proceed in pairs; and
should one of these on its way find a convenient place for breeding,
and remain there, several others are often induced to take up their
abode in the neighbourhood. In autumn, they go in flocks of twenty
or thirty individuals, and at times associate with other species,
particularly the Turnstone, in whose company I have found them
abundantly on the coast of Florida, in the winter months. They never
proceed to any distance inland, even along the sandy margins of our
largest rivers; nor are they seen along very rocky shores or places
covered with deep mud.
The favourite breeding stations of this species are low islands,
mostly covered with drifting sand, having a scanty vegetation, and
not liable to inundation. In such a place many pairs may be found,
with nests thirty or forty yards apart. The nest is sometimes placed
at the foot of a tuft of withered grass, at other times in an exposed
situation. A cavity is merely scooped out in the soil, and there are
deposited in it four eggs, which are in a great measure hatched by the
heat which the sand acquires under the influence of a summer sun; but
in rough weather, and always by night, the female is careful to sit
upon them. Her mate is extremely attentive to her during the period
of incubation, and should you happen to stroll near the nest, you
are sure to meet him at his station. The eggs, which are four, and
have their points placed together, measure one inch and one-eighth by
seven and a half eighths, are pyriform, broad, and flatly rounded at
the larger end, and tapering directly to the smaller, which is also
rounded. They are of a pale bluish-buff colour, sprinkled and lined
nearly all over with dark red, brown, and black. Only one brood is
raised in the season. The young, which go abroad immediately after
they are hatched, run with remarkable speed, and, at the least note
of the parent bird indicative of danger, squat so closely on the sand,
that you may walk over them without seeing them. Their downy covering
is grey mottled with brown; their bill almost black. If taken up in
the hand, they emit a soft plaintive note resembling that of the old
bird. The strange devices which their parents at this time adopt to
ensure their safety, cannot fail to render the student of nature very
unwilling to carry them off without urgent necessity. You may see the
mother, with expanded tail and wings trailing on the ground, limping
and fluttering before you, as if about to expire. It is true you know
it to be an artifice, but it is an artifice taught by maternal love;
and, when the bird has fairly got rid of her unwelcome visitor, and
you see her start up on her legs, stretch forth her wings, and fly
away piping her soft note, you cannot but participate in the joy that
she feels.
The flight of this Plover is extremely rapid, as well as protracted.
It passes through the air by glidings and extended flappings, either
close over the sand, or high above the shores. On the ground, few
birds are swifter of foot: It runs in a straight line before you,
sometimes for twenty or thirty yards, with so much celerity, that
unless you have a keen eye, it is almost sure to become lost to your
view. Then, in an instant it stops, becomes perfectly motionless, and
if it perceives that you have not marked it, squats flat on the sand,
which it so much resembles in colour, that you may as well search
for another, as try to find it again.
Their notes, which are so soft and mellow as nearly to resemble those
of the sweetest songster of the forest, reach your ear long before
you have espied the Piping Plover. Now and then, these sounds come
from perhaps twenty different directions, and you are perplexed, as
well as delighted. At the approach of autumn, this species becomes
almost mute, the colour of the plumage fades; and it is then very
difficult for you to perceive one that may be only a few yards off,
until it starts and runs or flies before you. At this season they
are less shy than before.
During winter they are generally in good condition, and their flesh
is very delicate and savoury, although, on account of their small
size, they seldom draw the sportsman after them. Their food consists
of marine insects, minute shell-fish, and small sand worms.
RINGED PLOVER, CHARADRIUS HIATICULA, _var. Wils._ Amer.
Ornith. vol. v. p. 30. pl. 37. fig. 3.
CHARADRIUS MELODUS, _Ch. Bonaparte_, Synops. of Birds of
the United States, p. 296.
PIPING RINGED PLOVER, _Nuttall_, Manual, vol. ii. p. 18.
Male in Summer. Plate CCXX. Fig. 1.
Bill half the length of the head, straight, somewhat cylindrical. Upper
mandible with the dorsal line straight to the middle, then bulging
a little and curving to the tip, which projects beyond that of the
lower mandible, the sides flat and sloping at the base, convex towards
the end, the edges sharp and overlapping. Nasal groove extended to
the middle of the bill, filled with a bare membrane; nostrils basal,
linear, in the lower part of the membrane, open, and pervious. Lower
mandible with the angle rather short, rounded, the sides at the base
sloping outwards and flat, the dorsal line ascending and slightly
convex, the edges sharp and inflected.
Head of moderate size, oblong, compressed, the forehead rounded. Eyes
large. Neck short. Body rather slender, ovate. Wings long. Feet of
moderate length, slender; tibia bare a little above the joint; tarsus
rather compressed, covered all round with reticulated angular scales;
toes slender; the hind toe wanting; third or middle toe longest,
outer toe considerably longer than inner, all scutellate above and
marginate, the outer connected with the middle by a short membrane;
claws small, compressed, obtuse, the rather blunt inner edge of the
middle claw a little dilated.
Plumage soft and blended; the feathers rounded, those on the back
somewhat distinct. Wings long and pointed; primary quills tapering,
the first longest, the second a little shorter, the rest rapidly
graduated; inner secondaries tapering and elongated, so as nearly to
equal the longest primaries. Tail of moderate length, slightly rounded,
of twelve rather narrow feathers, which taper a little towards their
rounded extremities.
Bill orange in its basal half, the rest black. Iris reddish-brown;
margins of eyelids orange. Feet brownish-yellow; claws dusky. Forehead,
sides of the face, throat, and the whole under parts, pure white.
Upper parts pale brownish-grey. A black band across the upper part
of the forehead, another surrounds the lower part of the neck, broad
on the sides, but narrow above and below, where it is formed merely
by the tips of some of the feathers. Above this is a white band over
the hind neck, also very narrow above. Primaries dusky, each with
a large white patch on a portion of the outer, and on the greater
part of the inner web; secondaries of a lighter brown, white on the
inner webs, some of those nearest the body entirely white; the five
innermost like the back; most of the quills are more or less tipped
with white, the primary and secondary coverts more distinctly so. The
tail-feathers may be described as white; the second has a brown spot
on the inner web towards the end, the third a larger spot or band
on both webs, and the colour enlarges on the rest, until the middle
feathers are nearly all dusky brown.
Length to end of tail 7-1/4 inches, to end of claws 7, to end of
wings 6-3/4; extent of wings 15-1/2; wing from flexure 4-1/2; tail
2-2/12; bill along the back 1/2, along the edge of lower mandible
7/12; tarsus (9-1/2)/12; middle toe (7-1/2)/12, its claw 2/12. Weight
3 oz.
Female in Summer. Plate CCXX. Fig. 2.
The Female is considerably smaller, but resembles the male in
colouring, only the dark bands on the forehead and neck are narrower,
and of a dusky brown tint.
Length to end of tail 7 inches, extent of wings 14-1/4.
The young, previous to their first moult, have the bill black, the
feet flesh-coloured, with dusky claws. The colours of the plumage
are nearly the same as in the adult, but there is no dark band on
the forehead, and that on the lower neck is merely indicated by a
brownish-grey patch on each side. The neck is surrounded by a collar
of downy white feathers, and the tips and margins of the feathers of
the head and back are pale ochre.
THE WRECKERS OF FLORIDA.
Long before I reached the lovely islets that border the south-eastern
shores of the Floridas, the accounts I had heard of “The Wreckers”
had deeply prejudiced me against them. Often had I been informed of
the cruel and cowardly methods which it was alleged they employed to
allure vessels of all nations to the dreaded reefs, that they might
plunder their cargoes, and rob their crews and passengers of their
effects. I therefore could have little desire to meet with such men
under any circumstances, much less to become liable to receive their
aid; and with the name of Wreckers, there were associated in my mind
ideas of piratical depredation, barbarous usage, and even murder.
One fair afternoon, while I was standing on the polished deck of
the United States’ revenue cutter the Marion, a sail hove in sight,
bearing in an opposite course, and “close-hauled” to the wind. The
gentle rake of her masts, as she rocked to and fro in the breeze,
brought to my mind the wavings of the reeds on the fertile banks of
the Mississippi. By-and-by the vessel altering her course, approached
us. The Marion, like a sea-bird, with extended wings, swept through
the waters, gently inclining to either side, while the unknown vessel
leaped as it were from wave to wave, like the dolphin in eager pursuit
of his prey. In a short time, we were gliding side by side, and the
commander of the strange schooner saluted our captain, who promptly
returned the compliment. What a beautiful vessel! we all thought;
how trim, how clean-rigged, and how well manned! She swims like a
duck; and now with a broad sheer, off she makes for the reefs, a few
miles under our lee. There, in that narrow passage, well known to her
commander, she rolls, tumbles, and dances, like a giddy thing, her
copper sheathing now gleaming, and again disappearing under the waves.
But the passage is thrid, and now, hauling on the wind, she resumes
her former course, and gradually recedes from the view. Reader, it
was a Florida Wrecker!
When at the Tortugas, I paid a visit to several vessels of this
kind, in company with my excellent friend ROBERT DAY, Esq. We had
observed the regularity and quickness of the men then employed at
their arduous tasks, and as we approached the largest schooner, I
admired her form so well adapted to her occupation, her great breadth
of beam, her light draught, the correctness of her water-line, the
neatness of her painted sides, the smoothness of her well-greased
masts, and the beauty of her rigging. We were welcomed on board with
all the frankness of our native tars. Silence and order prevailed
on her decks. The commander and the second officer led us into a
spacious cabin, well lighted, and furnished with every convenience
for fifteen or more passengers. The former brought me his collection
of marine shells, and whenever I pointed to one that I had not seen
before, offered it with so much kindness, that I found it necessary
to be careful in expressing my admiration of any particular shell.
He had also many eggs of rare birds, which were all handed over to
me, with an assurance that before the month should expire, a new set
could easily be procured, “for,” said he, “we have much idle time on
the reefs at this season.” Dinner was served, and we partook of their
fare, which consisted of fish, fowl, and other materials. These rovers,
who were both from “down east,” were stout active men, cleanly and
smart in their attire. In a short time, we were all extremely social
and merry. They thought my visit to the Tortugas, in quest of birds,
was rather “a curious fancy;” but, notwithstanding, they expressed
their pleasure while looking at some of my drawings, and offered
their services in procuring specimens. Expeditions far and near were
proposed, and on settling that one of them was to take place on the
morrow, we parted friends.
Early next morning, several of these kind men accompanied me to
a small key called Booby Island, about ten miles distant from the
lighthouse. Their boats were well manned, and rowed with long and
steady strokes, such as whalers and men-of-war’s men are wont to
draw. The captain sang, and at times, by way of frolic, ran a race
with our own beautiful bark. The Booby Isle was soon reached, and
our sport there was equal to any we had elsewhere. They were capital
shots, had excellent guns, and knew more about boobies and noddies
than nine-tenths of the best naturalists in the world. But what will
you say when I tell you that the Florida Wreckers are excellent at a
deer hunt, and that at certain seasons, “when business is slack,” they
are wont to land on some extensive key, and in a few hours procure
a supply of delicious venison.
Some days afterwards, the same party took me on an expedition in
quest of sea-shells. There we were all in the water at times to the
waist, and now and then much deeper. Now they would dip, like ducks,
and on emerging would hold up a beautiful shell. This occupation they
seemed to enjoy above all others.
The duties of the Marion having been performed, intimation of our
intended departure reached the Wreckers. An invitation was sent to me
to go and see them on board their vessels, which I accepted. Their
object on this occasion was to present me with some superb corals,
shells, live turtles of the Hawk-billed species, and a great quantity
of eggs. Not a “pecayon” would they receive in return, but putting
some letters in my hands, requested me to “be so good as put them
in the mail at Charleston,” adding that they were for their wives
“down east.” So anxious did they appear to be to do all they could
for me, that they proposed to sail before the Marion, and meet her
under weigh, to give me some birds that were rare on the coast, and
of which they knew the haunts. Circumstances connected with “the
service” prevented this, however; and with sincere regret, and a
good portion of friendship, I bade these excellent fellows adieu.
How different, thought I, is often the knowledge of things acquired
by personal observation, from that obtained by report!
I had never before seen Florida Wreckers, nor has it since been my
fortune to fall in with any; but my good friend, Dr BENJAMIN STROBEL,
having furnished me with a graphic account of a few days which he
spent with them, I shall present you with it in his own words.
“On the 12th day of September, while lying in harbour at Indian Key, we
were joined by five wrecking vessels. Their licences having expired,
it was necessary to go to Key West to renew them. We determined to
accompany them the next morning, and here it will not be amiss for me
to say a few words respecting these far-famed Wreckers, their captains
and crews. From all that I had heard, I expected to see a parcel
of dirty, pirate-looking vessels, officered and manned by a set of
black-whiskered fellows, who carried murder in their very looks. I was
agreeably surprised on discovering that the vessels were fine large
sloops and schooners, regular clippers, kept in first-rate order. The
Captains generally were jovial, good-humoured sons of Neptune, who
manifested a disposition to be polite and hospitable, and to afford
every facility to persons passing up and down the Reef. The crews
were hearty, well-drest, and honest-looking men.
“On the 13th, at the appointed hour, we all set sail together, that
is, the five Wreckers and the schooner Jane. As our vessel was not
noted for fast-sailing, we accepted an invitation to go on board of a
Wrecker. The fleet got under weigh about eight o’clock in the morning,
the wind light but fair, the water smooth, and the day fine. I can
scarcely find words to express the pleasure and gratification which
I this day experienced. The sea was of a beautiful soft, pea-green
colour, smooth as a sheet of glass, and as transparent, its surface
agitated only by our vessels as they parted its bosom, or by the
Pelican in pursuit of his prey, which rising for a considerable
distance in the air, would suddenly plunge down with distended
mandibles and secure his food. The vessels of our little fleet, with
every sail set that could catch a breeze, and the white foam curling
round the prows, glided silently along, like islands of flitting
shadows, on an immovable sea of light. Several fathoms below the
surface of the water, and under us, we saw great quantities of fish
diving and sporting among the sea-grass, sponges, sea-feathers, and
corals, with which the bottom was covered. On our right hand were
the Florida Keys, which, as we made them in the distance, looked like
specks upon the surface of the water, but as we neared them, rose to
view as if by enchantment, clad in the richest livery of spring, each
variety of colour and hue rendered soft and delicate by a clear sky
and a brilliant sun over head. All was like a fairy scene; my heart
leaped up in delighted admiration, and I could not but exclaim in
the language of SCOTT,
“Those seas behold, Round thrice an hundred islands rolled.”
The trade-wind played around us with balmy and refreshing sweetness;
and, to give life and animation to the scene, we had a contest for the
mastery between all the vessels of the fleet, while a deep interest
was excited in favour of this or that vessel, as she shot ahead, or
fell astern.
About three o’clock in the afternoon, we arrived off the Bay of
Honda. The wind being light, and no prospect of reaching Key West
that night, it was agreed that we should make a harbour here. We
entered a beautiful basin and came to anchor about four o’clock.
Boats were got out, and several hunting parties formed. We landed,
and were soon on the scent, some going in search of shells, others of
birds. An Indian, who had been picked up somewhere along the coast
by a Wrecker, and who was employed as a hunter, was sent ashore in
search of venison. Previous to his leaving the vessel, a rifle was
loaded with a single ball, and put into his hands. After an absence
of several hours, he returned with two deer, which he had killed at
a single shot. He watched until they were both in range of his gun,
side by side, when he fired and brought them down.
All hands having returned, and the fruits of our excursion being
collected, we had wherewithal to make an abundant supper. Most of the
game was sent on board the largest vessel, where we proposed supping.
Our vessels were all lying within hail of each other, and as soon as
the moon arose, boats were seen passing from vessel to vessel, and
all were busily and happily engaged in exchanging civilities. One
could never have supposed that these men were professional rivals,
so apparent was the good-feeling that prevailed among them. About
nine o’clock we started for supper; a number of persons had already
collected, and as soon as we arrived on board the vessel, a German
sailor, who played remarkably well on the violin, was summoned on the
quarter-deck, when all hands, with a good will, cheerily danced to
lively airs until supper was ready. The table was laid in the cabin,
and groaned under its load of venison, wild ducks, pigeons, curlews,
and fish. Toasting and singing succeeded the supper, and among other
curious matters introduced, the following song was sung by the German
fiddler, who accompanied his voice with his instrument. He is said
to be the author of the song. I say nothing of the poetry, but merely
give it as it came on my ear. It is certainly very characteristic.
THE WRECKER’S SONG.
Come ye, goot people, von and all, Come listen to my song: A few
remarks I have to make, Which vont be very long. ’Tis of our vessel
stout and goot, As ever yet was built of woot, Along the reef where
the breakers roar, De Wreckers on de Florida shore!
Key Tavernier’s our rendezvous; At anchor there we lie, And see the
vessels in the Gulf, Carelessly passing by. When night comes on we
dance and sing, Whilst the current some vessel is floating in; When
day-light comes, a ship’s on shore, Among de rocks where de breakers
roar.
When day-light dawns, we’re under weigh, And every sail is set, And
if the wind it should prove light, Why then, our sails we wet. To
gain her first each eager strives, To save de cargo and de people’s
lives, Amongst de rocks where de breakers roar, De Wreckers on de
Florida shore.
When we get ’longside, we find she’s bilged: We know vel vat to do,
Save de cargo dat we can, De sails and rigging too; Den down to Key
West we soon vill go, When quickly our salvage we shall know; When
every ting it is fairly sold, Our money down to us it is told.
Den one week’s cruize we’ll have on shore, Before we do sail again,
And drink success to de sailor lads Dat are ploughing of de main.
And when you are passing by dis way, On the Florida Reef should you
chance to stray, Why, we will come to you on de shore, Amongst de
rocks where de breakers roar.
Great emphasis was laid upon particular words by the singer, who
had a broad German accent. Between the verses he played a symphony,
remarking, “Gentlemens, I makes dat myself.” The chorus was trolled
by twenty or thirty voices, which, in the stillness of the night,
produced no unpleasant effect.
THE MALLARD.
_ANAS BOSCHAS_, LINN.
PLATE CCXXI. MALES AND FEMALES.
Although it is commonly believed that the Mallard is found abundantly
everywhere in the United States, I have received sufficient proof
to the contrary. If authors had acknowledged that they state so on
report, or had said that in the tame state the bird is common, I
should not have blamed them. According to my observation, and I may
be allowed to say that I have had good opportunities, this valuable
species is extremely rare in the wild state, in the neighbourhood of
Boston in Massachusetts; and in this assertion, I am supported by my
talented and amiable friend Mr NUTTALL, who has resided there for many
years. Farther eastward, this bird is so rare that it is scarcely
known, and not one was seen by myself or my party beyond Portland
in Maine. On the western coast of Labrador none of the inhabitants
that we conversed with had ever seen the Mallard, and in Newfoundland
the people were equally unacquainted with it, the species being in
those countries replaced by the Black Duck, _Anas fusca_. From New
York southward, the Mallards become more plentiful, and numbers of
them are seen in the markets of Philadelphia, Baltimore, Richmond
in Virginia, and other towns. Although they are very abundant in the
Carolinas and Floridas, as well as in Lower Louisiana, they are much
more so in the Western Country. The reason of this is merely that the
Mallard, unlike the sea ducks, is rarely seen on salt water, and that
its course from the countries where it chiefly breeds is across the
interior of the continent. From our great lakes, they spread along
the streams, betake themselves to the ponds, wet meadows, submersed
savannahs, and inland swamps, and are even found in the thick beech
woods, in early autumn, and indeed long before the males have acquired
the dark green colour of the head. Many of them proceed beyond the
limits of the United States.
It would be curious to know when this species was first domesticated;
but, Reader, the solution of such a question is a task on which I shall
not venture. In the domestic state every body knows the Mallard. When
young it affords excellent food, and when old lays eggs. A bed made
of its feathers is far preferable to the damp earth of the camp of
an American woodsman, or the plank on which the trained soldier lays
his wearied limbs at night. You may find many other particulars if
you consult in chronological order all the compilers from ALDROVANDUS
to the present day.
Be not startled, good Reader, when I tell you that many of these ducks
are bred in the lakes near the Mississippi, nay even in some of the
small ponds in the low lands or bottoms of the States of Kentucky,
Indiana and Illinois; for in many parts of those districts I have
surprised the females on their eggs, have caught the young when their
mother was cautiously and with anxiety leading them for greater safety
to some stream, and have shot many a fat one before the poor thing
could fly, and when it was so plump, tender, and juicy, that I doubt
much whether, you, like myself, should not much prefer them to the
famed Canvass-backed Duck.
Look at that Mallard as he floats on the lake; see his elevated head
glittering with emerald-green, his amber eyes glancing in the light!
Even at this distance, he has marked you, and suspects that you bear
no good will towards him, for he sees that you have a gun, and he
has many a time been frightened by its report, or that of some other.
The wary bird draws his feet under his body, springs upon them, opens
his wings, and with loud quacks bids you farewell.
Now another is before you, on the margin of that purling streamlet.
How brisk are all his motions compared with those of his brethren
that waddle across your poultry-yard! how much more graceful in form
and neat in apparel! The duck at home is the descendant of a race
of slaves, and has lost his native spirit: his wings have been so
little used that they can hardly raise him from the ground. But the
free-born, the untamed duck of the swamps,—see how he springs on
wing, and hies away over the woods.
The Mallards generally arrive in Kentucky and other parts of the
Western Country, from the middle of September to the first of October,
or as soon as the acorns and beech-nuts are fully ripe. In a few
days they are to be found in all the ponds that are covered with
seed-bearing grasses. Some flocks, which appear to be guided by an
experienced leader, come directly down on the water with a rustling
sound of their wings that can be compared only to the noise produced
by an Eagle in the act of stooping upon its prey, while other flocks,
as if they felt uneasy respecting the safety of the place, sweep
around and above it several times in perfect silence, before they
alight. In either case, the birds immediately bathe themselves, beat
their bodies with their wings, dive by short plunges, and cut so
many capers that you might imagine them to be stark mad. The fact,
however, seems to be, that all this alacrity and gaiety only shews
the necessity they feel of clearing themselves of the insects about
their plumage, as well as the pleasure they experience on finding
themselves in a milder climate, with abundance of food around them,
after a hard journey of perhaps a day and a night. They wash themselves
and arrange their dress, before commencing their meal; and in this
other travellers would do well to imitate them.
Now, towards the grassy margins they advance in straggling parties.
See how they leap from the water to bend the loaded tops of the tall
reeds. Woe be to the slug or snail that comes in their way. Some are
probing the mud beneath, and waging war against the leech, frog, or
lizard, that is within reach of their bills; while many of the older
birds run into the woods, to fill their crops with beech-nuts and
acorns, not disdaining to swallow also, should they come in their
way, some of the wood-mice that, frightened by the approach of the
foragers, hie towards their burrows. The cackling they keep up would
almost deafen you, were you near them; but it is suddenly stopped by
the approach of some unusual enemy, and at once all are silent. With
heads erected on out-stretched necks, they anxiously look around. It
is nothing, however, but a bear, who being, like themselves, fond
of mast, is ploughing up the newly fallen leaves with his muzzle,
or removing an old rotting log in search of worms. The ducks resume
their employment. But another sound is now heard, one more alarming.
The bear raises himself on his hind legs, snuffs the air, and with
a loud snort gallops off towards the depths of his cane-brake. The
ducks retreat to the water, betake themselves to the centre of the
pool, and uttering half-stifled notes await the sight of the object
they dread. There the enemy cunningly advances first covered by one
tree, then by another. He has lost his chance of the bear, but as he
is pushed by hunger, a Mallard will do for the bullet of his rusty
rifle. It is an Indian, as you perceive by his red skin and flowing
black hair, which, however, has been cut close from the sides of
his head. In the centre of his dearly purchased blanket, a hole has
been cut, through which he has thrust his bare head, and the ragged
garment, like a horse’s netting, is engaged as it were in flapping
off the last hungry musquitoes of the season that are fast sucking the
blood from his limbs. Watch him, Mallard, Nay, wait no longer, for I
see him taking aim; better for you all to fly! No—well, one of you
will certainly furnish him with a repast. Amid the dark wood rises
the curling smoke, the report comes on my ear, the ducks all rise
save a pair, that, with back downwards and feet kicking against the
air, have been hit by the prowler. The free son of the forest slowly
approaches the pool, judges at a glance of the depth of the mire, and
boldly advances, until with a cane he draws the game towards him.
Returning to the wood, he now kindles a little fire, the feathers
fill the air around; from each wing he takes a quill, to clean the
touch-hole of his gun in damp weather; the entrails he saves to bait
some trap. In a short time the ducks are ready, and the hunter enjoys
his meal, although brief time does he take in swallowing the savoury
morsels. Soon, the glimmering light of the moon will see him again
on his feet, and lead him through the woods, as he goes in pursuit
of other game.
The Mallards that remain with us during the whole year, and breed on
the banks of the Mississippi or Lake Michigan, or in the beautiful
meadows that here and there border the Schuylkil in Pennsylvania,
begin to pair in the very heart of winter; and although ducks are
quite destitute of song, their courtships are not devoid of interest.
The males, like other gay deceivers, offer their regards to the first
fair one that attracts their notice, promise unremitting fidelity
and affection, and repeat their offers to the next they meet. See
that drake, how he proudly shews, first the beauty of his silky head,
then the brilliancy of his wing-spots, and, with honeyed jabberings,
discloses the warmth of his affection. He plays around this one,
then around another, until the passion of jealousy is aroused in the
breasts of the admired and flattered. Bickerings arise; the younger
duck disdains her elder sister, and a third, who conceives herself a
coquette of the first order, interposes, as if to ensure the caresses
of the feathered beau. Many tricks are played by ducks, good Reader,
but ere long, the females retire in search of a safe place in which
they may deposit their eggs and rear their young. They draw a quantity
of weed around them, and form an ill-arranged sort of nest, in which
from seven to ten eggs are laid. From their bodies they pluck the
softest down, and placing it beneath the eggs, begin the long process
of incubation, which they intermit only for short periods, when it
becomes absolutely necessary to procure a little sustenance.
At length, in about three weeks, the young began to cheep in the shell,
from which, after a violent struggle, they make their escape. What
beautiful creatures! See how, with their little bills, they dry their
downy apparel! Now in a long line, one after another, they follow
their glad mother to the water, on arriving at which they take to
swimming and diving, as if elated with joy for having been introduced
into existence. The male, wearied and emaciated, is far away on some
other pond. The unnatural barbarian cares nothing about his progeny,
nor has a thought arisen in his mind respecting the lonely condition
of his mate, the greatness of her cares, or the sadness that she
may experience under the idea that she has been utterly forsaken by
him who once called her his only and truly beloved. No, Reader, not
a thought of this kind has he wasted on her whom he has left alone
in charge of a set of eggs, and now of a whole flock of innocent
ducklings, to secure which from danger, and see them all grow up
apace, she manifests the greatest care and anxiety. She leads them
along the shallow edges of grassy ponds, and teaches them to seize
the small insects that abound there, the flies, the musquitoes, the
giddy beetles that skim along the surface in circles and serpentine
lines. At the sight of danger they run as it were on the water, make
directly for the shore, or dive and disappear. In about six weeks,
those that have escaped from the ravenous fishes and turtles have
attained a goodly size; the quills appear on their wings; their bodies
are encased with feathers; but as yet none are able to fly. They now
procure their food by partial immersions of the head and neck in the
manner of the old bird. At this period they are already fit for the
table, and delicate as well as savoury food they afford. By the time
that the leaves are changing their hues, the young Mallards take
freely to their wings, and the old males join the congregated flocks.
The Squatters of the Mississippi raise a considerable number of
Mallards, which they catch when quite young, and which, after the first
year, are as tame as they can wish. These birds raise broods which
are superior even to those of the wild ones, for a year or two, after
which they become similar to the ordinary ducks of the poultry-yard.
The hybrids produced between the Mallard and the Muscovy Duck are of
great size, and afford excellent eating. Some of these half-breeds
now and then wander off, become quite wild, and have by some persons
been considered as forming a distinct species. They also breed, when
tame, with the Black Duck (_Anas fusca_) and the Gadwal, the latter
connection giving rise to a very handsome hybrid, retaining the yellow
feet and barred plumage of the one, and the green head of the other
parent.
I have found the Mallard breeding on large prostrate and rotten logs,
three feet above the ground, and in the centre of a cane-brake, nearly
a mile distant from any water. Once I found a female leading her young
through the woods, and no doubt conducting them towards the Ohio. When
I first saw her, she had already observed me, and had squatted flat
among the grass, with her brood around her. As I moved onwards, she
ruffled her feathers, and hissed at me in the manner of a goose, while
the little ones scampered off in all directions. I had an excellent
dog, well instructed to catch young birds without injuring them, and
I ordered him to seek for them. On this the mother took to wing, and
flew through the woods as if about to fall down at every yard or so.
She passed and repassed over the dog, as if watching the success of
his search; and as one after another the ducklings were brought to
me, and struggled in my bird-bag, the distressed parent came to the
ground near me, rolled and tumbled about, and so affected me by her
despair, that I ordered my dog to lie down, while, with a pleasure that
can be felt only by those who are parents themselves, I restored to
her the innocent brood, and walked off. As I turned round to observe
her, I really thought I could perceive gratitude expressed in her
eye; and a happier moment I never felt while rambling in search of
knowledge through the woods.
In unfrequented parts, the Mallards feed both by day and by night;
but in places where they are much disturbed by gunners, they feed
mostly by night, or towards evening and about sunrise. In extremely
cold weather, they betake themselves to the sources of streams, and
even to small springs, where they may be found along with the American
Snipe. At times, after heavy falls of rain, they are seen searching
for ground-worms over the corn-fields, and during the latter part of
autumn, the rice plantations of Georgia and the Carolinas afford them
excellent pasture grounds. I have thought indeed that at this season
these birds perform a second migration as it were, for they then pour
into the rice-fields by thousands from the interior. In the Floridas,
they are at times seen in such multitudes as to darken the air, and
the noise they make in rising from off a large submersed savannah, is
like the rumbling of thunder. So numerous were the Mallards while I
was at General HERNANDEZ’s in East Florida, that a single Negro whom
that gentleman kept as a hunter, would shoot from fifty to a hundred
and twenty in a day, thus supplying the plantation with excellent food.
The flight of the Mallard is swift, strong, and well sustained. It
rises either from the ground or from the water at a single spring,
and flies almost perpendicularly for ten or fifteen yards, or, if
in a thick wood, until quite above the tops of the tallest trees,
after which it moves horizontally. If alarmed, it never rises without
uttering several _quacks_; but on other occasions it usually leaves
its place in silence. While travelling to any distance; the whistling
sound of their wings may be heard a great way off, more especially
in the quiet of night. Their progress through the air I have thought
might be estimated at a mile and a half in the minute; and I feel
very confident that when at full speed and on a long journey, they
can fly at the rate of a hundred and twenty miles in the hour.
The Mallard is truly omnivorous, its food consisting of every thing
that can possibly satisfy the cravings of its extraordinary appetite.
Nor is it at all cleanly in this respect, for it will swallow any
kind of offals, and feed on all sorts of garbage, even putrid fish,
as well as on snakes and small quadrupeds. Nuts and fruits of all
kinds are dainties to it, and it soon fattens on rice, corn, or any
other grain. My friend JOHN BACHMAN, who usually raises a great number
of Mallards every year, has the young fed on chopped fish, on which
they thrive uncommonly well. So very greedy are these birds, that I
have often observed a couple of them tugging for a long time against
each other for the skin of an eel, which was already half swallowed
by the one, while the other was engaged at the opposite end. They
are expert fly-catchers, and are in the habit of patting with their
feet the damp earth, to force ground-worms out of their burrows.
Besides man, the enemies of the Mallard are the White-headed Eagle,
the Snowy Owl, the Virginian Owl, the racoon, the lynx, and the
snapping turtle. Mallards are easily caught by snares, steel-traps
baited with corn, and figure-of-four traps. As we have no decoys in
the United States, I shall not trouble you with a new edition of the
many accounts you will find in ornithological books of that destructive
method of procuring Wild Ducks.
The eggs of this species measure two inches and a quarter in length,
one inch and five-eighths in breadth. The shell is smooth, and of a
plain light dingy green. They are smaller than those of the tame duck,
and rarely so numerous. As soon as incubation commences, the males
associate together in flocks, until the young are able to migrate.
This species raises only one brood in the season, and I never found
its nest with eggs in autumn. The female covers her eggs before she
leaves them to go in search of food, and thus keeps them sufficiently
warm until her return.
ANAS BOSCHAS, _Linn._ Syst. Nat. vol. i. p. 205.—_Lath._
Ind. Ornith. vol. ii. p. 850.—_Ch. Bonaparte_, Synopsis of
Birds of the United States, p. 383.
MALLARD, ANAS BOSCHAS, _Wils._ Amer. Ornith. vol. viii. p.
112. pl. 70. fig. 7.—_Nuttall_, Manual, vol. ii. p. 378.
Adult Male. Plate CCXXI. Fig. 1. 1.
Bill about the length of the head, higher than broad at the base,
depressed and widened towards the end, rounded at the tip. Upper
mandible with the dorsal line sloping and a little concave, the ridge
at the base broad and flat, towards the end broadly convex, as are
the sides, the edges soft and rather obtuse, the marginal lamellæ
transverse, fifty on each side; the unguis oval, curved, abrupt at the
end. Nasal groove elliptical, subbasal, filled by the soft membrane
of the bill; nostrils subbasal, placed near the ridge, longitudinal,
elliptical, pervious. Lower mandible slightly curved upwards, with
the angle very long, narrow, and rather pointed, the lamellæ about
sixty.
Head of moderate size, oblong, compressed; neck rather long and
slender; body full, depressed. Feet short, stout, placed a little
behind the centre of the body; legs bare a little above the joint;
tarsus short, a little compressed, anteriorly with small scutella,
laterally and behind with reticulated angular scales. Hind toe
extremely small, with a very narrow membrane; third toe longest,
fourth a little shorter, but longer than second; all the toes covered
above with numerous oblique scutella; the three anterior connected by
reticulated membranes, the outer with a thick margin, the inner with
the margin extended into a slightly lobed web. Claws small, arched,
compressed, rather acute, that of the middle toe much larger, with
a dilated, thin, inner edge.
Plumage dense, soft, and elastic; of the head and neck short, blended,
and splendent; of the other parts in general broad and rounded. Wings
of moderate length, acute; primaries narrow and tapering, the second
longest, the first very little shorter; secondaries broad, curved
inwards, the inner elongated and tapering. Tail short, much rounded,
of sixteen acute feathers, of which the four central are recurved.
Bill greenish-yellow. Iris dark brown. Feet orange-red. Head and
upper part of neck deep green, a ring of white about the middle of
the neck; lower part of the neck anteriorly, and fore part of breast,
dark brownish-chestnut; fore part of back light yellowish-brown,
tinged with grey; the rest of the back brownish-black, the rump
black, splendent with green and purplish-blue reflections, as are
the recurved tail-feathers. Upper surface of wings greyish-brown,
the scapulars lighter except their inner webs, and with the anterior
dorsal feathers minutely undulated with brown. The speculum on about
ten of the secondaries is of brilliant changing purple and green,
edged with velvet-black and white, the anterior bands of black and
white being on the secondary coverts. Breast, sides, and abdomen,
very pale grey, minutely undulated with darker; lower tail-coverts
black with blue reflections.
Length to the end of the tail 24 inches, to the end of the claws 23,
to the tips of the wings 22; extent of wings 36; wing from flexure
10-1/2; tail 4-1/4; bill 2-2/12; tarsus 1-3/4; middle toe 2-2/12,
its claw 5/12. Weight from 2-1/2 to 3 lb.
Adult Female. Plate CCXXI. Figs. 2. 2.
Bill black in the middle, dull orange at the extremities and along
the edges. Iris as in the male, as are the feet. The general colour
of the upper parts is pale yellowish-brown, streaked and spotted with
dusky brown. The feathers of the head narrowly streaked, of the back
with the margin and a central streak yellowish-brown, the rest dark,
of the scapulars similar, but with the light streak on the outer web.
The wings are nearly as in the male, the speculum similar, but with
less green. The lower parts dull ochre, deeper on the lower neck,
and spotted with brown.
Length 22 inches. Weight from 2 lb. to 2-1/2.
The Young acquire the full plumage in the course of the first winter.
THE WHITE IBIS.
_IBIS ALBA_, VIEILL.
PLATE CCXXII. ADULT MALE, AND YOUNG.
Sandy Island, of which I have already spoken in my second volume,
is remarkable as a breeding-place for various species of water and
land birds. It is about a mile in length, not more than a hundred
yards broad, and in form resembles a horse-shoe, the inner curve of
which looks toward Cape Sable in Florida, from which it is six miles
distant. At low water, it is surrounded to a great distance by mud
flats abounding in food for wading and swimming birds, while the
plants, the fruits, and the insects of the island itself, supply many
species that are peculiar to the land. Besides the White Ibis, we
found breeding there the Brown Pelican, the Purple, the Louisiana, the
White, and the Green Herons, two species of Gallinule, the Cardinal
Grosbeak, Crows, and Pigeons. The vegetation consists of a few tall
mangroves, thousands of wild plum trees, several species of cactus,
some of them nearly as thick as a man’s body, and more than twenty
feet high, different sorts of smilax, grape-vines, cane, palmettoes,
Spanish bayonets, and the rankest nettles I ever saw,—all so tangled
together, that I leave you to guess how difficult it was for my
companions and myself to force a passage through them in search of
birds’ nests, which, however, we effected, although the heat was
excessive, and the stench produced by the dead birds, putrid eggs,
and the natural effluvia of the Ibises, was scarcely sufferable. But
then, the White Ibis was there, and in thousands; and, although I
already knew the bird, I wished to study its manners once more, that I
might be enabled to present you with an account of them, which I now
proceed to do,—endeavouring all the while to forget the pain of the
numerous scratches and lacerations of my legs caused by the cactuses
of Sandy Island.
As we entered that well-known place, we saw nests on every bush,
cactus, or tree. Whether the number was one thousand or ten I
cannot say, but this I well know:—I counted forty-seven on a single
plum-tree. These nests of the White Ibis measure about fifteen inches
in their greatest diameter, and are formed of dry twigs intermixed
with fibrous roots and green branches of the trees growing on the
island, which this bird easily breaks with its bill; the interior,
which is flat, being finished with leaves of the cane and some other
plants. The bird breeds only once in the year, and the full number of
its eggs is three. They measure two inches and a quarter in length,
with a diameter of one inch and five-eighths, are rough to the touch,
although not granulated, of a dull white colour, blotched with pale
yellow, and irregularly spotted with deep reddish-brown. They afford
excellent eating, although when boiled they do not look inviting,
the white resembling a livid-coloured jelly, and the yolk being of a
reddish-orange, the former wonderfully transparent, instead of being
opaque like that of most other birds. The eggs are deposited from
the 10th of April to the 1st of May, and incubation is general by the
10th of the latter month. The young birds, which are at first covered
with thick down of a dark grey colour, are fed by regurgitation.
They take about five weeks to be able to fly, although they leave the
nest at the end of three weeks, and stand on the branches, or on the
ground, waiting the arrival of their parents with food, which consists
principally of small fiddler crabs and crayfish. On some occasions, I
have found them at this age miles away from the breeding-places, and
in this state they are easily caught. As soon as the young are able to
provide for themselves, the old birds leave them, and the different
individuals are then seen searching for food apart. While nestling
or in the act of incubating, these Ibises are extremely gentle and
unwary, unless they may have been much disturbed, for they almost
allow you to touch them on the nest. The females are silent all the
while, but the males evince their displeasure by uttering sounds
which greatly resemble those of the White-headed Pigeon, and which
may be imitated by the syllables _crooh, croo, croo_. The report of
a gun scarcely alarms them at first, although at all other periods
these birds are shy and vigilant in the highest degree.
The change in the colouring of the bill, legs, and feet of this bird,
that takes place in the breeding-season, is worthy of remark, the
bill being then of a deep orange red, and the legs and feet of a red
nearly amounting to carmine. The males at this season have the gular
pouch of a rich orange colour, and somewhat resembling in shape that
of the Frigate Pelican, although proportionally less. During winter,
these parts are of a dull flesh colour. The irides also lose much of
their clear blue, and resume in some degree the umber colour of the
young birds. I am thus particular in these matters, because it is
doubtful if any one else has ever paid attention to them.
While breeding, the White Ibises go to a great distance in search
of food for their young, flying in flocks of several hundreds. Their
excursions take place at particular periods, determined by the decline
of the tides, when all the birds that are not sitting go off, perhaps
twenty or thirty miles, to the great mud flats, where they collect
abundance of food, with which they return the moment the tide begins
to flow. As the birds of this genus feed by night as well as by day,
the White Ibis attends the tides at whatever hour they may be. Some of
those which bred on Sandy Key would go to the keys next the Atlantic,
more than forty miles distant, while others made for the Ever Glades;
but they never went off singly. They rose with common accord from the
breeding-ground, forming themselves into long lines, often a mile in
extent, and soon disappeared from view. Soon after the turn of the
tide we saw them approaching in the same order. Not a note could you
have heard on those occasions; yet if you disturb them when far from
their nests, they utter loud hoarse cries resembling the syllables
_hunk, hunk, hunk_, either while on the ground or as they fly off.
The flight of the White Ibis is rapid and protracted. Like all
other species of the genus, these birds pass through the air with
alternate flappings and sailings; and I have thought that the use
of either mode depended upon the leader of the flock, for, with the
most perfect regularity, each individual follows the motion of that
preceding it, so that a constant appearance of regular undulations
is produced through the whole line. If one is shot at this time, the
whole line is immediately broken up, and for a few minutes all is
disorder; but as they continue their course, they soon resume their
former arrangement. The wounded bird never attempts to bite or to
defend itself in any manner, although, if only winged, it runs off
with more speed than is pleasant to its pursuer.
At other times the White Ibis, like the Red and the Wood Ibises,
rises to an immense height in the air, where it performs beautiful
evolutions. After they have thus, as it were, amused themselves for
some time, they glide down with astonishing speed, and alight either
on trees or on the ground. Should the sun be shining, they appear in
their full beauty, and the glossy black tips of their wings form a
fine contrast with the yellowish-white of the rest of their plumage.
This species is as fond of resorting to the ponds, bayous, or lakes
that are met with in the woods, as the Wood Ibis itself. I have found
it breeding there at a distance of more than three hundred miles from
the sea, and remaining in the midst of the thickest forests until
driven off to warmer latitudes by the approach of winter. This is the
case in the State of Mississippi, not far from Natchez, and in all
the swampy forests around Bayou Sara and Pointe Coupée, as well as
the interior of the Floridas. When disturbed in such places, these
Ibises fly at once to the tops of the tallest trees, emitting their
hoarse _hunk_, and watch your motions with so much care that it is
extremely difficult to get within shot of them.
The manner in which this bird searches for its food is very curious.
The Woodcock and the Snipe, it is true, are probers as well as it, but
their task requires less ingenuity than is exercised by the White or
the Red Ibis. It is also true that the White Ibis frequently seizes on
small crabs, slugs and snails, and even at times on flying insects;
but its usual mode of procuring food is a strong proof that cunning
enters as a principal ingredient in its instinct. The Cray-fish often
burrows to the depth of three or four feet in dry weather, for before
it can be comfortable it must reach the water. This is generally the
case during the prolonged heats of summer, at which time the White
Ibis is most pushed for food. The bird, to procure the Cray-fish,
walks with remarkable care towards the mounds of mud which the latter
throws up while forming its hole, and breaks up the upper part of
the fabric, dropping the fragments into the deep cavity that has
been made by the animal. Then the Ibis retires a single step, and
patiently waits the result. The Cray-fish, incommoded by the load of
earth, instantly sets to work anew, and at last reaches the entrance
of its burrow; but the moment it comes in sight, the Ibis seizes it
with his bill.
Whilst at Indian Key, I observed an immense quantity of beautiful
tree snails, of a pyramidal or shortly conical form, some pure white,
others curiously marked with spiral lines of bright red, yellow and
black. They were crawling vigorously on every branch of each bush
where there was not a nest of the White Ibis; but wherever that bird
had fixed its habitation, not a live snail was to be seen, although
hundreds lay dead beneath. Was this caused by the corrosive quality
of the bird’s ordure?
There is a curious though not altogether general difference between
the sexes of this species as to the plumage:—the male has five of
its primaries tipped with glossy black for several inches, while the
female, which is very little smaller than the male, has only four
marked in this manner. On examining more than a hundred individuals
of each sex, I found only four exceptions, which occurred in females
that were very old birds, and which, as happens in some other species,
might perhaps have been undergoing the curious change exhibited by
ducks, pheasants, and some other birds, the females of which when
old sometimes assume the livery of the males.
Much, as you are aware, good Reader, has been said respecting the “oil
bags” of birds. I dislike controversy, simply because I never saw the
least indications of it in the ways of the Almighty Creator. Should
I err, forgive me, but my opinion is, that these organs were not made
without an object. Why should they consist of matter so conveniently
placed, and so disposed as to issue under the least pressure, through
apertures in the form of well defined tubes? The White Ibis, as well
as the Wood Ibis, and all the other species of this genus, when in
full health, has these oil bags of great size, and, if my eyes have
not deceived me, makes great use of their contents. Should you feel
anxious to satisfy yourself on this subject, I request of you to keep
some Ibises alive for several weeks, as I have done, and you will have
an opportunity of judging. And again, tell me if the fat contained
in these bags is not the very best _lip-salve_ that can be procured.
When any species of Ibis with which I am acquainted falls into the
water on being wounded, it swims tolerably well; but I have never
observed any taking to the water and swimming either by choice or to
escape pursuit. While in the company of Mr JOSEPH MASON, a young man
who was for some time employed by me, and who has drawn plants to some
of my birds, although not so successfully as my amiable friend Miss
MARTIN, or GEORGE LEHMAN, who finish those they draw as beautifully as
my learned and valued friend WILLIAM MACGILLIVRAY of Edinburgh does
his faithful drawings of birds, I chanced one morning to be on the
look-out for White Ibises, in a delightful swamp not many miles from
Bayou Sara. It was in the end of summer, and all around was pure and
calm as the clear sky, the bright azure of which was reflected by the
lake before us. The trees had already exchanged the verdure of their
foliage for more mellow tints of diversified hue; the mast dropped
from the boughs; some of the Warblers had begun to think of removing
farther south; the Night Hawk, in company with the Chimney Swallow,
was passing swiftly towards the land of their winter residence, and
the Ibises had all departed for the Florida coasts, excepting a few of
the white species, one of which we at length espied. It was perched
about fifty yards from us towards the centre of the pool, and as
the report of one of our guns echoed among the tall cypresses, down
to the water, broken-winged, it fell. The exertions which it made
to reach the shore seemed to awaken the half-torpid alligators that
lay in the deep mud at the bottom of the pool. One shewed his head
above the water, then a second and a third. All gave chase to the
poor wounded bird, which, on seeing its dreaded and deadly foes, made
double speed towards the very spot where we stood. I was surprised to
see how much faster the bird swam than the reptiles, who, with jaws
widely opened, urged their heavy bodies through the water. The Ibis
was now within a few yards of us. It was the alligator’s last chance.
Springing forward as it were, he raised his body almost out of the
water; his jaws nearly touched the terrified bird; when pulling three
triggers at once, we lodged the contents of our guns in the throat
of the monster. Thrashing furiously with his tail, and rolling his
body in agony, the alligator at last sunk to the mud; and the Ibis,
as if in gratitude, walked to our very feet, and there lying down,
surrendered itself to us. I kept this bird until the succeeding spring,
and by care and good nursing, had the pleasure of seeing its broken
wing perfectly mended, when, after its long captivity, I restored it
to liberty, in the midst of its loved swamps and woods.
The young bird of this species which I kept alive for some time,
fed freely, after a few days captivity, on soaked Indian corn meal,
but evinced great pleasure when cray-fishes were offered to it. On
seizing one, it beat it sideways on the ground, until the claws and
legs were broken off, after which it swallowed the body whole. It
was fond of lying on its side in the sun for an hour or so at a time,
pluming its body and nursing the sore wing. It walked lightly and very
gracefully, though not so much so as the Herons. It did not molest
its companions, and became very gentle and tame, following those who
fed it like a common fowl.
The Creoles of Louisiana call this species “_Bee croche_,” and also
“_Petit Flaman_,” though it is also generally known by the name of
“Spanish Curlew.” The flesh, which, as well as the skin, is of a dull
orange colour, is extremely fishy, although the birds are often sold
in our southernmost markets, and are frequently eaten by the Indians.
The White Ibis has been shot eastward as far as New Jersey. Of this
I have been made aware by my generous friend EDWARD HARRIS, Esq. I
never saw one farther up the Mississippi than Memphis.
TANTALUS ALBUS, _Linn._ Syst. Nat. vol. i. p. 242.—_Lath._
Ind. Ornith. vol. ii. p. 705.
WHITE IBIS, TANTALUS ALBUS, _Wils._ Amer. Ornith. vol. viii.
p. 43. pl. 66. fig. 3.—_Nuttall_, Manual, vol. ii. p. 86.
IBIS ALBA, _Ch. Bonaparte_, Synops. of Birds of the United
States, p. 312.
Adult Male. Plate CCXXII. Fig. 1.
Bill very long, slender, deeper than broad, compressed, tapering,
arcuate, obtuse at the tip. Upper mandible with the dorsal line
arched in its whole length, the ridge convex, broader towards the
end, the sides at the base nearly erect, towards the end very convex
and narrow, the ridge separated in its whole length from the sides
by a deep narrow groove, the edges inflected and sharp. Nostrils
basal, dorsal, linear, direct. Lower mandible nearly equal to upper,
its angle very narrow, and protracted in the form of a groove to the
tip, the sides convex, the edges sharp, but strong.
Head small, compressed; neck long and slender; body slender, deeper
than broad; wings rather large. Feet very long, slender; tibiæ long,
bare about half their length, and covered all round with hexagonal
scales; tarsi long, slender, anteriorly covered with numerous broad
scutella, the rest with hexagonal scales; toes slender, the first much
smaller, the third longest, the fourth considerably shorter, the second
very little shorter than the fourth, all covered above with numerous
scutella, laterally with angular scales, beneath flattened with thick
soft margins; the anterior connected at the base by membranes, of
which the outer is longer; claws small, arched, compressed, obtuse,
the middle one with a sharp thin edge.
Head and throat bare to beyond the eyes, as are the tibiæ nearly
half way up. Plumage in general soft, unglossed, the feathers rather
blended, those of the head and neck narrow and more blended. Wings
long, ample, some of the secondaries as long as the longest primary
when the wings are closed; third quill longest, but second and
fourth almost as long, first longer than fifth; secondaries broad
and rounded. Tail short, slightly emarginate and rounded, of twelve
rounded feathers.
Bare parts of the head light orange-red; bill the same, but towards
the tip dusky. Iris of a fine pearly blue. Legs and toes paler than
the bill; claws dusky, tipped with horn colour. Plumage pure white,
excepting the ends of from three to five of the outer primaries,
which are deep black, with blue and green reflexions.
Length to end of tail 24-1/2 inches, to end of wings 27, to end of
claws 31-1/2; extent of wings 40; wing from flexure 12-1/2; tail
4-3/4; bill along the back 5-1/4, along the edge 5-3/4; bare space
of tibia 1-3/4, tarsus 3-1/4, middle toe 2-1/8, its claw 3/8. Weight
2 lb.
The adults vary considerably in size, and remarkably in the length of
the bill. The extent of the bare space on the head varies according
to age. In the breeding season the bill and legs are bright carmine;
during the rest of the year paler.
Young bird killed in September. Plate CCXXII. Fig. 2.
In its first plumage this species is of a dull brown colour all over,
excepting the rump, which is whitish, and the tail, which is tinged
with grey.
After the first moult, the bill is pale yellowish-orange, toward the
base greenish; the naked parts of the head are pale orange-yellow,
inclining to flesh-colour; the eye dark brown; the feet pale blue.
The plumage is of a dull olivaceous brown, the quills darker, the
tail rather lighter, the hind part of the back white, the breast and
abdomen white.
The Crayfish represented in the plate will be found described in the
article entitled “the White Perch and its favourite bait.”
THE AMERICAN OYSTER-CATCHER.
_HÆMATOPUS PALLIATUS_, TEMM.
PLATE CCXXIII. MALE.
Our Oyster-Catcher has a very extensive range. It spends the winter
along the coast from Maryland to the Gulf of Mexico, and being then
abundant on the shores of the Floridas, may be considered a constant
resident in the United States. At the approach of spring, it removes
toward the Middle States, where, as well as in North Carolina, it
breeds. It seems scarcer between Long Island and Portland in Maine,
where you again see it, and whence it occurs all the way to Labrador,
in which country I found that several were breeding in the month
of July. Unless in winter, when these birds assemble in parties of
twenty-five or thirty individuals, they are seldom met with in greater
numbers than from one to four pairs, with their families, which appear
to remain with the parent birds until the following spring. It is
never found inland, nor even far up our largest rivers, but is fond
of remaining at all times on the sandy beaches and rocky shores of
our salt-water bays or marshes. In Labrador, I met with it farther
from the open sea than in any other part, yet always near salt-water.
I have never met with any other species on the coasts of North America.
Shy, vigilant, and ever on the alert, the Oyster-Catcher walks with
a certain appearance of dignity, greatly enhanced by its handsome
plumage and remarkable bill. If you stop to watch it, that instant it
sounds a loud shrill note of alarm; and should you advance farther
towards it, when it has neither nest nor young, off it flies quite
out of sight. Few birds, indeed, are more difficult to be approached,
and the only means of studying its habits I found to be the use of
an excellent telescope, with which I could trace its motions when
at the distance of a quarter of a mile, and pursuing its avocations
without apprehension of danger. In this manner I have seen it probe
the sand to the full length of its bill, knock off limpets from
the rocks on the coast of Labrador, using its weapon sideways and
insinuating it between the rock and the shell like a chisel, seize the
bodies of gaping oysters on what are called in the Southern States
and the Floridas “Racoon oyster beds,” and at other times take up a
“razor-handle” or solen, and lash it against the sands until the shell
was broken and the contents swallowed. Now and then they seem to suck
the sea-urchins, driving in the mouth, and introducing their bill by
the aperture, without breaking the shell; again they are seen wading
up to their bodies from one place to another, seizing on shrimps and
other crustacea, and even swimming for a few yards, should this be
necessary to enable them to remove from one bank to another without
flying. Small crabs, fiddlers, and sea-worms, are also caught by it,
the shells of which in a broken state I have found in its gizzard in
greater or less quantity. Frequently, while on wet sea-beaches, it
pats the sand, to force out the insects; and in one instance I saw an
individual run from the water to the dry sand, with a small flounder
in its bill, which it afterwards devoured.
This bird forms no regular nest, but is contented with scratching
the dry sand above high-water mark, so as to form a slight hollow,
in which it deposits its eggs. On the coast of Labrador, and in the
Bay of Fundy, it lays its eggs on the bare rock. When the eggs are
on sand, it seldom sits on them during the heat of the sun; but in
Labrador, it was found sitting as closely as any other bird. Here,
then, is another instance of the extraordinary difference of habit
in the same bird under different circumstances. It struck me so much
that had I not procured a specimen in Labrador, and another in our
Middle Districts, during the breeding season, and found them on the
closest examination to be the same, I should perhaps have thought the
birds different. Everywhere, however, I observed that this bird is
fond of places covered with broken shells and drifted sea-weeds or
grasses, as a place of security for its eggs, and where, in fact, it
is no very easy matter to discover them. The eggs are two or three,
measure two inches and one-eighth in length, by an inch and a half in
breadth, and are of the form of those of a common hen. They are of a
pale cream colour, spotted with irregular marks of brownish-black,
and others of a paler tint, pretty equally dispersed all over. The
birds, even when not sitting on them, are so very anxious about them,
that on the least appearance of an enemy, they scream out loudly,
and if you approach the nest, fly over and around you, although
always at a considerable distance. When you meet with the young,
which run as soon as they are hatched, the old birds manifest the
greatest anxiety. They run before you, or fly around you, with great
swiftness, and emit peculiar notes, which at once induce their little
ones to squat among the sand and broken shells, where, on account of
their dull greyish-colour, it is very difficult to see them unless
you pass within a foot or two of them, when they run off emitting a
plaintive note, which renders the parents doubly angry. Their shape
is now almost round, and the streaks of their back and rump, as well
as the curved points of their bills, might induce you to believe them
to be any thing but the young of an Oyster-Catcher. I have caught
some, which I thought were more than a month old, and yet were unable
to fly, although full feathered. They appeared weakened by their
fatness, and were overtaken by running after them on the sands. There
were no parent birds near or in sight of them; yet I much doubt if
they procured their own food at this period, and have more reason to
believe that, like some other species of birds, they were visited and
supplied with food at particular hours of the day or of the night,
as is the case with Herons and Ibises, for the Oyster-Catcher is
scarcely nocturnal.
By the beginning of October these birds return to the south. I saw
them at Labrador until the 11th of August, but cannot say at what
period they leave that country. When wounded while wading or on the
shore, they make for the water, on which they float buoyantly and
move with ease.
The flight of the American Oyster-catcher is powerful, swift, elegant
at times, and greatly protracted. While they are on wing, their
beauties are as effectually displayed as those of the Ivory-billed
Woodpecker of our woods, the colours of which are somewhat similar.
The transparent white of their wings contrasts with their jetty tips,
and is enriched by the coral hue of the bill, while the beautiful
white of their lower parts has a very pleasing effect. Their loud
cries, too, of _wheep, wheep, wheeop_, which sound in your ears,
are quite different from any you have heard; and as they perform
their various evolutions, all charming in themselves, you cannot,
if unacquainted with the bird, refrain from asking what it is? Now
wheeling with wonderful impetuosity, they pass within a hundred yards
of you, and suddenly checking their flight return, not low over the
waters as before, but high in the air. Again, they form their ranks
in a broad front, and again, as if suddenly alarmed by the report of
a distant gun, they close pell-mell, and dip towards the sands or
the waters. Shoot one at such a moment, and you may expect to kill
another; but as this is done, the wary birds, as if suddenly become
aware of your intentions, form themselves into a straggling line,
and before a minute has elapsed, far beyond reach, and fading on the
view, are the remaining Oyster-catchers.
The gullet of this species is capable of being considerably distended.
When your finger is introduced into it, it passes with ease into a
sort of crop, where the food is apparently prepared before entering
the gizzard, which is rather muscular. How this bird disposes of the
hard particles of shells, pebbles, and other matters, with which its
food is mixed, is beyond my comprehension, and one which I gladly
leave for your solution. Their flesh is dark, tough, and unfit for
eating, unless in cases of extreme necessity.
The females and young are dark olive-brown above, like the males,
but of a browner shade. I have represented a male bird. I have never
met with the European Oyster-catcher, _Hæmatopus Ostralegus_, in
any part of the United States, and, although I cannot of course aver
that it does not occur there, I believe that the American or Mantled
Oyster-catcher has been confounded with it by WILSON and others.
Indeed, the figure given by WILSON resembles that of the European
bird, but his description of the female and young almost agrees with
the present species, the dimensions also being nearly the same.
HÆMATOPUS PALLIATUS, _Temm._ Man. d’Ornith. part ii. p. 532.
MANTLED OYSTER-CATCHER, HÆMATOPUS PALLIATUS, _Nuttall_,
Manual, vol. ii. p. 15.
Plate CCXXIII. Male in June.
Bill long, slender but strong, straight, deeper than broad at the
base, towards the end extremely compressed, terminating in a very
thin wedge-shaped point. Upper mandible with the dorsal line at the
base straight and slightly sloping, convex beyond the nostrils, then
straight and sloping to the point, the ridge broad and flattened
as far as the prominence, afterwards extremely narrow, the sides
sloping at the base, perpendicular towards the end, the edges rather
sharp. Nasal groove basal, long; nostrils basal, in the middle of
the groove, linear, direct, placed nearer the margin than the dorsal
line, pervious. Lower mandible straight, the dorsal line at the base
sloping upwards, at one-third of the length of the bill bulging,
then straightish and slightly ascending, the tip narrower than that
of the upper mandible, the sides at the base sloping upwards, and
having a shallow groove, towards the end becoming perpendicular. The
bill differs from that of the _Hæmatopus Ostralegus_ in being much
deeper at the bulging part, much more attenuated towards the point,
and proportionally longer.
Head of moderate size, oblong, the forehead rounded. Neck rather long.
Body stout, compact, deeper than broad. Wings long. Feet of moderate
length, rather stout; tibia bare for a fourth of its length, and,
like the slightly compressed tarsus, covered all round with hexagonal
scales; toes rather short and fleshy, the hind toe wanting, the second
a little shorter than the fourth, the third much longer, all scaly
at the base above, scutellate towards the end, flattened and broad
beneath, with thick margins, which are covered with prominent thick
scales, and connected at the base by short webs of which the outer
is longer; claws small, blunt, rather compressed, that of the middle
toe largest, and with a dilated thin inner edge.
Plumage of the head and neck short, blended, of the back compact, and
slightly glossed, of the lower parts close and rather blended, the
feathers in general incurved, broad, and rounded. Wings long, acute;
primaries rather narrow and tapering, the first longest, the second
slightly shorter, the rest rapidly graduated; secondaries broad and
rounded, the inner much elongated and tapering. Tail short, rounded
of twelve rather broad, rounded feathers.
Bill vermilion, lighter at the base. Edges of eyelids vermilion; iris
bright yellow. Feet very pale flesh-colour; claws brownish-black. Head
and neck dull black tinged with bluish-grey; lower eyelid white; the
bases of the feathers on the chin white. The general colour of the
upper parts is light greyish-brown, tinged with olive, and in certain
lights with faint reddish-purple reflections; the edge of the wing,
the tips of the secondary coverts, the secondary quills, excepting
the inner elongated ones, pure white; as are the breast, sides, under
wing-coverts, abdomen, sides of the rump, the upper and the lower
tail-coverts. Basal half of the tail white, the rest greyish-brown,
like the back.
Length to end of tail 17-1/2, to end of claws 19-1/2; wing from
flexure 10-1/2, tail 4-1/4; extent of wings 36; bill along the back
3-5/8; along the edge 3-7/8; bill at the base 9/12, at the deepest
part in the middle 8/12; naked part of tibia 1; tarsus 2-1/4; middle
toe 1-8/12, its claw (3-1/2)/12. Weight 1 lb. 4-1/2 oz.
The bill varies considerably in length and depth. Individuals vary
in length from 17 to 18 inches.
The Female is precisely similar to the male.
THE KITTIWAKE GULL.
_LARUS TRIDACTYLUS_, LATH.
PLATE CCXXIV. ADULT IN SUMMER, AND YOUNG IN WINTER.
This beautiful Gull ranges, during the autumnal and winter months,
along the whole of our extensive coasts. I have procured it from
the mouth of the Mississippi to the coast of Maine, and have traced
it from the latter district to Labrador. Yet I never saw it on any
of our great lakes or rivers, nor in any part of the interior. From
New York to Eastport it is extremely abundant, and many breed on the
Island of Grand Manan, off the entrance of the Bay of Fundy.
As we approached the famous Gannet Rock of the Gulf of St Lawrence,
the wind suddenly rose to a gale; but as I was exceedingly anxious
that a landing should be effected on the island, every exertion
was made to enable me to accomplish my purpose. The whale boat was
manned. THOMAS LINCOLN and my son leaped into it, accompanied by
young COOLEDGE. Urged by strong pulls, the buoyant boat advanced
towards the grim rock. For nearly an hour it became hidden from my
sight; but now and then the report of a gun brought intimation that
all was as yet safe; and at length I had the great pleasure of seeing
it advancing towards the Ripley, which stood off and on, shivering
as it were under the heavy blast. My eye fixed to the telescope,
watched every movement of the boat, as with fear I saw it tossed from
billow to billow, this moment a glimpse of her keel appearing over
the edge of a wave, the next a foot of her stem only seeming to float
on the waters. “Pull steadily on, my good lads,” at last came on my
ear, when, by a heavy surge, the floating shell was driven back some
twenty yards, as I thought, and the wave, foaming with wrath, broke
over her. Breathless and exhausted, the crew at length came within
reach of a line, as the boat was dangerously plunging, when by good
luck the rope was thrown across her, and in a few moments she lay
snug under our lee. How happy was I when I again saw my son, my young
companions, and the sailors, on the deck of the Ripley. Quickly was
the whaler hauled on board, and with joy we saw our vessel fly off
like a Kittiwake before the gale.
When the anxiety was over, inquiries were made as to the success of
the adventurous party. Several nests of the Kittiwake and many of
its eggs had been brought safe on board. Notes had been taken on the
spot, and the result of the expedition was as follows:—The nests were
found placed on some ledge of the huge rock, so small as barely to
admit their breadth, which was about a foot. They were placed where no
other bird than the Guillemot would have ventured to drop its egg, or
the Raven to fix his nest. Yet on that narrow platform the Kittiwake
sat on its three eggs, as unconcerned as if in a meadow. The nests
were altogether composed of sea-weeds called “eel-grass,” and coarse
grasses, probably procured on the top of the rock, or stolen from the
nest of some unwary Solan Goose. Their inner surface was quite flat,
although some of the nests were many inches in thickness, and looked
as if they had been increased in bulk year after year. The sitting
birds remained on their eggs with uncommon pertinacity, seldom indeed
flying off, but merely moving aside. The male birds, or those that
had no eggs, on the contrary, were extremely clamorous, flew around
the party in great concern, and shewed much courage. The eggs are of
a light olive-green colour, marked with numerous irregular spots of
dark brown. Their average length is two inches and a quarter, their
greatest breadth one inch and seven-eighths. No other species of Gull
was seen about the rock; and indeed I have regularly observed that
each species of this genus breeds far apart, although at all other
seasons it may associate with others.
The young remain a considerable time in the nest or about it, when
room is afforded. Their bills and feet are now quite black, the eye
dark, and they do not change these colours until the second spring
after their birth, when the bill is dull yellow, the legs and feet of
a greenish flesh-colour, and these parts gradually improve in their
tints until they acquire the appearance represented in the plate.
This species raises only one brood in the season, and old and young
leave the coast of Labrador at the first appearance of winter, or
when the Ivory Gull reaches that country. This, however, I know only
from hearsay, having received the information from a settler at Bras
d’Or, who has lived there many years, and must know something of both
species, as he was in the habit of salting young Kittiwakes for winter
provisions, along with those of other species, and of shooting the
Ivory Gull when it arrived over his harbour in the month of December.
The Kittiwake is on land the most awkward of its tribe; and, although
it walks often on the rocks, its gait manifests a waddling gaucherie;
but on the water, or in the air, few birds surpass it in buoyancy,
grace, and ease of motion. Bearing up against the heaviest gale,
it passes from one trough of the sea to another, as if anxious to
rest for an instant under the lee of the billows; yet as these are
seen to rear their curling crests, the Gull is already several feet
above them, and preparing to plunge into the next hollow. While in
our harbour, and during fine weather, they seemed to play with their
companions of other species. Now with a spiral curve, they descend
toward the water, support themselves by beats of their wings, decline
their heads, and pick up a young herring or some bit of garbage, when
away they fly, chased perhaps by several others anxious to rob them of
the prize. Noon has arrived. High above the mast-head of our tallest
man-of-war, the Kittiwakes float gracefully in wide circles, until
all, as if fatigued, sail downward again with common accord towards
the transparent deep, and, alighting close to each other, seem to
ride safely at anchor. There they now occupy themselves in cleaning
and arranging their beautiful plumage.
The food of this species consists of small fish, sea insects, and
small bivalves, most of which they procure while on wing, even those
left dry by the tide. Unlike the larger species, they do not take up
shell-fish to break them by letting them fall on the rocks; at least
I never saw them do so. Their principal enemies are different species
of Lestris, especially that beautiful one named the _L. parasiticus_.
This tormentor follows the Kittiwake to the very waters around the
Gulf of Florida during the winter. There with astonishing swiftness,
and an audacity scarcely to be surpassed, it gives chase to the Gull,
overtakes it, and forces it to alight on the water, or to disgorge
the fish which it has just swallowed.
The two represented in the plate were drawn at Boston, at the approach
of spring, when the old birds had already assumed the pure white of
the head. This species was so abundant on several of the islands of
the Bay of Boston, that several basketfuls of them were procured in
the course of a few excursions. When one fell to the water, the rest
would hover about and around the boat, until many were shot from a
flock. The case was the same, while we were in some of the harbours
of Labrador.
LARUS TRIDACTYLUS, _Lath._ Ind. Ornith. vol. ii. p. 817.—_Ch.
Bonaparte_, Synopsis of Birds of the United States, p.
359.—_Swains. and Richards._ Fauna Bor. Amer. part ii. p.
423.
KITTIWAKE GULL, _Nuttall_, Manual, vol. ii. p. 298.
Adult in Summer. CCXXIV. Fig. 1.
Bill shorter than the head, strong, nearly straight, compressed. Upper
mandible with the dorsal line nearly straight and slightly declinate,
until towards the end, when it is decurved, the ridge convex, the
sides slightly convex, the edges a little inflected, straight, towards
the end declinate and arched, the tip rather obtuse. Nasal groove
narrow, rather long; nostril in its fore part, lateral, longitudinal,
linear, wider anteriorly, open, and pervious. Lower mandible with a
slight prominence at the end of the angle, which is long and narrow,
the dorsal line then nearly straight and ascending, the sides convex,
the edges sharp and inflected.
Head rather large, oblong, anteriorly compressed. Neck of moderate
length. Body rather full. Wings long. Feet of moderate length rather
strong; tibia bare below; tarsus somewhat compressed, covered before
and behind with numerous broad scutella, the sides reticulated; hind
toe rudimentary, with a minute knob in place of the claw; the fore
toes rather long and slender, the fourth longer than the second, all
scutellate above, and connected by reticulated entire membranes, the
lateral toes margined externally with a narrow membrane. Claws small,
compressed, slightly arched, rather obtuse.
The plumage in general is close, elastic, very soft and blended, on
the back somewhat compact. Wings very long, rather broad, acute, the
first quill longest, the other primaries rapidly graduated; secondaries
broad and rounded, the inner elongated and narrow. Tail of moderate
length, even, of twelve rounded feathers.
Bill pale greenish-yellow. Edges of eyelids crimson; iris
reddish-brown. Feet black. The head, neck, rump, tail, and lower
parts generally are pure white. The back and upper surface of the
wings light pearl-grey. The first five quills are black at the end,
the first on its outer web also, the fifth with a small white tip,
the tips of all the other quills more or less white.
Length to end of tail 18 inches, to end of wings 20, to end of claws
17; extent of wings 36-1/2; wing from flexure 12, tail 7; bill along
the back 1-1/2, along the edge of lower mandible 2-2/12; tarsus 1-7/12;
middle toe its claw 4/12. Weight 1-1/2 lb.
Young bird in January. Plate CCXXIV. Fig. 2.
Bill and feet black. Edges of eyelids and iris as in the adult. The
hind head and neck are bluish-grey, and before the eye there is a
semilunar blackish mark, the tips of the auriculars also dark grey.
Forehead, sides of the head, throat, and lower parts, white, as is
the rump. Tail white, with a broad terminal band of black, the outer
feather having only a spot on the inner web. The mantle is bluish-grey,
but a broad band of black crosses the lower part of the hind neck, and
the larger wing-coverts are of the same colour towards the end. The
primary quills are black, more or less margined with white internally.
Length to end of tail 17 inches, to end of wings 19, to end of claws
17; extent of wings 36-5/12. Weight 14-1/2 oz.
THE KILDEER PLOVER.
_CHARADRIUS VOCIFERUS_, WILS.
PLATE CCXV. MALE AND FEMALE.
Reader, suppose yourself wandering over some extensive prairie, far
beyond the western shores of the Mississippi. While your wearied limbs
and drooping spirits remind you of the necessity of repose and food,
you see the moon’s silvery rays glitter on the dews that have already
clothed the tall grass around you. Your footsteps, be they ever so
light, strike the ear of the watchful Kildeer, who, with a velocity
scarcely surpassed by that of any other bird, comes up, and is now
passing and repassing swiftly around you. His clear notes indicate
his alarm, and seem to demand why _you_ are there. To see him is now
impossible, for a cloud has shrouded the moon; but on your left and
right, before and behind, his continued vociferations intimate how
glad he would be to see you depart from his beloved hunting-grounds.
Nay, be not surprised if he should follow you until his eyes, meeting
the glaring light of a woodsman traveller, he will wheel off and bid
you adieu.
The Kildeer’s large eyes seem to be given it to enable it to feed
by night as well as by day. At any time after the breeding season,
this species moves in loose flocks, seldom exceeding ten or fifteen
individuals, which disperse over the space of an acre or two of ground.
Yet some one of them always acts as a sentinel, for standing erect
to the full stretch of its legs, it carefully watches all the moving
objects around, as far as its eye can reach. Cows, horses, or sheep
are none of its enemies, and among them it will seek for food; but
let a man, or a dog, or any other animal bent on destruction, shew
himself, and that instant the bird runs swiftly with a querulous note,
and should any of these his enemies evince the least disposition to
molest it, its beautiful wings and tail are spread, and away it goes,
cheerily calling to its companions to follow.
The Kildeer is by most people called a “noisy bird and restless.” Now
to me it is any thing but this, unless indeed when it is disturbed
by the approach or appearance of its enemies, more particularly man,
of whom indeed few wild birds are fond. Watch them from under some
cover that completely conceals you, and you will see them peaceably
and silently follow their avocations for hours. In this respect
the Kildeer resembles the Lapwing of Europe, which is also called
a restless and noisy bird, because men and dogs are ever in pursuit
of the poor thing, which after all its vigilance often falls a prey
to the sportsman, who condemns it merely because it endeavours to
draw him from its nest or young. During winter, when undisturbed,
the Kildeer is in fact an unusually silent bird. In Louisiana, where
it breeds and resides at all seasons, it has obtained the name of
“Piallard,” so strongly rooted are old prejudices.
The Kildeer, or more properly “Kildee,” so named on account of its
note, which may be imitated by the syllables _kildee, kildee, dee, dee,
dee_, appear in much greater numbers in the interior than along the
coast. Few are seen in the State of Maine; none, I believe, in Nova
Scotia, any more than in Newfoundland or Labrador. Inland, however,
these birds remove to a great distance north. Unless during winter,
in fact, this species is not wont to approach the shores of the sea,
but prefers the newly ploughed fields, the banks of clear rivers, or
the elevated worn-out grounds of the interior. Few winter to the east
of Boston, while during the cold season they abound in the Southern
States, although thousands spend the most rigorous months in the
Western Country. In the Floridas, Georgia, and South Carolina, you
find them dispersed through the sugar, cotton and rice fields; and
now they are so gentle and so silent, that you can hardly conceive
why they should be called noisy birds. Around the pools, upon the
marshes, and along the oyster-beds at low tides, as well as on the
extensive mud-flats, you will then meet with them diligently searching
for food, and not neglecting to watch you with distrust. Even in the
corn-fields and in company with Doves and Grakles, or by the side of
some strolling Partridge, you may now and then spy the Kildeer. At
this period I have sometimes got so near to it that I could clearly
see the pale red margin of its beautiful eye. The bird would perhaps
run a few steps, when suddenly checking its course, it would stand
still, erect and rigid. Should I level my gun in jest, he would that
instant fly off low over the ground, removing to the distance of a
hundred yards, alight running as it were, advance twenty or thirty
steps more, and then stand still. I would now again approach it as
before. Never try it the third time, Reader, the Kildeer will denounce
you as an enemy. It will stretch its wings, fly across a river or
field, and leave you to amuse yourself as you may. Many a time have
I been thus treated.
The flight of the Kildeer is strong and rapid, and is at times
protracted to a great distance. It skims quite low over the ground,
or plays at a great height in the air, particularly during the
love season, when you may see these birds performing all sorts of
evolutions on wing. On the ground their speed is such that it has
become proverbial, and to “run like a Kildee,” is to move with the
utmost possible agility. Their ordinary posture when standing, might
be called stiff, were they not so beautiful in form and colouring.
When pursued over a large space, they are able to lead you from one
spot to another more than twenty times in the course of an hour; and
the more you follow them, the more shy do they become, until wearied
and hungry, as the fox said of the grapes, you will probably begin
to think them poor and insipid after all.
Now you see the Kildee wading in the water, and observe how it
splashes it about. Down it lays itself, and with fluttering wings,
seems to enjoy the sight of the drops trickling over its silky back.
Now dripping and almost soaked to the skin, it retires to the warm
earth, to dry its plumage and clear it of insects.
This species breeds in Louisiana about the beginning of April; in the
Middle States a full month later, as well as in the Western Country
and farther north. Not one, however, has ever been found breeding in
the low lands of South Carolina, although these birds remain there
until the beginning of May. The nests are various, some being merely
a hollow scooped in the bare ground, while at other times the Kildee
searches for a place on the edge of a pond, forms a hollow, and
constructs a nest of grass, at the foot of a thick bunch of plants.
Now and then small pebbles and fragments of shells are raised in the
form of a rim around the eggs, on which the sitting bird is seen as
if elevated two or three inches. WILSON saw nests of this kind; so
have I; and the circumstance appeared as strange to me as that of
the birds not breeding in the low lands of the Carolinas. The eggs
are almost always four, pyriform, well pointed at the small end, an
inch and five-eighths in length, an inch and one eighth in diameter
at the broadest part, and of a deep cream colour, pretty generally
marked all over with small irregular blotches of purplish-brown and
black. The young, as soon as hatched, run about. At this period, or
during incubation, the parents, who sit alternately on the eggs, never
leaving them to the heat of the sun, are extremely clamorous at sight
of an enemy. The female droops her wings, emits her plaintive notes,
and endeavours by every means she can devise to draw you from the nest
or young. The male dashes over you in the air, in the manner of the
European Lapwing, and vociferates all the remonstrances of an angry
parent whose family is endangered. If you cannot find pity for the
poor birds at such a time, you may take up their eggs and see their
distress; but if you be at all so tender-hearted as I would wish you
to be, it will be quite unnecessary for me to recommend mercy!
Few Plovers with which I am acquainted, acquire their full plumage
sooner than this species. Before December you can observe no difference
between the young birds and their parents; nay by this time, like
most other species, the former are as fully able to fly as at any
other period.
While I was residing in Pennsylvania, the son of my tenant the miller
was in the habit of catching newly-hatched birds of every sort, to
bait his fish-hooks. I had rather peremptorily remonstrated against
this barbarous practice, although, I believe, without effect. One
morning I met him returning from the shores of the Perkioming Creek,
with his hat full of young Kildees. He endeavoured to avoid me, but
I made directly up to him, peeped into his hat and saw the birds. On
this I begged of him to go back and restore the poor things to their
parents, which he reluctantly did. Never had I felt more happy than
I did when I saw the young Plovers run off and hide under cover of
the stones.
The Kildee seems to be remarkably attached to certain localities at
particular periods. Whilst at General HERNANDEZ’s in East Florida,
I accidentally wounded one near a barn on the plantation of my
accomplished host. Yet it returned to the same spot for the ten days
that I remained there, although it always flew off when I approached
it.
The food of this species consists of earth-worms, grass-hoppers,
crickets, and coleopterous insects, as well as small crustacea,
whether of salt or fresh water, and snails. Now and then they may be
seen thrusting their bills into the mud about oysters, in search of
some other food. During autumn, they run about the old fields and
catch an insect which the Blue Bird has been watching with anxious
care from the top of a withering mullein stalk. They run briskly
after the ploughman, to pick up the worms that have been turned out
of their burrows. Now standing on the grassy meadow, after a shower,
you see them patting the moist ground, to force out its inhabitants.
During winter, you meet with them on elevated ground, or along the
margins of the rivers; but wherever you observe one about to pick up
its food, you clearly see its body moving in a see-saw manner on the
joints of the legs, until the former being so placed that the bill
can reach the ground, the object is seized, and the usual horizontal
position is resumed.
The flesh of the Kildee is generally indifferent, unless in early
autumn, when the young birds of that season are fat, juicy and
tender. At all seasons of the year, the Kildee is however shot by
inexperienced sportsmen, and many of these birds are offered for sale
in our markets. Little difference is observed at any period in the
plumage of the adult birds.
CHARADRIUS VOCIFERUS, _Linn._ Syst. Nat. vol. i. p.
253.—_Lath._ Ind. Ornith. vol. ii. p. 742.—_Ch. Bonaparte_,
Synops. of Birds of the United States, p. 297.—_Swains. and
Richards._ Fauna Bor. Amer. part ii. p. 368.
KILDEER PLOVER, CHARADRIUS VOCIFERUS, _Wils._ Amer. Ornith.
vol. vii. p. 73. pl. 59. fig. 6.—_Nuttall_, Manual, vol.
ii. p. 22.
Adult Male in summer. Plate CCXXV. Fig. 1.
Bill shorter than the head, straight, somewhat cylindrical. Upper
mandible with the dorsal line straight for two-thirds of its length,
then bulging a little and curving to the tip, which is rather acute,
the sides flat and sloping at the base, convex towards the end,
where the edges are sharp and inclinate. Nasal groove extended along
two-thirds of the mandible, filled with a bare membrane; nostrils
basal, linear, in the lower part of the membrane, open, and pervious.
Lower mandible with the angle long, narrow, but rounded, the sides
at the base sloping outwards and flat, the dorsal line ascending and
slightly convex, the edges sharp and involute towards the narrow tip.
Head of moderate size, oblong, rather compressed, the forehead rounded.
Eyes large. Neck rather short. Body ovate, rather slender. Wings
long. Feet long, slender; tibia bare a considerable way above the
joint; tarsus rather compressed, covered all round with reticulated
hexagonal scales; toes slender; the hind toe wanting; third or middle
toe longest, outer toe considerably longer than inner, all scutellate
above and marginate, the outer connected with the middle toe by a
membrane as far as the second joint; claws small, compressed, slender
but obtuse at the end, the inner edge of the middle claw slightly
dilated.
Plumage soft and blended; the feathers rounded, those of the back
somewhat distinct. Wings long and pointed; primary quills tapering,
the first longest, the second a little shorter, the rest rapidly
graduated; inner secondaries tapering and elongated, so as nearly
to equal the longest primaries. Tail rather long, much rounded or
graduated, of twelve rather broad rounded feathers.
Bill black. Edges of eyelids bright red; iris dark brown. Feet
light greyish-blue, the hind part of the tarsus pale flesh colour.
Upper part of the head, the back, the smaller wing-coverts, and the
secondary quills, yellowish-brown. Lower parts white. A brown bar
over the lower part of the forehead, and passing under the eye to
the occiput; over this a white band on the forehead, surmounted by
a brownish-black band between the eyes; behind the eyes also a short
white band, ending in light red. The middle of the neck is encircled
with a broad brownish-black collar, and on its lower part anteriorly
between the wings is a narrower band of the same colour. Primaries
brownish-black, each with a white mark, linear on the outer, enlarging
on the inner quills. Secondaries, excepting the inner, white, but
most of them with a large patch of blackish-brown towards the end;
their tips and those of most of the primaries white, as are those of
the primary and secondary coverts. Rump and upper tail-coverts bright
yellowish-red. Tail-feathers of the same colour at the base, the
middle feathers brown, all with a broad subterminal band of black,
the tips white, those of the four middle feathers pale reddish; the
outer feather on each side white, with three black bands on the inner
web.
Length to end of tail 10 inches, to end of wings 9, to end of claws
9-1/2; extent of wings 20; wing from flexure 6-1/2; tail 4; bill along
the back 10/12, along the edge (11-1/2)/12; tarsus 1-5/12; middle
toe 11/12, its claw 3/12. Weight 5-3/4 ounces.
Adult Female in summer. Plate CCXXV. Fig. 2.
The Female resembles the Male.
THE WHITE PERCH AND ITS FAVORITE BAIT.
No sooner have the overflowing waters of early spring subsided within
their banks, and the temperature become pleasant, than the trees of
our woods are seen to unfold their buds and blossoms, and the White
Perch, which during the winter has lived in the ocean, rushes up our
streams, to seek the well-known haunts in which it last year deposited
its spawn. With unabating vigour it ascends the turbulent current of
the Mississippi, of which, however, the waters are too muddy to suit
its habits; and glad no doubt is it to enter one of the numberless
tributaries whose limpid waters are poured into the mighty river.
Of these subsidiary waters the Ohio is one in whose pure stream the
White Perch seems to delight; and towards its head springs the fish
advances in numerous shoals, following the banks with easy progress.
Over many a pebbly or gravelly bar does it seek its food. Here the
crawling mussel it crunches and devours; there, with the speed of an
arrow, it darts upon the minnow; again, at the edge of a shelving
rock, or by the side of a stone, it secures a crayfish. No impure
food will “the Growler” touch; therefore, reader, never make use of
such to allure it, otherwise not only will your time be lost, but
you will not enjoy the gratification of tasting this delicious fish.
Should you have no experience in fishing for perch, I would recommend
to you to watch the men you see on that shore, for they are excellent
anglers.
Smooth are the waters, clear is the sky, and gently does the stream
move,—perhaps its velocity does not exceed a mile in the hour.
Silence reigns around you. See, each fisher has a basket or calabash,
containing many a live cray; and each line, as thick as a crow quill,
measures scarce a furlong. At one end two perch hooks are so fastened
that they cannot interfere with each other. A few inches below the
reaching point of the farthest hook, the sinker, perhaps a quarter
of a pound in weight, having a hole bored through its length, is
passed upon the line, and there secured by a stout knot at its lower
extremity. The other end of the line is fastened ashore. The tackle,
you observe, is carefully coiled on the sand at the fisher’s feet. Now
on each hook he fixes a cray-fish, piercing the shell beneath the tail,
and forcing the keen weapon to reach the very head of the suffering
creature, while all its legs are left at liberty to move. Now, each
man, holding his line a yard or so from the hooks, whirls it several
times overhead, and sends it off to its full length directly across
the stream. No sooner has it reached the gravelly bed, than gently
urged by the current, it rolls over and over, until it is nearly in
the line of the water. Before this, however, I see that several of
the men have had a bite, and that by a short jerk they have hooked
the fish. Hand over hand they haul in their lines. Poor perch, it is
useless labour for thee to flounce and splash in that manner, for no
pity will be shewn thee, and thou shalt be dashed on the sand, and
left there to quiver in the agonies of death. The lines are within
a few yards of being in. I see the fish gasping on its side. Ah!
there are two on this line, both good; on most of the others there
is one; but I see some of the lines have been robbed by some cunning
inhabitant of the water. What beautiful fishes these perches are! so
silvery beneath, so deeply coloured above! What a fine eye too! But,
friend, I cannot endure their gaspings. Pray put them on this short
line, and place them in the water beside you, until you prepare to go
home. In a few hours each fisher has obtained as many as he wishes.
He rolls up his line, fastens five or six perches on each side of
his saddle, mounts his horse, and merrily wends his way.
In this manner the White Perch is caught along the sandy banks of the
Ohio, from its mouth to its source. In many parts above Louisville
some fishers prefer using the trot-line, which, however, ought to be
placed upon, or very little above, the bottom of the stream. When this
kind of line is employed, its hooks are more frequently baited with
mussels than with cray-fish, the latter being perhaps not so easily
procured there as farther down the stream. Great numbers of perches
are also caught in seines, especially during a transient rise of the
water. Few persons fish for them with the pole, as they generally
prefer following the edges of the sandbars next to deep water. Like
all others of its tribe, the White Perch is fond of depositing its
spawn on gravelly or sandy beds, but rarely at a depth of less than
four or five feet. These beds are round, and have an elevated margin
formed of the sand removed from their centre, which is scooped out
for two or three inches. The fish, although it generally remains
for some days over its treasure, is by no means so careful of it as
the little sunny, but starts off at the least appearance of danger.
I have more than once taken considerable pleasure in floating over
their beds, when the water was sufficiently clear to admit of my
seeing both the fish and its place of deposit; but I observed that
if the sun was shining, the very sight of the boat’s shadow drove
the perches away. I am of opinion that most of them return to the
sea about the beginning of November; but of this I am not certain.
The usual length of this fish, which on the Ohio is called the White
Perch, and in the State of New York the Growler, is from fifteen to
twenty inches. I have, however, seen some considerably larger. The
weight varies from a pound and a half to four, and even six pounds.
For the first six weeks of their arrival in fresh water streams they
are in season; the flesh is then white and firm, and affords excellent
eating; but during the heats of summer, they become poor, and are
seldom very good. Now and then, in the latter days of September, I
have eaten some that tasted as well as in spring. One of the most
remarkable habits of this fish is that from which it has received the
name of Growler. When poised in the water, close to the bottom of a
boat, it emits a rough croaking noise, somewhat resembling a groan.
Whenever this sound is heard under a boat, if the least disturbance
is made by knocking on the gunwale or bottom, it at once ceases; but
is renewed when every thing is quiet. It is seldom heard, however,
unless in fine calm weather.
The White Perch bites at the hook with considerable care, and very
frequently takes off the bait without being caught. Indeed, it requires
a good deal of dexterity to hook it, for if this is not done the
first time it touches the bait, you rarely succeed afterwards; and I
have seen young hands at the game, who, in the course of a morning,
seldom caught more than one or two, although they lost perhaps twenty
crays. But, now that I have afforded you some information respecting
the habits of the White Perch, allow me to say a few words on the
subject of its favourite bait.
The Cray is certainly not a fish, although usually so styled; but as
every one is acquainted with its form and nature, I shall not inflict
on you any disquisition regarding it. It is a handsome crustaceous
animal certainly, and its whole tribe I consider as dainties of the
first order. To me “_Ecrevisses_,” whether of fresh or of salt water,
stripped of their coats, and blended into a soup or a “gombo,” have
always been most welcome. Boiled or roasted too, they are excellent
in my estimation, and mayhap in yours. The Crayfish, of which I here
more particularly speak—for I shall not deprive them of their caudal
appendage, lest, like a basha without his tail, they might seem of
less consequence—are found most abundantly swimming, crawling at the
bottom or on shore, or working at their muddy burrows, in all the
southern parts of the Union. If I mistake not, we have two species
at least, one more an inhabitant of rocky streamlets than the other,
and that one by far the best, though the other is good too. Both
species swim by means of rapid strokes of the tail, which propel them
backwards to a considerable distance at each repetition. All that I
regret concerning these animals is, that they are absolutely little
aquatic vultures—or, if you please, crustacea with vulturine habits—for
they feed on every thing impure that comes in their way, when they
cannot obtain fresh aliment. However this may be, the Crays somehow
fall in with this sort of food, and any person may catch as many as
he may wish, by fastening a piece of flesh to a line, allowing it to
remain under water for a while, and drawing it up with care, when,
with the aid of a hand-net, he may bring it ashore with _a few_! But
although this is a good method of procuring Cray-fish, it answers
only for those that live in running waters. The form of these is
delicate, their colour a light olive, and their motions in the water
are very lively. The others are larger, of a dark greenish-brown,
less active in the water than on land, although they are most truly
amphibious. The first conceal themselves beneath shelving rocks,
stones, or water-plants; the others form a deep burrow in the damp
earth, depositing the materials drawn up, as a man would do in
digging a well. The manner in which they dispose of the mud you may
see by glancing at the plate of the White Ibis, in my third volume
of Illustrations, where also you will find a tolerable portrait of
one of these creatures.
According to the nature of the ground, the burrows of this Crayfish are
more or less deep. Indeed, this also depends partly on the increasing
dryness of the soil, when, influenced by the heat of summer, as well
as on the texture of the substratum. Thus, in some places, where
the Cray can reach the water after working a few inches, it rests
contented during the day, but crawls out for food at night. Should
it, however, be left dry, it renews its labour; and thus while one
burrow may be only five or six inches deep, another may be two or
three feet, and a third even more. They are easily procured when thus
lodged in shallow holes; but when the burrow is deep, a thread is
used, with a small piece of flesh fastened to it. The Cray eagerly
seizes the bait, and is gently drawn up, and thrown to a distance,
when he becomes an easy prey. You have read of the method used by the
White Ibis in procuring Crays; and I leave you to judge whether the
bird or the man is the best fisher. This species is most abundant
round the borders of the stagnant lakes, bayous, or ponds of the
Southern Districts; and I have seen them caught even in the streets
of the suburbs of New Orleans, after a heavy shower. They become
a great pest by perforating embankments of all sorts, and many are
the maledictions that are uttered against them both by millers and
planters, nay even by the overseers of the levees along the banks of
the Mississippi. But they are curious creatures, formed no doubt for
useful purposes, and as such they are worthy of your notice.
THE WHOOPING CRANE.
_GRUS AMERICANA_, TEMM.
PLATE CCXXVI. MALE.
The variegated foliage of the woods indicates that the latter days
of October have arrived; gloomy clouds spread over the heavens; the
fierce blasts of the north, as if glad to escape from the dreary
regions of their nativity, sport in dreadful revelry among the forests
and glades. Showers of sleet and snow descend at intervals, and the
careful husbandman gathers his flocks, to drive them to a place of
shelter. The traveller gladly accepts the welcome of the forester,
and as he seats himself by the blazing fire, looks with pleasure on
the spinning wheels of the industrious inmates. The lumberer prepares
to set out on his long voyage, the trapper seeks the retreats of
the industrious beaver, and the red Indian is making arrangements
for his winter hunts. The Ducks and Geese have already reached the
waters of the western ponds; here a Swan or two is seen following
in their train, and as the observer of nature stands watching the
appearances and events of this season of change, he hears from on
high the notes of the swiftly travelling but unseen Whooping Crane.
Suddenly the turbid atmosphere clears, and now he can perceive the
passing birds. Gradually they descend, dress their extended lines,
and prepare to alight on the earth. With necks outstretched, and long
bony legs extended behind, they proceed supported by wings white as
the snow but tipped with jet, until arriving over the great savannah
they wheel their circling flight, and slowly approach the ground,
on which with half-closed wings, and outstretched feet they alight,
running along for a few steps to break the force of their descent.
Reader, see the majestic bird shake its feathers, and again arrange
them in order. Proud of its beautiful form, and prouder still of its
power of flight, it stalks over the withering grasses with all the
majesty of a gallant chief. With long and measured steps be moves
along, his head erect, his eye glistening with delight. His great
journey is accomplished, and being well acquainted with a country
which has often been visited by him, he at once commences his winter
avocations.
The Whooping Crane reaches the Western Country about the middle of
October, or the beginning of November, in flocks of twenty or thirty
individuals, sometimes of twice or thrice that number, the young by
themselves, but closely followed by their parents. They spread from
Illinois over Kentucky, and all the intermediate States, until they
reach the Carolinas on the southern coast, the Floridas, Louisiana,
and the countries bordering on Mexico, in all of which they spend
the winter, seldom returning northward until about the middle of
April, or towards the beginning of May. They are seen on the edges
of large ponds supplied with rank herbage, on fields or savannahs,
now in swampy woods, and again on extensive marshes. The interior
of the country, and the neighbourhood of the sea shores, suit them
equally well, so long as the temperature is sufficiently high. In
the Middle States, it is very seldom indeed that they are seen; and
to the eastward of these countries they are unknown; for all their
migrations are performed far inland, and thus they leave and return
to the northern retreats where, it is said, they breed and spend the
summer. While migrating they appear to travel both by night and by
day, and I have frequently heard them at the former, and seen them
at the latter time, as they were proceeding toward their destination.
Whether the weather be calm or tempestuous, it makes no difference to
them, their power of flight being such as to render them regardless
of the winds. Nay I have observed them urging their way during very
heavy gales, shifting from high to low in the air with remarkable
dexterity. The members of a flock sometimes arrange themselves in
the form of an acute-angled triangle; sometimes they move in a long
line; again they mingle together without order, or form an extended
front; but in whatever manner they advance, each bird sounds his
loud note in succession, and on all occasions of alarm these birds
manifest the same habit. While with us they are also always met with
in flocks. But now, Reader, allow me to refer to my journals, whence
I shall extract some circumstances relative to this majestic bird,
which I hope you will find not uninteresting.
_Louisville, State of Kentucky, March 1810._—I had the gratification
of taking ALEXANDER WILSON to some ponds within a few miles of town,
and of shewing him many birds of this species, of which he had not
previously seen any other than stuffed specimens. I told him that the
white birds were the adults, and that the grey ones were the young.
WILSON, in his article on the Whooping Crane, has alluded to this,
but, as on other occasions, has not informed his readers whence the
information came.
_Henderson, November 1810._—The Sand Hill Crane arrived at the Long
Pond on the 28th of last month. I saw two flocks of young ones there,
and one of adults on the Slim Pond. Both old and young immediately
set to digging through the mud, the rains having scarcely begun to
cover those places with water, for during summer they become almost
dry. The birds work very assiduously with their bills, and succeed
in uncovering the large roots of the great water-lily, which often
run to a depth of two or three feet. Several cranes are seen in the
same hole, tugging at roots and other substances, until they reach
the object of their desire, which they greedily devour. While thus
engaged, they are easily approached; for if their heads are bent down
they cannot see you, and until they raise themselves again, to take
notice of what may be going on around the place, you may advance so
as to get within shot. While I watched them at this work, they were
perfectly silent; and as I lay concealed behind a large cypress tree,
within thirty paces of a flock, thus buried, as it were, in the great
holes they had formed, so as to put me in mind of a parcel of hogs
or bears at their wallowing spots, I could plainly see the colour
of their eyes, which is brown in the young, and yellow in the adult.
After observing them as long as I wished, I whistled, on which they
all at once raised their heads to see what the matter might be. I
had so fair an opportunity that I could not resist the temptation,
especially as several of the birds had their necks so close together
that I felt confident I must kill more than one of them. Accordingly,
just as their last croaking notes were heard, and I saw them preparing
to set to work again, I fired. Only two flew up, to my surprise. They
came down the pond towards me, and my next shot brought them to the
ground. On walking to the hole, I found that I had disabled seven in
all. Those which were in different holes farther off, all flew away,
uttering loud cries, and did not return that afternoon. In the course
of a week these birds turned up the earth, and dug holes all over
the dry parts of the ponds. As soon as heavy rains fill the pools,
the Cranes abandon them, and resort to other places.
_Natchez, November 1821._—The Sand-hill Cranes now resort to the
fields, in which corn, pease, and sweet potatoes have been planted, as
well as to the cotton plantations. They feed on the grains and pease,
dig up the potatoes, which they devour with remarkable greediness;
and in the wet fields seize on water insects, toads and frogs, but
never, I believe, on fishes.
_Bayou Sara, April 12. 1822._—The Sand-hill Cranes have left all
the fields, and removed to the swamps and inner lakes. I saw some
catching young bull-frogs, water-lizards, and water-snakes, as well
as very small alligators. One struck at a young snapping turtle,
which, however, escaped. The Wood Ibises and these birds do not agree
together; the latter chase the former up to their bellies in the water.
_April 16._—I saw nine beautiful adult birds apparently in perfect
plumage. They were round a fallen log, about twenty yards from the
water, all very busily occupied in killing a band of young alligators,
which had probably endeavoured to save themselves from the attacks
of the Cranes by crawling beneath the sides of the log. I shot at
them without much effect, for, although I believe I wounded two of
them, they all flew off. On going up to the log, I found several
young alligators, measuring from seven to eight inches in length,
apparently dead, with their heads sadly bruised as if by a powerful
blow. This led me to think that they kill a number of animals before
they feed upon them, as the Wood Ibis is wont to do. This afternoon
I saw four of these young Cranes tearing up the ground in search
of cray-fish. One caught a butterfly as it was fluttering near, and
instantly swallowed it.
This species feeds only during the day. Besides the objects which
I have already mentioned, it now and then swallows a mole or a
meadow-mouse, and not unfrequently, I think, snakes of considerable
length. I opened one that had a garter-snake, more than fifteen inches
long, in its stomach.
The wariness of this species is so remarkable, that it takes all
the cunning and care of an Indian hunter to approach it at times,
especially in the case of an old bird. The acuteness of their sight
and hearing is quite wonderful. If they perceive a man approaching,
even at the distance of a quarter of a mile, they are sure to take
to wing. Should you accidentally tread on a stick and break it, or
suddenly cock your gun, all the birds in the flock raise their heads
and emit a cry. Shut the gate of a field after you, and from that
moment they all watch your motions. To attempt to crawl towards them,
even among long grass, after such an intimation, would be useless;
and unless you lie in wait for them, and be careful to maintain a
perfect silence, or may have the cover of some large trees, heaps of
brushwood, or fallen logs, you may as well stay at home. They generally
see you long before you perceive them, and so long as they are aware
that you have not observed them, they remain silent; but the moment
that, by some inadvertency, you disclose to them your sense of their
presence, some of them sound an alarm. For my part, Reader, I would
as soon undertake to catch a deer by fair running, as to shoot a
Sand-hill Crane that had observed me. Sometimes, indeed, towards the
approach of spring, when they are ready to depart for their breeding
grounds, the voice of one will startle and urge to flight all within
a mile of the spot. When this happens, all the birds around join into
a great flock, gradually rise in a spiral manner, ascend to a vast
height, and sail off in a straight course.
When wounded, these birds cannot be approached without caution, as
their powerful bill is capable of inflicting a severe wound. Knowing
this as I do, I would counsel any sportsman not to leave his gun
behind, while pursuing a wounded Crane. One afternoon in winter, as I
was descending the Mississippi, on my way to Natchez, I saw several
Cranes standing on a large sand-bar. The sight of these beautiful
birds excited in me a desire to procure some of them. Accordingly,
taking a rifle and some ammunition, I left the flat-bottomed boat
in a canoe, and told the men to watch for me, as the current was
rapid at that place, the river being there narrowed by the sand-bar.
I soon paddled myself to the shore, and having observed, that, by
good management, I might approach the Cranes under cover of a huge
stranded tree, I landed opposite to it, drew up my canoe, and laying
myself flat on the sand, crawled the best way I could, pushing my gun
before me. On reaching the log, I cautiously raised my head opposite
to a large branch, and saw the birds at a distance somewhat short of
a hundred yards. I took, as I thought, an excellent aim, although
my anxiety to shew the boatmen how good a marksman I was rendered
it less sure than it might otherwise have been. I fired, when all
the birds instantly flew off greatly alarmed, excepting one which
leaped into the air, but immediately came down again, and walked
leisurely away with a drooping pinion. As I rose on my feet, it saw
me, I believe, for the first time, cried out lustily, and ran off
with the speed of an ostrich. I left my rifle unloaded, and in great
haste pursued the wounded bird, which doubtless would have escaped
had it not made towards a pile of drift wood, where I overtook it. As
I approached it, panting and almost exhausted, it immediately raised
itself to the full stretch of its body, legs, and neck, ruffled its
feathers, shook them, and advanced towards me with open bill, and eyes
glancing with anger. I cannot tell you whether it was from feeling
almost exhausted with the fatigue of the chase; but, however it was,
I felt unwilling to encounter my antagonist, and keeping my eye on
him, moved backwards. The farther I removed, the more he advanced,
until at length I fairly turned my back to him, and took to my heels,
retreating with fully more speed than I had pursued. He followed,
and I was glad to reach the river, into which I plunged up to the
neck, calling out to my boatmen, who came up as fast as they could.
The Crane stood looking angrily on me all the while, immersed up to
his belly in the water, and only a few yards distant, now and then
making thrusts at me with his bill. There he stood until the people
came up; and highly delighted they were with my situation. However,
the battle was soon over, for, on landing, some of them struck the
winged warrior on the neck with an oar, and we carried him on board.
While in the Floridas, I saw only a few of these birds alive, but
many which had been shot by the Spaniards and Indians, for the sake
of their flesh and beautiful feathers, of which latter they make fans
and fly-brushes. None of these birds remain there during summer; and
WILLIAM BARTRAM, when speaking of this species, must have mistaken
the Wood Ibis for it.
The young are considerably more numerous than the old white birds; and
this circumstance has probably led to the belief among naturalists
that the former constitute a distinct species, to which the name of
Canada Crane, _Grus canadensis_, has been given. This, however, I
hope, I shall be able to clear up to your satisfaction. In the mean
time, I shall continue my remarks.
According to circumstances, this species roosts either on the ground
or on high trees. In the latter case, they leave their feeding-ground
about an hour before sun-set, and going off in silence, proceed towards
the interior of high land forests, where they alight on the largest
branches of lofty trees, six or seven settling on the same branch.
For half an hour or so, they usually dress their plumage, standing
erect: but afterwards they crouch in the manner of Wild Turkeys. In
this situation they are sometimes shot by moonlight. Those which
resort to plantations, situated in the vicinity of large marshes,
covered with tall grasses, cat’s tails, and other plants, spend the
night on some hillock, standing on one leg, the other being drawn
under the body, whilst the head is thrust beneath the broad feathers
of the shoulder. In returning towards the feeding grounds, they all
emit their usual note, but in a very low undertone, leaving their
roost at an earlier or later hour, according to the state of the
weather. When it is cold and clear, they start very early; but when
warm and rainy, not until late in the morning. Their motions toward
night are determined by the same circumstances. They rise easily from
the ground after running a few steps, fly low for thirty or forty
yards, then rise in circles, crossing each other in their windings,
like Vultures, Ibises, and some other birds. If startled or shot
at, they utter loud and piercing cries. These cries, which I cannot
compare to the sounds of any instrument known to me, I have heard
at the distance of three miles, at the approach of spring, when the
males were paying their addresses to the females, or fighting among
themselves. They may be in some degree represented by the syllables
_kewrr_, _kewrr_, _kewrooh_; and strange and uncouth as they are,
they have always sounded delightful in my ear.
In December 1833, I sent my son to Spring Island, on the coast of
Georgia, to which these birds are in the habit of resorting every
winter. Mr HAMMOND, the proprietor of this island, treated him with
all the hospitality for which the southern planters are celebrated.
The Cranes, which were plentiful, resorted to the sweet potato fields,
digging up their produce as expertly as a troop of negroes. They walked
carefully over the little heaps, probed them in various parts in the
manner of Woodcocks or Snipes, and whenever they hit upon a potato,
removed the soil, took out the root, and devoured it in rather small
pieces. In this manner they would search over the whole field, which
was two miles in length, and rather more than a quarter of a mile in
breadth, gleaning all the potatoes that had escaped the gatherers.
They were so shy, however, that notwithstanding all the endeavours
of my son, who is a good hand at getting in upon game, as well as a
good shot, he only killed a young one, which was evidently of that
year’s brood, it being yet almost reddish-brown, the long feathers
of the rump just beginning to shew, and the head yet covered with
hairlike feathers to the mandible, and merely shewing between them the
wrinkled skin so conspicuous in the old birds. The specimen procured
on Spring Island was carefully examined and described, and the skin is
now in the British Museum in London. Its flesh was tender and juicy,
of a colour resembling that of young venison, and afforded excellent
eating. This I have always found to be the case with young birds of
this species, so long as they are in their brown livery, and even
when they have begun to be patched with white; but in old birds the
flesh becomes very dark, tough and unfit for the table, although the
Seminole Indians shoot them on all occasions for food.
In captivity the Whooping Crane becomes extremely gentle, and feeds
freely on grain and other vegetable substances. A Mr MAGWOOD, residing
near Charleston, in South Carolina, kept one for some time feeding it
on maize. It accidentally wounded one of its feet on the shell of an
oyster, and, although the greatest care was taken of it, died after
lingering some weeks. Having myself kept one alive, I will give you
an account of its habits.
It was nearly full-grown when I obtained it, and its plumage was
changing from greyish-brown to white. Its figure you will see in the
plate to which this article refers. I received it as a present from
Captain CLACK of the United States Navy, commander of the Erie sloop
of war. It had been wounded in the wing, on the coast of Florida, but
the fractured limb had been amputated and soon healed. During a voyage
of three months, it became very gentle, and was a great favourite
with the sailors. I placed it in a yard, in company with a beautiful
Snow Goose. This was at Boston. It was so gentle as to suffer me
to caress it with the hand, and was extremely fond of searching for
worms and grubs about the wood-pile, probing every hole it saw with
as much care and dexterity as an Ivory-billed Woodpecker. It also
watched with all the patience of a cat the motions of some mice which
had burrows near the same spot, killed them with a single blow, and
swallowed them entire, one after another, until they were extirpated.
I fed it on corn and garbage from the kitchen, to which were added
bits of bread and cheese, as well as some apples. It would pick up
the straws intended to keep its feet from being soiled, and arrange
them round its body, as if intent on forming a nest. For hours at a
time, it would stand resting on one foot in a very graceful posture;
but what appeared to me very curious was, that it had a favourite
leg for this purpose; and in fact none of my family ever found it
standing on the other, although it is probable that this happened in
consequence of the mutilation of the wing, the leg employed being
that of the injured side. The stump of its amputated wing appeared
to be a constant source of trouble, particularly at the approach of
the winter: it would dress the feathers about it, and cover it with
so much care that I really felt for the poor fellow. When the weather
became intensely cold, it regularly retired at the approach of night
under a covered passage, where it spent the hours of darkness; but
it always repaired to this place with marked reluctance, and never
until all was quiet and nearly dark, and it came out, even when the
snow lay deep on the ground, at the first appearance of day. Now
and then it would take a run, extend its only wing, and, uttering a
loud cry, leap several times in the air, as if anxious to return to
its haunts. At other times it would look upwards, cry aloud as if
calling to some acquaintance passing high in the air, and again use
its ordinary note whenever its companion the Snow Goose sent forth
her own signals. It seldom swallowed its food without first carrying
it to the water, and dipping it several times, and now and then it
would walk many yards for that express purpose. Although the winter
was severe, the thermometer some mornings standing as low as 10°, the
bird fattened and looked extremely well. So strong was the natural
suspicion of this bird, that I frequently saw it approach some cabbage
leaves with measured steps, look at each sideways before it would
touch one of them, and after all, if it by accident tossed the leaf
into the air when attempting to break it to pieces, it would run off
as if some dreaded enemy were at hand.
The trachea of this bird, of which you will find a notice at p. 213,
confirms my opinion that the Canada Crane and the Whooping Crane are
merely the same species in different states of plumage, or in other
words, at different ages; and, in truth, the differences are not
greater than those exhibited by many other birds, both aquatic and
terrestrial. In illustration of this subject I might adduce Ibises,
Herons, Divers, and Grebes; but this is quite unnecessary.
In reading the accounts given of the Canada Crane of authors, I find no
description of its manner of breeding. In the Fauna Boreali-Americana
of Mr SWAINSON and Dr RICHARDSON, the eggs of both are described, and
in NUTTALL’s Manual those of the Whooping Crane also; but in these
works the account given of the birds and of their eggs is such, that
one might even, from comparing the descriptions, suppose them to be
of the same species. I have never had the satisfaction of finding
any of the breeding-places of the Whooping Crane; but I well know
that many birds breed long before they have attained their full
plumage. The supposed new species of Heron described under the name
of _Ardea Pealii_, by my excellent friend Prince CHARLES BONAPARTE,
breeds as the White-headed Eagle sometimes does, the immature bird
in a snow-white dress, the adult in purple and greyish-blue plumage.
The young of _Ardea cœrulea_ were for some time considered to form
a distinct species, they being white also, then blue and white, and
finally dark blue. But the most remarkable instance of change of
plumage in the Waders is exhibited in the Scarlet Ibis. My humble
opinion is, that unless in cases where birds are at first of one
colour, and that colour remains ever after, little dependence can be
placed on the tints of the plumage as a specific character.
On looking over my notes, I find that I have omitted to inform you
that the extraordinary strength of the thighs, legs, and feet of the
Whooping Crane, tends greatly to make it more terrestrial than the
Herons; and that the great size of their nostrils, which so much
resemble those of the Vultures, is well adapted to keep the inner
parts of the organ from the damp earth and other matters with which
they are so often in contact, while searching in the ground or mud for
roots and other vegetable substances, on which the bird principally
feeds. I am convinced also, that this species does not attain its
full size or perfect plumage until it is four or five years old.
The beauty of the plumage may be improved in brilliancy during the
breeding-season by a greater brightness in the colour of the bill,
as in the Booby Gannet and White Ibis, as well as in the redness of
the fleshy parts of the head.
The measurements of the adult bird of my plate, drawn at New Orleans,
in the month of April, were as follows:—Length from tip of bill to
end of claws, 5 feet 5 inches; to end of tail, 4 feet 6 inches; the
drooping feathers 1 foot beyond; alar extent 7 feet 8 inches; length
of wing 22 inches; naked part of thigh 5 inches; tarsus 11-1/4 inches;
length of middle toe 4-1/4, of its claw 3/4.
The measurements of the specimen kept at Boston:—Length from tip
of bill to end of tail, 3 feet 9 inches; to end of claws, 4 feet 6
inches; tarsus 8 inches; naked part of thigh 3-1/2. The elongated
inner secondaries equalled the tail. The weight was 9 lb. 14-3/4 oz.
Measurements of that killed on Spring Island:—Length 4 feet 4-1/2
inches, the claws being 7 inches beyond the tail, so that the length
from the tip of the bill to the end of the tail was 3 feet 9-1/2
inches; alar extent 5 feet 8 inches. Weight 8-3/4 lb.
In the Museum of the University of Edinburgh, there is a specimen of
still smaller size.
My friend JOHN BACHMAN, in a note addressed to me, says, “I saw a
pair of tame birds of this species, which, as they advanced in age,
changed their colours from grey to white.”
GRUS AMERICANA, _Ch. Bonaparte_, Synops. of Birds of the
United States, p. 302.—_Swains. and Richards._ Fauna Bor.
Amer. part ii. p. 372.
WHOOPING CRANE, ARDEA AMERICANA, _Wils._ Amer. Ornith. vol.
vii. p. 20. pl. 64. fig. 3. Adult.
GRUS CANADENSIS, BROWN CRANE, _Swains. and Richards._
Fauna Bor. Amer. part ii. p. 373.
Adult Male. Plate CCXXVI.
Bill long, straight, rather slender, but strong, compressed, pointed.
Upper mandible with the dorsal line nearly straight, a little concave
at the middle, slightly declinate toward the tip, the ridge flat
and rather broad as far as the middle, the sides sloping, towards
the end convex, with a wide groove filled by a soft membrane, and
extending nearly two-thirds of its length, the edges sharp but thick
for two-thirds of its length, and very slightly serrated. Nostrils
lateral, placed at about a third of the length of the bill from its
base, oblong, large, pervious. Lower mandible with the angle narrow
and very long, the sides perpendicular at the base, the edges straight
and sharp.
Head small, compressed. Eyes of moderate size. Neck very long. Body
rather slender. Feet very long; tibia long, bare to a large extent,
and covered with transverse series of rectangular scales; tarsus very
long, rather compressed, covered anteriorly with numerous oblique
scutella, posteriorly with large, and laterally with small scales;
toes rather small; the first very small, second and fourth nearly
equal, third considerably longer, the third and fourth connected
at the base by a web of considerable size, all marginate, covered
above with numerous narrow scutella, beneath broad, flattened, and
granulate; claws of moderate size, strong, considerably curved, rather
compressed, that of hind toe much smaller, second and third largest,
the latter with a groove on its inner edge.
Fore and upper part of head to the occiput papillar, and covered only
with small hairs, as are the sides of the head. The plumage in general
is soft, but distinctly imbricated; the feathers rounded, those of
the neck short. Wings ample; the second primary longest, third and
fourth nearly as long, first longer than fifth; inner secondaries and
their coverts curved downwards, forming a beautiful bunch of loosely
barbed feathers. Tail short, rounded, of twelve broad rounded feathers.
Bill dusky, towards the base yellow. Iris yellow. Bare part of
head carmine, with the hairs black. Feet black. The plumage is pure
white, excepting the alula, primaries, and primary coverts, which
are brownish-black.
Length to end of tail 54 inches; to end of wings 53, to end of claws
65; extent of wings 92; wing from flexure 22-1/2; tail 7; bill along the
ridge 5-4/12, along the edge of the lower mandible 5-4/12, bare part
of tibia 5; tarsus 11-1/4; middle toe 4-1/4, its claw 3/4.
The Young after its first autumnal moult has the sides of the head
feathered behind the eye, and beneath to the base of the lower
mandible; the curved secondaries and their coverts are tapering and
elongated, but not nearly so much developed as in the old birds. The
skin of the head is red; the bill brownish-black, as are the feet.
Chin and sides of the head greyish-white. The plumage generally is
bluish-grey, but the feathers are largely tipped and margined with
yellowish-brown; the primary quills and their coverts dark brown
towards the end; but with brownish-white shafts; the abdomen pure
greyish-blue.
As the bird advances in age, the yellowish-brown disappears, and
the general colour of the plumage becomes pure bluish-grey, which
ultimately changes to white.
The trachea, which is 13 inches long to its entrance between the crura
of the furcula, passes into a cavity in the sternum, where it curves
so as to describe two-thirds of a circle, returns on the right side,
and enters the thorax by curving backwards. The cavity in the sternum
is 2 inches long, with an equal depth, and a breadth of 3/4 inch. The
ridge of the keel is at its fore part 3/4 in breadth, and contracts
to 1/2 inch at its junction with the angle of the furcula, which is
continuous with it. The gizzard is of moderate size; the intestine,
which is thin and small, measures 5 feet in length. Boston specimen.
THE PINTAIL DUCK.
_ANUS ACUTA_, LINN.
PLATE CCXXVII. MALE AND FEMALE.
The first observation that I made on arriving at Labrador, was that
no species of Ducks, excepting those which were entirely or chiefly
oceanic, seemed to resort to that coast, and I left the country with
the same impression. We saw no Mallards, Teals, Widgeons, or Wood Ducks
there; nor any species of Merganser, excepting the Red-breasted, which
is a marine bird. The Pintail Duck, then, was not seen in the parts
of that country which I visited; nor was it known in Newfoundland,
on the Magdeleine Islands, or in the British province of Nova Scotia,
at least along its Atlantic boundaries. In Kentucky and the whole of
the Western Country, where it is extremely abundant in early autumn,
during winter, and up to a very advanced period in spring, you meet
with it wherever its usual food is found. It follows the waters of
the Mississippi to New Orleans, is seen westward in the prairies
of Oppelousas, and extends to the eastward as far as Massachusetts,
beyond which, like the Mallard, it is very seldom seen. Indeed, this
species is at all times rare on the sea coast of America, and must
therefore be considered as an inland bird.
The Pintail, which, in the United States, is better known by the
name of Sprigtail, arrives on the western waters early in October,
sometimes even about the middle of September, the period of its
arrival depending on the state of the weather, or the appearance of
other species, with which it keeps company. Their plumage is in fine
condition when they arrive; their tail-feathers are then as long as
at any other period, and the whole apparel of the adult birds is as
perfect as in the breeding season.
On the water, few birds exhibit more graceful motions than the Pintail
Duck. Its delicately slender neck, the beautiful form of its body, and
its pointed tail, which it always carries highly raised, distinguish
it from the other species with which it may associate. There seems
also a kind of natural modesty in it which you do not find in other
ducks, and its notes, which are often heard, are soft and pleasant.
That these notes should ever have been compared to those of the
Mallard, appears to me very strange;—so strange that I am tempted to
believe that they who say so must have mistaken Mallards for Pintails.
Whilst with us, the Pintail is found in company with the Baldpate
or American Widgeon, the Blue-winged Teal, and the Mallard, more
frequently on ponds than on streams, although it sometimes resorts to
the latter, when their shores are overhung with beech-trees loaded
with their nutritious fruits, of which this species is extremely
fond, and in search of which they even ramble to a short distance
into the woods. Were this duck to feed entirely on beech-nuts, I have
no doubt that its flesh would be excellent. It feeds on tadpoles in
spring, and leeches in autumn, while, during winter, a dead mouse,
should it come in its way, is swallowed with as much avidity as by
a Mallard. To these articles of food it adds insects of all kinds,
and, in fact, it is by no means an inexpert fly-catcher.
The Pintails are less shy in the Western Country than most species of
their family, and in this respect they resemble the Blue-winged Teals,
which in fact might be called stupid birds with as much propriety as
many others. They swim rather deeply, keep close together, and raise
the hind part of the body like the Mallards; and on the water, on
land, or on the wing, several may generally be killed at a shot. A
friend of mine killed nineteen with two shots of his double-barrelled
gun. They are scarcely nocturnal, but rest much in the middle of
the day, basking in the sunshine whilst on the water, whenever they
can indulge in this luxury. While on ponds, they feed along the most
shallow parts, or by the edges; and if you take my advice, you will
never shoot at them while their heads are at the bottom, and their
feet kicking above water. I have several times, for diversion, done
so, but in no instance did I damage a single individual. But when
they raise their heads, you may commit great havock among them.
During heavy rains in winter, or after them, the Pintails are fond
of alighting on our broad prairies, corn-fields and meadows; and in
almost every puddle you may then find them busily engaged. They move
over the ground as swiftly as Wood Ducks, still carrying their tail
erect, unless when seizing an insect that is on wing or resting on a
blade of grass. I knew a particular spot in a corn-field, not many
miles from Bayou Sara in Louisiana, where, even after a shower, I
was sure to meet with this species, and where I could always have
produced a good number, had I thought them likely to be prized at
the dinner-table. While I was at General HERNANDEZ’s in Florida, the
Pintails were very numerous. They alighted everywhere, and I shot a
few in order to satisfy myself that they were of the same species
as those I had been accustomed to see. On one occasion I shot at
a large flock swimming on a shallow pond in a large savannah, and
wounded several, which I was surprised to see diving very expertly
as I waded out for them, this species being by no means addicted to
that practice. Those which I have now and then wounded, while in a
boat and in deep water, soon gave up diving, and surrendered, without
exhibiting any of those feats of cunning performed by other species.
The flight of the Pintails is very rapid, greatly protracted, and
almost noiseless. They arrive in the Western Country mostly in the
dusk of evening, and alight without much circumspection wherever they
find water. They remain at night in the ponds where they feed, and
continue there generally unless much disturbed. On such occasions they
keep in the middle of the water, to avoid their land enemies; but the
Virginian and Barred Owls not unfrequently surprise them, and force
them to rise or make towards the shore, when they fall a prey to the
nocturnal marauders. In the Middle States, they are highly esteemed
for the table. There they arrive later and retire sooner towards their
breeding-places, than in the country west of the Alleghany Mountains.
ANAS ACUTA, _Linn._ Syst. Nat. vol. i. p. 202.—_Lath._ Ind.
Ornith. vol. ii. p. 864.—_Ch. Bonaparte_, Synops. of Birds
of the United States, p. 383.
PINTAIL DUCK, ANAS ACUTA, _Wils._ Amer. Ornith. vol. viii.
p. 72. pl. 68. fig. 3.—_Nuttall_, Manual, vol. ii. p. 386.
ANAS CAUDACUTA, PINTAIL DUCK, _Swains. and Richards._ Fauna
Bor. Amer. part ii. p. 441.
Adult Male. Plate CCXXVII. Fig. 1.
Bill nearly as long as the head, deeper than broad at the base,
depressed towards the end, the frontal angles short and obtuse.
Upper mandible with the dorsal line at first sloping, then concave,
towards the curved unguis nearly straight, the ridge broad and flat
at the base, then broadly convex, the sides convex, the edges soft,
with about fifty internal lamellæ; unguis small, somewhat triangular,
curved abruptly at the broad end. Nostrils subbasal, lateral, rather
small, oval, pervious. Lower mandible flattish, its angle very long
and narrow, the dorsal line very short, slightly convex, the sides
convex, the edges soft, with about sixty lamellæ.
Head of moderate size, compressed, the forehead rounded. Neck rather
long and slender. Body full and depressed. Wings rather small. Feet
very short, placed rather far back; tarsus very short, compressed,
at its lower part anteriorly with two series of scutella, the rest
covered with reticulated angular scales. Toes obliquely scutellate
above; first very small, free, with a narrow membrane beneath; third
longest; fourth a little shorter, their connecting webs entire,
reticulated, at the edge pectinate; claws small, curved, compressed,
acute, the hind one smaller and more curved, that of the third toe
with an inner sharp edge.
Plumage dense, soft, blended. Feathers of the head and neck short,
on the hind head and neck elongated. Wings narrow, of moderate
length, acute, the first quill longest, the second nearly equal, the
rest rapidly graduated; outer secondaries broad and rounded; inner
elongated and tapering, as are their coats, and the scapulars; first
quill serrated on the outer edge, somewhat like that of an Owl. Tail
of moderate length, tapering, of fourteen tapering feathers, of which
the two middle project far beyond the rest.
Bill black, the sides of upper mandible light blue. Iris brown.
Feet greyish-blue; claws black. Head, throat, and upper part of neck
anteriorly greenish-brown, faintly margined behind with purplish-red;
a small part of hind neck dark green; the rest, and the upper parts in
general beautifully undulated with very narrow bars of brownish-black
and yellowish-white, smaller wing-coverts, alula, and primary quills
grey, the latter dark-brown towards the end; speculum of a coppery
red, changing to dull green, edged anteriorly with light brownish-red,
posteriorly with white; the inner secondaries, and the scapulars, black
and green, with broad grey margins. Upper tail-coverts cream-coloured,
the outer webs blackish and green; tail light grey, the middle feathers
dark brown, glossed with green. On each side of the neck is an oblique
band of white, of which colour are the under parts in general, the
sides however undulated like the back, the lateral feathers of the
rump cream-coloured, the lower tail-coverts black, those at the sides
edged with white.
Length to end of tail 29 inches; extent of wings 36; bill along the
back 2-2/12, along the edge of lower mandible 2-3/12; tarsus 1-8/12,
middle toe 2, its claw 4/12; wing from flexure 11, tail 5-1/2. Weight
2 lb.
Adult Female. Plate CCXXVII. Fig. 2.
The Female, which is much smaller, has the upper parts variegated with
brownish-black and light yellowish-brown, the margin of the feathers,
and a mark on each side of the shaft being of the latter colour;
the speculum is dusky green, margined behind with white; the primary
quills greyish-brown. The lower parts are of a light brownish-yellow,
the sides variegated with brown, the bill is black, the iris brown,
the feet light bluish-grey.
Length 22-1/2 inches, extent of wings 34. Weight 1 lb. 9 oz.
THE GREEN-WINGED TEAL.
_ANAS CRECCA_, LINN.
PLATE CCXXVIII. MALE AND FEMALE.
Nothing can be more pleasing to an American sportsman, than the arrival
of this beautiful little duck in our Southern or Western States.
There, in the month of September, just as the sun sinks beneath the
horizon, you may find him standing on some mote or embankment of a
rice-field in Carolina, or a neck of land between two large ponds
in Kentucky, his gun loaded with number four, and his dog lying at
his feet. He sees advancing from afar, at a brisk rate, a small dark
cloud, which he has some minutes ago marked and pronounced to be a
flock of Green-winged Teals. Now he squats on his haunches; his dog
lies close; and ere another minute has elapsed, right over his head,
but too high to be shot at, pass the winged travellers. Some of them
remember the place well, for there they have reposed and fed before.
Now they wheel, dash irregularly through the air, sweep in a close
body over the watery fields, and in their course pass near the fatal
spot where the gunner anxiously awaits. Hark, two shots in rapid
succession! The troop is in disorder, and the dog dashes through the
water. Here and there lies a Teal, with its legs quivering; there,
one is whirling round in the agonies of death; some, which are only
winged, quickly and in silence make their way towards a hiding-place,
while one, with a single pellet in his head, rises perpendicularly
with uncertain beats, and falls with a splash on the water. The
gunner has charged his tubes, his faithful follower has brought up
all the game, and the frightened Teals have dressed their ranks, and
flying now high, now low, seem curious to see the place where their
companions have been left. Again they fly over the dangerous spot,
and again receive the double shower of shot. Were it not that darkness
has now set in, the carnage might continue until the sportsman should
no longer consider the thinned flock worthy of his notice. In this
manner, at the first arrival of the Green-winged Teal in the Western
Country, I have seen upwards of six dozen shot by a single gunner in
the course of one day.
I have often thought that water-birds, ducks for example, like
land-birds which migrate in flocks, are very apt to pass over
the place where others of the same kind had been before. Pigeons,
Starlings, Robins, and other land-birds are often observed to do so;
while Curlews, Cormorants, Plovers, Ducks and Geese, are similar
in this respect. The first object in view with such species is to
remove from one part of the country to another, as every one knows;
and as to reach a place of safety abundantly supplied with food, is
the next object, you may perhaps join me in concluding, that, to the
spot or district in which birds have once been and spent a season,
they are ever afterwards inclined to return. Well, the Green-wings
are known to follow each other in flocks, sometimes consisting of a
few families, sometimes of many hundred individuals, particularly in
autumn, when old and young leave the north to avoid the rigours of
its dreary winter. In spring, again, many species both of land and
water birds perform their migrations, either singly or in smaller
groups, the males departing before the females, and in some cases the
young keeping by themselves, an arrangement perhaps intended for the
greater dispersion of the species.
In Louisiana, the Green-winged Teal is named _Sarcelle d’hiver_, while
the Blue-winged species bears the name of _Sarcelle d’été_, although
the latter remains only some weeks in that country after the departure
of the former. Its general name, however, is the “Green-wing”: and
a poor name in my opinion it is, for the bird has not more green on
its wings than several other species have. Indeed, very many birds
are strangely named, not less in _pure_ Latin, than in English,
French, and Dutch; and very many are every year receiving names still
stranger than those they bore. For my part, I am at present a kind
of conservative, and adhere to the old system until I see the mud
raised up by the waders subside, when I may probe my way with more
chance of success.
The Green-winged Teal is a fresh-water bird, being rarely met with
in marine bays, creeks, or lagoons, where, however, it may sometimes
spend a few days. It is accordingly enabled to feed with its body
half-immersed, in the manner of the Mallard and several other species,
for which purpose it is furnished with a comparatively long neck. Its
food consists principally of the seeds of grasses, which are collected
either when floating or when still adhering to their stalks, small
acorns, fallen grapes or berries, as well as aquatic insects, worms,
and small snails. I have never found water lizards, leeches, fishes,
or even tadpoles in their gizzards. The food of this bird being thus
more select than that of most other Ducks, its flesh is delicious,
probably the best of any of its tribe; and I would readily agree with
any epicure in saying, that when it has fed on wild oats at Green
Bay, or on soaked rice in the fields of Georgia and the Carolinas,
for a few weeks after its arrival in those countries, it is much
superior to the Canvass-back in tenderness, juiciness, and flavour.
Indeed, the Green-wing is as much superior to the Canvass-back, as
the European Quail is to the Capercailie, or the Sora of the Delaware
to the Scolopaceous Curlew of the Florida Ever Glades.
On land, the Green-wing moves with more ease and grace than any other
species with which I am acquainted, excepting our beautiful Wood
Duck. It can run at a good rate, without entangling its webbed feet,
as many others do; and in this, too, there is a marked difference
between fresh-water and salt-water Ducks, as one may very readily
perceive. On the water, also, it moves with great ease, at times
with considerable rapidity, and when not severely wounded, is able
to dive in a very creditable manner. On wing it has no rivals among
Ducks. Our two smaller Mergansers, however, are swifter, although they
exhibit none of the graceful movements every now and then shewn by
the Green-wings, when coursing in the air over and around a pond, a
river, or a large wet savannah. They rise from the water at a single
spring, and so swiftly too, that none but an expert marksman need
attempt to shoot them, if when starting they are many yards distant.
While feeding, they proceed in a close body along the shores, or
wherever the water is so shallow that they can reach the bottom
with ease. In savannahs or watery fields intersected by dry ridges,
they remove from one pool to another on foot, unless the distance
is considerable; and in effecting the transit, they run so huddled
together, as to enable a gunner to make great havock among them. When
the cravings of hunger are satisfied, they retire to some clean part
of the shore, or a sandbar, where they rest in perfect harmony, each
individual composing its dress, and afterwards, with wings slightly
drooping, placing its breast to the sun. There they remain for an hour
or more at a time, some sound asleep, some dosing, but rarely without
a trusty sentinel watching over their safety. In this manner they
spend the winter months in the Southern and Western Countries. There,
indeed, they are far more abundant than in our eastern districts, just
because the climate is milder, the human population more dispersed,
and the damp fields, meadows, and savannahs more abundant.
The migrations of this species are performed more over the land than
along the borders of the sea; and it is probable that its principal
breeding-places are in the interior of the fur countries; as it has
been met there by Sir EDWARD PARRY, Sir JAMES ROSS, Dr RICHARDSON, and
other intrepid travellers. Some, however, remain on our great lakes,
and I have seen individuals breeding on the banks of the Wabash, in
Illinois, where I found a female with young, all of which I obtained.
It was not far above Vincennes, and in the month of July. On Lakes
Erie and Michigan, nests containing eggs have also been found; but
these may have been cases in which the birds were unable to proceed
farther north, on account of wounds or other circumstances, or because
of the early period at which they might have paired before the general
departure of the flocks, a cause of detention more common in migratory
birds than people seem to be aware of. These opportunities, few as
they were, have enabled me to see the kinds of places in which the
nests were found, the structure of the nest, the number, size, and
colour of the eggs; so that I have in so far been qualified to draw
a comparison between our Green-winged Teal and that of Europe.
The Green-wings leave the neighbourhood of New Orleans in the end of
February; but in the Carolinas they remain until late in March, at
which time also they depart from all the places between the Atlantic
and the States of Kentucky, Indiana, &c. Farther eastward I have seen
this species as late as the 9th of May, when I shot a few not far
from Philadelphia. As you advance farther along our coast, you find
it more rare; and scarcely any are met with near the shores of the
British provinces. In Newfoundland and Labrador, it is never seen.
Its migrations southward, I am satisfied, extend beyond the United
States; but their extreme limits are unknown to me. I have seldom
seen it associate with other species, although I have frequently
observed individuals on a pond or river not far from other Ducks. It
is more shy than the Blue-winged Teal, but less so than most of our
other fresh-Water Ducks. Its voice is seldom heard during winter,
except when a flock is passing over another that has alighted, when a
few of the males call to the voyagers, as if to invite them to join
them. Before they depart, however, they become noisy. Combats take
place among the males; the females are seen coquetting around them,
and most of the birds are paired before they leave us.
In the few instances in which I found the nest of this bird, and they
were only three, it was not placed nearer the water than five or six
yards, and I should not have discovered it had I not first seen the
birds swimming or washing themselves near the spot. By watching them
carefully I discovered their landing places, and on going up found a
path formed, in a direct line among the rushes. In two cases I came
so near the nest, as almost to touch the sitting bird as it rose
affrighted. While it flew round me, and then alighted on the water, I
viewed the nest, with perhaps more interest than I have felt on most
occasions of a like nature. On a scanty bed of the bird’s own down
and feathers, supported by another of grasses, intermixed with mud
and stalks of the plants around, raised to the height of four or five
inches, I found seven eggs in one, nine in another, and only five in
a third. They were all found in the month of July, and not far from
Green Bay. The average measurement of the eggs was an inch and three
quarters by an inch and three-eighths. They were much rounded, of
a dull yellowish colour, indistinctly marked with a deeper tint, as
if soiled. In one of the nests only the eggs were fresh. I took two
of them, which I afterwards ate. Having planted a stick as a mark
of recognition, I visited the nest three days in succession, but
found that the bird had abandoned it; while those of the other two
nests, which were not more than about a hundred yards distant, and
whose eggs I had handled quite as much, although I took none away,
continued to sit. No male birds were to be seen during my stay in that
neighbourhood. I concluded that although the eggs may be touched or
even handled and lifted from the nest, yet if they were all replaced,
the bird did not take umbrage; but that should any of them be missed,
some strong feeling urged her to abandon the rest. Again I thought
that as incubation had just commenced with this bird, she cared less
about her eggs than the other two whose eggs contained chicks.
Having met with the young of this species only once, at a time when
I was less aware of the necessity of noting observations in writing,
I am unwilling to speak of their colours from recollection. All I can
say is that I had great trouble in catching four of them, so cunningly
did they hide in the grass, and so expert were they at diving.
ANAS CRECCA, _Linn._ Syst. Nat. vol. i. p. 204.—_Lath._
Ind. Ornith. vol. ii. p. 872.—_Ch. Bonaparte_, Synops. of
Birds of the United States, p. 386.
ANAS CRECCA, _var._ AMERICAN TEAL, _Swains. and Richards._
Fauna Bor. Amer. part ii. p. 443.
GREEN-WINGED TEAL, ANAS CRECCA, _Wils._ Amer. Ornith. vol.
viii. p. 101. pl. 70. fig. 4.
AMERICAN TEAL, _Nuttall_, Manual, vol. ii. p. 400.
Adult Male. Plate CCXXVIII. Fig. 1.
Bill almost as long as the head, deeper than broad at the base,
depressed towards the end, its breadth nearly equal in its whole
length, being however a little enlarged towards the rounded tip.
Upper mandible with the dorsal line at first sloping, then concave,
towards the ends nearly straight, the ridge broad and flat at the
base, then broadly convex, the sides convex, the edges soft, with
about fifty-five lamellæ. Nostrils subbasal, near the ridge, rather
small, elliptical, pervious. Lower mandible flattish, with the angle
very long and rather narrow, the dorsal line very short, straight,
the sides perpendicular with about 130 lamellæ.
Head of moderate size, compressed. Neck of moderate length, rather
slender. Body full, depressed. Wings rather small. Feet short, placed
rather far back; tarsus short, compressed, at its lower part anteriorly
with two series of scutella, the rest covered with reticulated angular
scales. Toes scutellate above; first toe very small, free, with a
narrow membrane beneath; third longest; fourth a little shorter;
the anterior toes united by reticulated webs, of which the outer is
deeply sinuate; claws small, curved, compressed, acute, the hind one
smaller and more curved, that of the third toe largest, and with an
inner sharp edge.
Plumage dense, soft, blended. Feathers of the middle of the head and
upper part of hind neck, very narrow, elongated, with soft filamentous
disunited bands, of the rest of the head and upper part of neck very
short, of the back and lower parts in general broad and rounded. Wings
of moderate length, narrow, acute; primaries strong, curved, tapering,
second longest, first scarcely shorter; secondaries broad, rather
pointed, the inner elongated and tapering, as are the scapulars. Tail
short, rounded and acuminate, of sixteen acuminate feathers.
Bill black. Iris brown. Feet light bluish-grey. Head and upper part
of the neck chestnut-brown; a broad band, narrowing backwards, from
the eye down the back of the neck, deep shining green, edged with
black below, under which is a white line, which before the eye meets
another that curves forward and downward to the angle of the mouth;
chin brownish-black, as are the feathers at the base of the upper
mandible. Upper parts and flanks beautifully undulated, with narrow
brownish-black and white bars; anterior to the wings is a short broad
transverse band of white. Wings brownish-grey; the speculum in its
lower half velvet-black, the upper bright green, changing to purple,
and edged above with black, behind margined with white, before with
reddish-white. Tail brownish-grey, the feathers margined with paler;
the upper coverts brownish-black, edged with light yellowish-grey.
Lower part of neck anteriorly barred as behind; breast yellowish-white,
spotted with black, its lower part white; abdomen white, faintly barred
with grey; a patch of black under the tail, the lateral tail-coverts
cream coloured, the larger black, with broad white margins and tips.
Length to end of tail 14-3/4 inches, to end of claws 15-1/4; extent
of wings 24; wing from flexure 7-1/2; tail 3-1/4; bill along the
back 1-7/12, along the edge of lower mandible 1-9/12; tarsus 1-2/12;
middle toe 1-6/12, its claw 5/12. Weight 10 oz.
Adult Female. Plate CCXXVIII. Fig. 2.
The Female wants the elongated crest, and differs greatly in colouring.
The head and neck are streaked with dark brown and light red, the
fore neck whitish; the upper parts mottled with dark brown, the
anterior feathers barred, the posterior margined with yellowish-white.
The wings are nearly as in the male, but the green of the speculum
is less extensive; the lower part of the fore neck is tinged with
yellowish-red, and mottled with dark brown, as are the sides; the
rest of the lower parts white.
Length to end of tail 13-3/4; to end of claws 1-1/4; extent of wings
22-1/2. Weight 10 oz.
The differences between the American and European specimens are so
small that I can find no good reason for considering the birds of the
two continents distinct. The American Teal has a white band before
the wing, which the European bird has not, while the latter has the
greater part of the outer webs of most of the scapulars white, there
being none of that colour on those of our bird. The proportions and
size are similar; and if the two birds are really distinct species,
I do not know upon what circumstances specific distinctions are to
be founded.
THE SCAUP DUCK.
_FULIGULA MARILA_, STEPH.
PLATE CCXXIX. MALE AND FEMALE.
The opinion, derived from WILSON’s account of the Scaup Duck, that it
is met with only along our sea coasts, in bays, or in the mouths of
rivers, as far as the tide extends, is incorrect. Had WILSON resided
in the Western Country, or seen our large lakes and broad rivers
during late autumn, winter, or early spring, he would have had ample
opportunities of observing thousands of this species, on the Ohio,
the Missouri, and the Mississippi, from Pittsburg to New Orleans. I
have shot a good number of Scaup Ducks on all these rivers, where I
have observed them to arrive early in October, and whence they depart
between the 1st of March and the middle of April. I have not, however,
seen any in small creeks, lagoons, or ponds. When they arrive on the
western waters, they are seen in flocks of from fifteen to twenty
individuals; but in a few weeks these flocks are joined by others, for
which reason the species is named in Kentucky the “Flocking Fowl.”
They are, however, seldom seen close together while on the water,
and they rarely associate with other birds.
The Scaup Duck seems to float less lightly than it really does, its
body being comparatively flat. It moves fast, frequently sipping
the water, as if to ascertain whether its favourite food be in it.
Then turning its head and glancing on either side to assure itself
of security, down it dives with all the agility of a Merganser, and
remains a considerable time below. On emerging, it shakes its head,
raises the hind part of its body, opens its short and rather curved
wings, after a few flaps replaces them, and again dives in search
of food. Should any person appear when it emerges, it swims off to
a considerable distance, watches every movement of the intruder, and
finally either returns to its former place, or flies away.
These birds are fond of large eddies below projecting points of land,
but frequently dive in search of food at a considerable distance
from them. When in eddies they may be approached and shot with less
difficulty than when in any other situation. If wounded only, they
are not easily secured; in fact, you need not go after them, for by
diving, fluttering along the surface, and cutting backward and forward,
they generally elude pursuit. Between Louisville and Shippingport,
on the Kentucky side of the Ohio, the shores are from ten to fifteen
feet high, and rather abrupt when the waters are at their ordinary
level. The Scaup Ducks are fond of diving for food along this place,
and there, by coming directly upon them unseen, till you are almost
over them, you may have the very best opportunities of procuring
them. They are not worth shooting, however, unless for sport or
examination, for their flesh is generally tough and rather fishy in
flavour. Indeed I know none, excepting what is called _an Epicure_,
who could relish a Scaup Duck.
They appear to experience some difficulty in getting on wing, and
assist themselves on all occasions, either by meeting the current or
fronting the wind, while they also use their broad feet as helps. When
danger is near, they frequently, however, prefer diving, which they
find as effectual a means of security as flying. As they usually feed
at some distance from each other, it is amusing to see them go off,
as they emerge from the water in succession, and to watch them when
they collect again, and when, after flying for a long time in circles,
now high then low over the water, they all realight. These habits,
and the toughness of their sinewy bodies, render it rather difficult
to shoot them. Although flat-billed, they dive to a considerable
depth, and when they have reached the bottom, no doubt furrow the
mud, in the manner of the Shoveller (_Anas clypeata_), although the
latter performs this action while floating on the surface, with its
head and neck alone submersed, as it swims over the shallows.
The food of the Scaup Duck I have found to consist of small fry,
crayfishes, and a mixture of such grasses as here and there grow along
the beds of our rivers. I never found any portions of testaceous
mollusca in the gizzards of those obtained on our western waters,
although even there they might meet with abundance of these animals.
When these birds are travelling, their flight is steady, rather
laborious, but greatly protracted. The whistling of their wings is
heard at a considerable distance when they are passing over head. At
this time they usually move in a broad front, sometimes in a continuous
line. When disturbed, they fly straight forward for a while, with less
velocity than when travelling, and, if within proper distance, are
easily shot. At times their notes are shrill, but at others hoarse and
guttural. They are however rarely heard during the day, and indeed,
like many other species, these birds are partly nocturnal.
At the approach of spring the Drakes pay their addresses to the
females, before they set out on their journey. At that period the
males become more active and lively, bowing their heads, opening
their broad bills, and uttering a kind of quack, which to the listener
seems produced by wind in their stomach, but notwithstanding appears
to delight their chosen females.
The Scaup Duck varies materially as to size at different ages. Some
wounded individuals which I kept, and which were birds of the first
year, were much larger and heavier at the end of a year; and I
agree with my learned friend NUTTALL, that specimens may be procured
measuring from sixteen and a half to eighteen, nineteen, or twenty
inches in length.
On the Atlantic coast I have met with this species from the Gulf of
Mexico to the Bay of Fundy, and my friend THOMAS MACCULLOCH has told
me that they are not unfrequent at Pictou in Nova Scotia. Farther
north I saw none; and their breeding places are yet unknown to me.
ANAS MARILA, _Linn._ Syst. Nat. vol. i. p. 196.—_Lath._
Ind. Ornith. vol. ii. p. 853.
FULIGULA MARILA, _Ch. Bonaparte_, Synopsis of Birds of the
United States, p. 392.—_Swains. and Richards._ Fauna Bor.
Amer. part ii. p. 453.
SCAUP DUCK, ANAS MARILA, _Wils._ Amer. Ornith, vol. viii.
p. 84. pl. 69. fig. 8.—_Nuttall_, Manual, vol. ii. p. 437.
Adult Male. CCXXIX. Fig. 1.
Bill as long as the head, deeper than broad at the base, enlarged and
flattened towards the end, which is rounded, the frontal angles narrow
and pointed. Upper mandible with the dorsal line at first straight
and declinate, then slightly concave, along the unguis curved, the
ridge broad at the base, narrowed at the middle, enlarged and convex
towards the end, the sides nearly erect at the base, becoming more
and more declinate and convex, the edges curved upwards, with about
forty lamellæ, the unguis small and oblong. Nostrils submedial,
oblong, rather large, pervious, near the ridge, in an oblong groove
with a soft membrane. Lower mandible flat, with the angle very long
and rather narrow, the dorsal line very short and straight, the
erect edges with about sixty lamellæ,—on the upper edge, however,
the lamellæ are more numerous,—the unguis broadly elliptical.
Head of moderate size. Eyes small. Neck of moderate length, rather
thick. Body comparatively short, compact, and depressed. Wings small.
Feet very short, strong, placed rather far behind; tarsus very short,
compressed, anteriorly with a series of broad scutella, externally
of which is another of smaller, the rest reticulated with angular
scales. Hind toe small, with a free membrane beneath; anterior toes
double the length of the tarsus, united by reticulated membranes
having a sinus at their free margins, the outer and inner with loose
somewhat lobed marginal membranes, all obliquely scutellate above,
the third and fourth about equal and longest. Claws small, that of
first toe very small and curved, of middle toe largest, with an inner
thin edge, of the rest very slender and pointed.
Plumage dense, soft, blended. Feathers of the head and neck short and
velvety, those of the hind head a little elongated. Wings shortish,
narrow, pointed; primary quills curved, strong, tapering, the first
longest, the second very little shorter, the rest rapidly graduated;
secondary broad and rounded, the inner elongated and tapering. Tail
very short, much rounded, of fourteen feathers.
Bill light greyish-blue, the unguis blackish. Iris yellow. Feet
greyish-blue, the webs and claws black. The head, the whole neck,
and the fore part of the back and breast black, the head and neck
glossed with purple and green, the rest tinged with brown. Hind
part of the back, rump, abdomen, and upper and lower tail-coverts
brownish-black. Middle of the back, scapulars, inner secondaries,
anterior part of abdomen, and sides greyish-white, beautifully marked
with undulating black lines. Middle of the breast white, wings light
brownish-grey. Alula, primaries at the base and end, and the greater
part of secondaries, brownish-black; the speculum on the latter white.
Length to end of tail 16-1/2 inches, to end of claws 18; extent of
wings 29; wing from flexure 8-1/4; tail 2-1/4; bill along the back
1-10/12, along the edge of lower mandible 2; tarsus 1-1/4; middle toe
2-2/12, its claw (5-1/2)/12. Weight 1 lb. 6 oz.
Adult Female. Plate CCXXIX. Fig. 2.
The female agrees with the male in the characters of the plumage,
and in the colours of the bare parts; but those of the former differ
considerably. The head, neck, and fore part of the back and breast,
are umber brown; and there is a broad patch of white along the fore
part of the forehead. The upper parts in general are brownish-black,
the middle of the back and the scapulars undulated with whitish
dots and bars. The primary quills are greyish in the middle, and the
speculum is white, but of less extent than in the male. The greater
part of the breast and abdomen is white; the sides and parts under
the tail umber brown.
Length 16-1/2 inches, extent of wings 28. Weight 1 lb. 6 oz.
The males, as has been said, vary greatly in size, but in adult
specimens there is little difference in colouring. The birds figured
in my Illustrations, and described above, were from the Mississippi;
but others seen in various parts presented no such differences as to
indicate permanent varieties.
THE SANDERLING.
_TRINGA ARENARIA_, BONAP.
PLATE CCXXX. MALE AND FEMALE.
Although the Sanderling extends its rambles along our Atlantic shores,
from the eastern extremities of Maine to the southernmost Keys of the
Floridas, it is only an autumnal and winter visitor. It arrives in
the more Eastern Districts about the 1st of August, on the sea-shores
of New York and New Jersey rarely before the 10th of August, and
seldom reaches the extensive sand-banks of East Florida previous to
the month of November. Along the whole of this extended coast, it is
more or less abundant, sometimes appearing in bands composed of a few
individuals, and at times in large flocks, but generally mingling with
other species of small shore-birds. Thus I have seen Turnstones and
Knots mixed with the Sanderlings, but in such cases they are perhaps
wanderers, which have not succeeded in meeting with companions of
their own species, that associate with the birds of which I here speak.
The Sanderling obtains its food principally by probing the moist
sands of the sea-shores with its bill held in an oblique position. At
every step it inserts this instrument with surprising quickness, to a
greater or less depth, according to the softness of the sand, sometimes
introducing it a quarter of an inch, sometimes to the base. The holes
thus made may be seen on the borders of beaches, when the tide is
fast receding, in rows of twenty, thirty, or more; in certain spots
less numerous; for it appears that when a place proves unproductive
of the food for which they are searching, they very soon take to their
wings and remove to another, now and then in so hurried a manner that
one might suppose they had been suddenly frightened. The contents of
the stomach of those which I shot while thus occupied, were slender
sea-worms, about an inch in length, together with minute shell-fish
and gravel. At other times, when they were seen following the receding
waves, and wading up to the belly in the returning waters, I found
in them small shrimps and other crustacea.
In their flight the Sanderlings do not perform so many evolutions as
Sandpipers usually display. They generally alight about a hundred
yards of the place from which they started, and run for a yard or
so, keeping their wings partially extended. They move on the sand
with great activity, running so as to keep pace with a man walking
at a moderate rate. Their flight is rapid and straighter than that
of other small species, and when on wing they seldom exhibit each
surface of the body alternately, as many others are wont to do.
I have thought that the migrations of this bird are carried on under
night; but of this I am by no means certain, although I observed
some small flocks, composed of a few dozen individuals, crossing the
Gulf of St Lawrence, at a little height over the water, in the month
of June. The lateness of the season induced me to hope that I might
find some nests of the Sanderling on the coast of Labrador; but in
this I was disappointed, although some young birds were seen at Bras
d’Or, in little parties of four or five individuals. This was early
in August, and they were already on their way southward.
The Sanderling affords good eating, especially the young, and the
sportsman may occasionally kill six or seven at a shot, provided he
fires the moment the flock has alighted, for immediately after the
birds spread abroad in search of food.
The female may easily be distinguished from the male, by her superior
size; but in the colouring of birds of both sexes, I have observed
as much difference as in the Turnstone. Even during winter, some are
more or less marked with black and brownish-red, while others, which,
however, I easily ascertained to be younger birds, were of an almost
uniform light grey above, each feather edged with dull white; but in
all those which I have examined, whether old birds in the full spring
or summer dress, in which I have shot some in May, in the Middle
Districts, or young birds in autumn and during winter, I have seen
no difference in the colours of the bill, legs, and toes. My plate
of this species represents two birds in winter plumage, which were
obtained in East Florida in the month of December. The figure of a
fine male, which, being on another sheet of paper, was overlooked
during my absence from London, you will find in Plate CCLXXXV. of
“The Birds of America.”
CHARADRIUS CALIDRIS, _Linn._ Syst. Nat. vol. i. p.
255.—_Lath._ Ind. Ornith. vol. ii. p. 741, in Winter.
CHARADRIUS RUBIDUS, _Ibid._ p. 740, in Summer.
TRINGA ARENARIA, _Ch. Bonaparte_, Synops. of Birds of the
United States, p. 320.
CALIDRIS ARENARIA, SANDERLING, _Swains. and Richards._
Fauna Bor. Amer. part ii. p. 366.
RUDDY PLOVER, CHARADRIUS RUBIDUS, _Wils._ Amer. Ornith.
vol. vii. p. 129. pl. 63. fig. 3.—Summer dress.
SANDERLING PLOVER, _Ibidem_, vol. vii. p. 68. pl. 59. fig.
4. Winter dress.—_Nuttall_, Manual, vol. ii. p. 4.
Adult Male in winter. Plate CCXXX. Fig. 1.
Bill rather longer than the head, slender, subcylindrical, straight,
flexible, compressed at the base, the point rather depressed and
obtuse. Upper mandible with the dorsal line nearly straight, slightly
sloping to beyond the middle, the ridge convex, towards the end
flattened, at the point convex; sides sloping, edges rather blunt
and soft. Nasal groove long; nostrils basal, linear, pervious. Lower
mandible with the angle long and very narrow, the dorsal line slightly
convex, the sides sloping outwards, towards the end convex.
Head of moderate size, oblong, compressed. Eyes rather large. Neck
of moderate length. Body rather slender. Feet slender, of moderate
length; tibia bare a considerably way up; tarsus compressed, anteriorly
and posteriorly with numerous small scutella; hind toe wanting; toes
of moderate length, slender; inner toe shorter than outer, middle
toe considerably longer, all scutellate above and marginate, with
prominent papillæ, and free; claws small, slightly curved, extremely
compressed, blunt.
Plumage very soft, blended beneath, slightly distinct above. Wings
long and pointed; primaries tapering, obtuse, the first longest,
the second a little shorter, the rest rapidly graduated; secondaries
rather short, obliquely rounded, curved inwards, the inner elongated
and tapering. Tail rather short, rounded, of twelve feathers, the
two middle ones considerably longer.
Bill and feet black. Iris brown. The general colour of the plumage
above is ash-grey, the edges paler; the lower parts pure white. Alula
and primaries brownish-black, the latter with more or less white on
their outer webs or along the shaft; secondaries white, the outer
with a patch of brownish-black towards the end, the inner ash-grey;
primary coverts brownish-black, tipped with white; secondary coverts
greyish-brown, broadly tipped with white. Middle tail feathers
greyish-brown, their shafts white, the rest of a paler tint on the
outer webs, white on the inner, the lateral almost pure white.
Length to end of tail 7-10/12, to end of wings 7-10/12, to end of claws
8-1/4; extent of wings 12-1/2; wing from flexure 4-11/12; tail 2-2/12;
bill along the back 1; along the edge of lower mandible 1-(1/2)/12;
tarsus 1; middle toe 3/4, its claw 2/12. Weight 1-3/4 oz.
Adult Female in Winter. Plate CCXXX. Fig. 2.
The Female is precisely similar to the Male.
In its summer plumage, this species differs in the following
particulars. The bill, feet, and iris, are as described above, and the
lower parts are also pure white, excepting the fore part and sides of
the neck, which, as well as the upper parts of the head, and the hind
neck, are pale yellowish-red, spotted with brownish-black. The back
is similarly marked, the spots larger, and on the scapulars disposed
in bars; the tips of most of the feathers greyish-white, the wings
and tail are as in winter.
A RACOON HUNT IN KENTUCKY.
The Racoon, which is a cunning and crafty animal, is found in all our
woods, so that its name is familiar to every child in the Union. The
propensity which it evinces to capture all kinds of birds accessible
to it in its nightly prowlings, for the purpose of feasting on their
flesh, induces me to endeavour to afford you some idea of the pleasure
which our western hunters feel in procuring it. With your leave,
then, Reader, I will take you to a “Coon Hunt.”
A few hours ago the sun went down far beyond the “far west.” The
woodland choristers have disappeared, the matron has cradled her
babe, and betaken herself to the spinning-wheel; the woodsman, his
sons, and “the stranger” are chatting before a blazing fire, making
wise reflections on past events, and anticipating those that are to
come. Autumn, sallow and sad, prepares to bow her head to the keen
blast of approaching winter; the corn, though still on its stalk,
has lost its blades; the wood pile is as large as the woodsman’s
cabin; the nights have become chill, and each new morn has effected a
gradual change in the dews, which now crust the withered herbage with
a coat of glittering white. The sky is still cloudless; a thousand
twinkling stars reflect their light from the tranquil waters; all
is silent and calm in the forest, save the nightly prowlers that
roam in its recesses. In the cheerful cabin all is happiness; its
inmates generously strive to contribute to the comfort of the stranger
who has chanced to visit them; and, as racoons are abundant in the
neighbourhood, they propose a hunt. The offer is gladly accepted.
The industrious woman leaves her wheel, for she has listened to
her husband’s talk; now she approaches the fire, takes up the
board shovel, stirs the embers, produces a basket filled with sweet
potatoes, arranges its contents side by side in front of the hearth,
and covers them with hot ashes and glowing coals. All this she does,
because she “guesses” that hungry stomachs will be calling for food
when the sport is over. Ah! Reader, what “homely joys” there are in
such scenes, and how you would enjoy them! The rich may produce a
better, or a more sumptuous meal; but his feelings can never be like
those of the poor woodsman. Poor I ought not to call him, for nature
and industry bountifully supply all his wants; the woods and rivers
produce his chief dainties, and his toils are his pleasures.
Now mark him! the bold Kentuckian is on his feet; his sons and the
stranger prepare for the march. Horns and rifles are in requisition.
The goodman opens the wooden-hinged door, and sends forth a blast loud
enough to scare a wolf. The racoons scamper away from the cornfields,
break through the fences, and hie to the woods. The hunter has taken
an axe from the wood-pile, and returning, assures us that the night
is clear, and that we shall have rare sport. He blows through his
rifle, to ascertain that it is clear, examines his flint, and thrusts
a feather into the touch-hole. To a leathern bag swung at his side is
attached a powder-horn; his sheathed knife is there also; below hangs
a narrow strip of home-spun linen. He takes from his bag a bullet,
pulls with his teeth the wooden stopper from his powder-horn, lays the
ball on one hand, and with the other pours the powder upon it until
it is just overtopped. Raising the horn to his mouth, he again closes
it with the stopper, and restores it to its place. He introduces
the powder into the tube; springs the box of his gun, greases the
“patch” over with some melted tallow, or damps it; then places it
on the honeycombed muzzle of his piece. The bullet is placed on the
patch over the bore, and pressed with the handle of the knife, which
now trims the edges of the linen. The elastic hickory rod, held with
both hands, smoothly pushes the ball to its bed: once, twice, thrice
has it rebounded. The rifle leaps as it were into the hunter’s arms,
the feather is drawn from the touch-hole, the powder fills the pan,
which is closed. “Now I’m ready,” cries the woodsman. His companions
say the same. Hardly more than a minute has elapsed. I wish, Reader,
you had seen this fine fellow—but hark! the dogs are barking.
All is now bustle within and without: a servant lights a torch, and
off we march to the woods. “Don’t mind the boys, my dear sir,” says
the woodsman, “follow me close, for the ground is covered with logs,
and the grape vines hang everywhere across.” “Toby, hold up the
light, man, or we’ll never see the gullies.” “Trail your gun, sir,
as General CLARK used to say,—not so, but this way—that’s it; now
then, no danger you see; no fear of snakes, poor things! They are
stiff enough, I’ll be bound. The dogs have treed one. Toby, you old
fool, why don’t you turn to the right—not so much there—go a-head,
and give us light—What’s that?—Who’s there?—Ah, you young rascals!
you’ve played us a trick, have you. It’s all well enough, but now,
just keep behind, or I’ll”—and in fact, the boys, with eyes good
enough to see in the dark, although not quite so well as an Owl’s,
had cut directly across the dogs, which had surprised a racoon on the
ground and bayed it, until the lads knocked it on the head. “Seek
him, boys,” cries the hunter.—The dogs, putting their noses to the
ground, pushed off at a good rate. “Master, they’re making for the
creek,” says old Toby. On towards it therefore we push. What woods,
to be sure! No gentleman’s park this, I assure you, Reader. We are
now in a low flat; the soil thinly covers the hard clay; nothing but
beech trees hereabouts, unless now and then a maple. Hang the limbs!
say I—hang the supple-jacks too—here I am, fast by the neck—cut it
with your knife. My knee has had a tremendous rub against a log—now,
my foot is jammed between two roots—and here I stick. “Toby, come
back—don’t you know the stranger is not up to the woods. Halloo,
Toby, Toby!” There I stood perfectly shackled, the hunter laughing
heartily, and the lads glad of an opportunity of slipping off. Toby
arrived, and held the torch near the ground, on which the hunter
cutting one of the roots with his hatchet, set me free. “Are you
hurt, Sir?”—no, not in the least. Off we start again. The boys had
got up with the dogs, which were baying a Racoon in a small puddle.
We soon joined them with the light. “Now, stranger! watch and see!”
The Racoon was all but swimming, and yet had hold of the bottom of
the pool with his feet. The glare of the lighted torch was doubtless
distressing to him; his coat was ruffled, and his rounded tail seemed
thrice its ordinary size, his eyes shone like emeralds; with foaming
jaws he watched the dogs, ready to seize each by the snout if it
came within reach. They kept him busy for several minutes; the water
became thick with mud; his coat now hung dripping, and his draggled
tail lay floating on the surface. His guttural growlings, in place
of intimidating his assailants, excited them the more; and they very
unceremoniously closed upon him, curs as they were, and without the
breeding of gentle dogs! One seized him by the rump and tugged, but
was soon forced to let go; another stuck to his side, but soon taking
a better directed bite of his muzzle than another dog had just done of
his tail, coon made him yelp; and pitiful were the cries of luckless
Tyke. The Racoon would not let go, but in the mean time the other
dogs seized him fast, and worried him to death, yet to the last he
held by his antagonist’s snout. Knocked on the head by an axe, he lay
gasping his last breath, and the heaving of his chest was painful to
see. The hunters stood gazing at him in the pool, while all around
was by the flare of the torch rendered trebly dark and dismal. It
was a good scene for a skilful painter.
We had now two coons, whose furs were worth two quarters of a dollar,
and whose bodies, which I must not forget, as Toby informed us, would
produce two more. “What now,” I asked—“What now,” quoth the father,
“why go after more to be sure.” So we did, the dogs ahead, and I far
behind. In a short time the curs treed another, and when we came up,
we found them seated on their haunches, looking upwards, and barking.
The hunters now employed their axes, and sent the chips about at such
a rate that one of them coming in contact with my cheek marked it
so, that a week after several of my friends asked me where, in the
name of wonder, I had got that black eye. At length the tree began to
crack, and slowly leaning to one side, the heavy mass swung rustling
through the air, and fell to the earth with a crash. It was not one
coon that was surprised here, but three—aye three of them, one of
which, more crafty than the rest, leaped fairly from the main top
while the tree was staggering. The other two stuck to the hollow of
a branch, from which they were soon driven by one of the dogs. Tyke
and Lion having nosed the cunning old one, scampered after him, not
mouthing like the well-trained hounds of our southern fox hunters,
but yelling like furies. The hunter’s sons attacked those on the tree,
while the woodsman and I, preceded by Toby, made after the other; and
busy enough we all were. Our animal was of extraordinary size, and
after some parley, a rifle ball was sent through his brain. He reeled
once only,—next moment he lay dead. The rest were dispatched by the
axe and the club, for a shot in those days was too valuable to be
spent when it could be saved. It could procure a deer, and therefore
was worth more than a coon’s skin.
Now, look at the moon! how full and clear has she risen on the Racoon
hunters! Now is the time for sport! Onward we go, one following the
long shadow of his precursor. The twigs are no impediment, and we
move at a brisker pace, as we return to the hills. What a hue and
cry!—here are the dogs. Overhead and all around, on the forks of each
tree, the hunter’s keen eye searches for something round, which is
likely to prove a coiled up Racoon. There’s one! Between me and the
moon I spied the cunning thing crouched in silence. After taking aim,
I raise my barrel ever so little, the trigger is pressed; down falls
the Racoon to the ground. Another and another are on the same tree.
Off goes a bullet, then a second; and we secure the prey. “Let us go
home, stranger,” says the woodsman; and contented with our sport,
towards his cabin we trudge. On arriving there, we find a cheerful
fire. Toby stays without, prepares the game, stretches the skins on a
frame of cane, and washes the bodies. The table is already set; the
cake and the potatoes are all well done; four bowls of butter-milk
are ranged in order; and now the hunters fall to.
The Racoon is a cunning animal, and makes a pleasant pet. Monkey-like,
it is quite dexterous in the use of its fore feet, and it will amble
after its master, in the manner of a bear, and even follow him into
the street. It is fond of eggs, but prefers them raw, and it matters
not whether it be morning, noon, or night, when it finds a dozen in
the pheasant’s nest, or one placed in your pocket to please him. He
knows the habits of mussels better than most conchologists. Being
an expert climber, he ascends to the hole of the woodpecker, and
devours the young birds. He knows, too, how to watch the soft-shelled
turtle’s crawl, and, better still, how to dig up her eggs. Now by the
edge of the pond, grimalkin-like, he lies seemingly asleep, until the
summer-duck comes within reach. No Negro knows better when the corn
is juicy and pleasant to eat; and although squirrels and woodpeckers
know this too, the Racoon is found in the corn-field longer in the
season than any of them, the havock he commits there amounting to a
tithe. His fur is good in winter, and many think his flesh good also;
but for my part I prefer a live Racoon to a dead one, and should find
more pleasure in hunting one than in eating him.
THE LONG-BILLED CURLEW.
_NUMENIUS LONGIROSTRIS_, WILS.
PLATE CCXXXI. MALE AND FEMALE.
The Long-billed Curlew is a constant resident in the southern districts
of the United States, whereas the other species are only autumnal and
winter visitors. It is well known by the inhabitants of Charleston
that it breeds on the islands on the coast of South Carolina; and
my friend the Reverend JOHN BACHMAN has been at their breeding
grounds. That some individuals go far north to breed, is possible
enough, but we have no authentic account of such an occurrence,
although many _suppositions_ have been recorded. All that I have to
say on this subject is, that the bird in question is quite unknown
in the Magdeleine Islands, where, notwithstanding the assertions of
the fishermen, they acknowledged that they had mistaken Godwits for
Curlews. In Newfoundland, I met with a well-informed English gentleman,
who had resided in that island upwards of twenty years, and described
the Common Curlew of Europe with accuracy, but who assured me that
he had observed only two species of Curlew there, one about the size
of the Whimbrel—the _Numenius hudsonicus_, the other smaller—the _N.
borealis_, and that only in August and the beginning of September,
when they spend a few days in that country, feed on berries, and then
retire southward. Mr JONES of Labrador, and his brother-in-law, who
is a Scotch gentleman, a scholar, and a sportsman, gave me the same
account. None of my party observed an individual of the species in
the course of our three months’ stay in the country, although we saw
great numbers of the true Esquimaux Curlew, _N. borealis_. Yet I would
not have you to suppose that I do not give credit to the reports of
some travellers, who have said that the Long-billed Curlew is found
in the fur countries during summer. This may be true enough; but none
of the great northern travellers, such as RICHARDSON, ROSS, PARRY,
or FRANKLIN, have asserted this as a fact. Therefore if the bird of
which I speak has been seen far north, it was in all probability a
few stragglers that had perhaps been enticed to follow some other
species. I am well aware of the propensity it has to ramble, as I have
shot some in Missouri, Indiana, Kentucky, Arkansas, and Mississippi;
but the birds thus obtained were rare in those districts, where the
species only appears at remote periods; and in every instance of
the kind I have found the individuals much less shy than usual, and
apparently more perplexed than frightened by the sight of man.
Until my learned friend, Prince CHARLES BONAPARTE, corrected the
errors which had been made respecting the Curlews of North America,
hardly one of these birds was known from another by any naturalist,
American or European. To WILSON, however, is due the merit of having
first published an account of the Long-billed Curlew as a species
distinct from the Common Curlew of Europe.
This bird is the largest of the genus found in North America. The
great length of its bill is of itself sufficient to distinguish it
from every other. The bill, however, in all the species, differs
greatly, according to the age of the individual, and in the present
Curlew I have seen it in some birds nearly three inches shorter than
in others, although all were full grown. In many of its habits, the
Long-billed Curlew is closely allied to the smaller species of Ibis;
its flight and manner of feeding are similar, and it has the same
number of eggs. Unlike the Ibis, however, which always breeds on trees,
and forms a large nest, the Curlew breeds on the ground, forming a
scanty receptacle for its eggs; yet, according to my friend BACHMAN,
the latter, like the former, places its nests “so close together,
that it is almost impossible for a man to walk between them, without
injuring the eggs.”
The Long-billed Curlew spends the day in the sea-marshes, from which
it returns at the approach of night, to the sandy beaches of the
sea-shores, where it rests until dawn. As the sun sinks beneath the
horizon, the Curlews rise from their feeding-grounds in small parties,
seldom exceeding fifteen or twenty, and more usually composed of
only five or six individuals. The flocks enlarge, however, as they
proceed, and in the course of an hour or so the number of birds that
collect in the place selected for their nightly retreat, sometimes
amounts to several thousands. As it was my good fortune to witness
their departures and arrivals, in the company of my friend BACHMAN,
I will here describe them.
Accompanied by several friends, I left Charleston one beautiful
morning, the 10th of November 1831, with a view to visit Cole’s Island,
about twenty miles distant. Our crew was good, and although our pilot
knew but little of the cuttings in and out of the numerous inlets and
channels in our way, we reached the island about noon. After shooting
various birds, examining the island, and depositing our provisions in
a small summer habitation then untenanted, we separated; some of the
servants went off to fish, others to gather oysters, and the gunners
placed themselves in readiness for the arrival of the Curlews. The sun
at length sunk beneath the water-line that here formed the horizon;
and we saw the birds making their first appearance. They were in small
parties of two, three, or five, and by no means shy. These seemed
to be the birds which we had observed near the salt-marshes, as we
were on our way. As the twilight became darker the number of Curlews
increased, and the flocks approached in quicker succession, until
they appeared to form a continuous procession, moving not in lines,
one after another, but in an extended mass, and with considerable
regularity, at a height of not more than thirty yards, the individuals
being a few feet apart. Not a single note or cry was heard as they
advanced. They moved for ten or more yards with regular flappings, and
then sailed for a few seconds, as is invariably the mode of flight of
this species, their long bills and legs stretched out to their full
extent. They flew directly towards their place of rest, called the
“Bird Banks,” and were seen to alight without performing any of the
evolutions which they exhibit when at their feeding-places, for they
had not been disturbed that season. But when we followed them to the
Bird Banks, which are sandy islands of small extent, the moment they
saw us land the congregated flocks, probably amounting to several
thousand individuals all standing close together, rose at once,
performed a few evolutions in perfect silence, and re-alighted as
if with one accord on the extreme margins of the sand-bank close to
tremendous breakers. It was now dark, and we left the place, although
some flocks were still arriving. The next morning we returned a little
before day; but again as we landed, they all rose a few yards in
the air, separated into numerous parties, and dispersing in various
directions, flew off towards their feeding-grounds, keeping low over
the waters, until they reached the shores, when they ascended to the
height of about a hundred yards, and soon disappeared.
Now, Reader, allow me to say a few words respecting our lodgings.
Fish, fowl, and oysters had been procured in abundance; and besides
these delicacies, we had taken with us from Charleston some steaks
of beef, and a sufficiency of good beverage. But we had no cook,
save your humble servant. A blazing fire warmed and lighted our only
apartment. The oysters and fish were thrown on the hot embers; the
steaks we stuck on sticks in front of them; and ere long every one felt
perfectly contented. It is true we had forgotten to bring salt with
us; but I soon proved to my merry companions that hunters can find
a good substitute in their powder-flasks. Our salt on this occasion
was gunpowder, as it has been with me many a time; and to our keen
appetites, the steaks thus salted were quite as savoury as any of us
ever found the best cooked at home. Our fingers and mouths, no doubt,
bore marks of the “villanous saltpetre,” or rather of the charcoal
with which it was mixed, for plates or forks we had none; but this
only increased our mirth. Supper over, we spread out our blankets on
the log floor, extended ourselves on them with our feet towards the
fire, and our arms under our heads for pillows. I need not tell you
how soundly we slept.
The Long-billed Curlews are in general easily shot, but take a good
charge. So long as life remains in them, they skulk off among the
thickest plants, remaining perfectly silent. Should they fall on
the water, they swim towards the shore. The birds that may have been
in company with a wounded one fly off uttering a few loud whistling
notes. In this respect, the species differs from all the others, which
commonly remain and fly about you. When on land, they are extremely
wary; and unless the plants are high, and you can conceal yourself
from them, it is very difficult to get near enough. Some one of the
flock, acting as sentinel, raises his wings, as if about to fly, and
sounds a note of alarm, on which they all raise their wings, close
them again, give over feeding, and watch all your motions. At times
a single step made by you beyond a certain distance is quite enough
to raise them, and the moment it takes place, they all scream and fly
off. You need not follow the flock. The best mode of shooting them is
to watch their course for several evenings in succession; for after
having chosen a resting place, they are sure to return to it by the
same route, until greatly annoyed.
The food of the Long-billed Curlews consists principally of the small
crabs called fiddlers, which they seize by running after them, or by
pulling them out of their burrows. They probe the wet sand to the full
length of their bill, in quest of sea-worms and other animals. They
are also fond of small salt-water shell-fish, insects, and worms of
any kind; but I have never seen them searching for berries on elevated
lands, as the Esquimaux Curlews are wont to do. Their flesh is by no
means so delicate as that of the species just mentioned, for it has
usually a fishy taste, and is rarely tender, although many persons
consider it good. They are sold at all seasons in the markets of
Charleston, at about twenty-five cents the pair.
Rambling birds of this species are sometimes seen as far as the
neighbourhood of Boston; for my learned friend THOMAS NUTTALL says in
his Manual, that “they get so remarkably fat, at times, as to burst
the skin in falling to the ground, and are then superior in flavour
to almost any other game bird of the season. In the market of Boston,
they are seen as early as the 8th of August.” I found them rather rare
in East Florida in winter and spring. They were there seen either on
large savannahs, or along the sea shore, mixed with marbled Godwits,
Tell-tales, and other species.
NUMENIUS LONGIROSTRIS, _Ch. Bonaparte_, Synops. of Birds
of the United States, p. 314.—_Richards. and Swains._
Fauna Bor. Amer. part ii. p. 376.
LONG-BILLED CURLEW, NUMENIUS LONGIROSTRIS, _Wils._ Amer.
Ornith. vol. viii. p. 23. pl. 64. fig. 1. adult.—_Nuttall_,
Manual, vol. ii. p. 94.
Adult Male. Plate CCXXXI. Fig. 1.
Bill excessively elongated, being more than four times the length
of head, very slender, subcylindrical, slightly compressed, nearly
straight to the middle, beyond which it is slightly curved. Upper
mandible with the ridge broad and flat at the base, broad and rounded
in the rest of its extent, a deep groove running from the nostrils
to near the tip, which is decurved, enlarged so as to form an oblong
obtuse knob, projecting beyond the point of the lower mandible, the
edges rounded, the inner surface with a deep narrow groove. Nostrils
basal, lateral, longitudinal, linear, pervious. Lower mandible
similar in its curvature to the upper, its angle extremely narrow,
and extending to near the middle, the ridge rounded, the sides with
a shallow groove to near the end, the edges directly meeting those
of the upper mandible, the tip obtuse.
Head rather small, oblong, compressed. Neck long and slender. Body
rather slender. Feet long and rather stout. Toes rather small,
scutellate above; first very small, second and fourth about equal,
third considerably longer, flat beneath and broadly marginate, the
three anterior connected by short webs, of which the outer is much
larger. Bare part of tibia covered with transverse series of angular
scales, as is the upper part of the tarsus, its lower two-thirds with
scutella in front. Claws small, compressed, blunt, that of middle
toe largest, curved outwards, with a sharp dilated inner edge.
Plumage soft and blended, on the fore part of the head very short.
Wings long, very acute, narrow, the first quill longest, the second
a little shorter, the rest rapidly graduated; secondaries of moderate
length, slightly incurved, narrowly rounded, some of the inner greatly
elongated and tapering. Tail short, much rounded, of twelve rounded
feathers.
Upper mandible of a rich deep brown in its whole extent, as is the
lower in its terminal half, its basal portion being flesh colour tinged
with brown. Iris hazel. Feet light greyish-blue; claws dusky. The
ground colour of the plumage is light yellowish-red; the head marked
with oblong spots, the back with spots and bars of brownish-black.
Alula and outer webs of first four quills deep brown, the rest of the
quills of the general colour, barred on both webs with dark brown, as
are the tail feathers. Chin or upper part of throat white, as is the
lower eyelid; neck marked with longitudinal lines of brownish-black;
sides barred with the same, as are the lower larger wing-coverts; the
rest of the lower parts unspotted, the sides and under wing-coverts
of a richer yellowish-red than the rest.
Length to end of tail 26 inches, to end of wings 25, to end of claws
29; extent of wings 40; wing from flexure 11-1/2; tail 4-1/4; bill
along the back 8-1/2; along the edge of lower mandible 8; bare part of
tibia 2; tarsus 3-7/12; middle toe 1-10/12 its claw (3-1/2)/12. Weight
1-3/4 lb.
Adult Female. Plate CCXXXI. Fig. 2.
The Female cannot be distinguished from the Male by external appearance.
The bill varies in length from 7 to 9 inches. It has been remarked
that the tarsus of this species is scutellate anteriorly in its whole
length, whereas that of _N. arquata_ is scutellate on its lower half
only; but this is incorrect; for both species have transverse series
of small scales on the upper third of the tarsus.
THE HOODED MERGANSER.
_MERGUS CUCULLATUS_, LINN.
PLATE CCXXXII. MALE AND FEMALE.
Excepting the Smew or White Nun, the Hooded Merganser is the handsomest
of its family. Its broad and rounded crest of pure white, with an
edging of jetty black, and which it closes or spreads out at pleasure,
renders the male of this species conspicuous on the waters to which
it resorts. The activity of its motions, the rapidity of its flight,
and its other habits, contribute to render it a pleasing object to
the student of nature, not less than to the sportsman. Its flesh,
however, has a fishy taste and odour, although it is relished by
some persons. It seems to prefer fresh water, and is by no means
very frequent along the sea coast. Long, narrow, and moderately deep
creeks, or small ponds, are more frequented by it than large rivers
or lakes.
On the waters of the Western and Southern States, these Mergansers
are seen to arrive from the north early in October, but generally
later than many species of Ducks, although sooner than either the
Red-breasted Merganser or the Goosander. At the approach of night,
a person standing still on the banks of such a river as the Ohio,
first hears the well-known sound of wings whistling through the air,
presently after, a different noise, as if produced by an eagle stooping
on her prey, when gliding downwards with the rapidity of an arrow,
he dimly perceives the Hooded Mergansers sweeping past. Five or six,
perhaps ten, there are; with quick beats of their pinions, they fly
low over the waters in wide circles. Now they have spied the entrance
of a creek; there they shoot into it, and in a few seconds you hear
the rushing noise which they make as they alight on the bosom of the
still pool. How often have I enjoyed such scenes, when enticed abroad
by the clear light of the silvery moon, I have wandered on the shores
of _la belle rivière_, to indulge in the contemplation of nature!
Up the creek the Mergansers proceed, washing their bodies by short
plunges, and splashing up the water about them. Then they plume
themselves, and anoint their feathers, now and then emitting a low
grunting note of pleasure. And now they dive in search of minnows,
which they find in abundance, and which no doubt prove delicious food
to the hungry travellers. At length, having satisfied their appetite,
they rise on wing, fly low over the creek with almost incredible
velocity, return to the broad stream, rove along its margin until they
meet with a clean sand-beach, where they alight, and where, secure
from danger, they repose until the return of day. A sly Racoon may,
when in search of mussels, chance to meet with the sleeping birds,
and surprise one of them; but this rarely happens, for they are as
wary and vigilant as their enemy is cunning, and were the prowler to
depend upon Hooded Mergansers for food, he would be lean enough.
This bird ranges throughout the United States during winter, content
with the food it meets with in the bays and estuaries of the eastern
coast, and on the inland streams. The dam of the Pennsylvania miller
is as agreeable to it as that of the Carolina rice-planter. The Le
High and Brandy-wine Creek have their fishes, as well as the waters
of Bear Grass or Bayou Sara. Nay, the numerous streams and pools of
the interior of the Floridas are resorted to by this species, and
there I have found them full of life and gaiety, as well as on the
Missouri, and on our great lakes. When the weather proves too cold
for them they move southwards many of them removing towards Mexico.
The Hooded Merganser is a most expert diver, and so vigilant that at
times it escapes even from the best percussion gun. As to shooting
at it with a flint lock, you may save yourself the trouble unless
you prevent it from seeing the flash of the pan. If you wound one,
never follow it: the bird, when its strength is almost exhausted,
immerses its body, raises the point of its bill above the surface,
and in this manner makes its way among the plants, until finding some
safe retreat along the shore, it betakes itself to it, and there
remains, so that you may search for it in vain, unless you have a
good dog. Even on wing it is not easily shot. If on a creek ever so
narrow, it will fly directly towards its mouth, although you may be
standing knee-deep in the middle. It comes up like a ball, rises and
passes over head with astonishing speed, and if you shoot at it, do
not calculate upon a hit. You may guess how many one may shoot in a
day.
When I removed from Pennsylvania to Kentucky, the Hooded Merganser
was not uncommon in the neighbourhood of Louisville during summer,
and I told WILSON so. On several occasions I caught the young with
a partridge net; and let me assure you, Reader, that they are not
yellow, as is alleged by some writers, but very dark brown. Even when
feathered they retain the same colour until the beginning of August,
when they gradually change it for the dress of the adult female.
Like all the rest of the tribe, which, when far north, for the want
of hollow trees, breed on the moss or ground, the Hooded Mergansers
that remain with us nestle in the same kind of holes or hollows as
the Wood Ducks; at least I have found their nests in such situations
seven or eight times, although I never saw one of them alight on the
branch of a tree, as the birds just mentioned are wont to do. They
dive as it were directly into their wooden burrows, where on a few
dried weeds and feathers of different kinds, with a small quantity
of down from the breast of the female, the eggs are deposited. They
are from five to eight, measure one inch and three-fourths by one and
three-eighths, and in other respects perfectly resemble those of the
Red-breasted Merganser.
The young, like those of the Wood Duck, are conveyed to the water
by their mother, who carries them gently in her bill; for the male
takes no part in providing for his offspring, but abandons his mate
as soon as incubation has commenced. The affectionate mother leads her
young among the tall rank grasses which fill the shallow pools or the
borders of creeks, and teaches them to procure snails, tadpoles, and
insects. The eggs are laid in May, and the young are out some time
in June. On two occasions the parents would not abandon the young,
although I expected that the noises which I made would have induced
them to do so: they both followed their offspring into the net which
I had set for them. The young all died in two days, when I restored
the old birds to liberty.
The Hooded Merganser, as well as all the other species with which I am
acquainted, moves with ease on the ground, nay even runs with speed.
Those which leave the United States, take their departure from the
first of March to the middle of May; and I am induced to believe that
probably one-third of them tarry for the purpose of breeding on the
margins of several of our great lakes. When migrating, they fly at
a great height, in small loose flocks, without any regard to order.
Their notes consist of a kind of rough grunt, variously modulated,
but by no means musical, and resembling the syllables _croo, croo,
crooh_. The female repeats it six or seven times in succession, when
she sees her young in danger. The same noise is made by the male,
either when courting on the water, or as he passes on wing near the
hole where the female is laying one of her eggs.
The males do not acquire the full beauty of their plumage until the
third spring, but resemble the females for the first year. In the
course of the second, the crest becomes more developed, and the white
and black markings about the head and body are more distinct. The
third spring they are complete, such as you see the bird represented
in the plate.
MERGUS CUCULLATUS, _Linn._ Syst. Nat. vol. i. p. 207.—_Lath._
Ind. Ornith. vol. ii. p. 830.—_Ch. Bonaparte_, Synops. of
Birds of the United States, p. 397.
HOODED MERGANSER, MERGUS CUCULLATUS, _Swains. and Richards._
Fauna Bor. Amer. part ii. p. 463.—_Nuttall_, Manual, vol.
ii. p. 465.
Adult Male. Plate CCXXXII. Fig. 1.
Bill about the length of the head, straight, somewhat cylindrical,
deeper than broad at the base. Upper mandible with the dorsal outline
sloping gently to the middle, then straight, along the unguis curved,
the ridge broad at the base, then convex, the sides sloping at
the base, convex towards the end, the edges serrated beneath, with
twenty-five tooth-like lamellæ directed backwards, the unguis oblong,
much curved, rounded at the end. Nasal groove oblong, subbasal, filled
by a soft membrane; nostrils linear-elliptical, submedial, direct,
pervious. Lower mandible, with the angle very narrow and extended to
the roundish unguis, the sides rounded, with a long narrow groove,
the edges with about twenty-five lamellæ.
Head of moderate size, compressed, oblong. Neck rather short, body
full and depressed. Wings small. Feet placed far behind, extremely
short; tibia bare for a short space above the joint; tarsus extremely
short, compressed, anteriorly covered with scutella, and another row
on the lower half externally, the sides reticulate. Hind toe very
small, with an inferior free membrane; anterior toes double the length
of the tarsus; second shorter than fourth, which is nearly as long as
the third, all connected by reticulated webs, of which the outer is
deeply cut; the outer toe slightly margined, the inner with a broad
marginal membrane. Claws short, considerably curved, compressed,
acute, that of the middle toe with a thin inner edge.
Plumage on the upper parts strong and imbricated, on the lower blended
and glossed; on the head and neck soft and blended, the feathers of
the upper part of the head elongated and capable of being erected
into a long compressed rounded crest, those of the shoulders very
broad and elongated. Wings very short, small, curved, and pointed;
primaries narrow, tapering, the first scarcely shorter than second,
the rest rapidly graduated; secondaries short, narrow, rounded,
the inner elongated and tapering. Tail short, graduated, of sixteen
rounded feathers.
Bill black. Iris yellow. Feet yellowish-brown; claws dusky. Upper
part of the head, back, smaller wing-coverts, quills and tail,
brownish-black; sides of the head, upper half of neck all round,
the broad extremities of the large feathers on the shoulders, the
scapulars, inner secondaries, and larger wing-coverts, greenish-black.
A broad patch of white behind the eye, very conspicuous in the erected
crest. Lower part of neck and breast also white, as are the speculum
and the central part of the inner secondaries. Sides beautifully marked
with undulated transverse lines of yellowish-brown and brownish-black;
lower tail-coverts whitish, similarly undulated.
Length to end of tail 19 inches, to end of wings 16-3/4, to end of
claws 18; extent of wings 26; wing from flexure 7-1/2; tail 4; bill
along the ridge 1-11/12, along the edge of lower mandible 1-3/4; tarsus
1-1/4, middle toe 1-(9-1/2)/12, its claw 1/4. Weight 1 lb. 7 oz.
Adult Female. Plate CCXXXII. Fig. 2.
The female is much smaller than the male. The crest is smaller and of
a looser texture; the feathers of the shoulders not so large; those
of the sides shorter and more compact. The bill is brownish-black
towards the end and along the ridge, orange towards the base. The
upper part of the head, including the crest, yellowish-brown; chin
whitish, upper part of neck and sides of the head greyish-brown. The
general colour of the back, upper surface of wings, tail, and sides,
is blackish-brown, the feathers edged with paler, the edgings of the
fore part of the back and shoulders larger and pale greyish-brown;
speculum greyish-white; breast and abdomen pale yellowish-brown.
Length to end of tail 17-1/2 inches, to end of claws 16-1/2; extent of
wings 24. Weight 1 lb.
The Young resemble the female. The young males after their first moult
still resemble the female, but have the speculum and lower parts pure
white.
THE SORA RAIL.
_RALLUS CAROLINUS_, LINN.
PLATE CCXXXIII. MALE, FEMALE, AND YOUNG.
Not many years have elapsed since it was supposed by some of the
inhabitants of those districts to which thousands of this species of
Rail resort at particular periods, that the Soras buried themselves
in the mud at the approach of cold weather, for the purpose of there
spending the winter in a state of torpidity. Many wonderful tales
were circulated to convince the world of the truth of this alleged
phenomenon; but the fact was, as you will naturally anticipate,
that the birds merely shifted their quarters, as no doubt they will
continue to do, so long as the climate becomes too cold for them
in winter. Prior to the days of WILSON, very little indeed had been
published respecting the habits of our birds. Superstitious notions
and absurd fancies occupied the place of accurate knowledge in the
minds of people too earnestly engaged in more important pursuits, to
attend to the history of the animals around them; and with respect
to the Sora in particular, I have no doubt that the settlers in our
original forests cared very little about them, farther than that,
when well cooked, they afforded a very savoury dish. Now, however,
the case is very different. Many of the enterprising and industrious
sons of Columbia have attained affluence and ease, and their children
receive a liberal education. The sciences and arts, those attendants
on peaceful commerce, are now sources of pleasure to many of our
citizens, and at the present day there are not a few individuals among
us, devotedly engaged in the pursuit of zoology in all its branches.
So rapid has been the progress of ornithology in particular, that I
should hesitate before asserting that any American, however uncultured,
now believes that Rails burrow in the mud.
Those who have studied the habits of our birds, or of those of any
part of the world, no longer admit that Swallows are condemned to
search for warmth under the ice; for we have proofs that these birds
can with ease obtain all that is necessary for their comfortable
subsistence, by removing on wing to a warmer region. The Soras and many
other species of birds are similar in this respect to the Swallows.
The Vulture that was supposed to scent his food from afar, has well
nigh lost his olfactory powers. Geese are no longer the offspring of
sea-shells; nor do Swans now chaunt their own requiem. The Pelican,
too, has ceased to tear its own breast to gorge its voracious young.
Students of nature have gradually rectified the various errors into
which our ancestors had fallen; and we should now just as readily
expect to see a shoal of fishes issuing from beneath the plough, as
to see a flock of Rails emerge from the mud, shake themselves, and
fly off. This subject, then, being disposed of, I have now to relate
to you the result of my observations on the habits of the Sora.
This bird, which I think might have been named the Pennsylvanian or
Virginian Rail, enters the Union from the shores of Mexico, early in
March, when many are to be seen in the markets of New Orleans. Some
reach their northern destination by ascending along the margins of our
western streams, or by crossing the country directly, in the manner
of the Woodcock; while those which proceed along the coast shorten
their journey as much as possible by flying across the headlands of
the numerous inlets or bays of our southern districts, retiring or
advancing more slowly according to the state of the weather. Thus,
those which cross the peninsula of Florida, through the marshes and
lagoons that lead to the head waters of the St John’s River, instead
of travelling round the shores of Georgia and South Carolina, fly
directly across towards Cape Lookout. It it nevertheless true, that
a certain number of these birds follow the sinuosities of the shores,
for I found some in the markets of Charleston, in the month of April,
that had been killed in the immediate neighbourhood of that city, and
I obtained others in various parts; but the number of these is very
small compared with that of those which cross at once. When their
passage takes place, either during calm weather or with a favourable
wind, the fortunate travellers pursue their journey by entering
Pimlico Sound, and following the inner margins of the outward banks
of this part of the coast until they reach Cape Henry. From thence
some ascend the Chesapeake, while others make for the mouth of the
Delaware, and these perhaps again meet on the borders of Lake Ontario,
or the waters of the St Lawrence, after which they soon enter those
portions of the country in which they breed, and spend a short but
agreeable season.
Every person acquainted with the general movements of birds either
during spring, when they pass northwards, or the autumnal months, when
they are on their way to milder climes, is aware that, at the former
period, their anxiety to reach the place of breeding is much greater
than that which they feel at any other period. Thus, in its movement
southward, the Sora, like all other Rails, when returning with its
progeny, which are yet feeble and unable to undergo much fatigue,
proceeds considerably slower than in spring. Hence its appearance in
autumn, in multitudes, in various places, where it is enticed by an
abundance of food and comparative security, to tarry for some time,
and recruit its strength. Thus, in September and part of October,
the Sora is found in great numbers on the borders of our great lakes,
feeding on wild oats, and on the reedy margins of the rivers of our
Middle Districts. Several natural causes prevent birds of this species
from following the sea-coast of the United States, while migrating
either in spring or in autumn, the principal of which is the absence
there of their favourite Zizania marshes, which are but very rarely
met with to the east of the State of New York. This is probably the
cause of the great rarity of this species in Massachusetts, whilst,
so far as I know, none are ever found to the eastward of that State.
These observations are corroborated by those of my friend THOMAS
MACCULLOCH of Pictou, who never met with one of these birds during
many years’ residence in that part of Nova Scotia.
Having seen flocks of Soras winging their way close over the waters of
the Gulf of Mexico, and between Cape Florida and the main shores of
the Carolinas, in the month of April, when they were moving directly
towards Cape Lookout, I have very little doubt that many return in
the same track, in the end of October, when the young, well fed and
strengthened, are able to follow their parents on wing, even across
that large extent of water. I shall now dismiss this part of the
subject, by adding, in confirmation of their capability of protracted
flight, that some of these birds, when accidentally separated from
their flock, have supported themselves on wing until they have met
with vessels several hundred miles from land; and facts of this kind
have been announced by persons of well known respectability.
During the autumnal months, a goodly number of Soras are found in
the rice-fields and fresh-water marshes of the Carolinas. Sometimes
also they have been shot in salt-water marshes, in spring, while
on their northward migration. At this period they are very silent,
until forced to fly. In those States none are seen during summer.
Very few, it appears, remain in any part of the Middle Districts. My
friend JOHN BACHMAN, however, was shewn some eggs of this bird, that
had been found in the meadows below Philadelphia; and whilst I was in
the company of my friend EDWARD HARRIS, Esq. on a woodcock shooting
expedition, my son shot some young birds scarcely fledged, and shortly
afterwards an adult female. JOHN BACHMAN met with a nest on the shore
of the Hudson, and I saw two in the marshes of Lake Champlain.
Fond of concealment, as all its tribe are, the Sora is rarely seen
during day, although, being seminocturnal, it skulks amid the tall
reeds or grasses, both by day and at night, in search of its food.
Differing, however, in habit, as well as in form, from the Gallinules,
it rarely abandons the retreats which it has chosen after the breeding
season, and rises, when forced by tides, to the tops of the plants
about it, climbing along or clinging to their stalks or leaves, with
as much ease as it walks on the floating garbage, when persons in
boats can see them without any difficulty. Whenever these occurrences
take place, and the country around is thickly peopled, great havock
is made among them. This particularly happens on the James and
Delaware rivers, where thousands are annually destroyed during their
autumnal stay. The sport of shooting Soras is much akin to that of
shooting Clapper Rails, or Salt-Water-Marsh-Hens, which I have already
described. But Wilson having given an account of it, as pursued when
Soras were much more abundant than I ever saw them, I shall transcribe
his description of the manner adopted by the sportsmen on the Delaware.
“The usual method of shooting them, in this quarter of the country,
is as follows:—The sportsman furnishes himself with a light batteau,
and a stout experienced boatman, with a pole of twelve or fifteen
feet long, thickened at the lower end to prevent it from sinking
too deep into the mud. About two hours or so before high water, they
enter the reeds, and each takes his post, the sportsman standing in
the bow ready for action, the boatman, on the stern seat, pushing her
steadily through the reeds. The Rail generally spring singly, as the
boat advances, and at a short distance ahead, are instantly shot down,
while the boatman, keeping his eye on the spot where the bird fell,
directs the boat forward, and picks it up as the gunner is loading.
It is also the boatman’s business to keep a sharp look-out, and give
the word ‘mark!’ when a Rail springs on either side without being
observed by the sportsman, and to note the exact spot where it falls
until he has picked it up; for this once lost sight of, owing to the
sameness in the appearance of the reeds, is seldom found again. In
this manner the boat moves steadily through and over the reeds, the
birds flushing and falling, the gunner loading and firing, while the
boatman is pushing and picking up. The sport continues till an hour
or two after high water, when the shallowness of the water, and the
strength and weight of the floating reeds, as also the backwardness
of the game to spring as the tide decreases, oblige them to return.
Several boats are sometimes within a short distance of each other,
and a perpetual cracking of musketry prevails along the whole reedy
shores of the river. In these excursions it is not uncommon for an
active and expert marksman to kill ten or twelve dozen in a tide.
They are usually shot singly, though I have known five killed at one
discharge of a double-barrelled piece. These instances, however, are
rare.”
“Such is the mode of Rail shooting in the neighbourhood of
Philadelphia. In Virginia, particularly along the shores of James
River, within the tide water, where the Rail or Sora are in prodigious
numbers, they are also shot on the wing, but more usually taken at
night in the following manner:—A kind of iron grate is fixed on the
top of a stout pole, which is placed like a mast, in a light canoe,
and filled with fire. The darker the night the more successful is
the sport. The person who manages the canoe is provided with a light
paddle, ten or twelve feet in length, and, about an hour before high
water, proceeds through among the reeds, which lie broken and floating
on the surface. The whole space, for a considerable way round the
canoe, is completely enlightened, the birds stare with astonishment,
and, as they appear, are knocked on the head with the paddle, and
thrown into the canoe. In this manner, from twenty to eighty dozen
have been killed by three Negroes in the short space of three hours!”
The flight of this little bird while migrating is low, and performed
with a constant beating of the wings, as in the Coot and other birds
of its kind. They pass swiftly along in compact flocks of from five
to a hundred or more individuals. At times you see them rise in a
long curve, as if they had perceived some dangerous object beneath
them; then resume their ordinary direct flight, and are soon out of
sight. On the contrary, when they are with us in autumn, they seem
far from being alert on wing, flying slowly with dangling legs, and
proceeding only to a short distance, when they drop among the reeds
with their wings extended, as if they had been shot. If raised two or
three times, it is extremely difficult to see them again; for on such
occasions they will rather dive and hide under some floating weeds,
keeping their bill only above the water. When walking leisurely, they
throw up the tail, in the manner of Gallinules, and if they apprehend
danger in consequence of any suspicious sight or sound, they run off
with great speed. Their notes are shrill and short, but reiterated,
like those of _Rallus crepitans_, although by no means so loud and
disagreeable. When wounded they dive well at the approach of the
sportsman, and sometimes cling to the roots of the grasses for a few
moments, but more usually rise under the cover of the floating leaves.
Some persons still believe that these birds cannot be drowned; and
this notion tempted my friend JOHN BACHMAN to make the experiment.
In a note of his now before me, he says:—“I once, in company with
some naturalists of Philadelphia, tried two experiments upon two
Soras that had been slightly wounded in the wing, to ascertain how
long they could live under the water. They were placed in a covered
basket, which was sunk in the river. One remained fifteen, the other
eight minutes, under water; and on being taken out, they were both
found dead. We placed them in the sun for several days, but, I need
hardly say, they did not revive.”
The most curious habit or instinct of this species is the nicety of
sense by which they can ascertain the last moment they can remain at
any of the feeding grounds at which they tarry in autumn. One day,
you may see or hear the Soras in their favourite marshes, you may be
aware of their presence in the dusk of evening; but when you return
to the place early next morning, they are all gone. Yesterday the
weather was mild, to-day it is cold and raw; and no doubt the Soras
were aware that a change was at hand, and secured themselves from
its influence by a prompt movement under night. It is probable that
these sudden removals gave rise to the idea of their diving into the
mud.
RALLUS CAROLINUS, _Linn._ Syst. Nat. vol. i. p. 263.—_Ch.
Bonaparte_, Synopsis of Birds of the United States, p. 334.
GALLINULA CAROLINA, _Lath._ Ind. Ornith. vol. ii. p. 771.
RAIL, RALLUS CAROLINUS, _Wils._ Amer. Ornith. vol. vi. p.
24. pl. 48. fig. 2. Male.
CAROLINA RAIL, _Nuttall_, Manual, vol. ii. p. 208.
Adult Male. Plate CCXXXIII. Fig. 1.
Bill shorter than the head, rather stout, deep, compressed, tapering.
Upper mandible with the dorsal line nearly straight, being slightly
convex towards the end, the ridge flattish for a very short space at
the base, very slightly extended on the forehead, narrow in the rest
of its extent; the sides convex towards the end, the edges sharp,
inflected, with a slight sinus close to the tip. Nasal groove broad and
extending to two-thirds of the length of the bill; nostrils linear,
lateral, submedial, pervious. Lower mandible with the angle long and
narrow, the sides erect, the dorsal line sloping upwards, the edges
inflected, the tip narrowed, the gape-line straight.
Head rather small, oblong, compressed. Neck of moderate length. Body
rather slender, much compressed. Feet of moderate length, rather
stout; tibia bare a short way above the joint; tarsus of ordinary
length, compressed, anteriorly covered with broad scutella, posteriorly
with smaller, and on the sides reticulated. Hind toe very short
and slender, middle toe longest and longer than the tarsus, fourth
considerably shorter than third, and a little longer than second;
toes free, scutellate above, much compressed, with an inferior sharp
margin. Claws rather long, exceedingly compressed, slightly arched,
tapering to a fine point, flat and marginate beneath.
Plumage rather stiff, but blended, slightly glossed above. Feathers
of the forehead with the shaft enlarged and slightly extended beyond
the tip. Wings short and broad; alula large; primaries curved, broad
tapering, but rounded, second longest, third scarcely shorter, first
equal to sixth; secondaries broad and rounded. Tail extremely short,
much rounded, of twelve feeble rounded feathers; the upper and lower
tail-coverts nearly as long as the tail-feathers.
Bill yellow at the base, dusky towards the end. Iris bright chestnut.
Feet yellowish-green; claws light brown. A broad band surrounding
the base of the bill, the central part of the crown, the chin,
and the fore neck in its whole length, brownish-black. Ear-coverts
olive-brown; a band over the eye, the cheeks, and the sides of the
neck, ash-grey. Sides of the crown, the hind neck, and the rest of
the upper parts, olive-brown, the feathers brownish-black in the
centre, those on the back with two marginal lines of white. Smaller
wing-coverts of a lighter brown; secondary coverts margined with black
and white markings; quills dusky olive-brown, as is the tail. Middle
of breast and abdomen greyish-white; sides barred with brownish-black
and greyish-white, as are the lateral feathers of the rump, those of
the abdomen reddish-yellow.
Length to end of tail 9-5/12 inches; to end of wings 8-3/4, to end of
claws 12; extent of wings 14; wing from flexure 4-8/12; tail 2; bill
along the ridge 10/12, along the edge of the lower mandible 10/12;
tarsus 1-5/12; middle toe 1-7/12, its claw (4-1/2)/12. Weight 7 oz.
Adult Female. Plate CCXXXIII. Fig. 2.
The Female differs considerably from the Male in colouring. The naked
parts and iris are similar, as are the upper parts generally; but
the black around the base of the bill, on the head, and fore neck
is wanting, the fore part of the head being light brown, the chin
whitish, the sides of the neck light greyish-brown. The white lines
of the back are duller, and the dark bands of the sides of a lighter
tint.
Young Male. Plate CCXXXIII. Fig. 3.
The Young Male, after its first moult, is intermediate in colouring
between the adult male and the female, but more like the latter, the
black on the head and fore neck appearing in spots, and the sides of
the neck being nearly as in the female.
THE RING-NECKED DUCK.
_FULIGULA RUFITORQUES_, BONAP.
PLATE CCXXXIV. MALE AND FEMALE.
The Ring-necked Duck is abundant on all our western waters during
autumn and winter. It is also met with along our Atlantic coasts;
but there, although I have seen many individuals on the Chesapeake
and other large arms of the sea, it is by no means so plentiful as
in the interior. Its flesh is excellent, equalling in my opinion that
of any other duck; and when it has been feeding along the margins of
rivers, creeks, or ponds for a few weeks, it becomes very fat, tender,
and juicy, and has none of the fishy flavour of those species which
are in the habit of diving deep for their food. In shape, the Tufted
Duck, or Ring-bill, as it is called in Kentucky, resembles the Scaup
or Flocking Fowl, but is plumper and more rounded.
This bird arrives in Kentucky and the neighbouring States, as far
down the Mississippi as New Orleans, from the 20th of September to
the middle of October, at which latter period it may be found in the
whole extent of the Union, from Massachusetts to Louisiana, being
more numerous in some districts than in others, according to the
suitableness of the place. They commonly move while on wing in flocks
of from fifteen to twenty individuals, keeping rather scattered,
and thus rarely affording what is called a good shot. They fly with
rapidity, keeping at a considerable height, and the motion of their
wings produces a constant whistling as they pass over head. Before
alighting, they wheel and perform various evolutions, although they
do not occupy so much time with them as Teals are wont to do.
They swim rather lightly and with ease, and, unlike the Scaups,
experience no difficulty in rising on wing, whether from the land
or from the water, but generally spring up at once, especially if
alarmed. They have an almost constant practice of raising the head
in a curved manner, partially erecting the occipital feathers, and
emitting a note resembling the sound produced by a person blowing
through a tube. At the approach of spring the males are observed
repeating this action every now and then, while near the females,
none of which seem to pay the least attention to their civilities.
Whilst in ponds, they feed by diving and dabbling with their bills in
the mud amongst the roots of grasses, of which they eat the seeds also,
as well as snails and all kinds of aquatic insects. When on rivers,
their usual food consists of small fish and crays, the latter of which
they procure at the bottom. A male which I shot near Louisville, in
the beginning of May, exhibited a protuberance of the neck so very
remarkable as to induce me to cut the skin, when I found a frog,
the body of which was nearly two inches long, and which had almost
choked the bird, as it allowed me to go up within a dozen or fifteen
paces before I took aim. This species remains with us in the Western
country later than most others of its tribe, and not unfrequently as
late as the Blue-winged Teal.
We are indebted for the discovery of this species to my friend the
Prince of Musignano, who first pointed out the difference between it
and the Tufted Duck of Europe. The distinctions that exist in the
two species he ascertained about the time of my first acquaintance
with him at Philadelphia in 1824, when he was much pleased on seeing
my drawing of a male and a female, which I had made at Louisville in
Kentucky previous to WILSON’s visit to me there. WILSON supposed it
identical with the European species.
The summer haunts and habits of this Duck have not been ascertained;
for although Dr RICHARDSON mentions that he found it not rare in the
fur countries, he says nothing of its eggs or nest. While with us it
has no long crest, but I am inclined to think that at the commencement
of the breeding season that appendage may be developed.
FULIGULA RUFITORQUES, _Ch. Bonaparte_, Synops. of Birds of the
United States, p. 393.
TUFTED DUCK, ANAS FULIGULA, _Wils._ Amer. Ornith. vol.
viii. p. 60. pl. 67, fig. 5.
RING-NECKED DUCK, FULIGULA RUFITORQUES, _Swains. and
Richards._ Fauna Bor. Amer. part ii. p. 453.—_Nuttall_,
Manual, vol. ii. p. 439.
Adult Male. Plate CCXXXIV. Fig. 1.
Bill about the same length as the head, rather deeper than broad at
the base, depressed and enlarged towards the end, the frontal angles
acute. Upper mandible with the dorsal line at first sloping, then
concave, along the unguis decurved, the ridge broad and flat at the
base, then broadly convex, the sides nearly flat and perpendicular at
the base, convex and sloping towards the end, the edges soft, with
about forty-five internal lamellæ, unguis obovate, curved. Nostrils
subbasal, lateral, rather small, oval, pervious. Lower mandible flat,
with the angle very long and rather narrow, the dorsal line very
short, slightly convex, the edges with about sixty-five lamellæ and
smaller intermediate ones above.
Head of moderate size, neck rather long and slender, body full and
depressed, wings rather small. Feet very short, strong, placed rather
far behind; tarsus very short, compressed, at its lower part anteriorly
with two series of scutella, the rest covered with reticulated angular
scales. Toes scutellate above, first very small, free, with a broad
membrane beneath, fourth longest, third scarcely shorter; claws small,
curved, compressed, obtuse, the hind one smaller, more curved and
acute, that of the third toe with an inner sharp edge.
Plumage dense, soft, blended, rather glossy. Feathers of the middle
of the head, and upper part of hind neck, very narrow and a little
elongated; of the rest of the head and upper part of the neck very
short, of the back and lower parts in general broad and rounded. Wings
of moderate length, narrow, acute; primaries curved, strong, tapering,
first longest, second very little shorter; secondaries broad, rounded,
short, the inner longer and tapering. Tail very short, rather broad,
much rounded, of sixteen rounded feathers.
Bill black, with a basal band, the edges of both mandibles, and a
band across the upper towards the end, pale blue. Iris yellow. Legs
greyish-blue, the webs brownish-black. The head, and upper part of the
neck, greenish-black, with purple reflexions. A brownish-red collar,
broader before, on the middle of the neck. Its lower part all round,
as well as the back, scapulars, smaller wing-coverts, and posterior
part of abdomen, brownish-black. Inner secondaries of the same colour,
outer bluish-grey on the outer web, light brown on the inner, as are
the primaries, of which the outer webs and tips are dark brown. Tail
brownish-grey. Chin white, breast greyish-white, sides and fore part
of abdomen greyish-white, minutely undulated with greyish-brown.
Length to end of tail 18 inches, to end of wings 16; extent of wings
28; wing from flexure 7-3/4; tail 2-1/2; bill along the back 2-1/12,
along the edge of lower mandible 1-11/12; tarsus 1-4/12; middle toe
2-2/12, its claw 4/12.
Adult Female. Plate CCXXXIV. Fig. 2.
The Female has the neck umber brown, the upper part of the head darker,
the back blackish-brown, the speculum bluish-grey, as in the male,
the breast brownish-white, the loral spaces and chin pale brown, the
abdomen umber brown.
Length 16 inches.
The Tufted Duck of Europe, _Fuligula cristata_, is very intimately
allied to this species. The bill of the latter is longer, narrower,
and differently coloured, the unguis broader at the end, as is the
flat triangular space at the base of the upper mandible. The bill of
the Scaup Duck is still broader towards the end, with a much narrower
unguis, and the flattened part of the upper mandible still narrower
than in the Tufted Duck; the colour of the speculum is also different,
being bluish-grey in the Ring-necked Duck, and white in the two allied
species. The females of the Ring-necked and Scaup Ducks, which are
nearly similar in colour, differ in the speculum, and in the peculiar
form of the bill.
THE SOOTY TERN.
_STERNA FULIGINOSA_, LATH.
PLATE CCXXXV. MALE.
Early in the afternoon of the 9th of May 1832, I was standing on the
deck of the United States’ revenue-cutter the Marion. The weather
was very beautiful, although hot, and a favourable breeze wafted
us onwards in our course. Captain ROBERT DAY, who stood near me, on
looking toward the south-west, ordered some person to be sent to the
top to watch the appearance of land. A young lad was instantly seen
ascending the rigging, and not many minutes after he had attained
his post, we heard from him the cry of “land.” It was the low keys
of the Tortugas, toward which we had been steering. No change was
made in the course of the “Lady of the Green Mantle,” who glided
along as if aware of the knowledge possessed by her commander. Now
the light-house lantern appeared, like a bright gem glittering in the
rays of the sun. Presently the masts and flags of several wreckers
shewed us that they were anchored in the small but safe harbour. We
sailed on, and our active pilot, who was also the first lieutenant
of the Marion, pointed out to me a small island which he said was
at this season the resort of thousands of birds, which he described
by calling them “Black and White Sea Swallows,” and again another
islet, equally well stocked with another kind of Sea Swallow, which
he added were called Noddies, because they frequently alighted on
the yards of vessels at night, and slept there. He assured me that
both species were on their respective breeding-grounds by millions,
that the eggs of the first lay on the sand under bushes, at intervals
of about a foot, while the nests of the last were placed as thickly
on the bushes of their own chosen island. “Before we cast anchor,”
he added, “you will see them rise in swarms like those of bees when
disturbed in their hive, and their cries will deafen you.”
You may easily imagine how anxious I was to realize the picture; I
expressed a wish to be landed on the island; but the kind officer
replied, “My good Sir, you will soon be tired of their incessant noise
and numbers, and will enjoy the procuring of Boobies much better.”
After various tacks, we made our way through the curious and extremely
dangerous channels leading to the small harbour, where we anchored. As
the chain grated the ear, I saw a cloud-like mass arise over the “Bird
Key,” from which we were only a few hundred yards distant; and in a
few minutes the yawl was carrying myself and my assistant ashore. On
landing, I felt for a moment as if the birds would raise me from the
ground, so thick were they all round, and so quick the motion of their
wings. Their cries were indeed deafening, yet not more than half of
them took to wing on our arrival, those which rose being chiefly male
birds, as we afterwards ascertained. We ran across the naked beach,
and as we entered the thick cover before us, and spread in different
directions, we might at every step have caught a sitting bird, or one
scrambling through the bushes to escape from us. Some of the sailors,
who had more than once been there before, had provided themselves
with sticks, with which they knocked down the birds as they flew thick
around and over them. In less than half an hour, more than a hundred
Terns lay dead in a heap, and a number of baskets were filled to the
brim with eggs. We then returned on board, and declined disturbing
the rest any more that night. My assistant, Mr H. WARD, of London,
skinned upwards of fifty specimens, aided by Captain DAY’s servant.
The sailors told me that the birds were excellent eating, but on this
point I cannot say much in corroboration of their opinion, although
I can safely recommend the eggs, for I considered them delicious,
in whatever way cooked, and during our stay at the Tortugas we never
passed a day without providing ourselves with a good quantity of them.
The next morning Mr WARD told me that great numbers of the Terns left
their island at two o’clock, flew off towards the sea, and returned a
little before day, or about four o’clock. This I afterwards observed
to be regularly the case, unless there happened to blow a gale, a
proof that this species sees as well during the night as by day,
when they also go to sea in search of food for themselves and their
young. In this respect they differ from the _Sterna stolida_, which,
when overtaken at sea by darkness, even when land is only a few miles
distant, alight on the water, and frequently on the yards of vessels,
where if undisturbed they sleep until the return of day. It is from
this circumstance that they have obtained the name of Noddy, to which
in fact they are much better entitled than the present species, which
has also been so named, but of which I never observed any to alight on
a vessel in which I was for thirty-five days in the Gulf of Mexico,
at a time when that bird was as abundant during the day as the other
species, of which many were caught at my desire by the sailors.
The present species rarely alights on the water, where it seems
incommoded by its long tail; but the other, the _Sterna stolida_,
which, in the shape of its tail, and in some of its habits, shews
an affinity to the Petrels, not only frequently alights on the sea,
but swims about on floating patches of the Gulf Weed, seizing on the
small fry and little crabs that are found among the branches of that
plant, or immediately beneath them.
I have often thought, since I became acquainted with the habits of the
bird which here occupies our attention, that it differs materially from
all the other species of the same genus that occur on our coasts. The
_Sterna fuliginosa_ never dives headlong and perpendicularly as the
smaller species are wont to do, such as _St. Hirundo_, _St. arctica_,
_St. minuta_, _St. Dougallii_, or _St. nigra_, but passes over its
prey in a curved line, and picks it up. Its action I cannot better
compare to that of any other bird than the Night Hawk, while plunging
over its female. I have often observed this Tern follow and hover in
the wake of a porpoise, while the latter was pursuing its prey, and
at the instant when by a sudden dash it frightens and drives toward
the surface the fry around it, the Tern as suddenly passes over the
spot, and picks up a small fish or two.
Nor is the flight of this Tern characterized by the buoyancy and
undecidedness, if I may so speak, of the other species mentioned
above, it being as firm and steady as that of the Cayenne Tern,
excepting during the movements performed in procuring its food. Like
some of the smaller gulls, this bird not unfrequently hovers close
to the water to pick up floating objects, such as small bits of fat
pork and greasy substances thrown overboard purposely for making the
experiment. It is not improbable that the habits peculiar to this
species, the Noddy, and one or two others, of which I shall have
occasion to speak elsewhere, may tend to induce systematic writers
to place them in a new “subgenus.”
There is a circumstance connected with the habits of the two species of
which I now more particularly speak, which, although perhaps somewhat
out of place, I cannot refrain from introducing here. It is that the
_Sterna stolida always forms a nest on trees or bushes_, on which
that bird alights with as much ease as a Crow or Thrush; whereas the
_Sterna fuliginosa_ never forms a nest of any sort, but deposits its
eggs in a slight cavity which it scoops in the sand under the trees.
But, reader, let us return to the Bird Key.
Early the next morning I was put on shore, and remained there until
I had completed my observations on the Terns. I paid no attention
to their lamentable cries, which were the less piercing that on this
occasion I did not molest them in the least. Having seated myself on
the shelly sand, which here formed the only soil, I remained almost
motionless for several hours, in consequence of which the birds
alighted about me, at the distance of only a few yards, so that I
could plainly see with what efforts and pains the younger females
deposited their eggs. Their bill was open, and their pantings indicated
their distress, but after the egg had been expelled, they immediately
walked off in an awkward manner, until they reached a place where they
could arise without striking the branches of the bushes near them,
when they flew away. Here and there, in numerous places within twenty
yards of me, females, having their complement of eggs, alighted,
and quietly commenced the labour of incubation. Now and then a male
bird also settled close by, and immediately disgorged a small fish
within the reach of the female. After some curious reciprocal nods of
their heads, which were doubtless intended as marks of affection, the
caterer would fly off. Several individuals, which had not commenced
laying their eggs, I saw scratch the sand with their feet, in the
manner of the common fowl, while searching for food. In the course
of this operation, they frequently seated themselves in the shallow
basin to try how it fitted their form, or find out what was still
wanted to ensure their comfort. Not the least semblance of a quarrel
did I observe between any two of these interesting creatures; indeed,
they all appeared as if happy members of a single family; and as if
to gratify my utmost wishes, a few of them went through the process
of courtship in my presence. The male birds frequently threw their
heads over their back as it were, in the manner of several species of
gulls; they also swelled out their throats, walked round the females,
and ended by uttering a soft puffing sound as they caressed them. Then
the pair for a moment or two walked round each other, and at length
rose on wing and soon disappeared. Such is one of the many sights it
has been my good fortune to witness, and by each of them have I been
deeply impressed with a sense of the pervading power of the Deity.
The Sooty Tern always lays three eggs as its full number, and in no
instance, among thousands of the nests which were on the Bird Key,
did I find one more when the female was sitting close. I was desirous
of ascertaining whether the male and the female incubate alternately;
but this I was unable to do, as the birds frequently left their eggs
for half an hour or even three quarters at a time, but rarely longer.
This circumstance, together with the very slight difference in size
and colour between the sexes, was the cause of my failure.
It was curious to observe their actions whenever a large party landed
on the island. All those not engaged in incubation would immediately
rise in the air and scream aloud; those on the ground would then join
them as quickly as they could, and the whole forming a vast mass,
with a broad extended front, would as it were charge us, pass over
for fifty yards or so, then suddenly wheel round, and again renew
their attack. This they would repeat six or eight times in succession.
When the sailors, at our desire, all shouted as loud as they could,
the phalanx would for an instant become perfectly silent, as if to
gather our meaning; but the next moment, like a huge wave breaking
on the beach, it would rush forward with deafening noise.
When wounded and seized by the hand, this bird bites severely, and
utters a plaintive cry differing from its usual note, which is loud
and shrill, resembling the syllables _oo-ee, oo-ee_. Their nests are
all scooped near the roots or stems of the bushes, and under the shade
of their boughs, in many places within a few inches of each other.
There is less difference between their eggs, than is commonly seen in
those of water birds, both with respect to size and colouring. They
generally measure two inches and one-eighth, by one and a-half, have
a smooth shell, with the ground of a pale cream colour, sparingly
marked with various tints of lightish umber, and still lighter marks
of purple, which appear as if within the shell. The Lieutenant, N.
LACOSTE, Esq. informed me that shortly after the young are hatched,
they ramble pell-mell over the island, to meet their parents, and be
fed by them; that these birds have been known to collect there for
the purpose of breeding, since the oldest wreckers on that coast can
recollect; and that they usually arrive in May, and remain until the
beginning of August, when they retire southward to spend the winter
months. I could not however obtain a sufficiently accurate description
of the different states of plumage which they go through, so as to
enable me to describe them in the manner I should wish to do. All
that I can say is, that before they take their departure, the young
are greyish-brown above, dull white beneath, and have the tail very
short.
At Bird Key we found a party of Spanish Eggers from Havannah. They
had already laid in a cargo of about eight tons of the eggs of this
Tern and the Noddy. On asking them how many they supposed they had,
they answered that they never counted them, even while selling them,
but disposed of them at seventy-five cents per gallon; and that one
turn to market sometimes produced upwards of two hundred dollars,
while it took only a-week to sail backwards and forwards and collect
their cargo. Some eggers, who now and then come from Key West, sell
their eggs at twelve and a half cents the dozen; but wherever these
eggs are carried, they must soon be disposed of and eaten, for they
become putrid in a few weeks.
On referring to my journals once more, I find the following remarks
with reference to the Sooty Tern. It would appear that at some period
not very remote, the Noddy, _Sterna stolida_, must have had it in
contemplation to appropriate to itself its neighbour’s domains; as
on examination of this island, several thousand nests of that bird
were found built on the tops of the bushes, although no birds of the
species were about them. It is therefore probable that if such an
attempt was made by them, they were defeated and forced to confine
themselves to the neighbouring island, where they breed by themselves,
although it is only a few miles distant. That such interferences and
conflicts now and then occur among different species of birds, has
often been observed by other persons, and in several instances by
myself, particularly among Herons. In these cases, right or wrong,
the stronger party never fails to dislodge the weaker, and keep
possession of the disputed ground.
STERNA FULIGINOSA, _Lath._ Ind. Ornith. vol. ii. p. 804.—_Ch.
Bonaparte_, Synops. of Birds of the United States, p. 355.
SOOTY TERN, STERNA FULIGINOSA, _Lath._ Synops. vol. vi. p.
352.—_Wils._ Amer. Ornith. vol. viii. p. 145. pl. 72. fig.
7.—_Nuttall_, Manual, vol. ii. p. 284.
Adult Male. Plate CCXXXV.
Bill longer than the head, strong, slender, nearly straight,
compressed, very acute. Upper mandible with the dorsal line slightly
arched, the ridge broad and convex at the base, narrowed towards
the end, the sides convex, the edges sharp and inflected, the tip
acute. Nasal groove extended to beyond half the length of the bill,
slightly inflected towards the edge; nostrils basal, linear, direct,
pervious. Lower mandible with the angle very narrow, acute, extending
to a little beyond the middle, the dorsal line straight, the sides
convex, the sharp edges inflected, the tip very acute.
Head of moderate size, oblong, compressed; neck of moderate length;
body slender; feet very small, wings and tail very long. Tibia bare
for a short space; tarsus very short, slender, roundish, covered
anteriorly with small scutella, laterally and behind with reticulated
rather indistinct scales; toes small, slender, the first very small,
the third longest, the fourth nearly as long, the second much shorter,
all scutellate above, the anterior united by reticulated webs, having
an incurved margin; claws curved, compressed, acute, that of hind
toe smallest, of middle toe by much the largest, and having the inner
edge thin and dilated.
Plumage soft, close, blended, very short on the head; the feathers
in general broad and rounded. Wings very long, narrow and pointed;
primary quills tapering but rounded, the first longest, the rest
rapidly graduated; secondary short, broad, rather acute, the inner
more tapering. Tail long, very deeply forked, of twelve feathers, of
which the outer are tapering, the middle rounded and short.
Bill and feet black. Iris chestnut. Forehead white; lores, upper
part of the head, the hind neck and all the upper parts, deep black
glossed with blue, excepting the edges of the wings and the lateral
tail-feathers, which are white, the latter with the inner web towards
the end dusky. All the lower parts and the sides of the neck are pure
white.
Length to end of tail 16-1/4 inches, to end of wings 15-5/8, to end
of claws 11-1/2; extent of wings 34-3/4; wing from flexure 12; tail to
the end 7-3/4, to the fork 3-3/4; bill along the ridge 1-3/4, along the
edge of lower mandible 2-5/12; tarsus 10/12; middle toe (9-1/2)/12, its
claw 4/12.
The Female is similar to the Male.
A WILD HORSE.
While residing at Henderson in Kentucky, I became acquainted with a
gentleman who had just returned from the country in the neighbourhood
of the head waters of the Arkansas River, where he had purchased
a newly caught “Wild Horse,” a descendant of some of the horses
originally brought from Spain, and set at liberty in the vast prairies
of the Mexican lands. The animal was by no means handsome:—he had
a large head, with a considerable prominence in its frontal region,
his thick and unkemt mane hung along his neck to the breast, and his
tail, too scanty to be called flowing, almost reached the ground.
But his chest was broad, his legs clean and sinewy, and his eyes and
nostrils indicated spirit, vigour, and endurance. He had never been
shod, and although he had been ridden hard, and had performed a long
journey, his black hoofs had suffered no damage. His colour inclined
to bay, the legs of a deeper tint, and gradually darkening below
until they became nearly black. I inquired what might be the value
of such an animal among the Osage Indians, and was answered, that
the horse being only four years old, he had given for him, with the
tree and the buffalo tug fastened to his head, articles equivalent
to about thirty-five dollars. The gentleman added, that he had never
mounted a better horse, and had very little doubt, that if well fed,
he could carry a man of ordinary weight from thirty-five to forty
miles a-day, for a month, as he had travelled at that rate upon him,
without giving him any other food than the grass of the prairies, or
the canes of the bottom lands, until he had crossed the Mississippi
at Natchez, when he fed him with corn. Having no farther use for
him, now that he had ended his journey, he said he was anxious to
sell him, and thought he might prove a good hunting horse for me, as
his gaits were easy, and he stood fire as well as any charger he had
seen. Having some need of a horse possessed of qualities similar to
those represented as belonging to the one in question, I asked if I
might be allowed to try him. “Try him, Sir, and welcome; nay, if you
will agree to feed him and take care of him, you may keep him for a
month, if you choose.” So I had the horse taken to the stable and fed.
About two hours afterwards, I took my gun, mounted the prairie nag,
and went to the woods. I was not long in finding him very sensible
to the spur, and as I observed that he moved with great ease both to
himself and his rider, I thought of leaping over a log several feet in
diameter, to judge how far he might prove serviceable in deer-driving
or bear-hunting. So I gave him the reins, and pressed my legs to his
belly without using the spur, on which, as if aware that I wished
to try his mettle, he bounded off and cleared the log as lightly as
an elk. I turned him, and made him leap the same log several times,
which he did with equal ease, so that I was satisfied of his ability
to clear any impediment in the woods. I next determined to try his
strength, for which purpose I took him to a swamp, which I knew was
muddy and tough. He entered it with his nose close to the water, as if
to judge of its depth, at which I was well pleased, as he thus evinced
due caution. I then rode through the swamp in different directions,
and found him prompt, decided, and unflinching. Can he swim well?
thought I;—for there are horses, which, although excellent, cannot
swim at all, but will now and then lie on their side, as if contented
to float with the current, when the rider must either swim and drag
them to the shore, or abandon them. To the Ohio then I went, and rode
into the water. He made off obliquely against the current, his head
well raised above the surface, his nostrils expanded, his breathing
free, and without any of the grunting noise emitted by many horses on
such occasions. I turned him down the stream, then directly against
it, and finding him quite to my mind, I returned to the shore, on
reaching which he stopped of his own accord, spread his legs, and
almost shook me off my seat. After this I put him to a gallop, and
returning home through the woods, shot from the saddle a turkey-cock,
which he afterwards approached as if he had been trained to the sport,
and enabled me to take it up without dismounting.
As soon as I reached the house of Dr RANKIN, where I then resided,
I sent word to the owner of the horse that I should be glad to see
him. When he came, I asked him what price he would take; he said,
fifty dollars in silver was the lowest. So I paid the money, took a
bill of sale, and became master of the horse. The Doctor, who was an
excellent judge, said smiling to me, “Mr AUDUBON, when you are tired
of him, I will refund you the fifty dollars, for depend upon it he is
a capital horse.” The mane was trimmed, but the tail left untouched;
the Doctor had him shod “all round,” and for several weeks he was
ridden by my wife, who was highly pleased with him.
Business requiring that I should go to Philadelphia, Barro (he was
so named after his former owner) was put up for ten days and well
attended to. The time of my departure having arrived, I mounted him;
and set off at the rate of four miles an hour;—but here I must give
you the line of my journey, that you may, if you please, follow my
course on some such map as that of TANNER’s. From Henderson through
Russellville, Nashville, and Knoxville, Abington in Virginia, the
Natural Bridge, Harrisonburgh, Winchester and Harper’s Ferry, Frederick
and Lancaster to Philadelphia. There I remained four days, after which
I returned by way of Pittsburgh, Wheeling, Zanesville, Chillicothe,
Lexington, and Louisville to Henderson. But the nature of my business
was such as to make me deviate considerably from the main roads, and
I computed the whole distance at nearly two thousand miles, the post
roads being rather more than sixteen hundred. I travelled not less
than forty miles a-day, and it was allowed by the Doctor that my
horse was in as good condition on my return as when I set out. Such
a journey on a single horse may seem somewhat marvellous in the eyes
of a European; but in those days almost every merchant had to perform
the like, some from all parts of the western country, even from St
Louis on the Missouri, although the travellers not unfrequently,
on their return, sold their horses at Baltimore, Philadelphia, or
Pittsburgh, at which latter place they took boat. My wife rode on a
single horse from Henderson to Philadelphia, travelling at the same
rate. The country was then comparatively new; few coaches travelled,
and in fact the roads were scarcely fit for carriages. About twenty
days were considered necessary for performing a journey on horseback
from Louisville to Philadelphia, whereas now the same distance may be
travelled in six or seven days, or even sometimes less, this depending
on the height of the water in the Ohio.
It may be not uninteresting to you to know the treatment which the
horse received on those journeys. I rose every morning before day,
cleaned my horse, pressed his back with my hand, to see if it had
been galled, and placed on it a small blanket folded double, in such
a manner that when the latter was put on, half of the cloth was
turned over it. The surcingle, beneath which the saddle-bags were
placed, confined the blanket to the seat, and to the pad behind was
fastened the great coat or cloak, tightly rolled up. The bridle had
a snaffle bit; a breastplate was buckled in front to each skirt, to
render the seat secure during an ascent; but my horse required no
crupper, his shoulders being high and well-formed. On starting he
trotted off at the rate of four miles an hour, which he continued. I
usually travelled from fifteen to twenty miles before breakfast, and
after the first hour allowed my horse to drink as much as he would.
When I halted for breakfast, I generally stopped two hours, cleaned
the horse, and gave him as much corn blades as he could eat. I then
rode on until within half an hour of sunset, when I watered him well,
poured a bucket of cold water over his back, had his skin well rubbed,
his feet examined and cleaned. The rack was filled with blades, the
trough with corn, a good-sized pumpkin or some hens’ eggs, whenever
they could be procured, were thrown in, and if oats were to be had,
half a bushel of them was given in preference to corn, which is apt
to heat some horses. In the morning, the nearly empty trough and rack
afforded sufficient evidence of the state of his health.
I had not ridden him many days before he became so attached to me
that on coming to some limpid stream, in which I had a mind to bathe,
I could leave him at liberty to graze, and he would not drink if
told not to do so. He was ever sure-footed, and in such continual
good spirits, that now and then, when a turkey happened to rise from
a dusting place before me, the mere inclination of my body forward
was enough to bring him to a smart canter, which he would continue
until the bird left the road for the woods, when he never failed to
resume his usual trot. On my way homewards I met at the crossings of
the Juniata River a gentleman from New Orleans whose name is VINCENT
NOLTE. He was mounted on a superb horse, for which he had paid three
hundred dollars, and a servant on horseback led another as a change.
I was then an utter stranger to him, and as I approached and praised
his horse, he not very courteously observed that he wished I had as
good a one. Finding that he was going to Bedford to spend the night,
I asked him at what hour he would get there. “Just soon enough to have
some trouts ready for our supper, provided you will join when you get
there.” I almost imagined that Barro understood our conversation;
he pricked up his ears, and lengthened his pace, on which Mr NOLTE
caracolled his horse, and then put him to a quick trot, but all in
vain, for I reached the hotel nearly a quarter of an hour before him,
ordered the trouts, saw to the putting away of my good horse, and
stood at the door ready to welcome my companion. From that day VINCENT
NOLTE has been a friend to me. It was from him I received letters of
introduction to the RATHBONES of Liverpool, for which I shall ever
be grateful to him. We rode together as far as Shippingport, where
my worthy friend NICHOLAS BERTHOUD, Esq. resided, and on parting with
me he repeated what he had many times said before, that he never had
seen so serviceable a creature as Barro.
If I recollect rightly, I gave a short verbal account of this journey,
and of the good qualities of my horse, to my learned friend J. SKINNER,
Esq. of Baltimore, who I believe has noticed them in his excellent
Sporting Magazine. We agreed that the importation of horses of this
kind from the Western Prairies might improve our breeds generally;
and, judging from those which I have seen, I am inclined to think
that some of them may prove fit for the course. A few days after
reaching Henderson, I parted with Barro, not without regret, for a
hundred and twenty dollars.
THE NIGHT HERON.
_ARDEA NYCTICORAX_, LINN.
PLATE CCXXXVI. ADULT MALE AND YOUNG.
The Night Heron is a constant resident in the Southern States, where
it is found in abundance in the low swampy tracts near the coast, from
the mouth of Sabine River to the eastern boundaries of South Carolina.
On the whole of that vast extent of country, it may be procured at all
seasons. The adult birds keep farther south than the young, flocks
of the latter remaining in South Carolina during the whole winter,
and there the Night Herons are at that period more common than most
other species of the family. In that State it is named “the Indian
Pullet,” in Lower Louisiana the Creoles call it “_Gros-bec_,” the
inhabitants of East Florida know it under the name of “Indian Hen,”
and in our Eastern States its usual appellation is “Qua Bird.”
In the course of my winter rambles through East Florida, I met
with several of the large places of resort of Night Herons, and, in
particular, one remarkable for the vast number of birds congregated
there. It is about six miles below the plantation of my friend JOHN
BULLOW, Esq., on a bayou which opens into the Halifax River. There
several hundred pairs appeared to be already mated, although it was
only the month of January; many of the nests of former years were
still standing, and all appeared to live in peace and contentment.
My friend JOHN BACHMAN is acquainted with a place on Ashley River,
about four miles distant from Charleston, where, among the branches
of a cluster of live-oak trees, he has for the last fifteen years
found a flock of about fifty of these birds during the winter. They
were all young, not a single individual having been observed in the
adult plumage, which is the more remarkable, because it is usual for
young birds to retreat farther south during winter than the old. It
is very common at this period for the sportsmen near Charleston to
take their stand along the margins of the salt-water ponds, to which
the Herons generally resort about dusk; and they frequently obtain
several shots in an evening, but not a single old bird is known to
have been killed at this season.
The Night Heron seldom advances very far into the country, but remains
on the low swampy lands along the coast. It is rare to see one farther
up the Mississippi than the mouth of the Arkansas, to which a few
are at times induced to go while rambling along the great stream. I
never saw one, or heard of any, whilst in Kentucky, and I doubt much
if they are ever seen in the upper parts of the State of Tennessee.
The distance of a hundred miles from the tide-mark appears to be the
farthest extent of their inland movements. On the other hand, they
are fond of resorting to the islands along the coast, on many of
which they breed.
At the approach of spring, great numbers of those which have wintered
far south, leave their places of sojourn and migrate eastward, although
probably an equal number remain in the low lands of Louisiana and
the Floridas during the whole year. There, indeed, I have found them
with eggs in April and May, and as young birds just fledged were very
abundant at the same places, I concluded that these eggs were of the
second laying. By the middle of March, the number of Night Herons is
seen to increase daily in the Carolinas, and, about a month later,
some make their appearance in the Middle Districts, where many remain
and breed. They are not abundant in the State of New York, are seen
sparingly breeding in Massachusetts, while only a few proceed to Maine,
and farther eastward they are looked upon as a great curiosity. In
Nova Scotia, Newfoundland, and Labrador, this species is quite unknown.
Some European writers have alleged, that the Night Heron is scarce
in the United States, and of rare occurrence even in the southern
parts. I wish these people had been with me and my friend BACHMAN,
or with some of the many hundred persons who reside in the Southern
Districts, or have travelled from Louisiana to North Carolina. How
strange it would have appeared to such assertors of notions, to have
seen a boatload of Night Herons shot in the course of a few hours,
and that too in the winter season.
Excepting while breeding, this species is extremely shy and wary,
especially the adults. To approach them from a distance after they
have seen you, is no easy task. They seem to know the distance at
which your gun can injure them, they watch all your movements, and
at the proper moment leave their perches. Should you chance to crack
a stick while advancing towards them, they start at once, give a few
raps with their wings in the manner of the Common Pigeon, and fly
off as if delighted at your disappointment. On the contrary, you may
shoot them with ease, if you lie in wait near the places to which they
resort to roost by day, and at which they generally arrive singly,
or a few at a time, when, from your place of concealment among the
trees, you may kill them the moment they alight over your head,
and at a short distance. In this manner I have known forty or fifty
procured by two sportsmen in the course of about two hours. You may
also not unfrequently shoot them at any hour of the day, by starting
them from secluded feeding-grounds, and thus I have shot a good
many in different parts of the United States, and even in the Middle
Districts. They are, however, rarely shot whilst on the ground, their
hearing being still more acute than that of the American Bittern,
which prefers squatting in the grass to flying off, when any noise
is heard, whereas the Night Heron rises immediately.
This species breeds in communities around the stagnant ponds, either
near rice plantations or in the interior of retired and secluded
swamps, as well as on some of the sea islands covered with evergreen
trees. Their heronries are formed either in low bushes, or in
middle-sized or tall trees, as seems most convenient or secure. In
the Floridas, they are partial to the mangroves that overhang the
salt-water; in Louisiana, they prefer the cypresses; and in the Middle
States, they find the cedars most suitable. In some breeding-places
within a few miles of Charleston, which I visited in company with my
friend JOHN BACHMAN, the nests were placed on low bushes, and crowded
together, some within a yard of the ground, others raised seven or
eight feet above it, many being placed flat on the branches, while
others were in the forks. Hundreds of them might be seen at once, as
they were built on the side of the bushes fronting the water. Those
which I found in the Floridas were all placed on the south-west sides
of mangrove islands, but were farther apart from each other, some
being only about a foot above high-water mark, while others were in
the very tops of the trees, which, however, scarcely exceeded twenty
feet in height. In some inland swamps in Louisiana, I saw them placed
on the tops of tall cypress trees about a hundred feet high, and
along with those of _Ardea Herodias_, _A. alba_, and some Anhingas.
In the Jerseys I have found the Night Herons breeding on water oaks
and cedars; and my friend THOMAS NUTTALL informs me, that “in a very
secluded and marshy island, in Fresh Pond, near Boston, there likewise
exists one of these ancient heronries; and though the birds have been
frequently robbed of their eggs, in great numbers, by mischievous boys,
they still lay again immediately after, and usually succeed in raising
a second brood.” The same accurate observer remarks, that “about the
middle of October, the Qua Birds begin to retire from this part of
Massachusetts, towards their southern winter quarters, although a
few of the young birds still linger occasionally to the 29th or 30th
of that month.” This last observation is a farther evidence of the
reluctance which the young of this species feel to go as far south
during winter as the old birds.
The nest of the Night Heron is large, flattish, and formed of sticks
placed in different directions, sometimes to the height of three or
four inches. At times it is arranged with so little care, that the
young upset it before they are able to fly. Many of the nests are
annually repaired, and these birds, when they have once found an
agreeable settlement, return regularly to it, until some calamity
forces them to abandon it. The full number of the eggs is four, and
they measure at an average two inches and one-sixteenth by an inch
and a half. They are thin-shelled, and of a plain light sea-green
colour. In about three weeks after the young are hatched, most of
them leave the nest, and crawl about the branches, to which they
cling firmly, ascending to the tops of the bushes or trees, and there
awaiting the return of their parents with food. If you approach them
at such times, the greatest consternation ensues both among the young
and the old birds; the loud and incessant croaking which both have
until then kept up, suddenly ceases; the parent birds rise in the air,
sail around and above you, some alighting on the neighbouring trees;
while the young scramble off in all directions to avoid being taken.
So great at times is their terror, that they throw themselves into
the water, and swim off with considerable rapidity, until they reach
the shore, when they run and hide in every convenient place. Retire
for half an hour, and you will be sure to hear the old and the young
calling to each other; the noise gradually increases, and in a short
time is as loud as ever. The stench emitted by the excrements with
which the abandoned nests, the branches and leaves of the trees and
bushes, and the ground, are covered, the dead young, the rotten and
broken eggs, together with putrid fish and other matters, renders a
visit to these places far from pleasant. Crows, Hawks and Vultures
torment the birds by day, while Racoons and other animals destroy
them by night. The young are quite as good for eating as those of
the Common Pigeon, being tender, juicy, and fat, with very little of
the fishy taste of many birds which, like them, feed on fishes and
reptiles. At this period few if any of the old birds have the long
feathers of the hind head, and these are not reproduced before the
latter part of the following winter, when they seem to attain their
extreme length in a few weeks.
The flight of the Night Heron is steady, rather slow, and often
greatly protracted. They propel themselves by regular flappings of the
wings, and, like the true Herons, draw in their head on the shoulders,
while their legs stretch out behind, and with the tail form a kind
of rudder. When alarmed they at times rise high in the air, and sail
about for a while. They sail in the same manner before alighting on
their feeding grounds, which they rarely do without having previously
attended to their security by alighting on the neighbouring trees
and looking about them. Their migrations are performed under night,
when their passage is indicated by their loud hoarse notes resembling
the syllable _qua_, uttered at pretty regular intervals. On these
occasions they appear to fly faster than usual.
On the ground, this bird exhibits none of the grace observed in all the
true Herons; it walks in a stooping posture, the neck much retracted,
until it sees its prey, when, with a sudden movement, it stretches
it out and secures its food. It is never seen standing motionless,
waiting for its prey, like the true Herons, but is constantly moving
about in search of it. Its feeding places are the sides of ditches,
meadows, the shady banks of creeks, bayous, and ponds or rivers, as
well as the extensive salt-marshes and mud-bars left exposed at low
water; and I have observed it to alight in the ponds in the suburbs of
Charleston towards evening, and feed there. In all such situations,
excepting the last, this bird may often be seen by day, but more
especially in the evening or morning twilight, wading up to its
ankles, or, as we commonly say, its knee-joints. Its food consists
of fishes, shrimps, tadpoles, frogs, water-lizards, and leeches,
small crustacea of all kinds, water insects, moths, and even mice,
which seem not less welcome to it than its more ordinary articles of
food. When satisfied, it retires to some high tree on the banks of a
stream or in the interior of a swamp, and there it stands, usually
on one leg, for hours at a time, apparently dosing, though seldom
sound asleep.
When wounded, this bird first tries to make its escape by hiding among
the grass or bushes, squatting the moment it finds what it deems a
secure place; but if no chance of a safe retreat occurs, it raises
its crest, ruffles its feathers, and, opening its bill, prepares to
defend itself. It can bite pretty severely, but the injury inflicted
by its bill is not to be compared with that produced by its claws,
which on such occasions it uses with much effect. If you seize it, it
utters a loud, rough, continued sound, and tries to make its escape
whenever it perceives the least chance.
The Night Heron undergoes three annual changes of plumage ere it
attains its perfect state, although many individuals breed in the
spring of the third year. After the first autumnal moult, the young
is as you see it represented in the plate. In the second autumn, the
markings of the neck and other parts have almost entirely disappeared;
the upper parts of the head have become of a dull blackish-green,
mixing near the upper mandible with the dull brown of the first
season, while the rest of the plumage has assumed a uniform dull
ochreous greyish-brown. In the course of the following season, the
bird exhibits the green of the shoulders and back, the head is equally
richly coloured, and the frontal band between the upper mandible and
the eye, and over the latter, is pure white. At this age it rarely
has the slender white feathers of the hind head longer than an inch
or two. The sides of the neck, and all the lower parts, have become
of a purer greyish-white. The wings are now spotless in all their
parts, and of a light brownish-grey, as is the tail. The following
spring, the plumage is complete, and the bird is as represented in
the plate. After this period, with the exception of losing its long
crest-feathers after the young are hatched, it retains its colouring.
No difference can be observed in the tints of the sexes, but the male
is somewhat larger.
A very considerable difference in size is observable at all seasons in
birds of this species. Some that are fully feathered, and therefore at
least three years old, measure as much as four inches less than others
of the same sex, and weigh less in proportion. These circumstances
might suffice with some naturalists to attempt to form two species
out of one, but in this they would certainly fail.
In the neighbourhood of New Orleans, and along the Mississippi, as far
up as Natchez, the shooting of this species is a favourite occupation
with the planters, who represent it as equalling any other bird in
the delicacy of its flesh.
The frog, of which I have introduced a figure, is common in the retired
swamps which the Night Heron frequents, and is often devoured by it.
The flowering plants which you see, are abundant in the States of
Georgia and South Carolina, as well as in the Floridas.
ARDEA NYCTICORAX, _Linn._ Syst. Nat. vol.i. p. 235.—_Lath._
Ind. Ornith. vol.ii. p. 678.—_Ch. Bonaparte_, Synops. of
Birds of the United States, p. 306.
NIGHT HERON, OR QUA BIRD, _Wils._ Amer. Ornith. vol. vii.
p. 3, pl. 51, fig. 2. Adult. FIG. 3. Young.
QUA BIRD, OR AMERICAN NIGHT HERON, ARDEA DISCORS, _Nuttall_,
Manual, vol. ii. p. 54.
Adult Male in Spring. Plate CCXXXVI. Fig. 1.
Bill a little longer than the head, strong, straight, compressed,
tapering. Upper mandible with the dorsal line slightly arched and
declinate, the ridge broad and rather rounded at the base, narrowed
towards the end, the sides sloping, the edges very sharp and inflected,
obscurely serrated with minute oblique slits, and having a distinct
notch close to the compressed, rather obtuse tip. Nasal groove wide at
the base, extending narrow to near the tip; nostrils basal, linear,
wider behind, longitudinal. Lower mandible with the angle very long
and narrow, the dorsal line straight and sloping upwards, the sides
flat, the sharp obscurely jagged edges slightly inflected, the tip
very acute.
Head oblong, much compressed; eyes large. Neck long. Body rather
slender, compressed. Feet rather long, robust; tibia bare at its
lower part; tarsus covered anteriorly along its upper two-thirds with
scutella, below and on the sides with large angular scales; toes long
and rather slender, scutellate above, flat beneath, marginate; hind
toe stout, fourth a little longer than second, third much longer;
claws of moderate size, stout, arched, compressed, rather acute, that
of middle toe beautifully pectinate on the inner edge.
Plumage soft, blended. Feathers of the upper and hind part of the
head elongated and loose, with three very long, linear incurved
occipital feathers, having their webs inflected. The feathers of the
neck, especially of its lower part and sides, are also elongated, the
latter curved backwards. Wings of moderate length, broad, rounded;
primaries broad, rounded, the third longest, the first longer than
the fourth. Tail short, slightly rounded, of twelve broad, rounded
feathers.
Bill black. Bare loral space and eyelids yellowish-green; iris bright
red. Feet yellow; claws brown. Feathers on the upper part of the head,
the fore part of the back, and the scapulars, glossy blackish-green;
anterior part of forehead white; neck anteriorly white, on the sides
and behind shaded into pale lilac, the lower elongated feathers tinged
with cream-colour; breast and abdomen white, similarly tinged. Wings,
rump, and tail, light greyish-blue, tinged with lilac.
Length to end of tail 25-7/12 inches, to end of wings 25-10/12, to
end of claws 30-4/12; extent of wings 44; wing from flexure 13-3/4;
tail 5; bill along the ridge 3-2/12, along the edge of lower mandible
4-2/12; bare part of tibia 1-1/4; tarsus 3-1/4; middle toe 3, its claw
(7-1/2)/12. Weight 1 lb. 14 oz.
Young after first moult. Plate CCXXXVI. Fig. 2.
Bill and bare space about the eye yellowish-green, the ridge of the
upper mandible, and part of the lower towards the end, black. Iris
bright red. Feet pale greenish-yellow. At this period the occipital
feathers are not developed. The general colour of the upper parts
is light greyish-brown, the edges of the feathers paler; that of the
lower parts dull white, tinged with grey and cream colour, with the
central part of each feather greyish-brown; the feathers of the back
and wings, as well as the secondary quills, have a long triangular
spot of brownish-white at the end; the rump and tail more tinged with
bluish-grey.
The Adult Female resembles the Male.
* * * * *
AMARYLLIS ATAMASCO, _Willd._ Sp. Pl. vol. ii. p. 51. _Pursh_,
Flora Amer. Sept. vol. i. p. 222.
This species, which grows in swamps, and moist woods, in Virginia
and Carolina, is characterized by having an acute bifid spatha, an
erect funnel-shaped corolla of a pale rose-colour or pure white,
with a short tube at the base, the segments nearly equal, as are the
declinate stamens. It flowers in June and July, and attains a height
of from eight inches to a foot.
THE HUDSONIAN CURLEW.
_NUMENIUS HUDSONICUS_, LATH.
PLATE CCXXXVII. MALE.
The habits of this species, which until a few years ago was always
confounded with the Esquimaux Curlew, _Numenius borealis_, are yet
in a great measure unknown. Every person who writes on American birds
repeats, that it arrives at Hudson’s Bay, breeds farther north, &c.;
but none has yet given any of those details so necessary to enable the
student of nature to judge in what respects this species resembles, or
differs from others, at the season of reproduction. During my visit
to Labrador, I made diligent inquiry respecting it and the Esquimaux
Curlew, but I obtained no information farther than that the latter
is extremely abundant for a few weeks in early autumn, and that the
present species was entirely unknown. Even Mr JONES and his sons,
who had probably killed thousands of the species just mentioned, had
never seen it in the course of their long residence at Bras d’Or.
Nor is our information respecting their winter retreats much better,
for scarcely any of them are ever seen in the colder months within
the limits of the United States, and their movements during their
migrations are more rapid than those of most water birds. In short,
I am unable to present you with such an account of them as I could
have wished.
I have found this species abundant on the shores of New Jersey in the
month of May, and there they remain a few weeks. I once saw a large
flock of them near Charleston, in the month of December, and I have
found them in the Boston market in September. None were ever seen by
me in any part of the interior, where, indeed, it is probable they
very seldom make their appearance. As I have nothing of any importance
to add, I shall present you with a few extracts, from WILSON and
NUTTALL, both of whom have had opportunities of observing this species.
“The Short-billed Curlew,” says the former, “arrives in large flocks
on the sea-coast of New Jersey early in May, from the south, frequents
the salt-marshes, muddy shores, and inlets, feeding on small worms
and minute shell-fish. They are most commonly seen on mud-flats at
low water, in company with various other waders; and at high water
roam along the marshes. They fly high, and with great rapidity. A
few are seen in June, and as late as the beginning of July, when
they generally move off toward the north. Their appearance on these
occasions is very interesting: they collect together from the marshes
as if by premeditated design, rise to a great height in the air,
usually an hour before sunset, and, forming in one vast line, keep up
a constant whistling on their way to the north, as if conversing with
one another to render the journey more agreeable. Their flight is then
more slow and regular, that the feeblest may keep up with the line
of march; while the glittering of their beautifully speckled wings,
sparkling in the sun, produces altogether a very pleasing spectacle.
“In the month of June, while the dewberries are ripe, these birds
sometimes frequent the fields, in company with the Long-billed
Curlews, where brambles abound; soon get very fat, and are at that
time excellent eating.”
Nuttall says, “From the middle of August to the beginning of September,
they arrive in the vicinity of Massachusetts Bay, and other parts of
New England, frequenting the pastures as well as marshes, and fatten
on grasshoppers and berries, till the time of their departure, about
the close of September; and they wholly disappear from New Jersey,
on their way to the south, early in the month of November.”
I have only to add, that, having compared specimens of the present
species with the Whimbrel of Europe, _Numenius Phæopus_, I am satisfied
that they are perfectly distinct.
NUMENIUS HUDSONICUS, _Lath._ Ind. Ornith. vol. ii. p.
712.—_Ch. Bonaparte_, Synops. of Birds of the United States,
p. 314.—_Swains. and Richards._ Fauna Bor. Amer. part ii.
p. 377.
ESQUIMAUX CURLEW, SCOLOPAX BOREALIS, _Wils._ Amer. Ornith.
vol. vii. p. 92. pl. 59. fig. 1.
ESQUIMAUX CURLEW, NUMENIUS HUDSONICUS, _Nuttall_, Manual,
vol. ii. p. 97.
Adult Male. Plate CCXXXVII.
Bill much longer than the head, very slender, subcylindrical,
compressed, slightly arched. Upper mandible with the dorsal line
slightly arched, the sides, excepting at the base, rounded, and
marked with a narrow groove extending more than two-thirds of its
length, the ridge rather flattened at the base, convex and narrower
towards the end, the edges rather obtuse. Nostrils basal, lateral,
longitudinal, linear. Lower mandible with the dorsal line arched, or
nearly parallel to that of the upper, the angle extremely narrow and
extended to near the end, the sides at the base nearly erect with a
shallow groove close to the rather obtuse edge; the tips obtuse, and
about equal in length.
Head rather small, oblong, compressed. Neck rather long, slender.
Body rather full. Feet of moderate length, slender. Tibia bare a
considerable way above the joint; tarsus with numerous anterior
scutella, excepting in its upper fourth, where, and on the sides,
it is reticulated. Toes small, scutellate above; first very small,
second and fourth about equal, third considerably longer; the anterior
toes marginate, and connected at the base by short webs, of which the
outer is larger. Claws small, compressed, obtuse, that of middle toe
much larger, curved outwards, with a sharp dilated inner edge.
Plumage soft and blended, on the fore part of the head very short;
the feathers in general small, oblong or ovate and rounded. Wings
rather long, very acute, narrow, the primaries tapering, the first
longest, the second a little shorter, the rest regularly and rapidly
graduated; secondaries short, incurved, rounded, excepting some of
the inner, which are greatly elongated and tapering. Tail short,
rounded, of twelve rounded feathers.
Bill brownish-black, the basal half of lower mandible flesh colour.
Iris dark brown. Feet greyish-blue, claws black. The upper part of
the head is deep brown, with a central longitudinal line of white,
and a broader lateral one of the same over each eye; a brown line
from the bill to the eye, and another extending behind the latter.
The neck all round is pale yellowish-grey, longitudinally streaked
with brown, excepting the chin or upper part of the throat, which is
greyish-white. The upper parts in general are blackish-brown, marked
with numerous spots of brownish-white, there being several along the
margins of each feather; the wings and rump are lighter, the upper
tail-coverts and tail barred with brown and yellowish-grey, the latter
tipped with white. Primaries and their coverts brownish-black, the
outer unspotted on their outer web; all with transverse light markings
on the inner; the secondaries like the smaller coverts. Breast and
abdomen greyish-white, the sides tinged with cream-colour, and barred
with pale greyish-brown; the outer lower tail-coverts with a few
brown marks.
Length to end of tail 19 inches, to end of wings 18, to end of claws
21; wing from flexure 9-1/4; tail 4; extent of wings 33; bill along the
back 4-1/4, along the edge of lower mandible 4-1/2; tarsus 2-4/12,
middle toe 1-5/12, its claw 3-(1-1/2)/12. Weight 1 lb. 1-1/4 oz.
The Female resembles the male.
The bill varies greatly in length: in a specimen now before me, it
is 2-10/12, in another 2-9/12, while in the individual figured it was
4-1/4.
THE GREAT MARBLED GODWIT.
_LIMOSA FEDOA_, VIEILL.
PLATE CCXXXVIII. MALE AND FEMALE.
This fine bird is found during winter on all the large muddy flats of
the coast of Florida that are intermixed with beds of racoon oysters.
As the tide rises it approaches the shores, and betakes itself to
the wet savannahs. At this season it is generally seen in flocks of
five or six, searching for food in company with the Tell-tale, the
Yellow-shanks, the Long-billed Curlew, and the White Ibis. While
feeding, it probes the mud and wet sand, often plunging its bill to its
whole length, in the manner of the Common Snipe and the Woodcock. It
is fond of the small crabs called fiddlers, many of which it obtains
both by probing their burrows, and running after them along the edges
of the salt meadows and marshes. Sometimes you see it wading in the
water up to its body, and when about to lose ground, it rises and
extends its wings, still continuing to search for fry, until forced to
fly off by the increased depth of the water, when it alights on the
shore and recommences its operations. While feeding on the banks, it
appears to search for food between and under the oysters with singular
care, at times pushing the bill sidewise into the soft mud beneath
the shells. Towards the middle of the day, the separate flocks come
together, assembling on some large sand-bar, where they remain for
hours, trimming their plumage, after which many of them continue some
time motionless, standing on one leg. Suddenly, however, they are all
seen to stretch their wings upwards, their bleating notes are heard,
and the next moment the flock rises, and disperses in small parties,
each of which proceeds in a different direction in search of food.
Few birds are more shy or vigilant than the Great Marbled Godwit. It
watches the movements of the gunner with extreme care, particularly
while in small flocks, in which case it rarely happens that one can
approach them, and they are more commonly shot by coming unawares
over the concealed sportsman. When in large flocks I have known them
to be neared, and killed in great numbers. On such occasions, they
walk towards each other, until they are quite close, when they stand
still. Then is the time for the gunner, who has driven them before
him as it were, to the extremity of a mud or sand-bar, to fire with
a certainty of obtaining something worth his trouble, for besides the
number killed by his first shot, he is likely to commit equal havock
with the second, as they fly off in a dense mass.
On the 31st of May 1832, I saw an immense number of these birds on
an extensive mud-bar bordering one of the Keys of Florida, about six
miles south of Cape Sable. When I landed with my party, the whole,
amounting to some thousands, collected in the manner mentioned above.
Four or five guns were fired at once, and the slaughter was such, that
I was quite satisfied with the number obtained, both for specimens and
for food. For this reason, we refrained from firing at them again,
although the temptation was at times great, as they flew over and
wheeled round us for a while, until at length they alighted at some
distance and began to feed. Those which we killed were plump, and
afforded excellent eating. I was much surprised to find these Godwits
so far south, but next morning, when none were to be seen excepting
some wounded birds which we had not pursued, I concluded that the
flock, which was the largest I have seen, had merely alighted there
for the day.
The flight of this bird is regular and rather quick, although in the
latter respect not to be compared with that of the Curlews. When flying
to a considerable distance, or migrating, they usually proceed in
extended lines, presenting an irregular front, which rarely preserves
its continuity for any length of time, but undulates and breaks as
the birds advance. The beat of their wings is regular, and they rarely
utter any cries on such occasions.
This species enters the United States, on its return from its northern
breeding-grounds, about the middle of August, and probably travels
along the coast at that period as well as when proceeding northward,
none having been seen by me or my party in Labrador or Newfoundland,
and their passage having been observed only on the Atlantic shores
of Nova Scotia, and the whole line of our coast, on different parts
of which some of the flocks alight, and rest for a few weeks, both
in spring and in autumn. I may add, that I never saw one of these
birds beyond the distance of a few miles from the sea-shore.
LIMOSA FEDOA, _Ch. Bonaparte_, Synops. of Birds of the
United States, p. 328.—_Swains. and Richards._ Fauna Bor.
Amer. part ii. p. 395.
GREAT MARBLED GODWIT, SCOLOPAX FEDOA, _Wils._ Amer. Ornith.
vol. vii. p. 30. pl. 56. fig. 4.—_Nuttall_, Manual, vol.
ii. p. 173.
Adult Male. Plate CCXXXVIII. Fig. 1.
Bill very long, slender, subcylindrical, tapering to the obtuse point,
slightly recurved. Upper mandible with the dorsal line slightly curved
upwards in its whole extent, the ridge convex, the sides with a narrow
groove extending almost to the point, the edges rather obtuse, the
tip very slightly enlarged. Nostrils basal, lateral, nearer the edge
than the dorsal line, small, linear, pervious. Lower mandible with
the angle very long and extremely narrow, the dorsal line slightly
recurved, the sides with a narrow groove extending almost to the end,
the edge rather blunt, the tip obtuse.
Head small, oblong, compressed. Neck rather long, slender. Body
slender. Feet long and slender. Tibia bare for about a third,
anteriorly scutellate; tarsus long, slender, covered anteriorly with
numerous scutella, scutellate behind also, laterally reticulate; toes
small, slender, scutellate above, flat beneath, broadly marginate, the
anterior connected at the base by webs, of which the outer is much
larger; first toe very small, second slightly shorter than fourth,
third little longer. Claws small, compressed, slightly arched, obtuse,
that of middle toe with the inner edge curved outwards and thin.
Plumage soft and blended, on the fore part of the head very short,
on the neck short and almost downy, on the abdomen and sides full, on
the back moderate; all the feathers oblong and rounded. Wings rather
long, very acute, narrow; primaries tapering, the first longest,
the second little shorter, the rest rapidly graduated; secondaries
incurved, obliquely rounded, the inner elongated and tapering. Tail
short, even, of twelve narrow, rounded feathers.
Bill dull flesh-colour in its basal half, the rest blackish-brown.
Iris brown. Feet bluish-grey. The head and neck light yellowish-grey,
the throat without markings, the upper part of the head streaked with
blackish-brown, as is the hind-neck, the markings there being fainter.
The rest of the upper parts spotted and barred with brownish-black and
greyish-yellow. Alula and primary coverts brownish-black, as are the
outer webs of the three first quills, those of the other primaries,
and both webs of the secondaries, reddish-ochre, all more or less
mottled with dusky, and the primaries of that colour towards the end,
but with the terminal margins whitish; the inner secondaries barred
like the back, as are the tail-feathers. Breast, abdomen, and lower
surface of wings, light reddish-yellow, the axillar feathers of a
deeper tint, the sides faintly barred with dusky.
Length to end of tail 18-1/2 inches, to end of wings 19-1/2, to end of
claws 21; wing from flexure 9; tail 3-1/2; bill along the ridge 4-5/12,
along the edge of lower mandible 4-4/12; bare part of tibia 1-7/12;
tarsus 2-10/12; middle toe 1-8/12, its claw (4-1/2)/12.
Adult Female. Plate CCXXXVIII. Fig. 2.
The Female is considerably larger than the male, but is similar in
colouring, the lower parts of a less bright buff.
Length to end of tail 20-1/2 inches, to end of wings 21-1/2; bill 5.
The inner edge of the middle claw is usually broken, which is a
common circumstance in birds that have it very thin, but there are
no regular serratures or notches upon it.
THE AMERICAN COOT.
_FULICA AMERICANA_, GMEL.
PLATE CCXXXIX. MALE.
From November until the middle of April, the Coots are extremely
numerous in the southern parts of the Floridas, and the lower portions
of Louisiana. At that season they are seen in flocks of several
hundreds, following their avocations on all the secluded bayous,
grassy lakes, and inlets, which are so plentiful in those countries;
but after the period above mentioned none remain, and therefore it
is certain none can breed there, although such is asserted by Mr
BARTRAM, who no doubt mistook the Common Gallinule for the Coot,
that bird breeding in those places in considerable numbers. During
the month of September, the Coot is also abundant on all the western
waters, and its appearance in those districts being so much earlier
than in the Floridas, is a sure indication of the inland course of
its migrations. On the sea coast, in fact, it is comparatively rare.
Although the curious form of their feet, and the situation of their
legs, might induce one to suppose these birds incapable of moving
on land with ease, experience proves the contrary, for they not only
walk with freedom, but can run with great speed when necessary. They
are accustomed to leave the water too, and resort to open lands on
the margins of streams and lakes, for the purpose of feeding, both
in the morning and in the evening. While ascending the Mississippi,
being about fifty miles above New Orleans, on the 21st of March 1822,
the weather cloudy, I had the pleasure of seeing about six or seven
hundreds of these birds feeding on the grass of a savannah bordering
the river. I took them while at some distance, for a great flock of
Guinea Fowls. Their movements were brisk, they often struck at each
other in the manner of the domestic fowl, and ran with surprising
celerity. As I approached nearer, I plainly saw them nibble the
tender grass, in the same manner as poultry; and having found a place
of concealment behind a rise of the ground, I laid myself flat, and
observed their motions at leisure; but during twenty minutes spent in
that situation, I did not hear a single note from the flock. I fired
among them, and killed five, on which the rest, after running a few
steps, all rose and flew off with speed towards the river, mounted
high in the air, came curving over me, their legs hanging behind,
their wings producing a constant whir, and at length alighted on a
narrow channel between the shore, where I was, and a small island.
Following them with caution, I got sufficiently near to some of them
to be able to see them leap from the water to seize the young leaves
of the willows that overhung the shores. While swimming, they moved
with ease, although not with much speed, and used a constantly repeated
movement of the head and neck, corresponding with that of the feet.
Now, twenty or thirty of them would close their ranks, and swim up
the stream in a lengthened body, when they would disperse, and pick
up the floating substances, not one of them diving all the time. On
firing at a large group of them that had approached me, they started
off in various directions, patting the water with their feet, and
rushing with extended wings, for thirty or forty yards, but without
actually flying. After this, they made towards the brushy shores, and
disappeared for about a quarter of an hour. The rest of the birds,
which were a few hundred yards off, scarcely took notice of the report
of the gun; and before I left the place, they had returned to the
shore, and walked into another savannah, where they probably remained
until night. The next morning not a single Coot could I find while
looking for them, for several miles along the river, and I concluded
that they had left the place, and continued their migratory journey
northward, this being about the beginning of the time of their general
departure.
Whilst at General HERNANDEZ’s, in East Florida, I found the Coot
abundant in every ditch, bayou, or pond. This was in December 1831,
and in the next month I saw great flocks of them near the plantation
of my friend JOHN BULLOW, Esq. Whilst on a visit to Spring Garden
springs, at the head of the St John’s River, I observed them to be
equally abundant along the grassy margins of the lagoons and lakes. On
my return from the upper parts of that river to St Augustine, on the
28th February, I saw large flocks of them already moving northward.
They had suddenly become shy, and would rise before our boat, at
a distance of a hundred yards or so, with apparently scarcely any
difficulty, and fly in loose flocks at a considerable height, half
a mile or more at a time, and without uttering a note. Indeed, the
only sound I ever heard these birds utter, is a rough guttural note,
somewhat resembling _cruck, cruck_, which they use when alarmed, or
when chasing each other on the water in anger. I am doubtful whether
our Coot cackles and cries by night and by day, as has been reported;
on the other hand, I am pretty well assured that Gallinules and
Rails of different species have been confounded with the Coot in this
respect.
I never saw this species dive for food, and the only fish that I ever
found in the many that I have opened, was very small minnows or fry,
which I think they catch along the shallow edges of the water. Indeed,
unless when wounded, our Coot feels great reluctance at immersing its
body in the water; at all events, it has not the quickness of any of
the diving birds, and rarely escapes the shot of a common flint gun
while attempting to get away. When wounded it dives to some distance,
but as soon as it reaches the grass or reeds, it contents itself with
lying flat on the water, and thus swimming to the nearest shore, on
reaching which it at once runs off and hides in the first convenient
place. When undisturbed, it feeds both by day and by night, and as
often on land as on the water. Its food consists of seeds, grasses,
small fishes, worms, snails, and insects, and along with these it
introduces into its stomach a good quantity of rather coarse sand.
The principal breeding places of this species are yet unknown to me.
At Charleston it was supposed that it breeds in the neighbourhood of
that city; but my friend BACHMAN while searching for their nests at
the proper season, saw that the Common Gallinule was in fact the bird
that had been taken for the Coot. My learned friend NUTTALL mentions
that a pair had bred in Fresh Pond near Boston, and that he there
saw parents and young. Some travelling lumberers assured me that the
Coot breeds in numbers in the lakes lying between Mars Hill in Maine
and the St Lawrence River; but I can find no authentic accounts of
its nest having been found in any part of the United States, although
some probably breed on the borders of our northern lakes.
In Louisiana, this species is named _Poule d’Eau_, which is also
applied to _Rallus crepitans_. In all other parts of the Union, it is
known by the names of Mud Hen and Coot. The appellation of “Flusterers”
given to it by Mr LAWSON in his History of South Carolina, never came
to my ear, during my visits to that State.
These birds are frequently caught in the nets placed across the bayous
of the lakes in the neighbourhood of New Orleans, for the purpose of
catching Blue-winged Teals and other Ducks. They come against them
while flying, but if the hunter is not extremely quick they make
their escape by nimbly scrambling up, using their bill and feet until
they reach the outer part of the net, when they drop into the water
like so many terapins. At times they congregate in vast numbers, and
swim so closely that a hunter in my employ, while on Lake Barataria,
killed eighty at a single shot. They are extremely abundant in the
New Orleans’ markets during the latter part of autumn and in winter,
when the negroes and the poorer classes purchase them to make “gombo.”
In preparing them for cooking, they skin them like rabbits instead
of plucking them.
Both old and young birds differ considerably in size and weight.
The male, from which I drew the figure in the plate, was procured
at General HERNANDEZ’s, in East Florida, and was among the best of
about thirty shot on one of my excursions there.
FULICA AMERICANA, _Lath._ Ind. Ornith. vol. ii. p. 779.—_Ch.
Bonaparte_, Synops. of Birds of the United States, p. 338.
COMMON COOT, FULICA ATRA, _Wils._ Amer. Ornith. vol. ix.
p. 61. pl. 73. fig. 1.
CINEREOUS COOT, _Nuttall_, Manual, vol. ii. p. 229.
Adult Male. Plate CCXXXIX.
Bill about the same length as the head, stout, straight, compressed,
higher than broad at the base. Upper mandible with the dorsal line
straight and slightly sloping, towards the end slightly arched and
deflected, the ridge flattish at the base, and continuous with an
oblong soft tumid plate which ascends on the forehead, the rest of the
ridge convex; sides rapidly slopping, edges overlapping, sharp, with
a slight notch close to the obtuse tip. Nasal groove wide, extending
to two-thirds of the whole length of the mandible, filled with a soft
bare membrane; nostrils linear, medial, lateral, direct, pervious.
Lower mandible with the angle long, narrow, rounded, the dorsal line
nearly straight, the sides flattish, the edges sharp.
Head small, oblong, much compressed. Neck of moderate length, slender.
Body rather full, compressed. Feet of moderate length, strong; tibia
bare a short way above the joint; tarsus rather short, compressed,
broader below, anteriorly covered with broad scutella, laterally
with angular scales, on the outer side behind a row of scutelliform
scales; hind toe short, slender; middle toe longest, fourth longer
than second; toes scutellate above, hind one with an inferior lobe,
second with two larger inner and two smaller outer rounded lobes;
third with three, fourth with four on each side; claws of moderate
length, slightly arched, much compressed, acute, the middle one with
a thin inner edge.
Plumage very soft and blended, on the head and neck short. Wings short,
broad, rounded; primaries curved, second longest, third little shorter,
first rather longer than sixth, all broad and rounded; secondaries
broad, rounded with a minute tip, the inner elongated and tapering.
Tail very short, much rounded, of twelve weak rounded feathers; the
upper and lower coverts nearly as long as the tail-feathers.
Bill greyish-white, with a dusky spot on each mandible towards the
end; frontal callosity white during life, brownish-red after death.
Head and neck greyish-black, the upper parts deep bluish-grey, with
an olivaceous tinge on the scapulars and inner secondaries. Quills
greyish-brown, darker towards the tips; the edge of the wings, outer
margin of first quill, and tips of outer secondaries, white. Tail
brownish-black; lower tail-coverts white. The breast and abdomen
are light bluish-grey, the latter paler, the sides darker; the lower
surface of the wings of the same dull leaden tint.
Length to end of tail 13-10/12 inches, to end of wings 14-5/12, to end
of claws 18-3/4; extent of wings 25; wing from flexure 7-1/2; tail
2-3/4; bill along the back 1-7/12, along the edge of lower mandible
1-2/12; bare part of tibia 3/4; tarsus 2; middle toe 2-8/12, its claw
(7-1/2)/12. Weight 1 lb.
THE ROSEATE TERN.
_STERNA DOUGALLII_, MONT.
PLATE CCXL. ADULT.
On the 28th of April 1832, it was my lot to be on the beautiful rocky
islet named Indian Key, where I spent a few hours of the night in
unsuccessful attempts to procure repose, which was effectually banished
by the consciousness of my being in a portion of the country not yet
examined by any industrious student of nature, and in which I expected
to find much that would prove interesting. The rain fell in torrents,
and the rattling of the large drops on the shingles of the veranda in
which my hammock had been slung, together with the chillness of the
air, contributed to keep me awake. Finding it useless to remain in
bed, I roused my companions; it was just four o’clock, and in a few
minutes all the people in the house were up, and breakfast preparing.
Before six the rain abated, and as I was determined not to lose a day,
the guns were mustered, we made our way to the boats, and pushed off
through a gentle shower in quest of unknown birds! In about an hour
the rain ceased, the sky gradually cleared, and the sun soon dried
our clothes. About this time we observed a great number of Terns on
a sand bar, which we approached. The birds were not shy, so that we
obtained an opportunity of firing two guns at them, when we leaped
out, and on wading to the shore picked up thirty-eight Roseate Terns
and several of another species.
Beautiful, indeed, are Terns of every kind, but the Roseate excels
the rest, if not in form, yet in the lovely hue of its breast. I had
never seen a bird of this species before, and as the unscathed hundreds
arose and danced as it were in the air, I thought them the Humming
Birds of the sea, so light and graceful were their movements. Now
they flocked together and hovered over us, again with a sudden dash
they plunged towards us in anger; even their cries of wrath sounded
musical, and although I had carried destruction among them, I felt
delighted. As I have just said, I had not before seen a Roseate Tern,
not even the skin of one stuffed with tow; the species was not in the
Synopsis of my friend BONAPARTE, and now I had my cap filled to the
brim with specimens. You may rest assured that I took precious care of
those which I had procured, but not another individual was robbed of
life on that excursion. The other Terns were as new to me. I observed
the form of their black bill and feet, the yellow tip of the former,
and wrapped them up with care, while I tried to recollect the name
they bore in books. To have found hundreds of the Roseate Tern in the
Floridas, while I had anxious but slender hopes of meeting it on the
coast of Labrador, was to me quite astonishing. So it was, however,
and I determined to ransack every key and sand-beach, to try to find
its breeding-ground. Nor were my desires ungratified.
The Roseate Tern spends the breeding season along the southern shores
of the Floridas in considerable numbers. At different times in the
course of nearly three months which I spent among the keys, I saw
flocks of twenty, thirty, or more pairs, breeding on small detached
rocky islands, scantily furnished with grass, and in the company
of hundreds of Sandwich Terns. The two species appeared to agree
well together, and their nests were intermingled. The full number
of eggs of the present species is three. They differ considerably
in size and markings; their average length, however, is an inch and
three quarters, their breadth an inch and one-eighth; they are of a
longish oval shape, rather narrowed at the small end, of a dull buff
or clay colour, sparingly sprinkled and spotted with different tints
of umber and light purple. They were deposited on the bare rocks,
among the roots of the grasses, and left in fair weather to the heat
of the sun. Like those of the Common Tern and other species, they are
delicious eating. The eggs of the Sandwich Tern were more attended
to during the day, but toward night both species sat on their eggs.
I did not see any of the young, but procured a good number of those
of the preceding year, which kept apart from the old birds, but had
in all respects the same habits.
The Roseate Tern is at all times a noisy, restless bird; and on
approaching its breeding place, it incessantly emits its sharp shrill
cries, resembling the syllable _crāk_. Its flight is unsteady and
flickering, like that of the Arctic or Lesser Terns, but rather
more buoyant and graceful. They would dash at us and be off again
with astonishing quickness, making great use of their tail on such
occasions. While in search of prey, they carry the bill in the manner
of the Common Tern, that is perpendicularly downward, plunge like a
shot, with wings nearly closed, so as to immerse part of the body,
and immediately reascend. They were seen dipping in this manner eight
or ten times in succession, and each time generally secured a small
fish. Their food consisted of fishes, and a kind of small molluscous
animal which floats near the surface, and bears the name of “sailor’s
button.” They usually kept in parties of from ten to twenty, followed
the shores of the sand-bars and keys, moving backwards and forwards
much in the manner of the Lesser Tern, and wherever a shoal of small
fish was found, there they would hover and dash headlong at them for
several minutes at a time.
The wreckers informed me that this species returns regularly to these
islands each spring, about the 10th of April, and goes off southward
early in September. These birds, with their favourite companions the
Sandwich Terns, habitually resorted to the sand-bars each day, to
rest for an hour or two. I have never seen them on any part of our
middle or eastern coast, and am of opinion that they rarely proceed
farther eastward than the Capes of Florida, and that they are more
attached to the immediate vicinity of the shores than the larger
species, which more generally fly out to some distance. The delicate
and beautiful rosy tint of the breast soon fades after death. Those
specimens which were not skinned immediately after being procured
did not retain it for a week, and in none of them was it perceptible,
without separating the feathers, at the end of a month. In winter it
disappears, as well as the glossy black of the head. The length of
the outer tail-feathers varies considerably; but I could perceive no
decided difference of size or colour in the sexes, although I thought
the females somewhat smaller than the males.
STERNA DOUGALLII, _Mont._ Ornith. Dict.
HIRONDELLE-DE-MER DOUGALL, STERNA DOUGALLII, _Temm._ Man.
d’Ornith. part ii. p. 738.
ROSEATE TERN, _Nuttall_, Manual, vol. ii. p. 278.
Adult Male. Plate CCXL.
Bill longer than the head, slender, tapering, compressed, nearly
straight, very acute. Upper mandible with the dorsal line slightly
arched, the ridge rather broad and convex at the base, narrow towards
the end, the sides convex, the edges sharp and inflected, the tip
acute. Nasal groove short, extended to one-third of the length of
the bill, deflected towards the edge; nostrils basal, linear, direct,
pervious. Lower mandible with the angle extremely narrow, very acute,
extending to a little beyond the middle, the dorsal line straight,
the sides convex, the sharp edges inflected, the tip extremely acute.
Head of moderate size, oblong; neck of moderate length; body very
slender; feet small; wings and tail very long. Tibia bare for a
considerable space; tarsus very short, slender, roundish, covered
anteriorly with small scutella, laterally and behind with reticular
scales; toes small, slender, the first very small, the third longest,
the fourth nearly as long, the second much shorter, all scutellate
above, the anterior united by reticulated webs having a concave margin;
claws curved, compressed, acute, that of hind toe smallest, of middle
toe by much the largest, and having the inner edge thin and dilated.
Plumage soft, close, blended, very short on the head; the feathers
in general broad and rounded. Wings very long, narrow, and pointed;
primary quills tapering, the first longest, the rest rapidly graduated;
secondary short, broad, incurved, rounded, the inner more tapering.
Tail long, very deeply forked, of twelve feathers, of which the outer
are tapering, the middle short and rounded.
Bill brownish-black, deep orange at the base. Iris brown. Feet
vermilion; claws blackish-brown, yellow at the base. The upper part
of the head and elongated occipital feathers greenish-black; the
hind neck white, the rest of the upper parts pale bluish-grey, the
tail lighter; the edges of the wings, the tips and inner edges of
the quills, and the shafts white. The first primary is black on the
outer web and part of the inner, the next two are similarly marked,
but with the black shaded over with pale grey, the loose barbules
being of that colour; the other primaries become gradually lighter.
The lower parts are of a beautiful light roseate hue, which soon
fades after death; the under surface of wings and tail white.
Length to end of tail 14-10/12 inches, to end of wings 12, to end of
claws 9-4/12; extent of wings 30; wing from flexure 9-1/2; tail to end
of shortest feathers 4-3/4, to end of longest feathers 7-1/2; bill along
the ridge 1-1/2, along the edge of lower mandible 2-1/12; tarsus 10/12,
middle toe 10/12 its claw (3-1/2)/12.
REMINISCENCES OF THOMAS BEWICK.
Through the kindness of Mr SELBY of Twizel-House in Northumberland,
I had anticipated the pleasure of forming an acquaintance with the
celebrated and estimable BEWICK, whose works indicate an era in the
history of the art of engraving on wood. In my progress southward,
after leaving Edinburgh in 1827, I reached Newcastle-upon-Tyne about
the middle of April, when Nature had begun to decorate anew the rich
country around. The lark was in full song, the blackbird rioted in
the exuberance of joy, the husbandman cheerily plied his healthful
labours, and I, although a stranger in a foreign land, felt delighted
with all around me, for I had formed friends who were courteous and
kind, and whose favour I had reason to hope would continue. Nor have
I been disappointed in my expectations.
BEWICK must have heard of my arrival at Newcastle before I had
an opportunity of calling upon him, for he sent me by his son the
following note:—“T. BEWICK’s compliments to Mr AUDUBON, and will be
glad of the honour of his company this day to tea at six o’clock.”
These few words at once proved to me the kindness of his nature, and,
as my labours were closed for the day, I accompanied the son to his
father’s house.
As yet I had seen but little of the town, and had never crossed the
Tyne. The first remarkable object that attracted my notice was a fine
church, which my companion informed me was that of St Nicholas. Passing
over the river by a stone bridge of several arches, I saw by the wharfs
a considerable number of vessels, among which I distinguished some
of American construction. The shores on either side were pleasant,
the undulated ground being ornamented with buildings, windmills, and
glassworks. On the water glided, or were swept along by great oars,
boats of singular form, deeply laden with the subterranean produce
of the hills around.
At length we reached the dwelling of the Engraver, and I was at once
shewn to his workshop. There I met the old man, who, coming towards
me, welcomed me with a hearty shake of the hand, and for a moment took
off a cotton night-cap, somewhat soiled by the smoke of the place. He
was a tall stout man, with a large head, and with eyes placed farther
apart than those of any man that I have ever seen:—a perfect old
Englishman, full of life, although seventy-four years of age, active
and prompt in his labours. Presently he proposed shewing me the work
he was at, and went on with his tools. It was a small vignette, cut
on a block of boxwood not more than three by two inches in surface,
and represented a dog frightened at night by what he fancied to be
living objects, but which were actually roots and branches of trees,
rocks, and other objects bearing the semblance of men. This curious
piece of art, like all his works, was exquisite, and more than once
did I feel strongly tempted to ask a rejected bit, but was prevented
by his inviting me up stairs, where, he said, I should soon meet all
the best artists of Newcastle.
There I was introduced to the Misses BEWICK, amiable and affable
ladies, who manifested all anxiety to render my visit agreeable.
Among the visitors I saw a Mr GOUD, and was highly pleased with one
of the productions of his pencil, a full length miniature in oil of
BEWICK, well drawn, and highly finished.
The old gentleman and I stuck to each other, he talking of my drawings,
I of his wood-cuts. Now and then he would take off his cap, and draw
up his grey worsted stockings to his nether clothes; but whenever our
conversation became animated, the replaced cap was left sticking as
if by magic to the hind part of his head, the neglected hose resumed
their downward tendency, his fine eyes sparkled, and he delivered
his sentiments with a freedom and vivacity which afforded me great
pleasure. He said he had heard that my drawings had been exhibited
in Liverpool, and felt great anxiety to see some of them, which he
proposed to gratify by visiting me early next morning along with his
daughters and a few friends. Recollecting at that moment how desirous
my sons, then in Kentucky, were to have a copy of his works on
Quadrupeds, I asked him where I could procure one, when he immediately
answered “Here,” and forthwith presented me with a beautiful set.
The tea-drinking having in due time come to an end, young BEWICK,
to amuse me, brought a bagpipe of a new construction, called the
Durham Pipe, and played some simple Scotch, English and Irish airs,
all sweet and pleasing to my taste. I could scarcely understand how,
with his large fingers, he managed to cover each hole separately.
The instrument sounded somewhat like a hautboy, and had none of the
shrill warlike notes or booming sound of the military bagpipe of the
Scotch Highlanders. The company dispersed at any early hour, and when
I parted from BEWICK that night, I parted from a friend.
A few days after this I received another note from him, which I
read hastily, having with me at the moment many persons examining
my drawings. This note having, as I understood it, intimated his
desire that I should go and dine with him that day, I accordingly
went; but judge of my surprise when, on arriving at his house at 5
o’clock, with an appetite becoming the occasion, I discovered that
I had been invited to tea and not to dinner. However, the mistake
was speedily cleared up to the satisfaction of all parties, and an
abundant supply of eatables was placed on the table. The Reverend
WILLIAM TURNER joined us, and the evening passed delightfully. At
first our conversation was desultory and multifarious, but when the
table was removed, BEWICK took his seat by the fire, and we talked of
our more immediate concerns. In due time we took leave, and returned
to our homes, pleased with each other and with our host.
Having been invited the previous evening to breakfast with BEWICK
at 8, I revisited him at that hour on the 16th April, and found the
whole family so kind and attentive that I felt quite at home. The good
gentleman, after breakfast, soon betook himself to his labours, and
began to shew me, as he laughingly said, how easy it was to cut wood;
but I soon saw that cutting wood in his style and manner was no joke,
although to him it seemed indeed easy. His delicate and beautiful
tools were all made by himself, and I may with truth say that his shop
was the only artist’s “shop” that I ever found perfectly clean and
tidy. In the course of the day BEWICK called upon me again, and put
down his name on my list of subscribers in behalf of the Literary and
Philosophical Society of Newcastle. In this, however, his enthusiasm
had misled him, for the learned body for which he took upon himself
to act, did not think proper to ratify the compact.
Another invitation having come to me from Gatehead, I found my good
friend seated in his usual place. His countenance seemed to me to
beam with pleasure as he shook my hand. “I could not bear the idea,”
said he, “of your going off, without telling you, in written words,
what I think of your Birds of America. Here it is in black and white,
and make of it what use you may, if it be of use at all.” I put the
unsealed letter in my pocket, and we chatted on subjects connected with
natural history. Now and then he would start and exclaim, “Oh, that
I were young again! I would go to America too. Hey! what a country it
will be, Mr AUDUBON.” I retorted by exclaiming, “Hey! what a country
it is already, Mr BEWICK!” In the midst of our conversation on birds
and other animals, he drank my health and the peace of all the world
in hot brandy toddy, and I returned the compliment, wishing, no doubt
in accordance with his own sentiments, the health of all our enemies.
His daughters enjoyed the scene, and remarked, that for years, their
father had not been in such a flow of spirits.
I regret that I have not by me at present the letter which this
generous and worthy man gave me that evening, otherwise, for his sake,
I should have presented you with it. It is in careful keeping, however,
as a memorial of a man whose memory is dear to me; and be assured I
regard it with quite as much pleasure as a manuscript “Synopsis of
the Birds of America,” by ALEXANDER WILSON, which that celebrated
individual gave to me at Louisville in Kentucky, more than twenty
years ago. BEWICK’s letter, however, will be presented to you along
with many others, in connection with some strange facts, which I hope
may be useful to the world. We protracted our conversation beyond
our usual time of retiring to rest, and at his earnest request, and
much to my satisfaction, I promised to spend the next evening with
him, as it was to be my last at Newcastle for some time.
On the 19th of the same month I paid him my last visit, at his house.
When we parted, he repeated three times, “God preserve you, God
bless you!” He must have been sensible of the emotion which I felt,
and which he must have read in my looks, although I refrained from
speaking on the occasion.
A few weeks previous to the death of this fervent admirer of nature,
he and his daughters paid me a visit in London. He looked as well
as when I had seen him at Newcastle. Our interview was short but
agreeable, and when he bade adieu, I was certainly far from thinking
that it might be the last. But so it was, for only a very short time
had elapsed when I saw his death announced in the newspapers.
My opinion of this remarkable man is, that he was purely a son of
nature, to whom alone he owed nearly all that characterized him as
an artist and a man. Warm in his affections, of deep feeling, and
possessed of a vigorous imagination, with correct and penetrating
observation, he needed little extraneous aid to make him what
he became, the first engraver on wood that England has produced.
Look at his tail-pieces, Reader, and say if you ever saw so much
life represented before, from the glutton who precedes the Great
Black-backed Gull, to the youngsters flying their kite, the
disappointed sportsman who, by shooting a magpie, has lost a woodcock,
the horse endeavouring to reach the water, the bull roaring near the
style, or the poor beggar attacked by the rich man’s mastiff. As you
turn each successive leaf, from beginning to end of his admirable
books, scenes calculated to excite your admiration everywhere present
themselves. Assuredly you will agree with me in thinking that in his
peculiar path none has equalled him. There may be men now, or some may
in after years appear, whose works may in some respects rival or even
excel his, but not the less must THOMAS BEWICK of Newcastle-on-Tyne
be considered in the art of engraving on wood what LINNÆUS will ever
be in natural history, though not the founder, yet the enlightened
improver and illustrious promoter.
THE GREAT BLACK-BACKED GULL.
_LARUS MARINUS_, LINN.
PLATE CCXLI. MALE.
High in the thin keen air, far above the rugged crags of the desolate
shores of Labrador, proudly sails the tyrant Gull, floating along on
almost motionless wing, like an eagle in his calm and majestic flight.
On widely extended pinions, he moves in large circles, constantly
eyeing the objects below. Harsh and loud are his cries, and with
no pleasant feeling do they come on the winged multitudes below.
Now onward he sweeps, passes over each rocky bay, visits the little
islands, and shoots off towards the mossy heaths, attracted perhaps
by the notes of the Grous or some other birds. As he flies over each
estuary, lake, or pool, the breeding birds prepare to defend their
unfledged broods, or ensure their escape from the powerful beak of
their remorseless spoiler. Even the shoals of the finny tribes sink
deeper into the waters as he approaches; the young birds become silent
in their nests or seek for safety in the clefts of the rocks; the
Guillemots and Gannets dread to look up, and the other Gulls, unable
to cope with the destroyer, give way as he advances. Far off among
the rolling billows, he spies the carcass of some monster of the
deep, and, on steady wing, glides off towards it. Alighting on the
huge whale, he throws upwards his head, opens his bill, and, louder
and fiercer than ever, sends his cries through the air. Leisurely
he walks over the putrid mass, and now, assured that all is safe, he
tears, tugs, and swallows piece after piece, until he is crammed to
the throat, when he lays himself down surfeited and exhausted, to rest
for a while in the feeble sheen of the northern sun. Great, however,
are the powers of his stomach, and ere long the half-putrid food which
vulture-like he has devoured, is digested. Like all gluttons, he loves
variety, and away he flies to some well-known isle, where thousands
of young birds or eggs are to be found. There, without remorse, he
breaks the shells, swallows their contents, and begins leisurely to
devour the helpless young. Neither the cries of the parents, nor all
their attempts to drive the plunderer away, can induce him to desist
until he has again satisfied his ever-craving appetite. But although
tyrannical, the Great Gull is a coward, and meanly does he sneak off
when he sees the Skua fly up, which, smaller as it is, yet evinces
a thoughtless intrepidity, that strikes the ravenous and merciless
bird with terror.
If we compare this species with some other of its tribe, and mark
its great size, its powerful flight, and its robust constitution, we
cannot but wonder to find its range so limited during the breeding
season. Few individuals are to be found northward of the entrance into
Baffin’s Bay, and rarely are they met with beyond this, as no mention
is made of them by Dr RICHARDSON in the Fauna Boreali-Americana.
Along our coast, none breed farther south than the eastern extremity
of Maine. The western shores of Labrador, along an extent of about
three hundred miles, afford the stations to which this species resorts
during spring and summer; there it is abundant, and there it was that
I studied its habits.
The farthest limits of the winter migrations of the young, so far as
I have observed, are the middle portions of the eastern coast of the
Floridas. While at St Augustine, in the winter of 1831, I saw several
pairs keeping company with the young Brown Pelican, more as a matter
of interest than of friendship, as they frequently chased them as if
to force them to disgorge a portion of their earnings, acting much
in the same manner as the Lestris does toward the smaller Gulls, but
without any effect. They were extremely shy, alighted only on the
outer edges of the outer sand-bars, and could not be approached, as
they regularly walked off before my party the moment any of us moved
towards them, until reaching the last projecting point, they flew
off, and never stopped until out of sight. At what period they left
that coast I am unable to say. Some are seen scattered along our
sea-shores, from the Floridas to the Middle States, there being but
few old birds among them; but the species does not become abundant
until beyond the eastern extremities of the Connecticut and Long
Island, when their number greatly increases the farther you proceed.
On the whole of that extensive range, these birds are very shy and
wary, and those which are procured are merely “chance shots.” They
seldom advance far up the bays, unless forced to do so by severe
weather or heavy gales; and although I have seen this bird on our
great lakes, I do not remember having ever observed an individual on
any of our eastern rivers, at a distance from the sea, whereas the
_Larus argentatus_ is frequently found in such places.
Towards the commencement of summer, these wandering birds are seen
abandoning the waters of the ocean to tarry for a while on the wild
shores of Labrador, dreary and desolate to man, but to them delightful
as affording all that they can desire. One by one they arrive, the
older individuals first. As they view from afar the land of their
birth, that moment they emit their loud cries, with all the joy a
traveller feels when approaching his loved home. The males sooner
or later fall in with the females of their choice, and together they
proceed to some secluded sand-bar, where they fill the air with their
furious laughs until the rocks echo again. Should the student of nature
happen to be a distant spectator of these meetings, he too must have
much enjoyment. Each male bows, moves around his mate, and no doubt
discloses to her the ardour of his love. Matters are managed to the
satisfaction of all parties, yet day after day for a while, at the
retreat of the waters, they meet as if by mutual agreement. Now you
see them dressing their plumage, now partially expanding their wings
to the sun; some lay themselves comfortably down on the sand, while
others, supported by one foot, stand side by side. The waters again
advance, and the Gulls all move off in search of food. At length the
time has arrived; small parties of a few pairs fly towards the desert
isles. Some remain in the nearest to prepare their nests, the rest
proceed, until each pair has found a suitable retreat, and before a
fortnight has elapsed, incubation has commenced.
The nest of this species is usually placed on the bare rock of some
low island, sometimes beneath a projecting shelf, sometimes in a
wide fissure. In Labrador it is formed of moss and seaweeds carefully
arranged, and has a diameter of about two feet, being raised on the
edges to the height of five or six inches, but seldom more than two
inches thick in the centre, where feathers, dry grass, and other
materials are added. The eggs are three, and in no instance have
I found more. They are two inches and seven-eighths in length, by
two inches and one-eighth in breadth, broadly ovate, rough but not
granulated, of a pale earthy greenish-grey colour, irregularly blotched
and spotted with brownish-black, dark umber, and dull purple. Like
those of most other Gulls, they afford good eating. This species lays
from the middle of May to that of June, and raises only one brood
in the season. The birds never leave their eggs for any length of
time, until the young make their appearance. Both sexes incubate,
the sitting bird being supplied with food by the other. During the
first week, the young are fed by having their supplies disgorged
into their bill, but when they have attained some size, the food
is dropped beside or before them. When they are approached by man,
they walk with considerable speed towards some hiding place, or to
the nearest projecting ledge, beneath which they squat. When five
or six weeks old, they take to the water, to ensure their escape,
and swim with great buoyancy. If caught, they cry in the manner of
their parents. On the 18th of June, several small ones were procured
and placed on the deck of the Ripley, where they walked with ease
and picked up the food thrown to them. As soon as one was about to
swallow its portion, another would run up, seize it, tug at it, and
if stronger, carry it off and devour it. On the 23d of that month,
two individuals, several weeks old, and partly fledged, were also
brought on board. Their notes, although feeble, perfectly resembled
those of their parents. They ate greedily of every thing that was
offered to them. When fatigued they sat with their tarsi placed on the
ground and extended forward, in the manner of all the Herons, which
gave them a very ludicrous appearance. Ere a month had elapsed, they
appeared to have formed a complete acquaintance with the cook and
several of the sailors, had become quite fat, and conducted themselves
much like Vultures, for if a dead Duck, or even a Gull of their own
species, were thrown to them, they would tear it in pieces, drink
the blood, and swallow the flesh in large morsels, each trying to rob
the others of what they had torn from the carcass. They never drank
water, but not unfrequently washed the blood and filth from their
bills, by immersing them and then shaking the head violently. These
birds were fed until they were nearly able to fly. Now and then, the
sailors would throw them overboard while we were in harbour. This
seemed to gratify the birds as well as the sailors, for they would
swim about, wash themselves, and dress their plumage, after which
they would make for the sides, and would be taken on board. During
a violent gale, one night, while we were at anchor in the harbour
of Bras d’Or, our bark rolled heavily, and one of our pets went over
the side and swam to the shore, where, after considerable search next
day, it was found shivering by the lee of a rock. On being brought to
its brothers, it was pleasant to see their mutual congratulations,
which were extremely animated. Before we left the coast, they would
sometimes fly of their own accord into the water to bathe, but could
not return to the deck without assistance, although they endeavoured
to do so. I had become much attached to them, and now and then thought
they looked highly interesting, as they lay panting on their sides
on the deck, although the thermometer did not rise above 55°. Their
enmity to my son’s pointer was quite remarkable, and as that animal
was of a gentle and kindly disposition, they would tease him, bite
him, and drive him fairly from the deck into the cabin. A few days
after leaving St George’s Bay in Newfoundland, we were assailed by a
violent gale, and obliged to lie-to. Next day one of the Gulls was
washed overboard. It tried to reach the vessel again, but in vain;
the gale continued; the sailors told me the bird was swimming towards
the shore, which was not so far off as we could have wished, and
which it probably reached in safety. The other was given to my friend
Lieutenant GREEN of the United States Army, at Eastport in Maine. In
one of his letters to me the following winter, he said that the young
_Larus marinus_ was quite a pet in the garrison, and doing very well,
but that no perceptible change had taken place in its plumage.
On referring to my journal again, I find that while we were at anchor
at the head of St George’s Bay, the sailors caught many codlings,
of which each of our young Gulls swallowed daily two, measuring from
eight to ten inches in length. It was curious to see them after such
a meal: the form of the fish could be traced along the neck, which
for a while they were obliged to keep stretched out; they gaped and
were evidently suffering; yet they would not throw up the fish. About
the time the young of this species are nearly able to fly, they are
killed in considerable numbers on their breeding grounds, skinned
and salted for the settlers and resident fishermen of Labrador and
Newfoundland, at which latter place I saw piles of them. When they
are able to shift for themselves, their parents completely abandon
them, and old and young go separately in search of food.
The flight of the Great Black-backed Gull is firm, steady, at times
elegant, rather swift, and long protracted. While travelling, it
usually flies at the height of fifty or sixty yards, and proceeds in
a direct course, with easy regulated flappings. Should the weather
prove tempestuous, this Gull, like most others, skims over the surface
of the waters or the land within a few yards or even feet, meeting
the gale, but not yielding to it, and forcing its way against the
strongest wind. In calm weather and sunshine, at all seasons of the
year, it is fond of soaring to a great height, where it flies about
leisurely and with considerable elegance for half an hour or so, in the
manner of eagles, vultures, and ravens. Now and then, while pursuing
a bird of its own species, or trying to escape from an enemy, it
passes through the air with rapid boundings, which, however, do not
continue long, and as soon as they are over it rises and slowly sails
in circles. When man encroaches on its domains, it keeps over him at
a safe distance, not sailing so much as moving to either side with
continued flappings. To secure the fishes on which it more usually
preys, it sweeps downwards with velocity, and as it glides over the
spot, picks up its prey with its bill. If the fish be small, the Gull
swallows it on wing, but if large, it either alights on the water,
or flies to the nearest shore to devour it.
Although a comparatively silent bird for three-fourths of the year,
the Great Black-backed Gull becomes very noisy at the approach
of the breeding season, and continues so until the young are well
fledged, after which it resumes its silence. Its common notes, when
it is interrupted or surprised, sound like _cack, cack, cack_. While
courting, they are softer and more lengthened, and resemble the
syllables _cawah_, which are often repeated as it sails in circles
or otherwise, within view of its mate or its place of abode.
This species walks well, moving firmly and with an air of importance.
On the water it swims lightly but slowly, and may soon be overtaken by
a boat. It has no power of diving, although at times, when searching
for food along the shores, it will enter the water on seeing a crab or
a lobster, to seize it, in which it at times succeeds. I saw one at
Labrador plunge after a large crab in about two feet of water, when,
after a tug, it hauled it ashore, where it devoured it in my sight.
I watched its movements with a glass, and could easily observe how
it tore the crab to pieces, swallowed its body, leaving the shell and
the claws, after which it flew off to its young and disgorged before
them.
It is extremely voracious, and devours all sorts of food excepting
vegetables, even the most putrid carrion, but prefers fresh fish, young
birds, or small quadrupeds, whenever they can be procured. It sucks
the eggs of every bird it can find, thus destroying great numbers of
them, as well as the parents, if weak or helpless. I have frequently
seen these Gulls attack a flock of young Ducks while swimming beside
their mother, when the latter, if small, would have to take to wing,
and the former would all dive, but were often caught on rising to
the surface, unless they happened to be among rushes. The Eider Duck
is the only one of the tribe that risks her life, on such occasions,
to save that of her young. She will frequently rise from the water,
as her brood disappear beneath, and keep the Gull at bay, or harass
it until her little ones are safe under some shelving rocks, when
she flies off in another direction, leaving the enemy to digest his
disappointment. But while the poor Duck is sitting on her eggs in
any open situation, the marauder assails her, and forces her off,
when he sucks the eggs in her very sight. Young Grous are also the
prey of this Gull, which chases them over the moss-covered rocks, and
devours them before their parents. It follows the shoals of fishes
for hours at a time, and usually with great success. On the coast
of Labrador, I frequently saw these birds seize flounders on the
edges of the shallows; they often attempted to swallow them whole,
but, finding this impracticable, removed to some rock, beat them,
and tore them to pieces. They appear to digest feathers, bones, and
other hard substances with ease, seldom disgorging their food, unless
for the purpose of feeding their young or mates, or when wounded and
approached by man, or when pursued by some bird of greater power.
While at Boston in Massachusetts, one cold winter morning, I saw one
of these Gulls take up an eel, about fifteen or eighteen inches in
length, from a mud bank. The Gull rose with difficulty, and after
some trouble managed to gulp the head of the fish, and flew towards
the shore with it, when a White-headed Eagle made its appearance, and
soon overtook the Gull, which reluctantly gave up the eel, on which
the Eagle glided towards it, and, seizing it with its talons, before
it reached the water, carried it off.
This Gull is excessively shy and vigilant, so that even at Labrador
we found it difficult to procure it, nor did we succeed in obtaining
more than about a dozen old birds, and that only by stratagem. They
watched our movements with so much care as never to fly past a rock
behind which one of the party might be likely to lie concealed. None
were shot near the nests when they were sitting on their eggs, and
only one female attempted to rescue her young, and was shot as she
accidentally flew within distance. The time to surprise them was during
violent gales, for then they flew close to the tops of the highest
rocks, where we took care to conceal ourselves for the purpose. When
we approached the rocky islets on which they bred, they left the place
as soon as they became aware of our intentions, cackled and barked
loudly, and when we returned, followed us at a distance more than a
mile.
They begin to moult early in July. In the beginning of August the
young were seen searching for food by themselves, and even far apart.
By the 12th of that month they had all left Labrador. We saw them
afterwards along the coast of Newfoundland, and while crossing the
Gulf of St Lawrence, and found them over the bays of Nova Scotia,
as we proceeded southward. When old, their flesh is tough and unfit
for food. Their feathers are elastic, and good for pillows and such
purposes, but can rarely be procured in sufficient quantity.
The most remarkable circumstance relative to these birds is, that
they either associate with another species, giving rise to a hybrid
brood, or that when very old they lose the dark colour of the back,
which is then of the same tint as that of the _Larus argentatus_,
or even lighter. This curious fact was also remarked by the young
gentlemen who accompanied me to Labrador; and although it is impossible
for me to clear up the doubts that may be naturally entertained on
this subject, whichever of the two suppositions is adopted, the fact
may yet be established and accounted for by persons who may have
better opportunities of watching them and studying their habits. No
individuals of _Larus argentatus_ were, to my knowledge, seen on that
coast during the three months which I passed there, and the fishermen
told us that the “saddle-backs were the only large Gulls that ever
breed there.”
This bird must be of extraordinary longevity, as I have seen one
that was kept in a state of captivity more than thirty years. The
following very interesting account of the habits of a partially
domesticated individual I owe to my esteemed and learned friend Dr
NEILL of Edinburgh.
“In the course of the summer of 1818, a “big scorie” was brought to
me by a Newhaven fisher-boy, who mentioned that it had been picked
up at sea, about the mouth of the Frith of Forth. The bird was not
then fully fledged: it was quite uninjured: it quickly learned to
feed on potatoes and kitchen refuse, along with some ducks; and it
soon became more familiar than they, often peeping in at the kitchen
window in hopes of getting a bit of fat meat, which it relished
highly. It used to follow my servant PEGGY OLIVER about the doors,
expanding its wings and vociferating for food. After two moults I
was agreeably surprised to find it assuming the dark plumage of the
back, and the shape and colour of the bill of the _Larus marinus_,
or Great Black-backed Gull; for I had hitherto regarded it as merely
a large specimen of the Lesser Black-backed (_L. fuscus_), a pair of
which I then possessed, but which had never allowed the new comer to
associate with them. The bird being perfectly tame, we did not take
the precaution of keeping the quills of one wing cut short, so as to
prevent flight; indeed, as it was often praised as a remarkably large
and noble looking Sea-maw, we did not like to disfigure it. In the
winter 1821-2, it got a companion in a cock-heron, which had been
wounded in Coldinghame Muir, brought to Edinburgh alive, and kept
for some weeks in a cellar in the old College, and then presented
to me by the late Mr JOHN WILSON, the janitor,—a person remarkably
distinguished for his attachment to natural history pursuits. This
Heron we succeeded in taming completely, and it still (1835) remains
with me, having the whole garden to range in, the trees to roost upon,
and access to the Loch at pleasure, the loch being the boundary of my
garden. Some time in the spring of 1822, the large Gull was amissing;
and we ascertained (in some way that has now escaped my memory) that
it had not been stolen, nor killed, as we at first supposed, but had
taken flight, passing northwards over the village, and had probably
therefore gone to sea. Of course I gave up all expectation of ever
hearing more of it. It was not without surprise, therefore, that on
going home one day in the end of October of that year, I heard my
servant calling out with great exultation, “Sir, Big Gull is come
back!” I accordingly found him walking about in his old haunts in the
garden, in company with, and recognising (as I am firmly persuaded)
his old friend the Heron. He disappeared in the evening, and returned
in the morning, for several days; when PEGGY OLIVER thought it best to
secure him. He evidently did not like confinement, and it was concerted
that he should be allowed his liberty, although he ran much risk of
being shot on the mill-pond by youthful sportsmen from Edinburgh.
After this temporary captivity, he was more cautious and shy than
formerly; but still he made almost daily visits to the garden, and
picked up herrings or other food laid down for him. In the beginning
of March 1823 his visits ceased; and we saw no more of him till late
in the autumn of that year. These winter visits to Canonmills, and
summer excursions to the unknown breeding-place, were continued for
years with great uniformity: only I remarked that after the Gull
lost his protectress, who died in 1828[A], he became more distant
in his manners. In my note-book, under date of 26th October 1829, I
find this entry: ‘Old PEGGY’s Great Black-backed Gull arrived at the
pond this morning, the seventh (or eighth) winter he has regularly
returned. He had a scorie with him, which was soon shot on the loch,
by some cockney sportsman.’ The young bird, doubtless one of his
offspring, had its wing shattered, and continued alive in the middle
of the pond, occasionally screaming piteously, for two or three days,
till relieved by death. The old Gull immediately abandoned the place
for that winter, as if reproaching us for cruelty. By next autumn,
however, he seemed to have forgotten the injury; for, according to
my record, ‘30th October 1830. The Great Black-backed Gull once more
arrived at Canonmills garden.’ The periods of arrival, residence, and
departure were nearly similar in the following year. But in 1832, not
only October, but the months of November and December passed away
without Gull’s making his appearance, and I of course despaired of
again seeing him. He did, however, at length arrive. The following
is the entry in my common-place book: ‘Sunday, 6th January 1833. This
day the Great Black-back returned to the mill-pond, for (I think) the
eleventh season. He used to re-appear in October in former years, and
I concluded him dead or shot. He recognised my voice, and hovered over
my head.’ He disappeared early in March as usual, and re-appeared
at Canonmills on 23d December 1833, being a fortnight earlier than
the date of his arrival in the preceding season, but six weeks later
than the original period of re-appearance. He left in the beginning
of March as usual, and I find from my notes that he ‘reappeared on
30th December 1834 for the season, first hovering around and then
alighting on the pond as in former years.’ The latest entry is, ‘11th
March 1835: The Black-backed Gull was here yesterday, but has not
been seen to-day; nor do I expect to see him till November.’
[A] “PEGGY OLIVER was remarkable far the zeal and taste
she displayed in the domesticating of uncommon animals, as
well as in the culture of plants: her expertness in the
latter department is noticed and praised by Mr LOUDON in
his Gardener’s Magazine. Her funeral was attended by some of
the most distinguished naturalists here, and, among others,
by your friend Dr MACCULLOCH of Pictou, who happened to be
in Edinburgh at the time, and whose friendship I have also
the happiness to enjoy.”
“This Gull has often attracted the attention of persons passing the
village of Canonmills, by reason of its sweeping along so low or near
the ground, and on account of the wide expanse of wing which it thus
displays. It is well known to the boys of the village as “NEILL’s
Gull,” and has, I am aware, owed its safety more than once to their
interference, in informing passing sportsmen of its history. When it
first arrives in the autumn, it is in the regular habit of making
many circular sweeps around the pond and garden, at a considerable
elevation, as if reconnoitring; it then gradually lowers its flight,
and gently alights about the centre of the pond. Upon the gardener’s
mounting the garden-wall with a fish in his hand, the Gull moves
towards the overhanging spray of some large willow-trees, so as to
catch what may be thrown to him, before it sinks in the water. There
can be no doubt whatever of the identity of the bird. Indeed, he
unequivocally shews that he recognises my voice when I call aloud
‘Gull, Gull;’ for whether he be on wing or afloat, he immediately
approaches me.
“A few pairs of the Great Black-backed Gull breed at the Bass Rock
yearly, and it seems highly probable that my specimen had originally
been hatched there. If I may be allowed a conjecture, I would suppose
that, after attaining maturity, he for some years resorted to the
same spot for the purpose of breeding; but that of late years, having
lost his mate or encountered some other disaster, he has extended his
migration for that purpose to some very distant locality, which has
rendered his return to winter quarters six weeks later than formerly.”
LARUS MARINUS, _Linn._ Syst. Nat. vol. i. p. 225.—_Lath._
Ind. Ornith. vol. ii. p. 813.—_Ch. Bonaparte_, Synopsis of
Birds of the United States, p. 362.
BLACK-BACKED GULL, or COBB, _Nuttall_, Manual, vol. ii. p.
308.
Adult Male in Summer. Plate CCXLI.
Bill shorter than the head, robust, compressed, higher near the
end than at the base. Upper mandible with the dorsal line nearly
straight at the base, declinate and arched towards the end, the
ridge convex, the sides slightly convex, the edges sharp, inflected,
arcuate-declinate towards the end, the tip rather obtuse. Nasal
groove rather long and narrow; nostril in its fore part, lateral,
longitudinal, linear, wider anteriorly, pervious. Lower mandible with
the angle long and narrow, the outline of the crura rather concave,
as is that of the remaining part of the mandible, a prominent angle
being formed at their meeting, the sides nearly flat, the edges sharp
and inflected.
Head rather large, oblong, narrowed anteriorly. Neck of moderate
length, strong. Body full. Wings long. Feet of moderate length,
rather slender; tibia bare below; tarsus somewhat compressed, covered
anteriorly with numerous scutella, laterally with angular scales,
behind with numerous small oblong scales; hind toe very small and
elevated, the fore toes of moderate length, rather slender, the fourth
longer than the second, the third longest, all scutellate above, and
connected by reticulated entire membranes, the lateral toes margined
externally with a narrow membrane. Claws small, slightly arched,
depressed, rounded, that of middle toe with an expanded inner margin.
The plumage in general is close, full, elastic, very soft and blended,
on the back rather compact. Wings very long, broad, acute, the first
quill longest, the second scarcely shorter, the rest of the primaries
rather rapidly graduated; secondaries broad and rounded, the inner
narrower. Tail of moderate length, even, of twelve rounded feathers.
Bill gamboge-yellow, the lower mandible bright carmine towards the
end. Edges of eyelids bright carmine, iris silvery. Feet yellow, claws
black. The head, neck, and all the lower parts, pure white; back and
wings deep blackish-grey tinged with purple, or dark slate-colour; the
rump and tail white, as are the edges of the wing, and a large portion
of the extremities of all the quills; the second, third, fourth,
and fifth primaries have a broad band of black across their ends,
the inner web only of the second being so marked, in some specimens
however both webs. The œsophagus is very large, the gizzard small,
the intestine four feet long, and about the thickness of a goose quill.
Length to end of tail 29-3/4 inches, to end of wings 31-1/2, to end of
claws 29-1/4; extent of wings 67; wing from flexure 20; tail 9; bill
along the ridge 2-10/12, along the edge of lower mandible 3-9/12; its
depth at the angle 1, at the base 11/12; tarsus 3-2/12; middle toe
2-1/2, its claw 1/2. Weight 3 lb.
The Female is similar to the Male, but considerably less.
The Young when fledged have the bill brownish-black, the iris dark
brown, the feet as in the adult. The head and neck are greyish-white,
streaked with pale brownish-grey; the upper parts mottled with
brownish-black, brownish-grey, and dull white, the rump paler. The
primary quills blackish-brown, slightly tipped with brownish-white;
the tail-feathers white, with a large brownish-black patch towards
the end, larger on the middle feathers, which are also barred towards
the base with dusky. The lower parts are greyish-white, the sides
and lower tail-coverts obscurely mottled with greyish-brown.
THE SNOWY HERON.
_ARDEA CANDIDISSIMA_, GMEL.
PLATE CCXLII. MALE.
This beautiful species is a constant resident in Florida and
Louisiana, where thousands are seen during winter, and where many
remain during the breeding season. It is perhaps of a still more
delicate constitution than the Blue Heron, _Ardea cœrulea_, as no
individuals remain in the neighbourhood of Charleston when the winter
happens to be rather colder than usual. In its migrations eastward
it rarely proceeds farther than Long Island in the State of New
York; few are seen in Massachusetts, and none farther to the east.
My friend Professor MACCULLOCH never heard of it in Nova Scotia, and
I cannot imagine on what authority WILSON stated that it inhabits
the sea-coast of North America to the Gulf of St Lawrence. My friend
NUTTALL also asserts, without mentioning on what evidence, that, by
pursuing an inland course, it reaches its final destination in the
wilds of Canada. It has not been observed in any part of the western
country; nay, it rarely ascends the Mississippi as high as Memphis,
or about two hundred miles from the mouth of the Ohio, and cannot
be said to be at all abundant much farther up the great river than
Natchez. In fact, the maritime districts furnish its favourite places
of resort, and it rarely proceeds farther inland than fifty or sixty
miles, not only in the flat portions of the Carolinas, but even in the
Middle States, where it prefers the islands along the Atlantic coast.
While I was at Charleston, in March 1831, few had arrived from the
Floridas by the 18th of that month, but on the 25th thousands were
seen in the marshes and rice fields, all in full plumage. They reach
the shores of New Jersey about the first week of May, when they may
be seen on all parts of the coast between that district and the Gulf
of Mexico. On the Mississippi, they seldom reach the low grounds about
Natchez, where they also breed, earlier than the period at which they
appear in the Middle States.
While migrating, they fly both by night and by day, in loose flocks of
from twenty to a hundred individuals, sometimes arranging themselves
in a broad front, then forming lines, and again proceeding in a
straggling manner. They keep perfectly silent, and move at a height
seldom exceeding a hundred yards. Their flight is light, undetermined
as it were, yet well sustained, and performed by regular flappings,
as in other birds of the tribe. When they have arrived at their
destination, they often go to considerable distances to feed during
the day, regularly returning at the approach of night to their roosts
on the low trees and bushes bordering the marshes, swamps, and ponds.
They are very gentle at this season, and at all periods keep in
flocks when not disturbed. At the approach of the breeding season,
many spend a great part of the day at their roosting places, perched
on the low trees principally growing in the water, when every now
and then they utter a rough guttural sort of sigh, raising at the
same moment their beautiful crest and loose recurved plumes, curving
the neck, and rising on their legs to their full height, as if about
to strut on the branches. They act in the same manner while on the
ground mating. Then the male, with great ardour, and with the most
graceful motions, passes and repasses for several minutes at a time
before and around the female, whose actions are similar, although she
displays less ardour. When disturbed on such occasions, they rise
high in the air, sail about and over the spot in perfect silence,
awaiting the departure of the intruder, then sweep along, exhibiting
the most singular movements, now and then tumbling over and over like
the Tumbler Pigeon, and at length alight on a tree. On the contrary,
when you intrude upon them while breeding, they rise silently on
wing, alight on the trees near, and remain there until you depart.
The Snowy Herons breed in large communities; and so very social are
they, that they do not appear even to attempt to disturb such other
birds as are wont to breed among them, the Night Herons, for instance,
the Green Herons, or the Boat-tailed Grakles. I have visited some of
their breeding grounds, where several hundred pairs were to be seen,
and several nests were placed on the branches of the same bush, so
low at times that I could easily see into them, although others were
situated at a height of ten or fifteen feet. In places where these
birds are often disturbed, they breed in taller trees, though rarely on
very high ones. In the Floridas I found their nests on low mangroves;
but wherever they are placed you find them fronting the water, over
which, indeed, these Herons seem fond of placing them. The nest, which
is formed of dry sticks, is rather small, and has a shallow cavity.
The eggs are three, one inch and five-eighths and a half in length,
one and a quarter across, of a broadly elliptical form, and having
a plain pale bluish-green colour. In the Middle Districts, the usual
time of laying is about the middle of May; in the Carolinas a month
sooner; and in the Floridas still earlier, as there, on the 19th of
May, I found the young in great numbers walking off their nests on
the mangrove branches, and, like those of the Louisiana Heron, which
also breeds in the same places, trying to escape by falling into
the water below, and swimming in search of hiding-places among the
roots and hanging branches. Both sexes incubate. Many of the eggs are
destroyed by Crows and Turkey Buzzards, which also devour the young,
and many are carried off by men.
The young acquire the full beauty of their plumage in the course of
the first spring, when they can no longer be distinguished from the
old birds. The legs and feet are at first of a darkish olive, as is
the bill, except at the base, where it is lighter, and inclining to
yellow. At the approach of autumn, the crest assumes a form, and the
feathers of the lower parts of the neck in front become considerably
lengthened, the feet acquire a yellow tint, and the legs are marked
with black on a yellowish ground; but the flowing feathers of the back
do not appear until the approach of spring, when they grow rapidly,
become recurved, and remain until the young are hatched, when they
fall off.
The Snowy Heron, while in the Carolinas, in the month of April, resorts
to the borders of the salt-water marshes, and feeds principally on
shrimps. Many individuals which I opened there contained nothing else
in their stomach. On the Mississippi, at the time when the shrimps
are ascending the stream, these birds are frequently seen standing on
floating logs, busily engaged in picking them up; and on such occasions
their pure white colour renders them conspicuous and highly pleasing
to the eye. At a later period, they feed on small fry, fiddlers,
snails, aquatic insects, occasionally small lizards and young frogs.
Their motions are generally quick and elegant, and, while pursuing
small fishes, they run swiftly through the shallows, throwing up their
wings. Twenty or thirty seen at once along the margins of a marsh or
a river, while engaged in procuring their food, form a most agreeable
sight. In autumn and early spring, they are fond of resorting to the
ditches of the rice fields, not unfrequently in company with the Blue
Herons. When, on being wounded in the wing one falls into the water,
it swims off towards the nearest shore, and runs to hide itself by
the side of some log, or towards a tree which if possible it climbs,
ascending to its very top. When seized, they peck at you with great
spirit, and are capable of inflicting a severe wound.
There is no difference between the sexes as to plumage, but the male
is somewhat larger. When in good condition, its flesh is excellent
eating, especially in early autumn, when it is generally very fat.
Some may be seen for sale in the markets of New Orleans and other
southern cities. They return southward from the Middle Districts early
in October, but in the Carolinas they remain until the first frosts,
when they all depart for the Floridas, where I found them during the
whole winter in considerable numbers, associating with the Blue Herons.
ARDEA CANDIDISSIMA, _Ch. Bonaparte_, Synops. of Birds of
the United States, p. 305.
SNOWY HERON, ARDEA CANDIDISSIMA, _Wils._ Amer. Ornith. vol.
vii. p. 120. pl. 62. fig. 4.—_Nuttall_, Manual, vol. ii.
p. 49.
Adult Male in full spring plumage. Plate CCXLII.
Bill longer than the head, straight, compressed, tapering to a point,
the mandibles nearly equal. Upper mandible with the dorsal line nearly
straight, the ridge broad and slightly convex at the base, narrowed
towards the end, a groove from the base to two-thirds of its length,
beneath which the sides are convex, the edges thin and sharp, with
a slight notch close to the very acute tip. Nostrils basal, linear,
longitudinal, with a membrane above and behind. Lower mandible with
the angle extremely narrow and elongated, the dorsal line beyond it
ascending and almost straight, the edges sharp and slightly inflected,
the tip acuminate.
Head rather small, oblong, compressed. Neck very long and slender.
Body slender and compressed. Feet very long; tibia elongated, its
lower half bare, very slender, covered all round with angular scales,
of which the posterior are scutelliform; tarsus elongated, slender,
compressed, anteriorly covered with numerous scutella, laterally and
behind with angular scales. Toes of moderate length, rather slender,
scutellate above, reticularly granulate beneath; third toe much longer
than second, which is very little shorter than fourth, the hind toe
much shorter but strong. Claws rather small, arched, compressed,
acute, that of hind toe much larger, the inner edge of that of the
third regularly pectinate.
Space between the bill and eye, and around the latter, bare, as is
the lower half of the tibia. Plumage soft and blended. Feathers of
the upper and hind part of the head, very long, loose, decurved; of
the sides, and especially of the lower part of the neck, also much
elongated; of the middle of the back very long, loose, and hanging
over the sides and rump, but with their extremities recurved. Wings of
moderate length; primaries tapering and rounded, the third longest, the
second very little shorter, first and fourth about equal; secondaries
broad and rounded, some of the inner as long as the longest primaries,
when the wing is closed. Tail very short, small, slightly rounded,
of twelve rather weak feathers.
Bill black, the bare space at its base yellow. Iris and edges of
eyelids yellow. Tibia and tarsus black, the lower part of the latter
behind and the toes bright yellow; claws bluish black. The plumage
is pure white.
Length to end of tail 22-1/2 inches, to end of wings 23, to end of
claws 30-1/2; extent of wings 38; wing from flexure 10-1/2; tail 3;
loose feathers 1-1/2 beyond the tail; bill along the ridge 3-2/12;
along the edge of lower mandible 3-3/4; bare part of tibia 2-1/2;
tarsus 3-11/12; middle toe 2-1/2, its claw 4/12. Weight 12 oz.
THE AMERICAN SNIPE.
_SCOLOPAX WILSONII_, TEMM.
PLATE CCXLIII. MALE, FEMALE, AND YOUNG IN AUTUMN.
The summer range of the Common American Snipe extends northward to a
considerable distance beyond the limits of the United States. During
the breeding season it is not to be found in our Southern Districts,
much less does it breed on the borders of the Mississippi, as has been
alleged by some writers. It may indeed sometimes happen that a pair
is found during summer in the mountainous districts of the Carolinas;
but occurrences of this kind are rare, and are probably caused by one
of the birds being disabled, and so prevented from prosecuting its
journey farther northward, although not incapacitated for reproduction.
Some pairs are more frequently met with in Virginia, Maryland and
Pennsylvania, either with eggs or with young, but the great body of
this species goes farther north for the purpose of breeding. In the
State of Maine, they become tolerably abundant at this season, and as
you proceed eastward you find them more numerous. In Nova Scotia they
are plentiful during summer, and there they breed in all convenient
places.
In these northern districts, the Snipe begins to lay its eggs in the
early part of June. The swampy parts of the extensive moss-covered
marshes in elevated situations afford it places of security and
comfort, in which it is not likely to be disturbed by man, and finds
immediately around it an abundance of food. The nest itself is a
mere hollow in the moss, scantily inlaid with a few grasses. The
eggs, which, like those of many of the Tringas, are four, and placed
with the small ends together, measure one inch and five-eighths by
one and one-eighth, being pyriform, with the tip somewhat inflated.
The ground colour is a yellowish-olive, pretty thickly spotted and
blotched with light and dark umber, the markings increasing in size
as they approach the large end, where they form a circle. The young,
like those of the Woodcock, leave the nests as soon as hatched, and so
resemble those of the Common Snipe of Europe, _Scolopax Gallinago_,
that the same description answers for both, they being covered with
down of different tints of brown and greyish-yellow. The bill is at
this age short, very soft and easily bent by the least pressure; nor
does it acquire its full growth before winter, and its length differs
in different apparently full grown individuals, by half an inch or
even three-fourths. They seem to feed at first on minute insects
collected on the surface of the mires, or amid the grass and moss;
but as they grow older, and the bill becomes firmer and larger, they
probe the ground like their parents, and soon become expert at this
operation, introducing the bill at every half inch or so of the oozy
mire, from which they principally obtain their food. In the Middle
States, this Snipe, however, has been found breeding in meadows, as
well as in the State of Maine; and it also nestles in the mountainous
districts of these parts of the Union. I never had the good fortune
to meet with a nest in Pennsylvania, although I have known several
instances of a pair breeding not far from Mill Grove on the Perkioming.
In the Western Country this bird arrives from the north early in
October, alighting in the low meadows watered by warm springs, and
along the borders of ponds and small secluded rivulets, sometimes in
the corn fields after a continuance of rainy weather, but never in
the woods or any place from which it cannot easily make its escape
when approached. In Kentucky it often remains all winter, and is at
times very abundant. Farther south, it is more plentiful, especially
in the lower parts of Louisiana, where it is named “_cache cache_”
by the Creoles, and over the whole country between that State and the
Carolinas. During winter, it is not uncommon in Louisiana to meet with
it in flocks of considerable numbers, as is also the case in South
Carolina, where the grounds of the rice-planter afford it abundance
of food. In some fields well known to my Charleston friends, as
winter retreats of the snipe, it is shot in great numbers. At times
it is so much less careful about concealing itself than at others,
that it is not at all uncommon to see it walking about over its wet
feeding-grounds, and on such occasions many are killed. In such places
I have found these birds by fifties and hundreds in fields of a few
acres. At the first shots, dozens in succession would take to wing,
each emitting its cry of _wau-aik_, after which they would rise in the
air, gradually collect, fly round a few times to the distance of some
hundred yards, and returning pitch towards the ground, and alight,
with the velocity of an arrow, not many yards from the spot where
they had previously been. In a few minutes they would all disperse,
to seek for food. So much are they at times attached to particular
spots, that the sportsmen continue to shoot them until their number
is reduced to a few, which having perhaps been several times shot at,
become extremely wary, and are left to entice others to join them, so
that another day’s sport may be obtained. It is not rare to find some
of these birds in the immediate vicinity of Charleston, when they are
pursued by the younger gunners, and sometimes by keen sportsmen. I
have known eight or ten procured by one person in a short time, between
that city and the race-ground, which is scarcely a mile distant. They
are also abundant in the wet savannahs in the Floridas, from which
they retire a few weeks earlier than from Louisiana and the Carolinas,
where some remain until the beginning of April. During the whole of
the winter months, these birds are observed to ramble from one place
to another, and a field which yesterday contained a good number, has
only a few to-day, and to-morrow may be quite deserted. But before
the end of a week, there you will find them again, as abundant as at
first. They rarely visit salt waters, and never resort to the interior
of the woods.
The flight of the Snipe while travelling to some distance, is performed
at a considerable elevation, by regular and quickly repeated beats of
the wings. Yet they do not appear as if pursuing a direct course, for
every now and then they deviate a little to either side. They pass
over rapidly, however, and are able to travel to a great distance
in a short time. Their migrations, although performed singly, or
in small parties of a single family, may be said to be in a manner
continuous, as in the course of a few days a whole section of country,
in which none had been seen for several months, becomes well supplied
with them. When surprised by the sportsman, or any other enemy,
they usually rise at one spring, dash through the air in a zig-zag
course, a few feet from the ground, emit their cry when about twenty
yards distant, and at times continue to employ this cunning mode
of escape for sixty or seventy yards, after which they mount into
the air, and perform the rounds already described. I have found the
instant at which they utter their note of alarm the best for pulling
the trigger; but almost every sportsman has his peculiar fancy, and
many are glad to kill them the best way they can; for he who shoots
thirty snipes in succession, without missing one, is a good hand
at any kind of shooting. Sometimes the Snipe will squat with great
pertinacity, and even stand a pointer, while at other times it will
not suffer either man or dog to approach within fifty yards of it.
This, however, depends much on the state of the atmosphere. The finer
and warmer the day, the easier I have found it to get near them, and
the smaller is the distance at which they realight; whereas during
drizzly weather, they fly off to a great distance. When the Snipe
alights within sight, and you are concealed and silent, its movements
can easily be observed. It first stands for an instant in a half
crouching attitude, as if to listen, then raises itself and runs a
few steps, when, if it be in any degree apprehensive of danger, it
squats, and there remains until put up. If all around is quiet, you
see it move in its ordinary manner, walking lightly, and with some
grace, its bill half inclined downwards, in search of a good spot to
probe for food. The instant it meets with this it sets to work, and
thrusts its bill into the mud or the damp soil, to a depth determined
by the degree of softness of the ground, repeating its thrusts eight,
ten, or more times in quick succession. When it has thus examined a
spot, and perhaps found some food, it walks off in search of another,
and thus continues until it is satisfied, when it generally lays
itself down in a soft tuft of grass until the approach of night, when
it flies off and rambles about for exercise in comparative security.
When wounded, it runs with moderate speed, but, if closely pursued,
squats whenever a good opportunity occurs. It will at times continue
to run for fifty or more yards, after which, if you have not a good
dog, it is next to impossible to find it, for on such occasions it
remains perfectly silent. While travelling eastward from Charleston,
in the month of March, I found this Snipe perhaps more abundant near
the Great Santee River than any where else. We could see them with
ease from the carriage as they were walking over the rice-fields, as
if in perfect assurance of security.
The food of our Common Snipe consists principally of ground worms,
insects, and the juicy slender roots of different vegetables, all
of which tend to give its flesh that richness of flavour and juicy
tenderness, for which it is so deservedly renowned, it being equal
to that of the woodcock. Many epicures eat up both Snipe and Woodcock
with all their viscera, worms and insects to boot, the intestines in
fact being considered the most savoury parts. On opening some newly
killed Snipes, I have more than once found fine large and well-fed
ground worms, and at times a leech, which I must acknowledge I never
conceived suitable articles of food for man, and, for this reason,
I have always taken good care to have both Snipes and Woodcocks well
cleaned, as all game ought to be.
To WILSON is due the merit of having first shewn the difference between
this bird and the Common Snipe of Europe; and it is honourable for
the ornithologists of that region of the globe to have dedicated
our species to so zealous and successful a student of nature. I
have, however, been surprised that he should not have mentioned the
difference in the notes of the two species, which in fact is as great
as that between those of the American Crow and the Carrion Crow of
Europe. A decided difference of this kind I am always disposed to
consider as satisfactory in the case of nearly allied species. While
glancing over some of the numberless compilations that are pouring
their muddy waters into the great stream of human knowledge, I was
somewhat surprised to find in one of them an account of the American
Snipe, in which it is stated that it is a _winter_ visitant in the
_northern_ States, and will most probably breed farther _south_,
without leaving the country!
The American Snipe is easily caught in snares placed on the spots of
mud which it is wont to probe, and a good number are thus obtained
by the farmers’ children, especially during very cold weather, when,
the birds having become emaciated from want of a good supply of food,
they resort to the small warm springs of our meadows, and there remain
until the return of milder weather. At such times and places, I have
heard this bird utter various curious notes, which I am unable to
describe, putting themselves into strange postures all the while,
jerking their tails upwards, downwards, and sideways, for several
seconds at a time, while the head and neck were moved backwards and
forwards, as if the bird had been in a fit. I never saw this during
warm weather, and am unable to account for it.
It arrives in Pennsylvania from the south about the middle of March,
earlier or later according to the nature of the season, a month
later in Maine, and about a week or ten days after in Nova Scotia.
We neither saw nor heard of any in Newfoundland or Labrador, but they
are abundant in the interior of the northern parts of the Canadas.
The young acquire the full plumage of the adult the first year after
their birth, when no essential difference is perceptible between
the sexes, the female being merely somewhat larger than the male. My
friend THOMAS MACCULLOCH, who has not unfrequently found this bird
breeding, and from whom I have received many of its eggs, was unable
to say whether both sexes incubate, although this is very probable, as
the male is often seen with or near the female while she is sitting,
excepting towards evening or in the early part of the morning, when
he mounts into the air, as if for the purpose of congratulating her
by his curious song. It often happens that before these birds depart
in spring, many are already mated. The birds are then met with in
meadows or on low grounds, and, by being on the spot before sunrise,
you may see both mount high in the air in a spiral manner, now with
continuous beats of the wings, now in short sailings, until more
than a hundred yards high, when they whirl round each other with
extreme velocity, and dance as it were to their own music; for at
this juncture, and during the space of five or six minutes, you hear
rolling notes mingling together, each more or less distinct, perhaps
according to the state of the atmosphere. The sounds produced are
extremely pleasing, though they fall faintly on the ear. I know not
how to describe them, but I am well assured that they are not produced
simply by the beatings of the wings, as at this time the wings are not
flapped, but are used in sailing swiftly in a circle not many feet in
diameter. A person might cause a sound somewhat similar by blowing
rapidly and alternately from one end to another, across a set of
small pipes consisting of two or three modulations. This performance
is kept up until incubation terminates, but I never observed it at
any other period. Our Woodcock produces a somewhat similar sound at
the same season, and also at times on fine autumnal evenings, as I
shall mention more particularly when describing that bird.
In confinement, our Common Snipe feeds freely on moistened Indian
corn meal, mixed with some insects, but rarely becomes as gentle as
the Woodcock in similar circumstances. When approached, it droops its
wings and runs round its place of confinement, even should it be a
small room, keeping its tail spread out on the side next you. If the
bird is confined in a small space in front of you, it alternately
throws the tail upwards, and spreads it in the manner mentioned at
every successive turn to and from each corner. Sometimes it emits a
lisping sound, but is more usually silent.
SCOLOPAX WILSONII, _Ch. Bonaparte_, Synops. of Birds of the
United States, p. 330.—_Swains. and Richards._ Fauna Bor.
Amer. part ii. p. 401.
SNIPE, SCOLOPAX GALLINAGO, _Wils._ Amer. Ornith. vol. vi.
p. 18. pl. 47. fig. 1.
WILSON’S SNIPE, _Nuttall_, Manual, vol. ii. p. 185.
Adult Male. Plate CCXLIII. Fig. 1.
Bill twice as long as the head, subulate, straight, compressed for
more than half its length, depressed towards the end. Upper mandible
with the dorsal line straight, the ridge for a short space at the
base flattish, then convex, towards the end flattened, the sides
with a narrow groove extending to near the tip, which is obtuse and
probe-like, the edges soft and obtuse. Nostrils basal, linear, very
small. Lower mandible with the angle extremely long and narrow, the
sides nearly erect, with a groove having several bars across it; the
end of both mandibles covered, after death, with numerous prominences,
or rather with reticular depressions, leaving small prominences
between them.
Head rather small, oblong, narrowed anteriorly, the forehead elevated
and rounded. Neck rather short. Body rather full. Legs of moderate
length, slender; tibia bare below, scutellate before and behind;
tarsus with numerous scutella before, smaller ones behind, and
reticulated sides; toes very slender, free, scutellate above, narrow
and slightly margined beneath; first very small, third longer than
the tarsus, fourth much shorter, but considerably longer than second.
Claws slightly arched, extremely compressed, very acute, that of the
third toe largest.
Plumage very soft, rather full, blended, on the fore part of the
head very short. Wings of moderate length, narrow, sharp; primaries
broad, tapering, but rounded, the first extremely small and pointed,
the second longest, the third very little shorter, the rest rapidly
graduated; secondaries broad, short, incurved, rounded, the inner
very long, tapering, as are the scapulars. Tail short, rounded, of
sixteen rounded feathers.
Bill brown, the granulated part towards the tip black. Iris hazel.
Feet bluish-grey, claws dusky. On the upper part of the head two
brownish-black longitudinal broad bands, separated by a narrower
central pale brown one, and with another pale brown band on each
side from the bill over the eye; then a loral band of dark brown;
chin whitish; neck pale reddish-brown, spotted with brownish-black.
The general colour of the upper parts is brownish-black, variegated
with pale reddish-brown, of which latter colour are the outer edges
of the scapulars and of the lateral feathers on the anterior part
of the back. Wing-coverts and inner secondaries similarly mottled,
the smaller anterior coverts, the primary coverts, primary quills,
and outer secondaries deep brown, more or less tipped with white;
first quill white, dusky in the centre, second with the outer edge
brownish-white; rump barred with yellowish-grey and dusky; upper
tail-coverts similar, but the larger barred with brownish-red
and black. Tail-feathers brownish-black at the base, with a broad
subterminal band of brownish-red on the outer web of the two middle,
and on both webs of the rest, excepting the outer on each side,
which is barred with brownish-black and white, the black bars five;
the tips of all white. Anterior part of breast like the neck, the
rest white; abdomen and lower tail-coverts greyish-yellow, barred
with brownish-black, as are the sides; scapulars white, barred with
greyish-black; lower wing-coverts similarly mottled.
Length to end of tail 10-1/2 inches, to end of claw 11-1/2; extent of
wings 17; wing from flexure 5; tail 2-1/4; bill along the back 2-7/12,
along the edge of lower mandible 2-5/12; tarsus 1-2/12, middle toe
1-1/4, its claw (4-1/2)/12. Weight 3 oz.
Adult Female. Plate CCXLIII. Fig. 2.
The Female resembles the Male, but is rather larger.
Autumnal plumage, Plate CCXLIII. Fig. 3.
The young in autumn resemble the old birds, but have the dark markings
of a browner tint, the light more dingy, and the colours in general
less pure.
THE COMMON GALLINULE.
_GALLINULA CHLOROPUS_, LATH.
PLATE CCXLIV. MALE.
The two species of Gallinule which occur in the United States are
confined within a comparatively small range in that extensive country,
the southern portions of which appear to suit them better, at all
seasons of the year, than the other districts. The Common Gallinule
is extremely abundant during winter along the rivers, fresh-water
creeks, lagoons, ponds and lakes, between the Gulf of Mexico and the
eastern shores of the Floridas, while in spring and summer a good
number migrate eastward into the Carolinas, and now and then a few
stragglers may be seen on the fresh waters of the Middle Districts,
beyond which none, to my knowledge, have ever been observed. They
seldom ascend any of our southern streams to any considerable distance,
few are ever met with many miles above Natchez on the Mississippi,
and none are to be seen in the Western Country.
In general they are equally diurnal and nocturnal in their habits,
and when undisturbed frequent the land as much as the water. In the
lower parts of Louisiana and the Floridas, I have seen them seek their
food and amuse themselves by day in the pastures and fields, and I
have observed both them and the Gallinules of England enacting their
courtship, while the sun was yet high above the horizon. In sight of
man, however, they are timorous although not shy, and retreat from
him among the grass and sedges bordering the water, to which they
resort for safety. If shot at, or otherwise frightened, they run with
speed, and either fly or swim off as fast as possible, to elude their
enemy.
During my various temporary residences in London, I have often seen
the Gallinules resort to the grounds in the Regent’s Park at all hours
of the day. They were there in a manner partially domesticated, and
walked quite unconcernedly in the meadows, led their young over the
water, and paid their addresses to each other, while fifty or more
persons were amusing themselves with feeding the ducks and swans over
the bridge leading to the inner circle, and within sight of these
birds. While I was at Spring-Garden Spring in East Florida, in the
early part of January, the Gallinules were seen in great numbers on
every bayou leading towards the waters of the St John, and at that
early period the manifestations of their amatory propensity were quite
remarkable. The male birds courted the females, both on the land and
on the water; they frequently spread out their tail like a fan, and
moved round each other, emitting a murmuring sound for some seconds.
The female would afterwards walk to the water’s edge, stand in the
water up to her breast, and receive the caresses of the male, who
immediately after would strut on the water before her, jerking with
rapidity his spread tail for a while, after which they would both
resume their ordinary occupations. This was in the middle of the day,
when I could have counted eight or ten pairs in sight.
The nest is formed with more labour than art, being composed of a
quantity of withered rushes and plants, interwoven in a circular form,
frequently from two to three inches thick in the centre, surrounded by
an edge or brim four or five inches high. If not greatly disturbed,
these birds raise several broods in a season, using the same nest,
and making additions to it previous to depositing each new set of
eggs. In Lower Louisiana I found it usually five or six feet from
the water, among the rankest weeds, along the bayous and lakes,
which are so numerous there. In some instances it was placed on a
prostrate trunk of a tree over the water, when the materials of which
it was composed were less abundant than in other circumstances. I
never saw one floating loose, but have often heard people say they
had occasionally seen a nest in that state, although I am not much
disposed to give credit to such assertions. The number of eggs seldom
exceeds eight or nine, and is more frequently from five to seven.
As the bird lays more than once, its progeny is thus numerous. The
Gallinules cover their eggs when they leave them, no doubt to protect
them from crows and other enemies, but return to them as soon as food
has been procured, although both sexes incubate. The eggs measure
an inch and five-eighths, by an inch and one and a half eighths, and
are of a dull darkish cream colour, spotted and dotted with various
tints of reddish-brown and umber.
The females are as assiduous in their attentions to their young as the
wild Turkey Hens; and, although the young take to the water as soon
as hatched, the mother frequently calls them ashore, when she nurses
and dries them under her body and wings. In this manner she looks
after them until they are nearly a month old, when she abandons them
and begins to breed again. The young, which are covered with hairy,
shining, black down, swim beautifully, jerking their heads forward
at each movement of their feet. They seem to grow surprisingly fast,
and at the age of six or seven weeks are strong, active, and perhaps
as well able to elude their enemies as the old birds are. Their food
consists of grasses, seeds, water-insects, worms, and snails, along
with which they swallow a good deal of sand or gravel. They walk and
run over the broad leaves of water-lilies, as if on land, dive if
necessary, and appear at times to descend into the water in search
of food, although I cannot positively assert that they do so.
On more than one occasion, I have seen a flock of these young birds
playing on the surface of the water like Ducks, beating it with
their wings, and splashing it about in a curious manner, when their
gambols would attract a garfish, which at a single dart would seize
one of them and disappear. The rest affrighted would run as it were
with inconceivable velocity on the surface of the water, make for the
shore, and there lie concealed and silent for a quarter of an hour or
so. In the streams and ponds of the Floridas, this species and some
others of similar habits, suffer greatly from Alligators and Turtles,
as well as from various kinds of fish, although, on account of their
prolific nature, they are yet abundant.
This Gallinule seldom resorts to salt water, but at times is met with
on the banks of bayous in which the water is brackish. This, however,
happens only during winter. On land it walks somewhat like a chicken,
and thirty, forty, or more individuals may be seen searching for
worms and insects among the grass, which they also nip in the manner
of the domestic fowl. On such occasions, the constantly repeated
movements of their tail are rendered conspicuous by the pure white
of the feathers beneath it, which, along with the white stripes on
the flanks, and in spring the vivid red of the frontal plate, renders
their general appearance quite interesting. In cases of danger, they
run with great speed, and easily conceal themselves. On the water
they sit very lightly, and swim with activity, the movements of their
head and neck keeping pace with those of their feet. They pick up
their food from either side, continually jerk their tail, and not
unfrequently touch the water with it.
Although not a migratory bird, this species flies very well, whenever
it has occasion to rise from the ground. Its wings, although concave,
are large for its size, more so in fact than those of _Rallus
crepitans_, which migrates to a considerable extent. But in general,
the Gallinules are averse from flying, unless when anxious to remove
from one lake or stream to another, when they rise fifty or sixty feet
in the air, and fly with ease and considerable velocity, by continued
flappings, the neck and legs stretched out. At all other times when
raised, they suffer their legs to dangle, proceed slowly to a short
distance, and drop among the reeds, or, if over the water, they dive
and hide, leaving nothing but the bill projecting above the surface.
The young in autumn have not attained their full size; their colours
are much duller than those of the old birds, particularly the stripes
on the flanks and under the tail, which are of a dull cream colour
instead of being pure white. The frontal plate is small, and almost
covered by the feathers around it; the legs and feet are of a dingy
green, and the red band on the tibia is scarcely apparent. In spring
they acquire their full plumage, but the frontal plate increases in
size for several years.
There are great differences as to size between birds of both sexes.
The male from which I drew the figure in the plate, was of an average
size, having been selected from a bagful procured expressly for the
purpose. Our Gallinule corresponds so precisely with that of Europe,
that I cannot hesitate in affirming that it is the same species.
GALLINULA CHLOROPUS, _Lath._ Ind. Ornith. vol. ii. p. 770.
GALLINULA GALEATA, _Ch. Bonaparte_, Amer. Ornith. vol. iv.
p. 128. pl. 27. fig. 1.
FLORIDA GALLINULE, GALLINULA GALEATA, _Nuttall_, Manual,
vol. ii. p. 223.
Adult Male in Spring. Plate CCXLIV.
Bill shorter than the head, nearly straight, rather stout, deep,
compressed, tapering. Upper mandible with a soft oblong plate at
the base extending over the forehead, the dorsal line beyond this
plate straightish and slightly declinate as far as the middle,
then arcuato-declinate, the ridge rather narrow, the sides nearly
perpendicular, towards the end slightly convex, the edges sharp, with
a notch close upon the narrow obtuse tip. Nasal groove extending to
the middle of the bill, rather broad; nostrils submedial, lateral,
linear, direct, pervious. Lower mandible with the angle long and
narrow, the sides nearly erect, with a groove to the middle, the
dorsal line beyond the angle ascending, straight, the edges sharp,
inclinate, the tip narrowed, rather sharp.
Head small, oblong, much compressed. Neck of moderate length, slender.
Body much compressed. Feet large, long; tibia bare a considerable way
above the joint; tarsus rather long, strong, compressed, anteriorly
covered with broad scutella, laterally with angular scales, posteriorly
with minute scales; hind toe comparatively small, middle toe longest
and much longer than the tarsus, fourth considerably shorter, and
but little longer than the second; toes free, slender, compressed,
scutellate above, flat beneath and marginate; claws rather long,
slender, much compressed, acute.
Plumage soft, blended, on the fore part of the head short; a tuft of
elongated incurved feathers on the sides. Wings short, broad; alula
large; primaries curved, broad, second and third longest, first and
sixth about equal; secondaries broad and rounded. Tail short, much
rounded, of twelve rather weak rounded feathers, which but slightly
exceed the upper and lower coverts.
Frontal plate and bill deep carmine, the ends of both mandibles yellow.
Iris bright red. Feet yellowish-green, a portion of the bare part of
the tibia carmine; claws dusky. Head and neck deep bluish-grey; that
colour continues paler over the breast, sides and abdomen, the latter
having the feathers tipped with greyish white, and the posterior
hypochondrial feathers having a longitudinal band of white towards
the end; lower eyelid white, as are the lateral lower tail-coverts,
those in the middle black. The back and wings are deep olive, the
latter having a narrow edging of white, which also runs along the
outer quill. Tail brownish-black.
Length to end of tail 14 inches, to end of claws 19; extent of wings
22; wing from flexure 7-1/4; tail 3; bill from base of frontal plate
1-11/12, along the edge of lower mandible 1-1/4; tarsus 2-1/4, middle
toe 2-7/12, its claw 8/12. Weight 12 oz.
The Female is similar to the male, but has the frontal plate smaller.
The Young, when fledged, have the upper part of the head of an
olivaceous brown, like the back and wings, the neck of a light dull
grey, the chin dull white, the lower parts light grey tinged with
yellowish on the breast, most of the feathers tipped with whitish,
the lines on the hypochondrial feathers of a dull cream colour and
of small extent. The frontal plate is small, and with the bill of a
dingy greenish colour, as are the feet, the claws yellowish-brown.
On comparing together a great number of European and American
specimens, I can find no specific differences. Individuals of either
kind are larger or smaller, their frontal plates differ in size and
somewhat in form, as do the bill and the claws; but if the species
are really different, Nature has made them so wonderfully like each
other, that there seems to me no possibility of distinguishing them.
My friend Dr NEILL has furnished me with the following anecdotes
illustrative of the habits of this bird. “At Canonmills Loch,
near Edinburgh, a pair (or sometimes two pairs) of water-hens
breed yearly, making their nest on the branches of some very large
_saughs_ (willow-trees, _Salix russeliana_) growing in my garden, and
overhanging the pond. One season (four or five years ago) finding
themselves persecuted by a tame heron, which watched and devoured
their first young brood (for we detected him in the act), they
formed their next nest more than _fifteen_ feet high on the trunk
of the willow-tree. There the eggs were hatched in safety, four or
five young being in due time seen sailing about with the old birds.
We had only one pair on the Loch last summer. How they descended to
the water can only be conjectured: they might have crept downwards
three or four feet, but they must at all events have fallen at once
from a height of not less than twelve feet. When the pond is frozen
over and covered with skaters, the water-hens enter the garden and
conceal themselves in an overgrown rock-work, subsisting on minced
flesh mixed with bread or potatoes, purposely laid down for them, and
on which I have often watched them feasting when the snow was lying
deep.”
THE LARGE-BILLED GUILLEMOT.
_URIA BRUNNICHII_, SABINE.
PLATE CCXLV. ADULT MALE.
I have never observed this bird on any part of the coast of our Middle
Districts, and, although I was told that it not unfrequently occurred
about the Bay of Boston, I failed in my endeavours to procure it there.
The specimen from which my figure was made was sent to me in ice, along
with several other rare birds, from Eastport in Maine. I received it
quite fresh and in excellent plumage, on the 18th of February 1833. It
had been shot along with several other individuals of the same species
while searching for food in the waters of Pasmaquody Bay, which were
then covered with broken ice. Its flight was described by Mr CURTIS,
who sent it to me, as similar to that of the Foolish Guillemot, with
which it associated. No other information was transmitted, excepting
that it dived and swam like the other species. I afterwards sent the
skin to my friend JOHN BACHMAN, in whose collection it remains.
No individuals of this species were observed by my party on our way
to Labrador; and as the Foolish Guillemot was abundant on the coast
of that country, I concluded that the Thick-billed Guillemots which
visit our eastern seas in winter, set out for the far north at an
earlier period than the others. I am indebted to Mr HEWITSON of
Newcastle, author of the “British Oology,” for a description of an
egg of this bird, which is in the valuable collection of the Messrs
HANCOCKS, who procured it from Greenland. It measures 3-1/8 inches in
length, by 2-1/8 at its broadest part, and is of a bluish-green colour,
streaked and spotted with black or very dark umber.
URIA BRUNNICHII, _Ch. Bonaparte_, Synops. of Birds of the United
States, p. 424.
URIA BRUNNICHII, BRUNNICH’S GUILLEMOT, _Swains. and
Richards._ Fauna Bor. Amer. part ii. p. 477.
LARGE-BILLED GUILLEMOT, _Nuttall_, Manual, vol. ii. p. 529.
Adult Male in winter. Plate CCXLV.
Bill shorter than the head, stout, tapering, compressed, acute. Upper
mandible with the dorsal line slightly curved, the ridge narrow,
broader at the base, the sides sloping, the edges sharp and inflected,
the tip a little decurved, with a slight notch. Nasal groove broad,
feathered; nostrils at its lower edge, subbasal, lateral, longitudinal,
linear, pervious. Lower mandible with the angle medial, narrow, the
dorsal line sloping upwards and straight, the back very narrow, the
sides nearly flat, the edges sharp and inflected.
Head large, oblong, depressed, narrowed before. Eyes of moderate size.
Neck short and thick. Body stout, rather depressed. Wings small. Feet
short, placed far behind; the greater part of the tibia concealed,
its lower portion bare; tarsus short, stout, compressed, anteriorly
sharp, and covered with a double row of scutella, the sides with
angular scales; toes of moderate length, the first wanting, the third
longest, the fourth longer than the second, all covered above with
numerous scutella, webbed, the lateral ones with small margins; claws
small, slightly arched, compressed, rather acute, that of the middle
toe largest, with a dilated inner edge.
Plumage dense, very soft, blended; on the head very short. Wings
rather short, narrow, acute; primary quills curved, tapering, the
second longest, the first slightly shorter, the rest rapidly graduated;
secondaries short, incurved, broad, rounded. Tail very short, rounded,
of twelve narrow feathers.
Bill black. Iris dark brown. Feet dusky, tinged with red. The general
colour of the plumage is greyish-black on the upper parts, those of
the head tinged with brown. The sides of the head and neck, its fore
part, the breast, abdomen, edges of the wings and the tips of the
secondaries, white; the sides shaded with greyish-black; a line of
the same behind the eye.
Length to end of tail 18-1/2 inches, to end of claws 21-1/2; extent of
wings 30; wing from flexure 8, tail 2-1/2; bill along the ridge 1-2/12,
along the edge of lower mandible 2; tarsus 1-4/12; middle toe 1-8/12,
its claw 5/12. Weight 2-1/4 lb.
PITTING OF WOLVES.
There seems to be a universal feeling of hostility among men against
the Wolf, whose strength, agility, and cunning, which latter is
scarcely inferior to that of his relative master Reynard, tend to
render him an object of hatred, especially to the husbandman, on whose
flocks he is ever apt to commit depredations. In America, where this
animal was formerly abundant, and in many parts of which it still
occurs in considerable numbers, it is not more mercifully dealt with
than in other parts of the world. Traps and snares of all sorts are
set for catching it, while dogs and horses are trained for hunting
the Fox. The Wolf, however, unless in some way injured, being more
powerful and perhaps better winded than the Fox, is rarely pursued with
hounds or any other dogs in open chase; but as his depredations are
at times extensive and highly injurious to the farmer, the greatest
exertions have been used to exterminate his race. Few instances have
occurred among us of any attack made by Wolves on man, and only one
has come under my own notice.
Two young Negroes who resided near the banks of the Ohio, in the
lower part of the State of Kentucky, about twenty-three years ago,
had sweethearts living on a plantation ten miles distant. After the
labours of the day were over, they frequently visited the fair ladies
of their choice, the nearest way to whose dwelling lay directly across
a great cane brake. As to the lover every moment is precious, they
usually took this route, to save time. Winter had commenced, cold,
dark, and forbidding, and after sunset scarcely a glimpse of light
or glow of warmth, one might imagine, could be found in that dreary
swamp, excepting in the eyes and bosoms of the ardent youths, or the
hungry Wolves that prowled about. The snow covered the earth, and
rendered them more easy to be scented from a distance by the famished
beasts. Prudent in a certain degree, the young lovers carried their
axes on their shoulders, and walked as briskly as the narrow path
would allow. Some transient glimpses of light now and then met their
eyes, but so faint were they that they believed them to be caused
by their faces coming in contact with the slender reeds covered with
snow. Suddenly, however, a long and frightful howl burst upon them,
and they instantly knew that it proceeded from a troop of hungry,
perhaps desperate Wolves. They stopped, and putting themselves in an
attitude of defence, awaited the result. All around was dark, save a
few feet of snow, and the silence of night was dismal. Nothing could
be done to better their situation, and after standing a few minutes in
expectation of an attack, they judged it best to resume their march;
but no sooner had they replaced their axes on their shoulders, and
begun to move, than the foremost found himself assailed by several
foes. His legs were held fast as if pressed by a powerful screw, and
the torture inflicted by the fangs of the ravenous animal was for
a moment excruciating. Several Wolves in the mean time sprung upon
the breast of the other Negro, and dragged him to the ground. Both
struggled manfully against their foes; but in a short time one of
them ceased to move, and the other, reduced in strength, and perhaps
despairing of maintaining his ground, still more of aiding his
unfortunate companion, sprung to the branch of a tree, and speedily
gained a place of safety near the top. The next morning, the mangled
remains of his comrade lay scattered around on the snow, which was
stained with blood. Three dead Wolves lay around, but the rest of the
pack had disappeared, and Scipio, sliding to the ground, took up the
axes, and made the best of his way home, to relate the sad adventure.
About two years after this occurrence, as I was travelling between
Henderson and Vincennes, I chanced to stop for the night at a farmer’s
house by the side of the road. After putting up my horse and refreshing
myself, I entered into conversation with mine host, who asked if I
should like to pay a visit to the wolf-pits, which were about half
a mile distant. Glad of the opportunity I accompanied him across the
fields to the neighbourhood of a deep wood, and soon saw the engines
of destruction. He had three pits, within a few hundred yards of each
other. They were about eight feet deep, and broader at bottom, so as
to render it impossible for the most active animal to escape from
them. The aperture was covered with a revolving platform of twigs,
attached to a central axis. On either surface of the platform was
fastened a large piece of putrid venison, with other matters by no
means pleasant to my olfactory nerves, although no doubt attractive
to the Wolves. My companion wished to visit them that evening, merely
as he was in the habit of doing so daily, for the purpose of seeing
that all was right. He said that Wolves were very abundant that
autumn, and had killed nearly the whole of his sheep and one of his
colts, but that he was now “paying them off in full;” and added that
if I would tarry a few hours with him next morning, he would beyond
a doubt shew me some sport rarely seen in those parts. We retired to
rest in due time, and were up with the dawn.
“I think,” said my host, “that all’s right, for I see the dogs are
anxious to get away to the pits, and although they are nothing but
curs, their noses are none the worse for that.” As he took up his
gun, an axe and a large knife, the dogs began to howl and bark, and
whisked around us, as if full of joy. When we reached the first pit,
we found the bait all gone, and the platform much injured; but the
animal that had been entrapped had scraped a subterranean passage
for himself and so escaped. On peeping into the next, he assured me
that “three famous fellows were safe enough” in it. I also peeped in
and saw the Wolves, two black, and the other brindled, all of goodly
size, sure enough. They lay flat on the earth, their ears laid close
over the head, their eyes indicating fear more than anger. “But how
are we to get them out?”—“How Sir,” said the farmer, “why by going
down to be sure, and ham-stringing them.” Being a novice in these
matters, I begged to be merely a looker-on. “With all my heart,” quoth
the farmer, “stand here, and look at me through the brush.” Whereupon
he glided down, taking with him his axe and knife, and leaving his
rifle to my care. I was not a little surprised to see the cowardice
of the Wolves. He pulled out successively their hind legs, and with
a side stroke of the knife cut the principal tendon above the joint,
exhibiting as little fear as if he had been marking lambs.
“Lo!” exclaimed the farmer, when he had got out, “we have forgot
the rope; I’ll go after it.” Off he went accordingly, with as much
alacrity as any youngster could shew. In a short time he returned
out of breath, and wiping his forehead with the back of his hand—“Now
for it.” I was desired to raise and hold the platform on its central
balance, whilst he, with all the dexterity of an Indian, threw a noose
over the neck of one of the Wolves. We hauled it up motionless with
fright, as if dead, its disabled legs swinging to and fro, its jaws
wide open, and the gurgle in its throat alone indicating that it was
alive. Letting him drop on the ground, the farmer loosened the rope
by means of a stick, and left him to the dogs, all of which set upon
him with great fury and soon worried him to death. The second was
dealt with in the same manner; but the third, which was probably the
oldest, as it was the blackest, shewed some spirit, the moment it was
left loose to the mercy of the curs. This Wolf, which we afterwards
found to be a female, scuffled along on its fore legs at a surprising
rate, giving a snap every now and then to the nearest dog, which went
off howling dismally with a mouthful of skin torn from its side. And
so well did the furious beast defend itself, that apprehensive of its
escape, the farmer levelled his rifle at it, and shot it through the
heart, on which the curs rushed upon it, and satiated their vengeance
on the destroyer of their master’s flock.
THE EIDER DUCK.
_FULIGULA MOLLISSIMA_, BONAP.
PLATE CCXLVI. MALE AND FEMALE.
The history of this remarkable duck must ever be looked upon with
great interest by the student of nature. The depressed form of its
body, the singular shape of its bill, the beautiful colouring of its
plumage, the value of its down as an article of commerce, and the
nature of its haunts, render it a very remarkable species. Considering
it as such, I shall endeavour to lay before you as full an account
of it as I have been able to obtain from my own observation.
The fact that the Eider Duck breeds on our eastern coasts, must be
interesting to the American Ornithologist, whose fauna possesses but
few birds of this family that do so. The Fuligulæ are distinguished
from all other ducks that feed in fresh or salt water, by the
comparative shortness of the neck, the greater expansion of their feet,
the more depressed form of their body, and their power of diving to a
considerable depth, in order to reach the beds on which their favourite
shelly food abounds. Their flight, too, differs from that of the true
ducks, inasmuch as it is performed nearer the surface of the water.
Rarely, indeed, do the Fuligulæ fly at any considerable height over
that element, and with the exception of three species, they are rarely
met with inland, unless when driven thither by storms. They differ,
moreover, in their propensity to breed in communities, and often at a
very small distance from each other. Lastly, they are in general more
ready to abandon their females, the moment incubation has commenced.
Thus the female is left in a state of double responsibility, which
she meets, however, with a courage equal to the occasion, although
alone and unprotected.
The Eider is now seldom seen farther south along our eastern coast
than the vicinity of New York. WILSON says they are occasionally
observed as far as the Capes of Delaware; but at the present day this
must be an extremely rare occurrence, for the fishermen of the Jerseys
informed me that they knew nothing of this duck. In WILSON’s time,
however, it bred in considerable numbers, from Boston to the Bay of
Fundy, and it is still to be met with on the rocky shores and islands
between these points. Farther to the eastward they become more and
more plentiful, until you reach Labrador, to which thousands of pairs
annually resort, to breed and spend the short summer. Many, however,
proceed much farther north; but, as usual, I will here confine myself
to my own observations.
In the latter part of October 1832, the Eiders were seen in
considerable numbers in the Bay of Boston. A large bagful of them was
brought to me by a fisherman-gunner in my employ, a person advanced in
years, formerly a brave tar, and one whom I feel some pride in telling
you I assisted in obtaining a small pension from our government, being
supported in my application by two of my Boston friends, the one the
generous GEORGE PARKMAN, M. D., the other that great statesman JOHN
QUINCEY ADAMS. The old man had once served under my father, and to
receive a bagful of Eider Ducks from him was a gratification which
you may more easily conceive than I can describe. Well, there were
the ducks, all turned out on the floor; young males still resembling
their mother, others of more advanced age, and several males and
females complete in all their parts, only that the bills of the
former had lost the orange tint, which that part exhibits during a
few weeks of the breeding season. Twenty-one there were in all, and
they had been killed in a single day by the veteran and his son. Those
masterly gunners told me, that to procure this species, they were in
the habit of anchoring their small vessel about fifty yards off the
rocky isles round which these birds harbour and feed at this season.
There, while the birds were passing on wing, although usually in long
lines, they could now and then kill two of them at a shot. Sometimes
the King Eider was also procured under similar circumstances, as the
two species are wont to associate together during winter. At Boston
the Eiders sold that winter at from fifty to seventy-five cents the
pair, and they are much sought after by Epicures.
On the 31st of May 1833, my son and party killed six Eiders on the
island of Grand Manan, off the Bay of Fundy, where the birds were
seen in considerable numbers, and were just beginning to breed. A
nest containing two eggs, but not a particle of down, was found at
a distance of more than fifty yards from the water.
Immediately after landing on the coast of Labrador, on the 18th of June
in the same year, we saw a great number of “Sea Ducks,” as the gunners
and fishermen on that coast, as well as on our own, call the Eiders
and some other species. On visiting an island in “Partridge Bay,” we
procured several females. The birds there paid little attention to
us, and some allowed us to approach within a few feet before they left
their nests, which were so numerous that a small boat-load might have
been collected, had the party been inclined. They were all placed amid
the short grass growing in the fissures of the rock, and therefore
in rows, as it were. The eggs were generally five or six, in several
instances eight, and in one ten. Not a male bird was to be seen. At
the first discharge of the guns, all the sitting birds flew off and
alighted in the sea, at a distance of about a hundred yards. They
then collected, splashed up the water, and washed themselves, until
the boat left the place. Many of the nests were unprovided with down;
some had more or less than others, and some, from which the female
was absent when the party landed, were quite covered with it, and
the eggs felt warm to the hand. The musquitoes and flies were there
as abundant and as tormenting as in any of the Florida swamps.
On the 24th of the same month, two male Eiders, much advanced in
the moult, were shot out of a flock all composed of individuals of
the same sex. While rambling over the moss-covered shores of a small
pond, on the 7th of July, we saw two females with their young on the
water. As we approached the edges, the old birds lowered their heads
and swam off with those parts lying flat on the surface, while the
young followed so close as almost to touch them. On firing at them
without shot, they all dived at once, but rose again in a moment,
the mothers quacking and murmuring. The young dived again, and we
saw no more of them; the old birds took to wing, and, flying over
the hills, made for the sea, from which we were fully a mile distant.
How their young were to reach it was at that time to me a riddle; but
was afterwards rendered intelligible, as you will see in the sequel.
On the 9th of July, while taking an evening walk, I saw flocks of
female Eiders without broods. They were in deep moult, kept close to
the shore in a bay, and were probably sterile birds. On my way back
to the vessel, the captain and I started a female from a broad flat
rock, more than a hundred yards from the water, and, on reaching
the spot, we found her nest, which was placed on the bare surface,
without a blade of grass within five yards of it. It was of the usual
bulky construction, and contained five eggs, deeply buried in down.
She flew round us until we retired, when we had the pleasure to see
her alight, walk to her nest, and compose herself upon it.
Large flocks of males kept apart, and frequented the distant sea
islands at this period, when scarcely any were able to fly to any
distance, although they swam about from one island to another with
great ease. Before their moulting had commenced, or fully a month
earlier, these male birds, we observed, flew in long lines from place
to place around the outermost islands every morning and evening,
thus securing themselves from their enemies, and roosted in numbers
close together on some particular rock difficult to be approached
by boats, where they remained during the short night. By the 1st of
August scarcely an Eider Duck was to be seen on the coast of Labrador.
The young were then able to fly, the old birds had nearly completed
their moult, and all were moving southward.
Having now afforded you some idea of the migrations and general habits
of this interesting bird from spring to the close of the short summer
of the desolate regions of Labrador, I proceed, with my journals
before me, and my memory refreshed by reading my notes, to furnish
you with such details as may perhaps induce you to study its habits
in other parts of the world.
The Eider Duck generally arrives on the coasts of Newfoundland and
Labrador about the 1st of May, nearly a fortnight before the waters of
the Gulf of St Lawrence are freed from ice. None are seen there during
winter, and their first appearance is looked upon with pleasure by
the few residents as an assurance of the commencement of the summer
season. At this period they are seen passing in long files not many
feet above the ice or the surface of the water, along the main shores,
and around the inner bays or islands, as if in search of the places
where they had formerly nestled, or where they had been hatched. All
the birds appear to be paired, and in perfect plumage. After a few
days, during which they rest themselves on the shores fronting the
south, most of them remove to the islands that border the coast, at
distances varying from half a mile to five or six miles. The rest seek
for places in which to form their nests, along the craggy shores,
or by the borders of the stunted fir woods not far from the water,
a few proceeding as far as about a mile into the interior. They are
now seen only in pairs, and they soon form their nests. I have never
had an opportunity of observing their courtships, nor have I received
any account of them worthy of particular notice.
In Labrador, the Eider Ducks begin to form their nests about the last
week of May. Some resort to islands scantily furnished with grass,
near the tufts of which they construct their nests; others form them
beneath the spreading boughs of the stunted firs, and in such places,
five, six, or even eight are sometimes found beneath a single bush.
Many are placed on the sheltered shelvings of rocks a few feet above
high-water mark, but none at any considerable elevation, at least none
of my party, including the sailors, found any in such a position. The
nest, which is sunk as much as possible into the ground, is formed
of sea-weeds, mosses, and dried twigs, so matted and interlaced
as to give an appearance of neatness to the central cavity, which
rarely exceeds seven inches in diameter. In the beginning of June
the eggs are deposited, the male attending upon the female the whole
time. The eggs, which are regularly placed on the moss and weeds of
the nest, without any down, are generally from five to seven, three
inches in length, two inches and one eighth in breadth, being thus
much larger than those of the domestic Duck, of a regular oval form,
smooth-shelled, and of a uniform pale olive green. I may here mention,
by the way, that they afford delicious eating. I have not been able
to ascertain the precise period of incubation. If the female is not
disturbed, or her eggs removed or destroyed, she lays only one set
in the season, and as soon as she begins to sit the male leaves her.
When the full complement of eggs has been laid, she begins to pluck
some down from the lower parts of her body; this operation is daily
continued for some time, until the roots of the feathers, as far
forward as she can reach, are quite bare, and as clean as a wood from
which the undergrowth has been cleared away. This down she disposes
beneath and around the eggs. When she leaves the nest to go in search
of food, she places it over the eggs, and in this manner, it may be
presumed to keep up their warmth, although it does not always ensure
their safety, for the Black-backed Gull is apt to remove the covering,
and suck or otherwise destroy the eggs.
No sooner are the young hatched than they are led to the water, even
when it is a mile distant, and the travelling difficult, both for
the parent bird and her brood; but when it happens that the nest has
been placed among rocks over the water, the Eider, like the Wood
Duck, carries the young in her bill to their favourite element. I
felt very anxious to find a nest placed over a soft bed of moss or
other plants, to see, whether, like the Wood Duck on such occasions,
the Eider would suffer her young ones to fall from the nest; but
unfortunately I had no opportunity of observing a case of this kind.
The care which the mother takes of her young for two or three weeks,
cannot be exceeded. She leads them gently in a close flock in shallow
waters, where, by diving, they procure food, and at times, when the
young are fatigued, and at some distance from the shore, she sinks
her body in the water, and receives them on her back, where they
remain several minutes. At the approach of their merciless enemy,
the Black-backed Gull, the mother beats the water with her wings,
as if intending to raise the spray around her, and on her uttering a
peculiar sound, the young dive in all directions, while she endeavours
to entice the marauder to follow her, by feigning lameness, or she
leaps out of the water and attacks her enemy, often so vigorously,
that, exhausted and disappointed, he is glad to fly off, on which she
alights near the rocks, among which she expects to find her brood,
and calls them to her side. Now and then I saw two females which had
formed an attachment to each other, as if for the purpose of more
effectually contributing to the safety of their young, and it was
very seldom that I saw these prudent mothers assailed by the gull.
The young, at the age of one week, are of a dark mouse colour,
thickly covered with soft warm down. Their feet at this period are
proportionally very large and strong. By the 20th of July they seemed
to be all hatched. They grew rapidly, and when about a fortnight old
were, with great difficulty, obtained, unless during stormy weather,
when they at times retired from the sea to shelter themselves under
the shelvings of the rocks at the head of shallow bays. It is by
no means difficult to rear them, provided proper care be taken of
them, and they soon become quite gentle and attached to the place
set apart for them. A fisherman of Eastport, who carried eight or
ten of them from Labrador, kept them several years in a yard close
to the water of the bay, to which, after they were grown, they daily
betook themselves, along with some common ducks, regularly returning
on shore towards evening. Several persons who had seen them, assured
me that they were as gentle as their associates, and although not
so active on land, were better swimmers, and moved more gracefully
on the water. They were kept until the male birds acquired their
perfect plumage and mated; but some gunners shot the greater number
of them one winter day, having taken them for wild birds, although
none of them could fly, they having been pinioned. I have no doubt
that if this valuable bird were domesticated, it would prove a great
acquisition, both on account of its feathers and down, and its flesh
as an article of food. I am persuaded that very little attention
would be necessary to effect this object. When in captivity, it feeds
on different kinds of grain and moistened corn-meal, and its flesh
becomes excellent. Indeed, the sterile females which we procured at
Labrador in considerable number, tasted as well as the mallard. The
males were tougher and more fishy, so that we rarely ate of them,
although the fishermen and settlers paid no regard to sex in this
matter.
When the female Eider is suddenly discovered on her nest, she takes to
wing at a single spring; but if she sees her enemy at some distance,
she walks off a few steps, and then flies away. If unseen by a person
coming near, as may often happen, when the nest is placed under the
boughs of the dwarf fir, she will remain on it, although she may hear
people talking. On such occasions my party frequently discovered the
nests by raising the pine branches, and were often as much startled
as the ducks themselves could be, as the latter instantly sprung past
them on wing, uttering a harsh cry. Now and then some were seen to
alight on the ground within fifteen or twenty yards, and walk as if
lame and broken-winged, crawling slowly away, to entice their enemies
to go in pursuit. Generally, however, they would fly to the sea, and
remain there in a large flock until their unwelcome visitors departed.
When pursued by a boat, with their brood around them, they allowed
us to come up to shooting distance, when, feigning decrepitude, they
would fly off, beating the water with partially extended wings, while
the young either dived or ran on the surface with wonderful speed,
for forty or fifty yards, then suddenly plunged, and seldom appeared
at the surface unless for a moment. The mothers always flew away
as soon as their brood dispersed, and then ended the chase. The cry
or note of the female is a hoarse rolling croak; that of the male I
never heard.
Should the females be robbed of their eggs, they immediately go off
in search of mates, whether their previous ones or not I cannot tell,
although I am inclined to think so. However this may be, the duck
in such a case soon meets with a drake, and may be seen returning
the same day with him to her nest. They swim, fly, and walk side by
side, and by the end of ten or twelve days the male takes his leave,
and rejoins his companions out at sea, while the female is found
sitting on a new set of eggs, seldom, however, exceeding four. But
this happens only at an early period of the season, for I observed
that as soon as the males had begun to moult, the females, whose nests
had been plundered, abandoned the place. One of the most remarkable
circumstances connected with these birds is, that the females with
broods are fully three weeks later in moulting than the males, whereas
those which do not breed begin to moult as early as they. This may
probably seem strange, but I became quite satisfied of the fact while
at Labrador, where, from the number which we procured in a state
of change, and the vast quantities every now and then in sight, our
opportunities of observing these birds in a perfectly natural state
were ample.
Some authors have said that the males keep watch near the females;
but, although this may be the case in countries such as Greenland
and Iceland, where the Eiders have been trained into a state of
semi-domestication, it certainly was not so in Labrador. Not a
single male did we there see near the females after incubation had
commenced, unless in the case mentioned above, when the latter had
been deprived of their eggs. The males invariably kept aloof and in
large flocks, sometimes of a hundred or more individuals, remaining
out at sea over large banks with from seven to ten fathoms of water,
and retiring at night to insular rocks. It seemed very wonderful
that in the long lines in which we saw them travelling, we did not
on any occasion discover among them a young bird, or one not in its
mature plumage. The young males, if they breed before they acquire
their full colouring, must either be by themselves at this period,
or with the barren females, which, as I have already said, separate
from those that are breeding. I am inclined to believe that the old
males commence their southward migration before the females or the
young, as none were to be seen for about a fortnight before the latter
started. In winter, when these Ducks are found on the Atlantic shores
of the United States, the males and females are intermingled; and at
the approach of spring the mated pairs travel in great flocks, though
disposed in lines, when you can distinctly see individuals of both
sexes alternating.
The flight of the Eider is firm, strong, and generally steady. They
propel themselves by constant beats of the wings, undulating their
lines according to the inequality of surface produced by the waves,
over which they pass at the height of a few yards, and rarely more
than a mile from the shores. Few fly across the Gulf of St Lawrence,
as they prefer following the coasts of Nova Scotia and Newfoundland,
to the eastern entrance of the straits of Belle Isle, beyond which
many proceed farther north, while others ascend that channel and
settle for the season along the shores of Labrador, as far up as
Partridge Bay, and still farther up the St Lawrence. Whilst on our
waters, or at their breeding grounds, the Eiders are not unfrequently
seen flying much higher than when travelling, but in that case they
seem to be acting with the intention of guarding against their enemy
man. The velocity of their flight has been ascertained to be about
eighty miles in the hour.
This species dives with great agility, and can remain a considerable
time under water, often going down in search of food to the depth of
eight or ten fathoms, or even more. When wounded, however, they soon
become fatigued in consequence of the exertion used in diving, and
may be overtaken by a well-manned boat in the course of half an hour
or so, as when fatigued they swim just below the surface, and may be
struck dead with an oar or a boat-hook.
Their food consists principally of shell-fish, the shells of which they
seem to have the power of breaking into pieces. In many individuals
which I opened, I found the entrails almost filled with small
fragments of shells mixed with other matter. Crustaceous animals and
their roe, as well as that of various fishes, I also found in their
stomach, along with pebbles sometimes as large as a hazel nut. The
œsophagus, which is in form like a bag, and is of a leathery firm
consistence, was often found distended with food, and usually emitted
a very disagreeable fishy odour. The gizzard is extremely large and
muscular. The trachea of the young male, so long as it remains in its
imperfect plumage, or for the first twelve months, does not resemble
that of the old male; but on this subject I intend to speak at length
on another occasion. The males do not obtain their full plumage until
the fourth winter. They at first resemble the mother, then gradually
become pie-bald, but not in less time than between two and three years.
The Eider Duck takes a heavy shot, and is more easily killed on wing
than while swimming. When on shore they mark your approach while you
are yet at a good distance, and fly off before you come within shot.
Sometimes you may surprise them while swimming below high rocks, and,
if you are expert, then shoot them; but when they have first seen
you, it is seldom that you can procure them, as they dive with extreme
agility. While at Great Macatina Harbour, we discovered a large basin
of water, communicating with the sea by a very narrow passage about
thirty yards across, and observed that at particular stages of the
tides the Eider Ducks entered and returned by it. By hiding ourselves
on both sides of this channel, we succeeded in killing a good number,
but rarely more than one at a shot, although sometimes we obtained
from a single file as many as we had of gun-barrels.
Excepting in a single nest, I found no down clean, it having been in
every other instance more or less mixed with small dry fir twigs and
bits of grass. When cleaned, the down of a nest rarely exceeds an
ounce in weight, although, from its great elasticity, it is so bulky
as to fill a hat, or if properly prepared even a larger space. The
eggers of Labrador usually collect it in considerable quantity, but
at the same time make such havock among the birds, that at no very
distant period the traffic must cease.
ANAS MOLLISSIMA, _Linn._ Syst. Nat. vol. i. p. 198.—_Lath._
Ind. Ornith. vol. ii. p. 845.
FULIGULA MOLLISSIMA, _Ch. Bonaparte_, Synops. of Birds of
the United States, p. 388.
SOMATERIA MOLLISSIMA, _Swains. and Richards._ Fauna Bor.
Amer. part ii. p. 448.
EIDER DUCK, _Nuttall_, Manual, vol. ii. p. 406.
Adult Male. Plate CCXLVI. Figs. 1. 1.
Bill about the length of the head, deeper than broad at the base,
somewhat depressed towards the end, which is broad and rounded. Upper
mandible with a soft tumid substance at the base, extending upon
the forehead, and deeply divided into two narrow rounded lobes, its
whole surface marked with divergent oblique lines, the dorsal outline
nearly straight and sloping to beyond the nostrils, then curved, the
ridge broad at the base, broadly convex towards the end, the edges
perpendicular, obtuse, with about fifty small lamellæ on the inner
side, the unguis very large, elliptical. Nostrils submedial, oblong,
large, pervious, nearer the ridge than the edge. Lower mandible
flattened, with the angle very long, rather narrow and rounded, the
dorsal line short and slightly convex, the edges with about sixty
lamellæ, the unguis very broad, elliptical.
Head very large. Eyes of moderate size. Neck of moderate length,
rather slender at its upper part. Body bulky and much depressed.
Wings rather small. Feet very short, strong, placed rather far behind;
tarsus very short, compressed, anteriorly having a series of scutella
in its whole length, and a partial series above the fourth toe, the
rest reticulated with angular scales. Hind toe small, with a free
membrane beneath; anterior toes double the length of the tarsus,
connected by reticulated membranes, having a sinus at their free
margins, the inner with a broad lobed marginal membrane, the outer
with a thickened edge; all obliquely scutellate above, the third and
fourth about equal and longest. Claws small, that of first toe very
small and curved, of middle toe largest, all rather depressed and
blunt.
Plumage short, dense, soft, blended. Feathers on the fore part of the
head extremely small; on the upper part very narrow, on the occiput
and upper and lateral parts of the neck hairlike, stiff and glossy.
Wings rather short, narrow, pointed; primary quills curved, strong,
tapering, the first longest, the second scarcely shorter, the rest
rapidly graduated; secondaries short, broad, rounded, the inner
elongated, tapering, and recurved. Tail very short, much rounded, of
sixteen narrow feathers.
Bill pale greyish-yellow, the unguis lighter, the soft tumid part pale
flesh-colour. Iris brown. Feet dingy light green, the webs dusky. Upper
part of the head bluish-black; the central part from the occiput to
the middle white. The hair-like feathers on the upper part and sides
of the neck are of a delicate pale green tint. The sides of the head,
the throat, and the neck, are white, the fore neck at its lower part
of a fine colour intermediate between buff and cream-colour. The rest
of the lower surface is brownish-black, as are the upper tail-coverts,
and the central part of the rump. The rest of the back, the scapulars,
smaller wing-coverts, and inner curved secondary quills, white, the
scapulars tinged with yellow. Secondary coverts and outer secondaries
brownish-black; primaries and tail-coverts greyish-brown.
Length to end of tail 25 inches, to end of wings 21-1/2, to end of claws
27; extent of wings 42; wing from flexure 11-1/2; tail 4-1/4; bill from
extremity of tumid part 2-10/12, from its notch 2-2/12, along the edge
of lower mandible 2-10/12; tarsus 1-3/4; middle toe 2-10/12, its claw
7/12. Weight in winter, 5 lb. 5-1/2 oz.; in breeding time 4 lb. 8-1/2
oz.
Adult Female. Plate CCXLVI. Fig. 2.
The Female differs greatly from the Male. The bill is shorter, its
tumid basal part much less and narrower. The feathers of the head and
upper part of the neck are very small, soft, and uniform; the scapulars
and inner secondaries are not elongated, as in the male. Bill pale
greyish-green; iris and feet as in the male. The head and neck all
round light brownish-red with small lines of brownish-black. Lower part
of neck all round, the whole upper surface, the sides, and the lower
tail-coverts of the same colours, but there the brownish-black markings
are broad. Secondary quills and larger coverts greyish-brown, tipped
with white, primaries brownish-black; tail-feathers greyish-brown.
Breast and abdomen greyish-brown, obscurely mottled.
Length to end of tail 24 inches, to end of wings 20-1/2, to end of claws
27; extent of wings 39; wing from flexure 11-1/4; tail 4; bill 3-7/12;
tarsus 1-3/4; middle toe 2-7/12, its claw (5-1/2)/12. Weight in winter
4 lb. 4-1/2 oz.; in breeding time 3 lb. 12 oz.
The down of the female is light grey; that of the male on the white
parts is pure white, on the dark, greyish-white.
I have represented three of these birds in a state of irritation. A
mated pair, having a few eggs already laid, have been approached by
a single male, and are in the act of driving off the intruder, who,
to facilitate his retreat, is lashing his antagonists with his wings.
THE VELVET DUCK.
_FULIGULA FUSCA_, BONAP.
PLATE CCXLVII. MALE AND FEMALE.
The Velvet Duck arrives from the north along the shores of the Middle
States, about the first of September, and extends to a greater or
less distance southward, according to the state of the weather,
often proceeding as far as Georgia. The Bay of Chesapeake and all the
estuaries to the eastward are amply furnished with it, and there it
is usually seen in company with the American Scoter, the Golden-eyed
Duck, and some other species. It very rarely enters fresh waters
during its stay on our coast, and is with great propriety called a
Sea Duck. My friend THOMAS NUTTALL mentions that some, which probably
were young birds, had been seen in Fresh Pond near Cambridge in
Massachusetts. This is the only case of the kind that I have heard
of, although these birds breed in fresh water lakes and in rivers,
in which they remain at the season of reproduction about two months.
In the beginning of April, the Velvet Ducks, which are gregarious,
collect in large flocks, for the purpose of removing to their northern
breeding places, and as they fly steadily onwards, you may see
thousands passing at short distances from the shores, and forming
an almost continuous line, each flock composed of twenty or thirty
individuals, which fly low and irregularly, ranged in an angular
form. While on the Bay of Fundy, I went with my party to a projecting
cape, round which these birds passed during our stay, from daylight
until evening. When it blows hard from the sea, the Ducks come near
to the shore, and afford abundant opportunities to such sportsmen as
are fond of shooting them.
As we approached the shores of Labrador, we found the waters covered
with dense flocks of these birds, and yet they continued to arrive
there from the St Lawrence for several days in succession. We were
all astonished at their numbers, which were such that we could not
help imagining that all the Velvet Ducks in the world were passing
before us. This was about the middle of June, which I thought late
for them, but the season had been tardy, and the fishermen informed
us, that when the weather is warmer, these birds pass a fortnight
earlier. The greater number merely appear for a few days on their
way farther north, but some remain to breed on the southern coast of
Labrador. Thousands of sterile individuals, however, spend the summer
on the Bay of Fundy.
During the breeding season, the Velvet Duck resembles the Eider in
its habits, only that it prefers fresh water, which is rarely the case
with the other species. The males leave the females after incubation
has commenced. Those which breed at Labrador begin to form their nests
from the 1st to the 10th of June, and on the 28th of July I caught
some young ones several days old. The nests are placed within a few
feet of the borders of small lakes, a mile or two distant from the
sea, and usually under the low boughs of the bushes, of the twigs
of which, with mosses and various plants matted together, they are
formed. They are large and almost flat, several inches thick, with
some feathers of the female, but no down, under the eggs, which are
usually six in number, intermediate in size between those of the Eider
and King Ducks, measuring an inch and three quarters in length, one
and seven-eighths in breadth, of a uniform pale cream colour tinged
with green, not pure white as stated by some authors. On the 28th of
July I procured five young ones out of a brood of six, among which,
although to appearance scarcely a week old, I could readily distinguish
the males from the females as they swam on the little pond around
their mother, the former having already a white spot under the eye.
The down with which they were covered was rather stiff and hair-like,
of a black colour, excepting under the chin, where there was a small
patch of white. They swam with great ease, and when we drove them
into a narrow place for the purpose of catching them, they several
times turned upon us and dived with the view of getting back to the
middle of the pond, so that at last we found it necessary to shoot
them. Only one escaped ashore, which my young friend THOMAS LINCOLN
caught, but afterwards restored to its mother, which continued on
the pond, manifesting the greatest anxiety, and calling to her brood
all the while with short squeaking notes, by no means unpleasant to
the ear. On being shot at, she flew off to another pond, but soon
returned. Her plumage was rusty and ragged, but the wings seemed to
be complete, as she flew with great ease, springing at once from the
water.
Mr JONES of Bras d’Or assured me, that either that individual or
another of the same species, had bred on the same pond for six or
seven years in succession, and that he had looked at the nest and
observed her manners when leading about the young, which he said
did not leave the pond until they were able to fly. That year, 1833,
she and her mate had arrived nearly a month later than usual. This
accounted for the small size of the young, which he was sorry to see
dead; and here let me say that Mr JONES, who is not only a good-hearted
and benevolent man, but also fond of observing nature, was the first
person I met with who could give me any rational account of the ducks
which bred in his vicinity.
A few of the Velvet Ducks breed on the Island of Grand Manan, and in
other places about the Bay of Fundy, but rarely farther south, and
the number that remain in Labrador is comparatively small, as we did
not observe there more than six or seven broods. They generally leave
that part of the coast about the middle of August; but that season
they were still seen after the Eider Ducks had departed, which makes
me think that they require more warmth than these birds before they
begin to lay their eggs. Captain JAMES CLARK ROSS, of the British Royal
Navy, a gentleman, besides his professional merits, distinguished
for his love of science, informed me that none of these birds were
observed on either of his Arctic voyages. The extreme limits of their
migrations remain unknown. I have already related the manner in which
this and several other species are caught by the Indians in the Bay
of Fundy, and therefore it is unnecessary that I should repeat it
here, as you will find it at p. 487. of Vol. II.
The flight of the Velvet Duck is strong and sustained, although it
usually flies low; yet when pursued, or at the sight of gunners in a
boat, it often rises to the height of forty or fifty yards, describes
elegant curved lines as it passes and repasses, and thus continues
to fly until danger is no longer apprehended. Its movements in the
air are performed by continued flappings, and when on wing the white
of the wings is beautifully contrasted with the dark hue of the rest
of its plumage. It dives with as much agility as the Eider or the
American Scoter, and, when wounded, is equally difficult to be caught,
nor can it be killed with certainty without a heavy shot.
The Velvet Ducks enter the bays and estuaries to a greater distance
than the Eiders. On land they move with more difficulty than those
birds, and keep themselves in a more erect attitude, like that in
which I have endeavoured to represent the male in the plate. They
swim with more buoyancy than the Eiders, but at times seem to rise
from the water with considerable difficulty. Their food consists
of shell-fish and crustacea, as well as sea-weeds, small fish, and
spawn. Their flesh is extremely dark, tastes of fish, and is very
unpalatable, although I have seen persons of great judgment in matters
of this kind not only eat it with avidity, but praise it as highly as
if it were equal to the most tender and juicy venison. They are sold
in abundance in our eastern markets and those of the Middle States,
at from fifty cents to a dollar the pair.
This species is, in my opinion, very closely allied to the Eider,
in so much that I frequently call it the Black King-Duck. Along
our coasts it commonly receives the name of White-winged Coot. The
female is smaller than the male. The young much resemble the female
during the first year. The white spots of the head, however, are
apparent, although mottled with dusky, and their feet now shew some
of the redness of those of the old males; but I am unable to say with
certainty at what age they attain their full summer plumage, and the
rich colouring of the bill. The Gizzard, which is not so large as
that of the Eider, is of a yellow colour; the gut very large, tough,
and strong, about eight feet in length.
ANAS FUSCA, _Linn._ Syst. Nat. vol. i. p. 196.—_Lath._ Ind.
Ornith. vol. ii. p. 43.
FULIGULA FUSCA, _Ch. Bonaparte_, Synops. of Birds of the
United States, p. 390.
OIDEMIA FUSCA, _Swains. and Richards._ Fauna Bor. Amer.
part ii. p. 449.
VELVET DUCK, ANAS FUSCA, _Wils._ Amer. Ornith. vol. viii.
p. 137. pl. 92. fig. 3.
VELVET DUCK, _Nuttall_, Manual, vol. ii. p. 419.
Adult Male. Plate CCXLVII. Fig. 1.
Bill about the length of the head, very broad, as deep as broad at the
base, depressed and flattened towards the end, which is rounded. Upper
mandible with a short abrupt prominence at the base, its dorsal line
on the prominence straight, at its fore edge abruptly sloping, then
slightly concave, and at the end curved, the ridge on the prominence
very broad and nearly flat, towards the end broadly convex, the sides
convex, the edges obtuse with about thirty lamellæ, the unguis very
large, and elliptical. Nostrils subbasal, elliptical, very large,
pervious, nearer the ridge than the edge, and placed on the lower
side of the basal prominence. Lower mandible flat, with the angle
long, rather narrow, rounded, the dorsal line slightly convex, the
edges with about twenty-five lamellæ, the unguis nearly circular and
very large.
Head large. Eyes rather small. Neck of moderate length, thick. Body
large, and much depressed. Wings rather small. Feet very short, placed
rather far behind; tarsus very short, compressed, having anteriorly
in its whole length a series of small scutella, and above the outer
toe a partial series, the rest covered with reticular angular scales.
Hind toe small, with a free membrane beneath; anterior toes double
the length of the tarsus, united by reticulated membranes having a
sinus on their free margins, the inner with a lobed marginal membrane,
the outer with a thick edge, the third and fourth about equal and
longest. Claws small, that of first toe very small and curved, of
middle toe largest, with a dilated inner edge, of the rest slender,
all obtuse.
Plumage dense, soft, blended. Feathers on the fore part of the head
extremely small, on the neck velvety. Wings rather short, narrow,
pointed; primary quills curved, strong, tapering and pointed, the first
longest, the second very little shorter, the rest rapidly graduated;
secondary broad and rounded, the inner elongated and tapering. Tail
very short, narrow, wedge shaped, of fourteen stiff narrow feathers.
Basal prominence and sides of the bill black, the sides towards the
end bright red, the unguis flesh-colour, with a black line on each
side. Iris bright yellow. Feet carmine on the outer side, orange-red on
the inner, the webs greyish-black. The general colour of the plumage
is brownish-black, on the upper parts glossed with blue, lighter on
the lower. The outer secondary quills are white, and there is a spot
of the same under the eye.
Length to end of tail 22 inches, to end of wings 19-1/4, to end of
claws 24-1/2; extent of wings 39; wing from flexure 12; tail 3-1/2;
bill 1-8/12, along the edge of lower mandible 2-7/12; tarsus 1-11/12;
middle toe 3, its claw 5/12. Weight 3 lb. 10 oz.
Adult Female. Plate CCXLVII. Fig. 2.
In the Female the basal prominence of the bill is much less elevated,
and the colour of the whole bill is dusky. The iris and feet are as
in the Male, but of duller tints. The general colour of the plumage
is a sooty brown, the breast and abdomen lighter. There are two
whitish spots on each side of the head, one near the base of the
upper mandible, the other behind the eye; the outer secondary quills
are white as in the Male.
Length to end of tail 22 inches, to end of wings 18, to end of claws
25-1/2; extent of wings 38; wing from flexure 11-1/4; tail 3-1/2; bill
1-7/12, along the edge of lower mandible 2-7/12; tarsus 1-3/4; middle
toe 2-10/12, its claw 5/12. Weight 3 lb. 3 oz.
The down of this species is similar to that of the Eider Duck, and
apparently of equal quality.
THE PIED-BILLED DOBCHICK.
_PODICEPS CAROLINENSIS_, LATH.
PLATE CCXLVIII. MALE AND FEMALE.
There go the little Dobchicks, among the tall rashes and aquatic
grasses that border the marsh. They have seen me, and now I watch
them as they sink gently backwards into the deep water, in the manner
of frightened frogs. Cunning things! “Water-witches,” as they call
you, I clearly see your bills, although you have withdrawn all of you
save those parts, and sneak off towards yon great bunch of bulrushes.
Well, speed on, and may safety attend you! Nature has granted you
means of eluding your enemies, and I am heartily glad to see that you
have profited by her instructions. I know you can fly too. How happy
must you be, to be thus enabled to migrate through the air, instead
of being obliged to labour for months with your curiously scolloped
feet, in removing from one country to another, as _authors_ say you do.
Ah! you have reached a small secluded pool, where you intend to breed
in peace and security; there you are, collecting rushes and weeds to
form a large matted bed, on which you intend to deposit your pearly
eggs. Labour on, mind me not, I am a true friend and admirer of your
race. I see that among these plants you have fixed your tenement, in
which there will soon be five eggs, which, although tinged with green,
will look as if pure white. I wish I knew how many days of constant
heat from your bodies it will require to hatch them. Some other time
perhaps you may tell me. Miniatures of yourselves I now see swimming
gaily, skipping, springing, gliding, dipping, just like yourselves.
So, you snatch the crawling bug, and gorge yourselves with leeches,
fish, and herbage. How fast your young ones grow, changing from downy
to hairy, and again to feathery and silky. On winglets they now cross
the clear pool, and crawl on the opposite shore, there enjoying the
warmth of the bright sunbeams. September has come; plump and strong
seven of you there are; the evening is calm and beautiful; you spread
out your wings, reach with some difficulty a proper height, and swift
as meteors glide through the air, until, meeting with warmer waters,
you alight on them, and there remain for a season.
The Pied-billed Dobchick may be met with in almost every part of the
United States, at one season or other: in the south and west during
autumn and winter, in the east and north-west in spring and summer,
mostly on fresh waters of all descriptions, yet when these are covered
with ice, on bays and estuaries, where it searches for shrimps and
fry, although under other circumstances such haunts are not congenial
to it. It is found in New Brunswick and Nova Scotia, but I did not
meet with it in Labrador or Newfoundland.
I had the good fortune, on the 28th of June, to stumble upon a nest
of this bird near the banks of the Wabash river, above Vincennes.
It was large for the bird, raised several inches above the muddy and
reedy shores of a pond, only a few feet from the water, and composed
of decayed weeds, rushes, and earth. On being discovered, the sitting
bird slid over the mud, along a path that led directly to the water, in
which it immediately dived, and I saw no more of it for about twenty
minutes. The eggs, which were five, measured an inch and a quarter,
by seven and a half-eighths, were smooth, rather rounded, and of a
light greenish-white colour. On breaking one of them, I found it to
contain a chick considerably advanced, which induced me to leave the
rest untouched, and before I departed I saw the bird, which I believed
to be the female, swimming low at a distance. I watched it for some
time, but could not discover another, and walked away to allow it to
resume its occupation. The nest was fixed among the stalks of strong
reeds, but was not attached to any of them. In the month of August,
while on the Cayuga lakes, I saw one of these birds with a brood of
young about half grown, but could not obtain a single specimen, as
they dived with extreme quickness, and eluded all pursuit.
Few birds plunge with more rapidity than this species, which, during
submersion, employs its wings, as I had an opportunity of observing
while some were passing under a boat when I was in pursuit of them. On
the water it is almost impossible to catch them, unless they have been
injured in the wing, when they are unable to dive without difficulty.
The curious habit which they have of sinking gradually backward in
the water, at the sight of an enemy, is very pleasing to observe. Not
a ripple do they leave on the spot where they have disappeared, and
one unacquainted with them can hardly conceive that a bird could have
escaped in so dexterous a manner. My friend THOMAS MACCULLOCH gave me
an account of one which, having been observed on a small mill-dam,
was pursued by the miller’s sons, who, after chasing it fully an
hour, could not even drive it on shore. Their father, however, who
was as anxious as themselves to see the curious creature, drained
the pond, when the little thing was seen crawling over the mud in a
manner not unlike that of a turtle. It was now easily caught, as it
was not able to rise on wing, the species, it seems, being incapable
of springing from the ground, and was afterwards given to my young
friend, who presented it beautifully prepared to me.
While I was at Philadelphia, my learned and staunch friend Dr RICHARD
HARLAN, received two Pied-billed Grebes alive, which had been caught
in a fishing-net on Brandy wine Creek. We placed them in a large tub
of water, where we could see all their subaqueous movements. They
swam round the sides of the tub in the manner of the Puffin, moving
their wings in accordance with their feet, and continued so a much
longer time than one could suppose it possible for them to remain
under water, coming up to breathe, and plunging again with astonishing
celerity. When placed on the carpet, they ran awkwardly half erect,
for a distance of a few feet, tumbled over, and scrambled along with
the aid of their wings. Nothing could induce them to eat, and after
a day or two of captivity, the little creatures were taken to the
Delaware, and set at liberty.
This bird retires to rest on the floating beds of rushes met with
in ponds, or on the edges of the shores; and in such places you may
see it sitting upright, and dressing its plumage in the sunshine.
They are extremely unwilling to rise on wing, unless during their
migrations, or when chasing each other at the pairing season, which
commences in March, when they manifest a good deal of pugnacity. On
such occasions, the males fly, dive, and rise again on wing, in the
manner of the Foolish Guillemot. While travelling, they pass rapidly
through the air, at times at a considerable elevation, when the
movements of their wings produce a sound like that of a hawk stooping
on its prey. They are seldom found in parties of more than six or
seven. The idea of their migrating by water is quite absurd. How long
would it take a Dobchick to swim from the mouths of the Mississippi
to the head waters of the Ohio; and when arrived there, after six or
seven weeks of constant paddling, how is he to proceed farther? Yet
it is well known that they breed farther north, and are general on
the southern waters early in October.
The food of the Pied-billed Dobchick consists of small fry, plants,
seeds, aquatic insects, and snails; along with which they swallow
gravel. On opening several individuals, in different parts of the
Union, I observed in their gizzards a quantity of hair and feather-like
substance, for which I could not account, but which I at length found
to be the down of certain plants, such as thistles, the seeds remaining
undigested and attached to it. My friend THOMAS MACCULLOCH made the
same observation on examining some at Pictou in Nova Scotia, and I
have found similar substances in the stomach of many individuals of
_Podiceps cristatus_.
The Pied-billed Bobchicks seem to form particular attachments to
certain ponds or small lakes, where, until they are closed by ice,
you may always observe a pair or a family. Opposite Henderson I
regularly saw a couple every autumn, and my friend the Reverend JOHN
BACHMAN has observed a group of them for many winters in a small pond
a few miles distant from Charleston. They seem to have a dislike to
swift-running streams, and when on them keep to the eddies along the
shores. The curious double pectination on the hind part of their tarsi,
seems to aid them greatly while sitting upright on the broad leaves
of water-lilies, on the surface of which I have observed indented
impressions after the birds had plunged into the water from them. The
young differ in colour from the adult, but the old males and females
resemble each other, only the former are larger.
PODICEPS CAROLINENSIS, _Lath._ Ind. Ornith. vol. ii. p.
785.—_Ch. Bonaparte_, Synops. of Birds of the United States,
p. 418.—_Swains. and Richards._ Fauna Bor. Amer. part ii.
p. 412.
PIED-BILL DOBCHICK, _Nuttall_, Manual, vol. ii. p. 259.
Adult Male. Plate CCXLVIII. Fig. 1.
Bill shorter than the head, stout, deep, compressed, tapering. Upper
mandible with the dorsal line nearly straight at the base, curved
towards the end, the ridge slightly flattened for a short space at the
base, narrow in the rest of its extent, the sides convex towards the
end, the edges sharp, inflected, the tip obtuse, a little decurved.
Nasal groove broad, and extending beyond the middle of the mandible;
nostrils elliptical, lateral, sub-medial, pervious. Lower mandible
with the angle long and narrow, the sides nearly erect, but convex,
the dorsal line very short and sloping upwards, the edges inflected,
the tips narrow, the gape-line nearly straight.
Head rather small, oblong, compressed; neck rather long; body
depressed. Feet placed far behind, short, stout; tibia bare for a very
short space below; tarsus short, much compressed, thin before and
behind, anteriorly scutellate, on the sides with large scutelliform
scales, posteriorly rough, with a double row of very small scales.
Hind toe very small and situated high; fourth toe longest, third a
little shorter, second much shorter; anterior toes connected by webs,
which beyond the second joint are slit and rounded, the outer edges
of the second and fourth furnished with broad lobed membranes; the
lobes are marked with parallel grooves, directed a little forwards.
Claws of fore toes depressed, that of middle toe resembling a human
nail.
Plumage blended, on the forehead with stiff enlarged shafts, as in
the Rails, on the back shining and rather hard, as well as on the
lower part of the neck anteriorly and laterally, on the rest of the
lower parts glossy and hair-like. Wings very small; primary quills
curved, the second longest, first slightly shorter, third longer than
first; secondary short, broad, rounded, the inner elongated and more
tapering. Tail a slight tuft of loose feathers.
Bill pale blue, upper mandible dusky along the ridge, and with
the lower having a black spot beyond the middle. Iris brown. Feet
greyish-black. Upper part of the head and the throat black; neck
and sides of the head light greyish-brown, the stiff edges of the
feathers on the lower part and sides of the neck greyish-yellow; back
brownish-black, as are the inner secondaries; the outer light brown,
with a reddish-white spot on the end of the inner web; primaries light
brown, dusky at the end. The breast is silvery white, the abdomen
brownish-grey, and the sides mottled with the same.
Length to end of tail 14 inches, to end of wings 12, to end of claws
18; extent of wings 23: wing from flexure 4-10/12; bill along the
ridge 10/12; along the edge of lower mandible 1-4/12; tarsus 1-5/12;
middle toe 2, its claw 4/12. Weight 15 oz.
Adult Female. Plate CCXLVIII. Fig. 2.
The Female wants the black band on the bill; but is in other respects
nearly similar to the male. Weight 13 oz.
THE TUFTED PUFFIN.
_MORMON CIRRHATUS_, TEMM.
PLATE CCXLIX. MALE.
The specimen from which I drew the figure of this singular looking
bird, was procured at the mouth of the Kennebeck River, in Maine.
It was shot by a fisherman gunner, while standing on some floating
ice, in the winter of 1831-32. No other individual was seen. I could
not obtain any information respecting its habits; but as the bird
was in tolerable order, I hope that my figures of it will prove not
unacceptable. It was a male, and appeared to be adult. My friend, the
Prince of Musignano, mentions this species as being an inhabitant
of the seas between North America and Kamtschatka, being, he adds,
often found on the western coasts of the United States in winter.
ALCA CIRRHATA, _Lath._ Ind. Ornith. vol. ii. p. 791.
MORMON CIRRHATUS, _Ch. Bonaparte_, Synops. of Birds of the
United States, p. 429.
TUFTED MORMON OR PUFFIN, _Nuttall_, Manual, vol. ii. p. 539.
Adult Male. Plate CCXLIX. Fig. 1, 2.
Bill about the length of the head, nearly as high as long, extremely
compressed, at the base as high as the head, furrowed on the sides.
Upper mandible with a horny rim along the basal margin, its dorsal
line convex to the middle, or along the extent of a long, narrow,
rounded dorsal prominence, which extends from the base to the first
groove, afterwards curved in the fourth of a circle, the ridge narrow,
in its basal half rounded, narrower and rather sharp towards the end,
the sides slightly convex, and marked with four curved transverse
grooves, between the nostril and the tip, the edges rather blunt,
nearly straight until close to the decurved, narrow, obtuse tip.
The basal rim is scrobiculate, the rest of the mandible smooth. The
nostrils are linear, direct, close to the edge, and near the base.
Lower mandible with the angle extremely short and narrow, the dorsal
line nearly straight and ascending, the sides slightly concave, without
grooves, the ridge narrow but convex, the tip very narrow, obliquely
truncate. The gape extends downwards a little beyond the base of the
bill, and is furnished with a soft corrugated extensible membrane.
Head large, oblong, anteriorly compressed; eye of moderate size,
with the edges of the eyelids bare; neck short and thick; body full
and rounded. Feet short, rather stout; tibia bare for a short space
above the joint; tarsus very short, anteriorly with a series of small
scutella, the rest with small roundish scales. Hind toe wanting; toes
of moderate length, rather slender, scutellate above, connected by
reticulated entire membranes, the third toe longest, the fourth little
shorter, the second considerably shorter, with a narrow marginal web.
Claws strong, of moderate length, compressed, arched, that of the
inner toe much curved, of the middle toe with a thin inner edge.
Plumage close, blended, soft, very short on the head, where, however,
along a line over and behind the eye, there is on each side a tuft of
long, very slender, acute incurved feathers, of a shining hair-like
texture. Wings rather short, curved, narrow, acute; primary quills
narrow, incurved, first longest, second slightly shorter, the rest
rapidly graduated; secondaries very short, small and rounded. Tail
very short, slightly rounded, of sixteen narrow rounded decurved
feathers.
Bill light yellowish-red, the basal rim and the ridge towards the end
of the upper mandible bright red, as is the edge of the eyelids. Iris
light blue. Feet bright red; webs of a deeper tint; claws black. Sides
of the head white; upper part brownish-black; the elongated feathers
behind the eye pale yellow. The general colour of the upper parts is
brownish-black, glossed with blue, of the lower deep purplish-brown.
Length to end of tail 15 inches, to end of wings 14, to end of claws
14; extent of wings 22-1/2; wing from flexure 8-4/12; tail 2-1/4; bill
along the ridge 2-3/4, along the edge of lower mandible 1-11/12; tarsus
1-5/12; middle toe 1-10/12, its claw 7/12.
THE ARCTIC TERN.
_STERNA ARCTICA_, TEMM.
PLATE CCL. MALE.
Light as a sylph, the Arctic Tern dances through the air above and
around you. The graces, one might imagine, had taught it to perform
those beautiful gambols which you see it display the moment you
approach the spot which it has chosen for its nest. Over many a league
of ocean has it passed, regardless of the dangers and difficulties that
might deter a more considerate traveller. Now over some solitary green
isle, a creek or an extensive bay, it sweeps, now over the expanse
of the boundless sea; at length it has reached the distant regions
of the north, and amidst the floating icebergs stoops to pick up a
shrimp. It betakes itself to the borders of a lonely sand-bank, or a
low rocky island; there side by side the males and the females alight,
and congratulate each other on the happy termination of their long
journey. Little care is required to form a cradle for their progeny;
in a short time the variegated eggs are deposited, the little Terns
soon burst the shell, and in a few days hobble towards the edge of
the water, as if to save their fond parents trouble; feathers now
sprout on their wings, and gradually invest their whole body; the
young birds at length rise on wing, and follow their friends to sea.
But now the brief summer of the north is ended, dark clouds obscure
the sun, a snow-storm advances from the polar lands, and before it
skim the buoyant Terns, rejoicing at the prospect of returning to
the southern regions.
The day after our arrival at the Magdaleine Islands, the weather was
beautiful, although a stiff breeze blew from the south-west. I landed
with my party at an early hour, and we felt as if at a half-way house
on our journey from Nova Scotia to Labrador. Some of us ascended
the more elevated parts of those interesting islands, while others
walked along the shores. A clean sand-beach lay before us, and we
proceeded over it, until having reached a kind of peninsula, we were
brought to a stand. The Piping Plover ran and flew swiftly before
us, emitting its soft and mellow notes, while some dozens of Arctic
Terns were plunging into the waters, capturing a tiny fish or shrimp
at every dash. Until that moment this Tern had not been familiar to
me, and as I admired its easy and graceful motions, I felt agitated
with a desire to possess it. Our guns were accordingly charged with
mustard-seed shot, and one after another you might have seen the gentle
birds come whirling down upon the waters. But previous to this I had
marked their mode of flight, their manner of procuring their prey, and
their notes, that I might be able to finish the picture from life.
Alas, poor things! how well do I remember the pain it gave me, to
be thus obliged to pass and execute sentence upon them. At that very
moment I thought of those long-past times, when individuals of my own
species were similarly treated; but I excused myself with the plea
of necessity, as I recharged my double gun. As soon as a sufficient
number of males and females lay dead at our feet, we retired from
the water’s edge, to watch the motions of the survivors, among whom
confusion and dismay prevailed, as they dashed close over our heads,
and vociferated their maledictions. We did not, however, depart until
we had tried a curious experiment for the third time. A female had
been shot, and lay dead on the water for a considerable while. Her
mate, whom I was unwilling to destroy, alighted upon her, and attempted
to caress her, as if she had been alive. The same circumstance took
place three different times, on our throwing the dead bird on the
water. Something of the same nature I have related in my article on
the Wild Turkey. All this happened in the month of June 1833, when
none of the Arctic Terns had yet produced eggs, although we found
them nearly ready to lay, as were the Piping Plovers.
Our schooner now sailed onward, and carried us to the dreary shores
of Labrador. There, after some search, we met with a great flock of
Arctic Terns breeding on a small island slightly elevated above the
sea. Myriads of these birds were there sitting on their eggs. The
individuals were older than those which we had seen on the Magdeleine
Islands; for the more advanced in life the individuals of any species
are, the more anxious are they to reproduce, the sooner do they proceed
to their summer residence, and the more extensive is the range of their
migration northward. On the other hand, the younger the bird is, the
farther south it removes during winter, both because it thus enjoys
a milder climate, and requires less exertion in procuring its food;
whereas the older individuals not only have a stronger constitution,
but are more expert in discovering and securing their prey, so that
it is not necessary for them to extend their journey so far.
The Arctic Tern is found with us on the eastern coasts of the
United States only, where it appears, from the shores of New Jersey
northwards, in autumn, and whence it departs in early spring. No
sooner have the winter tempests subsided, than it is observed gliding
along the coast, together with many other birds. In the beginning
of March, you see it following the sinuosities of the shores, some
passing directly from the Sable Islands off the Bay of Fundy and
Newfoundland into Baffin’s Bay; others, younger, and unwilling to
encounter the perils of a more extended flight, passing up the Gulf
of St Lawrence, either through the Straits of Cansso, or the broader
channel between Cape Breton and Newfoundland, and betaking themselves
to the Magdaleine Islands and the coasts of Labrador.
While at American Harbour in June 1833, my son and some of his
companions met with a low rocky island, on which hundreds of these
Terns had deposited their eggs. No other species was seen there; the
birds were mostly sitting, and, on the landing of the party, they all
rose as if in the greatest consternation, hovered over their heads,
and left their eggs to the mercy of the intruders who carried off a
basketful of them, with a few of the birds themselves.
On the 18th of the same month, the Arctic Terns were found breeding
on another island in considerable numbers; many dozens of their eggs
were gathered, and delicious food indeed they proved to be. The full
number of their eggs is three, but as it was early in the season many
had only two. Their average dimensions were an inch and a quarter
in length, and five-eighths in their greatest breadth; they were
oval, but rather sharp at the smaller ends; their ground-colour a
light-olive, irregularly covered with patches of dark umber, larger
towards the round end. They were deposited on the rocks wherever there
was any grass, but no nest had been formed for their reception. They
differed extremely in their colour, indeed quite as much as those of
the Sandwich Tern. As we approached the little island, they all rose
in the air, and flew high over our heads, screaming loudly, which
they continued to do until we left the place. Several were shot, and
as each fell the rest immediately plunged through the air after it.
Whenever one was wounded so slightly as to be able to make off, it
was lost to us, and the rest followed it. Only a very few of those
which we saw and shot had the bill entirely red, and those which had
were evidently older birds. Some exhibited a considerable portion of
the point tinged with brownish-black, yet all of them could easily
be distinguished from the _Sterna Hirundo_, first by their smaller
size, shorter tarsi, more delicate bill, and greater curvature of
the outer part of their wings; and secondly, by the leaden tint of
their lower parts, from the neck to the tail, those parts in _Sterna
Hirundo_ being pure white. The back is also of a deeper blue in the
Arctic Tern. The long tail-feathers were much shorter in the females
than in the males, but M. TEMMINCK is wrong in saying that this
bird has the tail proportionally longer than that of other species,
the Roseate Tern having it of much greater length, considering its
diminutive size.
At the beginning of the first autumn, the plumage of the young so much
resembles that of the young of _Sterna Hirundo_, that a person, not
paying attention to the tarsi and feet, might readily confound them
together. Yet even at this early age, there are strong indications
of the bluish tint on the under parts. The longest tail-feathers at
this period do not extend more than two inches beyond the rest; the
upper parts of the body are mottled with brown, as in all the other
species, and in Gulls. The mantle of this, as of all other Terns,
assumes its permanent hue before any part of the wings. On the 5th
of August, in Labrador, the young birds were gambolling along with
their parents, over the shores of Bras d’Or Harbour, and when we left
that country the Terns still remained, so that I am unable to state
at what particular period they commence their journey southward.
The notes of this species resemble the syllables _creek_, _creek_,
and are often repeated while the bird is on wing. During autumn it
follows the sinuosities of the shores of the bays and inlets, ascending
against the ebb, and, returning to meet the tide, which enables it
to procure its food in succession while it keeps on its course. I
have only farther to mention a curious fact, which is, that all the
Terns which breed in the northern parts of the United States, and in
regions still nearer the pole, sit closely on their eggs, while the
small species that breed to the southward incubate only during night,
or in rainy weather.
STERNA ARCTICA, _Temm._ Man. d’Ornith. part ii. p. 742.—_Ch.
Bonaparte_, Synops. of Birds of the United States, p.
354.—_Swains. and Richards._ Fauna Bor. Amer. part ii. p.
414.
ARCTIC TERN, _Nuttall_, Manual, vol. ii. p. 275.
Adult Male in Spring. Plate CCL.
Bill about the same length as the head, slender, tapering, compressed,
nearly straight, very acute. Upper mandible with the dorsal line
slightly arched, the ridge rather broad and convex at the base, narrow
towards the end, the sides convex, the edges sharp and inflected, the
tip acute. Nasal groove extended beyond the nostrils nearly to the
tip; nostrils basal, linear, direct, pervious. Lower mandible with
the angle extremely narrow, very acute, extending beyond the middle,
the dorsal line straight, the sides erect and slightly convex, the
sharp edges inflected, the tip extremely acute.
Head of moderate size, oblong; neck of moderate length; body very
slender. Feet very small; tibia bare for a considerable space; tarsus
extremely short, slender, roundish, covered anteriorly with small
scutella, laterally and behind with reticular scales; toes very small,
slender, the first extremely small, the third longest, the fourth
nearly as long, the second much shorter, all scutellate above, the
anterior connected by reticulated webs having a concave margin; claws
arched, compressed, acute, that of hind toe smallest, of middle toe
by much the largest, and having the inner edge thin and dilated.
Plumage soft, close, blended, very short on the fore part of the head;
the feathers in general broad and rounded. Wings very long, narrow
and pointed; primary quills tapering, slightly curved inwards, the
first longest, the rest rapidly graduated; secondary short, broad,
incurved, rounded, the inner more tapering. Tail long, very deeply
forked, of twelve feathers, of which the outer are tapering, the
middle short and rounded.
Bill, mouth, and feet vermilion tinged with carmine. Iris brown.
The upper part of the head and elongated occipital feathers
greenish-black; the sides of the head and chin white; the upper parts
pale greyish-blue, the rump lighter, the tail white, excepting the
outer webs of the two lateral feathers which are dusky grey, primaries
dusky towards the ends, the two outer with their outer webs blackish,
all with the greater part of the inner web white; secondaries tipped
with white. Neck, breast and sides pale greyish-blue, like the upper
parts, but lighter; abdomen, under tail-coverts, and lower surfaces
of wings and tail white.
Length to end of tail 15-1/2 inches, to end of wings 13-1/2, to end of
claws 9-3/4; extent of wings 32; wing from flexure 10-1/2; tail to end
of shortest feathers 3-1/4, to end of longest 7-1/2; bill along the
ridge 1-1/4, along the edge of lower mandible 1-10/12; tarsus 8/12;
middle toe (8-1/2)/12, its claw (2-1/2)/12. Weight 2-3/4 oz.
A TOUGH WALK FOR A YOUTH.
About twelve years ago I was conveyed, along with my son VICTOR, from
Bayou Sarah to the mouth of the Ohio, on board the steamer Magnet,
commanded by Mr M’KNIGHT, to whom I here again offer my best thanks for
his attentions. The very sight of the waters of that beautiful river
filled me with joy as we approached the little village of Trinity,
where we were landed along with several other passengers, the water
being too low to enable the vessel to proceed to Louisville. No horses
could be procured, and as I was anxious to continue my journey without
delay, I consigned my effects to the care of the tavern-keeper, who
engaged to have them forwarded by the first opportunity. My son, who
was not fourteen, with all the ardour of youth, considered himself able
to accomplish on foot the long journey which we contemplated. Two of
the passengers evinced a desire to accompany us, “provided,” said the
tallest and stoutest of them, “the lad can keep up. My business,” he
continued, “is urgent, and I shall push for Frankfort pretty fast.”
Dinner, to which we had contributed some fish from the river, being
over, my boy and I took a ramble along the shores of Cash Creek, on
which some years before I had been detained several weeks by ice. We
slept at the tavern, and next morning prepared for our journey, and
were joined by our companions, although it was past twelve before we
crossed the creek.
One of our fellow-travellers, named ROSE, who was a delicate and
gentlemanly person, acknowledged that he was not a good walker, and
said he was glad that my son was with us, as he might be able to
keep up with the lively youth. The other, a burly personage, at once
pushed forward. We walked in Indian file along the narrow track cut
through the canes, passed a wood-yard, and entered the burnt forest,
in which we met with so many logs and briars, that we judged it better
to make for the river, the course of which we followed over a bed of
pebbles, my son sometimes a-head, and again falling back, until we
reached America, a village having a fine situation, but with a shallow
approach to the shore. Here we halted at the best house, as every
traveller ought to do, whether pedestrian or equestrian, for he is
there sure of being well treated, and will not have more to pay than
in an inferior place. Now we constituted Mr ROSE purser. We had walked
twelve miles over rugged paths and pebbly shores, and soon proceeded
along the edge of the river. Seven tough miles ended, we found a house
near the bank, and in it we determined to pass the night. The first
person we met with was a woman picking cotton in a small field. On
asking her if we might stay in her cabin for the night, she answered
we might, and hoped we could make a shift with the fare on which she
and her husband lived. While she went to the house to prepare supper,
I took my son and Mr ROSE to the water, knowing how much we should
be refreshed by a bath. Our fellow-traveller refused, and stretched
himself on a bench by the door. The sun was setting; thousands of
robins were flying southward in the calm and clear air; the Ohio was
spread before us smooth as a mirror, and into its waters we leaped
with pleasure. In a short time the goodman of the hut called us to
supper, and in a trice we were at his heels. He was a tall raw-boned
fellow, with an honest bronzed face. After our frugal meal, we all
four lay down in a large bed spread on the floor, while the good
people went up to a loft.
The woodsman having, agreeably to our instructions, roused us at
day-break, told us that about seven miles farther we should meet
with a breakfast much better than the last supper we had. He refused
any pecuniary compensation, but accepted from me a knife. So we
again started. My dear boy appeared very weak at first, but soon
recovered, and our stout companion, whom I shall call S., evidently
shewed symptoms of lassitude. On arriving at the cabin of a lazy man
blessed with an industrious wife and six healthy children, all of
whom laboured for his support, we were welcomed by the woman, whose
motions and language indicated her right to belong to a much higher
class. Better breakfast I never ate: the bread was made of new corn
ground on a tin-grater by the beautiful hands of our blue-eyed hostess;
the chickens had been prepared by one of her lovely daughters; some
good coffee was added, and my son had fresh milk. The good woman,
who now held a babe to her bosom, seemed pleased to see how heartily
we all ate; the children went to work, and the lazy husband went to
the door to smoke a corn-cob pipe. A dollar was put into the ruddy
hand of the chubby urchin, and we bade its mother farewell. Again we
trudged along the beach, but after a while betook ourselves to the
woods. My son became faint. Dear boy! never can I forget how he lay
exhausted on a log, large tears rolling down his cheeks. I bathed
his temples, spoke soothingly to him, and chancing to see a fine
turkey cock run close by, directed his attention to it, when, as if
suddenly refreshed, he got up and ran a few yards towards the bird.
From that moment he seemed to acquire new vigour, and at length we
reached Wilcox’s, where we stopped for the night. We were reluctantly
received at the house, and had little attention paid to us, but we
had a meal and went to bed.
The sun rose in all its splendour, and the Ohio reflected its ruddy
beams. A finer view of that river can scarcely be obtained than that
from the house which we were leaving. Two miles through intricate woods
brought us to Belgrade, and having passed Fort Massacre, we halted
and took breakfast. S. gave us to understand that the want of roads
made travelling very unpleasant; he was not, he added, in the habit
of “skulking through the bushes or tramping over stony bars in the
full sunshine,” but how else he had travelled was not explained. Mr
ROSE kept up about as well as VICTOR, and I now led the way. Towards
sunset we reached the shores of the river, opposite the mouth of the
Cumberland. On a hill, the property of a Major B., we found a house,
and a solitary woman, wretchedly poor, but very kind. She assured
us, that if we could not cross the river, she would give us food and
shelter for the night, but said that as the moon was up, she could
get us put over when her skiff came back. Hungry and fatigued we laid
us down on the brown grass, waiting either a scanty meal, or the
skiff that was to convey us across the river. I had already grated
the corn for our supper, run down the chickens, and made a fire, when
a cry of “Boat coming” roused us all. We crossed half of the Ohio,
walked over Cumberland Isle, and after a short ferry found ourselves
in Kentucky, the native land of my beloved sons. I was now within a
few miles of the spot where, some years before, I had a horse killed
under me by lightning.
It is unnecessary to detain you with a long narrative, and state every
occurrence until we reached the banks of Green River. We had left
Trinity at 12 o’clock of the 15th October, and on the morning of the
18th four travellers descending a hill, were admiring the reflection
of the sun’s rays on the forest-margined horizon. The frost which
lay thick on the ground and the fences, glittered in the sheen, and
dissolved away; all nature seemed beautiful in its calm repose; but
the pleasure which I felt on gazing on the scene was damped by the
fatigue of my son, who now limped like a lamed turkey, although, as
the rest of the party were not much better off, he smiled, straightened
himself, and strove to keep up with us. Poor S. was panting many yards
behind, and was talking of purchasing a horse. We had now, however,
a tolerably good road, and in the evening got to a house where I
inquired if we could have a supper and beds. When I came out, VICTOR
was asleep on the grass, Mr ROSE looking at his sore toes, and S.
just finishing a jug of monongahela. Here we resolved that, instead
of going by Henderson, we should take a cut across to the right, and
make direct for Smith’s Ferry, by way of Highland Lick Creek.
Next day we trudged along, but nothing very remarkable occurred
excepting that we saw a fine black wolf quite tame and gentle, the
owner of which had refused a hundred dollars for it. Mr ROSE, who was
an engineer, and a man of taste, amused us with his flageolet, and
frequently spoke of his wife, his children, and his fireside, which
increased my good opinion of him. At an orchard we filled our pockets
with October peaches, and when we came to Trade Water River we found
it quite low. The acorns were already drifted on its shallows, and
the Wood Ducks were running about picking them up. Passing a flat
bottom, we saw a large Buffalo Lick. Where now are the bulls which
erst scraped its earth away, bellowing forth their love or their anger?
Good Mr ROSE’s feet became sorer and sorer each succeeding day; Mr
S. at length nearly gave up; my son had grown brisker. The 20th was
cloudy, and we dreaded rain, as we knew the country to be flat and
clayey. In Union County, we came to a large opening, and found the
house of a Justice, who led us kindly to the main road, and accompanied
us for a mile, giving us excellent descriptions of brooks, woods and
barrens, notwithstanding which we should have been much puzzled, had
not a neighbour on horseback engaged to shew us the way. The rain now
fell in torrents, and rendered us very uncomfortable, but at length we
reached Highland Lick, where we stumbled on a cabin, the door of which
we thrust open, overturning a chair that had been placed behind it.
On a dirty bed lay a man, a table with a journal or perhaps a ledger
before him, a small cask in a corner near him, a brass pistol on a
nail over his head, and a long Spanish dagger by his side. He rose
and asked what was wanted. “The way to a better place, the road to
SUGGS’s.” “Follow the road, and you’ll get to his house in about five
miles!” My party were waiting for me, warming themselves by the fires
of the salt-kettles. The being I had seen was an overseer. By-and-by
we crossed a creek; the country was hilly, clayey and slippery; Mr
S. was cursing, ROSE limped like a lame duck, but VICTOR kept up like
a veteran.
Another day, kind Reader, and I shall for a while shut my journal.
The morning of the 21st was beautiful; we had slept comfortably at
SUGGS’s, and we soon found ourselves on pleasant barrens, with an
agreeable road. ROSE and S. were so nearly knocked up, that they
proposed to us to go on without them. We halted and talked a few
minutes on the subject, when our companions stated their resolution
to proceed at a slower pace. So we bade them adieu. I asked my son
how he felt; he laughed and quickened his steps; and in a short time
our former associates were left out of sight. In about two hours we
were seated in the Green River ferry-boat, with our legs hanging in
the water. At Smith’s Ferry this stream looks like a deep lake; and
the thick cane on its banks, the large overhanging willows, and its
dark green waters, never fail to form a fine picture, more especially
in the calm of an autumnal evening. Mr SMITH gave us a good supper,
sparkling cider, and a comfortable bed. It was arranged that he should
drive us to Louisville in his dearborne; and so here ended our walk
of two hundred and fifty miles. Should you wish to accompany us during
the remainder of our journey, I have only to refer you to the article
“Hospitality in the Woods,” which you will find in a former volume.
THE BROWN PELICAN.
_PELECANUS FUSCUS_, LINN.
PLATE CCLI. MALE.
The Brown Pelican, which is one of the most interesting of our American
birds, is a constant resident in the Floridas, where it resorts to
the Keys and the salt-water inlets, but never enters fresh-water
streams, as the White Pelican is wont to do. It is rarely seen farther
eastward than Cape Hatteras, but is found to the south far beyond the
limits of the United States. Within the recollection of persons still
living, its numbers have been considerably reduced, so much indeed
that in the inner Bay of Charleston, where twenty or thirty years ago
it was quite abundant, very few individuals are now seen, and these
chiefly during a continuance of tempestuous weather. There is a naked
bar, a few miles distant from the main land, between Charleston and
the mouth of the Santee, on which my friend JOHN BACHMAN some years
ago saw a great number of these birds, of which he procured several;
but at the present day, few are known to breed farther east than the
salt-water inlets running parallel to the coast of Florida, forty
or fifty miles south of St Augustine, where I for the first time met
with this Pelican in considerable numbers.
My friend JOHN BULLOW, Esq. took me in his barge to visit the Halifax,
which is a large inlet, and on which we soon reached an island where
the Brown Pelicans had bred for a number of years, but where, to my
great disappointment, none were then to be seen. The next morning,
being ten or twelve miles farther down the stream, we entered another
inlet, where I saw several dozens of these birds perched on the
mangroves, and apparently sound asleep. I shot at them from a very
short distance, and with my first barrel brought two to the water,
but although many of them still remained looking at us, I could
not send the contents of my second barrel to them, as the shot had
unluckily been introduced into it before the powder. They all flew
off one after another, and still worse, as the servants approached
those which had fallen upon the water, they also flew away.
On arriving at the Keys of Florida, on board the Marion Revenue Cutter,
I found the Pelicans pretty numerous. They became more abundant the
farther south we proceeded, and I procured specimens at different
places, but nowhere so many as at Key West. There you would see them
flying within pistol-shot of the wharfs, the boys frequently trying to
knock them down with stones, although I believe they rarely succeed
in their efforts. The Marion lay at anchor several days at a short
distance from this island, and close to another. Scarcely an hour of
daylight passed without our having Pelicans around us, all engaged at
their ordinary occupations, some fishing, some slumbering as it were
on the bosom of the ocean, or on the branches of the mangroves. This
place and all around for about forty miles, seemed to be favourite
resorts of these birds; and as I had excellent opportunities of
observing their habits, I consider myself qualified to present you
with some account of them.
The flight of the Brown Pelican, though to appearance heavy, is
remarkably well sustained, that bird being able not only to remain
many hours at a time on wing, but also to mount to a great height in
the air to perform its beautiful evolutions. Their ordinary manner of
proceeding, either when single or in flocks, is by easy flappings and
sailings alternating at distances of from twenty to thirty yards, when
they glide along with great speed. They move in an undulated line,
passing at one time high, at another low, over the water or land, for
they do not deviate from their course on coming upon a key or a point
of land. When the waves run high, you may see them “troughing,” as
the sailors say, or directing their course along the hollows. While
on wing they draw in their head between their shoulders, stretch out
their broad webbed feet to their whole extent, and proceed in perfect
silence.
When the weather is calm, and a flood of light and heat is poured
down upon nature by the genial sun, they are often, especially during
the love season, seen rising in broad circles, flock after flock,
until they attain a height of perhaps a mile, when they gracefully
glide on constantly expanded wings, and course round each other, for
an hour or more at a time, after which, in curious zigzags, and with
remarkable velocity, they descend towards their beloved element,
and settle on the water, on large sand-bars or on mangroves. It is
interesting beyond description to observe flocks of Brown Pelicans
thus going through their aërial evolutions.
Now, Reader, look at those birds standing on their strong column-like
legs, on that burning sand-bar. How dexterously do they wield that
great bill of theirs, as they trim their plumage! Now along each broad
quill it passes, drawing it out and displaying its elasticity; and now
with necks stretched to their full length, and heads elevated, they
direct its point in search of the insects that are concealed along
their necks and breasts. Now they droop their wings for a while, or
stretch them alternately to their full extent; some slowly lie down
on the sand, others remain standing, quietly draw their head over
their broad shoulders, raise one of their feet, and placing their bill
on their back, compose themselves to rest. There let them repose in
peace. Had they alighted on the waters, you might have seen them, like
a fleet at anchor, riding on the ever-rolling billows as unconcernedly
as if on shore. Had they perched on yon mangroves, they would have
laid themselves flat on the branches, or spread their wings to the
sun or the breeze, as Vultures are wont to do.
But see, the tide is advancing; the billows chase each other towards
the shores; the mullets joyful and keen leap along the surface, as
they fill the bays with their multitudes. The slumbers of the Pelicans
are over; the drowsy birds shake their heads, stretch open their
mandibles and pouch by way of yawning, expand their ample wings, and
simultaneously soar away. Look at them as they fly over the bay; listen
to the sound of the splash they make as they drive their open bills,
like a pock-net, into the sea, to scoop up their prey; mark how they
follow that shoal of porpoises, and snatch up the frightened fishes
that strive to escape from them. Down they go, again and again. What
voracious creatures they are!
The Brown Pelicans are as well aware of the time of each return of
the tide, as the most watchful pilots. Though but a short time before
they have been sound asleep, yet without bell or other warning, they
suddenly open their eyelids, and all leave their roosts, the instant
when the waters, which have themselves reposed for a while, resume
their motion. The Pelicans possess a knowledge beyond this, and in a
degree much surpassing that of man with reference to the same subject:
they can judge with certainty of the changes of weather. Should you
see them fishing all together, in retired bays, be assured, that a
storm will burst forth that day; but if they pursue their finny prey
far out at sea, the weather will be fine, and you also may launch your
bark and go to the fishing. Indeed, most sea-birds possess the same
kind of knowledge, as I have assured myself by repeated observation,
in a degree corresponding to their necessities; and the best of all
prognosticators of the weather, are the Wild Goose, the Gannet, the
Lestris, and the Pelican.
This species procures its food on wing, and in a manner quite
different from that of the White Pelican. A flock will leave their
resting place, proceed over the waters in search of fish, and when a
shoal is perceived, separate at once, when each, from an elevation of
from fifteen to twenty-five feet, plunges in an oblique and somewhat
winding direction, spreading to the full stretch its lower mandible
and pouch, as it reaches the water, and suddenly scoops up the object
of its pursuit, immersing the head and neck, and sometimes the body,
for an instant. It immediately swallows its prey, rises on wing,
dashes on another fish, seizes and devours it, and thus continues,
sometimes plunging eight or ten times in a few minutes, and always
with unerring aim. When gorged, it rests on the water for a while,
but if it has a brood, or a mate sitting on her eggs, it flies off
at once towards them, no matter how heavily laden it may be. The
generally received idea that Pelicans keep fish or water in their
pouch, to convey them to their young, is quite erroneous. The water
which enters the pouch when it is immersed, is immediately forced out
between the partially closed mandibles, and the fish, unless larger
than those on which they usually feed, is instantly swallowed, to be
afterwards disgorged for the benefit of the young, either partially
macerated, or whole, according to the age and size of the latter. Of
all this I have satisfied myself, when within less than twenty yards
of the birds as they were fishing; and I never saw them fly without
the pouch being closely contracted towards the lower mandible. Indeed,
although I now much regret that I did not make the experiment when I
had the means of doing so, I doubt very much if a Pelican could fly
at all with its burden so much out of trim, as a sailor would say.
They at times follow the porpoise, when that animal is in pursuit of
prey, and as the fishes rise from the deep water towards the surface,
come in cunningly for their share, falling upon the frightened shoal,
and seizing one or more, which they instantly gobble up. But one of
the most curious traits of the Pelican is, that it acts unwittingly
as a sort of purveyor to the Gulls just as the Porpoise acts towards
itself. The Black-headed Gull of WILSON, which is abundant along the
coast of the Floridas in spring and summer, watches the motions of the
Pelicans. The latter having plunged after a shoal of small fishes,
of which it has caught a number at a time, in letting off the water
from amongst them, sometimes allows a few to escape; but the Gull
at that instant alights on the bill of the Pelican, or on its head,
and seizes the fry at the moment they were perhaps congratulating
themselves on their escape. This every body on board the Marion
observed as well as myself, while that vessel was at anchor in the
beautiful harbour of Key West, so that it is not again necessary for
me to lay before you a certificate with numerous signatures. To me
such sights were always highly interesting, and I doubt if in the
course of my endeavours to amuse you, I ever felt greater pleasure
than I do at this moment, when, with my journal at my side, and the
Gulls and Pelicans in my mind’s eye as distinctly as I could wish, I
ponder on the faculties which Nature has bestowed on animals which
we merely consider as possessed of instinct. How little do we yet
know of the operations of the Divine Power! On the occasions just
mentioned, the Pelicans did not manifest the least anger towards the
Gulls. It is said that the Frigate Pelican or Man-of-war Bird, forces
the Brown Pelican to disgorge its food, but of this I never saw an
instance; nor do I believe it to be the case, considering the great
strength and powerful bill of the Pelican compared with those of the
other bird. Indeed, if I had been told that when the Frigate Bird
assails the Pelican, the latter opens its large pouch and swallows it
entire, I might as soon have believed the one story as the other. But
of this more anon, when we come to the habits of the bird in question.
On the ground this species is by no means so active, for it walks
heavily, and when running, which it now and then does while in play,
or during courtship, it looks extremely awkward, as it then stretches
out its neck, partially extends its wings, and reels so that one
might imagine it ready to fall at each step. If approached when
wounded and on the water, it swims off with speed, and when overtaken,
it suddenly turns about, opens its large bill, snaps it violently
several times in succession, causing it to emit a smart noise in
the manner of owls, strikes at you, and bites very severely. While I
was at Mr BULLOW’s, his Negro hunter waded after one whose wing had
been broken. The Pelican could not be seized without danger, and I
was surprised to see the hunter draw his butcher’s knife, strike the
long blade through the open pouch of the bird, hook it, as it were,
by the lower mandible, and at one jerk swing it up into the air with
extreme dexterity, after which he broke its neck and dragged it ashore.
The pouch measures from six to ten inches in depth, according to the
age of the bird after the first moult. The superb male whose portrait
is before you, and which was selected from among a great number, had
it about the last mentioned size, and capable of holding a gallon
of water, were the mandibles kept horizontal. This membrane is dried
and used for keeping snuff, gunpowder and shot. When fresh it may be
extended so as to become quite thin and transparent, like a bladder.
This Pelican seldom seizes fish that are longer than its bill, and the
size of those on which it ordinarily feeds is much smaller. Indeed,
several which I examined, had in the stomach upwards of a hundred
fishes, which were only from two to three inches in length. That
organ is long, slender, and rather fleshy. In some I found a great
number of live blue-coloured worms, measuring two and a half inches
in length, and about the thickness of a crow-quill. The gut is about
the size of a swan’s quill, and from ten to twelve feet in length,
according to the age of the individual.
At all periods the Brown Pelican keeps in flocks, seldom amounting to
more than fifty or sixty individuals of both sexes, and of different
ages. At the approach of the pairing time, or about the middle of
April, the old males and females separate from the rest, and remove
to the inner keys or to large estuaries, well furnished with mangroves
of goodly size. The young birds, which are much more numerous, remain
along the shores of the open sea, unless during heavy gales.
Now let us watch the full grown birds. Some skirmishes have taken
place, and the stronger males, by dint of loud snappings of their
bill, some hard tugs of the neck and head, and some heavy beats with
their wings, have driven away the weaker, which content themselves
with less prized belles. The females, although quiet and gentle on
ordinary occasions, are more courageous than the males, who, however,
are assiduous in their attentions, assist in forming the nest, feed
their mates while sitting, and even share the labour of incubation
with them. Now see the mated birds, like the citizens of a newly laid
out town in some part of our western country, breaking the dry sticks
from the trees, and conveying them in their bills to yon mangrove
isle. You see they place all their mansions on the south-west side,
as if to enjoy the benefit of all the heat of that sultry climate.
Myriads of mosquitoes buzz around them, and alight on the naked
parts of their body, but this seems to give them no concern. Stick
after stick is laid, one crossing another, until a strong platform is
constructed. Now roots and withered plants are brought, with which
a basin is formed for the eggs. Not a nest, you observe, is placed
very low; the birds prefer the tops of the mangroves, although they
do not care how many nests are on one tree, or how near the trees are
to each other. The eggs, of which there are never more than three,
are rather elliptical, and average three inches and one-eighth in
length, by two inches and one-eighth in their greatest breadth. The
shell is thick and rather rough, of a pure white colour, with a few
faint streaks of a rosy tint, and blotches of a very pale hue, from
the centre towards the crown of the egg.
The young are at first covered with cream-coloured down, and have
the bill and feet disproportionately large. They are fed with great
care, and so abundantly, that the refuse of their food, putrid and
disgusting, lies in great quantities round them; but neither young
nor old regard this, however offensive it may be to you. As the
former grow the latter bring larger fish to them. At first the food
is dropped in a well macerated state into their extended throats;
afterwards the fish is given to them entire; and finally the parent
birds merely place it on the edge of the nest. The young increase in
size at a surprising rate. When half fledged they seem a mere mass of
fat, their partially indurated bill has acquired considerable length,
their wings droop by their sides, and they would be utterly unable
to walk. The Vultures at this period often fall upon them and devour
them in the absence of their parents. The Indians also carry them
off in considerable numbers; and farther eastward, on the Halifax
river, for instance, the Negroes kill all they can find, to make gombo
soup of them during winter. The crows, less powerful, but quite as
cunning, suck the eggs; and many a young one which has accidentally
fallen from the nest, is sure to be picked up by some quadruped, or
devoured by the Shark or Balacouda. When extensive depredations have
thus been made, the birds abandon their breeding places, and do not
return to them. The Pelicans in fact are, year after year, retiring
from the vicinity of man, and although they afford but very unsavoury
food at any period of their lives, will yet be hunted beyond the
range of civilization, just as our best of all game, the Wild Turkey,
is now, until to meet with them the student of nature will have to
sail round Terra del Fuego, while he may be obliged to travel to the
Rocky Mountains before he find the other bird. Should you approach
a settlement of the Pelicans and fire a few shots at them, they all
abandon the place, and leave their eggs or young entirely at your
disposal.
At all seasons, the Negroes of the plantations on the eastern coast
of the Floridas lie in wait for the Pelicans. There, observe that
fellow, who, with rusty musket, containing a tremendous charge of heavy
shot, is concealed among the palmettoes, on the brink of a kind of
embankment formed by the shelly sand. Now comes a flock of Pelicans,
forcing their way against the breeze, unaware of the danger into which
they rush, for there, a few yards apart, several Negroes crouch in
readiness to fire; and let me tell you, good shots they are. Now a
blast forces the birds along the shore; off goes the first gun, and
down comes a Pelican; shot succeeds shot; and now the Negroes run up
to gather the spoil. They skin the birds like so many racoons, cut
off the head, wings and feet; and should you come this way next year,
you may find these remains bleached in the sun. Towards night, the
sable hunters carry off their booty, marching along in Indian file,
and filling the air with their extemporaneous songs. At home they
perhaps salt, or perhaps smoke them; but in whatever way the Pelicans
are prepared, they are esteemed good food by the sons of Africa.
The Brown Pelican is a strong and tough bird, although not so weighty
as the white species. Its flesh is, in my opinion, always impure. It
seems never satisfied with food, and it mutes so profusely, that not a
spot of verdure can be seen on the originally glossy and deep-coloured
mangroves on which it nestles; and I must say that, much as I admire
it in some respects, I should be sorry to keep it near me as a pet.
During winter, when the mullets, a favourite fish with the Brown
Pelican, as it is with me, retires into deeper water, these birds
advance farther to seaward, and may be seen over all parts of the
Gulf of Mexico, and between the Florida Reefs and the opposite isles,
especially during fine weather. They are very sensible to cold, and
in this respect are tender birds. Now and then, at this season, they
are seen on Lake Borgne and over Lake Pontchartrain, but never on
the Mississippi beyond the rise of the tides, the space higher up
being abandoned to the White Pelican. The keenness of their sight is
probably equal to that of any hawk, and their hearing is also very
acute. They are extremely silent birds, but when excited they utter
a loud and rough grunt, which is far from musical. The young take two
years to attain maturity. Several persons in the Floridas assured me
that the Brown Pelicans breed at all seasons of the year; but as I
observed nothing to countenance such an idea, I would give it as my
opinion that they raise only one brood in the season.
Their bodies are greatly inflated by large air-cells; their bones,
though strong, are very light; and they are tough to kill.
PELECANUS FUSCUS, _Linn._ Syst. Nat. vol. i. p. 215.—_Lath._
Ind. Ornith. vol. ii. p. 883.—_Ch. Bonaparte_, Synops. of
Birds of the United States, p. 401.
BROWN PELICAN, _Nuttall_, Manual, vol. ii. p. 476.
Adult Male. Plate CCLI.
Bill more than twice the length of the head, rather stout, straight,
depressed towards the end. Upper mandible with the dorsal line straight
as far as the unguis, the ridge broad and convex, separated from the
side by a groove on each side, broader and more convex at the base,
narrowed and flattened towards the unguis, which is curved, stout,
convex above, sharp-edged, acute; sides of the bill perpendicular
at the base, narrowed towards the middle, widened and approaching
to horizontal towards the end; edges sharp, with a broad furrowed
groove beneath for the reception of those of the lower mandible.
Lower mandible with the angle extending to less than half an inch
from the tip, and filled by a bare membrane, the sides nearly erect
and convex, the edges sharp, the tip compressed, deflected, obtuse.
The membrane of the lower mandible extends down the fore neck in the
form of a wrinkled pouch.
Head of moderate size, oblong; neck long, stout; body rather slender.
Feet short, stout, nearly central; tibia bare at its lower part,
covered all round with small scales; tarsus short, stout, compressed,
covered all round with hexagonal scales, of which the anterior are much
larger; toes in the same plane, all connected by reticulated webs,
the first shortest, the third and fourth nearly equal, reticulate
at the base, scutellate along the rest of the upper surface, claws
short, strong, curved, rather acute, that of hind toe with a sharp
pectinate inner edge.
Feathers of the head and neck exceedingly small and slender, of the
fore part of the head stiff, hair-like and glossy; of the upper middle
part of the neck behind a little larger and soft, forming a slight
longitudinal crest; of the sides and hind part of the neck soft and
downy. The feathers of the upper parts in general are remarkably
small, narrow, tapering to a point; of the lower part of the neck
stiff and pointed, of the breast and sides somewhat larger than
those above, and softer. Wings long, rounded; primaries much curved,
with strong square shafts; the second longest, the third very little
shorter, the first a little longer than the fifth, secondaries very
numerous, rather small, rounded, the inner longer and more tapering.
Tail short, slightly rounded, of twenty-two feathers.
Bill greyish-white, tinged with brown, and marked with irregular spots
of pale carmine; upper mandible dusky towards the end, lower blackish
from the middle to near the end. Bare space between the bill and the
eye deep blue; eyelids pink; iris white. Feet black. The gular pouch
is greenish-black, the ridges of its wrinkles lighter. The hairlike
feathers on the fore part of the head light yellow, the rest of the
head white; a stripe of the same margining the pouch to the middle of
the neck, and extending a little beyond, a short space between these
two lines anteriorly, and the whole of the posterior and lateral
parts of the neck of a dark chestnut brown, the small crest paler.
The back and wings are dusky, each feather with the central part
greyish-white; the latter colour prevails on the scapulars and larger
wing-coverts. Primaries and their coverts brownish-black, secondaries
greyish-brown, their outer edges greyish-white; tail light grey;
the shafts of the quills and tail-feathers are white in their basal
half, black towards the end. The lower parts are brownish-grey; the
sides of the neck and body with narrow longitudinal white lines. On
the fore neck, below the dark chestnut spot is a smaller pale yellow
mark, behind which the feathers for a short space are blackish-brown.
Length to end of tail 52 inches, to end of wings 52, to end of claws
53-1/4; extent of wings 80; bill along the ridge 13-1/4, along the edge
of lower mandible 14-1/4; depth of gular pouch 10, its extent along the
neck 13; wing from flexure 24; tail 7; tarsus 2-1/2; middle toe 3-11/12,
its claw 9/12. Weight 6 lb. 4-1/2 oz.
The Female, which is considerably larger, resembles the male in colour,
only that the neck is yellowish-white in its whole extent, without
any brown, and its feathers are stiff and not downy as in the male.
Weight 7 lb. 12 oz.
THE MANGROVE.
RHIZOPHORA MANGLE, _Linn._ Syst. Nat. vol. ii. p. 325.
The species of Mangrove represented in the plate is very abundant
along the coast of Florida and on almost all the Keys, excepting
the Tortugas. Those islands which are named Wet Keys are entirely
formed of Mangroves, which raising their crooked and slender stems
from a bed of mud, continue to increase until their roots and pendent
branches afford shelter to the accumulating debris, when the earth
is gradually raised above the surface of the water. No sooner has
this taken place than the Mangroves in the central part of the island
begin to decay, and in the course of time there is only an outer
fringe or fence of trees, while the interior becomes overgrown with
grass and low bushes. Meantime the Mangroves extend towards the sea,
their hanging branches taking root wherever they come in contact with
the bottom, and their seeds also springing up. I am at a loss for an
object with which to compare these trees, in order to afford you an
idea of them; yet if you will figure to yourself a tree reversed, and
standing on its summit, you may obtain a tolerable notion of their
figure and mode of growth. The stem, roots and branches are very tough
and stubborn, and in some places the trees are so intertwined that a
person might find it as easy to crawl over them as to make his way
between them. They are evergreen, and their tops afford a place of
resort to various species of birds at all seasons, while their roots
and submersed branches give shelter to numberless testaceous mollusca
and small fishes. The species represented is rarely observed on the
coast of Florida of a greater height than twenty-five or thirty feet,
and its average height is not above fifteen feet. The Land Mangrove,
of which I have seen only a few, the finest of which were on Key
West, is a tall tree, much larger and better shaped than the other,
with narrower leaves and shorter fruits.
THE FLORIDA CORMORANT.
_PHALACROCORAX FLORIDANUS._
PLATE CCLII. MALE.
Few birds inhabiting the United States are so little known, or have
been so incorrectly described, as the Cormorants. Nay even some of
the European species of this genus are yet not well understood, so
imperfectly have they been studied by writers who, although they have
defined their forms, have not sufficiently studied them in the places
to which they resort during the breeding season. Of the three species
of which I shall speak in this volume, only one has been accurately
described. I allude to the Double-crested Cormorant, _P. dilophus_,
which was met with by the intrepid Dr RICHARDSON in the course of
his Arctic journeys, and introduced to the scientific world in the
Fauna Boreali-Americana, but without a figure, a circumstance to be
regretted, as good representations of birds are fully as necessary
as good descriptions. When the student has perused both, he cannot
fail to recognise the species in whatever part of the world he may
afterwards meet with it.
Our Cormorants are by no means great travellers, although they all
migrate more or less at particular seasons. The three species to which
only I shall at present allude, are each restricted to a comparatively
small portion of North America. The Large Cormorant, _P. Carbo_, rarely
goes farther north than the southern coast of Labrador, and is seldom
seen as far south as the Bay of New York. The Double-crested, _P.
dilophus_, which is next in size, proceeds farther in both directions,
having been met with by Dr RICHARDSON, although my amiable friend
Captain JAMES CLARK ROSS, R. N. does not mention having seen any birds
of this family in the course of his voyages in the arctic seas. It
breeds in great numbers in Labrador, and during winter proceeds along
our eastern coasts sometimes as far as Charleston in South Carolina.
The Florida Cormorant, _P. floridanus_, is a constant resident in
the southern parts of the country from which it derives its name,
and is more especially abundant there in early spring and summer,
breeding on the keys and along the salt-water inlets of the southern
extremity of the peninsula, from which considerable numbers are now
known to visit the waters of the Mississippi and even of the Ohio,
while others proceed as far eastward as Cape Hatteras, all returning
to the Floridas on the approach of cold weather.
The Florida Cormorant seldom goes far out to sea, but prefers the
neighbourhood of the shores, being found in the bays, inlets, and
large rivers. I never met with one at a greater distance from land
than five miles. It is at all seasons gregarious, although it is not
always found in large flocks. The birds of this species never suffer
others of the same genus to resort to their breeding places, although
they sometimes associate with individuals belonging to different
genera. The _P. Carbo_ appropriates to itself the upper shelves of
the most rugged and elevated rocks, whose bases are washed by the
sea; _P. dilophus_ breeds on flat rocky islands at some distance
from the shores of the mainland; and the Florida Cormorant nestles on
trees. In the many breeding places of all these species which I have
visited, I never found individuals of one intermingled with those
of another, although the Large Cormorant did not seem averse from
having the Peregrine Falcon in its vicinity, while the Double-crested
allowed a few Gannets or Guillemots to nestle beside it, and the
Florida Cormorant associated with Herons, Frigate Pelicans, Grakles,
or Pigeons.
This species seldom flies far over land, but follows the sinuosities
of the shores or the waters of rivers, although its course towards
a given point should thus be three times as long. It is the only one
of the three species that, in as far as I have observed in America,
alights on trees. My learned friend, the Prince of Musignano, mentions
in his valuable Synopsis of the Birds of the United States, a species
of Cormorant under the name of _P. Graculus_, which he describes as
being when adult greenish-black, with a few scattered white streaks
on the neck, in winter bronzed, and having a golden-green crest,
the head, neck, and thighs with short small white feathers, and
adds that it “inhabits both continents and both hemispheres: not
uncommon in spring and autumn in the Middle States: very common in
the Floridas, where it breeds, though very abundant in the arctic and
antarctic circles.” Unfortunately no dimensions are given, except
of the bill, which is said to be three and a half inches long. The
Florida Cormorant, however, does not at any season present these
characters, and therefore conceiving it to be different from any
hitherto described, I have taken the liberty of giving it a name,
while the figure and description will enable the scientific to form
a distinct idea of it, and thus to confirm the species, or restore
to it its previous appellation, should it have received one.
On the 26th of April 1832, I and my party visited several small Keys,
not many miles distant from the harbour in which our vessel lay. Mr
THRUSTON had given us his beautiful barge, and accompanied us with his
famous pilot, fisherman and hunter, Mr EGAN. The Keys were separated
by narrow and tortuous channels, from the surface of the clear waters
of which were reflected the dark mangroves, on the branches of which
large colonies of Cormorants had already built their nests, and were
sitting on their eggs. There were many thousands of these birds, and
each tree bore a greater or less number of their nests, some five or
six, others perhaps as many as ten. The leaves, branches, and stems
of the trees, were in a manner white-washed with their dung. The
temperature in the shade was about 90° Fahr., and the effluvia which
impregnated the air of the channels were extremely disagreeable.
Still the mangroves were in full bloom, and the Cormorants in perfect
vigour. Our boat being secured, the people scrambled through the
bushes, in search of the eggs. Many of the birds dropped into the
water, dived, and came up at a safe distance; others in large groups
flew away affrighted; while a great number stood on their nests and
the branches, as if gazing upon beings strange to them. But alas!
they soon became too well acquainted with us, for the discharges
from our guns committed frightful havock among them. The dead were
seen floating on the water, the crippled making towards the open sea,
which here extended to the very Keys on which we were, while groups
of a hundred or more swam about a little beyond reach of our shot,
awaiting the event, and the air was filled with those whose anxiety
to return to their eggs kept them hovering over us in silence. In a
short time the bottom of our boat was covered with the slain, several
hats and caps were filled with eggs; and we may now intermit the work
of destruction. You must try to excuse these murders, which in truth
might not have been nearly so numerous, had I not thought of you
quite as often while on the Florida Keys, with a burning sun over my
head, and my body oozing at every pore, as I do now while peaceably
scratching my paper with an iron-pen, in one of the comfortable and
quite cool houses of the most beautiful of all the cities of old
Scotland.
The Florida Cormorant begins to pair about the first of April, and
commences the construction of its nest about a fortnight after.
Many do not lay quite so early, and I found some going through their
preparations until the middle of May. Their courtships are performed
on the water. On the morning, beautiful but extremely hot, of the 8th
of that month, while rambling over one of the Keys, I arrived at the
entrance of a narrow and rather deep channel, almost covered over by
the boughs of the mangroves and some tall canes, the only tall canes
I had hitherto observed among those islands. I paused, looked at the
water, and observing it to be full of fish, felt confident that no
shark was at hand. Cocking both locks of my gun, I quietly waded in.
Curious sounds now reached my ears, and as the fishes did not appear
to mind me much, I proceeded onward among them for perhaps a hundred
yards, when I observed that they had all disappeared. The sounds were
loud and constantly renewed, as if they came from a joyous multitude.
The inlet suddenly became quite narrow, and the water reached to
my arm-pits. At length I placed myself behind some mangrove trunks,
whence I could see a great number of Cormorants not more than fifteen
or twenty yards from me. None of them, it seemed, had seen or heard
me; they were engaged in going through their nuptial ceremonies. The
males while swimming gracefully round the females, would raise their
wings and tail, draw their head over their back, swell out their neck
for an instant, and with a quick forward thrust of the head utter a
rough guttural note, not unlike the cry of a pig. The female at this
moment would crouch as it were on the water, sinking into it, when
her mate would sink over her until nothing more than his head was to
be seen, and soon afterwards both sprung up and swam joyously round
each other, croaking all the while. Twenty or more pairs at a time
were thus engaged. Indeed, the water was covered with Cormorants,
and, had I chosen, I might have shot several of them. I now advanced
slowly towards them, when they stared at me as you might stare at a
goblin, and began to splash the water with their wings, many diving.
On my proceeding they all dispersed, either plunging beneath or
flying off, and making rapidly towards the mouth of the inlet. Only
a few nests were on the mangroves, and I looked upon the spot as
analogous to the tournament grounds of the Pinnated Grouse, although
no battles took place in my presence. A few beautiful Herons were
sitting peaceably on their nests, the musquitoes were very abundant,
large ugly blue land-crabs crawled among the mangroves, hurrying
towards their retreats, and I retired, as I had arrived, in perfect
silence. While proceeding I could not help remarking the instinctive
knowledge of the fishes, and thought how curious it was that, as soon
as they had observed the Cormorants’ hole, none had gone farther, as
if they were well aware of the danger, but preferred meeting me as I
advanced towards the birds. I emerged from the water almost exhausted
with heat, my eyes aching from the perspiration; but the refreshing
sea-breeze now reached me, and cooled my feverish frame. Thankful,
Reader, did I then feel, and thankful do I feel now, having survived
so many encounters of this kind.
The nest of the Florida Cormorant is of rather a small size, being
only eight or nine inches in diameter. It is formed of sticks crossing
each other, and is flat, without any appearance of finishing. All the
nests are placed on a western exposure, and are usually completely
covered with excrement, as are also frequently the eggs, which are
three or four, and differ in size, their average length, however, being
two inches and a quarter, their greatest breadth one inch and three
and a half eighths. They are rendered rather rough by the coating of
calcareous matter which surrounds them; but when this is removed,
the real shell is found to be of a uniform fine light bluish-green
tint. I was unable to ascertain the period of incubation. The young
are at first blind, naked, black, and extremely uncouth. On placing
some which were quite small on the water, they instantly dived, rose
again, and swam about at random, diving on the least noise. If you
approach them when about a month old, they throw themselves from the
nest and plunge into the water. When undisturbed, they remain in the
nest until they are fully fledged and able to fly, after which they
undergo various changes, and are not perfect until nearly two years
old.
Soon after they are left to shift for themselves, great numbers go to
search for food in the quiet waters of inland streams. Thousands may
now be seen on the lakes of the interior of the Floridas, and on the
large rivers there. At this season many proceed as far as the Capes of
North Carolina, the Mississippi, the Arkansas, the Yazoo, and other
streams, including the fair Ohio, on which they are at times seen
early in October, when they begin to return to the places of their
nativity. During several weeks which I spent on the St John’s River,
while on board the United States’ schooner-of-war the Spark, I was
surprised to see the number of these Cormorants already returning
towards the keys, so much so that had I been the discoverer of that
stream under similar circumstances, I should in all probability have
named it Cormorant River. While we were at anchor near its mouth,
they passed close to us in long single files almost continually, and,
on reaching the sea, bore away towards the south along the shores.
On the Mississippi, in the month of October, when the temperature is
considerably lower than in the Floridas, you see these birds during
the day standing in their usual inclined position, on the sawyers
and planters, as if resting there—so at least was the case in the
autumn of 1820,—or on the dead branches of trees along the shores.
In cloudy days they sailed high in the air, and in wide circles,
after which, as if aware of cold weather being at hand, they swiftly
followed in long lines the meandering course of the stream, at a
considerable elevation. While sailing aloft, they frequently uttered
a note not unlike that of the raven in similar circumstances. When
approached while standing on a planter, instead of taking to wing
at once, although elevated several feet above the water, they prefer
plunging first into the stream, when they almost instantly rise to the
surface, paddle with their feet, and beat with their wings for twenty
or thirty yards, and then rise into the air. Now and then, when of a
sudden the weather becomes cold at night, you see them at early dawn
join in numbers of fifty or perhaps a hundred, rise high in the air,
arrange themselves in angular double files, and fly swiftly southward.
When in fresh water streams they fish principally in the eddies, and
as soon as one of them is depopulated, or proves unworthy of their
farther search, they rise and fly about a foot above the surface to
another place, where they continue to fish. In the inner lakes of the
Floridas they fish at random any where, and this is equally the case
around the Keys, and on the bays and inlets along the coast. In fine
calm weather, when the sun is pouring down a flood of light and heat,
the Cormorants in flocks betake themselves to some clean sand-bar or
rocky isle, or alight on trees, where they spread out their wings,
and bask at times for hours, in the manner of Vultures and Pelicans.
The Florida Cormorant, like all the other species with which I am
acquainted, swims deep, and dives with great expertness, so that
it is almost useless to follow one when wounded, unless it has been
greatly injured. On seeing an enemy approach, it first beats the water
with its wings, as if in play, or as it would do if washing itself,
raises both wings for a minute or more, then paddles off, and takes
to wing. When on a lake, they prefer diving to flying, swim with all
but the neck and head under water, in the manner of the Anhinga or
Snake-bird, and easily dive without shewing their backs.
They procure their food entirely by diving from the surface of the
water, never from on wing, as some compilers assert; nay, the very
form of their bill, and the want of air-cells, such as plunging birds
are usually provided with, prevent them from darting from above into
the water, as is the habit of Gannets and other birds, which seek
for food on wing, go far out to sea, and stand gales such as the
Cormorant, which rarely venture out of sight of the shores, does not
dare to encounter, or of those which, like Gulls, pass swiftly in
curved lines over the surface, picking up their prey. On emerging,
these Cormorants usually swallow their prey if it has been so seized
as to enable them to do so with ease; if not, they throw it up to
a short distance in the air, receive it with open bill, and gulp it
head foremost. If the fish is large, they swim or fly to the shore,
or alight on a tree with it, and there beat and tear it to pieces,
after which they swallow it. Their appetite is scarcely satiable, and
they gorge themselves to the utmost at every convenient opportunity.
The flight of this species is perhaps more rapid than that of the
others mentioned above, and is performed by continued flappings when
the bird is travelling, but by alternate flappings and sailings of
great elegance during the beginning of the breeding season, or when
they collect in large flocks in lowering weather, sometimes also
when about to alight. Their food consists chiefly of fish, and they
generally prefer those of small size. While on the Florida Keys, I
procured five specimens of the Hippocampus, fresh and uninjured, from
the gullets of some of these Cormorants. They are hard to kill, and
live to a great age.
They are easily treated in captivity; but their awkward movements
on the ground, where they often use the tail as a support, render
them less pleasing objects than other feathered pets. Besides, they
eat and mute inordinately, and instead of charming you with songs,
utter no sound excepting a grunt. Their flesh is dark, generally
tough, and has a rank fishy taste, which can suit the palate only of
refined epicures, some of whom I have heard pronounce it excellent.
The Indians and Negroes of the Floridas kill the young when nearly
able to fly, and after skinning them, salt them for food. I have seen
them offered for sale in the New Orleans market, the poorer people
there making gombo soup of them.
A bird of this species, which I shot near its breeding place, and
which, on being examined, proved to be a female, had the feathers of
the tail covered with delicate slender sea-weeds of a bright green
colour, such as I have often observed on marine turtles, and which
appeared to have actually grown there.
The slender feathers on the sides of the head fall off by the time
incubation has commenced, and do not appear during winter, as is
alleged by authors when speaking of the crests or appendages of
Cormorants, nor do they last more than a few weeks, as is also the
case in the Egrets and Herons.
PHALACROCORAX FLORIDANUS.
Plate CCLII. Adult Male in spring.
Bill about the length of the head, rather slender, somewhat compressed,
straight, with the tip curved. Upper mandible with the dorsal line
slightly concave, until near the tip, when it is decurved, the ridge
convex, and separated from the sides by a narrow groove, the sides
erect, convex, the edges sharp and straight as far as the unguis,
which is strong, convex above, incurved, acute. No external nostrils
when full-grown. Lower mandible with the angle long and very narrow
towards the end, filled by an extensible membrane, which extends a
short way down the throat, its dorsal line a little convex, the sides
erect and convex, the edges sharp and inflected, the tip compressed
and obliquely truncate.
Head rather small, oblong, narrowed before. Neck long and slender.
Body rather full, depressed. Feet short, stout, placed far behind;
tibia feathered in its whole length; tarsus very short, strong, much
compressed, covered all round with scales, of which the anterior
and lateral are large and subhexagonal, the posterior very small
and roundish. Toes all placed in the same plane, and connected by
reticulated webs, covered above with very numerous oblique scutella;
first toe smallest, fourth longest. Claws rather small, strong,
compressed, acute, rounded above, arched, that of the third toe
pectinated on its inner edge.
Plumage of the head, neck, lower parts, and posterior portion of the
back glossy, blended, and silky, of the fore part of the back and
wings compact, the feathers with narrow loose glossy margins. From
behind the eye to the length of an inch and a half on each side, a
line of extremely slender loose elongated feathers. Space around the
eye, and to a large extent along the base of the bill, together with
the small gular sac, bare. Wings rather small; primaries very strong,
curved, rather narrow, tapering and obtuse, second longest, third
almost equal, first longer than fourth; secondaries decurved, broad,
broadly rounded, the inner narrower. Tail of moderate length, very
narrow, much rounded, or cuneate, of twelve narrow rounded feathers,
having extremely strong shafts.
Upper mandible black, along the basal margins bright blue; lower
bright blue, curiously spotted with white. Iris light green, margins
of eyelids light blue, spotted with white. Bare space on the head and
gular sac rich orange. Feet and claws greyish-black. All the silky
part of the plumage is greenish-black, at a distance appearing black,
but at hand in a strong light green. The imbricated feathers of the
back and wings greyish-brown, tinged with purple, their fringe-like
margins greenish-black. Primary quills brownish-black, secondary like
the other feathers of the wing. Tail brownish-black. The shafts of
all the feathers brownish-black.
Length to end of tail 29-3/4 inches, to end of wings 25-1/2, to end of
claws 28-1/2; extent of wings 46-1/2; wing from flexure 11-3/4; tail
6; bill along the back 2-5/12, along the edge of lower mandible 3-7/12;
tarsus 2; outer toe 3-5/12, its claw (4-1/2)/12 Weight 3-1/2 lb.
The Female is precisely similar to the male.
The young, after their first moult, have the bill dull yellow, the
ridge of the upper mandible dusky, the unguis or hook horn-colour; the
naked parts about the base of the bill rich yellow, the iris light
green, the feet as in the adult. The feathers of the head and neck
are blended, but not silky; the upper part of the head and the hind
neck are brownish-black, tinged with green, the throat greyish-white,
the fore neck and anterior part of the breast variegated with pale
brownish-grey and black. The rest of the plumage is as in the adult,
but the imbricated feathers of the upper parts are of a lighter
colour, but not bronzed.
This species differs from the Double-crested Cormorant principally in
being smaller, and in having the elongated feathers behind the eye
much fewer. The two species will be more particularly compared when
the latter is described.
THE POMARINE JAGER.
_LESTRIS POMARINUS_, TEMM.
PLATE CCLIII. FEMALE.
This bird I never had an opportunity of examining until I visited
Labrador; nor am I able to give you much information respecting its
habits as obtained by my own observation, and therefore I shall take
the liberty of adding to my description such notices as I may judge
interesting, taken from the works of authors who, having seen for
themselves, are entitled to credit.
While sailing towards the harbour of Little Macatina, and yet about
forty miles distant from it, although not far from the shore, we
observed a bird of this species approaching the vessel. It flew in
the manner of the Pigeon Hawk, to my account of which I may refer
you, alighted on the water like a Gull, and fed on some cod-fish’s
liver that had been thrown overboard for the purpose of attracting it.
Several small Petrels joined it, but it did not come within shot, and
the sea was too rough for even our whale-boat. On the 30th of July the
young men of my party brought me a fine adult female, in excellent
order, from which I drew the figure in the plate. A few days after
we experienced a very heavy gale while in the harbour of Bras d’Or,
during the continuance of which twenty or thirty of these birds came
about us, although none of them approached within shot, and no boat
could have ridden the furious waves without imminent danger. On that
occasion, however, I was enabled to observe some of their habits.
They flew wildly about, yet with much grace, moving rapidly to and
fro, now struggling against the blast, now bearing off and drifting
to a considerable distance. Many Gulls were flying about, having
also made for the harbour to obtain some shelter from the storm. The
Lestris chased the smaller species with effect, but never approached
the Great Black-backed Gulls, nor even their young, which were also
flying with the rest. The Kittiwakes and the Ring-billed Gulls were
the species which we saw them attack, although they did not procure
much food from them, the weather being such that they could not fish.
They were therefore contented, as was the Lestris, with the fishes
that had been thrown on shore. At times the Jagers would ramble over
the land, flying close upon the rocks, and proceeding at a rapid rate
even against the wind. They remained in our neighbourhood until the
tempest abated, when they went off to sea, and I saw no more of them
until we reached St George’s Bay in Newfoundland.
There, on a squally afternoon, two or three of them were observed
flying around, but keeping at such a distance that we could not shoot
any of them. The following day, after setting sail, we encountered a
heavy gale, which, although foretold by me from the appearance of the
birds in the harbour, our good captain would not believe as likely to
happen. We were obliged to lie-to, and were tossed about for three
nights and days, but escaped with little other damage than the loss
of a pet Gull, which was washed overboard.
On our return to Eastport, Captain EMERY told me that he had seen
a great number of these Jagers near Cape Sable; and at Halifax, in
Nova Scotia, I was assured that they breed on Sable Island, which is
sixty or seventy miles distant from the coast. I never observed one
of these birds along the shores of the United States, although some
of the genus go as far south in winter as the Gulf of Mexico.
Nothing is known with certainty respecting the changes which this
species undergoes as it advances toward maturity. Captain JAMES CLARK
ROSS, R. N. has informed me that a nest containing two eggs was found
by him near Fury Point, close by the edge of a small lake. I have
no doubt that this bird breeds in Labrador, as the female which I
obtained in July appeared as if it had young at the time.
My friend Mr SELBY states that he is not aware that an adult bird has
yet been killed in Britain. M. TEMMINCK says it forms a rude nest of
grass and moss, which is placed on a tuft in the marshes, or on a rock,
and lays two or three very pointed eggs, of a greyish-olive colour,
marked with a few blackish spots. Dr RICHARDSON has the following
notice respecting it in the Fauna Boreali-Americana:—“The Pomarine
Jager or Gull-hunter is not uncommon in the Arctic seas and northern
outlets of Hudson’s Bay, where it subsists on putrid fish and other
animal substances thrown up by the sea, and also on the matters which
the Gulls disgorge when pursued by it. It retires from the north in
the winter, and makes its first appearance at Hudson’s Bay in May,
coming in from seaward.”
LESTRIS POMARINUS, _Temm._ Man. d’Ornith. part ii. p. 793.
LESTRIS POMARINA, POMARINE JAGER, _Ch. Bonaparte_, Synopsis
of Birds of the United States, p. 364.—_Swains. and
Richards._ Fauna Bor. Amer. part ii. p. 429.
POMARINE JAGER, _Nuttall_, Manual, vol. ii. p. 315.
Adult Female. Plate CCLIII.
Bill shorter than the head, strong, slightly compressed, straight,
the tip curved. Upper mandible with the dorsal line nearly straight,
toward the tip curved, the ridge broad and convex with a slight central
depression, the sides convex, the edges sharp and inflected, the
tip compressed, rather rounded but sharp. Nasal groove long, narrow,
curved; nostrils in its fore part, medial, lateral, longitudinal, broad
before, extremely narrow behind, open and pervious. Lower mandible
with the angle long and narrow, a slight prominence at its extremity,
beyond which the dorsal line is slightly concave, the sides erect,
and slightly convex, the edges sharp and inflected, the tip obliquely
truncate.
Head rather large. Neck of moderate length. Body rather full. Feet of
moderate length, rather slender; tibia bare at its lower part, and
rough all round with small convex scales; tarsus compressed behind,
anteriorly covered with decurved scutella, the sides reticulated, the
hind part rough with small pointed scales; hind toe extremely small
and elevated, the fore toes of moderate size, connected by reticulated
webs, which have their margins convex; the third toe longest, the
fourth nearly as long, all scutellate above. Claws strong, curved,
very acute, compressed, that of third toe with a sharp inner edge.
The plumage in general is close, elastic, soft and blended; the
feathers on the back and wings rather compact and distinct. Wings very
long, rather broad, pointed; primary quills tapering and rounded, the
first longest, the rest rapidly graduated; secondary rather short,
rounded. Tail of moderate length, the feathers, which are twelve,
are broad and rounded, the two middle an inch longer than the next.
Bill blackish-brown at the end, dingy yellow towards the base.
Iris brown. Tibia, toes, webs, and lower half of tarsus black,
the upper half light blue; claws black. Upper part and sides
of the head anteriorly brownish-black; upper part of neck all
round yellowish-white; the rest of the neck white, barred with
brownish-black, each feather having two transverse bands of that
colour; breast white; sides, abdomen and lower tail-coverts white,
barred with brownish-black, as are the upper tail-coverts. Back and
wings brownish-black; primary quills of the same colour, white on the
inner webs towards the base, as are the secondaries and tail-feathers,
lower surface of wings mottled and barred with white and dusky.
Length to end of tail 20-1/4 inches, to end of wings 20-1/4, to end of
claws 19-1/4; extent of wings 48; wing from flexure 14; tail 6-2/12;
bill along the back 1-9/12, along the edge of lower mandible 2-1/2;
tarsus 2-1/12; middle toe 1-9/12, its claw 8/12. Weight 1-1/2 lb.
WILSON’S PHALAROPE.
_PHALAROPUS WILSONII_, SABINE.
PLATE CCLIV. MALE AND YOUNG.
The habits of this beautiful species are little known, for so
irregularly does it perform its migrations, and so rarely does it
settle for any length of time in any part of the United States, that
at present few opportunities of studying them occur. Although I have
found individuals in various places along our eastern coast, from
Boston to New Jersey, as well as in Kentucky and other portions of
the Union, I have not seen its nest, nor even its eggs. Mr DRUMMOND,
whose zeal as a student of nature must be known to every one devoted
to natural history, had the good fortune to find its nest in the
course of his rambles among the Rocky Mountains, but he has given no
information respecting its habits. A person who shewed me the skins of
two specimens procured in July near Cape May in New Jersey, assured
me that he shot them near their nests, and that they had four eggs.
While I was in the same neighbourhood, in the month of June 1829, a
fisherman gunner, with whom I was at the time residing at Great Egg
Harbour, brought me a pair which he had just killed. He represented
them as very gentle and easily approached, and said that on going
towards them they affected to be lame, and opened their wings as if
to induce him to run after them; instead of doing which, however, he
immediately fired and killed them both. Having put away the birds
in a safe place, he and I took to his boat and went to the island
where he had found them. He shewed me the spot on which they had
been shot; but although we searched most diligently for the nest,
we could not find it. On examining the birds when we returned, I saw
that the female must have been sitting. About the same period my son
procured two specimens of this Phalarope out of a flock of five, on
the rocks at the rapids of the Ohio below Louisville. Late in the
summer of 1824 I shot three of them near Buffalo Creek on Lake Erie.
My generous friend EDWARD HARRIS, Esq. presented me, at New York,
with a young bird in autumnal plumage, from which I made the figure
in the plate; and another, in a most emaciated state, was given me
at Boston in the winter by my young friend JOHN BETHUNE, Esq.
Those which I procured near Lake Erie were engaged in feeding around
the borders and in the shallows of a pond of small extent. When I first
observed them at some distance, I thought they were Yellow-shanks
(_Totanus flavipes_), so much did their motions resemble those of
that species. Like it, this Phalarope wades in the water up to its
body, picks for food right and left, turns about, and performs all
its motions with vivacity and elegance. They kept closer together
than the Yellow-shanks usually do, but, like them, they would for
a few moments raise their wings as if apprehensive of getting into
too deep water and being obliged to fly. They preferred flying to
swimming on such occasions, although from the general character of
the tribe one might expect otherwise. After watching them about a
quarter of an hour, during which time they did not utter a single
note, I fired at them when they were all close together, and killed
the whole. On opening them I found their stomachs to contain small
worms and fragments of very delicate shells. The birds seen at the
Falls of the Ohio flew in the manner of the Common Snipe, proceeding
at first in an undulating or zigzag line, but more steadily after
reaching a certain elevation, when they came pretty close together,
wheeled a few times, and alighted again near the same shallow pools.
Dr RICHARDSON, who found this species breeding on the Saskatchewan,
says “it lays two or three eggs among the grass on the margins of small
lakes: they are very obtuse at one end, taper much at the other, and
have a colour intermediate between yellowish-grey and cream-yellow,
interspersed with small roundish spots and a few larger blotches of
umber-brown, more crowded at the obtuse end. The eggs measure sixteen
lines and a half in length and eleven across.”
I observed scarcely any difference in the colouring of the sexes,
the female being merely larger than the male.
PHALAROPUS WILSONII, _Ch. Bonaparte_, Synopsis of Birds of
the United States, p. 342.
GRAY PHALAROPE, PHALAROPUS LOBATUS, _Wils._ Amer. Ornith.
vol. ix. p. 72. pl. 73. fig. 2.
WILSON’S PHALAROPE, PHALAROPUS WILSONII, _Ch. Bonaparte_,
Amer. Ornith. vol. iv. p. 59. pl. 24. fig. 1. Adult; and
pl. 25. fig. 1. Young.
PHALAROPUS WILSONII, WILSON’S PHALAROPE, _Swains. and
Richards._ Fauna Bor. Amer. part ii. p. 405, pl. 69.
AMERICAN PHALAROPE, _Nuttall_, Manual, vol. ii. p. 245.
Adult Male. Plate CCLIV. Fig. 1.
Bill long, very slender, flexible, flattened towards the end. Upper
mandible with the dorsal line straight, the ridge flattened, the
sides at the base sloping, but towards the end nearly horizontal,
the edges obtuse, the tip narrow. Nasal groove linear, long; nostrils
basal, linear, pervious. Lower mandible with the angle very long and
extremely narrow, the sides slightly convex, the tip narrowed.
Head small, with the fore part high and rounded; eyes of moderate
size. Neck rather long and slender. Body slender. Feet rather long,
slender; tibia bare a considerable way above the joint; tarsus
extremely compressed, narrowed before, very thin behind, covered
anteriorly with numerous scutella, posteriorly with two series of
scutella meeting with a sharp edge; toes slender, first very small,
free, with a slight membrane beneath, second slightly shorter than
fourth, third considerably longer; all scutellate above, margined
on both sides with narrow, slightly lobed, crenate membranes, which
are united at the base so as to form short webs, of which the outer
is longer. Claws very small, compressed, arched, that of the middle
toe with the inner edge sharp.
Plumage soft and blended. Feathers of the back and wings distinct.
Wings long and pointed, primary quills tapering but rounded, the first
longest, the second scarcely shorter, the rest rapidly graduated;
secondary quills rather short, broad, obliquely rounded, with a
small tip, the inner tapering and elongated, so as nearly to equal
the longest primaries when the wing is closed. Tail rather short,
nearly even but with the two middle feathers longer, of twelve rounded
feathers, of which the outer are incurved.
Bill black. Iris brown. Feet bluish-grey, claws black. The general
colour of the upper parts is brownish-grey, the hind neck and upper
tail-coverts greyish-white, the top of the head ash-grey. A white line
over the eye; a band of black along the lore, under the eye, and down
the side of the neck, on which it becomes broader and changes into
chestnut-brown, when it proceeds along the scapulars of a brownish-red
colour; another brownish-red band across the wing and including part
of the inner secondaries. Quills greyish-brown, the outer primaries
and their coverts darker. Tail-feathers pale brownish-grey on the
outer, white more or less mottled on the inner webs. Throat and cheeks
white; fore neck orange-brown, fading below, and extending paler
along the sides of the body; breast, abdomen and lower wing-coverts
white; lower surface of wings pale grey, of tail white.
Length to end of tail 10 inches, to end of claws 11; extent of wings
17-1/2; wing from flexure 7-4/12; tail 2-2/12; bill along the back
1-7/12, along the edge of lower mandible 1-8/12; bare part of tibia
3/4; tarsus 1-1/4; middle toe 1-2/12, its claw (2-1/2)/12. Weight 2-1/2
oz.
The Female, which is somewhat larger, is in colour precisely similar
to the Male. Weight 3 oz.
Young in autumn. Plate CCLIV. Fig. 2.
The young bird after the first moult has the bill brownish-black,
the iris brown, the feet greenish-yellow, the claws black. The upper
parts are variegated with brownish-black and light greenish-yellow,
the central part of each feather being of the former colour; primary
quills brownish-black; tail-feathers as in the adult. The lower parts
are white.
THE RED PHALAROPE.
_PHALAROPUS FULICARIUS_, BONAP.
PLATE CCLV. ADULT MALE AND FEMALE IN SUMMER, AND ADULT IN WINTER.
My first drawing of the Red Phalarope was made at Louisville in
Kentucky, a few weeks after my removal to that place, in 1808. One
afternoon, while returning from the house of my hospitable friend
General CROGHAN, I observed a large flock of birds proceeding along
the shores of the Ohio. They were quite unknown to me, and therefore
extremely anxious I was to procure some of them. I therefore ran
through the woods until I got ahead of them, went to the margin of
the river, and concealed myself at some distance from them. They
swam beautifully, played about, picked up substances floating on the
water, now dispersed, and again came close together, until at length
coming opposite to a small sand-bar stretching out from the shore to
the distance of a few yards, they directed their course towards it,
and waded out. When just landing, they were so close to each other
that I could not withstand the temptation, and so levelled my gun,
pulled both triggers, and saw that I had made considerable havock
among them. Those which had not been bitten flew off in a compact
body, while the birds that had been but slightly wounded made for
the water, and swam away so fast that they seemed to be running on
the surface. I picked up seventeen, which I found so beautiful and
withal so plump, that I felt quite delighted, and resolved to shoot
as many more as I could. But I did not succeed in killing more than
other five that day.
I had never until then seen a Phalarope of any kind, although I had
inspected some shocking figures of these elegant birds, figures so
unlike the originals that even with the aid of a name printed beneath,
you could not recognise them. Such of my acquaintances at Louisville
as had been accustomed to shoot birds, had never seen one of this
species on the Ohio, or in any part of the country. It was then and
there that I made my first drawing of the Red Phalarope, which I
shewed to ALEXANDER WILSON during his visit to Louisville. It being
late in October, the specimens which I had procured were all in their
grey livery, and proved capital eating. As I was anxious to watch
the rest of the flock, which I think must have been composed of at
least a hundred individuals, I went to the same place on the following
afternoon. As I crossed Bear Grass Creek, near its junction with the
Ohio, I observed eight or ten of them walking over the green moss
on the surface of the water near the shore. Of these I succeeded in
killing three. In the course of a walk of two miles along the banks
of the river, I could see none; and some Blue-winged Teals happening
to pass over from the stream in the direction of a pond between it
and Kieger’s Ferry-house, I went in pursuit of them. Before I got
up they had flown away, or had passed over without alighting. There,
however, to my great joy, I found all the Phalaropes swimming along
the margins and picking up the seeds of grasses. They were much less
shy than when I met with them on the river, so that I soon procured
eight more at a single shot. The rest rose, emitting quick sharp
cries, performed a few evolutions at a considerable height, and went
off to the westward.
On the 1st of September 1831, while on board the packet ship Columbia,
commanded by my good friend JOSEPH DELANO, Esq. Nantucket being distant
about sixty miles, we came upon an extensive bank of sea-weeds and
froth, about a mile in length, which I was told was produced by the
action of the tides. On this bed were hundreds of Phalaropes of this
species, walking as unconcernedly as if on land. As we approached it,
they rose and flew around the vessel for a few minutes, and when we
had passed through we saw them re-alight.
I have not seen the Red Phalarope alive on any other occasion than
those mentioned above; and I am indebted to my generous friend Captain
JAMES CLARK ROSS for the beautiful specimens in summer plumage, from
which the figures in the plate were taken.
None of those which I had wounded attempted to dive. When caught and
held in the hand, they merely fluttered and tried to escape, like
other small birds. Their flight was rapid, resembling that of the
Red-backed Sandpiper, _Tringa alpina_, and they performed various
evolutions, sometimes skimming over the water, when they kept more
apart than either when rising at first, or when they reached a certain
height, on attaining which they pursued their course, with alternate
inclinations to either side.
According to Captain J. C. ROSS, these birds breed in great numbers
far north. The eggs, of which he has favoured me with some, measure
an inch and a quarter by seven-eighths; their ground colour is dull
greenish-yellow, irregularly blotched and dotted with reddish-brown.
PHALAROPUS FULICARIUS, _Ch. Bonaparte_, Synopsis of Birds
of the United States, p. 341.
RED PHALAROPE, PHALAROPUS HYPERBOREUS, _Wils._ Amer. Ornith.
vol. ix. p. 75. pl. 74, fig. 4.
PHALAROPUS FULICARIUS, FLAT-BILLED PHALAROPE, _Swains. and
Richards._ Fauna Bor. Amer. part ii. p. 407.
RED PHALAROPE, _Nuttall_, Manual, vol. ii. p. 236.
Adult Male in Summer. Plate CCLV. Fig. 1.
Bill scarcely longer than the head, straight, slender, nearly
cylindrical, towards the end broader and flattened, the tip narrow.
Upper mandible with the dorsal line straight, excepting at the end,
where it is a little curved, the ridge convex, flattened at the broad
part, the sides slightly sloping, the edges rounded, and near the
slightly curved obtuse tip inflected. Nasal groove linear, extending to
near the tip; nostrils basal, linear-elliptical. Lower mandible with
the angle very long and narrow, the sides convex, the tip narrowed,
obtuse.
Head small, with the fore part high and rounded; eyes small. Neck of
moderate length. Body rather full. Feet rather short, slender; tibia
bare a short way above the joint; tarsus much compressed, narrowed
before and behind, covered anteriorly with numerous scutella; toes
very slender, first extremely small, free, with a slight membrane
beneath, second shorter than third, which is a little longer; all
scutellate above, the anterior margined on both sides with lobed and
pectinated membranes, which are united at the base, so as to render
the foot nearly half-webbed, the outer web much longer than the inner.
Claws very small, compressed, arched, obtuse, that of the middle toe
with an inner sharp edge.
Plumage soft and slender, the feathers on the back and wings somewhat
distinct. Wings long and pointed; primary quills tapering, but
rounded, the first longest, the second a little shorter, the rest
rapidly graduated; secondary quills rather short, obliquely truncate,
the inner tapering and elongated, so as nearly to equal the longest
primaries when the wing is closed. Tail of moderate length, much
rounded, of twelve feathers.
Bill greenish-yellow, black at the point. Iris brown. Feet pale
greyish-blue. Upper part of the head black; loral space and chin
blackish-grey; sides of the head, and a band round the occiput,
white. Sides and fore part of the neck, breast, abdomen, and lower
tail-coverts deep orange-red. Fore part of the back, scapulars, and
inner secondaries, black, the feathers edged with whitish; wing-coverts
deep ash-grey; quills dark greyish-brown, their shafts and basal parts
white; the ends of the secondary and primary coverts, and the basal
part of the outer webs of the primaries, being white, a band of that
colour is seen on the wing when it is extended. Upper tail-coverts
orange-red; tail deep grey, darker towards the end, slightly tipped
with reddish.
Length to end of tail 7-1/2 inches, to end of claws 6-3/4; extent of
wings 13; wing from flexure 5; tail 2-3/4; bill along the back 11/12,
along the edge of lower mandible 1-1/12; tarsus 10/12; middle toe
10/12, its claw (1-1/2)/12.
Adult Female in summer. Plate CCLV. Fig. 2.
The Female has the upper part variegated with light red and
brownish-black, the central part of each feather being of the
latter colour, the upper tail-coverts entirely of the former. Wings
greyish-black, with a transverse white band; tail deep grey as in
the male. The lower parts are of a less pure red than those of the
male, being paler and tinged with grey.
Adult in winter. Plate CCLV. Fig. 3.
The winter plumage of the adult is very different in colour. The
bill is nearly black, the feet as in summer. The upper part of the
head, cheeks, fore part and sides of the neck, breast, abdomen, lower
and upper tail-coverts, and a band across the wing, are white; a
brownish-black line from the eye to the occiput, which is of the same
colour, as well as the middle of the hind neck. The back, scapulars,
and inner secondaries, are ash-grey, the wings as in summer.
Length to end of tail 7-1/2 inches.
BREAKING UP THE ICE.
While proceeding up the Mississippi above its junction with the
Ohio, I found, to my great mortification, that its navigation was
obstructed by ice. The chief conductor of my bark, who was a Canadian
Frenchman, was therefore desired to take us to a place suitable for
winter-quarters, which he accordingly did, bringing us into a great
bend of the river called Tawapatee Bottom. The waters were unusually
low, the thermometer indicated excessive cold, the earth all around
was covered with snow, dark clouds were spread over the heavens,
and as all appearances were unfavourable to the hope of a speedy
prosecution of our voyage, we quietly set to work. Our bark, which
was a large keel-boat, was moored close to the shore, the cargo was
conveyed to the woods, large trees were felled over the water, and
were so disposed as to keep off the pressure of the floating masses
of ice. In less than two days, our stores, baggage, and ammunition,
were deposited in a great heap under one of the magnificent trees
of which the forest was here composed, our sails were spread over
all, and a complete camp was formed in the wilderness. Every thing
around us seemed dreary and dismal, and had we not been endowed with
the faculty of deriving pleasure from the examination of nature, we
should have made up our minds to pass the time in a state similar
to that of bears during their hybernation. We soon found employment,
however, for the woods were full of game; and deer, turkeys, racoons,
and opossums might be seen even around our camp; while on the ice
that now covered the broad stream rested flocks of swans, to surprise
which the hungry wolves were at times seen to make energetic but
unsuccessful efforts. It was curious to see the snow-white birds all
lying flat on the ice, but keenly intent on watching the motions of
their insidious enemies, until the latter advanced within the distance
of a few hundred yards, when the swans, sounding their trumpet-notes
of alarm, would all rise, spread out their broad wings, and after
running some yards and battering the ice until the noise was echoed
like thunder through the woods, rose exultingly into the air, leaving
their pursuers to devise other schemes for gratifying their craving
appetites.
The nights being extremely cold, we constantly kept up a large fire,
formed of the best wood. Fine trees of ash and hickory were felled,
cut up into logs of convenient size, and rolled into a pile, on the
top of which, with the aid of twigs, a fire was kindled. There were
about fifteen of us, some hunters, others trappers, and all more or
less accustomed to live in the woods. At night, when all had returned
from their hunting-grounds, some successful and others empty-handed,
they presented a picture in the strong glare of the huge fire that
illuminated the forest, which it might prove interesting to you to see,
were it copied by a bold hand on canvass. Over a space of thirty yards
or more, the snow was scraped away, and piled up into a circular wall,
which protected us from the cold blast. Our cooking utensils formed
no mean display, and before a week had elapsed, venison, turkeys,
and racoons hung on the branches in profusion. Fish, too, and that
of excellent quality, often graced our board, having been obtained
by breaking holes in the ice of the lakes. It was observed that the
opossums issued at night from holes in the banks of the river, to
which they returned about day-break; and having thus discovered their
retreat, we captured many of them by means of snares.
At the end of a fortnight our bread failed, and two of the party were
directed to proceed across the bend, towards a village on the western
bank of the Mississippi, in quest of that commodity; for although we
had a kind of substitute for it in the dry white flesh of the breast
of the wild turkey, bread is bread after all, and more indispensable
to civilized man than any other article of food. The expedition left
the camp early one morning; one of the party boasted much of his
knowledge of woods, while the other said nothing, but followed. They
walked on all day, and returned next morning to the camp with empty
wallets. The next attempt, however, succeeded, and they brought on
a sledge a barrel of flour and some potatoes. After a while, we were
joined by many Indians, the observation of whose manners afforded us
much amusement.
Six weeks were spent in Tawapatee Bottom. The waters had kept
continually sinking, and our boat lay on her side high and dry. On
both sides of the stream, the ice had broken into heaps, forming huge
walls. Our pilot visited the river daily, to see what prospect there
might be of a change. One night, while, excepting himself, all were
sound asleep, he suddenly roused us with loud cries of “the ice is
breaking! get up, get up, down to the boat lads, bring out your axes,
hurry on, or we may lose her, here let us have a torch!” Starting up,
as if we had been attacked by a band of savages, we ran pell-mell to
the bank. The ice was indeed breaking up; it split with reports like
those of heavy artillery, and as the water had suddenly risen from
an overflow of the Ohio, the two streams seemed to rush against each
other with violence, in consequence of which the congealed mass was
broken into large fragments, some of which rose nearly erect here and
there, and again fell with thundering crash, as the wounded whale,
when in the agonies of death, springs up with furious force, and
again plunges into the foaming waters. To our surprise, the weather,
which in the evening had been calm and frosty, had become wet and
blowy. The water gushed from the fissures formed in the ice, and the
prospect was extremely dismal. When day dawned, a spectacle strange
and fearful presented itself: the whole mass of water was violently
agitated, its covering was broken into small fragments, and although
not a foot of space was without ice, not a step could the most daring
have ventured to make upon it. Our boat was in imminent danger, for
the trees which had been placed to guard it from the ice were cut or
broken into pieces, and were thrust against her. It was impossible to
move her; but our pilot ordered every man to bring down great bunches
of cane, which were lashed along her sides; and before these were
destroyed by the ice, she was afloat and riding above it. While we
were gazing on the scene, a tremendous crash was heard, which seemed
to have taken place about a mile below, when suddenly the great dam
of ice gave way. The current of the Mississippi had forced its way
against that of the Ohio; and in less than four hours, we witnessed
the complete breaking up of the ice.
During that winter, the ice was so thick on the Mississippi, that
opposite St Louis, horses and heavy waggons crossed the river.
Many boats had been detained in the same manner as our own, so that
provisions and other necessary articles had become very scarce, and
sold at a high price. This happened about twenty-eight years ago.
THE REDDISH EGRET.
_ARDEA RUFESCENS_, GMEL.
PLATE CCLVI. ADULT AND YOUNG.
While sailing towards the Florida Keys, my mind was agitated with
anticipations of the delight I should experience in exploring a region
whose productions were very imperfectly known. Often did I think of
the Heron named after TITIAN PEALE, by my learned friend the Prince
of Musignano. Mr PEALE had procured only a single specimen, and in
the winter season, but whether or not the species was abundant on
the Keys of Florida remained to be discovered. No sooner had I been
landed and formed an acquaintance with Mr EGAN, the pilot of whom I
have often spoken, who was well acquainted with the haunts of many of
the birds of those islands, than I asked him respecting the various
Herons which might be found there or on the shores of the mainland.
Before answering me, he counted his fingers slowly, and then said that
he could recollect only “twelve sorts;” “but,” added he, “these birds
change their colours so curiously, that it is past wonder with me to
believe that any one man could know them without watching them as I
have done for many years.” I then inquired if I was in good time to
procure all the sorts which he knew. He answered in the affirmative;
but felt some doubt as to my procuring the eggs of one kind at least,
which breed earlier than the rest, and was pure white from the shell,
and the largest of all. Thinking the species to which he alluded might
be the _Ardea alba_ of LINNÆUS, I asked if it had long thread-like
feathers over the tail during the breeding season. “Oh no, Sir,”
said he, “it never has; it is as tall as yourself, and when you see
some on the wing, you will be pleased, for their wings are as large
as those of the Brown Pelican. The one I guess you mean, mostly goes
farther to the eastward to breed, along with a very small one, also
always white, with the feathers over the tail as you say, and curled
upwards. These are the only three sorts that are white.” I begged him
to describe the colours of the others, which he did so well that I
recognised ten species in all; but the large white one, and another
of a grey and purple colour, were unknown to me, and I told him so,
stating at the same time how anxious I was to procure them if possible.
“If possible! nothing in the world can be more easy, for if they have
no eggs left, they have young ones enough to load your schooner. I
can take you straight to their breeding place.”
You may suppose, Reader, how my spirits were raised by this
intelligence, and how surprised I was that PEALE’s Egret was not in
the number of the Florida Herons. We speedily embarked in Mr THRUSTON’s
boat, spread our sails to the breeze, and passed several keys, on which
we procured two young birds of the large white species, which I saw
at once was unknown to me, but of which you will find an account in
this volume. As we approached the next island, I saw twenty or thirty
pairs of Herons, some of which were pure white, others of a light
blue colour, but so much larger than the Blue Heron, _Ardea cœrulea_,
that I asked the pilot what they were, when he answered, “the very
fellows I want to shew you, and you may soon see them close enough,
as you and I will shoot a few by way of amusement.” Before half an
hour had elapsed, more than a dozen were lying at my feet. Some of
them were as white as driven snow, the rest of a delicate purplish
tint, inclining to grey on the back and wings, with heads and necks
of a curious reddish colour. Males and females there were, but they
were all of one species, for my companion assured me that “this sort
bred before they turned to their natural colours,” by which he meant
before attaining their full plumage at the age of three years. Well,
the immature birds were the very same as the individual to which, as
the representative of a new species, the name of Peale’s Egret had
been given. This I saw at once, for so good is the representation
of it in the fourth volume of BONAPARTE’s American Ornithology, that
from the mere recollection of it I was enabled to recognise the bird
at once. You may imagine the pleasure I felt, as well as that which
I experienced on becoming better acquainted with this species, which
I found in many places both with eggs and with young.
The Reddish Egret is a constant resident on the Florida Keys, to
which it is so partial at all seasons that it never leaves them.
Some individuals are seen as far east as Cape Florida, and westward
along the Gulf of Mexico. Whether it may ever betake itself to fresh
water I cannot say, but I never found one in such a situation. It is
a more plump bird for its size than most other Herons, and in this
respect resembles the Night Heron and the Yellow-crowned species,
but possesses all the gracefulness of the tribe to which it belongs.
In walking it lifts its feet high, and proceeds at a quiet pace, but
sometimes briskly; it alights with ease on trees, and walks well on
the larger branches. It rarely feeds from the edges of the water,
but resorts to the shallows of the extensive mud or sand flats, so
numerous about the keys. There, twenty or thirty, sometimes so many as
a hundred, may be seen wading up to the heel (or knee-joint as it is
usually called) in pursuit of prey, or standing in silence awaiting
the approach of an animal on which it feeds, when it strikes it,
and immediately swallows it, if not too large; but if so, it carries
it to the shore, beats it, and tears it to pieces, rarely, however,
using its feet for that purpose, and certainly never employing its
pectinated claws, which no Heron that I know ever uses for any other
object than that of scratching its head, or perhaps of securing its
steps on rocky bottoms. These birds remain on the flats thus employed,
until the advance of the tide forces them to the land.
The flight of this Heron is more elevated and regular than that of the
smaller species. During the love season, it is peculiarly graceful
and elegant, especially when one unmated male is pursuing another,
a female being in sight. They pass through the air with celerity,
turn and cut about in curious curves and zigzags, the stronger bird
frequently erecting its beautiful crest, and uttering its note, at
the moment when it expects to give its rival a thrust. When these
aërial combats take place between old and immature birds, their
different colours form a striking contrast, extremely pleasing to the
beholder. While travelling to and from their feeding grounds, or from
one key to another, they propel themselves by easy, well-sustained,
and regular flappings of their extended wings, the neck reposing on
the shoulders, the legs stretched out behind like a rudder, while
their beautiful thready trains float in the breeze. On approaching a
landing place, they seldom fail to perform a few circumvolutions, in
order to see that all around is quiet, for they are more shy and wary
than the smaller Herons, and almost as suspicious as the two larger
species, _Ardea occidentalis_, and _A. Herodias_; and this becomes
apparent as soon as they discontinue the feeding of their young, when
you find it extremely difficult to approach them. After this period
I rarely shot one, unless I happened to come upon it unawares, or
while it was passing over me when among the mangroves.
About the beginning of April, these Herons begin to pair. The males
chase each other on the ground, as well as in the air, and on returning
to their chosen females erect their crest and plumes, swell out their
necks, pass and repass before them, and emit hollow rough sounds,
which it is impossible for me to describe. It is curious to see a
party of twenty or thirty on a sand-bar, presenting as they do a
mixture of colours from pure white to the full hues of the old birds
of either sex; and still more curious perhaps it is to see a purple
male paying his addresses to a white female, while at hand a white
male is caressing a purple female, and not far off are a pair of
white, and another of purple birds. Nay, reader, until I had witnessed
these remarkable circumstances, I felt some distrust respecting the
statement of the worthy pilot. I am even now doubtful if all the
young breed the first spring after their birth, and am more inclined
to think that they do not, on account of the large flocks of white
birds of this species which during the breeding time kept apart from
those that had nests, but which on examination were not found to be
barren birds, although they had the crests and pendent feathers less
elongated than those white individuals that were actually breeding.
By the middle of April, they construct their nests, which they
place for the most part on the south-western sides of the mangroves
immediately bordering the keys, never on the trees at a distance from
the water, and rarely very close together. Some are placed on the top
branches, others a foot or two above the highest tide-mark; many of
them are annually repaired, perhaps all that stand the winter gales.
The nest, which is quite flat, is large for the size of the bird,
and is formed of dry sticks, interspersed with grass and leaves.
The eggs are three, average an inch and three quarters in length,
one and three-eighths in breadth, have an elliptical form, and a
smooth shell, of a uniform rather pale sea-green colour. They afford
excellent eating. Both sexes incubate, but I did not ascertain the
time required for hatching.
The young while yet naked are of a dark colour, there being only a few
scanty tufts of long soft down on the head and other parts; but when
the feathers begin to sprout they became white. Being abundantly and
carefully fed, at first by regurgitation, they grow fast, and soon
become noisy. When about a month old, they are fed less frequently,
and the fish is merely dropt before them, or into their open throats;
soon after they sit upright on the nest, with their legs extended
forward, or crawl about on the branches, as all other Herons are wont
to do. They are now sensible of danger, and when a boat is heard
coming towards them they hide among the branches, making towards
the interior of the keys, where it is extremely difficult to follow
them. On one occasion, when I was desirous of procuring some of them
alive, to take to Charleston, it took more than an hour to catch eight
or nine of them, for they moved so fast and stealthily through the
mangroves, always making for the closest and most tangled parts, that
a man was obliged to keep his eyes constantly on a single individual,
which it was very difficult to do, on account of the number of birds
crossing each other in every direction. They do not fly until they
are six or seven weeks old, and even then do not venture beyond the
island on which they have been reared. In captivity, those which we
had procured feed freely, and soon became tolerably docile. They were
supplied with pieces of green turtle and other species of the tribe,
and some of them reached Charleston in good health. One continued alive
for nearly two years with my friend the Rev. JOHN BACHMAN. It was
allowed to walk in the garden and poultry-yard, and ate an enormous
quantity of small fish and all sorts of garbage, contenting itself,
when better food was scarce, with the entrails of fowls, and even fed
freely on moistened corn-meal or mush. It caught insects with great
dexterity, and was very gentle and familiar, frequently going into
the kitchen, where it was a great favourite. It had acquired a crest
and a few of the pendent feathers of the back by the month of January,
when about twenty-two months old. One cold night, it was accidentally
neglected, and in the morning was found dead, having shared the fate
of so many thousands of pet birds in all parts of the world. On being
opened, it was found to be a male. Although I have not been able to
trace the gradual changes of colour which this species undergoes, I
have little doubt that it will be found to attain maturity the third
spring after birth.
The Reddish Egret rarely associates with others; nor does it suffer
them to nestle on the same island with itself. In this respect, it
differs from all other Herons with which I am acquainted; for although
the Great White Heron, _A. occidentalis_, has a decided antipathy
to the Great Blue Heron, still it now and then allows a few to breed
on the north side of its island. The present species is as strictly
marine as the Great White Heron; and these are the only two that are
so, for all the others feed on fresh-water fishes, not less than on
those obtained in salt-water, as well as on other food of various
kinds. Like all others, the Reddish Egret loses its ornaments soon
after incubation, when old and young mix, and follow their occupations
together. When wounded, it strikes with its bill, scratches with its
claws, and, throwing itself on its back, emits its rough and harsh
notes, keeping all the while its crest erected and expanded, and its
feathers swelled out. Its principal food consists of fishes of various
sizes, of which it consumes a great number, and of which it finds
no difficulty in procuring a sufficiency, as all the waters of those
portions of the Floridas that are inhabited by it are very profusely
stocked. I was told that, although still plentiful in the Floridas,
this species was much more so when the keys were first settled. I
was present when a person killed twenty-eight in succession in about
an hour, the poor birds hovering above their island in dismay, and
unaware of the destructive power of their enemy.
The remarkable circumstance of this bird’s changing from white to
purple will no doubt have some tendency to disconcert the systematists,
who, it seems, pronounce all the birds which they name Egrets to be
always white; but how much more disconcerted must they be when they
see that among the Herons peculiarly so named, which they say are
always coloured, the largest known to exist in the United States is
pure white. It is not at present my intention to say what an Egret is,
or what a Heron is; but it can no longer be denied that the presence
or absence of a loose crest, floating plume, and a white colour, are
insufficient for establishing essential characters separating Egrets
from Herons, which in fact display the most intimate connection, the
one group running into the other in an almost imperceptible gradation.
Hoping that an account of the extent of the migrations of the twelve
species of Heron that occur in the United States, and whose habits I
have studied for many years under the most favourable circumstances,
may prove acceptable, I now lay one before you, arranging the species
according to size, without regard to the rank they hold in systematic
works.
1. The Great White Heron. _Ardea occidentalis._ A constant
resident on the southern keys of Florida; entirely maritime;
never goes farther eastward than Cape Florida, though in
winter the younger birds migrate southward, and perhaps
pass beyond the extremities of the Gulf of Mexico.
2. The Great Blue Heron. _Ardea Herodias._ A constant
resident in the Floridas; migrates throughout the Union,
and as far along the Atlantic coast as the southernmost
islands of the Gulf of St Lawrence in summer; breeds in
all the districts, and at the approach of winter returns
to the Southern States.
3. The White Heron. _Ardea alba._ Resident in the Floridas;
migrates to the eastward sometimes as far as Massachusetts,
and up the Mississippi as far as the city of Natchez; never
seen far inland.
4. The Purple Heron. _Ardea rufescens._ Resident on the
Florida Keys; entirely maritime; never seen farther eastward
than Cape Florida; the young sometimes remove southward in
winter.
5. The American Bittern. _Ardea minor._ A winter resident
in the Floridas; many migrate over the greater part of
the Union and beyond its northern limits; never seen in
Kentucky; return before winter to the Southern States.
6. The Night Heron. _Ardea Nycticorax._ Resident in
the Floridas; migrates eastward as far as Maine, up the
Mississippi as high as Memphis; none seen in Kentucky;
returns to the Southern States at the approach of winter,
and occurs at the distance of a hundred miles inland.
7. The Yellow-crowned Heron. _Ardea violacea._ A few spend
the winter in the Floridas; it rarely migrates farther
eastward than New Jersey; proceeds up the Mississippi to
Natchez; never goes far inland; the greatest number winter
beyond the southern limits of the United States.
8. The Blue Heron. _Ardea cœrulea._ Resident in the Floridas;
migrates eastward as far as Long Island; proceeds up the
Mississippi about a hundred miles above Natchez; never goes
far inland.
9. The Louisiana Heron. _Ardea Ludoviciana._ Resident in
the Floridas; rarely seen as far east as New Jersey; seldom
passes Natchez on the Mississippi; never goes far inland.
10. The White Egret. _Ardea candidissima._ Resident in
the Floridas; migrates eastward as far as New York, up
the Mississippi as far as Memphis; never goes far inland;
returns to the Southern States as soon as the young are
able to travel.
11. The Green Heron. _Ardea virescens._ Resident in the
Floridas; disperses over the Union; goes far inland; the
greater number return at the approach of winter to the
Southern States.
12. The Least Bittern. _Ardea exilis._ Resident in the
Floridas; migrates as far as Maine, and throughout the
Western Country, far up the Missouri; returns early in
autumn to the Southern States.
You will see from the above statement, that the Herons are almost
similar to our Pigeons in respect to the extent of their migrations,
which must appear the more remarkable on account of their comparative
size, _Ardea Herodias_ and _A. virescens_ corresponding in a great
degree to the _Columba migratoria_ and _C. carolinensis_.
L’AIGRETTE ROUSSE, _Buffon_, Ois. vol. vii. p. 378. Pl.
Enl. 902.
ARDEA RUFESCENS, _Gmel._ Syst. Nat. vol. i. p. 628.—_Lath._
Ind. Ornith. vol. ii. p. 694.
REDDISH EGRET, Arct. Zool. vol. ii. N. 348.—_Lath._ Gen.
Synops. vol. iii. p. 88.
PEALE’S EGRET HERON, ARDEA PEALII, _Ch. Bonaparte_, Amer.
Ornith. vol. iv. p. 96, pl. xxvi. fig. 1, the Young Bird.
Adult Male. Plate CCLVI. Fig. 1.
Bill much longer than the head, straight, compressed, tapering, the
mandibles nearly equal in size. Upper mandible with the dorsal line
nearly straight, the ridge broad and convex at the base, afterwards
very narrow, a groove from the base to near the end, beneath which
the sides are convex, the edges thin and sharp, with a notch on each
side close to the narrow but obtuse tip. Nostrils basal, linear,
longitudinal. Lower mandible with the angle long and extremely narrow,
the dorsal line beyond it ascending and very slightly convex, the
edges sharp and slightly inflected, the tip very narrow but obtuse.
Head rather small, oblong, compressed. Neck very long and slender. Body
slender and compressed. Feet very long; tibia elongated and slender,
its lower half bare, covered all round with angular scales; tarsus
elongated, slender, compressed, covered anteriorly with numerous large
scutella, laterally and behind with angular scales. Toes of moderate
length, rather slender, scutellate above, reticularly granulate
beneath; third toe considerably longer than the fourth, which is in
nearly the same proportion longer than the second, the first much
shorter, but strong; claws rather small, strong, arched, compressed,
obtuse, that of hind toe much larger, the inner edge of that of the
third regularly pectinated.
Space between the bill and eye, and around the latter, bare, as is
the lower half of the tibia. Plumage soft, generally loose. Feathers
of the upper and hind part of the head, and of the neck generally,
especially on the sides and at the lower part anteriorly, much
elongated very narrow, loose, with linear compact extremities. The
feathers of the back are similar but broader at their base, and those
from the middle of the back are so elongated as to extend several
inches beyond the tail, forming a train of which the filaments are
hair-like and rather stiff. Wings of moderate length; primaries
broad, tapering, the inner broadly rounded, with an acumen, as are
the very broad secondaries; first quill longest, second almost equal,
third and fourth slightly shorter, the rest of the primaries rapidly
graduated; the inner secondaries extend to nearly an inch of the tip
of the wing, when the latter is closed. Tail very short, slightly
rounded, of twelve rather weak rounded feathers.
Bill black on its terminal third, the rest and the bare space on the
head pale flesh-colour. Iris white. Legs and feet ultramarine blue,
the scutella bluish-black, as are the claws. Feathers of the head
and neck light reddish-brown, tinged with lilac, the tips fading to
brownish-white. Back and wings dull greyish-blue; the long feathers
of the train yellowish towards the tips; all the lower parts are
greyish-blue paler than that of the upper.
Length to end of tail 31 inches, to end of wings 32; to end of claws
40; extent of wings 46; wing from flexure 14-1/2; tail 4-1/2; bill along
the back 4, along the edge of lower mandible 4-11/12, depth at the
base 1; bare part of tibia 4-1/12; tarsus 6; middle toe 3, its claw
(6-1/2)/12. Weight 1-3/4 lb.
The Female is precisely similar to the Male in colour, but is rather
smaller.
Young nearly two years old. Plate CCLVI. Fig. 2.
The bill is coloured as in the adult, as is the iris, but the feet
are dark olive-green, the soles greenish-yellow. The plumage presents
the same form as in the adult, but is entirely pure white.
In this state the bird has been described as a distinct species
under the name of Peale’s Egret Heron, but must now be restored to
its proper species, the adult having been described and figured by
BUFFON under the name of _Aigrette rousse_, and named by LATHAM the
Reddish Egret.
This species may be distinguished at the first glance from all others
that occur in the United States, by the peculiar form of the feathers
of the head and neck, which are loose, pendent, and fringe-like, at
all seasons, excepting in the young bird before the first moult.
The number of young, as in all other species, much exceeds that of
adult or coloured birds; and I have procured them in the proportion
of three to one. I carried upwards of fifty specimens of this Heron to
Charleston, where, as well as in Philadelphia, New York, and London, I
presented some to my friends and to public institutions. I also sent
several to my friend P. J. SELBY, Esq. of Twizel, Northumberland,
and lately gave a pair to the Museum of the University of Edinburgh.
Several specimens, which I presented to His Royal Highness the DUKE
of SUSSEX, have been by him given to the British Museum.
THE DOUBLE-CRESTED CORMORANT.
_PHALACROCORAX DILOPHUS._
PLATE CCLVII. MALE.
The objects that more especially attract the notice of the voyager,
as he draws near the south-west coast of Labrador, are the numerous
low islands covered with countless multitudes of birds, that have
assembled there for the purpose of reproduction. Some miles farther,
you see a ridge of craggy and desolate cliffs, emerging from the sea,
and presenting the appearance of a huge granite wall. This forms
a partition between the waters of the great St Lawrence and many
fine harbours hidden here and there behind it, along with numerous
inlets and bays, coves and small creeks, in which the bark of the
adventurer may ride in comparative safety. From the hoary summit of
this bulwark the view is grand beyond description; valleys richly
carpeted with moss and thickets of low shrubs glow in tints of the
richest green; clear blue lakes bear on their bosom numerous birds
of varied wing, while around their margins the females are seated on
their eggs or carefully leading about their young; banks of perennial
snow arrest your eye for a moment, and perhaps produce an involuntary
chill; onward towards the horizon, mountains heaped confusedly behind
mountains, mingle their gloomy tints with those of the cold sky. In
that land, man may for weeks, even months, seek for his kind in vain.
The deep silence that reigns around him during a calm, seldom fails to
bring sadness to his heart, as his eye grows dim with gazing on the
wilderness. Should the northern gale issue from its snowy chambers,
darkness follows in its train, and should its whole fury pour upon
you, melancholy indeed must be your lot.
To the low islands above alluded to, the beautiful Cormorant
represented in the plate before you, resorts each spring, for the
purpose of breeding. It arrives from the south about the beginning
of May, or as soon as the waters of the Gulf are sufficiently free
of ice to enable it to procure food. The winter it spends on our
eastern coasts, but it rarely proceeds farther south than the Capes of
North Carolina, about which it meets its southern friend the Florida
Cormorant, on whose dominions, however, it does not venture.
While with us, the Double-crested Cormorants are seen flying in long
lines, sometimes forming angles, and passing low over the water, at
no great distance from the shore. They enter our large bays, rivers
and creeks, going up as far as the tide, but are seldom or never seen
fishing in fresh-water. Their stay along the Middle Districts continues
from the beginning of October to the middle of April; farther east
they are seen a month earlier, and disappear a fortnight later. A
good number breed on the Seal Islands off the Bay of Fundy, but the
greater part return to Labrador and Baffin’s Bay, where Dr RICHARDSON
found this species. To that excellent man and intrepid traveller,
we are indebted, among other valuable fruits of his labours, for
the first good description of this bird. From his account and the
information which I have received from Captain JAMES CLARK ROSS, I
believe that it does not go much farther north than the place where
it was observed by the first mentioned traveller; and no Cormorants
were seen during the late voyage to the Arctic circle. It is probable
that neither the Double-crested nor the Florida Cormorants occur in
any part of Europe; at least, if they have been described as birds of
that quarter of the globe, I can find no account sufficiently correct
to enable me to recognise them.
A few miles from one of the entrances of the Harbour of Whapatiguan,
is a low and flat island about a mile in length, on which the
present species breeds. As we sailed past it, we could easily observe
the birds on their nests, all over the rock, which was completely
white-washed with their excrement, that emitted a disagreeable odour
to a great distance. I had seen several islands near the Harbour of
Great Macatina inhabited by these Cormorants, but being anxious to
complete the examination of one subject at a time, and knowing that
we should see a greater number as we approach the Straits of Belle
Isle, I put off the investigation until I should have leisure to
prosecute it satisfactorily.
My son, accompanied by the captain and four sailors, sailed for
Cormorant Island, on which, however, they found great difficulty in
landing, for the surf broke so fearfully as to call into requisition
all the judgment and good management of Mr EMERY. The moment they
landed, almost all the birds of the island rose on wing, darkening
the air, and alighted at some distance on the water in large bodies.
They were so shy that it was not without considerable difficulty
that ten of them were obtained. At the first shot, hundreds of young
ones scrambled out of their nests, and huddled together in packs of
fifteen or twenty. When the men approached them, they opened their
bills, squeaked, hissed, and puffed in a most outrageous manner; and
the noise produced by the multitudes on the island was not merely
disagreeable, but really shocking. Some of the nests contained eggs,
and the young were of all sizes, from the newly hatched up to those
able to fly; none, however, even of the largest, attempted to gain
the water, but all preferred hiding themselves in the fissures of the
rocks, or behind the nests. It was curious to see them crawl flat
on the rock, assisting themselves with their bill, feet and wings,
employing the first in the manner of Parrots, and the wings like the
oars of a boat or the flappers of turtles. When approached, they curved
and twisted their necks in the most curious manner, reminding one of
the writhings of a snake, and when seized they muted so profusely as
to excite disgust. A dozen or more of different sizes, however, were
thrust into a bag, and carried on board the vessel. The materials
and dimensions of the nests were noted on the spot, and a hatful of
eggs was brought to me.
The Double-crested Cormorant forms its nest of sea-weeds, some sticks,
moss, and clods of earth, with grass adhering to them, which it piles
up into a solid mass, often as high as three feet from the rock, with
a diameter of fifteen or eighteen inches at the top, and of two and a
half feet at the base. The whole has an appearance of solidity seldom
seen in the nests of water-birds. The nests are placed as near each
other as the nature of the ground will permit, and a great number
which appeared to have stood out against the winter storms, had been
enlarged and repaired that season. Many, however, lay scattered over
the rocks, having been demolished by heavy gales or the breaking of
the surf during tempests. The whole surface of the rock resembled a
mass of putridity: feathers, broken and rotten eggs, and dead young,
lay scattered over it; and I leave you to guess how such a place must
smell in a calm warm day. The eggs are three or four, average two and
a half inches in length by one inch and four and a half eighths in
breadth, and have an elongated form. They are covered with a calcareous
coating, which is more or less soiled with filth, but when carefully
scraped, shews a fine light greenish-blue tint.
The young when just hatched, are of a bluish-black colour tinged with
purple, and look extremely odd. They remain blind for several days,
and for about a fortnight are fed by the parents with the greatest
care, the food being regurgitated into their open throats. They appear
to grow rapidly, for in the course of eight or ten days we found some
the size of a pullet, which, when marked, were scarcely half that
size. They are covered with long down of a brownish-black colour, and
do not leave the nest, unless they are intruded on, until they are
able to fly, when their parents, who long before had ceased to feed
them by dropping the fish into their bill, and had merely placed it
on the ground near them, leave them to shift for themselves. By the
middle of August all these birds remove southward, along Newfoundland,
by Cape Breton Island, and the shores of Nova Scotia, scarcely any
remaining on the coast of the first during winter, when indeed not
many are seen farther east than the Bay of Halifax.
The fishermen and eggers never gather their eggs, they being unfit for
being eaten by any other animals than Gulls or Jagers; but they commit
great havock among the young, which they salt for food or bait. The
old birds are too shy to be killed in great numbers, otherwise their
feathers, although they smell strongly of fish, might be turned to
account. I have never eaten Cormorant’s flesh, and intend to refrain
from tasting it until nothing better can be procured.
The flight of this species is strong and well sustained, although
not so rapid as that of the Florida Cormorant. It sails at times in a
beautiful manner, and at a great height above the waters. Like other
species, the Double-crested Cormorants are fond of sunning themselves,
with their wings spread out. They walk awkwardly, and cannot run
without the aid of their wings. In order to arise from the water, in
which they sink so as nearly to be covered when swimming, they are
obliged to run and beat the surface for many yards, before they get
fairly on wing. Their food consists of shrimps, lents, capelings,
codlings, and other fishes, scarcely any kind coming amiss unless
too strong or of too great a size. Of the codlings especially they
devour vast numbers, they being in astonishing shoals on the coast
of Labrador at the time when the Cormorants are breeding, and indeed
remaining until the departure of the birds, when they retire to deeper
water. I never saw a Cormorant plunge from the air after its prey,
but should be much gratified by such a sight, which, if we trust
compilers, is nothing uncommon; nor have I ever seen a bird of this
species perched on any thing higher than the top of the low island
on which the nest is placed, none having been observed by me on any
of the high rocks on which the common species breeds in America.
I have given the figure of a beautiful male in its perfect spring
plumage. This is probably the only representation of the bird yet
presented to the public, and the same remark applies to the Florida
Cormorant.
PELECANUS (CARBO) DILOPHUS, DOUBLE-CRESTED CORMORANT,
_Swains. and Richards._ Fauna Bor. Amer. part ii. p. 473.
DOUBLE-CRESTED CORMORANT, _Nuttall_, Manual, vol. ii. p. 483.
Adult Male at the commencement of the breeding season. Plate CCLVII.
Bill about the length of the head, rather slender, somewhat compressed,
straight, with the tip curved. Upper mandible with the dorsal line
slightly concave, until near the tip, when it is curved, the ridge
convex, and separated from the sides by a narrow groove, the sides
erect, convex, the edges sharp and straight as far as the unguis,
which is strong, convex above, incurved, acute. No external nostrils.
Lower mandible with the angle long and very narrow towards the end,
filled by an extensive membrane, which extends a short way down the
throat, its dorsal line a little convex, the sides erect and convex,
the edges sharp and inflected, the tip compressed and obliquely
truncate.
Head rather small, oblong, narrowed before. Neck long and rather
slender. Body full, depressed. Feet short, stout, placed far behind;
tibia feathered in its whole length; tarsus very short, strong, much
compressed, covered all round with scales, of which the anterior
and lateral are large and subhexagonal, the posterior very small
and roundish. Toes all placed in the same plane, and connected by
reticulated webs, covered above with very numerous oblique scutella;
first toe smallest, fourth longest. Claws rather small, strong,
compressed, acute.
Plumage of the head, neck, lower parts and posterior portion of the
back glossy, blended and silky, of the fore part of the back and wings
compact, the feathers with loose glossy margins. From behind the eye
to the length of an inch and a half on each side, an elongated tuft
of long slender, loose recurved feathers. Space around the eye, and
to a large extent along the base of the bill, together with the small
gular sac, bare. Wings rather small; primaries very strong, curved,
rather narrow, tapering and obtuse, second longest, third almost
equal, first longer than fourth; secondaries decurved, broad, broadly
rounded, the inner narrower. Tail of moderate length, very narrow,
much rounded or cuneate, of twelve narrow, rounded feathers, having
extremely strong shafts.
Upper mandible dusky, along the edges greyish-yellow; lower yellow,
irregularly marked with dusky towards the edges. Iris bright green,
margin of eyelids, bare space on the head, and gular sac, rich
orange. Feet and claws black. All the silky part of the plumage
is greenish-black, at a distance appearing black, but at hand in a
strong light green. The imbricated feathers of the back and wings
greyish-brown, their fringe-like margins greenish-black; primary
quills brownish-black; secondary like the other feathers of the wing.
Tail black, the shafts of all the feathers black.
Length to end of tail 33 inches, to end of wings 29, to end of claws
33; extent of wings 51; wing from flexure 13; tail 6-3/4; bill along
the back 2-8/12, along the edge of lower mandible 3-8/12; tarsus 2-7/12;
outer toe 3-3/4, its claw (4-1/2)/12. Weight 5 lb. 7 oz.
The Female is somewhat smaller, but in other respects is similar to
the male.
The Young, after the first moult, have the head and neck mottled with
greenish-black and greyish-brown; the other parts as in the adult,
but the tufts on the head wanting.
The Double-crested and the Florida Cormorants are very nearly allied,
their forms, and the structure of their plumage, being precisely
similar. There is, however, a very considerable difference in size,
as will be seen on comparing their measurements and average weights
as given by me. The bills are similar in form, but their colours
differ, as do those of the eyelids; but in the breeding season these
birds may readily be distinguished by the temporary tufts or crests
behind the eyes, which in _P. floridanus_ consist of a mere line of
single feathers curved downwards, while in _P. dilophus_ they are of
considerable breadth, and composed of about forty recurved feathers.
In the absence of the crests, the difference in size affords the
principal means of distinguishing them.
THE HUDSONIAN GODWIT.
_LIMOSA HUDSONICA_, SWAINS.
PLATE CCLVIII. ADULT MALE AND YOUNG FEMALE.
This species, which is of rare occurrence in any part of the United
States, is scarcely ever found farther south along the coast than the
State of Maryland. I had never seen it in the flesh, until I went to
Boston in 1832, when I found specimens of it in the market late in
September. An old gunner in my employ brought me eight or ten in the
course of a month, but they were all young birds. From one of them
my son drew the figure in the plate. While I was at Pictou Professor
MACCULLOCH presented me with a pair of adult birds in beautiful
plumage. When we were on our way towards Labrador, the fishermen and
inhabitants of the Magdeleine Islands, who gave the name of Curlews
to the Godwits, assured me that this species breeds there in some
marshes at the extremity of the principal island, and that they were
in the habit of killing them as soon as they were able to fly, when
they were considered excellent food. We saw none, however, on our
voyage farther north, and in Labrador and Newfoundland nobody seemed
to know them.
My young friend THOMAS MACCULLOCH, who gave me, in London, several
well-mounted specimens of this species, in the spring of 1835,
confirmed the assertions of the people of the Magdeleine Islands,
and informed me that these birds breed at times on Prince Edward’s
Island, from which they spread along the coast of Nova Scotia, where
they remain until very severe weather comes on, when they suddenly
disappear.
I have tried to give a good figure of the adult, and that made by my
son will, I hope, be considered faithful by those who are acquainted
with the bird in its autumnal plumage. The adult has been represented
as lying down, in order to shew the difference between this species
and the _Limosa melanura_ of Europe, to which it is allied, but from
which it may readily be distinguished at all periods by the black
colour of the inner wing-coverts. In the European bird these feathers
are white, and the species does not occur in the United States, perhaps
not in any part of North America. The females are rather larger than
the males, but nothing is known respecting the nests or eggs.
SCOLOPAX HUDSONICA, _Lath._ Ind. Ornith. vol. ii. p. 720.
LIMOSA HUDSONICA, HUDSONIAN GODWIT, _Swains. and Richards._
Fauna Bor. Amer. part ii. p. 396.
HUDSONIAN GODWIT, _Nuttall_, Manual, vol. ii. p. 175.
Adult Male. Plate CCLVIII. Fig. 1.
Bill double the length of the head, subcylindrical, compressed at
the base, tapering to the obtuse point, which is a little enlarged,
slightly recurved. Upper mandible with the dorsal line slightly
curved upwards in its whole extent, the ridge convex, the sides with a
narrow groove extending almost to the point, the edges rather obtuse,
the tip slightly enlarged. Nostrils basal, lateral, near the edges,
small, linear, pervious. Lower mandible with the angle very long and
extremely narrow, the dorsal line slightly recurved, the sides with
a narrow groove extending almost to the end, the edges rather blunt,
the tip obtuse.
Head small, oblong, compressed. Neck rather long and slender.
Body slender. Feet long and slender; tibia bare for about a third,
anteriorly scutellate; tarsus long, slender, covered anteriorly and
posteriorly with numerous scutella, laterally for a very small space
reticulate; toes small, slender, scutellate above, flat beneath,
broadly marginate, the anterior connected at the base by webs, of
which the outer is much larger; first toe very small, second slightly
shorter than fourth, third little longer. Claws small, compressed,
slightly arched, obtuse, that of middle toe with the inner edge curved
outwards and thin.
Plumage soft on the head, neck and lower parts blended, on the back
imbricated; all the feathers oblong and rounded. Wings long, very
acute, narrow; primaries tapering, the first longest, the second little
shorter, the rest rapidly graduated; secondaries incurved, obliquely
rounded, with a recurved tip, the inner elongated and tapering. Tail
short, of twelve rounded feathers, slightly forked, but with the two
middle feathers a little longer than those next them.
Bill greyish-yellow, dark brown along the ridge of the upper
mandible, and blackish toward the tips of both. Iris brown. Feet light
greyish-blue. The head and neck brownish-grey, with darker lines; a
band from the bill over the eye, and the throat greyish-white; the back
deep grey; the scapulars brownish-black, with small white markings on
the edges of the feathers; the smaller wing-coverts, alula, primary
quills and their coverts brownish-black; the secondaries lighter,
and with their inner webs pale grey; tips of the primary coverts and
bases of the quills, white, as is a broad band over the rump. Tail
feathers and upper tail-coverts brownish-black, their bases white,
and their tips narrowly edged with brownish-white. The lower parts
are bright yellowish-red, the sides mottled with dark brown; the
abdomen and lower tail-coverts paler and variegated with dusky; the
lower wing-coverts blackish-brown, edged with whitish.
Length to end of tail 15-3/4 inches, to end of wings 16-3/8 to end of
claws 19-3/4; wing from flexure 8-1/2; tail 3-1/4; extent of wings 28;
bill along the back 3-7/12; along the edge of lower mandible 3-6/12;
bare part of tibia 1-1/4; tarsus 2-1/2; middle toe 1-4/12 its claw
(2-1/2)/12. Weight 9 oz.
Young Female in winter. Plate CCLVIII. Fig. 2.
The bill, iris and feet, as in the adult male. Upper part of the
head dusky, with darker lines; sides of the head, and the neck,
greyish-yellow; a whitish band over the eye. The lower parts are pale
brownish-grey, the upper brownish-grey; the fore part of the back and
scapulars brownish-black, the feathers edged with light brownish-red;
the wing-coverts brownish-grey; the quills as in the adult, as is
the tail, anterior to which is also a broad white band.
In September 1835, I shot, near Edinburgh, a young individual of
_Limosa rufa_, which I had previously observed for some time. It
thrust its bill into the wet sand in the same manner as the Woodcocks;
and I was much surprised, on taking it up, to see that its bill was
perfectly straight in its whole length. When I opened it, however,
in order to place a little cotton in its throat, a sudden spring-like
movement of the mandibles made them curve upwards. Never having kept
birds of this genus alive, I am unable to say whether the bill be
naturally straight or not.
THE HORNED GREBE.
_PODICEPS CORNUTUS_, LINN.
PLATE CCLIX. MALE AND YOUNG.
The period at which this little Grebe makes its first appearance,
after the breeding season, on the waters of the Western States, such
as the Ohio, the Mississippi, and their numerous tributaries, is the
beginning of October, when I have seen them arriving and passing
onward on wing at a considerable height in the air, following the
course of the streams. The generally received idea that birds of this
genus perform their migrations on the water, is extremely absurd. I
have already offered some remarks on this subject, but as too much
cannot be said, when an erroneous notion extensively adopted has to
be disproved, I here repeat that I have seen flocks of Grebes on wing
and migrating high in the air, apparently with as much ease, as many
longer-winged birds, and with considerable velocity.
Towards evening, on the 14th of October 1820, I was floating in a
small boat on the Ohio. The weather was perfectly calm, and I was
startled by a whistling sound over head, resembling that of a Hawk
stooping on its prey, when, on looking up, I saw a flock of Grebes,
about thirty in number, gliding towards the water as if about to
alight within a quarter of a mile from me. In a few minutes they had
come within a few yards of the surface of the water, when suddenly
checking their speed, they pursued their course until out of sight;
but in a short time I saw them returning towards me, and in less
than a minute they all passed at a distance of forty or fifty yards,
took a round and alighted pell-mell. The next moment, they were all
engaged in washing and trimming themselves, in the manner of Ducks,
Cormorants, and other aquatic birds. As I rowed towards them, they
scarcely took notice of me, so that they were easily approached; and
finding a number of them close together, I fired and killed four.
The rest paddled off for some yards, rose on wing, and flew down the
stream in a pretty close body, looking as if not disposed to settle
again for some time. On picking up the dead birds, I found them to
be of the present species, three being young, the other an adult with
the winter plumage beginning to appear. Here I may remark, that Grebes
in general do not moult so early as most other birds after they have
young; thus the Crested Grebe often passes to the south in September,
with its head still adorned with a large portion of the feathers of
its spring and summer tippet. While residing at different places on
the Ohio, I have many times witnessed the passage of the Horned and
the Crested.
The Horned Grebe is abundant during autumn and winter on the large
rivers or inlets of the Southern States, but rare along the coasts of
the Middle and Eastern Districts. On the rivers about Charleston in
South Carolina it is seen at those seasons in considerable numbers,
although not in larger flocks than from four to seven individuals. The
same is observable from that place to the mouths of the Mississippi.
It is particularly fond of those streams of which the borders are
overgrown by rank sedges and other plants, and are subject to the
influx of the tide. In such places they enjoy greater security while
searching for their food, than in ponds, to which, however, they for
the most part retire at the approach of the pairing season, which
commences early in February. At that time one might be apt to think
that these birds could scarcely fly, as they are then rarely seen on
wing; but when they are pursued, and there happens to be a breeze, they
rise from the water with considerable ease, and fly to a distance of
several hundred yards. In December and January I have never procured
any having the least remains of their summer headdress; but by the
10th of March, when they were on their journey towards the north, the
long feathers of the head were apparent. These tufts seem to attain
their full development in the course of a fortnight or three weeks,
the old birds becoming plumed sooner than the young, some of which
leave the country in their winter dress.
On the ground, this species is not better off than the Dobchick,
it being obliged to stand nearly erect, the hind part of the body
resting, and the tarsi and toes extended laterally. They dive with
great celerity, and when once acquainted with the effects of the
gun, are not easily shot. A report is at times sufficient to make the
old birds dive at once, although they may be quite beyond the reach
of a shot. The young birds are more easily procured at their first
appearance; but the most efficient method of obtaining them is to
employ fishing nets, in the meshes of which they become entangled.
Excepting a species of Hawk nearly allied to _Circus cyaneus_, I
know of no other bird that has the eye of such colour, the iris being
externally of a vivid red, with an inner circle of white, which gives
it a very singular appearance. On attentively examining the eyes of
our Divers and Grebes, I have not found any with similar eyes. The
Horned Grebe does not seem to see better than any other species, nor
does it appear to be more diurnal than the rest, nor are the objects
on which it feeds more minute, for I have found as small seeds in
the stomach of the large Grebe as in that of the present species. The
reason of this strange colouring of the iris, therefore, I am unable
to conjecture.
Although the greater number of these birds go far northward to breed,
some remain within the limits of the United States during the whole
year, rearing their young on the borders of ponds, particularly in the
northern parts of the State of Ohio, in the vicinity of Lake Erie. Two
nests which I found were placed at a distance of about four yards from
the water’s edge, on the top of broken down tussocks of rank weeds.
The materials of which they were composed were of the same nature, and
rudely interwoven to a height of upwards of seven inches. They were
rather more than a foot in diameter at the base, the cavity only four
inches across, shallow, but more neatly finished with finer plants,
of which a quantity lay on the borders, and was probably used by the
bird to cover the eggs when about to leave them. There were five eggs
in one nest, seven in the other; all contained chicks (on the 29th
of July); they measured one inch and three quarters in length, by
one inch and two and a half eighths; their shell was smooth, and of
a uniform yellowish cream colour, without spots or marks of any kind.
The nests were not more than fifty yards apart, on the south-western
side of the pond. I am thus particular because of the near relation
of this bird to the _Podiceps auritus_ of LATHAM, with which it may
be confounded by a not over-careful observer, as may the eggs too,
those of the latter species being precisely of the same length, but
fully an eighth of an inch narrower, which of course gives them a
more elongated appearance. I have observed the same differences in
the eggs of these two species in Europe. I could not ascertain if
both the parent birds incubate; but as I saw two pairs on the pond,
I am inclined to think that they do. The nests were not fastened to
the weeds around them, nor do I conceive it probable that they could
be floated, as various writers assert they are at times.
I have not seen the young of this species when small; but from the
knowledge I have of those of other Grebes, I feel pretty certain
that the notions entertained of their being carried either on the
back or under the wings of their parents in cases of danger must be
erroneous, as Grebes in all such cases dive or fly at once, when it
would be impossible for the old and young to keep thus attached to
each other.
I have observed in the stomachs of almost all that I have examined,
a quantity of hair-like substances rolled together like the pellets
of owls, but have not ascertained whether or not these masses are
disgorged. They certainly cannot pass through the intestines. But
unless birds of this kind are kept in an aviary and watched, this
matter must remain unknown. The food of this species, while on
salt-water, is composed of shrimps, small fishes, and minute crustacea.
While on fresh-water, they procure insects, leeches, small frogs,
tadpoles, and aquatic lizards; they also pick up the seeds of grasses,
and I have found as many in the stomach of an individual as would fill
the shell of one of its eggs. Their flight is performed by regular
short flappings, executed with great quickness.
I have represented an adult male in full spring plumage, and a young
bird shot in December. The males are rather larger than the females,
which are similar in colour, but rarely have the head so well feathered
during the breeding season.
PODICEPS CORNUTUS, _Lath._ Ind. Ornith. vol. ii. p. 782.—_Ch.
Bonaparte_, Synopsis of Birds of the United States, p.
417.—_Swains. and Richards._ Fauna Bor. Amer. part ii. p.
411.
HORNED GREBE, or DOBCHICK, _Nuttall_, Manual, vol. ii. p.
254.
Adult Male in Spring. Plate CCLIX. Fig.1.
Bill shorter than the head, straight, acute, rather slender. Upper
mandible with the dorsal line straight for one-half of its length,
towards the end declinate and slightly convex, the ridge convex, the
sides sloping, the edges sharp and inflected, the tip acute. Nasal
groove broad, extending to beyond the middle of the mandible; nostrils
subbasal, linear-elliptical, pervious. Lower mandible with the angle
long and very narrow, the dorsal line short, ascending, straight,
the sides erect, slightly convex, the edges sharp, inflected, the
tip narrow, acute.
Head of moderate size, oblong, compressed. Neck rather long and
slender. Body depressed. Feet large, short, placed far behind; tibia
feathered to the joint; tarsus short, extremely compressed, anteriorly
with a narrow scutellate ridge, laterally with numerous broad scutella;
posteriorly with a narrow ridge having a double row of small prominent
scales. Hind toe very small, with an inferior small membrane; fore
toes long, the outer longest, scutellate above, united at the base
by short webs, externally margined, internally with broad rounded
expansions, which are marked with parallel oblique lines, and crenate
on the edges. Claws flattened, that of the middle toe broadest, with
an extremely thin broad terminal edge.
Plumage of the head and neck very soft and downy, of the breast and
sides silky and highly glossed, of the abdomen downy, of the upper
parts imbricated, but with loose edges. Wings small; primaries much
curved, the first longest, the second almost equal. Tail, a small
tuft of loose feathers. On the head, at this season, is a tuft of
soft feathers on each side behind the eye, and a larger on each side
of the upper part of the neck.
Bill bluish-black, its tip yellow. Short loral space bright carmine,
as is the iris, its inner margin white; edges of eyelids greyish-blue.
Feet dusky externally, internally and on the anterior and posterior
ridges of the tarsus dull yellow; claws dusky. Forehead greyish-brown;
upper parts of the head bluish-black, as are the sides, fore neck
anteriorly, and the elongated ruff feathers; a broad band over the
eyes, and the elongated tufts behind them yellowish-brown. Fore neck
brownish-red; lower parts white, the sides reddish-brown; abdomen
dull grey. The upper parts are brownish-black, the feathers edged
with greyish, the middle secondary quills white.
Length to end of tail 14-3/4, to end of claws 19; extent of wings
25-1/2; wing from flexure 5-3/4; bill along the back 11/12, along the
edge of lower mandible 1-1/4; tarsus 1-1/4; outer toe 1-10/12, its claw
3/12. Weight 14 oz.
Young Female in winter. Plate CCLIX. Fig. 2.
The feathers of the hind head are a little elongated, but at this
age there are no tufts on the head. In other respects the plumage is
as in the adult male. The bill is bluish-grey, as is the bare loral
space; the eye bright carmine, the iris with an inner white edge;
the feet bluish-grey. The upper part of the head, and the hind neck,
are greyish-black, as are the upper parts in general. The feathers of
the back edged with light grey. The throat, the sides of the head, a
broad patch on each side of the neck nearly meeting behind, the breast
white; the sides and downy feathers of the abdomen brownish-grey.
Some of the secondaries are white, as in the adult male.
THE FORKED-TAILED PETREL.
_THALASSIDROMA LEACHII_, BONAP.
PLATE CCLX. MALE AND FEMALE.
Before describing the habits of this bird, I think it necessary to
speak of three distinct species which are at times found near our
coasts, and of which I have found two breeding within the Union. The
present species is the largest; that named after WILSON the next in
size; and the one called the Stormy Petrel the least. Until I had
met with the whole of these species near our coast, I, like others,
thought that the last mentioned kept nearer to Europe than it in
reality does at certain seasons.
In August 1831, I was on board of the American packet-ship the
Columbia, commanded by my friend JOSEPH DELANO, Esq. who had promised
that, in case of a calm occurring, he would allow me to have a boat
manned to go in search of birds. The day is not given, because I never
keep a journal while crossing the Atlantic; but as I had left England
on the first of the month, and was then on the banks of Newfoundland,
it must have been towards the latter part of it, when the weather
suddenly became quite calm and beautiful. “Mother Carey’s Chickens”
were by hundreds around the noble ship, and although ill in consequence
of the sickness which never leaves me at sea, I asked for a boat and
some hands to row me about for an hour or so. This was granted, guns
and ammunition were placed in the yawl, and my assistant Mr HENRY WARD
of London, an officer, and two sailors, accompanied me. We had three
guns which were alternately loaded and handed to me. In the course of
about an hour twenty-five or thirty Petrels were shot, together with
some Fulmars. Had you been looking on, you might perhaps have laughed
at me on seeing that the moment after I fired, I was obliged to lean
over the side of the bark to relieve myself from the distressing
state of my stomach. On returning to the ship, my companions nimbly
ascended the chains; but although when on land I am pretty firm and
active, I was now quite unfit for service, and therefore was hoisted
in a chair. Once on deck, I laid myself down on a mattress, my wife
attended to me, and I gradually became relieved, as the ship stood,
to use the words of my kind captain, “as still as if on the stocks.”
There were the dead birds nicely arranged on a board by my side; the
wounded ones were placed in a cage, and I began to examine them all
with care. To my great surprise, I found among them all the three
species mentioned above. Sixteen of these birds were beautifully
prepared by Mr WARD, and the rest were placed in spirits, after I
had made correct outlines of each species, and taken their exact
dimensions and weight. The drawings, however, I was unable to finish
on account of the giddiness, which seldom leaves me while at sea. The
calm continued the whole of the next day, and, laying myself down on
the top of the round-house, I had ample opportunities of observing
the habits of the three species, while thus at a distance from land.
My esteemed friend the Prince of Musignano has stated that the
Forked-tailed Petrel is less numerous near the American coast than
the species named after WILSON. It is true that it rarely goes so
far south, but in the vicinity of Massachusetts, and from thence to
Newfoundland, it is by far the most abundant of the two; and it breeds
on all suitable places from the Islands of Mount Desert to the last
mentioned country.
The species of this genus with which I am acquainted all ramble
over the seas, both by night and by day, until the breeding season
commences, when they remain in their burrows, under rocks, or in
their fissures, until towards sunset, when they start off in search of
food, returning to their mates or young in the morning, and feeding
them then. I feel pretty confident that these birds, like Owls, can
hold out against hunger for many hours, and are satisfied with one
abundant meal in the day. WILSON was of a different opinion, but I
believe he never found these birds breeding.
The Forked-tailed Petrel emits its notes night and day, and at not
very long intervals, although it is less noisy than WILSON’s Petrel.
They resemble the syllables _pewr-wit_, _pewr-wit_. Its flight differs
from that of the other two species, it being performed in broader
wheelings, and with firmer flappings, in which respect it resembles
that of the Night Hawk, _Caprimulgus virginianus_, while that bird
is passing low over the meadows or the waters. It is more shy than
the other species, and when it wheels off after having approached
the stern of a ship, its wanderings are much more extended before
it returns. I have never seen it fly close around a vessel, as the
others are in the habit of doing, especially at the approach of
night; nor do I think that it ever alights on the rigging of ships,
but spends the hours of darkness either on the water, or on low rocks
or islands. It also less frequently alights on the water, or pats
it with its feet, probably on account of the shortness of its legs,
although it frequently allows them to hang down. In this it resembles
the _Thalassidroma pelagica_, and WILSON’s Petrel has a similar habit
during calm weather. I have seen all the three species immerse their
head into the water, to seize their food, and sometimes keep it longer
under than I had expected.
About the first of June, the species separate, collect in numbers,
and return to their breeding places. I state so from the report of
persons on whose testimony I can rely, and who have assured me that,
like the Guillemots, they revisit their haunts each spring for years
in succession. They now fly in front of the high rocks, in the manner
of our Purple Martin when it first arrives at its well known box,
passing and repassing a thousand times in the day, enter their dark
and narrow mansions, or stand in the passage, and emit their cries,
as the bird just mentioned is wont to do on similar occasions. Now
they alight on some broad shelf, and walk as if about to fall down,
but with considerable ease, and at times with rapidity. Now and then
the mated birds approach each other, and, I believe, disgorge some
food into each other’s mouths, although I am not absolutely certain
that they do so, having only observed them at such times by means of
a glass. They collect grasses and pebbles, of which they form a flat
nest, on which a single white egg is deposited, which measures an
inch and a quarter in length, by seven-eighths in breadth, is nearly
equally rounded at both ends, and looks very large for the size of
the bird. When boiled, it has a musky smell, but is palatable. When
you pass close to the rocks in which they are, you easily hear their
shrill querulous notes; but the report of a gun silences them at once,
and induces those on the ledges to betake themselves to their holes.
The Forked-tailed Petrel, like the other species, feeds chiefly on
floating mollusca, small fishes, crustacea, which they pick up among
the floating sea-weeds, and greasy substances, which they occasionally
find around fishing-boats or ships out at sea. When seized in the hand,
it ejects an oily fluid through the tubular nostrils, and sometimes
disgorges a quantity of food. I could not prevail on any of those
which I had caught to take food.
These birds are caught from the sterns of vessels, with long slender
threads, the manner of using which I shall describe when I come to
speak of WILSON’s Petrel. I never could entice one of them to swallow
a hook. Very few are found on the coasts of England or Scotland,
where, however, the species is said to breed.
THALASSIDROMA LEACHII, _Ch. Bonaparte_, Synops. of Birds
of the United States, p. 367.
PROCELLARIA LEACHII, _Temm._ Man. d’Ornith. part ii. p. 812.
Adult Male. Plate CCLX. Fig. 1.
Bill shorter than the head, slender, straight, with the tips curved,
as broad as high at the base, extremely compressed at the end. Upper
mandible with the nostrils forming a tube on its ridge at the base,
beyond which the dorsal line is for a short space straight, then
decurved, the ridge narrow and separated from the convex sides by
a narrow groove, the edges sharp, inflected, the tip compressed,
incurved. Lower mandible with the angle rather long, narrow and
pointed, the dorsal line beyond it decurved, the sides erect, the
edges sharp, the tip decurved.
Head of ordinary size, roundish, anteriorly narrowed. Neck short. Body
rather slender. Feet rather long, slender; tibia bare at its lower
part; tarsus slender, reticulate all round. Hind toe minute, with a
conical claw; anterior toes of moderate length, slender, scutellate
above, connected by striated webs with concave margins; the third
and fourth toes longest, and about equal. Claws slender, arched,
compressed, acute.
Plumage very soft, blended, the feathers distinct only on the wings,
which are very long; primary quills tapering but rounded, the outer
four a little incurved at their extremities, the second longest,
the third almost equal, the first and fourth about the same length,
the rest rapidly graduated; outer secondaries incurved, obliquely
rounded; inner longer, tapering, straight. Tail deeply forked, of
twelve broad, rounded feathers.
Bill and feet black. Iris dark brown. The general colour of the
plumage is dark greyish-brown, the quills and tail brownish-black,
the smaller wing-coverts and inner secondaries light greyish-brown;
the rump, sides of the abdomen, and exterior lower tail-coverts, white.
Length to end of tail 8 inches, to end of wings 8-1/2; extent of wings
18-1/2; wing from flexure 6-1/2; tail 3; bill along the back 8/12, along
the edge of lower mandible 10/12; tarsus 1; middle toe 10/12, its
claw (3-1/2)/12. Weight 1-5/8 oz.
The Female is exactly similar to the male.
Adult Female. Plate CCLX. Fig. 2.
A MAPLE-SUGAR CAMP.
While advancing the best way I could through the magnificent woods
that cover the undulating grounds in the vicinity of the Green River
in Kentucky, I was overtaken by night. With slow and cautious steps
I proceeded, feeling some doubt as to my course, when the moon came
forth, as if purposely to afford me her friendly light. The air I
thought was uncommonly keen, and the gentle breeze that now and then
shook the tops of the tall trees, more than once made me think of
halting for the night, and forming a camp. At times I thought of the
campaigns of my old friend DANIEL BOON, his strange adventures in
these very woods, and the extraordinary walk which he performed to
save his fellow-creatures at Fort Massacre from the scalping knives of
the irritated Indians. Now and then a racoon or opossum, causing the
fallen leaves to rustle, made me pause for a moment; and thus I was
forcing my way, thinking on many things dismal as well as pleasing,
when the glimmer of a distant fire suddenly roused me from my reveries,
and inspired me with fresh animation. As I approached it, I observed
forms of different kinds moving to and fro before it, like spectres;
and ere long, bursts of laughter, shouts, and songs apprised me of
some merrymaking. I thought at first that I had probably stumbled
upon a camp-meeting; but I soon perceived that the mirth proceeded
from a band of sugar-makers. Every man, woman, and child stared as
I passed them, but all were friendly, and, without more ceremony
than was needful, I walked up to the fire, at which I found two or
three old women, with their husbands, attending to the kettles. Their
plain dresses of Kentucky homespun were far more pleasing to my sight
than the ribboned turbans of city dames, or the powdered wigs and
embroidered waistcoats of antique beaux. I was heartily welcomed, and
supplied with a goodly pone of bread, a plate of molasses, and some
sweet potatoes.
Fatigued with my long ramble, I lay down under the lee of the smoke,
and soon fell into a sound sleep. When day returned, the frost lay
thick around; but the party arose cheerful and invigorated, and after
performing their orisons, resumed their labour. The scenery around was
most pleasing; the ground all round looked as if it had been cleared
of underwood; the maples, straight and tall, seemed as if planted in
rows; between them meandered several rills, which gently murmured as
they hastened toward the larger stream; and as the sun dissolved the
frozen dews, the few feathered songsters joined the chorus of the
woodsmen’s daughters. Whenever a burst of laughter suddenly echoed
through the woods, an Owl or Wild Turkey would respond to it, with a
signal welcome to the young men of the party. With large ladles the
sugar-makers stirred the thickening juice of the maple; pails of sap
were collected from the trees and brought in by the young people;
while here and there some sturdy fellow was seen first hacking a cut
in a tree, and afterwards boring with an auger a hole, into which he
introduced a piece of hollow cane, by which the sap was to be drained
off. About half a dozen men had felled a noble yellow poplar, and
sawed its great trunk into many pieces, which, after being split,
they were scooping into troughs to be placed under the cane-cocks,
to receive the maple juice.
Now, good Reader, should you ever chance to travel through the maple
grounds that lie near the banks of that lovely stream the Green
River of Kentucky, either in January or in March, or through those
on the broader Monongahela in April; nay, should you find yourself
by the limpid streamlets that roll down the declivities of the Pocano
Mountains to join the Lehigh, and there meet with a sugar-camp, take my
advice and tarry for a while. If you be on foot or on horseback, and
are thirsty, you can nowhere find a more wholesome or more agreeable
beverage than the juice of the maple. A man when in the Floridas may
drink molasses diffused in water; in Labrador he may drink what he
can get; and at New York or Philadelphia he may drink what he chooses;
but in the woods a draught from the sugar-maple is delicious and most
refreshing. How often, when travelling, have I quenched my thirst
with the limpid juice of the receiving troughs, from which I parted
with regret; nay, even my horse, I have thought, seemed to desire to
linger as long as he could.
But let me endeavour to describe to you the manner in which the sugar
is obtained. The trees that yield it (_Acer saccharinum_) are found
more or less abundantly in all parts of the Union from Louisiana to
Maine, growing on elevated rich grounds. An incision is made into the
trunk, at a height of from two to six feet; a pipe of cane or of any
other kind is thrust into the aperture; a trough is placed beneath
and receives the juice, which trickles by drops, and is as limpid as
the purest spring water. When all the trees of a certain space have
been tapped, and the troughs filled, the people collect the juice,
and pour it into large vessels. A camp has already been pitched in
the midst of a grove, several iron boilers have been fixed on stone
or brick supports, and the business proceeds with vigour. At times
several neighbouring families join, and enjoy the labour as if it
were a past-time, remaining out day and night for several weeks; for
the troughs and kettles must be attended to from the moment when they
are first put in requisition until the sugar is produced. The men and
boys perform the most laborious part of the business, but the women
and girls are not less busy.
It takes ten gallons of sap to produce a pound of fine-_grained sugar_;
but an inferior kind in lumps, called _cake-sugar_, is obtained in
greater quantity. When the season is far advanced, the juice will
no longer grain by boiling, and only produces a syrup. I have seen
maple sugar so good, that some months after it was manufactured
it resembled candy; and well do I remember the time when it was an
article of commerce throughout Kentucky, where, twenty-five or thirty
years ago, it sold at from 6-1/4 to 12-1/2 cents per pound, according to
its quality, and was daily purchased in the markets or stores.
Trees that have been thus bored rarely last many years; for the cuts
and perforations made in their trunks injure their health, so that
after some years of _weeping_ they become sickly, exhibit monstrosities
about their lower parts, gradually decay, and at length die. I have
no doubt, however, that, with proper care, the same quantity of sap
might be obtained with less injury to the trees; and it is now fully
time that the farmers and land-owners should begin to look to the
preservation of their sugar-maples.
THE WHOOPING CRANE.
_GRUS AMERICANA_, TEMM.
PLATE CCLXI. YOUNG.
The specimen from which the figure in this plate was drawn, was that
mentioned at p. 209, as having been presented to me by Captain CLACK.
It has already been described at p. 213. In this state, the Whooping
Crane has been considered as a distinct species, to which the name
of Brown or Canada Crane, _Grus canadensis_, has been given.
On referring to one of my journals, written on the Gulf of Mexico, I
find it stated that one of these birds came on board one dark night,
and, after passing the man at the helm, fell into the yawl hanging
at the stern of the ship, where in the morning it was discovered and
secured. Although to appearance in good health, it refused every kind
of food, and in a few days died. Knowing the great power of flight
of this species, I could only conjecture that some disease operating
powerfully at the moment, had caused the bird to take refuge in the
boat.
THE TROPIC BIRD.
_PHAETON ÆTHEREUS_, LINN.
PLATE CCLXII. ADULT MALE AND FEMALE.
The specimens from which the figures in the plate were taken, were
obtained on the Tortugas, in the summer of 1832, by my kind friend
ROBERT DAY, Esq. of the United States’ Revenue Cutter, the Marion. They
were shot out of a flock of eight or ten, and were in fine condition.
I have represented the Male and Female, in what I suppose to be their
full summer or breeding plumage; but not having had an opportunity
of studying the habits of this remarkable bird, I am unable to give
any information respecting them.
PHAETON ÆTHEREUS, _Linn._ Syst. Nat. vol. i. p. 219.—_Lath._
Ind. Ornith. vol. ii. p. 893.—_Ch. Bonaparte_, Synops. of
Birds of the United States, p. 409.
TROPIC BIRD, _Nuttall_, Manual, vol. ii. p. 503.
Adult Male in summer. Plate CCLXII. Fig. 1.
Bill as long as the head, stout, very much compressed, slightly
curved, tapering, acute. Upper mandible with the dorsal line slightly
arched, the ridge narrow, but rounded, the sides sloping and slightly
convex at the base, nearly perpendicular towards the end, the edges
sharp, irregularly broken, the tip acute. Nasal groove short, near
the ridge; nostrils linear, very small. Lower mandible with the angle
of moderate length, extremely narrow, the dorsal line straight and
ascending, the sides erect and slightly convex, the edges sharp but
irregularly serrated, the tip very acute.
Head rather large, ovate. Neck short and thick. Body rather full. Feet
very short; tibia bare for a considerable space; tarsus extremely
short, roundish, covered all round with small round scales; toes
rather small, placed in the same place, and connected by reticulated
webs; the first toe very small, the third and fourth about equal,
all scutellate above. Claws small, arched, compressed, rather sharp,
that of middle toe largest, with an undulated thin inner edge.
Plumage soft, blended, on the back and wings rather compact. Wings
long, acute; primaries strong, tapering, the first longest, the rest
rapidly graduated; secondaries very short, incurved, rounded, the
inner longer. Tail of twelve feathers, wedge-shaped, the two middle
feathers extremely elongated, narrow, and tapering.
Bill orange-red. Iris brown. Tarsi and base of toes yellow, the
rest and the webs black, as are the claws. The general colour of the
plumage is pale pink, or white tinged with carmine, the two middle
tail feathers redder. A curved spot before the eye, and band behind
it, black. A band of the same colour extends across the wing from the
flexure, running narrow along the middle coverts, much enlarged on
the inner secondaries and their coverts, and including the extremities
of the scapulars. The outer webs, shafts, and a portion of the inner
webs of the first four primary quills, are also black, and there
is a spot of the same on some of the primary coverts. The shafts of
the two middle tail feathers are black, excepting towards the end;
and some of the long hypochondrial feathers are greyish-black in the
centre.
Length to end of tail 29-1/2 inches, to end of wings 16; to end of claw
14; extent of wings 38; wing from flexure 11-1/4; tail 19-1/8; bill
along the ridge 2, along the edge of lower mandible 2-3/4; tarsus
1-10/12; middle toe 1-4/12, its claw (4-1/2)/12. Weight 15 oz.
Adult Female. Plate CCLXII. Fig. 2.
The Female resembles the male, but is less tinged with red. The bill
is yellow, the iris and feet as in the male. The tail-feathers are
also less elongated.
Length to end of tail 26 inches, to end of wings 14-1/4, to end of claws
13; wing from flexure 11; tail 16; extent of wings 34; bill along
the ridge 11/12, along the edge of lower mandible 2-1/2; tarsus 10/12;
middle toe 1-4/12, its claw (4-1/2)/12. Weight 12 oz.
THE CURLEW SANDPIPER.
_TRINGA SUBARQUATA_, TEMM.
PLATE CCLXIII. ADULT AND YOUNG.
In the course of my extensive rambles along our coasts and in the
interior, I have seen only three birds of this species, all of which
I have kept with care, considering the Cape Sandpiper or Pigmy Curlew
as the rarest of its genus with us. It appears to resort to particular
districts; two of my birds were shot at Great Egg Harbour in New
Jersey, in the spring of 1829, the other on Long Island near Sandy
Hook. No other birds were near them, and I approached them without
much difficulty. They were wading along the shores up to the knees,
picking up floating garbage and sand worms. In their stomachs I found
fragments of minute shells, slender red worms, and bits of marine
plants. The one killed on Long Island was a fine male in full plumage,
and from it I made the figure that has been engraved in the plate.
The others were females or young birds of the preceding year. One, in
plain plumage, was drawn; the other, mottled beneath with patches of
white and dull rufous, I considered as a female which might perhaps
have perfected its colouring that season. I have seen a few specimens
in New York, and two in Boston; and my friend JOHN BACHMAN has one
or two in his possession.
TRINGA SUBARQUATA, _Temm._ Man. d’Ornith. part ii. p.
609.—_Ch. Bonaparte_, Synopsis of Birds of the United
States, p. 317.
NUMENIUS AFRICANUS, _Lath._ Ind. Ornith. vol. ii. 712.
CAPE CURLEW OR SANDPIPER, _Nuttall_, Manual, p. 104.
Adult Male. Plate CCLXIII. Fig. 1.
Bill longer than the head, slender, subcylindrical, flexible, very
slightly decurved, compressed at the base, the point obtuse. Upper
mandible with the dorsal line at first slightly sloping, then nearly
straight, and towards the end slightly decurved, the ridge convex
but narrow, the sides sloping, the edges rather blunt and soft. Nasal
groove extending to near the tip; nostrils basal, linear, pervious.
Lower mandible with the angle long and very narrow, the dorsal line
straight, the sides nearly erect, with a long narrow groove, the tip
tapering but rounded.
Head of moderate size, oblong, compressed. Eyes of moderate size.
Neck of moderate length, rather slender. Body rather slender. Feet
rather long, slender; tibia bare about a third of its length; tarsus
compressed, anteriorly and posteriorly covered with numerous scutella;
hind toe very small; the rest of moderate length, slender, the
fourth a little longer than the second, the third longest, all free,
scutellate above, flat beneath, slightly marginate; claws small,
slightly arched, compressed, acute, that of third toe largest, with
the inner edge slightly dilated.
Plumage very soft, blended beneath, slightly distinct above. Wings
long and pointed; primaries tapering, obtuse, the first longest, the
second scarcely shorter, the rest rapidly graduated; outer secondaries
short, incurved, obliquely truncate, the inner web extending beyond
the outer; the inner secondaries elongated, tapering. Tail rather
short, slightly rounded, of twelve rounded feathers, the two middle
a little longer.
Bill dark olive-green, dusky towards the point. Iris hazel. Feet
light olive, claws dusky. The head, neck and breast, are bright
yellowish-red, the sides whitish, the lower tail-coverts white,
with a brownish-black spot towards the end. The central parts of the
feathers on the upper part of the head are dark brown, and there are
slight streaks of the same on the hind neck and sides of the breast.
The upper parts are mottled with brownish-black and dull red, the
rump pale brownish-grey, as are the smaller wing-coverts. Quills
greyish-brown, the primaries dark, the outer secondaries light and
tipped with white, the inner darker and glossed with green. Upper
tail-coverts white, spotted with brown and red; tail pale brownish
grey, glossed with green.
Length to end of tail 8-3/4 inches, to end of wings 9-2/12; extent of
wings 16; wing from flexure 5; tail 2-2/12; bill along the back 1-1/2,
along the edge of lower mandible 1-5/12; bare parts of tibia 1/2; tarsus
1-1/12, middle toe 1, its claw 2/12. Weight 2-1/4 oz.
Adult Female, Plate CCLXIII. Young in autumn.
The bill, iris, and feet as in the adult. On the upper parts the
feathers are brown, edged with darker, and margined with greyish
yellow; the lore, cheeks and sides of the neck and body are
greyish-yellow, with dusky lines, a broad band from the mandible over
the eye, the fore part of the neck, and the rest of the lower parts,
white. Quills and tail as in the adult, but lighter.
Length to end of tail 7-3/4 inches; extent of wings 14-1/2. Weight
1-3/4 oz.
THE FULMAR PETREL.
_PROCELLARIA GLACIALIS_, LINN.
PLATE CCLXIV. MALE.
Though not a large bird, the Fulmar is possessed of considerable
strength, and has a powerful and sustained flight. In autumn and
winter it is seen on our eastern coasts, from which it retires early
in summer, to betake itself to the northern retreats in which it
rears its young. I have never seen it farther south than Long Island,
but I have often found it on the banks of Newfoundland, and in the
space intervening between them and our shores. From the beginning of
September to that of May it may be said to be pretty common, especially
around the banks, to which the cod-fishers resort, and where it feeds
chiefly on the rejected garbage.
One calm day in August, when on a voyage from England to New York, of
which I have already spoken when describing the Forked-tailed Petrel,
I procured several Fulmars. They came up and alighted near the boat,
whenever we threw any thing overboard, and did not seem to be in the
least alarmed by the report of a gun. In one instance I shot one on
the water, when it was so near that I could distinctly see the colour
of its eye. A great number of them were swimming in small detached
flocks of eight or ten, their colour at a distance appearing as if
pure white, and contrasting beautifully with the dark blue of the
sea. They floated very buoyantly, some swimming about with great ease,
others to appearance sound asleep. Most of them had the wing and tail
feathers ragged, and some were much soiled with greasy matter, which
gave them an unpleasant appearance. Those which were caught, on being
wounded, emitted quantities of oily matter by their nostrils, and
disgorged much of the same substance; but did not attempt to bite,
which seemed strange in birds having the bill so powerful and hooked.
They fly with less grace than the Shearwaters, proceeding in a direct
line, and at a small height, towards the objects on which they feed.
I was much disappointed at not finding the Fulmar along the rocky
shores of Labrador, where I had expected to meet with it, as it
is regularly observed in spring moving northward in files opposite
the entrance of the Straits of Belle Isle. Its passage towards the
Arctic Regions has been observed by Captain SABINE on the coast of
Greenland. “Whilst the ships,” he says, “were detained by the ice
in Jacob’s Bay, in latitude 71°, from the 24th of June to the 3d of
July, Fulmars were passing in a continual stream to the northward,
in numbers inferior only to the flight of the Passenger Pigeon in
America.” While on my way to Labrador, I was told that they bred on
the Seal Islands off the entrance of the Bay of Fundy. The egg, which
is of a regular ovate form, with a smooth brittle pure white shell,
measures two inches and seven-eighths in length, by two inches in
breadth.
My much esteemed friend Mr SELBY, in his Illustrations of British
Ornithology, gives the following account of this species. “The steep
and rocky St Kilda, one of the western islands of Scotland, is the
only locality within the British dominions annually resorted to by
the Fulmar, the rest of the Scottish and our more southern coasts
being rarely visited even by stragglers. Upon St Kilda these birds
are found in vast numbers during the spring and summer months,
breeding in the caverns and holes of the rocks; and, from the various
uses to which the down, feathers, and oil of the young are applied,
contribute essentially to the comfort of the inhabitants. They lay
but one egg each, white, and of a large size, with a shell of very
brittle texture. The young are hatched about the middle of June,
and are fed with _oil_ thrown up by the parents (the produce of the
food upon which they subsist), and, as soon as fledged, are eagerly
sought for by the natives, although often at the risk of life, in
scaling the tremendous and overhanging cliffs in which they nestle.
Like most of the group, these birds have the power of ejecting oil
with much force through their tubular nostrils, which is used as the
principal mode of defence; it becomes an essential point, therefore,
that they should be taken and killed by surprise, in order to prevent
the loss of a liquid so requisite for the comfort of the inhabitants,
by supplying them with the necessary fuel for their lamps. The Fulmar
is of voracious appetite, feeding upon all sorts of animal substance,
particularly of an oily nature, such as the blubber of whales, seals,
&c.; and for this purpose it follows in great numbers the track of
the whale vessels, and is so greedy of its favourite food, as to be
often seen alighting upon the wounded animal, when not quite dead,
and immediately proceeding to break the skin with its strong hooked
bill, and gorging itself with the blubber to repletion.”
The Rev. Mr SCORESBY, in his “Arctic Regions,” vol. i. p. 528, gives
the following account of its habits as observed by him in the polar
seas.
“The Fulmar is the constant companion of the whale-fisher. It joins
his ship immediately on passing the Shetland Islands, and accompanies
it through the trackless ocean to the highest accessible latitudes.
It keeps an eager watch for any thing thrown overboard; the smallest
particle of fatty substance can scarcely escape it. As such, a hook
baited with a piece of fat meat or blubber, and towed by a long twine
over the ship’s stern, is a means employed by the sailor boys for
taking them. In the spring of the year, before they have glutted
themselves too frequently with the fat of the whale, they may be
eaten; and when cleared of the skin, and of every particle of yellow
fatty substance lying beneath it, and well soaked in water, they are
pretty good, particularly in ‘sea pies.’ They are remarkably easy and
swift on the wing. They can fly to windward in the highest storms,
and rest on the water with great composure in the most tremendous
seas. But it is observed that, in heavy gales, they fly extremely
low, generally skimming along by the surface of the water. The Fulmar
walks awkwardly, and with the legs so bent that the feet almost touch
the belly. When on ice it rests with its body on the surface, and
presents its breast to the wind. Like the Duck, it sometimes turns
its head backward, and conceals its bill beneath its wing.
“Fulmars are extremely greedy of the fat of the whale. Though few
should be seen when a whale is about being captured, yet, as soon as
the flensing process commences, they rush in from all quarters, and
frequently accumulate to many thousands in number. They then occupy
the greasy track of the ship; and being audaciously greedy, fearlessly
advance within a few yards of the men employed in cutting up the
whale. If, indeed, the fragments of fat do not float sufficiently
away, they approach so near the scene of operations, that they are
knocked down with boat hooks in great numbers, and sometimes taken up
by the hand. The sea immediately about the ship’s stern, is sometimes
so completely covered with them, that a stone can scarcely be thrown
overboard, without striking one of them. When any thing is thus cast
among them, those nearest the spot where it falls take the alarm,
and these exciting some fear in others more remote, sometimes put
a thousand of them in motion; but as, in rising into the air, they
assist their wings, for the first few yards, by striking the water
with their feet, there is produced by such a number of them, a loud and
most singular splashing. It is highly amusing to observe the voracity
with which they seize the pieces of fat that fall in their way; the
size and quantity of the pieces they take at a meal; the curious
chuckling noise which in their anxiety for dispatch they always make;
and the jealousy with which they view, and the boldness with which
they attack, any of this species that are engaged in devouring the
finest morsels. They frequently glut themselves so completely, that
they are unable to fly; in which case, when they are not relieved by a
quantity being disgorged, they endeavour to get on the nearest piece
of ice, where they rest until the advancement of digestion restores
their wonted powers. Then, if opportunity admit, they return with
the same gust to the banquet as before; and though numbers of the
species may be killed, and allowed to float about among them, they
appear unconscious of danger to themselves.
“The Fulmar never dives, but when incited to it by the appearance
of a morsel of fat under water. When in close view of any men, it
keeps a continual watch both on the men and its prey; having its feet
continually in motion, and yet perhaps not moving at all through the
water. Its boldness increases with the numbers of its species that
surround it. It is a very hardy bird. Its feathers being thick it
is not easily killed with a blow. Its bite, from the crookedness,
strength, and sharpness of its bill, is very severe.
“When carrion is scarce, the Fulmars follow the living whale; and
sometimes, by their peculiar motions, when hovering at the surface
of the water, point out to the fisher the position of the animal
of which he is in pursuit. They cannot make much impression on the
dead whale, until some more powerful animal tears away the skin; the
epidermis and rete mucosum they entirely remove, but the true skin
is too tough for them to make way through it.”
PROCELLARIA GLACIALIS, _Linn._ Syst. Nat. vol. i. p.
213.—_Lath._ Ind. Ornith. vol. ii. p. 823.—_Ch. Bonaparte_,
Synops. of Birds of the United States, p. 369.
FULMAR PETREL, _Nuttall_, Manual, vol. ii. p. 330.
Adult Male in Summer. Plate CCLXIV.
Bill shorter than the head, robust, straight, slightly compressed, the
tip curved. Upper mandible with the nostrils on the ridge, separated
only by a thin partition, covered by an elevated horny case, and
opening directly forwards, the sides convex, and separated by a groove
from the nasal plate, as well as from the unguis, which is remarkably
strong, curved and acute, the edges sharp, inflected, and slightly
curved. Lower mandible with the angle long, rather wide, acute, the
sides erect but convex, the edges sharp and inflected, the very short
dorsal line ascending and slightly concave, the edges decurved at
the end.
Head rather large, ovate. Neck rather short. Body full. Feet of
moderate length, stout; tibia bare for a short space below; tarsus
a little compressed, rather sharp before, covered all round with
reticular scales, of which those on the anterior and posterior ridges
are much smaller. Hind toe a slight prominence, with a conical obtuse
claw; the fore toes long, slender, scutellate above, connected by
striated entire webs, the fourth a little longer than the third,
the second not much shorter. Claws rather small, arched, compressed,
rather acute, that of third toe with an inner thin edge.
Plumage free, close, elastic, blended; on the back and wings the
feathers rather distinct. Wings long; primary quills rather broad,
tapering, acuminate, the first longest, the rest graduated; secondary
broad and rounded. Tail rather short, slightly rounded, of twelve
broad, rounded feathers.
Bill, iris, and feet yellow, the latter tinged with green. The head,
neck and lower parts, are pure white; the back and wings light
greyish-blue, the rump paler, the tail bluish-white; the primary
quills and their coverts blackish-brown.
Length to end of tail 16-1/2 inches, to end of wings 17-3/4, to end
of claws 11-1/4; extent of wings 30; wing from flexure 13; tail 4-1/4;
bill along the back 1-10/12, along the edge of lower mandible 2-2/12;
tarsus 2; outer toe 1-8/12, its claw (4-1/2)/12. Weight 1 lb. 4 oz.
The Female is similar to the Male.
THE BUFF-BREASTED SANDPIPER.
_TRINGA RUFESCENS_, VIEILL.
PLATE CCLXV. MALE AND FEMALE.
It is a curious fact that although this beautiful bird is by no means
rare, at particular periods, along the shores of our Eastern Districts,
it remained unknown to WILSON, BONAPARTE, and, until found in England
by Mr YARRELL, to myself. It was first discovered by VIEILLOT in
Louisiana, where, however, I never met with it. My friend NUTTALL,
who has also described it, states that it is often seen near Boston,
in company with the Pectoral Sandpiper, and is not uncommon in the
market there. To my friend Mr YARRELL I am indebted for the use of
his specimen, from which I made the figure in the act of starting on
wing. The other figure was taken from an American specimen, procured
at Boston, and now in my possession. I regret, however, that I can
say nothing respecting the habits or haunts of this bird, farther than
that having seen a wing of it in the possession of my friend Captain
JAMES CLARK ROSS, I think it probable that it breeds near the Arctic
circle, as he received a wing from the sailors, who had found it in
the course of one of the numerous inland excursions in the desolate
regions from which these intrepid navigators have recently returned.
TRINGA RUFESCENS, LE TRINGA ROUSSATRE, _Vieill._ Nouv. Dict.
d’Hist. Nat.—_Yarrell_, in Linn. Trans. vol. xvi. p. 109.
pl. 11.
BUFF-BREASTED TRINGA, TRINGA RUFESCENS, _Selby_, Illustr.
vol. ii. p. 142. pl. 27. fig. 4.
BUFF-BREASTED SANDPIPER, _Nuttall_, Manual, vol. ii. p. 113.
Adult Male. Plate CCLXV. Fig. 1.
Bill about the length of the head, slender, subcylindrical, very
slightly decurved, compressed at the base, the point rather depressed
and obtuse. Upper mandible with the dorsal line very slightly decurved
towards the end, the ridge convex, the sides sloping, the edges rather
blunt and soft. Nasal groove extending to near the tip, nostrils
basal, linear, pervious. Lower mandible with the angle long and very
narrow, the dorsal line straight, the sides sloping outwards, with
a long narrow groove, the tip a little broader, but tapering.
Head of moderate size, oblong, compressed. Eyes rather large. Neck
of moderate length. Body rather slender. Feet rather long, slender;
tibia bare a third part of its length; tarsus compressed, anteriorly
and posteriorly with numerous small scutella; hind toe very small;
the rest of moderate length, slender, the fourth slightly longer
than the second, the third longest; all free, scutellate above, flat
beneath, slightly marginate; claws rather small, slightly arched,
compressed, rather obtuse, that of the third toe much larger, with
the inner edge dilated.
Plumage very soft, blended on the lower parts, the feathers rather
distinct above. Wings very long, pointed; primaries tapering, obtuse,
the first longest, the second almost equal, the rest rapidly graduated;
outer secondaries slightly incurved, narrow, very obliquely sinuate on
the outer web towards the end, the inner web rounded, and extending
beyond the outer; inner secondaries very narrow, tapering, acute,
reaching, when the wing is closed, to within half an inch of its tip.
Tail of moderate length, nearly even, with the two middle feathers
exceeding the rest, and having the shaft projecting, of twelve narrow,
rounded feathers.
Bill dull olive-green, dusky towards the point. Iris hazel. Feet dull
yellowish-green, claws dusky. The general colour of the upper parts is
greyish-yellow, each feather blackish-brown in the centre; wing-coverts
lighter; quills and their coverts light greyish-brown, greenish-black
at the end, but with a whitish tip, the inner webs whitish in the
greater part of their breadth, and beautifully dotted with black in
undulating lines; the inner secondaries like the feathers of the back.
The two middle tail-feathers greyish-brown, dark-brown glossed with
green at the end, and slightly margined and tipped with white, the
rest gradually paler to the outer, margined and tipped with white,
within which are two lines of blackish-brown. Sides of the head, fore
neck, and sides light yellowish-red, the throat paler, the sides of
the neck and body spotted with brownish-black; the rest of the lower
parts paler and unspotted. The lower wing-coverts are white, those
near the edge of the wing black in the centre, the primary coverts
dotted with black, and having a spot of the same near the end.
Length to end of tail 8 inches, to end of wings 8-9/12; extent of wings
18; wing from flexure 5-3/4; tail 2-11/12; bill along the ridge
(10-1/2)/12, along the edge of lower mandible 1; bare part of tibia
7/12; tarsus 1-4/12, middle toe 10/12, its claw (2-1/2)/12. Weight
2-1/2 oz.
Adult Female. Plate CCLXV. Fig. 2.
The Female is somewhat larger than the male, which it resembles in
colour, but has the lower parts paler, and the feathers of the upper
parts of a lighter brown, with an inner margin of brownish-black and
an outer of greyish-yellow.
THE OPOSSUM.
This singular animal is found more or less abundant in most parts
of the Southern, Western, and Middle States of the Union. It is the
_Didelphis virginiana_ of PENNANT, HARLAN, and other authors who
have given some account of its habits; but as none of them, so far
as I know, have illustrated its propensity to dissimulate, and as I
have had opportunities of observing its manners, I trust that a few
particulars of its biography will prove amusing.
The opossum is fond of secluding itself during the day, although it
by no means confines its predatory rangings to the night. Like many
other quadrupeds which feed principally on flesh, it is also both
frugivorous and herbivorous, and, when very hard pressed by hunger,
it seizes various kinds of insects and reptiles. Its gait, while
travelling, and at a time when it supposes itself unobserved, is
altogether ambling: in other words, it, like a young foal, moves the
two legs of one side forward at once. The Newfoundland dog manifests
a similar propensity. Having a constitution as hardy as that of the
most northern animals, it stands the coldest weather, and does not
hybernate, although its covering of fur and hair may be said to be
comparatively scanty even during winter. The defect, however, seems
to be compensated by a skin of considerable thickness, and a general
subcutaneous layer of fat. Its movements are usually rather slow, and
as it walks or ambles along, its curious prehensile tail is carried
just above the ground, its rounded ears are directed forward, and at
almost every step its pointed nose is applied to the objects beneath
it in order to discover what sort of creatures may have crossed its
path. Methinks I see one at this moment slowly and cautiously trudging
over the melting snows by the side of an unfrequented pond, nosing as
it goes for the fare its ravenous appetite prefers. Now it has come
upon the fresh track of a grouse or hare, and it raises its snout
and snuffs the keen air. At length it has decided on its course, and
it speeds onward at the rate of a man’s ordinary walk. It stops and
seems at a loss in what direction to go, for the object of its pursuit
has either taken a considerable leap, or has cut backwards before the
opossum entered its track. It raises itself up, stands for a while on
its hind feet, looks around, snuffs the air again, and then proceeds;
but now, at the foot of a noble tree, it comes to a full stand. It
walks round the base of the huge trunk, over the snow-covered roots,
and among them finds an aperture, which it at once enters. Several
minutes elapse, when it re-appears, dragging along a squirrel already
deprived of life, with which in its mouth it begins to ascend the
tree. Slowly it climbs. The first fork does not seem to suit it, for
perhaps it thinks it might there be too openly exposed to the view
of some wily foe, and so it proceeds, until it gains a cluster of
branches intertwined with grape-vines, and there composing itself,
it twists its tail round one of the twigs, and with its sharp teeth
demolishes the unlucky squirrel, which it holds all the while with
its fore paws.
The pleasant days of spring have arrived, and the trees vigorously
shoot forth their buds; but the opossum is almost bare, and seems
nearly exhausted by hunger. It visits the margins of creeks, and is
pleased to see the young frogs, which afford it a tolerable repast.
Gradually the poke-berry and the nettle shoot up, and on their tender
and juicy stems it gladly feeds. The matin calls of the Wild Turkey
Cock delight the ear of the cunning creature, for it well knows that
it will soon hear the female, and trace her to her nest, when it will
suck the eggs with delight. Travelling through the woods, perhaps on
the ground, perhaps aloft, from tree to tree, it hears a cock crow,
and its heart swells as it remembers the savoury food on which it
regaled itself last summer in the neighbouring farm-yard. With great
care, however, it advances, and at last conceals itself in the very
hen-house.
Honest farmer! why did you kill so many crows last winter? aye, and
ravens too? Well, you have had your own way of it; but now hie to
the village and procure a store of ammunition, clean your rusty gun,
set your traps, and teach your lazy curs to watch the opossum. There
it comes! The sun is scarcely down, but the appetite of the prowler
is keen; hear the screams of one of your best chickens that has been
seized by him! The cunning beast is off with it, and nothing now
can be done, unless you stand there to watch the fox or the owl,
now exulting in the thought that you have killed their enemy and
your own friend, the poor crow. That precious hen under which you
last week placed a dozen eggs or so, is now deprived of them. The
opossum, notwithstanding her angry outcries and rufflings of feathers,
has removed them one by one; and now, look at the poor bird as she
moves across your yard; if not mad, she is at least stupid, for she
scratches here and there, calling to her chickens all the while. All
this comes from your shooting crows. Had you been more merciful or
more prudent, the opossum might have been kept within the woods, where
it would have been satisfied with a squirrel, a young hare, the eggs
of a Turkey, or the grapes that so profusely adorn the boughs of our
forest trees. But I talk to you in vain.
There cannot be a better exemplification of maternal tenderness than
the female oppossum. Just peep into that curious sack in which the
young are concealed, each attached to a teat. The kind mother not only
nourishes them with care, but preserves them from their enemies; she
moves with them as the shark does with its progeny, and now, aloft
on the tulip tree, she hides among the thick foliage. By the end of
two months they begin to shift for themselves; each has been taught
its particular lesson, and must now practise it.
But suppose the farmer has surprised an Opossum in the act of killing
one of his best fowls. His angry feelings urge him to kick the poor
beast, which, conscious of its inability to resist, rolls off like a
ball. The more the farmer rages, the more reluctant is the animal to
manifest resentment; at last there it lies, not dead, but exhausted,
its jaws open, its tongue extended, its eye dimmed; and there it
would lie until the bottle-fly should come to deposit its eggs, did
not its tormentor at length walk off. “Surely,” says he to himself,
“the beast must be dead.” But no, reader, it is only “’possuming,”
and no sooner has its enemy withdrawn, than it gradually gets on its
legs, and once more makes for the woods.
Once, while descending the Mississippi, in a sluggish flat-bottomed
boat, expressly for the purpose of studying those objects of nature
more nearly connected with my favourite pursuits, I chanced to meet
with two well-grown Opossums, and brought them alive to the “ark.”
The poor things were placed on the roof or deck, and were immediately
assailed by the crew, when, following their natural instinct, they lay
as if quite dead. An experiment was suggested, and both were thrown
overboard. On striking the water, and for a few moments after, neither
evinced the least disposition to move; but finding their situation
desperate, they began to swim towards our uncouth rudder, which was
formed of a long slender tree, extending from the middle of the boat
thirty feet beyond its stern. They both got upon it, were taken up,
and afterwards let loose in their native woods.
In the year 1829, I was in a portion of Lower Louisiana, where the
Opossum abounds at all seasons, and having been asked by the President
and the Secretary of the Zoological Society of London, to forward live
animals of this species to them, I offered a price a little above
the common, and soon found myself plentifully supplied, twenty-five
having been brought to me. I found them excessively voracious, and
not less cowardly. They were put into a large box, with a great
quantity of food, and conveyed to a steamer bound for New Orleans.
Two days afterwards, I went to the city, to see about sending them
off to Europe; but, to my surprise, I found that the old males had
destroyed the younger ones, and eaten off their heads, and that only
sixteen remained alive. A separate box was purchased for each, and
some time after they reached my friends the RATHBONES of Liverpool,
who, with their usual attention, sent them off to London, where, on
my return, I saw a good number of them in the Zoological Gardens.
This animal is fond of grapes, of which a species now bears its name.
Persimons are greedily eaten by it, and in severe weather I have
observed it eating lichens. Fowls of every kind, and quadrupeds less
powerful than itself, are also its habitual prey.
The flesh of the Opossum resembles that of a young pig, and would
perhaps be as highly prized, were it not for the prejudice generally
entertained against it. Some “very particular” persons, to my
knowledge, have pronounced it excellent eating. After cleaning its
body, suspend it for a whole week in the frosty air, for it is not
eaten in summer; then place it on a heap of hot wood embers; sprinkle
it when cooked with gunpowder; and now tell me, good reader, does
it not equal the famed Canvas-back Duck? Should you visit any of our
markets, you may see it there in company with the best game.
THE COMMON CORMORANT.
_PHALACROCORAX CARBO_, DUMONT.
PLATE CCLXVI. MALE, FEMALE, AND YOUNG.
Look at the birds before you, and mark the affectionate glance of
the mother, as she stands beside her beloved younglings! I wish you
could have witnessed the actions of such groups as I did while in
Labrador. Methinks I still see the high rolling billows of the St
Lawrence breaking in foaming masses against the huge cliffs, on the
shelves of which the Cormorant places its nest. I lie flat on the
edge of the precipice some hundred feet above the turbulent waters,
and now crawling along with all care, I find myself only a few yards
above the spot on which the parent bird and her young are fondling
each other, quite unconscious of my being near. How delighted I am
to witness their affectionate gratulations, hear their lisping notes,
mark the tremulous motions of their expanded throats, and the curious
vacillations of their heads and necks! The kind mother gently caresses
each alternately with her bill; the little ones draw nearer to her,
and, as if anxious to evince their gratitude, rub their heads against
hers. How pleasing all this is to me! But at this moment the mother
accidentally looks upward, her keen eye has met mine, she utters a
croak, spreads her sable wings, and in terror launches into the air,
leaving her brood at my mercy. Far and near, above and beneath me, the
anxious parent passes and repasses; her flight is now unnatural, and
she seems crippled, for she would fain perform those actions in the
air, which other birds perform on the ground or on the water, in such
distressing moments of anxiety for the fate of their beloved young.
Her many neighbours, all as suspicious as herself, well understand the
meaning of her mode of flight, and one after another take to wing, so
that the air is in a manner blackened with them. Some fly far over
the waters, others glide along the face of the bold rock, but none
that have observed me realight, and how many of those there are I
am pretty certain, as the greater number follow in the track of the
one most concerned. Meanwhile the little ones, in their great alarm,
have crawled into a recess, and there they are huddled together. I
have witnessed their pleasures and their terrors, and now, crawling
backwards, I leave them to resume their ordinary state of peaceful
security.
It was on the 3d of July 1833, about three in the morning, that I
had the pleasure of witnessing the scene described above. I was aware
before that a colony of Cormorants had nestled on the ledges of the
great rocky wall that separated our harbour of Whapatiguan from the
waters of the Gulf of St Lawrence. A strong gale had ruffled the
sea, and the waves dashed with extreme violence against the rocks, to
which circumstance, I believe, was owing my having remained a while
unseen and unheard so near the birds, which were not more than four
or five yards below me. The mother fondled and nursed her young with
all possible tenderness, disgorged some food into the mouth of each,
and coaxed them with her bill and wings. The little ones seemed very
happy, billed with their mother, and caressed her about the breast.
When the parent bird flew off on observing me, the young seemed quite
frightened, squatted at once on their broad nest, and then crawled
with the aid of their bills until they reached a recess where they
remained concealed.
On another occasion, my young friends LINCOLN and COOLEDGE, along
with my son, went to the same rocks, for the purpose of bringing
me a nest and some of the young Cormorants. They reported that, in
one instance, they surprised the parent birds close beneath them,
apparently asleep, resting on their rumps in an upright position,
with the head thrust under the wing, and that, had they had a noose
attached to their poles, they might have secured at least one of
them, but that after a few minutes one drew out her head, stretched
her neck, and after looking around flew off croaking, so as to alarm
all her neighbours.
We saw no nests of this species placed in any other situations than
the highest shelves of the precipitous rocks fronting the water and
having a southern exposure. No other Cormorants bred on the spots
of which this kind had taken possession; but Ravens and Peregrine
Falcons were observed to have nests on the same rocks, and in some
instances close to them. The nests were formed of a quantity of small
dry sticks, matted in a rude manner with a large quantity of weeds
and moss, to a thickness of four or five inches in new nests, and in
others to that of a foot or more; for we observed that this species,
as well as the Double-crested and the Florida Cormorants, repair and
enlarge their tenements each season, and return to the same rocks many
years in succession, as was shewn by their places of resort remaining
whitewashed with excrements through the winter, in which condition
we saw them previous to the arrival of the birds that season. The
nests varied in breadth according to the space on which they were
placed; where there was ample room, they measured at the base from
thirty to thirty-six inches in diameter; others were scarcely large
enough to hold the young, which nevertheless seemed as contented as
their neighbours. On some shelves, eight or ten yards in extent, the
nests were crowded together; but more usually they were placed apart
on every secure place without any order; none, however, were below
a certain height on the rocks, nor were there any on the summit.
The nests being covered with filth, were offensive to the eye, and
still more so to the nose. The eggs, three or four in number, more
frequently the former, average two inches and five-eighths in length,
by one inch and three quarters in breadth, the shell of a uniform
pale bluish-green colour, mostly coated over with calcareous matter.
The young are at first of a dark purplish livid colour, and have a
very uncouth appearance, their legs and feet seeming enormous. In
less than a fortnight they become covered on all the upper parts with
brownish-black down, but the abdomen remains bare much longer than the
rest. They increase rapidly in size, and are fledged in six or seven
weeks. Some that were weighed when about a month old, averaged three
pounds, and others almost able to fly six pounds, the young of this
species, as of most water birds, being much heavier than the parent
at the time of leaving the nest. We procured several of different
sizes, which we kept on the deck. Whenever a person approached them,
they raised their heads, stretched their necks, and opened their
bills, so as to expand the skin of the throat, which they made to
vibrate, while they uttered a sort of hissing mutter of a very strange
character, but resembling that of the young of the Brown Pelican.
They crawled sluggishly about, aiding themselves in their progress
with their bills, and at all times looked extremely clumsy. They
took food very readily, ate a prodigious quantity, certainly more
than their own weight each day, and appeared always ready to receive
more. When thrown overboard, they swam off under water, like the old
birds, with considerable speed, moving their unfledged wings all the
while. Some would not rise for twenty or thirty yards, but few went
farther under water than that distance, and they were soon fatigued.
On one occasion, some half-grown young birds threw themselves from
their nest, or were pushed off by their parents while in the agonies
of death, they having been shot at. As they passed quickly downwards
through the air, they moved their wings with great rapidity, and the
instant they reached the water they disappeared beneath the surface.
This Cormorant swims at times with astonishing speed, keeping itself
deeply immersed. Now and then, should it apprehend danger, it sinks so
far as to shew only the head and neck, in the manner of the Anhinga.
When searching for food in clear shallow water, they frequently swim
with the rump rather elevated, and the head under, in the manner
of the Shoveller Duck on such occasions, as if they were looking
for prey on the bottom; but I never observed them act thus when the
depth of water exceeded a few yards. They secure their prey by diving
and pursuing it under water, with the wings partially extended and
employed as paddles, while the tail directs their course, and checks
or accelerates their speed. I have observed this in the Florida
Cormorant, as well as in the present species. I never saw one while
flying plunge after its prey; but I have repeatedly seen them drop
from a rock headlong into the sea when shot at for the purpose of
observing their actions.
Cormorants, Pelicans, Ducks, and other water birds of various kinds,
are, like land birds, at times infested with insects which lodge
near the roots of their feathers; and to clear themselves of this
vermin, they beat up the water about them by flapping their wings,
their feathers being all the while ruffled up, and rub or scratch
themselves with their feet and claws, much in the same manner as
Turkeys and most land birds act, when scattering up the dry warm earth
or sand over them. The water birds after thus cleansing themselves
remove, if perchers, and able to fly, to the branches of trees, spread
out their wings and tail in the sun, and after a while dress their
plumage. Those which are not perchers, or whose wings are too wet,
swim to the shores, or to such banks or rocks as are above water, and
there perform the same process. The Florida Cormorant is especially
addicted to this practice, and dives and plumes itself several times
in the day. The Double-crested and the present species, which inhabit
colder regions, seem to be satisfied with less frequent trimming, and
go through the operation only once a-day, at the warmest period. I
never observed any of these birds in their natural free state perform
these actions in rainy or even cloudy weather, but have frequently
seen Cormorants in a state of captivity do so on small artificial
ponds, such as those of the London Zoological Gardens.
When they have landed after cleansing themselves by washing, they
usually extend their wings, and flap them for a while, in the manner
of young birds of any kind when trying the strength of their wings
before leaving the nest. They are extremely regular in returning to the
same places to roost, at the approach of night, when hundreds appear
to congregate on their way there, as they pass over the different
fishing grounds. Those that have no broods, spend the night apart
from the rest, standing nearly erect in files on the most elevated
shelves, to which they ascend in the manner of some Hawks, when about
to perch on any elevated spot. In winter, however, I observed some near
Boston roosting singly, and immediately over their fishing places,
which are usually the eddies under the projecting points of rocky
islands. They are shy and wary at all periods; but when congregated
in the day, it is almost impossible to approach them while fishing,
for they dive and return to the surface one after another, so that
one or more are constantly on the watch, and act as sentinels. It is
in general quite useless to pursue one that has been wounded.
The flight of this species is strong, swift, and remarkably sustained.
They usually fly in long strings, now and then forming angles, at a
moderate elevation in the air. When on the rocks, they stand erect
on their rump, with the neck gracefully curved, and resting between
the shoulders. You may see them in hundreds, when they look like a
crowd of black dominoes. If alarmed, they extend their neck to its
full length, and move their head sideways to observe your motions;
and if you approach them, they gradually raise and extend their wings,
elevate the tail, incline the body forwards, and fly off in silence.
All our Cormorants feed principally on fish of various kinds. When
they have seized one that is too large to be swallowed entire, they
carry it to the shore, or to the branch of a tree, and there thrash
and tear it to pieces. Some fishes which they have swallowed evidently
incommode them, and on such occasions I have sometimes seen them
shake their heads with great violence, and disgorge the fish, or pass
it downwards into the stomach. The young ones which we kept several
weeks at Labrador, performed both actions, but generally the first.
All the species are expert at tossing up a fish inconveniently caught,
a foot or so above their head, and receiving it in their extended
gullet, in the same manner as the Frigate Pelican, of which an account
will be given in the present volume. Some which I have observed in a
domesticated state, were so expert at receiving a fish thrown to them
from the distance of several yards, by a sudden and precise movement
of the neck and head, as seldom to miss one in a dozen.
The courtship of this species is so similar to that of the Florida
Cormorant, that I consider it unnecessary to describe it, as I should
merely repeat what has been said with respect to that species. I
have seen them act in the same manner, both on the shelves on which
the nests were placed, and on the water. They begin to lay about the
first of June, on the islands near the Bay of Fundy, about a fortnight
later in Labrador, and it is my opinion that the younger birds spend
their breeding season in the former places.
The Common Cormorant walks in a waddling and awkward manner, but at
a good pace, and leaps from one stone to another, assisting itself
with its wings, and occasionally with the tail, which acts as a kind
of spring. I am unable to say at what age this species attains the
full dress of the love season, but it cannot be in less than three
years, as some which I have known to have been kept in a state of
constant captivity, did not shew the white patch on the thigh, nor
the slender white feathers around the head and part of the neck,
until the middle of May, in the fifth year. That the younger birds of
this and other Cormorants, breed before they have acquired the full
beauty of their plumage, is a fact which I have had many opportunities
of ascertaining. The Common Cormorant is found breeding, both near
the entrance of the Bay of Fundy, and along the coast of Labrador,
in flocks of fifty or more pairs, of which not an individual shews
any white unless on the sides of the head, and along the throat,
but much duller on these parts than even in the female represented
in the plate, which was yet what may be termed an immature bird. No
differences appear in the garb of the sexes, in their different states
of plumage, and perfect specimens of both are equally beautiful in
the breeding season, being then similar to the male of which I have
endeavoured to present a good portrait. I have observed a greater
difference in size between individuals of this species, than those
of any other.
The white markings observed on the old birds of this species, during
the period of courtship, incubation, and rearing of the young until
they are able to fly, and which extends to two months and a half,
begin to disappear from the moment incubation has fairly begun, and
at the time when the young leave the nest scarcely any remain, unless
on the sides of the head. In autumn and winter the feathers of the
head are similar to those of the neck, and the plumage in general has
lost much of its vernal and æstival beauty. The entire crest also
falls off in autumn. The white markings and the crest are renewed
in the wild state about the end of February; but in birds kept in
domestication rarely before May. The young do not exhibit the crest
until the second spring, at which period, being yet destitute of white
markings on the head and thighs, they might readily be mistaken for
a different species, by a person unacquainted with their habits.
The singular fact that the young of the three species of Cormorant
described in this volume, have _open nostrils_ until they are nearly
half-grown, may surprise you as much as it surprised me. Having
observed it in many individuals, I preserved one in spirits, and of
it you will find a description beneath.
The Common Cormorant is rarely seen farther south than the extreme
limits of Maryland; but from Chesapeake Bay eastward, it becomes more
plentiful; and in severe winters, I have seen it exposed for sale in
the New York market. They are abundant in winter around the islands
of the Bay of Boston, and on the coasts of Massachusetts and Maine,
where most of them remain during autumn, winter, and the early part of
spring, as well as on the Bay of Fundy and along the shores of Nova
Scotia. I am unable to say how far north they go beyond Labrador, to
breed, or what may be the limits of their range on the St Lawrence
in autumn. I have never seen one on a tree, or on fresh water. The
flesh of this species is dark, tough, and fishy, its eggs also do
not furnish agreeable food, and it is seldom that either are eaten,
even by epicures.
PELECANUS CARBO, _Linn._ Syst. Nat. vol. i. p. 216.—_Lath._
Ind. Ornith. vol. ii. p. 886.
PHALACROCORAX CARBO, _Ch. Bonaparte_, Synopsis of Birds of
the United States, p. 402.
CORMORANT, _Nuttall_, Manual, vol. ii. p. 479.
Adult Male in March. Plate CCLXVI. Fig. 1.
Bill about the length of the head, rather slender, somewhat compressed,
straight, with the tip curved. Upper mandible with the dorsal line
sloping and slightly concave, at the tip decurved, its ridge broad and
rounded, and separated from the sides by a narrow groove, the sides
erect, irregularly scaly, convex, the edges sharp and straight as far
as the unguis, at the base a distinct horny plate, the unguis strong,
convex above, incurved, acute. No external nostrils when full-grown.
Lower mandible with the angle long and very narrow towards the end,
filled by an extensible membrane, which extends a short way down the
throat, its short dorsal line a little convex, then concave, the sides
scaly, erect, and slightly convex, the edges sharp and inflected,
the tip compressed and obliquely truncate.
Head rather large, oblong, narrowed before. Neck long and stout.
Body rather full, depressed. Feet short, stout, placed far behind;
tibia feathered in its whole length; tarsus very short, strong, much
compressed, covered all round with scales, of which the outer are
subhexagonal. the inner transversely elongated, the posterior very
small and roundish. Toes all placed in the same plane, and connected by
reticulated webs, covered above with very numerous oblique scutella;
first toe smallest, fourth longest. Claws strong, curved, compressed,
acute, that of the third toe pectinated on its inner edge.
Plumage of the head, neck, lower parts, and posterior portion of the
back, glossy, blended, and silky; of the fore part of the back and
wings compact, the feathers with loose glossy margins. The middle
feathers of the occiput and hind neck are elongated, and those of the
head and upper neck are intermixed with numerous linear feathers of
a different colour, and erectile at will. Space around the eye, and
to a large extent along the base of the bill, together with the small
gular sac, bare. Wings rather small; primaries very strong, curved,
rather narrow, tapering and obtuse, third longest, second almost
as long, first little shorter; secondaries decurved, broad, broadly
rounded, the inner broad and shorter. Tail small, much rounded, of
fourteen narrow, rounded feathers, having extremely long shafts.
Upper mandible greyish-black, along the edges yellowish-white;
lower yellowish-white at the base, dusky towards the end. Iris light
bluish-green, margins of eyelids dusky. Bare space about the eye dull
olive, below it bright red, the gular sac yellow. Feet and claws
greyish-black. All the silky part of the plumage is black, glossed
with deep greenish-blue; at the base of the gular sac is a broad
gorgelet of white, and the linear interspersed feathers over the head
and upper neck are white, there is also a large parcel of elongated
white feathers on the side over the thigh. The feathers of the wings
and part of the back are dull bluish-grey glossed with bronze, their
fringe-like margins greenish-black. Primary quills greyish-black,
secondary like the other feathers of the wing. Tail greyish-black.
The shafts of all the feathers are black at the end, leaden-grey
towards the base.
Length to end of tail 37 inches, to end of claws 36; to end of wings
32; extent of wings 62; wing from flexure 14; tail 6-1/2; bill along
the ridge 3-5/12, along the edge of lower mandible 4-2/12; tarsus 2-1/4;
outer toe 3-7/12, its claw (6-1/2)/12. Weight 7-1/2 lb.
Female in July. Plate CCLXVI. Fig. 2.
The Female when old is similar to the male. In the state here
represented, the plumage in general is similar, but the white feathers
of the head and thighs are wanting. The bill, eyes and feet are
coloured as in the male, as are the bare parts about the base of the
bill, only the part under the eye which is bright red in the male,
is bright yellow in the female.
Young Birds unfledged. Plate CCLXVI. Fig. 3, 4.
The inside of the mouth and the gular sac flesh-coloured; the bill
dusky, at the base flesh-coloured; the eyes bluish grey. The general
colour of their skin is dull livid; the feet purplish-dusky, the webs
yellowish-brown.
The following is a description of the smaller individual represented
in the plate, and which was about two weeks old. The length is
twelve inches and a half; the colour dull livid, the abdomen and
breast lighter, the forehead, gular sac, and bases of the mandibles,
flesh-colour tinged with yellow, as is the mouth. The head and
upper part of the neck are bare, as well as the lower surface of
the wings. Over the rest of the body are small down tufts rising in
regular series, excepting along an impressed line extending from the
anterior part of the thorax to the anus. The apertures of the ears
are round, extremely small, being only half a twelfth in diameter;
the eyes very small, the iris grey. The aperture of the posterior
nares is linear-lanceolate, smooth on the edges, half an inch long. A
probe introduced into it passes readily out by the nostril, which is
basal, linear, small, two-twelfths long, placed at the commencement
of the long groove which separates the sides from the ridge of the
mandible, and covered above by the skin, so as to be not readily
observed, although it is easily dilatable. Each internal nostril is
oblique, much wider below, and has on its inner side a transverse soft
ridge, which divides it into two cavities, the posterior deep and
funnel-shaped, passing backwards and upwards, the anterior becoming
narrower towards the external aperture. The tongue is extremely
small, four-twelfths long, elliptical, with a central ridge. The
œsophagus is extremely dilatable, and as far as the middle of the
neck is of larger diameter than below, but it again dilates as it
enters the stomach. Its length is five inches and a half. The inner
coat is smooth in its dilated part, but in the rest is raised into
numerous longitudinal ridges or folds, which at the lower part are
undulated. The stomach is oblong, four and a half inches long, quite
membranous, and without apparent central tendons. The gastric glands
are disposed so as to occupy two spaces, the one three and a half
inches by two, the other a little smaller. The inner coat is soft
and without wrinkles. The intestine is five feet two inches long,
at its upper part three-twelfths in diameter, gradually diminishing
to one-twelfth. At the distance of two inches from the anus are two
cœca, three-twelfths long, one-twelfth in diameter, and rounded. The
contents of the stomach were fragments of fish, with numerous bones,
and a pebble about half an inch in diameter. The heart triangular,
much flattened. The liver of two very unequal lobes, the right one
two inches and a half long, the other one and a half. The specimen,
which I had preserved in spirits, was examined in my presence by my
friend Mr MACGILLIVRAY. Whether the fact of the anterior aperture of
the organ of smell being open in the young Cormorant has been observed
by any other person than myself, I know not; but it would seem that
the general opinion is, that Cormorants have no external nares in any
stage, and although some state that in the adult they exist, and are
extremely small, others allege that there are none at all.
A young female, shot in the end of October, on being carefully
examined, was found to present the following characters.
The length to the end of the tail was 36 inches, to the end of the
wings 29-3/4, to the end of the outer toe 34-1/2; the extent of the
wings 55; the weight 5 lb. 10-1/2 oz.
Bill along the ridge and unguis black, the sides brownish-grey; the
lower mandible brownish-grey, dusky on the sides at the middle, the
bare skin at the base yellow, as is the gular sac. Upper part of the
head and hind neck brownish-black; the back greenish-black, its fore
part, the scapulars and the wing-coverts brownish-grey, the feathers
edged with greenish-black, and an outer margin of brownish-white, most
conspicuous on the secondary coverts; the quills brownish-black, the
secondaries tinged with grey on the outer edge; the tail greyish-black,
the shafts greyish-blue. Upper part of the throat brownish-white;
the rest of the neck greyish-white, mixed with brown; the breast and
abdomen white, the sides greenish-black; the lower surface of the
wings dusky; the lower tail-coverts greyish-brown, the feathers before
them brownish-black. The feet greyish-black; the inner edge of the
middle claws very slightly pectinated. The foot, when stretched to
its full extent, measures, from the tip of the first to that of the
fourth claw, 5-10/12 inches.
The tongue is oblong, carinate above, 7/12 long, 3/12 broad. The
palatal slit or aperture of the posterior nares is linear, 1-2/12 long,
with a soft flap on each side. The mouth is 1-5/12 wide; the bill 3-1/4
along the back, 4 along the edge of lower mandible. The aperture of
the ear is circular, only half a line in diameter.
On blowing into the posterior nares no air passes. The internal
cavities are separated by a longitudinal membranous dissepiment;
each cavity is transversely divided by a membranous partition, but
neither of the chambers thus formed has any external communication
by the mandible. The lachrymal duct, which is wide, passes obliquely
forward and downward into the anterior cavity. On gradually slicing the
horny covering of the mandible over the place where the nostril ought
to be, its position is found clearly defined, there being a slight
discontinuity of the bone at that part; but on cutting farther all
traces disappear, the original aperture being closed by ossification.
The aperture of the glottis has thick prominent rounded edges, which
unite behind and terminate in three knobs, and there is a small
transverse flap on each side behind.
The heart is triangular, depressed, obtuse, 2-1/2 inches long, its
greatest breadth 1-7/12. The liver has two very unequal lobes, the
right 5 inches, the left 3 inches long; the former 2-1/2 broad, the
latter 1-3/4. The gall-bladder is 2-1/4 long, (3-1/2)/12 in diameter,
rounded, but not much enlarged at the extremity.
The œsophagus is 22-1/2 inches long; at its upper part when dilated
upwards of two inches wide, extremely thin, its circular fibres
distinct. It is contracted in the whole length of the thorax, where
its smallest diameter is 8/12, the largest 10/12; but this part,
which in the ordinary state has its inner coat folded into numerous
longitudinal wrinkles, is capable of being dilated so as to present
a diameter of more than 3 inches, when the internal rugæ disappears.
The proventriculus seems at first to form part of the stomach; its
walls are extremely thick and studded with glandules, disposed in
two circular patches, which are separated by a space of about 3/12 of
an inch. The stomach properly so called is very small; its muscular
coat thin, but with two distinct tendons. It is of an oblong form,
compressed, and at its upper parts has a rounded lobe, from which the
intestine comes off. The inner coat is thick, soft, and rugous. The
pylorus has a circular marginal rim. The intestine, which is 8 feet
long, is at its upper part (3-1/2)/12 in diameter, towards the cœca
(2-3/4)/12. The rectum is 7 inches long, its diameter for 4-1/2
inches is 7/12; the cloaca globular, 2-2/12 in diameter; the cœca 3/12
long. The cystic duct enters one inch below the hepatic; between them
enters one of the pancreatic ducts, the other 2 inches farther up. The
distance from the pylorus to the hepatic duct is 16-1/2 inches.
The lungs extend to the kidneys. The ovules exceedingly small and
numerous. In the proventriculus and lower part of the œsophagus were
many small ascarides. The contents of the stomach were a few bones
of fishes.
Although I have not actually observed that Cormorants have the power
of disgorging such substances as they are unable to digest, I should
not be surprised to find this to be the case, when their habits are
investigated in a state of domestication.
THE ARCTIC JAGER.
_LESTRIS PARASITICUS_, BOIE.
PLATE CCLXVII. MALE AND FEMALE.
During winter this indefatigable teaser of the smaller Gulls often
ranges along our southern coasts as far as the Mexican Gulf, where
I have seen it, as well as opposite the shores of the Floridas; but
I never met with a single individual in summer, even in the most
northern parts, although I had expected to find it breeding on the
coasts of Labrador and Newfoundland. Few birds surpass it in power
or length of flight. It generally passes through the air at a height
of fifty or sixty yards, flying in an easy manner, ranging over the
broad bays, on which Gulls of various kinds are engaged in procuring
their food. No sooner has it observed that one of them has secured
a fish, than it immediately flies toward it and gives chase. It is
almost impossible for the Gull to escape, for the warrior with repeated
jerkings of his firm pinions sweeps towards it, with the rapidity of
a Peregrine Falcon pouncing on a Duck. Each cut and turn of the Gull
only irritates him the more and whets his keen appetite, until by two
or three sudden dashes, he forces it to disgorge the food it had so
lately swallowed. This done, the poor Gull may go in search of more;
the Lestris is now for a while contented, and alights on the water
to feed at leisure. But soon, perceiving a distant flock of Gulls,
he rises on wing and speeds towards them. Renewing his attacks, he
now obtains an abundant supply, and at length, when quite gorged,
searches for a place on which to alight, unseen by any other of his
tribe more powerful than himself. When on wing, its beautiful long
tail-feathers seem at times to afford this bird great assistance in
executing short sudden turns, which have often brought to my mind
the motions of a greyhound while pursuing a hare. By sudden lashings
of its tail, it can instantly turn, or arrest its flight. When it
is on the water, it keeps that part upright, but when on a rock or
a floating piece of timber, it allows it to fall in a graceful manner.
Although usually seen single, or at most in pairs, during the winter,
I observed this species in April, on my voyage to the Florida Keys,
in flocks of from ten to fifteen, congregated as if for the purpose
of returning to the northern regions, where it is said to breed in
groups. Mr SELBY, in treating of this bird, says “It breeds upon
several of the Orkney and Shetland Isles, and is gregarious during
that period; and the situations selected for nidification are the
unfrequented heaths at some distance from the shores. The nest is
composed of dry grass and mosses, and its two eggs are of a dark
oil-green, with irregular blotches of liver-brown. At this season
the bird is very courageous, and, like the Common Skua, attacks every
intruder upon the limits of its territory, by pouncing and striking
at the head with its bill and wings. It also occasionally endeavours
to divert attention by feigning accidental lameness.” Having received
eggs of this bird from individuals who had collected them, I may add
that they are broadly rounded at the larger end, rather pointed at
the smaller, have a smooth shell, and average two inches four-twelfths
in length, by one inch and four and a half eighths in breadth.
M. TEMMINCK, in his Manuel d’Ornithologie, describes the young when
about to leave the nest as follows: “Top of the head of a deep grey;
sides and upper part of the neck of a light grey, sprinkled with
longitudinal brown spots; a black spot before the eyes; lower part of
the neck, back, scapulars, small and large wing-coverts, umber-brown,
each feather bordered with yellowish-brown, and often with reddish;
lower parts irregularly variegated with deep brown and yellowish-brown
on a whitish ground; tail-coverts and abdomen transversely barred;
quills of the wings and tail blackish, white at their base and on the
inner barbs, all terminated with white; the two outer shafts white;
tail only rounded; base of the bill yellowish-green, black towards
the point; tarsi bluish-grey; base of the toes and membranes white,
the rest black, hind claw often white.”
In middle age, he says, “all the upper parts are greyish-brown without
spots; lower parts of a somewhat lighter tint, and also unspotted;
inner base of the quills and only the upper parts of the tail-feathers
pure white, the rest blackish-brown; the two elongated tail-feathers
gradually diminish in breadth towards the extremity, which ends in
a very attenuated point; bill and feet as in the old individuals.”
Captain JAMES CLARK ROSS has informed me by letter, that this species
was seen in great numbers during his late voyage towards the Arctic
circle; that the Pomarine Lestris was less abundant, and RICHARDSON’s
very rare.
LESTRIS BUFFONII, _Ch. Bonaparte_, Synopsis of Birds of
the United States, p. 364.
LESTRIS, ARCTIC JAGER, _Swains. and Richards._ Fauna Bor.
Amer. part ii. p. 430.
ARCTIC JAGER, _Nuttall_, Manual, vol. ii. p. 317.
Adult Male. Plate CCLXVII. Fig. 1.
Bill about the length of the head, rather slender, straight, the tip
curved. Upper mandible with the dorsal line straight, toward the end
curved, the ridge broad and convex, the sides separated from the ridge
by a narrow groove, extremely narrow and convex, the edges sharp and
inflected, the tip compressed, rather obtuse. Nostrils in the fore
part of the nasal groove, nearer the tip than the base, submarginal,
pervious, linear, oblong, wider anteriorly. Lower mandible with the
angle long and narrow, a slight prominence at its extremity, beyond
which the dorsal line is straight and ascending, the sides sloping
outwards and convex, the edges sharp and inflected, the tip obliquely
truncate and rather obtuse.
Head rather small, oblong, much narrowed before. Neck of moderate
length. Body rather slender. Feet rather short and of moderate
strength; tibia bare at its lower part; tarsus anteriorly covered
with broad decurved scutella, on the sides with oblong scales, behind
with smaller oblong prominent scales; hind toe extremely small and
elevated, the fore toes of moderate size, connected by reticulated
webs, which have their margins convex; the third toe longest, the
fourth not much shorter, all covered above with numerous scutella, the
lateral ones margined externally with small prominent scales directed
forwards. Claws of moderate size, curved, acute, compressed, that of
third toe with a sharp inner edge.
The plumage in general is close, elastic, soft, and blended; the
feathers on the back and wings rather compact and distinct. Wings very
long, rather broad, pointed; primary quills tapering and rounded, the
first longest, the rest rapidly graduated; secondary rather short,
rounded. Tail feathers of moderate length excepting the two middle,
which are extremely elongated and gradually attenuated, the rest
broad and rounded, there being twelve in all.
Bill greyish-black, the upper part bluish. Iris brown. Feet black,
but with the greater part of the tarsus yellow. The neck and lower
parts are white, the former tinged with yellow; upper and fore part
of head with the space before the cheeks blackish-brown; the lower
part of the hind neck and all the upper parts blackish-grey, the
primary quills and tail-feathers brownish-black, the shafts of the
former white.
Length to end of tail 23 inches, to end of wings 15; extent of wings
45; wing from flexure 12; tail 12; bill along the back 1-1/4, along the
edge of lower mandible 1-3/4; tarsus 1-7/12; middle toe 1-4/12, its claw
(4-1/2)/12.
Adult Female. Plate CCLXVII. Fig. 2.
The Female resembles the male, but the middle tail-feathers are about
three inches shorter.
THE AMERICAN WOODCOCK.
_SCOLOPAX MINOR_, GMEL.
PLATE CCLXVIII. MALE, FEMALE, AND YOUNG.
There is a kind of innocent simplicity in our Woodcock, which has
often excited in me a deep feeling of anxiety, when I witnessed the
rude and unmerciful attempts of mischievous boys, on meeting a mother
bird in vain attempting to preserve her dear brood from their savage
grasp. She scarcely limps, nor does she often flutter along the
ground, on such occasions; but with half extended wings, inclining
her head to one side, and uttering a soft murmur, she moves to and
fro, urging her young to hasten towards some secure spot beyond the
reach of their enemies. Regardless of her own danger, she would to all
appearance gladly suffer herself to be seized, could she be assured
that by such a sacrifice she might ensure the safety of her brood.
On an occasion of this kind, I saw a female Woodcock lay herself down
on the middle of a road, as if she were dead, while her little ones,
five in number, were endeavouring on feeble legs to escape from a
pack of naughty boys, who had already caught one of them, and were
kicking it over the dust in barbarous sport. The mother might have
shared the same fate, had I not happened to issue from the thicket,
and interpose in her behalf.
The American Woodcock, although allied to our Common Snipe, _Scolopax
Wilsonii_, differs essentially from it in its habits, even more
than in form. The former is a much gentler bird than the latter,
and although both see at night, the Woodcock is more nocturnal than
the Snipe. The latter often, without provocation or apparent object,
migrates or takes long and elevated flights during the day; but the
Woodcock rarely takes flight at this time, unless forced to do so to
elude its enemies, and even then removes only to a short distance.
When rambling unconcernedly, it rarely passes high above the tree
tops, or is seen before the dusk or after the morning twilight, when
it flies rather low, generally through the woods; and its travels
are altogether performed under night. The largeness of its eyes, as
compared with those of the Snipe, might of itself enable one to form
such a conclusion; but there is moreover a difference in the habits
of the Woodcock and Snipe, which I have been surprised at not finding
mentioned by WILSON, who certainly was an acute observer. It is that
the Woodcock, although a prober of the mire, frequently alights in
the interior of extensive forests, where little moisture can be seen,
for the purpose of turning up the dead leaves with its bill, in search
of food beneath them, in the manner of the Passenger Pigeon, various
Grakles, and other birds. This the Snipe, I believe, has never been
observed to do. Indeed, although the latter at times alights on the
borders of pools or streams overhung by trees, it never flies through
the woods.
The American Woodcock, which in New Brunswick is named the Bog-sucker,
is found dispersed in abundance during winter, over the southern parts
of the Union, and now and then, in warm and sequestered places, even
in the Middle Districts. Its stay in any portion of the country at
this period, seems to depend altogether on the state of the weather.
In the Carolinas, or even in Lower Louisiana, after a night of severe
frost, I have found their number greatly diminished in places where
they had been observed to be plentiful the day before. The limits of
its northern migrations at the commencement of the breeding season, are
yet unascertained. When in Newfoundland I was assured that it breeds
there; but I met with none either in that country or in Labrador,
although it is not rare in the British Provinces of New Brunswick and
Nova Scotia during summer. From the beginning of March until late in
October, this bird may be found in every district of the Union that
affords places suited to its habits; and its numbers, I am persuaded,
are much greater than is usually supposed. As it feeds by night, it
is rarely met with by day, unless by a sportsman or gunner, who may
be engaged in pursuing it for pleasure or profit. It is, however,
killed in almost incredible numbers, from the beginning of July until
late in winter, in different parts of the Union, and our markets
are amply supplied with it during its season. You may at times see
gunners returning from their sports with a load of Woodcocks, composed
of several dozens; nay, adepts in the sport have been known to kill
upwards of a hundred in the course of a day, being assisted by relays
of dogs, and perhaps a change of guns. In Lower Louisiana, they are
slaughtered under night by men carrying lighted torches, which so
surprise the poor things that they stand gazing on the light until
knocked dead with a pole or cane. This, however, takes place only on
the sugar and cotton plantations.
At the time when the Woodcocks are travelling from the south towards
all parts of the United States, on their way to their breeding places,
these birds, although they migrate singly, follow each other with such
rapidity, that they might be said to arrive in flocks, the one coming
directly in the wake of the other. This is particularly observable
by a person standing on the eastern banks of the Mississippi or the
Ohio, in the evening dusk, from the middle of March to that of April,
when almost every instant there whizzes past him a Woodcock, with a
velocity equalling that of our swiftest birds. See them flying across
and low over the broad stream; the sound produced by the action of
their wings reaches your ear as they approach, and gradually dies away
after they have passed and again entered the woods. While travelling
with my family, in the month of October, through New Brunswick and the
northern part of the State of Maine, I saw the Woodcocks returning
southward in equal numbers late in the evenings, and in the same
continuous manner, within a few yards or even feet of the ground, on
the roads or through the woods.
This species finds itself accommodated in the warmer parts of the
United States, as well as in high northern latitudes, during the
breeding season: it is well known to reproduce in the neighbourhood
of Savannah in Georgia, and near Charleston in South Carolina. My
friend JOHN BACHMAN has known thirty young ones, not yet fully fledged,
to have been killed in the vicinity of the latter place in one day.
I have never found its nest in Louisiana, but I have frequently
fallen in with it in the States from Mississippi to Kentucky, in
which latter country it breeds abundantly. In the Middle Districts,
the Woodcock begins to pair in the end of March; in the southern a
month earlier. At this season, its curious spiral gyrations, while
ascending or descending along a space of fifty or more yards of
height, in the manner described in the article of the Snipe, when
it utters a note different from the cry of that bird, and somewhat
resembling the word _kwauk_, are performed every evening and morning
for nearly a fortnight. While on the ground, at this season as well
as in autumn, the male not unfrequently repeats this sound, as if
he were calling to others in his neighbourhood, and on hearing it
answered, immediately flies to meet the other bird, which in the same
manner advances toward him. On observing the Woodcock while in the
act of emitting these notes, you would imagine he exerted himself to
the utmost to produce them, its head and bill being inclined towards
the ground, and a strong forward movement of the body taking place
at the moment the kwauk reaches your ear. This over, the bird jerks
its half-spread tail, then erects itself, and stands as if listening
for a few moments, when, if the cry is not answered, it repeats it. I
feel pretty confident that, in spring, the female, attracted by these
sounds, flies to the male; for on several occasions I observed the
bird that had uttered the call immediately caress the one that had
just arrived, and which I knew from its greater size to be a female.
I am not, however, quite certain that this is always the case, for on
other occasions I have seen a male fly off and alight near another,
when they would immediately begin to fight, tugging at and pushing
each other with their bills, in the most curious manner imaginable.
The nest, which is formed of dried leaves and grass, without much
apparent care, is usually placed in some secluded part of the woods,
at the foot of some bush, or by the side of a fallen trunk. In one
instance, near Camden, in New Jersey, I found one in a small swamp,
on the upper part of a log, the lower portion of which was covered
with water to the height of several inches. The eggs, which are
laid from February to the first of June, according to the latitude
of the place selected, are usually four, although I have not very
unfrequently found five in a nest. They average one inch and five
and a half-eighths in length, by one inch and an eighth in breadth,
are smooth, of a dull yellowish clay colour, varying in depth, and
irregularly but pretty thickly marked with patches of dark brown,
and others of a purple tint.
The young run about as soon as they emerge from the shell. To my
astonishment, I once met with three of them on the border of a sand-bar
on the Ohio, without their parent, and to all appearance not more
than half a day old. I concealed myself near them for about half an
hour, during which time the little things continued to totter about
the edge of the water, as if their mother had gone that way. During
the time I remained I did not see the old bird, and what became of
them I know not. The young birds are at first covered with down of a
dull yellowish-brown colour, then become streaked with deeper umber
tints, and gradually acquire the colours of the old. At the age of
from three to four weeks, although not fully fledged, they are able
to fly and escape from their enemies, and when they are six weeks
old, it requires nearly as much skill to shoot them on wing as if
they were much older. At this age they are called _stupid_ by most
people; and, in fact, being themselves innocent, and not yet having
had much experience, they are not sufficiently aware of the danger
that may threaten them, when a two-legged monster, armed with a
gun, makes his appearance. But, Reader, observe an old cock on such
occasions: there he lies, snugly squatted beneath the broad leaves
of that “sconk cabbage” or dock. I see its large dark eye meeting my
glance; the bird shrinks as it were within its usual size, and, in
a crouching attitude, it shifts with short steps to the other side.
The nose of the faithful pointer marks the spot, but unless you are
well acquainted with the ways of Woodcocks, it has every chance of
escaping from you both, for at this moment it runs off through the
grass, reaches a clump of bushes, crosses it, and, taking to wing
from a place toward which neither you nor your dog have been looking,
you become flustered, take a bad aim, and lose your shot.
Thousands of persons besides you and myself are fond of Woodcock
shooting. It is a healthful but at times laborious sport. You well know
the places where the birds are to be found under any circumstances;
you are aware that, if the weather has been for some time dry, you
must resort to the damp meadows that border the Schuylkil, or some
similar places; that should it be sultry, the covered swamps are the
spots which you ought to visit; but if it be still lowering after
continued rain, the southern sides of gentle hills will be found
preferable; that if the ground is covered with snow, the oozy places
visited by the Snipe are as much resorted to by the Woodcock; that
after long frost, the covered thickets along some meandering stream
are the places of their retreat; and you are aware that, at all times,
it is better for you to have a dog of any kind than to go without a
dog at all. Well, you have started a bird, which with easy flaps flies
before you in such a way that if you miss it, your companion certainly
will not. Should he, however, prove as unsuccessful as yourself, you
may put up the bird once, twice, or thrice in succession, for it will
either alight in some clump of low trees close by, or plunge into a
boggy part of the marsh. As you advance towards him, you may chance
to put up half a score more, and _stupid_ though you should be, you
must be a bad shot indeed if you do not bring some one of them to
the ground. Aye, you have done it, and are improving at the sport,
and you may be assured that the killing of Woodcocks requires more
practice than almost any other kind of shooting. The young sportsman
shoots too quick, or does not shoot at all, in both which cases the
game is much better pleased than you are yourself. But when once you
have acquired the necessary coolness and dexterity, you may fire,
charge and fire again from morning till night, and go on thus during
the whole of the Woodcock season.
Now and then, the American Woodcock, after being pursued for a
considerable time, throws itself into the centre of large miry places,
where it is very difficult for either man or dog to approach it; and
indeed if you succeed, it will not rise unless you almost tread upon
it. In such cases I have seen dogs point at them, when they were only
a few inches distant, and after several minutes seize upon them. When
in clear woods, such as pine barrens, the Woodcock on being put up
flies at times to a considerable distance, and then performs a circuit
and alights not far from you. It is extremely attached to particular
spots, to which it returns after being disturbed.
Its flight is performed by constant rather rapid beats of the wings,
and while migrating it passes along with great speed. I am inclined
to think its flight is greatly protracted, on account of the early
periods at which it reaches Maine and New Brunswick:—I may be wrong,
but I am of opinion that at such times it flies faster than our little
Partridge. In proceeding, it inclines irregularly to the right and
left at the end of every few yards; but when it has been put up after
having settled for a while, it rises as if not caring about you, and
at a slow pace goes a few yards and alights again, runs a few steps
and squats to await your departure. It is less addicted to wading
through the water than the Snipe, and never searches for food in salt
marshes or brackish places. Rivulets that run through thickets, and
of which the margins are muddy or composed of oozy ground, are mostly
preferred by it; but, as I have already said, its place of abode
depends upon the state of the weather and the degree of temperature.
The food of the Woodcock consists principally of large earth-worms,
of which it swallows as many in the course of a night as would equal
its own weight; but its power of digestion is as great as that of the
Herons, and it is not very often that on opening one you find entire
worms in its stomach. It obtains its food by perforating the damp
earth or mire, and also by turning the dead leaves in the woods, and
picking up the worms that lie beneath them. In captivity, Woodcocks
very soon accustom themselves to feed on moistened corn meal, bits
of cheese, and vermicelli soaked in water. I have seen some that
became so gentle as to allow their owner to caress them with the
hand. On watching several individuals probing mud in which a number
of earthworms had been introduced, in a tub placed in a room partially
darkened, I observed the birds plunge their bills up to the nostrils,
but never deeper; and from the motion of the parts at the base of
the mandibles, I concluded that the bird has the power of working
their extremities so as to produce a kind of vacuum, which enables
it to seize the worm at one end, and suck it into its throat before
it withdraws its bill, as do Curlews and Godwits. The quickness of
their sight on such occasions was put to the test by uncovering a cat
placed in the corner of the room, at the same height above the floor
as the surface of the mud which filled the tub, when instantly the
Woodcock would draw out its bill, jerk up its tail, spread it out,
leap upon the floor, and run off to the opposite corner. At other
times, when the cat was placed beneath the level of the bird, by the
whole height of the tub, which was rather more than a foot, the same
result took place; and I concluded that the elevated position of this
bird’s eye was probably intended to enable it to see its enemies at
a considerable distance, and watch their approach, while it is in
the act of probing, and not to protect that organ from the mire, as
the Woodcock is always extremely clean, and never shews any earth
adhering to the feathers about its mouth.
How comfortable it is when fatigued and covered with mud, your clothes
drenched with wet, and your stomach aching for food, you arrive at
home with a bag of Woodcocks, and meet the kind smiles of those you
love best, and which are a thousand times more delightful to your
eye, than the savoury flesh of the most delicate of birds can be to
your palate. When you have shifted your clothes, and know that on the
little round table already spread, you will ere long see a dish of
game, which will both remove your hunger and augment the pleasure of
your family; when you are seated in the midst of the little group,
and now see some one neatly arrayed introduce the mess, so white, so
tender, and so beautifully surrounded by savoury juice; when a jug of
sparkling Newark cider stands nigh; and you, without knife or fork,
quarter a Woodcock, ah Reader!—But alas! I am not in the Jerseys just
now, in the company of my generous friend EDWARD HARRIS; nor am I
under the hospitable roof of my equally esteemed friend JOHN BACHMAN.
No, Reader, I am in Edinburgh, wielding my iron pen, without any
expectation of Woodcocks for my dinner, either to-day or to-morrow,
or indeed for some months to come.
SCOLOPAX MINOR, _Gmel._ Syst. Nat. vol. i. p. 661.—_Lath._
Ind. Ornith. vol. ii. p. 714.—_Ch. Bonaparte_, Synopsis of
Birds of the United States, p. 331.
WOODCOCK, SCOLOPAX MINOR, _Wils._ Amer. Ornith. vol. vi.
p. 40. pl. 48. fig. 2.
LESSER WOODCOCK, _Nuttall_, Manual, vol. ii. p. 194.
Adult Male. Plate CCLXVIII. Fig. 1.
Bill double the length of the head, straight, slender, tapering,
subtrigonal and deeper than broad at the base, slightly depressed
towards the end. Upper mandible with the dorsal line straight, the
ridge narrow, towards the end flattened, the sides nearly erect,
sloping outward towards the soft obtuse edges, the tip blunt,
knob-like, and longer than that of the lower mandible. Nostrils
basal, lateral, linear, very small. Lower mandible broader than the
upper, the angle very long and narrow, the dorsal line straight, the
back broadly rounded, the sides marked with a broad groove, sloping
inwards at the base, outwards towards the end, the edges soft and
obtuse, the tip rounded.
Head rather large, oblong, narrowed anteriorly; eyes large, and
placed high. Neck short and thick. Body rather full. Feet rather
short; tibia feathered to the joint; tarsus rather short, compressed,
anteriorly covered with numerous scutella, laterally and behind with
subhexagonal scales, and having a row of small scutelliform scales
along the outer side behind. Toes free, slender, the first very small,
the second slightly shorter than the fourth, the third much longer
and exceeding the tarsus in length; all scutellate above, marginate,
flattish beneath. Claws very small, arched, acute, that of hind toe
extremely small, of middle toe with a thin inner edge.
Plumage very soft, elastic, blended; of the fore part of the head
very short, of the neck full. Wings short, rounded; the fourth and
fifth quills about equal and longest, the first three extraordinarily
attenuated, being in fact sublinear, narrower beyond the middle, the
inner web slightly enlarged towards the end, the first as long as the
seventh; secondaries broad, the outer a little incurved and rounded,
the inner tapering and elongated. Tail very short, wedge-shaped, of
twelve narrow feathers, which taper towards the rounded point.
Bill light yellowish-brown, dusky towards the end. Iris brown. Feet
flesh coloured; claws brownish-black. The forehead is yellowish-grey,
with a few dark mottlings in the centre; on the upper part of the head
are two broad blackish brown transverse bands, and on the occiput
two narrower, separated by bands of light red; a brownish-black
loral band, and a narrow irregular line of the same across the cheek
and continued to the occiput. The upper parts are variegated with
brownish-black, light yellowish-red, and ash-grey; there are three
broad longitudinal bands of the first colour, barred with the second,
down the back, separated by two of the last. The inner wing-coverts
and secondary quills are similarly barred; the outer pale greyish-red,
faintly barred with dusky. The quills are greyish-brown, tipped with
dull grey, the secondaries spotted on the outer web with dull red.
Upper tail-coverts barred; tail-feathers brownish-black, their tips
grey, their outer edges mottled with reddish. The sides of the neck
are grey tinged with red; the lower parts in general light red, tinged
with grey on the breast, on the sides and lower wing-coverts deeper;
the lower tail-coverts with a central dusky line, and the tip white.
Length to end of tail 11 inches, to end of wings 9-1/2; wing from
flexure 5-1/4; tail 2-4/12; bill along the ridge 2-8/12, along the edge
of lower mandible 2-(5-1/2)/12; tarsus 1-2/12; middle toe 1-5/12, its
claw 1/4. Weight 6-1/4 oz.
Adult Female. Plate CCLXVIII. Fig. 2.
The Female, which is considerably larger, has the same colours as
the male.
Length to end of tail 11-7/12, to end of wings 10-5/12, to end of claws
13-4/12; wing from flexure 5-4/12; tail 2-4/12; bill along the ridge
2-10/12; along the edge of lower mandible 2-(6-/1/2)/12; tarsus 1-2/12;
middle toe 2-5/12, its claw 1/4. Weight 8-1/2 oz.
Young fledged. Plate CCLXVIII. Fig. 3.
The Young when fully fledged is similar to the old female.
THE GREENSHANK.
_TOTANUS GLOTTIS_, BECHST.
PLATE CCLXIX. MALE.
While on Sand Key, which is about six miles distant from Cape Sable
of the Floridas, in lat. 24° 57´ north, and 81° 45´ long, west of
Greenwich, I shot three birds of this species on the 28th of May 1832.
I had at first supposed them to be Tell-tale Godwits, as they walked
on the bars and into the shallows much in the same manner, and, on
obtaining them, imagined they were new; but on shewing them to my
assistant Mr WARD, who was acquainted with the Greenshank of Europe,
he pronounced them to be of that species, and I have since ascertained
the fact by a comparison of specimens. They were all male birds, and
I observed no material difference in their plumage. We did not find
any afterwards; but it is probable that we had seen some previously,
although we did not endeavour to procure them, having supposed them
to be Tell-tales. Almost all the birds seen in the Floridas at this
date had young or eggs; and this circumstance increased my surprise
at finding all the three individuals to be males. They had been shot
merely because they offered a tempting opportunity, being all close
together, and it is not often that one can kill three Tell-tales at
once. As I am not acquainted with the habits of this species, I have
applied to my friend Mr MACGILLIVRAY, who has kindly furnished me
with the following notice of them as observed in the Hebrides.
“The Greenshank is seen in the Outer Hebrides early in spring, and
generally departs in October, although I have observed individuals
there in November. Previous to the commencement of the breeding-season,
and after the young are fledged, it resorts to the shores of the sea,
frequenting pools of brackish-water at the head of the sand-fords,
and the shallow margins of bays and creeks. Its habits are very
similar to those of the Redshank, with which it associates in autumn.
It is extremely shy and vigilant, insomuch that one can very seldom
shoot it, unless after it has deposited its eggs. Many individuals
remain during the summer, when they are to be found by the lakes
in the interior, of which the number in Uist, Harris, and Lewis is
astonishing. At that season it is very easily discovered, for when you
are perhaps more than a quarter of a mile distant, it rises into the
air with clamorous cries, alarming all the birds in its neighbourhood,
flies round the place of its nest, now wheeling off to a distance,
again advancing towards you, and at intervals alighting by the edge
of the lake, when it continues its cries, vibrating its body all the
while. I once found a nest of this bird in the island of Harris.
It was at a considerable distance from the water, and consisted
of a few fragments of heath and some blades of grass, placed in a
shallow cavity scraped in the turf, in an exposed place. The nest,
in fact, resembled that of the Golden Plover, the Curlew, or the
Lapwing. The eggs, placed with their narrow ends together, were four
in number, pyriform, larger than those of the Lapwing, and smaller
than those of the Golden Plover, equally pointed with the latter,
but proportionally broader and more rounded at the larger end than
either. The dimensions of one of them, still remaining with me, are
two inches exactly, by one inch and three-eighths; the ground colour
is a very pale yellowish-green, sprinkled all over with irregular
spots of dark brown, intermixed with blotches of light purplish-grey,
the spots, and especially the blotches, more numerous on the larger
end. Although in summer these birds may be seen in many parts of the
islands, they are yet very rare, a pair being to be met with only
at an interval of several miles. In other parts of Scotland they are
seen chiefly in autumn, but are of rare occurrence.”
It is curious how nearly by this account the habits of the Greenshank
correspond with those of the Tell-tale Godwit, _Totanus melanoleucos_.
SCOLOPAX GLOTTIS, _Linn._ Syst. Nat. vol. i. p. 245.—_Lath._
Ind. Ornith. vol. ii. p. 270.
TOTANUS GLOTTIS, _Temm._ Man. d’Ornith. part ii. p.
659.—_Selby_, Illust. vol.ii. p. 86.
GREENSHANK, _Nuttall_, Manual, vol. ii. p. 618.
Male in Summer. Plate CCLXIX.
Bill long, slender, compressed, tapering, slightly recurved. Upper
mandible with the dorsal line very slightly curved upwards, the ridge
convex, the sides grooved nearly to the middle, afterwards convex,
the edges inflected and directly meeting those of the lower mandible,
the tip narrowed and slightly deflected. Nostrils basal, linear,
pervious, nearer the edge than the dorsal line. Lower mandible with
the angle very narrow and medial, beyond it the outline straight
and ascending, the sides grooved as far as the angle and convex, the
edges sharp and inflected, the point very narrow.
Head small, oblong, narrowed before. Neck rather long, slender.
Body slender. Feet long and slender; tibia bare for half its length,
scutellate before and behind; tarsus long, slender, covered before
and behind with numerous scutella, the narrow lateral spaces with
extremely small oblong scales. Toes small, very slender, scutellate
above, flat beneath, marginate, the middle toe connected with the
outer by a basal membrane, with the inner by an extremely small one;
first toe extremely small, second slightly shorter than fourth, third
considerably longer. Claws small, compressed, arched, rather obtuse,
that of third toe with a dilated inner edge.
Plumage soft and blended, on the fore part of the head very short,
on the neck short and almost downy. Wings rather long, very acute,
narrow; primaries tapering and rounded, the first longest, the second
little shorter, the rest rapidly graduated; secondaries obliquely
rounded, the inner elongated and tapering. Tail short, of twelve
narrow, rounded feathers, the two middle ones considerably longer
than the rest.
Bill dusky-green, black at the end. Iris brown. Feet dull
greenish-grey. A broad band from the bill to the eye, all the lower
parts, as well as the back, excepting a small portion anteriorly, pure
white; that colour, however, does not appear on the back, when the
wings are closed, it being covered over by the scapulars. Loral space
white, marked with small oblong spots of greyish brown; sides of the
lower part of fore neck and a portion of the breast faintly barred
with grey. The upper part of the head, and the hind part and sides of
the neck are greyish-white, with longitudinal central greyish-brown
markings. The scapulars and inner secondaries are greyish-brown,
the feathers edged with greyish-white, and lined or mottled with
dark brown towards the margins; the smaller wing-coverts plain, the
larger darker near the edge and margined with whitish, as are the
outer secondaries; the primary quills and their coverts dark brown,
the shaft of the outer white. The tail is greyish-white, undulated
with light brown, the four outer feathers on each side with only a
series of spots on the outer edge, which on the outermost feathers
is almost obliterated.
Length to end of tail 11 inches, to end of wings 12; wing from flexure
7; tail 3; bill along the back 2-2/12, along the edge of lower mandible
2-2/12; bare part of tibia 1-5/12; tarsus 2-5/12; middle toe 1-2/12, its
claw 5/12.
WILSON’S PETREL.
_THALASSIDROMA WILSONII._
PLATE CCLXX. MALE AND FEMALE.
A long voyage would always be to me a continued source of suffering,
were I restrained from gazing on the vast expanse of the waters, and
on the ever-pleasing inhabitants of the air that now and then appear
in the ship’s wake. The slightest motion of the vessel effectually
prevents me from enjoying the mirth of my fellow passengers, or
sympathizing with them in their sickness. When the first glimpse
of day appears, I make my way on deck, where I stand not unlike a
newly hatched bird, tottering on feeble legs. Let the wind blow high
or not, I care little which, provided it waft me toward the shores
of America. If the sky be clear, the first sight of the sun excites
emotions of gratitude towards the Being by whose power it was formed,
and sent forth to shed its benign influence on surrounding worlds.
Silent adoration occupies my soul, and I conclude with ardent wishes
for the happiness of friends left far behind, and those toward whom
I am proceeding. But now, ever flapping its winglets, I have marked
the little bird, dusky all over save a single spot, the whiteness of
which contrasts with the dark hue of the waters and the deep tone of
the clear sky. Full of life and joy it moves to and fro, advances
toward the ship, then shoots far away, gambols over the swelling
waves, dives into their hollows, and twitters with delight as it
perceives an object that will alleviate its hunger. Never fatigued,
the tiny Petrels seldom alight, although at times their frail legs
and feet seem to touch the crest of the foaming wave. I love to give
every creature all the pleasure I can confer upon it, and towards
the little things I cast over the stern such objects as I know they
will most prize. Social creatures! would that all were as innocent
as you! There are no bickerings, no jealousies among you; the first
that comes is first served; it is all the result of chance; and thus
you pass your lives. But the clouds gather, the gale approaches, and
our gallant bark is trimmed. Darkness spreads over the heavens, and
the deep waters send back a blacker gloom, broken at intervals by
the glimmer of the spray. You meet the blast, and your little wings
bear you up against it for a while; but you cannot encounter the full
force of the tempest; and now you have all come close beneath me,
where you glide over the curling eddies caused by the motion of the
rudder. You shall have all possible attention paid you, and I will
crawl to the camboose, in search of food to support your tiny frames
in this hour of need. But at length, night closes around, and I bid
you farewell.
The gale is over; the clear blue of the sky looks clearer than ever,
the sun’s rays are brighter, on the quiet waters the ship seems to
settle in repose, and her wings, though widely spread, no longer
swell with the breeze. At a distance around us the dusky wanderers
are enjoying the bright morning; the rudder-fish, yesterday so lively,
has ended its career, so violently was it beaten by the waves against
the vessel; and now the Petrels gather around it, as it floats on the
surface. Various other matters they find; here a small crab, there
the fragments of a sea-plant. Low over the deep they range, and now
with little steps run on the waters. Few are their notes, but great
their pleasure, at this moment. It is needless for me to feed them
now, and therefore I will return to my task.
It would be extremely difficult for any individual to determine the
extent of the movements of the three species of Petrel seen on the
waters of the Atlantic. My opinion is that until their breeding places
are repeatedly visited by naturalists, little can be known respecting
the range of their flight. I have crossed the ocean many times, and
have always paid more or less attention to these birds; yet I am as
ignorant of their migrations as my predecessors. I have rarely seen
Wilson’s Petrel farther to the eastward than the Azores, and beyond
these islands it generally abandoned the vessel. Along the American
coast, I have not met with it to the northward beyond the 51st degree
of latitude; while to the southward I have rarely observed many on
the Gulf of Mexico; nor do I believe that any breed on the shores of
the Floridas, or on the Bahama Islands, as alleged by WILSON, who,
it would appear, stated so from report. Petrels are rarely destroyed
by men, quadrupeds, or rapacious birds, when breeding; to the former
they are of no value as an article of food, and by the latter they
are seldom sought after; consequently they are more likely to return
to their breeding places than most other birds, many of which are
frequently induced to abandon them on account of the persecutions
to which they are subjected. I have found the Forked-tailed Petrel
breeding on our coast, in the fissures of rocks above the reach of
the spray, and WILSON’s digging for itself burrows in the sand or
loose earth, on low islands. The _Thalassidroma pelagica_ I have
never found breeding on any part of our coast; but it is well known
that it resorts to holes on certain of the Shetland Islands, among
the blocks and stones of which the beaches are formed; though it
appears that in some spots, where the fisherman are in the habit of
destroying them, many resort to the elevated fissures of the rocks,
where also a few of the Forked-tailed species occasionally breed.
The latter then, though more abundant in America, belongs to Europe
also. WILSON was not aware that the species now named after him was
any thing else than “the Stormy Petrel, _Procellaria pelagica_ of
LINNÆUS;” and he remarks that it “is found over the whole Atlantic
ocean, from Europe to North America, at all distances from land, and
in all weathers.”
To my learned friend the PRINCE OF MUSIGNANO, the scientific world is
indebted for a Memoir on Petrels, in which he has clearly shewn the
specific differences of the three species mentioned above, of which
he has also given figures, as well as those of the bills and feet
nearly of the natural size. But the artist who drew these birds for
him, or the engraver, committed an error in representing the present
bird as the largest of the three.
Wilson’s Petrel breeds on some small islands situated off the southern
extremity of Nova Scotia, and called “Mud Islands,” but which are
formed of sand and light earth, scantily covered with grass. Thither
the birds resort in great numbers, about the beginning of June, and
form burrows of the depth of two or two and a half feet, in the bottom
of which is laid a single white egg, a few bits of dry grass, scarcely
deserving the name of a nest, having been placed for its reception.
The egg measures an inch and a half in length, by seven-eighths of an
inch in breadth, is almost equally rounded at both ends, and has a pure
white colour. These Petrels copulate on the water, in the same manner
as the Hyperborean Phalarope. By the beginning of August the young
follow their parents to sea, and are then scarcely distinguishable
from them. During incubation, they remain in the burrows, or at their
entrance, rarely going to seek for food before the dusk.
On wing this species is more lively than the Forked-tailed, but
less so than the Common Stormy Petrel. It keeps its wings nearly at
right angles with its body, and makes considerable use of its feet,
particularly during calm weather, when it at times hops or leaps
for several feet, or pats the water, whilst its wings are extended
upwards with a fluttering motion, and it inclines its head downwards
to pick up its food from the water, and I have observed it immerse
the whole head beneath the surface, to seize on small fishes, in
which it generally succeeded. It can walk pretty well on the deck of
a vessel, or any other flat surface, and rise from it without much
difficulty. Its notes are different from that of the Forked-tailed
Petrel, and resembles the syllables _kee-re-kee kee_. They are more
frequently emitted at night than by day. I never could ascertain
whether or not these birds alight on the rigging at night, but my
opinion is that they do not, for the sailors, to whom I had offered
premiums for catching some of them, told me that although they flew
about them while aloft, they could not see one standing anywhere.
In my journal written on board the packet ship Columbia, commanded by
my worthy friend JOSEPH DELANO, Esq., I find the following memorandums:
“Wilson’s Petrel was first seen, this voyage, about two hundred miles
from England, and _alone_ until we reached the middle of the Atlantic,
when the Forked-tailed came in sight, after which the latter was most
plentiful, and the pelagica by far the least numerous.” During my
several visits to the coasts of the Floridas, I saw scarcely any of
these birds in the course of several months spent there, but I found
them pretty abundant on returning towards Charleston. This species,
like the others, feeds on mollusca, small fishes, crustacea, marine
plants, excrements of cetaceous animals; and the greasy substances
thrown from vessels. When caught, they squirt an oily substance through
the nostrils, and often disgorge the same. The sexes are similar in
their external appearance.
THALASSIDROMA WILSONII, _Ch. Bonaparte_, Synops. of Birds
of the United States, p. 367.
STORMY PETREL, PROCELLARIA PELAGICA, _Wils._ Amer. Ornith.
vol. vii. p. 90. pl. 60.
PROCELLARIA WILSONII, _Ch. Bonaparte_, Journ. Acad. Phil.
vol. vi. p. 231. pl. 9.
WILSON’S STORMY PETREL, _Nuttall_, Manual, vol. ii. p. 322.
Adult Male. Plate CCLXX. Fig. 1.
Bill shorter than the head, slender, straight, with the tips curved,
as broad as high at the base, compressed towards the end. Upper
mandible with the nostrils forming a tube at the base, beyond which,
for a short space, the dorsal line is straight, then decurved, the
ridge narrow and separated from the sides by a narrow groove, the
edges sharp, inflected, the tip compressed obliquely deflected. Lower
mandible with the angle rather long, narrow and pointed, the dorsal
line beyond it very slightly concave and decurved, the sides erect,
the edges sharp, the dip slightly decurved.
Head of moderate size, roundish, anteriorly narrowed. Neck short.
Body rather slender. Feet long, very slender; tibia bare at its lower
part; tarsus very slender, reticulate, anteriorly with a long plate
which is very slightly marked. Hind toe conical, so minute as scarcely
to be perceptible; anterior toes rather long and extremely slender,
obscurely scutellate above, connected by striated webs with concave
margins; the third and fourth toes longest, and about equal. Claws
slender, arched, depressed, acute.
Plumage very soft, blended, the feathers distinct only on the wings,
which are very long; primary quills tapering, but rounded, the third
longest, the second slightly longer than the fourth, the first much
shorter and a little longer than the sixth; secondaries short, the
outer incurved, obliquely rounded. Tail rather long, even, of twelve
broad rounded feathers.
Bill and feet black, but the webs yellow excepting at the margin. Iris
dark brown. The general colour of the plumage is dark greyish-brown,
the quills and tail brownish-black, the outer secondary wing-coverts
and some of the secondary quills light greyish-brown, and tipped
with whitish. The rump, sides of the abdomen, and exterior lower
tail-coverts, white.
Length to end of tail 7-1/4 inches, to end of wings 8, to end of claws
8; extent of wings 15-3/4; wing from flexure 6; tail 3-3/4; bill along
the back 7/12, along the edge of lower mandible 8/12; tarsus 1-5/8,
middle toe 1, its claw 5/12. Weight 1-1/8 oz.
Adult Female. Plate CCLXX. Fig. 2.
The Female resembles the male.
A LONG CALM AT SEA.
On the 17th of May 1826, I left New Orleans on board the ship Delos,
commanded by JOSEPH HATCH, Esq. of Kennebunk, bound for Liverpool.
The steamer Hercules, which towed the ship, left us several miles
outside the Balize, about ten hours after our departure; but there
was not a breath of wind, the waters were smoother than the prairies
of the Oppelousas, and notwithstanding our great display of canvass,
we lay, like a dead whale, floating at the mercy of the currents.
The weather was uncommonly fair, and the heat excessive; and in
this helpless state we continued for many days. About the end of
a week we had lost sight of the Balize, although I was assured by
the commander, that all this while the ship had rarely answered the
helm. The sailors whistled for wind, and raised their hands in all
directions, anxious as they were to feel some motion in the air; but
all to no purpose; it was a dead calm, and we concluded that Æolus
had agreed with Neptune to detain us, until our patience should be
fairly tried, or our sport exhausted; for sport we certainly had,
both on board and around the ship. I doubt if I can better contribute
to your amusement at present, than by giving you a short account of
the occurrences that took place, during this sleepy fit of the being
on whom we depended for our progress toward merry England.
Vast numbers of beautiful dolphins glided by the side of the vessel,
glancing like burnished gold through the day, and gleaming like meteors
by night. The captain and his mates were expert at alluring them with
baited hooks, and not less so at piercing them with a five-pronged
instrument, which they called grains; and I was delighted with the
sport, because it afforded me an opportunity of observing and noting
some of the habits of this beautiful fish, as well as several other
kinds.
On being hooked, the Dolphin flounces vigorously, shoots off with great
impetuosity to the very end of the line, when, being suddenly checked,
it often rises perpendicularly several feet out of the water, shakes
itself violently in the air, gets disentangled, and thus escapes. But
when well secured, it is held in play for a while by the experienced
fisher, soon becomes exhausted, and is hauled on board. Some persons
prefer pulling them in at once, but they seldom succeed, as the force
with which the fish shakes itself on being raised out of the water,
is generally sufficient to enable it to extricate itself. Dolphins
move in shoals, varying from four or five to twenty or more, hunting
in packs in the waters, as wolves pursue their prey on land. The
object of their pursuit is generally the Flying-fish, now and then
the Bonita; and when nothing better can be had, they will follow the
little Rudder-fish, and seize it immediately under the stern of the
ship. The Flying-fishes, after having escaped for a while by dint of
their great velocity, but on being again approached by the Dolphin,
emerge from the waters, and spreading their broad wing-like fins, sail
through the air and disperse in all directions, like a covey of timid
partridges before the rapacious falcon. Some pursue a direct course,
others diverge on either side; but in a short time they all drop into
their natural element. While they are travelling in the air, their
keen and hungry pursuer, like a greyhound, follows in their wake, and
performing a succession of leaps, many feet in extent, rapidly gains
upon the quarry, which is often seized just as it falls into the sea.
Dolphins manifest a very remarkable sympathy with each other. The
moment one of them is hooked or grained, those in company make up to
it, and remain around until the unfortunate fish is pulled on board,
when they generally move off together, seldom biting at any thing
thrown out to them. This, however, is the case only with the larger
individuals, which keep apart from the young, in the same manner as is
observed in several species of birds; for when the smaller Dolphins
are in large shoals, they all remain under the bows of a ship, and
bite in succession at any sort of line, as if determined to see what
has become of their lost companions, in consequence of which they
are often all caught.
You must not suppose that the Dolphin is without its enemies. Who, in
this world, man or fish, has not enough of them? Often it conceives
itself on the very eve of swallowing a fish, which, after all, is
nothing but a piece of lead, with a few feathers fastened to it, to
make it look like a flying-fish, when it is seized and severed in
two by the insidious Balacouda, which I have once seen to carry off
by means of its sharp teeth, the better part of a Dolphin that was
hooked, and already hoisted to the surface of the water.
The Dolphins caught in the Gulf of Mexico during this calm were
suspected to be poisonous; and to ascertain whether this was really
the case, our cook, who was an African Negro, never boiled or fried one
without placing beside it a dollar. If the silver was not tarnished by
the time the Dolphin was ready for the table, the fish was presented
to the passengers, with an assurance that it was perfectly good.
But as not a single individual of the hundred that we caught had the
property of converting silver into copper, I suspect that our African
sage was no magician.
One morning, that of the 22d of June, the weather sultry, I was
surprised, on getting out of my hammock, which was slung on deck, to
find the water all around swarming with Dolphins, which were sporting
in great glee. The sailors assured me that this was a certain “token
of wind,” and, as they watched the movement of the fishes, added,
“aye, and of a fair breeze too.” I caught several Dolphins in the
course of an hour, after which scarcely any remained about the ship.
Not a breath of air came to our relief all that day, no, nor even the
next. The sailors were in despair, and I would probably have become
despondent also, had not my spirits been excited by finding a very
large Dolphin on my hook. When I had hauled it on board, I found it to
be the largest I had ever caught. It was a magnificent creature. See
how it quivers in the agonies of death! its tail flaps the hard deck,
producing a sound like the rapid roll of a drum. How beautiful the
changes of its colours! Now it is blue, now green, silvery, golden,
and burnished copper; now it presents a blaze of all the hues of the
rainbow intermingled; but, alack! it is dead, and the play of its
colours is no longer seen. It has settled into the deep calm that
has paralyzed the energies of the blustering winds, and smoothed down
the proud waves of the ocean.
The best bait for the Dolphin is a long stripe of shark’s flesh. I
think it generally prefers this to the semblance of a flying-fish,
which indeed it does not often seize unless when the ship is under
weigh, and it is made to rise to the surface. There are times, however,
when hunger and the absence of their usual food, will induce the
Dolphins to dash at any sort of bait; and I have seen some caught by
means of a piece of white linen fastened to a hook. Their appetite is
as keen as that of the Vulture, and whenever a good opportunity occurs,
they gorge themselves to such a degree that they become an easy prey
to their enemies the Balacouda and the Bottle-nosed Porpoise. One that
had been grained while lazily swimming immediately under the stern
of our ship, was found to have its stomach completely crammed with
flying-fish, all regularly disposed side by side, with their tails
downwards,—by which I mean to say that the Dolphin always _swallows
its prey tail foremost_. They looked in fact like so many salted
herrings packed in a box, and were to the number of twenty-two, each
six or seven inches in length.
The usual length of the Dolphins caught in the Gulf of Mexico is about
three feet, and I saw none that exceeded four feet two inches. The
weight of one of the latter size was only eighteen pounds; for this
fish is extremely narrow in proportion to its length, although rather
deep in its form. When just caught, the upper fin, which reaches from
the forehead to within a short distance of the tail, is of a fine dark
blue. The upper part of the body in its whole length is azure, and
the lower parts are of a golden hue, mottled irregularly with deep
blue spots. It seems that they at times enter very shallow water, as
in the course of my last voyage along the Florida coast, some were
caught in a seine, along with their kinsman the “Cavalier,” of which
I shall speak elsewhere.
The flesh of the Dolphin is rather firm, very white, and lies in flakes
when cooked. The first caught are generally eaten with great pleasure,
but when served many days in succession, they become insipid. It is
not, as an article of food, equal to the Balacouda, which is perhaps
as good as any fish caught in the waters of the Gulf of Mexico.
THE FRIGATE PELICAN.
_TACHYPETES AQUILUS_, VIEILL.
PLATE CCLXXI. ADULT.
Previous to my visit to the Florida Keys, I had seen but few Frigate
Birds, and those only at some distance, while I was on the Gulf of
Mexico, so that I could merely recognise them by their mode of flight.
On approaching Indian Key, however, I observed several of them, and
as I proceeded farther south, their numbers rapidly increased; but on
the Tortugas very few were observed. This bird rarely travels farther
eastward than the Bay of Charleston in South Carolina, although it
is abundant at all seasons from Cape Florida to Cape Sable, the two
extreme points of the peninsula. How far south it may be found I
cannot tell.
The Frigate Pelicans may be said to be as gregarious as our Vultures:
You see them in small or large flocks, according to circumstances.
Like our Vultures, they spend the greater part of the day on wing,
searching for food; and like them also, when gorged or roosting,
they collect in large flocks, either to fan themselves or to sleep
close together. They are equally lazy, tyrannical, and rapacious,
domineering over birds weaker than themselves, and devouring the young
of every species, whenever an opportunity offers, in the absence of
the parents; in a word, they are most truly Marine Vultures.
About the middle of May, a period which to me appeared very late for
birds found in so warm a climate as that of the Florida Keys, the
Frigate Pelicans assemble in flocks of from fifty to five hundred
pairs or more. They are seen flying at a great height over the islands
on which they have bred many previous seasons, courting for hours
together; after which they return towards the mangroves, alight on
them, and at once begin to repair the old nests or construct new
ones. They pillage each other’s nests of their materials, and make
excursions for more to the nearest keys. They break the dry twigs of
trees with ease, passing swiftly on wing, and snapping them off by a
single grasp of their powerful bill. It is indeed a beautiful sight to
see them when thus occupied, especially when several are so engaged,
passing and repassing with the swiftness of thought over the trees
whose tops are blasted; their purpose appears as if accomplished by
magic. I know only two other birds that perform the same action: one
of them is the Forked-tailed Hawk, the other our swift or Chimney
Swallow; but neither of them is so expert as the Frigate Pelican. It
sometimes happens that this bird accidentally drops a stick while
travelling towards its nest, when, if this should happen over the
water, it plunges after it and seizes it with its bill before it has
reached the waves.
The nests are usually placed on the south side of the keys, and on
such trees as hang over the water, some low, others high, several in a
single tree, or only one, according to the size of the mangrove, but
in some cases lining the whole side of the island. They are composed
of sticks crossing each other to the height of about two inches, and
are flattish but not very large. When the birds are incubating, their
long wings and tail are seen extending beyond the nest for more than
a foot. The eggs are two or three, more frequently the latter number,
measure two inches and seven-eighths in length, two in breadth, being
thus of a rather elongated form, and have a thick smooth shell, of a
greenish-white colour, frequently soiled by the filth of the nests.
The young are covered with yellowish-white down, and look at first as
if they had no feet. They are fed by regurgitation, but grow tardily,
and do not leave the nest until they are able to follow their parents
on wing.
At that period the plumage of the young females is marbled with grey
and brown, with the exception of the head and the lower parts, which
are white. The tail is about half the length it attains at the first
moult, and is brownish-black, as are the primaries. After the first
change of plumage, the wings become longer, and their flight is almost
as elegant and firm as that of older birds.
The second spring plumage of this sex is brownish-black on the upper
parts, that colour extending over the head and around the neck in
irregular patches of brown, continued in a sharp angle towards the
breast, but separated on its sides by the white that ascends on
either side of the neck towards the head. The lower tail-coverts are
brownish-black, as are the lower parts of the belly and flanks; the
shoulders alone remaining as at first. The tail and wings are perfect.
The third spring, the upper parts of the head and neck are of a purer
brownish-black, which extends down to the extremity of the angle, as
are the feathers of the belly and the lower tail-coverts, the dark
colour reaching now to within five inches of the angle on the breast.
The white of the intermediate space has become much purer; here and
there light tints of bronze appear; the feet, which at first were dull
yellow, have become of a rich reddish-orange, and the bill is pale
blue. The bird is now capable of breeding, although its full plumage
is not obtained until the next moult, when the colours become glossy
above, and the white of the breast pure.
The changes which the males undergo are less remarkable. They are
at first, when fully fledged, entirely of the colour seen on the
upper parts of the young females; and the tint is merely improved
afterwards, becoming of a deeper brownish-black, and acquiring purer
reflections of green, purple and bronze, which in certain lights are
seen on every part of the head, neck and body, and in very old males
on the wings and tail. They also commence breeding the third spring.
But I now return to the habits of this interesting bird.
The Frigate Pelican is possessed of a power of flight which I conceive
superior to that of perhaps any other bird. However swiftly the
Cayenne Tern, the smaller Gulls or the Jager move on wing, it seems a
matter of mere sport to it to overtake any of them. The Goshawk, the
Peregrine, and the Gyr Falcon, which I conceive to be the swiftest
of our hawks, are obliged to pursue their victim, should it be a
Green-winged Teal or Passenger Pigeon, at times for half a mile,
at the highest pitch of their speed, before they can secure them.
The bird of which I speak comes from on high with the velocity of a
meteor, and on nearing the object of its pursuit, which its keen eye
has spied while fishing at a distance, darts on either side to cut
off all retreat, and with open bill forces it to drop or disgorge the
fish which it has just caught. See him now! Yonder, over the waves
leaps the brilliant dolphin, as he pursues the flying-fishes, which
he expects to seize the moment they drop into the water. The Frigate
Bird, who has marked them, closes his wings, dives toward them, and
now ascending, holds one of the tiny things across his bill. Already
fifty yards above the sea, he spies a porpoise in full chase, launches
towards the spot, and in passing seizes the mullet that had escaped
from its dreaded foe; but now, having obtained a fish too large for
his gullet, he rises, munching it all the while, as if bound for the
skies. Three or four of his own tribe have watched him and observed
his success. They shoot towards him on broadly extended pinions, rise
in wide circles, smoothly, yet as swiftly as himself. They are now
all at the same height, and each as it overtakes him, lashes him with
its wings, and tugs at his prey. See! one has fairly robbed him, but
before he can secure the contested fish it drops. One of the other
birds has caught it, but he is pursued by all. From bill to bill, and
through the air, rapidly falls the fish, until it drops quite dead
on the waters, and sinks into the deep. Whatever disappointment the
hungry birds feel, they seem to deserve it all.
Sights like these you may every day see, if you take ship and sail
for the Florida Keys. I have more to tell you, however, and of things
that to me were equally pleasing. While standing in the cool veranda
of Major GLASSEL of the United States army, at Key West, I observed
a Frigate Pelican that had forced a Cayenne Tern, yet in sight, to
drop a fish, which the broad-winged warrior had seized as it fell.
This fish was rather large for the Tern, and might probably be about
eight inches in length. The Frigate Pelican mounted with it across
his bill about a hundred yards, and then tossing it up caught it as
it fell, but not in the proper manner. He therefore dropped it, but
before it had fallen many yards, caught it again. Still it was not in
a good position, the weight of the head, it seemed, having prevented
the bird from seizing it by that part. A second time the fish was
thrown upwards, and now at last was received in a convenient manner,
that is, with its head downwards, and immediately swallowed.
When the morning light gladdens the face of nature, and while the
warblers are yet waiting in silence the first rays of the sun, whose
appearance they will hail with songs of joy, the Frigate Bird, on
extended pinions, sails from his roosting place. Slowly and gently,
with retracted neck he glides, as if desirous of quietly trying
the renovated strength of his wings. Toward the vast deep he moves,
rising apace, and before any other bird views the bright orb emerging
from the waters. Pure is the azure of the heavens, and rich the deep
green of the smooth sea below; there is every prospect of the finest
weather; and now the glad bird shakes his pinions; and far up into
the air, far beyond the reach of man’s unaided eye, he soars in his
quiet but rapid flight. There he floats in the pure air, but thither
can fancy alone follow him. Would that I could accompany him! But now
I see him again, with half-closed wings, gently falling towards the
sea. He pauses a while, and again dives through the air. Thrice, four
times, has he gradually approached the surface of the ocean; now he
shakes his pinions as violently as the swordsman whirls his claymore;
all is right; and he sweeps away, shooting to this side and that, in
search of prey.
Mid-day has arrived, and threatening clouds obscure the horizon; the
breeze, ere felt, ruffles the waters around; a thick mist advances
over the deep; the sky darkens, and as the angry blasts curl the
waves, the thunder mutters afar; all nature is involved in gloom,
and all is in confusion, save only the Man-of-war Bird, who gallantly
meets the gale. If he cannot force his way against the storm, he keeps
his ground, balancing himself like a hawk watching his prey beneath;
but now the tempest rages, and rising obliquely, he shoots away, and
ere long surmounts the tumultuous clouds, entering a region calm and
serene, where he floats secure until the world below has resumed its
tranquillity.
I have frequently observed the Frigate Bird scratch its head with its
feet while on wing; and this happening one day, when the bird fell
through the air, as it is accustomed to do at such times, until it came
within shot, I killed it when almost over my head, and immediately
picked it up. I had been for years anxious to know what might be the
use of the pectinated claws of birds; and on examining both its feet
with a glass, I found the racks crammed with insects, such as occur
on the bird’s head, and especially around the ears. I also observed
that the pectinated claws of birds of this species were much longer,
flatter, and more comb-like than those of any other species with which
I am acquainted. I now therefore feel convinced, that, however useful
this instrument may be on other occasions, it is certainly employed
in cleansing parts of the skin of birds which cannot be reached by
the bill.
At times these birds may be seen chasing and jostling each other
as if engaged in a frolic, after which they bear away on extended
wings, and fly in a direct course until out of sight. But although
their flight is easy and powerful, in a degree not surpassed by any
other bird, they move with great difficulty on the ground. They can
rise, however, from a sand-bar, no matter how low and level it may
be. At such times, as well as when sitting on the water, which it
occasionally does, the bird raises its wings almost perpendicularly,
spreads its tail half erect, and at the first flap of the former,
and simultaneous stroke of the latter, on the ground or the water,
bounces away. Its feet, however, are of little service beyond what I
have mentioned, and the supporting of its body when it has alighted
on a branch, on which it rarely stands very erect, although it moves
sideways on it, as Parrots sometimes do. It never dives, its bill in
form resembling that of the Cormorants, which also never plunge from
on wing in pursuit of fish, and only dip into the water when dropping
from a perch or a rock to escape danger, as the Anhingas and some
other birds are also accustomed to do.
When the Frigate Pelican is in want of a dead fish, a crab, or any
floating garbage suited to its appetite, it approaches the water in
the manner of Gulls, holding its wings high, and beating them until
the bill has performed its duty, which being accomplished, the bird
immediately rises in the air and devours its prey.
These birds see well at night, although they never go to sea excepting
by day. At various times I have accidentally sailed by mangrove keys
on which hundreds were roosted, and apparently sound asleep, when, on
my firing a gun for the purpose of starting whatever birds might be
there, they would all take to wing and sail as beautifully as during
day, returning to the trees as the boats proceeded. They are by no
means shy; indeed they seem unaware of danger from a gun, and rarely
all go off when a party is shooting at them, until a considerable
number has been obtained. The only difficulty I experienced in
procuring them was on account of the height to which they so soon
rose on leaving the trees; but we had excellent guns, and our worthy
pilot’s “Long Tom” distinguished itself above the rest. At one place,
where we found many hundreds of them, they sailed for nearly half an
hour over our heads, and about thirty were shot, some of them at a
remarkable height, when we could hear the shot strike them, and when,
as they fell to the water, the sound of their great wings whirling
through the air resembled that produced by a sail flapping during a
calm. When shot at and touched ever so slightly, they disgorge their
food in the manner of Vultures, Gulls and some Terns; and if they
have fallen and are approached, they continue to vomit the contents
of their stomach, which at times are extremely putrid and nauseous.
When seized, they evince little disposition to defend themselves,
although ever so slightly wounded, but struggle and beat themselves
until killed. Should you, however, place your fingers within their
open bill, you might not withdraw them scatheless.
They are extremely silent, and the only note which I heard them utter
was a rough croaking one. They devour the young of the Brown Pelican
when quite small, as well as those of other birds whose nests are
flat and exposed during the absence of the parent birds; but their own
young suffer in the same manner from the still more voracious Turkey
Buzzard. The notion that the Frigate Bird forces the Pelicans and
Boobies to disgorge their prey is erroneous. The Pelican, if attacked
or pursued by this bird, could alight on the water or elsewhere,
and by one stroke of its sharp and powerful bill destroy the rash
aggressor. The Booby would in all probability thrust its strong and
pointed bill against the assailant with equal success. The Cayenne
Tern, and other species of that genus, as well as several small
Gulls, all abundant on the Florida coasts, are its purveyors, and
them it forces to disgorge or drop their prey. Those of the deep are
the dolphins, porpoises, and occasionally the sharks. Their sight is
wonderfully keen, and they now and then come down from a great height
to pick up a dead fish only a few inches long floating on the water.
Their flesh is tough, dark, and, as food, unfit for any other person
than one in a state of starvation.
I have given a figure of a very beautiful old male in spring plumage,
which was selected from a great number of all ages. I have also
represented the feet of an individual between two and three years
old, on account of the richness of their colour at that age, whereas
in the adult males they are quite black.
PELECANUS AQUILUS, _Linn._ Syst. Nat. vol. i. p. 216.
PELECANUS AQUILUS, LEUCOCEPHALUS, and PALMERSTONI, _Lath._
Ind. Ornith. vol. ii. pp. 885, 886.
TACHYPETES AQUILUS, _Ch. Bonaparte_, Synops. of Birds of
the United States, p. 406.
FRIGATE PELICAN, _Nuttall_, Manual, vol. ii. p. 491.
Adult Male. Plate CCLXXI.
Bill much longer than the head, strong, broader than deep, excepting
towards the curved extremity, the edges irregularly jagged. Upper
mandible with the dorsal line slightly concave, at the tip decurved,
its ridge broad and nearly flat at the base, narrowed and more convex
towards the end, the sides separated from the ridge by a narrow
groove, convex, the edges sharp and inflected, with a prominence
at the commencement of the curve of the elongated compressed hooked
point. Nostrils basal, linear, inconspicuous. Lower mandible with the
angle extremely long, narrow, the membrane bare and dilatable into
a small pouch, the very short dorsal line decurved, the sides erect
at the base, convex in the rest of their extent, the edges sharp and
much inflected, at the narrow tip decurved.
Head of moderate size, oblong. Neck of moderate length, stout. Body
rather slender. Feet very short, stout; tibia very short; tarsus
extremely short, feathered; toes all placed in the same plane, and
connected by short reticulated webs with concave margins, but running
narrow along the sides; they are scutellate above, broad and papillate
beneath; first toe small, second shorter than fourth, third much
longer than the latter. Claws strong, compressed, curved, acute, that
of middle toe long, obliquely flattened, and pectinate on the inner
edge.
Eyelids and gular sac, with the anterior part of the neck, bare.
Plumage compact, on the head, neck, breast, and back, shining. The
feathers of the head, neck, and back are lanceolate and acuminate;
of the breast and sides broader; of the wings small and rounded.
Wings extremely long, pointed, the first quill longest, the rest
rapidly diminishing; the secondaries very short, obliquely rounded
and acuminate, the inner long and tapering. Tail very long, deeply
forked, of twelve rounded feathers, the outer narrow and abruptly
rounded.
Bill light purplish-blue, white in the middle, the curved tips dusky.
Inside of mouth carmine; gular sac orange. Bare space about the eye
purplish-blue; iris deep brown. Feet light carmine above, orange
beneath. The general colour of the plumage is brownish-black, the
head, neck, back, breast, and sides, splendent with green and purple
reflections, the former predominating on the head, the latter on the
back. The wings are tinged with grey, the inner secondaries and tail
with brown; the shafts of the former black, of the latter brown.
I have observed in specimens which I considered to be very old, that
the gular sac was covered with pustules, similar to those found at
times around the base of the mandibles of the _Cathartes Aura_, and
which appear to be the effects of disease, occasioned by their coming
frequently in contact with putrid substances.
Length to end of tail 41 inches, to end of wings 37; to end of claws
24-3/4; wing from flexure 25, tail 18; extent of wings 86; bill along
the back 5-1/2, along the edge of lower mandible 5-7/12; tarsus 3/4;
middle toe 2-1/4, its claw 10/12. Weight 3 lb. 6 oz.
The Adult Female differs from the male in several respects. The former
has the whole plumage dark-coloured, whereas the latter has a broad
white space on the breast, that colour extending forwards along the
sides of the neck, and encircling it about the middle. The feathers
of the back are less elongated and pointed, and their lustre is much
inferior to that of the male. The dark parts also are more tinged
with brown, and most of the smaller wing-coverts are of the latter
colour.
RICHARDSON’S JAGER.
_LESTRIS RICHARDSONII_, SWAINS.
PLATE CCLXXII. MALE AND YOUNG.
This bird, though rare on the coast of the United States, visits
the shores of Massachusetts and Maine, where, during winter, it is
seen over the bays and inlets, to which various species of Gulls
also resort at the same season. It is more shy and difficult to be
approached than the Pomarine Jager. Its flight is rapid and greatly
protracted; and, like the other species of this genus, it harasses
the smaller Gulls and Terns, forcing them to disgorge their food. Dr
RICHARDSON informs us that it breeds in considerable numbers in the
barren grounds, at a distance from the coast, and that it feeds on
testaceous mollusca, which are plentiful in the small lakes of the
fur countries. I am unable to afford any information respecting its
habits; nor can I state decidedly the number of eggs which it lays,
although I have procured several of them. They measure two inches and
three-eighths in length, by one inch and five-eighths in breadth, are
of an oval rather pointed form, and have a dull greyish-yellow ground,
patched with umber and faint purple, the markings closer towards the
larger end. I am extremely doubtful as to the right which this bird
has to rank as a species distinct from _L. parasiticus_.
LESTRIS RICHARDSONII, RICHARDSON’S JAGER, _Swains. and
Richards._ Fauna Bor. Amer. part ii. p. 433.—_Nuttall_,
Manual, vol. ii. p. 319.
Adult Male in Spring. Plate CCLXXII. Fig. 1.
Bill about the length of the head, rather slender, straight, the tip
curved. Upper mandible with the dorsal line straight, toward the end
curved, the ridge broad and convex, the sides separated from the ridge
by a narrow groove, extremely narrow and convex, the edges sharp and
inflected, the tip compressed, rather obtuse. Nostrils in the fore
part of the nasal groove, nearer the tip than the base, submarginal,
pervious, linear-oblong, wider anteriorly. Lower mandible with the
angle long and narrow, a slight prominence at its extremity, beyond
which the dorsal line is straight and ascending, the sides sloping
outwards and convex, the edges sharp and inflected, the tip obliquely
truncate and rather obtuse.
Head rather small, oblong, much narrowed before. Neck of moderate
length. Body rather slender. Feet rather short, and of moderate
strength; tibia bare at its lower part; tarsus anteriorly covered
with broad decurved scutella, on the sides with oblong scales, behind
with smaller oblong prominent scales; hind toe extremely small and
elevated, the fore toes of moderate size, connected by reticulated
webs, which have their margins convex; the third toe longest, the
fourth a little shorter, the second considerably shorter; all covered
above with numerous scutella, the lateral ones margined externally
with small prominent scales directed forwards. Claws of moderate size,
curved, acute, compressed, that of third toe with a sharp inner edge.
The plumage in general is close, elastic, soft, and blended; the
feathers on the back and wings rather compact and distinct. Wings very
long, rather broad, pointed; primary quills tapering and rounded, the
first longest, the rest rapidly graduated; secondary rather short,
obliquely rounded. Tail feathers of moderate length, excepting the
two middle, which extend beyond the rest and taper to a point, the
other feathers broad and rounded, there being twelve in all.
Bill greyish-black, the upper part bluish. Iris brown. Legs and feet
black. The general colour of the plumage is of a sooty brown, the
upper part of the head, the primary quills, and the tail darker, the
breast and abdomen lighter; the shafts of the primary quills white,
of the tail feathers brownish.
Length to end of tail 18-1/2 inches, to end of wings 17; extent of
wings 40; wing from flexure 12-3/4; tail 8-1/2, the middle feathers
2-3/4 longer than the rest; bill along the back 1-4/12, along the edge
of lower mandible 1-3/4; tarsus 1-8/12; middle toe 1-5/12, its claw
4/12.
Young Bird in September. Plate CCLXXII. Fig. 2.
Bill light blue, dusky at the end. Iris brown. Tarsi and basal
portion of the toes and webs light blue, the rest black. The general
colour of the plumage is sooty brown, lighter on the neck and lower
parts; the feathers of the back are all tipped with whitish, and the
breast, sides, lower wing-coverts, abdomen, and lower tail-coverts,
are undulatingly barred with pale greyish-yellow.
Length to end of tail 15-1/2 inches, to end of wings 13-1/2, to end of
claws 13-1/4; wing from flexure 11-1/2; tail 6-1/4, the middle feathers
only 3/4 longer than the rest; bill along the back 1-1/4; tarsus 1-3/4;
middle toe and claw 1-1/2. Weight 7 oz.
THE CAYENNE TERN.
_STERNA CAYANA_, LATH.
PLATE CCLXXIII. MALE.
On reaching the entrance of the little port of St Augustine in East
Florida, I observed more Cayenne Terns together than I had ever before
seen. I had afterwards good opportunities of watching them both during
that season and the following, about the Keys. Their shyness surprised
me not a little, especially as they are very seldom molested, and it
was such that I could study their habits only with the aid of a good
glass. I found them at first in great flocks, composed of several
hundred individuals, along with Razor-billed Shearwaters, which also
congregated there in great numbers. During low water, both species
resorted to a large flat sand-bar in the middle of the channel, where
they reposed until the return of the tide, sitting close together,
in an easy posture, with their heads facing the breeze. They kept
separate, however, placing themselves in parallel lines twenty or
thirty paces asunder, and either lay flat on the sand, or stood
up and plumed themselves. My attempts to procure some of them were
always futile, for they flew off when I was yet several hundred yards
distant, and moved directly towards the sea. It was pleasing to see
the whole of these birds take to wing at the same moment, the jetty
hue of the Shearwaters contrasting with the pale blue of the Terns, and
the brilliantly-coloured bills of both species, their different modes
of flight, and their various evolutions presenting a most agreeable
sight. The Terns on these occasions constantly emitted their harsh
loud cries, while the Shearwaters moved in perfect silence. After
spending several days in unsuccessful endeavours to approach them, I
employed several boats, which advanced towards the sands at several
points, and we shot as many as we wished, for as the flocks passed
over any of the boats, several individuals were brought down at once,
on which the rest would assail the gunners, as if determined to rescue
their brethren, and thus afford subjects for them on which to exercise
their skill. We found it necessary to use large shot, the Cayenne Tern
being a strong and tough bird, the largest of the genus met with on
our Atlantic coasts. When wounded, however slightly, they disgorged
in the manner of Vultures; and when brought to the water disabled,
they at once endeavoured to make off from the shores, swimming with
buoyancy and grace, though without making much progress. When seized
they at once erected their beautiful crest, threw up the contents
of their stomach, uttered loud cries, and bit severely. One that
was merely touched in the wing, and brought ashore, through a high
surf, by my Newfoundland dog, stuck fast to his nose until forced
to relinquish its hold by having its throat squeezed, after which it
disgorged seven partially digested fishes.
Although the Cayenne Tern often searches for food over the sea, and at
times several miles from the shore, it gives a decided preference to
the large inlets running parallel to the coast of the Floridas, within
the high sandy embankments, as well as the rivers in the interior of
the peninsula. They alight on the banks of racoon oysters, so abundant
in the inlets, and are seen in company with the Semipalmated Snipe
and the American Oystercatcher, searching for food like these birds,
and devouring crabs and such fishes as are confined in small shallow
pools. These they catch with considerable agility, in a manner not
employed by any of our other Terns. While on the St John’s River,
I saw them alight on stakes, in the manner of the Marsh Tern and
the Noddy; and as I ascended that stream, I often saw them, at the
distance of seventy miles from the sea, perched in the middle of the
river, on the same sticks as the Florida Cormorants, and found them
more easily approached in the dusk than during broad daylight. Until
then I had supposed this species to be entirely oceanic, and averse
from mingling with any other.
The flight of the Cayenne Tern is strong and well sustained, although
less lively or graceful than that of the smaller species, excepting
on particular occasions. They usually incline their bill downwards,
as they search for their prey, like the other Terns, but keep at a
much greater height, and plunge towards the waters with the speed of
an arrow, to seize on small fishes, of which they appear to capture
a great number, especially of the “mullets,” which we saw moving
about in shoals, composed of individuals of different sizes. When
travelling, these birds generally proceed in lines; and it requires
the power of a strong gale to force them back, or even to impede their
progress, for they beat to windward with remarkable vigour, rising,
falling, and tacking to right and left, so as to seize every possible
opportunity of making their way. In calm and pleasant weather, they
pass at a great height, with strong unremitted flappings, uttering at
intervals their cries, which so nearly resemble the shrieking notes
of our little Parrakeet, that I have often for a moment thought I
heard the latter, when in fact it was only the Tern. At times their
cries resemble the syllables _kwee-reek_, repeated several times in
succession, and so loudly as to be heard at the distance of half
a mile or more, especially when they have been disturbed at their
breeding places, on which occasion they manifest all the characteristic
violence of their tribe, although they are much more guarded than
any other species with which I am acquainted, and generally keep at
a considerable distance from their unwelcome visitors.
On the 11th May 1832, I found the Cayenne Terns breeding on one of
the Tortugas. There they had dropped their eggs on the bare sand,
a few yards above high-water mark, and none of the birds paid much
attention to them during the heat of the day. You may judge of my
surprise when, on meeting with this Tern breeding on the coast of
Labrador, on the 18th of June 1833, I found it sitting on two eggs
deposited in a nest neatly formed of moss and placed on the rocks,
and this on a small island, in a bay more than twelve miles from our
harbour, which itself was at some distance from the open Gulf. On
another equally sequestered islet, some were found amidst a number
of nests of our Common Gull; and, during my stay in that country,
I observed that this Tern rarely went to the vicinity of the outer
coast, for the purpose of procuring food, probably because there was
an extreme abundance of small fishes of several kinds in every creek
or bay. Until that period I was not aware that any Tern could master
the _Lestris Pomarinus_, to which, however, I there saw the Cayenne
Tern give chase, driving it away from the islands on which it had its
eggs. On such occasions, I observed that the Tern’s power of flight
greatly exceeded that of the Jager; but the appearance of the Great
Black-backed Gull never failed to fill it with dismay, for although
of quicker flight, none of the Terns dared to encounter that bird,
any more than they would venture to attack the Frigate Pelican in
the Floridas.
The Cayenne Tern usually lays two eggs; in a few instances I found
only one, and I concluded that no more had been laid, as it contained
a chick, which would not have been there had the Great Gull ever
visited the nest. The eggs measure two inches and six-eighths in
length, by one inch and six and a half eighths in breadth, and are
rather sharp at the smaller end. They have a pale yellowish ground
colour, irregularly spotted with dark umber and faint purplish marks,
dispersed all over but not close. The eggs, like those of the other
species, afford good eating.
I never saw the young of this bird while small, and cannot speak of
the changes which they undergo from their first state until autumn.
Then, however, they greatly resemble the young of the Sandwich
Tern, their colour being on the upper parts of a dark greyish-brown,
transversely marked with umber, and on the lower dull white. While
in this plumage, they keep by themselves, in flocks of fifty or more
individuals, and remain separated from the old birds until spring,
when they have acquired the full beauty of their plumage, although
they appear rather inferior in size.
My surprise at finding this species breeding in Labrador was increased
by the circumstance of its being of rare occurrence at any season
along the coasts of our Middle and Eastern Districts. Nor does it
become abundant until you reach the shores of North Carolina, beyond
which it increases the farther south you proceed. It winters in the
Floridas, and along the shores of the Mexican Gulf; but I never saw
it far up the Mississippi. While on the coast of Newfoundland, on
the 14th of August, I saw several individuals on their way southward,
flying very high, and keeping up their remarkable cries.
The flesh of every species of Tern is oily, like that of the Gulls
and Jagers, and the smallest hole made by shot affords an exit to the
grease, which is apt to destroy the beauty of their elastic plumage,
so that it is very difficult to preserve them, both on account of
this circumstance, and of the quantity of oil that flows from their
bill. In no species have I found this to be more remarkably the case
than in the Cayenne Tern.
STERNA CAYANA, _Lath._ Ind. Ornith. vol. ii. p. 804.—_Ch.
Bonaparte_, Synops. of Birds of the United States, p. 353.
CAYENNE TERN, _Nuttall_, Manual, vol. ii. p. 268.
Adult Male in Spring. Plate CCLXXIII.
Bill longer than the head, stout, nearly straight, compressed, very
acute. Upper mandible with the dorsal line slightly arched, the ridge
broad and convex at the base, narrowed towards the end, the sides
convex, the edges sharp and direct, the tip acute. Nasal groove short;
nostrils basal, lateral, linear, direct, pervious. Lower mandible with
the angle very narrow, acute, extending to the middle, the dorsal
line straight, the sides slightly convex, nearly erect, the sharp
edges inflected, the tip very acute.
Head rather large, oblong; neck of moderate length and thick; body
rather slender; feet short, stout. Tibia bare for a considerable
space; tarsus short, roundish, covered all round with small scales;
first toe very small, third longest, fourth a little shorter, the
anterior connected by reticulated webs having an incurved margin;
claws slightly curved, compressed, acute, that of hind toe smallest,
of middle toe by much the largest, and having the inner edge thin
and dilated.
Plumage soft, close, blended, very short on the fore part of the
head elongated behind, rather compact on the back and wings. Wings
extremely long, narrow, and pointed; primary quills tapering but
rounded, the first longest, the rest rapidly graduated; secondary
short, rather narrow, tapering, rounded. Tail long, deeply forked,
of twelve feathers, of which the outer taper to a rounded point.
Bill bright carmine, the tips paler. Iris dark brown. Feet black. The
top of the head and occiput is greenish black; the back and wings
light greyish-blue; the primary quills bluish-grey on their outer
webs, darker on the outer part of the inner, their inner part white,
as are the ends and inner webs of the secondaries; upper tail-coverts
and tail greyish-white; all the other parts are pure white.
Length to end of tail 19 inches, to end of wings 20-1/4; extent of wings
44; wing from flexure 15; tail 7; bill along the back 2-3/4, along the
edge of lower mandible 1-11/12; tarsus 3-2/12; middle toe 1, its claw
1/2. Weight 14-1/2 oz.
The figure of the Crab in the plate was introduced on account of
its singularly bright red colour, which, when the animal is boiled,
changes to pale yellow. It is rather common along the rocky shores
of some of the Florida Keys, and is excellent eating.
THE SEMIPALMATED SNIPE, OR WILLET.
_TOTANUS SEMIPALMATUS_, TEMM.
PLATE CCLXXIV. MALE AND FEMALE.
Many individuals of this fine species spend the winter in our
Southern States, and the extent of its migration northwards is
comparatively limited. Some are occasionally seen as far eastward
as the neighbourhood of Boston, and a few have been known to breed
not far from New Bedford in Massachusetts; but beyond that state the
species may be said to be unknown. Their propensity to remain at all
seasons in the immediate vicinity of the coast is such, that they
are very seldom met with far inland, even along large rivers, on
the margins of which they might find the food they usually prefer.
I once shot one in autumn on the lower part of the Ohio, but it was
much emaciated, and I concluded that its appearance there was merely
accidental. From the mouth of the Mississippi to New York it is pretty
generally found during the breeding season; but all the individuals
betake themselves in winter to the shores of Carolina, Georgia,
Florida, and the countries bordering the Mexican Gulf. I have very
little doubt that those seen by Mr SAY on the banks of the Missouri
had accidentally visited that country, as the favourite haunts of
this species at all seasons are the salt-marshes and sea-shores. It
is well ascertained that it occurs on the western coast, and I have
seen many skins of it recently brought from the mouth of the Columbia
River. It is probably from thence that it migrates to the shores of
the Saskatchewan, where it was observed by Dr RICHARDSON along the
small saline lakes.
In the Middle States, the Semipalmated Snipe is known to every
fisherman gunner by the name of “Willet;” and from the Carolinas
southward by that of “Stone Curlew.” In the latter districts, during
autumn and winter, it resorts to the stony shores of estuaries, the
banks of racoon oysters, and the extensive salt-marshes so common
there along the coast. On the 1st of May 1832, while rambling over
some large and partially submersed islets of the Floridas called Duck
Keys, scantily covered with bushes and some mangroves, I saw a good
number of these birds in company with the Great Marbled Godwit. The
Willets were all paired and very clamorous, although we found none of
their nests. To my great surprise, I saw them alight on the bushes and
trees with as much ease as if they had been land birds, stand erect,
open their wings to the sun, and await our approach, exhibiting, when
thus perched, much less shyness than when on the ground. Until then
I had never observed such a habit in this bird, and indeed had felt
surprised at seeing the Bartram Snipe, _Totanus Bartramius_, alight
on fences and trees. Nothing of this kind is mentioned by WILSON,
who, however, speaks of both species as if he were well acquainted
with their habits. A few days after my visit to the Duck Keys, some
nests containing eggs were found on other islets not far distant.
Along the shores of the Carolinas, this species begins to lay about
the beginning of April; but in the Middle States, in New Jersey, for
example, it seldom makes its appearance before the 15th of April,
and does not begin to breed until a month later. At the approach of
the love season, the Willets shew a great degree of vivacity, ramble
much on wing, and fill the air with their sharp cries. Once mated,
they attend to the security of their eggs and brood with affectionate
care, and are silent until disturbed by the approach of some of their
numerous enemies. The sight of a Crow, a Turkey Buzzard, a quadruped
of any kind, and more especially of a gunner, at once excites the
greatest alarm; and, rising on wing, they fly above and around you at a
considerable distance, vociferating their anger with great vehemence,
and continually endeavouring to allure you away from the spot where
their treasure is concealed. Should they have young broods, they not
unfrequently alight within sight, emit clicking and querulous notes,
raise their wings upright, and run over the ground as if wounded,
moving in so pitiable a manner as frequently to excite a good feeling
towards them in the gunner, who, should he be a parent himself, is
almost sure to leave them unmolested. When much pursued, the birds
join and form a flock, the individuals of which continue to wheel
through the air, at some distance from their nests, until their enemy
has departed.
The Semipalmated Snipe is at all times a shy and wary bird, so that
in approaching it the sportsman requires to use the greatest caution.
The method which I found most effectual was to employ a well-trained
dog, and conceal myself among the rankest herbage of the marshes.
The Willets rarely failed to fly close over the dog, and as he now
and then, playfully, as it were, approached me, the birds came within
shooting distance. On such occasions, if one is brought down, another
may follow, provided the sportsman is quick; but, after being thus
shot at, the Willets generally take a long circuit, and remove towards
some clear spot near the water, where they alight and watch your
motions. The cries of one suffice to alarm all within hearing, and
you see all of them with outstretched legs and necks running away
as you approach. Often at the very instant when you are preparing
to shoot, they all rise on wing, fly across some bay or creek, and
betake themselves to the marsh, where they are safe from your pursuit.
During winter you frequently see these birds in the Southern States
along the naked shores. The moment they see you the cry of alarm is
sounded, and the flock, which now consists of one, two, or perhaps
three families, suffer you to come almost within shot, as if purposely
to tantalize you, but at this moment fly off circuitously over the
water, and alight at the distance of some hundred yards. At such
times you may procure them by floating your boat quietly along the
shores; but the experiment rarely succeeds on the same flock more
than once. When they are on large racoon-oyster beds, it is almost
impossible to approach them; and if there should be a few Curlews or
Oyster-catchers among them, it were better for you to go in search
of some other game.
The flight of this species is strong, rapid, and greatly protracted.
Its movements on wing greatly resemble those of the Oyster-catcher,
and, unless during the breeding season, are performed low over the
waters. They seldom rise without emitting their usual notes, which
resemble the syllables _will-willet_, or _will_, _will_, _willet_,
and are different from the softer and more prolonged whistling notes
which they emit during the love season. They generally travel in
flocks, even in spring, and congregate for the purpose of breeding,
being attracted when passing by the notes of those which have already
arrived at a chosen spot. The males and females remain together until
autumn, when several families join and live peaceably together. When
wounded and brought to the water, they swim tolerably well, but do
not dive, although they now and then, on being approached, try to
submerse themselves.
The Willets retire to the interior of the larger salt-marshes for the
purpose of forming their nests and raising their broods in security.
There, in the vicinity of the shallow pools, which frequently occur
in such places, the bird prepares a nest on the ground, among the
rank grass, of which the tenement itself is composed. It is usually
raised to the height of from three to five inches, and is, I believe,
annually augmented or repaired. WILSON says that this augmentation
or raising of the nest is carried on whilst the Willet is laying
and sitting; but this I have never observed. The eggs, usually four
in number, are placed with the broad end outwards, as is the case
with those of most birds of this tribe. They measure two inches and
one-eighth in length, by one inch and a half in breadth, are much
flattened at the larger end, and more or less pointed at the other.
The shell is smooth, of a dull yellowish-olive tint, irregularly
spotted and blotched with dark umber. The eggs afford excellent
eating. Both birds incubate, sitting alternately day and night. The
young run about on leaving the shell, and are carefully fed by their
parents. They are of a greyish hue, and covered with down, but soon
shew feathers, grow rapidly, become fat and juicy, and by the time
they are able to fly, afford excellent food. At the first moult they
acquire their full plumage.
The food of the Willet consists of aquatic insects, small crabs, and
fiddlers, which they procure either by pursuing them on foot or by
probing for them in their burrows, along the mud bars, and in the
crevices of the creeks and salt-water ditches. I have also observed
it turning over stones and shells to seek for worms beneath them.
The males are smaller than the females. I have presented you with
figures of the adult both in the winter and summer plumage.
SCOLOPAX SEMIPALMATUS, _Lath._ Ind. Ornith. vol. ii. p. 722.
TOTANUS SEMIPALMATUS, _Ch. Bonaparte_, Synops. of Birds of
the United States, p. 323.
SEMIPALMATED SNIPE, SCOLOPAX SEMIPALMATA, _Wils._ Amer.
Ornith. vol. vii. p. 27. pl. 56. fig.3.
TOTANUS SEMIPALMATUS, SEMIPALMATED TATLER, _Swains. and
Richards._ Fauna Bor. Amer. part ii. p. 388.
SEMIPALMATED SNIPE OR WILLET, _Nuttall_, Manual, vol. ii.
p. 144.
Adult Male in spring. Plate CCLXXIV. Fig. 1.
Bill long, slender, compressed, tapering, straight or recurved in
an almost imperceptible degree. Upper mandible with the dorsal line
straight, the ridge convex, flattened at the base, the sides grooved
to the middle, afterwards convex, the edges broad and flattened, the
breadth of the mandible a little increased towards the point, which is
narrowed, slightly deflected and obtuse. Nostrils subbasal, linear,
pervious, nearer the edge than the dorsal line. Lower mandible with
the angle very narrow and medial, beyond it the outline slightly
ascending and straight, sides grooved as far as the angle, and convex,
the edges broad and flat, the point narrow and slightly incurved.
Head small, oblong, narrowed before. Neck rather long, slender.
Body slender. Feet long and slender; tibia bare for nearly half its
length, scutellate before and behind; tarsus long, slender, covered
before and behind with numerous scutella, the narrow lateral spaces
with extremely small oblong scales. Toes small, slender, scutellate
above, flat beneath, marginate, the anterior toes connected by basal
membranes which extend along their sides, the outer membrane larger
than the inner; first toe extremely small, second and fourth about
equal, third little longer. Claws small, compressed, slightly arched,
obtuse, that of third toe with a dilated inner edge.
Plumage soft and blended, on the fore part of the head very short,
on the neck short and very soft. Wings long, very acute, narrow;
primaries tapering and rounded, the first longest, the second little
shorter, the rest rapidly graduated; secondaries obliquely rounded,
the inner elongated and tapering. Tail short, of twelve narrow,
rounded feathers, the two middle ones a little longer than the rest.
Bill light blue, dusky towards the end. Iris brown. Feet light blue;
claws black. Head and neck brownish-grey, streaked with blackish-brown;
the throat, and a band from the bill over the eye white. Fore part of
back and scapulars brownish-grey, variegated with central markings
and bars of blackish-brown; the hind part of the back brownish-grey
with a gloss of olive. Wing-coverts grey with central lines of
brownish-black; primary coverts and primary quills brownish-black,
but the latter white in their basal half; outer secondaries white,
inner like the scapulars. Lower wing-coverts dusky; breast and sides
white, the latter undulatingly barred with brownish-black; abdomen
and lower and upper tail-coverts white, some of them, however, with
a few dusky bars. The four middle tail-feathers are barred with
brownish-black and brownish-grey, the rest pale grey fading to white
on the outer, and all more or less minutely mottled with pale brown.
Length to end of tail 15-1/4 inches, to end of wings 15, to end of
claws 17-1/2; extent of wings 27-3/4; wing from flexure 8-1/4; tail
3-2/12; bill along the back 2-1/4; along the edge of lower mandible
2-4/12; tarsus 2-1/4; middle toe 1-5/12, its claw 1/4. Weight 7 oz.
Adult Female in winter. Plate CCLXXIV. Fig. 2.
In winter the upper parts are light brownish-grey, the fore part of
the neck and the sides of the same colour but paler; the throat,
breast, abdomen, and rump white; the lower and upper tail-coverts
with a few undulated lines of brownish-grey; the wings as in summer;
as is the tail, only that the middle feathers are grey.
Length 15-1/2 inches; wing from flexure 8-1/2; extent of wings 31; tail
3-1/4; bill along the back 2-7/12, along the edge of lower mandible
2-(6-1/2)/12; tarsus 1-7/12; middle toe 1-5/12, its claw 1/4. Weight 10
oz.
THE NODDY TERN.
_STERNA STOLIDA_, LINN.
PLATE CCLXXV.
About the beginning of May, the Noddies collect from all parts of
the Gulf of Mexico, and the coasts of Florida, for the purpose of
returning to their breeding places, on one of the Tortugas called
Noddy Key. They nearly equal in number the Sooty Terns, which also
breed on an island a few miles distant. The Noddies form regular nests
of twigs and dry grass, which they place on the bushes or low trees,
but never on the ground. On visiting their island on the 11th of May
1832, I was surprised to see that many of them were repairing and
augmenting nests that had remained through the winter, while others
were employed in constructing new ones, and some were already sitting
on their eggs. In a great many instances, the repaired nests formed
masses nearly two feet in height, and yet all of them had only a
slight hollow for the eggs, broken shells of which were found among
the entire ones, as if they had been purposely placed there. The birds
did not discontinue their labours, although there were nine or ten
of us walking among the bushes, and when we had gone a few yards into
the thicket, thousands of them flew quite low over us, some at times
coming so close as to enable us to catch a few of them with the hand.
On one side might be seen a Noddy carrying a stick in its bill, or a
bird picking up something from the ground to add to its nest; on the
other several were seen sitting on their eggs unconscious of danger,
while their mates brought them food. The greater part rose on wing
as we advanced, but re-alighted as soon as we had passed. The bushes
were rarely taller than ourselves, so that we could easily see the
eggs in the nests. This was quite a new sight to me, and not less
pleasing than unexpected.
The Noddy, like most other species of Terns, lays three eggs, which
average two inches in length, by an inch and three-eighths in breadth,
and are of a reddish-yellow colour, spotted and patched with dull
red and faint purple. They afford excellent eating, and our sailors
seldom failed to collect bucketfuls of them daily during our stay at
the Tortugas. The wreckers assured me that the young birds remain
along with the old through the winter, in which respect the Noddy,
if this account be correct, differs from other species, the young of
which keep by themselves until spring.
At the approach of a boat, the Noddies never flew off their island,
in the manner of the Sooty Terns. They appeared to go farther out
to sea than those birds, in search of their food, which consists of
fishes mostly caught amid the floating sea-weeds, these Terns seizing
them, not by plunging perpendicularly downwards, as other species do,
but by skimming close over the surface in the manner of Gulls, and
also by alighting and swimming round the edges of the weeds. This I
had abundant opportunities of seeing while on the Gulf of Mexico.
The flight of this bird greatly resembles that of the Night Hawk
when passing over meadows or rivers. When about to alight on the
water, the Noddy keeps its wings extended upwards, and touches it
first with its feet. It swims with considerable buoyancy and grace,
and at times immerses its head to seize on a fish. It does not see
well by night, and it is perhaps for this reason that it frequently
alights on the spars of vessels, where it sleeps so sound that the
seamen often catch them. When seized in the hand, it utters a rough
cry, not unlike that of a young American Crow taken from the nest. On
such occasions, it does not disgorge its food, like the Cayenne Tern
and other species, although it bites severely, with quickly repeated
movements of the bill, which, on missing the object aimed at, snaps
like that of our larger Fly-catchers. Some which I kept several days,
refused all kinds of food, became dull and languid, and at length died.
While hovering over us near their nests, these birds emitted a low
querulous murmur, and, if unmolested, would attempt to alight on our
heads. After a few visits, however, they became rather more careful
of themselves, although the sitting birds often suffered us to put
a hat over them. Like the Sooty Tern, this species incubates both
day and night. The differences exhibited by Terns with respect to
their mode of nestling and incubation, are great, even in the same
neighbourhood, and under the same degree of atmospheric temperature.
This species breeds on bushes or low trees, placing several nests
on the same bush, or in fact as many as it will hold. The _Sterna
fuliginosa_ scoops out a slight hollow in the sand, under the bushes,
without forming any nest, and incubates closely like the former. The
Sandwich, the Cayenne, and the Roseate Terns, drop their eggs on the
sand or the bare rock, and seldom sit upon them until evening, or
during cloudy or rainy weather. The Cayenne, Sooty, and Noddy Terns
differ greatly in their flight, their manner of feeding, and the
extent of their migrations. The Tail of the Noddy is cuneate, instead
of being forked, in which respect it differs essentially from that
of the other species. Perhaps the naturalists who placed it in the
same genus with the Roseate Tern, may have been nodding over their
books.
Since writing the above account, I have read the article on this
species by my esteemed friend Mr NUTTALL, and am surprised to find him
state that “the Noddies breed in great numbers in the Bahama Islands,
laying their eggs on the shelvings of rocks.” No authority is given
for this, which I regret, because had he given the fact as observed
by himself, it would have astonished me as much as my account of the
breeding of the Noddy in the Tortugas may astonish others.
STERNA STOLIDA, _Linn._ Syst. Nat. vol. i. p. 227.—_Lath._
Ind. Ornith. vol. ii. p. 805.—_Ch. Bonaparte_, Synops. of
Birds of the United States, p. 356.
NODDY, _Nuttall_, Manual, vol. ii. p. 285.
Adult Male. Plate CCLXXV.
Bill longer than the head, strong, slender, nearly straight,
compressed, very acute. Upper mandible with the dorsal line slightly
arched, the ridge broad and convex at the base, narrowed towards the
end, the sides convex, the edges sharp and inflected, the tip acute.
Nasal groove extended to beyond half the length of the bill, slightly
deflected towards the edge; nostrils submedial, linear, direct,
pervious. Lower mandible with the angle very narrow, acute, extending
to the middle, the dorsal line straight, or very slightly concave,
the sides convex, the sharp edges inflected, the tip extremely acute.
Head of moderate size, oblong, compressed; neck of moderate length;
body slender; feet very short, rather stout. Tibia bare for a short
space; tarsus very short, roundish, covered anteriorly with small
scutella, laterally and behind with reticulated scales; toes slender,
the first very small, the third longest, the fourth nearly as long,
the second much shorter, all scutellate above, the anterior united by
reticulated webs, having an incurved margin; claws curved, compressed,
acute, that of hind toe smallest, of middle toe by much the largest,
and having the inner edge thin and dilated.
Plumage soft, close, blended, very short on the head; the feathers
in general broad and rounded. Wings very long, narrow, and pointed;
primary quills tapering but rounded, the first longest, the rest
rapidly graduated; secondaries short, broad, rather acute, the inner
more tapering. Tail long, cuneate, of twelve tapering rounded feathers.
Bill black. Iris brown. Feet dull brownish-red, the webs dusky, the
claws black. The general colour is sooty brown; the primaries and
tail-feathers brownish-black; the upper part of the head greyish-white;
a black spot anterior to and over the eye.
Length to end of tail 16-4/12, to end of wings 16-1/12, to end of claws
13-11/12; extent of wings 32; wing from flexure 10-10/12; tail 5-3/4;
bill along the back 1-3/4, along the edge of lower mandible 2-1/4;
tarsus (10-1/2)/12, middle toe 1-1/4, its claw (4-1/2)/12. Weight 4-3/4
oz.
STILL BECALMED.
On the 4th of June we were still in the same plight, although the
currents of the Gulf had borne us to a great distance from the place
where, as I have informed you, we had amused ourselves with catching
Dolphins. These currents are certainly very singular, for they
carried us hither and thither, at one time rendering us apprehensive
of drifting on the coast of Florida, at another threatening to send
us to Cuba. Sometimes a slight motion in the air revived our hopes,
swelled our sails a little, and carried us through the smooth waters
like a skater gliding on ice; but in a few hours it was again a dead
calm.
One day several small birds, after alighting on the spars, betook
themselves to the deck. One of them, a female Rice Bunting, drew our
attention more particularly, for, a few moments after her arrival,
there came down, as if in her wake, a beautiful Peregrine Falcon. The
plunderer hovered about for a while, then stationed himself on the end
of one of the yard-arms, and suddenly pouncing on the little gleaner
of the meadows, clutched her and carried her off in exultation. But,
Reader, mark the date, and judge besides of my astonishment when I
saw the Falcon feeding on the Finch while on wing, precisely with
the same ease and composure as the Mississippi Kite might shew while
devouring high in air a Red-throated Lizard, swept from one of the
magnificent trees of the Louisiana woods.
There was a favourite pet on board, belonging to our Captain, and
which was nothing more nor less than the female companion of a cock,
in other words, a common hen. Some liked her because she now and then
dropped a fresh egg,—a rare article at sea, even on board the Delos;
others, because she exhibited a pleasing simplicity of character;
others again, because, when they had pushed her overboard, it gave
them pleasure to see the poor thing in terror strike with her feet,
and strive to reach her floating home, which she would never have
accomplished, however, had it not been for the humane interference
of our Captain, Mr JOSEPH HATCH of Kennebunk. Kind, good-hearted
man! when, several weeks after, the same pet hen accidentally flew
overboard, as we were scudding along at a furious rate, I thought I
saw a tear stand in his eye, as she floated panting in our wake.—But
as yet we are becalmed, and heartily displeased at old Æolus for
overlooking us.
One afternoon we caught two sharks. In one of them, a female, about
seven feet long, we found ten young ones, all alive, and quite capable
of swimming, as we proved by experiment; for, on casting one of them
into the sea, it immediately made off, as if it had been accustomed
to shift for itself. Of another, that had been cut in two, the head
half swam off out of our sight. The rest were cut in pieces, as was
the old shark, as bait for the dolphins, which I have already said
are fond of such food.
Our captain, who was much intent on amusing me, informed me that the
rudder-fishes were plentiful astern, and immediately set to dressing
hooks for the purpose of catching them. There was now some air above
us, the cotton sheets aloft bulged out, the ship moved through the
water, and the captain and I repaired to the cabin window. I was
furnished with a fine hook, a thread line, and some small bits of
bacon, as was the captain, and we dropped our bait among the myriads
of delicate little fishes below. Up they came, one after another, so
fast in succession, that, according to my journal, we caught three
hundred and seventy in about two hours. What a mess! and how delicious
when roasted! If ever I am again becalmed in the Gulf of Mexico, I
shall not forget the rudder-fish. The little things scarcely measured
three inches in length; they were thin and deep in form, and afforded
excellent eating. It was curious to see them keep to the lee of
the rudder in a compact body; and so voracious were they, that they
actually leaped out of the water at the sight of the bait, as “sunnies”
are occasionally wont to do in our rivers. But the very instant that
the ship became still, they dispersed around her sides, and would no
longer bite. I made a figure of one of them, as indeed I tried to do
of every other species that occurred during this death-like calm.
Not one of these fishes did I ever see when crossing the Atlantic,
although many kinds at times come close to the stern of any vessel
in the great sea, and are called by the same name.
Another time we caught a fine Porpoise, which measured about two
yards in length. This took place at night, when the light of the moon
afforded me a clear view of the spot. The fish, contrary to custom,
was grained, instead of being harpooned; but in such a way and so
effectually, through the forehead, that it was thus held fast, and
allowed to flounce and beat about the bows of the ship, until the
person who had struck it gave the line holding the grains to the
Captain, slided down along the bob-stays with a rope, and after a while
managed to secure it by the tail. Some of the crew then hoisted it
on board. When it arrived on deck, it gave a deep groan, flapped with
great force, and soon expired. On opening it next morning, eight hours
after death, we found its intestines still warm. They were arranged
in the same manner as those of a pig; the paunch contained several
cuttlefishes partially digested. The lower jaw extended beyond the
upper about three-fourths of an inch, and both were furnished with a
single row of conical teeth, about half an inch long, and just so far
separated as to admit those of one jaw between the corresponding ones
of the other. The animal might weigh about four hundred pounds; its
eyes were extremely small, its flesh was considered delicate by some
on board; but in my opinion, if it be good, that of a large alligator
is equally so; and on neither do I intend to feast for some time.
The Captain told me that he had seen these Porpoises leap at times
perpendicularly out of the water to the height of several feet, and
that small boats have now and then been sunk by their falling into
them, when engaged with their sports.
During all this time flocks of Pigeons were crossing the Gulf, between
Cuba and the Floridas; many a Rose-breasted Gull played around by
day; Noddies alighted on the rigging by night; and now and then, the
Frigate bird was observed ranging high over head in the azure of the
cloudless sky.
The directions of the currents were tried, and our Captain, who had
an extraordinary genius for mechanics, was frequently employed in
turning powder horns and other articles. So calm and sultry was the
weather that we had a large awning spread, under which we took our
meals, and spent the night. At length we got so wearied of it, that
the very sailors I thought seemed disposed to leap overboard, and swim
to land. But at length, on the thirty-seventh day after our departure,
a smart breeze overtook us. Presently there was an extraordinary
bustle on board; about twelve the Tortugas light-house bore north of
us, and in a few hours more we gained the Atlantic. Æolus had indeed
awakened from his long sleep; and on the nineteenth day after leaving
the Capes of Florida, I was landed at Liverpool.
THE KING DUCK.
_FULIGULA SPECTABILIS_, BONAP.
PLATE CCLXXVI. MALE AND FEMALE.
This beautiful species rarely advances farther south along our eastern
coast than the neighbourhood of the Bay of Boston. I have, however,
been assured by old and trustworthy gunners that the King Duck, about
thirty years ago, was by no means of rare occurrence there during
winter, and that a few had been known to breed in company with the
Eider along the coast. At the period of my arrival at Labrador, the
greater number of the King Ducks had proceeded farther north; and
although some were seen there, we found none of their nests. I can
say nothing of the habits of this bird, which, although they may be
similar to those of the Eider, must yet differ in many particulars,
as is the case with all birds that are nearly allied in form. The
eggs of the King Duck collected by Captain JAMES CLARK ROSS, R. N.,
measure two inches and five-eighths by one inch and three-fourths,
and have a smooth shell, of an uniform dull greenish-colour.
ANAS SPECTABILIS, _Linn._ Syst. Nat. vol. ii. p. 198.—_Lath._
Ind. Ornith. vol. ii. p. 845.
FULIGULA SPECTABILIS, _Ch. Bonaparte_, Synops. of Birds of
the United States, p. 389.
SOMATERIA SPECTABILIS, KING DUCK, _Swains. and Richards._
Fauna Bor. Amer. part ii. p. 447.
KING DUCK, _Nuttall_, Manual, vol. ii. p. 414.
Adult Male. Plate CCLXXVI. Fig. 1.
Bill shorter than the head, much deeper than broad at the base,
somewhat depressed towards the end, which is broad and rounded.
Upper mandible with a soft tumid compressed substance at the base,
extending perpendicularly upon the forehead, and by a medial band of
feathers divided into two broad lobes, the dorsal line beyond this
descending to the unguis, then slightly curved, the ridge broadly
convex, the sides sloping and convex, the edges perpendicular, with
about forty-five narrow internal lamellæ, the unguis very large,
broadly elliptical. Nostrils submedial, oblong, large, pervious, near
the ridge. Lower mandible flattened, with the angle very long, rather
narrow and rounded, the dorsal line short and slightly convex, the
edges with about fifty lamellæ, the unguis very large and elliptical.
Head large, compressed. Neck rather short. Body bulky and much
depressed. Feet very short, strong, placed rather far behind; tarsus
very short, compressed, anteriorly having a series of narrow scutella
in its whole length, and a partial series above the fourth toe, the
rest reticulated with angular and oblong scales; hind toe small,
with a free membrane beneath; anterior toes longer than the tarsus,
connected by reticulated membranes having a sinus at their free
margins, the inner with a broad lobed marginal membrane, the outer
with a thickened edge; all obliquely scutellate above; the third
and fourth about equal and longest. Claws small, arched, compressed,
obtuse, that of first toe very small and more curved, of middle toe
largest, more depressed, and with a dilated inner edge.
Plumage short, dense, blended. Feathers on the fore part of the head
extremely small, on the upper part very narrow, on the sides of the
head very short, stiff and hair-like. Wings rather short, narrow, and
pointed; primary quills curved, strong, tapering, the second longest,
the first almost as long, the rest rapidly graduated; secondaries
short, broad, rounded, excepting the inner, which are elongated,
tapering, and curved outwards. Tail very short, much rounded, of
fourteen stiff narrow feathers.
Bill flesh-coloured, the sides of the upper mandible and the soft
frontal lobes bright orange. Iris bright yellow. Feet dull orange,
the webs dusky, the claws brownish-black. The band of feathers
separating the frontal lobes, and those along their upper and posterior
edges, black; lower eyelid, and a forked patch on the throat, the
same. The upper part of the head light purplish-grey; the hair-like
feathers on the sides of the head pale bluish-green; the fore neck
cream coloured; the sides and hind part of the neck, a patch on the
wings, and another on each side of the rump, white. The hind part of
the back, the scapulars, the larger wing-coverts, and the secondary
quills, brownish-black, the latter glossed with green; primary quills
and tail blackish-brown. Breast and abdomen blackish-brown; lower
wing-coverts white, the outer brown.
Length to end of tail 25 inches, to end of wings 23; wing from flexure
11-1/4; tail 3-3/4; bill from the base of the tumid part 1-1/4, along
the edge of lower mandible 2-5/12; tarsus 1-3/4; middle toe 2-10/12,
its claw 4/8.
Adult Female. Plate CCLXXVI. Fig. 2.
The Female differs greatly from the male. The bill is shorter, its
tumid basal lobes narrow and not ascending perpendicularly, so that
the forehead is low as in most Ducks. The feathers of the head and
upper part of the neck are small, soft, and uniform. The colour of
the bill is pale greenish-grey; the iris dull yellow; the feet dull
ochre. The head and neck are pale greyish-yellow, with small lines of
brownish-black. The feathers of the back are brownish-black towards
the end, with yellowish-grey edges, the scapulars brownish-red on the
margins. The quills and tail-feathers are deep greyish-brown; the
recurved secondaries broadly edged externally with yellowish-grey.
The fore part of the lower neck and breast, the sides, and
lower tail-coverts, have a central mark and submarginal band of
brownish-black, the middle of the breast scarcely spotted, being of
the general colour of the lower parts, which is pale yellowish-brown.
Length to end of tail 20 inches, to end of wings 17; wing from flexure
10-1/2; tail 3-3/4; bill from the separation of the lobes 1-1/4; tarsus
1-8/12; middle toe 2-1/2, its claw 4/8.
HUTCHINS’S GOOSE.
_ANSER HUTCHINSII_, RICHARDSON.
PLATE CCLXXVII. ADULT.
In the first article in this volume, that of the Canada Goose, in
which I have described the habits of that bird at considerable length,
I had occasion to allude to a small species called by the gunners
of Maine the Winter or Flight Goose, which they described to me
as resembling the large and common kind in almost every particular
except its size. Although it was not my good fortune while there to
meet with the bird spoken of by men who were well acquainted with
it, I have no doubt that it is the very species which has been named
in honour of Mr HUTCHINS, and that its periodical appearance along
our eastern coast will ere long be fully established. This is the
more to be expected as Dr RICHARDSON informs us that it is abundant
about Hudson’s Bay, where it was long mistaken for the Brent, or an
emaciated Canada Goose. In the mean time, having been presented with
a specimen of the bird in question by my highly esteemed and gallant
friend Captain JAMES CLARK ROSS, I have embraced the opportunity thus
offered, of laying before you a representation, the first I believe
that has yet appeared, of HUTCHINS’s Goose.
For fifteen months, rendered trebly long and wearisome by heavy and
difficult marches, under the most distressing feelings, that most
amiable and accomplished traveller, carried with him many specimens
of rare birds, with the view of contributing to the advancement of
our knowledge. Would, Reader, that you could sympathize with me in
the feelings of pride and pleasure with which I call him friend. May
his name be as extensively known as his worth deserves!
Some weeks after my drawing was finished, and when I had arrived
in Edinburgh, I had the gratification of receiving a long and most
interesting letter from him, of which I present you with an extract.
“I have very great pleasure in having it now in my power to offer
to your acceptance the specimen of this interesting species from
which your drawing was taken. It was the child of my solicitude,
and my constant companion during a long and tedious journey, after
the abandonment of our ship, until our being received on board the
Isabella, an interval of fifteen months; and this will account in a
great measure for the miserable plight in which the specimen first
came into your hands. I will dispose of it according to your wishes,
and am most happy to place it in the hands of one who knows so well
how to appreciate the interesting associations connected with it.
“These birds arrived in flocks about the middle of June, in the
neighbourhood of Felix Harbour, and soon dispersed in pairs to their
breeding place. At Igloolik, the only place where we had before met
with them, their nests were found in the marshes near the sea; but
on this occasion several pairs constructed their nests on a ledge of
rock near the foot of a high precipice; immediately above them the
Dovekies, Loons, several species of Gulls, and near its summit, the
Jer-Falcon and Raven, built their nests.
“From three to four eggs were found in each nest, of a pure white,
and of an oval form, measuring 3.1 inches by 2.1, and weighing from
1800 to 2000 grains.
“The female bird is smaller than the male. To the measurements given
by Dr RICHARDSON, which are very accurate, we may add that its extent
of wings is fifty inches, and that it averages about four pounds and
a half of weight. Its flesh is of a most exquisite flavour.”
ANSER HUTCHINSII, HUTCHINS’S BARNACLE GOOSE, _Swains. and
Richards._ Fauna Bor. Amer. part ii. p. 470.
Adult. Plate CCLXXVII.
Bill shorter than the head, higher than broad at the base, somewhat
conical, depressed towards the end, rounded at the tip. Upper mandible
with the dorsal line sloping, the ridge slightly flattened at the
base, convex in the rest of its extent, the sides sloping, the edges
soft, the oblique internal lamellæ about thirty; the unguis roundish,
convex. Nasal groove oblong, parallel to the ridge, filled by the
soft membrane of the bill; nostrils medial, lateral, longitudinal,
narrow-elliptical, open, pervious. Lower mandible straight, with
the angle very long, narrow and rounded, the edges with about forty
oblique lamellæ.
Head small, oblong, compressed. Neck long and very slender. Body
full. Feet short, stout, placed behind the centre of the body; legs
bare a little above the joint; tarsus short, a little compressed,
covered all round with angular scales, those behind smaller; hind
toe very small, with a narrow membrane, third the longest, fourth
considerably shorter, but longer than second; all reticulated above
at the base, but with narrow transverse scutella towards the end;
the three anterior connected by reticulated webs, the outer with
a thick margin, the inner with the edge more dilated. Claws small,
arched, rather compressed, except that of the middle toe, which is
bent obliquely inwards and depressed, with a curved edge.
Plumage close, blended on the neck and lower parts of the body,
compact on the upper. The feathers of the head and neck very narrow,
of the back very broad and abrupt, of the breast and belly broadly
rounded. Wings long; primaries strong, curved, the second longest,
but the first and third almost as long, the rest rapidly graduated;
secondaries long, rather narrow, rounded. Tail short, slightly rounded,
of sixteen rounded feathers.
Bill, feet, and claws black. Iris brown. Head and two upper thirds of
the neck glossy black. A large subtriangular patch of white on each
side of the head and neck. The general colour of the upper parts is
brownish-grey, the feathers margined with paler; of the lower parts
pale greyish-brown, margined with yellowish-grey; the abdomen and
lower tail-coverts white; the hind part of the back brownish-black.
The primary quills and tail-feathers are deep brown.
Length to end of tail 25 inches, extent of wings 50; wing from flexure
16-3/4; tail 5-3/4; bill along the back 1-1/2, along the edge of lower
mandible 1-1/2; tarsus 2-1/2; middle toe 2, its claw 4/12. Weight 4-1/2
lb.
In the Fauna Boreali-Americana, the tail-feathers are stated to be
fourteen. In my specimen they are sixteen, and it is probable that
the full number is eighteen, as the two middle ones seem to be wanting.
SCHINZ’S SANDPIPER.
_TRINGA SCHINZII_, BREHM.
PLATE CCLXXVIII. MALE AND FEMALE.
Although I have met with this species at different times in Kentucky,
and along our extensive shores, from the Floridas to Maine, as well as
on the coast of Labrador, I never found it breeding. Indeed, I have
not met with it in the United States excepting in the latter part of
autumn and in winter. Those procured in Labrador were shot in the
beginning of August, and were all young birds, apparently about to
take their departure. My drawing of the two individuals represented in
the plate was made at St Augustine in East Florida, where I procured
them on the 2d December 1831. I have always found these birds gentle
and less shy than any other species of the genus. They fly at a
considerable height with rapidity, deviating alternately to either
side, and plunge toward the ground in a manner somewhat resembling
that of the Solitary Sandpiper. When accidentally surprised, they
start with a repeated _weet_, less sonorous than that of the bird just
mentioned. They search for food along the margins of pools, creeks
and rivers, or by the edges of sand-bars, and mix with other species.
TRINGA SCHINZII, _Ch. Bonaparte_, Synops. of Birds of the
United States, p. 249.—Amer. Ornith. vol. iv. p. 69. pl.
24. fig. 2. Winter.—_Swains. and Richards._ Fauna Bor.
Amer. part ii. p. 384.
SCHINZ’S SANDPIPER, _Nuttall_, Manual, vol. ii. p. 109.
Adult Male in winter. Plate CCLXXVIII. Fig. 1.
Bill about the length of the head, slender, subcylindrical, straight,
compressed at the base, the point slightly enlarged and rather obtuse.
Upper mandible with the dorsal line straight, excepting at the tip,
the ridge narrow and convex, broader and flattened towards the end,
the sides sloping, the edges rather obtuse. Nasal groove extending to
near the tip; nostrils basal, linear, pervious. Lower mandible with
the angle long and extremely narrow, the dorsal line straight, the
sides sloping outwards, the tip a little broader than that of the
upper.
Head rather small, oblong, compressed. Neck of moderate length.
Body rather slender. Feet rather long, slender; tibia bare a third
part of its length; tarsus compressed behind, covered anteriorly
and posteriorly with numerous scutella, which scarcely leave any
intermediate space; hind toe extremely small; the rest of moderate
length, slender, the fourth slightly longer than the second, the
third longest; all free, there being only a very slight rudimentary
web between the third and fourth, flat beneath, slightly marginate
with rather pointed scales. Claws small, slightly arched, compressed,
rather acute, that of the third toe much larger, with the inner edge
dilated.
Plumage very soft, blended on the lower parts, the feathers distinct
above. Wings very long, pointed; primaries tapering, obtuse, the first
longest, the second almost equal, the rest rapidly graduated; outer
secondaries incurved, narrow, obliquely sinuate at the end of the
outer web, the inner rounded and extending beyond the outer; inner
secondaries very narrow, tapering to a point, reaching, when the
wing is closed, to about half an inch from its tip. Tail of moderate
length, nearly even, but with the two middle feathers exceeding the
rest, the number of feathers twelve.
Bill and feet dusky. Iris brown. The general colour of the upper
parts is brownish-black, each feather edged with yellowish-grey, the
scapulars with light red. Wing-coverts greyish-brown, the shaft black;
primary and secondary coverts tipped with white; quills brownish-grey,
darker towards the tips, the inner primaries and outer secondaries
more or less edged and tipped with white; the tail-coverts white with
a dusky spot, excepting the two central, which are blackish, with a
few greyish-white markings. Tail-feathers light grey, the two middle
brownish-black towards the end. Sides of the head, fore neck, anterior
part of breast and sides greyish-white, with small lanceolate central
brownish-black spots; the rest of the lower parts white.
Length to end of tail 7-1/12 inches, to end of wings 7-7/12, to
end of claws 7-9/12; extent of wings 14-3/4, bill along the back
(10-1/2)/12, along the edge of lower mandible 11/12; wing from flexure
4-(10-1/2)/12; tail 2-2/12; tarsus 11/12; middle toe (9-1/2)/12, its
claw 2/12.
Adult Female in winter. Plate CCLXXVIII. Fig. 2.
The Female is similar to the male, but a little smaller.
In some individuals, about six of the middle tail-coverts are black,
the lateral barred with white and dusky.
THE SANDWICH TERN.
_STERNA CANTIACA_, GMEL.
PLATE CCLXXIX. ADULT AND YOUNG.
On the 26th of May 1832, while sailing along the Florida Keys in Mr
THRUSTON’s barge, accompanied by his worthy pilot and my assistant,
I observed a large flock of Terns, which, from their size and other
circumstances, I would have pronounced to be Marsh Terns, had not
the difference in their manner of flight convinced me that they were
of a species hitherto unknown to me. The pleasure which one feels
on such an occasion cannot easily be described, and all that it is
necessary for me to say on the subject at present is, that I begged
to be rowed to them as quickly as possible. A nod and a wink from the
pilot satisfied me that no time should be lost, and in a few minutes
all the guns on board were in requisition. The birds fell around us;
but as those that had not been injured remained hovering over their
dead and dying companions, we continued to shoot until we procured
a very considerable number. On examining the first individual picked
up from the water, I perceived from the yellow point of its bill that
it was different from any that I had previously seen, and accordingly
shouted “A prize! a prize! a new bird to the American Fauna!” And so
it was, good Reader, for no person before had found the Sandwich Tern
on any part of our coast. A large basket was filled with them, and
we pursued our course. On opening several individuals, I found in the
females eggs nearly ready for being laid. The males, too, manifested
the usual symptoms of increased action in the organs distinctive of
the sex. I felt a great desire to discover their breeding grounds,
which I had the pleasure of doing in a few days after.
The vigour and activity of this bird while on wing afforded me great
pleasure. Indeed its power of flight exceeds that of the Marsh Tern,
which I consider as a closely allied species. While travelling, it
advances by regular sharp flappings of its wings, which propel it
forward much in the manner of the Passenger Pigeon, when, single and
remote from a flock, it pushes on with redoubled speed. While plunging
after the small mullets and other diminutive fishes that form the
principal part of its food, it darts perpendicularly downwards with
all the agility and force of the Common and Arctic Terns, nearly
immersing its whole body at times, but rising instantly after, and
quickly regaining a position from which it can advantageously descend
anew. Should the fish disappear, as the bird is descending, the latter
instantly recovers itself without plunging into the water. Its cries
are sharp, grating, and loud enough to be heard at the distance of
half a mile. They are repeated at intervals while it is travelling,
and kept up incessantly when one intrudes upon it in its breeding
grounds, on which occasion it sails and dashes over your head, chiding
you with angry notes more disagreeable than pleasant to your ear.
How many days these birds had been laying, when I discovered the key
on which they breed, I cannot say; but many of them were still engaged
in depositing their eggs, and none were as yet sitting on those which,
being three together, seemed to form the full complement. They had been
dropped on the sand, at short intervals, with scarcely any appearance
of a hollow for their reception. In some instances they were laid at
the foot of a scanty tuft of grass; but all were fully exposed to the
heat of the sun, which at this time I thought almost sufficient to cook
them. The eggs varied as much in colour as those of the Arctic Tern
and Foolish Guillemot, and were equally disproportionate to the size
of the bird, their average length being two inches and one-eighth,
their greatest breadth one inch and three and a half eighths. They
are of an oval form, but rather sharp at the larger end. The ground
colour is yellowish-grey, varying in depth, and all more or less
spotted, blotched, or marked with different tints of umber, pale blue,
and reddish. But to describe them with absolute precision seems to me
impossible, and until you see my plates of eggs, I strongly recommend
to you to inspect the valuable and accurate delineations published by
my friend W. C. HEWITSON, Esq. of Newcastle-upon-Tyne, among which
you will find not less than three excellent representations of the
eggs of the Sandwich Tern. That gentleman describes them as being
“mostly two” for each pair of birds, and “sometimes three,” on the
islands on the coast of Northumberland, where he found this species
breeding in numbers. The eggs were so abundant and close together,
that, to use his own words, “we were obliged carefully to pick our
steps in order to avoid treading upon them; they were either on the
grass as it grew, or upon a small quantity gathered together for that
purpose.” I add that these eggs are most capital eating.
I never saw the Sandwich Tern on any other portion of our coasts than
between the Florida Keys and Charleston, and from whence it first
came there, or how it went thence to Europe, is an enigma which may
perhaps never be solved. On asking the Wreckers if they had been in
the habit of seeing these birds, they answered in the affirmative, and
added that they paid them pretty frequent visits during the breeding
season, on account of their eggs as well as of the young, which,
when nearly able to fly, they said were also good eating. According
to their account, this species spends the whole winter near and upon
the keys, and the young keep separate from the old birds.
STERNA CANTIACA, _Gmel._ Syst. Nat. Sp. 15.—_Temm._ Man.
d’Ornith. part ii. p. 735.
STERNA BOYSII, _Lath._ Ind. Ornith. vol. ii. p. 806.
SANDWICH TERN, _Nuttall_, Manual, vol. ii. p. 276.
Adult Male. Plate CCLXXIX.
Bill longer than the head, slender, tapering, compressed, nearly
straight, very acute. Upper mandible with the dorsal line slightly
arched, the ridge rather broad at the base, very narrow towards
the tip, the sides sloping at the base, slightly convex and nearly
perpendicular towards the end, the edges sharp and inflected, the
tip very acute. Nasal groove extending to a little beyond the middle
of the bill and deflected towards its edge; nostrils basal, linear,
direct, pervious. Lower mandible with the angle very narrow and acute,
extending nearly to the middle, the dorsal line beyond it straight,
the sides convex, towards the end more erect, the ridge very narrow,
the tip extremely acute.
Head of moderate size, oblong; neck of moderate length; body slender.
Feet very small; tibia bare for a considerable space; tarsus very
short, anteriorly scutellate, laterally and behind reticulated; toes
small, slender, the first extremely small, the third longest, the
fourth about the same length, the second much shorter, all scutellate
above, the anterior connected by reticulated webs of which the margins
are deeply concave. Claws arched, compressed, acute, that of hind toe
very small, of middle toe by much the largest, and having the inner
edge thin and dilated.
Plumage soft, close, blended, very short on the fore part of the
head; the feathers on the occiput and upper part of hind neck pointed
and elongated. Wings very long, narrow and pointed; primary quills
tapering, the outer slightly curved inwards at the end, the first
longest, the rest rapidly graduated; secondary short, broad, incurved,
rounded, the inner proportionally longer and narrower. Tail rather
long, deeply forked, of twelve feathers, the outer tapering to a point.
Bill black, excepting the tips, which are yellow; inside of the mouth
deep blue. Iris brown. Feet black. The upper part of the head, occiput
and part of hind neck bluish-black. Sides of the head, neck all round,
and the rest of the lower parts white, the breast frequently tinged
with pink. The fore part of the back, the scapulars and the upper
surface of the wings pale greyish-blue; the tips and the greater parts
of the inner webs of the scapulars, and quills white, as are the rump
and the tail; the four outer quills blackish, but covered with light
grey down, on the outer webs and over a considerable extent of the
inner, their shafts white.
Length to end of tail 15-3/4 inches, to end of wings 16-8/12; to end of
claws 12-3/4; extent of wings 33-3/4; wing from flexure 12-1/4; tail 6;
bill along the back 2-1/4, along the edge of lower mandible 2-10/12;
tarsus 1-(1/2)/12; middle toe (9-1/2)/12, its claw 5/12. Weight 6-1/2
oz.
The Female is similar to the Male.
The young, after the first moult, are of a light greyish-blue colour
on the upper parts, the feathers tipped and banded in an undulating
manner with brownish-black; the upper part of the head and the hind
neck are of the latter colour, but mottled with white. The quills
are as in the adult, the tail grey, with irregular brownish-black
markings towards the tips of the feathers. The lower parts are also
pale grey, but much lighter than the upper. The bill and feet are
black, but the tip of the former has not yet assumed a yellow tint.
THE BLACK TERN.
_STERNA NIGRA_, LINN.
PLATE CCLXXX. ADULT MALE AND YOUNG.
The Black Tern begins to arrive from the Mexican territories over
the waters of the Western Country, about the middle of April, and
continues to pass for about a month. At that season I have observed
it ascending the Mississippi from New Orleans to the head waters of
the Ohio, then cutting over the land, and arriving at the Great Lakes,
beyond which many proceed still farther northward. But I have rarely
met with them along our Atlantic shores until autumn, when the young,
which, like those of all other Terns with which I am acquainted, mostly
keep by themselves until spring, make their appearance there. Nor
did I see a single individual when on my way to Labrador, or during
my visit to that country. They re-appear in the Western Country, in
the course of their southern migration, in the months of September
and October; but many pairs breed in the intermediate range.
When residing at Louisville in Kentucky, I found the Black Tern
abundant in the neighbourhood, breeding on the margins of ponds at a
short distance from the Ohio. I also found them with nests and eggs
on a pond near Vincennes, in the State of Indiana. Now, however,
they have abandoned those places, and merely pass over the country
on their way to and from the northern regions.
Often have I watched their graceful light and rapid flight, as they
advanced and passed over in groups of twenty, thirty or more, from the
delightful residence of my worthy friend and kind relative NICHOLAS
BERTHOUD, Esq. of Shippingport, during the month of May, when Nature,
opening her stores anew, benignly smiled upon the favoured land of
Kentucky. The gay birds were seen ranging from the basin at the foot
of the rapids to the lower part of the narrow channel which separates
Sandy Island from the shore, up the clear stream and down again,
plunging at short intervals into the water to seize their prey, and
continuing their pleasing occupations through the whole day. When
the period of reproduction arrived, they would all betake themselves
to the ponds, and search along their moist shores for tufts of rank
grass such as might form suitable places for their nests. One of their
favourite ponds still remains in part, although a great portion of it
has been drained. It is now known by the name of Hope-Distillery Pond,
and lies a few hundred yards from the Ohio, but is nearly surrounded
with buildings of various kinds. ALEXANDER WILSON, to whom I shewed
the old nests of the Black Tern at this place, did not seem to be
acquainted with the bird, and thought that they were those of some
species of Rail.
The nest is usually placed on the top of a broken tussock of the
rankest grasses, of which it is itself composed, it being of a flattish
form, and about two inches thick. It is enlarged or renewed every
year, some nests being found to be from four to six inches in height.
In some instances the water surrounds the foot of the tussock on which
it is placed. They begin to lay on the first days of June. The eggs,
of which the full number is four, greatly resemble in colour those of
the Sandwich and Arctic Terns. When disturbed at this season, these
birds are as noisy as any of the tribe; but they remain close over the
place, and go to the river only at intervals to procure food. Both
sexes incubate by turns, and the eggs are kept constantly covered.
They average in length one inch and three-eighths by one inch across,
and are nearly of an elliptical form, being but slightly pointed at
one end; their ground colour is greenish-buff, spotted and dashed
with reddish umber and black, more abundantly toward the middle.
I took the trouble of counting the number of nests round the pond,
and found it more than seventy. About the middle of August the young
fly well, and are able to seek food for themselves. I have seen the
parent birds feed them on wing in the manner of swallows.
They alight less frequently on the water than the larger species. On
shore they walk like swallows. During autumn they hunt for food over
the wet prairies, passing low, and picking up the insects as they
proceed without alighting. At this season, both old and young have
become more silent. They are at all times less shy than most others
of the tribe. Their principal food consists of aquatic insects and
small fry, and their flesh is tolerably good.
Since I wrote the above notice, I have been informed by my youngest
son that this species was still seen about the Falls of the Ohio, in
considerable numbers, a few years ago; but that, although he observed
them there in spring, summer, and early autumn, he did not discover
their breeding grounds, which are perhaps now farther inland than
formerly.
STERNA NIGRA, _Linn._ Syst. Nat. vol. i. p. 227.—_Lath._
Ind. Ornith. vol. ii. p. 810.—_Ch. Bonaparte_, Synopsis of
Birds of the United States, p. 355.
SHORT-TAILED TERN, STERNA PLUMBEA, _Wils._ Amer. Ornith.
vol. vi. p. 83. pl. 60. fig. 3. Young.
STERNA NIGRA, BLACK TERN, _Swains. and Richards._ Fauna
Bor. Amer. part ii. p. 415.
BLACK TERN, OR STERN, _Nuttall_, Manual, vol. ii. p. 282.
Adult Male. Plate CCLXXX. Fig. 1.
Bill about the same length as the head, slender, tapering, compressed,
nearly straight, very acute. Upper mandible with the dorsal line
slightly arched, the ridge convex at the base, narrowed towards
the end, the sides sloping at the base, slightly convex and nearly
perpendicular towards the tip, the edges sharp, the tip acute. Nasal
groove reaching nearly to the middle of the mandible; nostrils basal,
linear, direct, pervious. Lower mandible with the angle very narrow,
acute, extending beyond the middle, the dorsal line straight, the sides
erect and slightly convex, the edges sharp and slightly inflected,
the tip extremely acute.
Head of moderate size, oblong; neck rather short; body slender.
Feet small; tibia bare for a short space; tarsus very short, covered
anteriorly with small scutella, laterally and behind with reticular
scales; toes very slender, the first extremely small, the third
longest, the fourth nearly as long, the second much shorter, all
scutellate above, the anterior connected by short reticulate webs,
having a concave margin, and not extending much beyond the middle
of the toes. Claws long, slender, arched, compressed, acute, that of
hind toe smallest, of middle toe largest, and having a thin dilated
inner edge.
Plumage soft, close, blended, on the head short, on the back somewhat
compact. Wings very long, narrow and pointed; primary quills tapering,
the outer slightly curved inwards at the end, the first longest, the
rest rapidly graduated; secondary short, broad, incurved, rounded.
Tail of moderate length, emarginate, of twelve rounded feathers.
Bill brownish-black. Iris brown. Feet reddish-brown, claws black. Head,
neck, breast, sides and abdomen, greyish-black; lower tail-coverts
white, lower wing-coverts bluish-grey. The general colour of the
upper parts is dark bluish-grey; the outer web of the first quill
greyish-black.
Length to end of tail 9 inches, to end of wings 11; extent of wings 24;
wing from flexure 8-3/4; tail 3-1/2; bill along the back 1-1/12, along
the edge of lower mandible 1-5/12; tarsus 8/12; middle toe 8/12, its
claw (5-1/2)/12. Weight 3 oz.
Young Male in Autumn. Plate CCLXXX.
The bill, iris, and feet nearly as in the adult. The upper parts
are greyish-blue, the feathers of the fore part of the back, and
especially the scapulars, brown towards the end; the upper and hind
part of the head greyish-black, of which there is a darker mark behind,
and another before the eye; the forehead greyish-white, as are the
sides of the head, the fore neck, the breast, and the abdomen; the
sides dusky grey; the lower wing-coverts greyish-white. The quills
are darker towards the end, and the first primary is black along the
outer web.
Length to end of tail 7-3/4 inches, to end of wings 9-8/12; wing from
flexure 7-3/4; tail 2-10/12; bill along the ridge 11/12, along the edge
of lower mandible 1-2/12; tarsus (7-1/2)/12; middle toe 8/12, its claw
5/12.
NATCHEZ IN 1820.
One clear frosty morning in December I approached in my flat-boat the
City of Natchez. The shores were crowded with boats of various kinds,
laden with the produce of the western country; and there was a bustle
about them, such as you might see at a general fair, each person being
intent on securing the advantage of a good market. Yet the scene was
far from being altogether pleasing, for I was yet “under the hill;”
but on removing from the lower town, I beheld the cliffs on which the
city, properly so called, has been built. Vultures unnumbered flew
close along the ground on expanded pinions, searching for food; large
pines and superb magnolias here and there raised their evergreen tops
toward the skies; while on the opposite shores of the Mississippi,
vast alluvial beds stretched along, and the view terminated with the
dense forest. Steamers moved rapidly on the broad waters of the great
stream; the sunbeams fell with a peculiarly pleasant effect on the
distant objects; and as I watched the motions of the White-headed
Eagle while pursuing the Fishing Hawk, I thought of the wonderful
ways of that Power to whom I too owe my existence.
Before reaching the land I had observed that several saw-mills were
placed on ditches or narrow canals, along which the water rushed
from the inner swamps towards the river, and by which the timber
is conveyed to the shore; and on inquiring afterwards, I found that
one of those temporary establishments had produced a net profit of
upwards of six thousand dollars in a single season.
There is much romantic scenery about Natchez. The Lower Town forms a
most remarkable contrast with the Upper, for in the former the houses
were not regularly built, being generally dwellings formed of the
abandoned flat boats, placed in rows as if with the view of forming
a long street. The inhabitants formed a medley which it is beyond my
power to describe; hundreds of laden carts and other vehicles jogged
along the declivity between the two towns; but when, by a very rude
causeway, I gained the summit, I was relieved by the sight of an
avenue of those beautiful trees called here the Pride of China. In
the Upper Town I found the streets all laid off at right angles to
each other, and tolerably well lined with buildings, constructed with
painted bricks or boards. The agricultural richness of the surrounding
country was shewn by the heaps of cotton bales and other produce that
encumbered the streets. The churches, however, did not please me;
but as if to make up for this, I found myself unexpectedly accosted
by my relative Mr BERTHOUD, who presented me with letters from my
wife and sons. These circumstances put me in high spirits, and we
proceeded towards the best hotel in the place, that of Mr GARNIER.
The house, which was built on the Spanish plan, and of great size,
was surrounded by large virandas overlooking a fine garden, and stood
at a considerable distance from any other. At this period the City of
Natchez had a population not exceeding three thousand individuals.
I have not visited it often since, but I have no doubt that, like
all the other towns in the western district of our country, it has
greatly increased. It possessed a bank, and the mail arrived there
thrice in the week from all parts of the Union.
The first circumstance that strikes a stranger is the mildness of the
temperature. Several vegetables as pleasing to the eye as agreeable
to the palate, and which are seldom seen in our eastern markets
before May, were here already in perfection. The Pewee Fly-catcher
had chosen the neighbourhood of the city for its winter quarters,
and our deservedly famed Mocking Bird sang and danced gratis to every
passer by. I was surprised to see the immense number of Vultures that
strode along the streets, or slumbered on the roofs. The country for
many miles inland is gently undulated. Cotton is produced abundantly,
and wealth and happiness have taken up their abode under most of
the planter’s roofs, beneath which the wearied traveller or the
poor wanderer in search of a resting place, is sure to meet with
comfort and relief. Game is abundant, and the free Indians were wont
in those days to furnish the markets with ample supplies of venison
and Wild Turkey. The Mississippi, which bathes the foot of the hill,
some hundred feet below the town, supplies the inhabitants with fish
of various kinds. The greatest deficiency is that of water, which
for common purposes is dragged on sledges or wheels from the river,
while that used for drinking is collected in tanks from the roofs,
and becomes very scarce during protracted droughts. Until of late
years, the orange-tree bore fruit in the open air; but owing to the
great change that has taken place in the temperature, severe though
transient frosts occasionally occur, which now prevent this plant
from coming to perfection in the open air.
The remains of an old Spanish Fort are still to be seen at a short
distance from the city. If I am correctly informed, about two years
previous to this visit of mine, a large portion of the hill near it
gave way, sank about a hundred feet, and carried many of the houses of
the lower town into the river. This, it would appear, was occasioned
by the quicksand running springs that flow beneath the strata of mixed
pebbles and clay, of which the hill is composed. The part that has
subsided presents the appearance of a basin or bowl, and is used as
a depot for the refuse of the town, on which the Vultures feed when
they can get nothing better. There it was that I saw a White-headed
Eagle chase one of those filthy birds, knock it down, and feast on
the entrails of a horse, which the Carrion Crow had partly swallowed.
I did not meet at Natchez with many individuals fond of Ornithological
pursuits, but the hospitality with which I was received was such
as I am not likely to forget. Mr GARNIER subsequently proved an
excellent friend to me, as you may find elsewhere recorded. Of
another individual, whose kindness towards me is indelibly impressed
on my heart, I would say a few words, although he was such a man as
FENELON alone could describe. CHARLES CARRÉ was of French origin,
the son of a nobleman of the old regime. His acquirements and the
benevolence of his disposition were such, that when I first met with
him, I could not help looking upon him as another MENTOR. Although
his few remaining locks were grey, his countenance still expressed
the gaiety and buoyant feelings of youth. He had the best religious
principles; for his heart and his purse were ever open to the poor.
Under his guidance it was that I visited the whole neighbourhood of
Natchez; for he was acquainted with all its history, from the period
at which it had first come under the power of the Spaniards to that
of their expulsion from the country, its possession by the French,
and subsequently by ourselves. He was also well versed in the Indian
languages, spoke French with the greatest purity, and was a religious
poet. Many a pleasant hour have I spent in his company; but alas! he
has gone the way of all the earth!
THE GREAT WHITE HERON.
_ARDEA OCCIDENTALIS._
PLATE CCLXXXI.
I am now about to present you with an account of the habits of the
largest species of the Heron tribe hitherto found in the United
States, and which is indeed remarkable not only for its great size,
but also for the pure white of its plumage at every period of its
life. Writers who have subdivided the family, and stated that none
of the True Herons are white, will doubtless be startled when they,
for the first time, look at my plate of this bird. I think, however,
that our endeavours to discover the natural arrangement of things
cannot be uniformly successful, and it is clear that he only who
has studied _all_ can have much chance of disposing all according to
their relations.
On the 24th of April 1832, I landed on Indian Key in Florida, and
immediately after formed an acquaintance with Mr EGAN, of whom I have
already several times spoken. He it was who first gave me notice of
the species which forms the subject of this article, and of which I
cannot find any description. The next day after that of my arrival,
when I was prevented from accompanying him by my anxiety to finish
a drawing, he came in with two young birds alive, and another lying
dead in a nest, which he had cut off from a mangrove. You may imagine
how delighted I was, when at the very first glance I felt assured
that they were different from any that I had previously seen. The
two living birds were of a beautiful white, slightly tinged with
cream-colour, remarkably fat and strong for their age, which the
worthy Pilot said could not be more than three weeks. The dead bird
was quite putrid and much smaller. It looked as if it had accidentally
been trampled to death by the parent birds ten or twelve days before,
the body being almost flat and covered with filth. The nest with the
two live birds was placed in the yard. The young Herons seemed quite
unconcerned when a person approached them, although on displaying
one’s hand to them, they at once endeavoured to strike it with their
bill. My Newfoundland dog, a well-trained and most sagacious animal,
was whistled for and came up; on which the birds rose partially on
their legs, ruffled all their feathers, spread their wings, opened
their bills, and clicked their mandibles in great anger, but without
attempting to leave the nest. I ordered the dog to go near them, but
not to hurt them. They waited until he went within striking distance,
when the largest suddenly hit him with its bill, and hung to his
nose. Plato, however, took it all in good part, and merely brought
the bird towards me, when I seized it by the wings, which made it let
go its hold. It walked off as proudly as any of its tribe, and I was
delighted to find it possessed of so much courage. These birds were
left under the charge of Mrs EGAN, until I returned from my various
excursions to the different islands along the coast.
On the 26th of the same month, Mr THRUSTON took me and my companions
in his beautiful barge to some keys on which the Florida Cormorants
were breeding in great numbers. As we were on the way we observed
two tall white Herons standing on their nests; but although I was
anxious to procure them alive, an unfortunate shot from one of the
party brought them to the water. They were, I was told, able to fly,
but probably had never seen a man before. While searching that day
for nests of the Zenaida Dove, we observed a young Heron of this
species stalking among the mangroves that bordered the key on which
we were, and immediately pursued it. Had you been looking on, good
Reader, you might have enjoyed a hearty laugh, although few of us
could have joined you. Seven or eight persons were engaged in the
pursuit of this single bird, which, with extended neck, wings, and
legs, made off among the tangled trees at such a rate, that, anxious
as I was to obtain it alive, I several times thought of shooting it.
At length, however, it was caught, its bill was securely tied, its
legs were drawn up, and fastened by a strong cord, and the poor thing
was thus conveyed to Indian Key, and placed along with its kinsfolk.
On seeing it, the latter immediately ran towards it with open bills,
and greeted it with a most friendly welcome, passing their heads over
and under its own in the most curious and indeed ludicrous manner.
A bucketful of fish was thrown to them, which they swallowed in a
few minutes. After a few days, they also ate pieces of pork-rhind,
cheese, and other substances.
While sailing along the numerous islands that occur between Indian
Key and Key West, I saw many birds of this species, some in pairs,
some single, and others in flocks; but on no occasion did I succeed
in getting within shot of one. Mr EGAN consoled me by saying that
he knew some places beyond Key West where I certainly should obtain
several, were we to spend a day and a night there for the purpose.
Dr BENJAMIN STROBEL afterwards gave me a similar assurance. In the
course of a week after reaching Key West, I in fact procured more
than a dozen birds of different ages, as well as nests and eggs, and
their habits were carefully examined by several of my party.
At three o’clock one morning, you might have seen Mr EGAN and myself,
about eight miles from our harbour, paddling as silently as possible
over some narrow and tortuous inlets, formed by the tides through
a large flat and partially submersed key. There we expected to find
many White Herons; but our labour was for a long time almost hopeless,
for, although other birds occurred, we had determined to shoot nothing
but the Great White Heron, and none of that species came near us. At
length, after six or seven hours of hard labour, a Heron flew right
over our heads, and to make sure of it, we both fired at once. The
bird came down dead. It proved to be a female, which had either been
sitting on her eggs or had lately hatched her young, her belly being
bare, and her plumage considerably worn. We now rested a while, and
breakfasted on some biscuit soaked in molasses and water, reposing
under the shade of the mangroves, where the mosquitoes had a good
opportunity of breaking their fast also. We went about from one key to
another, saw a great number of White Herons, and at length, towards
night, reached the Marion, rather exhausted, and having a solitary
bird. Mr EGAN and I had been most of the time devising schemes for
procuring others with less trouble, a task which might easily have
been accomplished a month before, when, as he said, the birds were
“sitting hard.” He asked if I would return that night at twelve o’clock
to the last key which we had visited. I mentioned the proposal to our
worthy Captain, who, ever willing to do all in his power to oblige
me, when the service did not require constant attendance on board,
said that if I would go, he would accompany us in the gig. Our guns
were soon cleaned, provisions and ammunition placed in the boats,
and after supping we talked and laughed until the appointed time.
“Eight Bells” made us bound on our feet, and off we pushed for the
islands. The moon shone bright in the clear sky; but as the breeze
had died away, we betook ourselves to our oars. The state of the
tide was against us, and we had to drag our boats several miles over
the soapy shallows; but at last we found ourselves in a deep channel
beneath the hanging mangroves of a large key, where we had observed
the Herons retiring to roost the previous evening. There we lay quietly
until daybreak. But the mosquitoes and sandflies! Reader, if you have
not been in such a place, you cannot easily conceive the torments
we endured for a whole hour, when it was absolutely necessary for us
to remain perfectly motionless. At length day dawned, and the boats
parted, to meet on the other side of the key. Slowly and silently
each advanced. A Heron sprung from its perch almost directly over
our heads. Three barrels were discharged,—in vain; the bird flew on
unscathed; the pilot and I had probably been too anxious. As the bird
sped away, it croaked loudly, and the noise, together with the report
of our guns, roused some hundreds of these Herons, which flew from
the mangroves, and in the grey light appeared to sail over and around
us like so many spectres. I almost despaired of procuring any more.
The tide was now rising, and when we met with the other boat we were
told, that if we had waited until we could have shot at them while
perched, we might have killed several; but that now we must remain
until full tide, for the birds had gone to their feeding grounds.
The boats parted again, and it was now arranged that whenever a
Heron was killed, another shot should be fired exactly one minute
after, by which each party would be made aware of the success of the
other. Mr EGAN, pointing to a nest on which stood two small young
birds, desired to be landed near it. I proceeded into a narrow bayou,
where we remained quiet for about half an hour, when a Heron flew
over us and was shot. It was a very fine old male. Before firing my
signal shot, I heard a report from afar, and a little after mine was
discharged I heard another shot, so I felt assured that two birds
had been killed. When I reached the Captain’s boat I found that he
had in fact obtained two; but Mr EGAN had waited two hours in vain
near the nest, for none of the old birds came up. We took him from
his hiding place, and brought the Herons along with us. It was now
nearly high water. About a mile from us, more than a hundred Herons
stood on a mud-bar up to their bellies. The pilot said that now was
our best chance, as the tide would soon force them to fly, when they
would come to rest on the trees. So we divided, each choosing his own
place, and I went to the lowest end of the key, where it was separated
from another by a channel. I soon had the pleasure of observing all
the Herons take to wing, one after another, in quick succession. I
then heard my companions’ guns, but no signal of success. Obtaining
a good chance as I thought, I fired at a remarkably large bird, and
distinctly heard the shot strike it. The Heron merely croaked, and
pursued its course. Not another bird came near enough to be shot at,
although many had alighted on the neighbouring key, and stood perched
like so many newly finished statues of the purest alabaster, forming a
fine contrast to the deep blue sky. The boats joined us. Mr EGAN had
one bird, the Captain another, and both looked at me with surprise.
We now started for the next key, where we expected to see more. When
we had advanced several hundred yards along its low banks, we found
the bird at which I had shot lying with extended wings in the agonies
of death. It was from this specimen that the drawing was made. I was
satisfied with the fruits of this day’s excursion. On other occasions
I procured fifteen more birds, and judging that number sufficient,
I left the Herons to their occupations.
This species is extremely shy. Sometimes they would rise when at
the distance of half a mile from us, and fly quite out of sight. If
pursued, they would return to the very keys or mud-flats from which
they had risen, and it was almost impossible to approach one while
perched or standing in the water. Indeed, I have no doubt that half
a dozen specimens of _Ardea Herodias_ could be procured for one of
the present, in the same time and under similar circumstances.
The Great White Heron is a constant resident on the Florida Keys, where
it is found more abundant during the breeding season than anywhere
else. They rarely go as far eastward as Cape Florida, and are not
seen on the Tortugas, probably because these islands are destitute
of mangroves. They begin to pair early in March, but many do not lay
their eggs until the middle of April. Their courtships were represented
to me as similar to those of the Great Blue Heron. Their nests are at
times met with at considerable distances from each other, and although
many are found on the same keys, they are placed farther apart than
those of the species just mentioned. They are seldom more than a few
feet above high water-mark, which in the Floridas is so low, that
they look as if only a yard or two above the roots of the trees. From
twenty to thirty nests which I examined were thus placed. They were
large, about three feet in diameter, formed of sticks of different
sizes, but without any appearance of lining, and quite flat, being
several inches thick. The eggs are always three, measure two inches
and three quarters in length, one inch and eight-twelfths in breadth,
and have a rather thick shell, of a uniform plain light bluish-green
colour. Mr EGAN told me that incubation continues about thirty days,
that both birds sit, (the female, however, being most assiduous,) and
with their legs stretched out before them, in the same manner as the
young when two or three weeks old. The latter, of which I saw several
from ten days to a month old, were pure white, slightly tinged with
cream colour, and had no indications of a crest. Those which I carried
to Charleston, and which were kept for more than a year, exhibited
nothing of the kind. I am unable to say how long it is before they
attain their full plumage as represented in the plate, when, as you
see, the head is broadly but loosely and shortly tufted, the feathers
of the breast pendent, but not remarkably long, and there are none
of the narrow feathers seen in other species over the rump or wings.
These Herons are sedate, quiet, and perhaps even less animated than
the _A. Herodias_. They walk majestically, with firmness and great
elegance. Unlike the species just named, they _flock_ at their feeding
grounds, sometimes a hundred or more being seen together; and what
is still more remarkable is, that they betake themselves to the
mud-flats or sand-bars at a distance from the Keys on which they roost
and breed. They seem, in so far as I could judge, to be diurnal, an
opinion corroborated by the testimony of Mr EGAN, a person of great
judgment, sagacity and integrity. While on these banks, they stand
motionless, rarely moving towards their prey, but waiting until it
comes near, when they strike it and swallow it alive, or when large
beat it on the water, or shake it violently, biting it severely all
the while. They never leave their feeding grounds until driven off
by the tide, remaining until the water reaches their body. So wary
are they, that although they may return to roost on the same keys,
they rarely alight on trees to which they have resorted before, and
if repeatedly disturbed they do not return, for many weeks at least.
When roosting, they generally stand on one foot, the other being
drawn up, and, unlike the Ibises, are never seen lying flat on trees,
where, however, they draw in their long neck, and place their head
under their wing.
I was often surprised to see that while a flock was resting by day
in the position just described, one or more stood with outstretched
necks, keenly eyeing all around, now and then suddenly starting at the
sight of a Porpoise or Shark in chase of some fish. The appearance
of a man or a boat, seemed to distract them; and yet I was told
that nobody ever goes in pursuit of them. If surprised, they leave
their perch with a rough croaking sound, and fly directly to a great
distance, but never inland.
The flight of the Great White Heron is firm, regular, and greatly
protracted. They propel themselves by regular slow flaps, the head
being drawn in after they have proceeded a few yards, and their legs
extended behind, as is the case with all other Herons. They also now
and then rise high in the air, where they sail in wide circles, and
they never alight without performing this circling flight, unless
when going to feeding grounds on which other individuals have already
settled. It is truly surprising that a bird of so powerful a flight
never visits Georgia or the Carolinas, nor goes to the Mainland. When
you see them about the middle of the day on their feeding grounds they
“loom” to about double their size, and present a singular appearance.
It is difficult to kill them unless with buck-shot, which we found
ourselves obliged to use.
When I left Key West, on our return towards Charleston, I took with me
two young birds that had been consigned to the care of my friend Dr
B. STROBEL, who assured me that they devoured more than their weight
of food per day. I had also two young birds of the _Ardea Herodias_
alive. After bringing them on board, I placed them all together in
a very large coop; but was soon obliged to separate the two species,
for the white birds would not be reconciled to the blue, which they
would have killed. While the former had the privilege of the deck
for a few minutes, they struck at the smaller species, such as the
young of _Ardea rufescens_ and _A. Ludoviciana_, some of which they
instantly killed and swallowed entire, although they were abundantly
fed on the flesh of green Turtles. None of the sailors succeeded in
making friends with them.
On reaching Indian Key, I found those which had been left with Mrs
EGAN, in excellent health and much increased in size, but to my
surprise observed that their bills were much broken, which she assured
me had been caused by the great force with which they struck at the
fishes thrown to them on the rocks of their enclosure,—a statement
which I found confirmed by my own observation in the course of the
day. It was almost as difficult to catch them in the yard, as if
they had never seen a man before, and we were obliged to tie their
bills fast, to avoid being wounded by them while carrying them on
board. They thrived well, and never manifested the least animosity
towards each other. One of them which accidentally walked before
the coop in which the Blue Herons were, thrust its bill between the
bars, and transfixed the head of one of these birds, so that it was
instantaneously killed.
When we arrived at Charleston, four of them were still alive. They were
taken to my friend JOHN BACHMAN, who was glad to see them. He kept a
pair, and offered the other to our mutual friend Dr SAMUEL WILSON, who
accepted them, but soon afterwards gave them to Dr GIBBES of Columbia
College, merely because they had killed a number of Ducks. My friend
BACHMAN kept two of these birds for many months; but it was difficult
for him to procure fish enough for them, as they swallowed a bucketful
of mullets in a few minutes, each devouring about a gallon of these
fishes. They betook themselves to roosting in a beautiful arbour in
his garden; where at night they looked with their pure white plumage
like beings of another world. It is a curious fact, that the points of
their bills, of which an inch at least had been broken, grew again,
and were as regularly shaped at the end of six months as if nothing
had happened to them. In the evening or early in the morning, they
would frequently set, like pointer dogs, at moths which hovered over
the flowers, and with a well-directed stroke of their bill seize the
fluttering insect and instantly swallow it. On many occasions, they
also struck at chickens, grown fowls and ducks, which they would
tear up and devour. Once a cat which was asleep in the sunshine, on
the wooden steps of the viranda, was pinned through the body to the
boards, and killed by one of them. At last they began to pursue the
younger children of my worthy friend, who therefore ordered them to
be killed. One of them was beautifully mounted by my assistant Mr
HENRY WARD, and is now in the Museum of Charleston. Dr GIBBES was
obliged to treat his in the same manner; and I afterwards saw one of
them in his collection. Of the fifteen skins of this species which I
carried to Philadelphia, one was presented to the Academy of Natural
Sciences of that beautiful city, another was given in exchange for
various skins, and two I believe are now in the possession of GEORGE
COOPER, Esq. of New York. Two were sent along with other specimens to
Mr SELBY of Twizel House, Northumberland. On my arrival in England, I
presented a pair to His Royal Highness the Duke of Sussex, who gave
them to the British Museum, where I have since seen them mounted. I
also presented a specimen to the Zoological Society of London.
Mr EGAN kept for about a year one of these birds, which he raised
from the nest, and which, when well grown, was allowed to ramble along
the shores of Indian Key in quest of food. One of the wings had been
cut, and the bird was known to all the resident inhabitants, but was
at last shot by some Indian Hunter, who had gone there to dispose of
a collection of sea shells.
Some of the Herons feed on the berries of certain trees during the
latter part of autumn and the beginning of winter. Dr B. B. STROBEL
observed the Night Heron eating those of the “Gobolimbo,” late in
September at Key West.
Among the varied and contradictory descriptions of Herons, you will
find it alleged that these birds seize fish while on wing by plunging
the head and neck into the water; but this seems to me extremely
doubtful. Nor, I believe, do they watch for their prey while perched
on trees. Another opinion is, that Herons are always thin, and unfit
for food. This, however, is by no means generally the case in America,
and I have thought these birds very good eating when not too old.
GREAT WHITE HERON, ARDEA OCCIDENTALIS.
Adult Male. Plate CCLXXXI.
Bill much longer than the head, straight, compressed, tapering to
a point, the mandibles nearly equal, but the point of the upper
considerably extended beyond that of the lower. Upper mandible with
the dorsal line nearly straight, the ridge broadly convex at the
base, convex and narrowed towards the end, a groove from the base to
near the tip, beneath which the sides are convex, the edges extremely
thin and sharp, towards the end broken into irregular serratures,
the tip acute. Lower mandible with the angle extremely narrow and
elongated, the dorsal line beyond it ascending and slightly curved,
the ridge convex, the sides ascending and slightly concave, the edges
as in the upper, the tip acuminate. Nostrils basal, linear-oblong,
longitudinal, with a membrane above and behind.
Head of moderate size, oblong, compressed. Neck extremely long,
slender. Body slender and compressed; wings large. Feet very long;
tibia elongated, its lower half bare, very slender, covered all round
with large elongated hexagonal scales; tarsus long, thicker than the
lower part of the tibia, compressed, covered anteriorly with large
scutella, excepting at the two extremities where there are large
angular scales. Toes of moderate length, rather slender, scutellate
above, flattened, and reticularly granulate beneath, the thick margins
covered with small scales, the sides with larger; the third and fourth
toes connected at the base by a reticulated web; the third toe much
longer than the fourth, which is considerably longer than the second,
the first about half the length of the third; claws of moderate size,
strong, compressed, curved, obtuse, the first largest, the third next
in size, and with an inner regularly pectinated edge, all more or
less convex beneath.
Space between the bill and eye, and around the latter, as well as
at the angle of the mouth bare, as is the lower half of the tibia.
Plumage soft, the edges of the feathers loose and blended. Feathers
of the upper part of the head and hind neck elongated and tapering;
of the back long and loose, of the rump soft and downy; scapulars
very long, rather compact, the upper loose. Feathers of the fore neck
elongated, of the sides of the breast anteriorly very long, loose
and tapering; of the rest of the lower parts broader but pointed; of
the tibia shortish. Wings large, rounded; primaries curved, strong,
broad, tapering, the three first slightly sinuate on the inner web;
third quill longest, fourth scarcely shorter, third almost as long as
fourth, first a quarter of an inch shorter; secondaries very large,
broad and rounded, the inner extending as far as the longest primary
when the wing is closed. Tail short, slightly rounded, of twelve
broad, rounded feathers.
Bill yellow, the upper mandible dusky green at its base; loral space
yellowish-green; orbital space light blue. Iris bright yellow. Tibia
and hind part of tarsus yellow; fore part of tibia and toes olivaceous,
sides of the latter greenish-yellow; claws light brown. The whole of
the plumage is pure white.
Length to end of tail 54 inches, to end of wings 54, to end of claws
70; extent of wings 83; wing from flexure 19; tail 7; bill along the
back 6-3/4, along the edges 8-3/4; bare part of tibia 6; tarsus 8-1/2;
middle toe 4-10/12, its claw 10/12. Weight 9-1/2 lb.
The Female is smaller, but similar to the male. The dimensions of an
individual were as follows.
Length to end of tail 50, to end of wings 50, to end of claws 65;
extent of wings 75; wing from flexure 18-3/4; tail 6-3/4; bill along the
back 5-10/12, along the edges 7-3/4, its depth at base 1-5/12; tarsus
7-1/2; middle toe 4-1/4, its claw 9/12. Weight 7-1/4 lb.
The Young are at first covered with white down, and when fledged
are of the same colour. An individual just able to fly was of the
following dimensions.
Length to end of tail 43-1/2, to end of claws 56; wing from flexure 18;
bill 5-4/12; along the edge 7-1/4; tarsus 6-1/2; middle toe 4-1/4, its
claw 3/4. The serrature of the middle claw is distinct at this age.
In this species, the skin is uncommonly tender, and of a yellow colour.
THE WHITE-WINGED SILVERY GULL.
_LARUS LEUCOPTERUS_, FABER.
PLATE CCLXXXII. ADULT MALE, AND YOUNG.
I have not met with this species farther south than the Bay of New
York. During the winter it is not rare about Boston and farther
eastward. At the approach of summer, before the pairing of the Herring
Gull, _Larus argentatus_, the White-winged Gulls collect in flocks,
and set out for the distant north, where they breed.
The flight of this species so much resembles that of the Herring Gull,
that were it not for its smaller size, and the different colour of
its wings, it could not be distinguished from the other. It is less
shy, however, proceeds farther up the rivers and salt-water creeks,
and alights oftener on the water as well as on the salt-meadows, than
that species. While at Portland in Maine, I observed a good number
of these Gulls flying over the inner harbour close to the shores,
descending towards the water, and picking up garbage in the manner
of the Herring Gulls, with which they associated. Their notes were
not so loud, nor so often heard.
I was surprised to find but very few on the coast of Labrador, and
these did not seem to be breeding, for although we carefully watched
them, we did not succeed in finding any nests.
LARUS LEUCOPTERUS, _Ch. Bonaparte_, Synops. of Birds of
the United States, p. 361.
LARUS LEUCOPTERUS, WHITE-WINGED SILVERY GULL, _Swains. and
Richards._ Fauna Bor. Amer. part ii. p. 418.
LARUS ARCTICUS, _Macgillivray_, Wern. Trans, vol. v. p. 268.
WHITE-WINGED SILVERY GULL, _Nuttall_, Manual, vol. ii. p.
305.
Adult Male. Plate CCLXXXII. Fig. 1.
Bill shorter than the head, strong, nearly straight, compressed. Upper
mandible with the dorsal line nearly straight at the base, arched
and decimate towards the end, the ridge convex, the sides slightly
convex, the edges sharp, nearly direct, the tip rather obtuse. Nasal
groove rather long and narrow; nostril in its fore part, lateral,
longitudinal, linear, wider anteriorly, open and pervious. Lower
mandible with a prominence at the end of the angle, which is long
and narrow, the dorsal line then nearly straight and ascending, the
sides flat and slightly inclined, the edges sharp and inflected.
Head rather large. Neck of moderate length. Body rather full. Wings
very long. Feet of moderate length, rather slender; tibia bare
below; tarsus somewhat compressed, covered before with numerous broad
scutella, laterally and behind with roundish scales, on the outer side
also with a row of small scutella; toes of moderate length, rather
slender, all covered above with scutella; the anterior connected
by reticulated webs, the two lateral with an external thick margin;
the first extremely small, the third longest, the fourth longer than
second; claw of hind toe smallest, of third largest, with an inner
thin edge, of second next in size, all more or less compressed and
obtuse.
The plumage in general is close, elastic, very soft and blended, on
the back rather compact. Wings very long, broad, pointed; primaries
tapering, the first longest, the second slightly shorter, the rest
rapidly graduated; secondaries broad and rounded, the inner elongated
and rather narrow. Tail of moderate length, even, of twelve broad
feathers.
Bill gamboge-yellow, with a spot of orange-red near the end of lower
mandible; the angle of the mouth and the edges of the eyelids are
also orange-red. Iris pale yellow. Feet pale flesh-colour; claws
greyish-brown. The whole plumage is pure white, excepting the back
and upper surface of wings; the tips of the secondaries, the terminal
third or so of the primaries, their shafts, and the upper tail-coverts
also white.
Length to end of tail 26 inches, to end of wings 28-1/4; extent of
wings 50; bill along the back 1-3/4, along the edges 2-1/2; tarsus
2-1/2, middle toe 2-1/12, its claw (4-1/2)/12; wing from flexure
17-1/2; tail 6-1/2.
Young in winter. Plate CCLXXXII. Fig. 2.
Bill yellow, the tips black. Edges of eyelids pale reddish-orange; iris
brown. Feet yellowish flesh colour; claws greyish-brown. The plumage is
yellowish-grey, marked on the head and neck with longitudinal streaks
of pale brown, on the back and wings with transverse undulations,
those on the tail much fainter; the first six quills destitute of
markings.
THE WANDERING SHEARWATER.
_PUFFINUS CINEREUS_, CUV.
PLATE CCLXXXIII. MALE.
I have found this species ranging from the Gulf of St Lawrence to
that of Mexico, but have very seldom seen it near the coast. While
sailing round Nova Scotia, on my way to Labrador, early in June, I
observed one evening about sunset, a great number flying from the
rocky shores, which induced me to think that they bred there. Scarcely
one was to be seen during the day, and this circumstance strengthened
my opinion, as I was aware that these birds are in the habit of
remaining about their nests at that time. In September the case is
very different; for they are then seen far out at sea, at all hours
by day and through the night.
In calm weather, they are fond of alighting on the water, in company
with the Fulmars, and are then easily approached. They swim buoyantly,
and have a graceful appearance while playing among themselves. Two
that had been caught with hooks, walked as well as Ducks, and made
no pretence of sitting on their rumps, as some writers have said
they do. On being approached, they opened their bills, raised their
feathers, and squirted an oily substance through their nostrils,
which they continued to do when held in the hand, at the same time
scratching with their sharp claws and bills. They refused all sorts
of food; and as they were unpleasant pets, they were set at liberty.
To my great surprise, instead of flying directly off, as I expected,
they launched toward the water, dived several yards obliquely, and
on coming to the surface, splashed and washed themselves for several
minutes before they took to wing, when they flew away with their
usual ease and grace.
The flight of this wanderer of the ocean is extremely rapid and
protracted. When it blows hard, it skims along the troughs of the
waves on extended wings in large curves, shewing its upper and lower
parts alternately, evidently with the view of being aided by the
wind. In calm weather its flight is much lower and less rapid, and
it rarely throws its body sideways, but seems to feed more abundantly
than during boisterous weather. Like the small Petrels, it frequently
uses its feet to support itself on the surface, without actually
alighting. In the stomach of those which I opened, I found fishes,
portions of crabs, sea-weeds, and oily substances. It does not appear
that this species goes far north, as was formerly supposed; for none
of the late northern voyagers mention having seen it, although they
found the Fulmar abundant.
PUFFINUS CINEREUS, _Ch. Bonaparte_, Synopsis of Birds of
the United States, p. 370.
PROCELLARIA CINEREA, _Lath._ Ind. Ornith. vol. ii. p. 10.
CINEREOUS PUFFIN, _Nuttall_, Manual, p. 334.
Adult Male. Plate CCLXXXIII.
Bill about the same length as the head, rather slender, nearly as deep
as broad at the base, compressed towards the end, slightly curved
upwards, with the tips decurved. Upper mandible with a cere at the
base extending narrow to the nostrils, which are placed above, each
covered with a lateral convex plate, and open anteriorly, with an
elliptical aperture; the dorsal line as far as the nostrils nearly
straight, then suddenly deflected, after which it is slightly concave,
but towards the tip incurved, the ridge very broad and convex at
the base, narrower beyond the nostrils, from which a groove proceeds
obliquely to the commencement of the hooked tip; the sides convex and
nearly erect, the edges sharp. Lower mandible with the angle very long
and narrow, the dorsal line beyond it, decurved, the sides sloping
outwards, the edges sharp and inflected, the curved tip grooved above.
Head rather large, oblong, rather compressed. Neck short and stout.
Body moderate, deeper than broad. Wings long. Feet rather large; tibia
bare for a short space below; tarsus of moderate length, compressed,
covered all round with angular scales, the hind ones much smaller;
hind toe obsolete, but with a small conical deflected claw; fore
toes long, slender, connected by reticulated webs, the lateral ones
with thin edges; outer toe slightly longer than the third, but with a
shorter claw, the first considerably shorter; toes scutellate above;
claws arched, compressed, acute, that of third toe with an enlarged
sharp edge.
Plumage soft, close, blended; on the back compact, the feathers
rounded. Wings very long, pointed; primary quills tapering, the first
longest, the second considerably shorter, the rest rapidly graduated;
secondaries short, broad, obliquely rounded, the inner not elongated.
Tail of moderate length, graduated, of twelve rounded feathers.
Bill yellowish-green, the tips brownish-black, tinged with green.
Edges of eyelids dark-grey; iris brown. Feet light greenish-grey, webs
and claws yellowish flesh-colour. The upper parts in general are deep
brown, the hind neck paler and tinged with grey; the primary quills
and tail brownish-black. The lower parts are greyish-white; the lower
wing-coverts white, those next the edge of the wing greyish-black
towards the end, the axillary feathers white, greyish-brown towards
the end, lower tail-coverts similar.
Length to end of tail 20 inches, to end of wings 21-1/4; to end of
claws 21-1/4; extent of wings 45; wing from flexure 13-1/4; tail 5;
bill along the back 2-4/12, along the edge of lower mandible 2-3/4;
tarsus 2-1/4; middle toe 2-1/2, its claw 1/2. Weight 1 lb. 9-3/4 oz.
THE PURPLE SANDPIPER.
_TRINGA MARITIMA_, BRUNN.
PLATE CCLXXXIV. ADULT IN SUMMER AND IN WINTER.
I am surprised that my worthy friend THOMAS NUTTALL speaks of this
species as being scarcely ever seen in the United States, where, to
my knowledge, it is on the contrary very abundant, and nowhere more
so than in the neighbourhood of the Harbour of Boston, in the markets
of which city it is sold in autumn and winter. When I was there, a
gunner whom I employed brought me several dozens, which he had killed
in the course of a single afternoon. I have also seen some in the
markets of New York. Farther south, however, they are rarely met with.
Timid though not shy, they are seen in flocks of eight or ten, on
the rocky shores of the sea. They seem to shun sandy beaches, and
seldom advance far inland. While I was on the Bay of Fundy, I observed
numerous small flocks winging their way northward, in the month of
May. On one occasion, a flock alighted almost at my feet, so that I
was obliged to retire to a proper distance before shooting at them.
Their flight is pretty rapid, and when necessary sustained, for I
have observed them flying in compact bodies across the Gulf of St
Lawrence. When started along the shores, they emit a feeble _weet_,
which is repeated two or three times, take a sweep over the water,
and return to the same spot or near it, somewhat in the manner of
the Spotted Sandpiper. They are generally very busy while searching
for food, run nimbly with the body lowered on the legs, which are
much bent, go to the edge of the water, seize on small shell-fish,
shrimps and worms, and search industriously among the sea-weeds for
marine insects. Their marked predilection for rocky shores has caused
them to be named “Rock Snipes” by the gunners of our eastern coast.
In autumn and winter the young birds become fat, and afford delicate
eating.
I was sadly disappointed at not finding them breeding on any part
of the coast of Labrador which I visited, the more so because Dr
RICHARDSON says they are abundant on the shores of Hudson’s Bay,
where they breed. He gives no description of the nest or localities
on which they deposit their eggs, which are said to be “pyriform,
16-1/2 lines long, and an inch across at their greatest breadth. Their
colour is yellowish-grey, interspersed with small irregular spots of
pale brown, crowded at the obtuse end, and rare at the other.”
TRINGA MARITIMA, _Ch. Bonaparte_, Synopsis of Birds of the
United States, p. 318.—_Swains. and Richards._ Fauna Bor.
Amer. part ii. p. 382.
PURPLE SANDPIPER, _Nuttall_, Manual, vol. ii. p. 115.
Adult in summer. Plate CCLXXXIV. Fig. 1.
Bill longer than the head, almost straight, subulate, compressed
at the base, flexible; upper mandible with the dorsal line almost
straight, being slightly deflected towards the end, the ridge narrow
and convex, towards the end broader, the sides sloping, the edges
rather obtuse. Nostrils basal, lateral, linear; nasal groove extending
to near the end of the bill. Lower mandible with the angle long and
very narrow, the dorsal line beyond it slightly concave, the sides
sloping upwards with a narrow groove, the tip rounded.
Head rather small, oblong, compressed. Neck shortish. Body full. Feet
of moderate length, slender; tibia bare for a short space; tarsus
rather short, compressed, anteriorly covered with scutella, laterally
reticulated; toes of moderate length, excepting the first, which is
very small, third longest and including the claw longer than the
tarsus, fourth slightly longer than second; fore toes scutellate
above, without webs at the base, the middle one with an inner thickish
margin, the lateral each with an outer one; claws considerably curved,
compressed, obtuse, that of hind toe very small, of middle toe largest,
with a dilated thin inner edge.
Plumage soft, blended, on the back rather compact, the feathers
rounded. Wings rather long, pointed; primaries tapering, rounded,
the first longest, the second slightly shorter; outer secondaries
short, obliquely truncate, inner elongated and tapering. Tail short,
rounded, the central feathers elongated.
Bill deep orange, towards the end dusky. Edges of eyelids grey, iris
orange. Feet light orange, claws dusky. Head greyish-brown tinged
with purple, its sides and those of the neck deep purple; back and
wings brownish-black, with purple reflections, the margins of the
feathers white; quills brownish-black, their shafts, the tips of
all the secondaries, and the greater part of the middle ones, white;
middle tail-feathers brownish-black, tinged with purple, the lateral
shaded into ash-grey. Upper part of throat greyish-white, fore neck
grey; breast, sides, and abdomen white.
Length to end of tail 9-1/2, to end of wings 9-4/12, to end of claws 10;
extent of wings 14-3/4; wing from flexure 5, tail 2-1/2; bill along the
back 1-5/12, along the edge of lower mandible 1-5/12; tarsus 11/12;
middle toe 11/12, its claw 5/12. Weight 3-1/4 oz.
Adult in Winter. Plate CCLXXXIV. Fig. 2.
The principal differences in the winter plumage are, that the lower
parts are pale grey, while the upper have the purple tints much
fainter, the white edgings substituted by dull grey.
THE FORKED-TAILED GULL.
_LARUS SABINI_, SABINE.
PLATE CCLXXXV. MALE.
On my return from Labrador, I had the pleasure of seeing this
interesting little Gull flying over the harbour of Halifax in Nova
Scotia. It was in company with our Common American Gull. Although I
have not observed it on our eastern shores or farther south on the
coast, it is not improbable that it rambles there in winter along
with other species which, like itself, breed far north. Its flight in
some measure resembles that of the Common Tern, although it is more
decided, and, consequently, more like that of the smaller species of
its own genus. In the course of a voyage from Pictou in Nova Scotia to
Hull in England, lately performed by my friend Mr THOMAS MACCULLOCH,
he saw great numbers of this species when more than a hundred miles
off Newfoundland. They flew around the ship in company with an almost
equal number of Ross’s Gull.
Dr RICHARDSON gives the following account of the Forked-tailed Gull,
in the Fauna Boreali-Americana. “This interesting species of Gull was
discovered by Captain EDWARD SABINE. It was first seen on the 25th
of July at its breeding station on some low rocky islands lying off
the west coast of Greenland, associated in considerable numbers with
the Arctic Tern, the nests of both birds being intermingled. It is
analogous to the Tern not only in its forked tail, and in its choice
of a breeding place, but also in the boldness which it displays in
the protection of its young. The parent birds flew with impetuosity
towards persons approaching their nests, and when one was killed, its
mate, though frequently fired at, continued on the wing close to the
spot. They were observed to get their food on the sea-beach, standing
near the water’s edge, and picking up the marine insects which were
cast on shore. A solitary individual was seen in Prince Regent’s
Inlet, on Sir EDWARD PARRY’s first voyage, and many specimens were
procured in the course of the second voyage on Melville Peninsula.
Captain SABINE also killed a pair at Spitzbergen, so that it is a
pretty general summer visitor to the Arctic Seas, and is entitled to
be enumerated amongst the European as well as the American birds. It
arrives in the high northern latitudes in June, and retires to the
southward in August. Specimens procured in June and July corresponded
exactly with the one described below. When newly killed, they all
had a delicate pink blush on their under plumage. The eggs, two in
number, are deposited on the bare ground, and are hatched in the
last week of July. They are an inch and a half in length, and have
an olive colour with many brown blotches.”
At the approach of autumn, it frequently happens that several species
of gulls associate together, and at times congregate in great numbers
on the outer margins of sand-bars and in the large estuaries. There
they keep up a constant cackling, run about, dress their plumage,
and await the rising of the waters. If disturbed at such times, they
shew greater shyness than perhaps at any other. One of the oldest
birds sounds an alarm, and all simultaneously take to wing, disperse,
and gradually rise to a great elevation, flying in wide circles, and
moving seaward. I have thought it remarkable that these birds seldom
shun the fishermen, while towards any one bearing the semblance of
a gunner they act with extreme caution. Although loquacious when
congregated, they are when separated quite silent, especially when
on wing. In squally and rainy weather they skim low over the water
or the land, always against the wind. They are very tenacious of
life, and often, when wounded, revive after you had considered them
incapable of breathing. The instant they are caught they are wont
to mute and eject the contents of their stomach, as well as when
suddenly compelled to take to wing, or when pursued by predaceous
birds. In particular states of the weather they appear at a distance
much larger than they really are, and, on such occasions, they also
seem much nearer, so that the gunner is greatly deceived, and may
shoot at them when too far off.
LARUS SABINI, _Sabine_, (J.) Linn. Trans, vol. xii. p. 520.
pl. 29.
LARUS SABINII, FORK-TAILED GULL, _Swains. and Richards._
Fauna Bor. Amer. part ii. p. 428.
FORK-TAILED GULL, _Nuttall_, Manual, vol. ii. p. 295.
Adult Male. Plate CCLXXXV. Fig. 1.
Bill rather shorter than the head, nearly straight, rather slender,
compressed. Upper mandible with its dorsal line straight to the middle,
then curved and declinate, the ridge convex, the sides slightly convex,
the edges sharp and inflected, the tip rather obtuse. Nasal groove
rather long and narrow; nostrils in its fore part, longitudinal,
submedial, linear, pervious. Lower mandible with a slight prominence
at the end of the angle, which is long and narrow, the dorsal line
then straight or slightly concave, the ridge convex, the sides nearly
flat.
Head of moderate size. Neck short. Body rather slender. Wings very
long. Feet of moderate length, rather strong; tibia bare below for a
short space, covered behind with narrow scutella; tarsus compressed,
anteriorly covered with numerous scutella and three inferior series
of transverse scales, laterally with rounded scales, posteriorly with
oblique scutella. Toes slender, scutellate above; first extremely
small, second much shorter than fourth, third longest, anterior toes
connected by reticulated webs, the outer and inner slightly marginate;
claws small, compressed, obtuse, that of middle toe with an expanded
inner edge.
Plumage close, soft, blended. Wings very long and pointed; primaries
tapering and rounded, first longest, second almost equal, the rest
rapidly graduated; secondaries obliquely pointed, the rounded extremity
extending beyond the tip of the shaft, which is exterior to it, the
inner feathers more elongated. Tail of moderate length, forked, of
twelve feathers.
Bill black at the base for more than half its length, the rest pure
yellow. Edges of eyelids vermilion, as is the inside of the mouth.
Feet black. Head and upper part of neck all round blackish-grey, that
colour terminated below by a ring of pure black encircling the neck.
Lower neck all round, the whole lower surface, the upper tail-coverts
and the tail, pure white. The back and wings are bluish-grey, excepting
a large terminal portion of the secondaries, and the tips of the
primaries, which are white, the primaries themselves being black,
with their shafts brownish-black. The first quill of the specimen
figured had no white on the tip, but some individuals differ in this
respect.
Length to end of tail 13 inches, to end of wings 14-3/4; extent of wings
33; wing from flexure 10-3/4; tail 5; bill along the ridge 1, along the
edges 1-1/4; tarsus 1-5/12; middle toe 1, its claw 2/12. Weight 7 oz.
The Female is rather less than the male, but in other respects similar.
THE LOST PORTFOLIO.
While I was at Natchez, on the 31st of December 1820, my kind friend
NICHOLAS BERTHOUD, Esq. proposed to me to accompany him in his
keel-boat to New Orleans. At one o’clock, the steam-boat Columbus
hauled off from the landing, and took our bark in tow. The steamer was
soon ploughing along at full speed, and little else engaged our minds
than the thought of our soon arriving at the emporium of the commerce
of the Mississippi. Towards evening, however, several inquiries were
made respecting particular portions of the luggage, among which ought
to have been one of my portfolios containing a number of drawings made
by me while gliding down the Ohio and Mississippi from Cincinnati to
Natchez, and of which some were to me peculiarly valuable, being of
birds previously unfigured, and perhaps undescribed. The portfolio
was nowhere to be found, and I recollected that I had brought it under
my arm to the margin of the stream, and there left it to the care of
one of my friend’s servants, who, in the hurry of our departure, had
neglected to take it on board. Besides the drawings of birds, there
was in this collection a sketch in black chalk, to which I always
felt greatly attached while from home. It is true the features which
it represented were indelibly engraved in my heart; but the portrait
of her to whom I owe so much of the happiness that I have enjoyed was
not the less dear to me. When I thought during the following night of
the loss I had sustained in consequence of my own negligence, imagined
the possible fate of the collection, and saw it in the hands of one
of the numerous boatmen lounging along the shores, who might paste the
drawings to the walls of his cabin, nail them to the steering-oars of
his flat-boat, or distribute them among his fellows, I felt little
less vexed than I did some years before when the rats, as you know,
devoured a much larger collection.
It was useless to fret myself, and so I began to devise a scheme for
recovering the drawings. I wrote to Mr GARNIER and my venerable friend
CHARLES CARRÉ. Mr BERTHOUD also wrote to a mercantile acquaintance.
The letters were forwarded to Natchez from the first landing place
at which we stopped, and in the course of time we reached the great
eddy running by the Levee or artificial embankment at New Orleans.
But before I present you with the answers to the letters sent to
our acquaintances at Natchez, allow me to offer a statement of our
adventures on the Mississippi.
After leaving the eddy at Natchez, we passed a long file of exquisitely
beautiful Bluffs. At the end of twenty hours we reached Bayou Sara,
where we found two brigs at anchor, several steamers, and a number
of flat-boats, the place being of considerable mercantile importance.
Here the Columbus left us to shift for ourselves, her commander being
anxious to get to Baton Rouge by a certain hour, in order to secure
a good cargo of cotton. We now proceeded along the great stream,
sometimes floating and sometimes rowing. The shores gradually became
lower and flatter, orange-trees began to make their appearance around
the dwellings of the wealthy planters, and the verdure along the
banks assumed a brighter tint. The thermometer stood at 68° in the
shade at noon; butterflies fluttered among the flowers, of which many
were in full blow; and we expected to have seen alligators half-awake
floating on the numberless logs that accompanied us in our slow
progress. The eddies were covered with ducks of various kinds, more
especially with the beautiful species that breeds by preference on
the great sycamores that every now and then present themselves along
our southern waters. Baton Rouge is a very handsome place, but at
present I have not time to describe it. Levees now began to stretch
along the river, and wherever there was a sharp point on the shore,
negroes were there amusing themselves by raising shrimps, and now
and then a cat-fish, with scooping-nets.
The river increased in breadth and depth, and the sawyers and planters,
logs so called, diminished in number the nearer we drew towards the
famed city. At every bend we found the plantations increased, and now
the whole country on both sides became so level and destitute of trees
along the water’s edge, that we could see over the points before us,
and observe the great stream stretching along for miles. Within the
levees the land is much lower than the surface of the river when the
water is high; but at this time we could see over the levee from the
deck of our boat only the upper windows of the planters’ houses, or
the tops of the trees about them, and the melancholy looking cypresses
covered with Spanish moss forming the back ground. Persons rode along
the levees at full speed; pelicans, gulls, vultures, and carrion
crows sailed over the stream, and at times there came from the shore
a breeze laden with the delicious perfume of the orange-trees, which
were covered with blossoms and golden fruits.
Having passed Bayou Lafourche, our boat was brought-to on account of
the wind, which blew with violence. We landed, and presently made our
way to the swamps, where we shot a number of those beautiful birds
called Boat-tailed Grakles. The mocking birds on the fence-stakes
saluted us with so much courtesy and with such delightful strains,
that we could not think of injuring them; but we thought it no harm
to shoot a whole covey of partridges. In the swamps we met with
warblers of various kinds, lively and beautiful, waiting in these
their winter retreats for the moment when Boreas should retire to his
icy home, and the gentle gales of the south should waft them toward
their breeding places in the north. Thousands of swallows flew about
us, the cat-birds mewed in answer to their chatterings, the cardinal
grosbeak elevated his glowing crest as he stood perched on the magnolia
branch, the soft notes of the doves echoed among the woods, nature
smiled upon us, and we were happy.
On the fourth of January we stopped at Bonnet Carré, where I entered a
house to ask some questions about birds. I was received by a venerable
French gentleman, whom I found in charge of about a dozen children
of both sexes, and who was delighted to hear that I was a student of
nature. He was well acquainted with my old friend CHARLES CARRÉ, and
must, I thought, be a good man, for he said he never suffered any of
his pupils to rob a bird of her eggs or young, although, said he with
a smile, “they are welcome to peep at them and love them.” The boys
at once surrounded me, and from them I received satisfactory answers
to most of my queries respecting birds.
The sixth of January was so cold that the thermometer fell to 30°,
and we had seen ice on the running boards of our keel boat. This was
quite unlooked for, and we felt uncomfortable; but before the middle
of the day, all nature was again in full play. Several beautiful
steamers passed us. The vegetation seemed not to have suffered from
the frost; green pease, artichokes and other vegetables were in prime
condition. This reminds me that on one of my late journeys, I ate
green pease in December in the Floridas, and had them once a-week at
least in my course over the whole of the Union, until I found myself
and my family feeding on the same vegetable more than a hundred miles
to the North of the St John’s River in New Brunswick.
Early on the seventh, thousands of tall spars, called masts by the
mariners, came in sight; and as we drew nearer, we saw the port filled
with ships of many nations, each bearing the flag of its country.
At length we reached the Levee, and found ourselves once more at New
Orleans. In a short time my companions dispersed, and I commenced a
search for something that might tend to compensate me for the loss
of my drawings.
On the 16th of March following, I had the gratification of receiving a
letter from Mr A. P. BODLEY, of Natchez, informing me that my portfolio
had been found and deposited at the office of “the Mississippi
Republican,” whence an order from me would liberate it. Through the
kindness of Mr GARNIER, I received it on the 5th of April. So very
generous had been the finder of it, that when I carefully examined
the drawings in succession, I found them all present and uninjured,
save one, which had probably been kept by way of commission.
THE WHITE-FRONTED GOOSE.
_ANSER ALBIFRONS_, BECHST.
PLATE CCLXXXVI. MALE.
Neither WILSON nor NUTTALL seem to have been aware of the regularity
with which this species migrates through the United States. When I
shewed a drawing of it to the first of these authors, he pronounced
it to be a young Snow Goose, although I described to him its peculiar
notes. During the whole of my residence in Kentucky, a winter never
passed without my seeing a good number of them; and at that season
they are frequently offered for sale in the markets of New Orleans. An
English gentleman, who was on his way to the settlement of Birkbeck
in the Prairies west of the Ohio, and who spent a few weeks with me
at Henderson, was desirous of having a tasting of some of our game.
His desire was fully gratified, and the first that was placed before
him was a White-fronted Goose. I had killed seven of these birds,
the evening before, in a pond across the Ohio, which was regularly
supplied with flocks from the beginning of October to the end of
March. He pronounced it “delicious,” and I have no reason to dissent
from his opinion. From the numbers seen high on the Arkansas River,
I presume that many winter beyond the southern limits of the United
States. They are exceedingly rare, however, along our Atlantic coast.
In Kentucky they generally arrive before the Canada Goose, betaking
themselves to the grassy ponds; and of the different species which
visit that country they are by far the least shy. The flocks seldom
exceed from thirty to fifty individuals. Their general appearance is
that exhibited in the plate, and which I consider as their winter
plumage, feeling pretty confident that in summer the lower part of
the body becomes pure black.
The flight of the White-fronted is very similar to that of the Canada
Goose, being firm and well sustained. When travelling, these birds
pass at a considerable height, arranged in the same angular order,
and apparently guided by one of the older Ganders. They walk with
ease, and can run with considerable speed when wounded. In feeding
they immerse their necks, like other species; but during continued
rains they visit the cornfields and large savannahs. While in Kentucky
they feed on the beech nuts and acorns that drop along the margins of
their favourite ponds. In the fields they pick up the grains of maize
left by the squirrels and racoons, and nibble the young blades of
grass. In their gizzards I have never found fishes or water lizards,
but often broken shells of different kinds of snails.
They leave us a fortnight sooner than the Canada Geese, and start
along with the Snow Geese, but keep in separate flocks. In this
order they have been observed travelling over the fur countries by
Dr RICHARDSON, who informs us that they breed in the woody districts
skirting Mackenzie’s River to the north of the sixty-seventh parallel,
and also on the islands of the Arctic Sea; but that they are not common
about Hudson’s Bay. The egg of this Goose measures two inches and
three-quarters in length, by one and three-quarters in breadth. The
shell is smooth, of a dull yellowish-green, with indistinct patches
of a darker tint of the same colour.
ANAS ALBIFRONS, _Gmel._ Syst. Nat. vol. i. p. 509.—_Lath._
Ind. Ornith. vol. ii. p. 842.
ANSER ALBIFRONS, _Ch. Bonaparte_, Synopsis of Birds of the
United States, p. 376.—_Swains. and Richards._ Fauna Bor.
Amer. part ii. p. 456.
WHITE-FRONTED OR LAUGHING GOOSE, _Nuttall_, Manual, vol.
ii. p. 346.
Adult Male. Plate CCLXXXVI. Fig. 1.
Bill shorter than the head, much higher than broad at the base,
somewhat conical, depressed towards the end, rounded at the tip. Upper
mandible with the dorsal line sloping, the ridge broad and flattened,
but slightly convex, the sides sloping, the edges with twenty-eight
oblique lamellæ, the unguis circular, convex, obscurely denticulate
along the edge. Nasal groove oblong, parallel to the ridge, filled by
the soft membrane of the bill; nostrils medial, lateral, longitudinal,
narrow-elliptical, open, pervious. Lower mandible nearly straight,
with the angle very long and rather narrow, the edges soft and obtuse,
with about forty oblique, slightly recurved lamellæ.
Head of moderate size, oblong, compressed. Neck rather long and
slender. Body full, slightly depressed. Feet rather short, strong,
placed rather behind the centre of the body; legs bare a little above
the joint; tarsus rather short, a little compressed, covered all
round with angular reticulated scales, which are smaller behind; hind
toe very small, with a narrow membrane; third toe longest, fourth
considerably shorter, but longer than second; all the toes reticulated
above at the base, but with narrow transverse scutella towards the
end; the three anterior connected by a reticulated membrane, the
outer having a thick margin, the inner with the margin extended into
a two-lobed web; claws small, arched, rather compressed, obtuse,
that of the middle toe bent obliquely outwards and depressed, with
a curved edge.
Plumage close, full, compact above, blended on the neck and lower part
of the body, very short on the head. Feathers of the head and neck
very narrow, on the latter part disposed in oblique series separated
by grooves, of the back very broad and abrupt, of the breast and
belly broadly rounded. Wings rather long, broad; primaries incurved,
broad, towards the end tapering, the second longest, first and third
about equal, first and second sinuate on the inner web, second and
third on the outer; secondaries long, very broad, rounded. Tail very
short, rounded, of sixteen broad rounded feathers.
Bill carmine-red, the unguis of both mandibles white. Edges of eyelids
dull orange; iris hazel. Feet orange, webs lighter; claws white. Head
and neck rich greyish-brown, the upper part of the former darker;
a white band, margined behind with blackish-brown on the anterior
part of the forehead along the bill. The general colour of the back
is deep grey, the feathers of its fore part broadly tipped with
greyish-brown, the rest with greyish-white; the hind part of the back
pure deep grey. Wings greyish-brown, but towards the edge ash-grey,
as are the primary coverts, and outer webs of the primaries; the rest
of the primaries and the secondaries are greyish-black, the latter
with a narrow edge of greyish-white, the former edged and tipped
with white. Breast, abdomen, lower tail-coverts, sides of the rump
and upper tail-coverts, white, but the breast and sides patched with
brownish-black; on the latter intermixed with greyish-brown feathers.
Length to end of tail 27-1/4 inches, to end of wings 26, to end of
claws 28-7/8; extent of wings 60; wing from flexure 14-1/2; tail
4-3/4; bill along the back 1-8/12, along the edge of lower mandible
1-7/12; tarsus 2-1/4; middle toe 2-4/12, its claw 5/12. Weight 5-1/4
lb.
Adult Female. Plate CCLXXXVI. Fig. 2.
The Female, which is somewhat smaller, resembles the male; the white
margins of the wing-feathers not so distinct. Weight 4 lb. 4 oz.
The gizzard is very large, its muscular coat an inch and a half thick
at the lower extremity, the cuticular lining thick, very hard, and
denticulate on one side. The intestine seven feet long, the cœca
twelve inches and placed at the distance of one foot from the anus.
THE IVORY GULL.
_LARUS EBURNEUS_, PHIPPS.
PLATE CCLXXXVII. ADULT AND YOUNG.
Having ascertained that this beautiful species visits the southern
coast of Labrador and Newfoundland every winter, I have thought it
probable that it occasionally extends its rambles as far as our eastern
shores, and therefore determined to include it in my Illustrations.
The figures in the plate were taken from two specimens procured by
Captain JAMES CLARK ROSS, one of which was an adult male, the other
a young bird in its second year. Captain SABINE says that the Ivory
Gulls are attracted in considerable numbers by whale blubber, are
therefore usually found in company with the _Procellaria glacialis_,
and are easily killed, being by no means shy. Dr RICHARDSON informs
us that they were observed breeding in great numbers on the high
perforated cliffs which form the extremity of Cape Parry, in latitude
70°.
LARUS EBURNEUS, _Phipps’s Voyage_, p. 187.—_Lath._ Ind.
Ornith. vol. ii. p. 816.—_Swains. and Richards._ Fauna
Bor. Amer. part ii. p. 419.
IVORY GULL, _Lath._ Synops. vol. vi. p. 377.—_Nuttall_,
Manual, vol. ii. p. 301.
Adult Male. Plate CCLXXXVII. Fig. 1.
Bill shorter than the head, robust, nearly straight, compressed. Upper
mandible with the dorsal line nearly straight at the base, arched
and declinate towards the end, the ridge convex, the sides slightly
so, the edges sharp, a little inflected, somewhat arched, the tip
rather obtuse. Nasal groove rather long and narrow; nostrils in its
fore part, lateral, longitudinal, linear, wider anteriorly, pervious.
Lower mandible with a prominence at the end of the angle, which is
long and narrow, the dorsal line slightly concave and ascending, the
sides flattened, the edges sharp and inflected.
Head rather large. Neck of moderate length, strong. Body rather full.
Feet of moderate length, stout; tibia bare below; tarsus somewhat
compressed, covered before with numerous scutella, on the sides and
behind with series of small angular scales; the hind toe very small
and elevated, the fore toes of moderate length, the fourth much
longer than the second, the third longest, the hind one with a single
scutellum and three transverse series of scales, the rest scutellate
above and connected by reticulate membranes having a concave margin,
the lateral toes margined externally with a narrow membrane. Claws
stout, rather large, arched, compressed, rather obtuse, that of middle
toe with an enlarged inner edge.
The plumage in general is close, full, elastic, soft and blended, on
the back rather compact. Wings very long, rather broad, acute, the
first quill longest, the other primaries rapidly graduated; secondaries
broad and rounded, the inner tapering but rounded. Tail of moderate
length, even, of twelve rather broad rounded feathers.
Bill bright yellow, greenish dusky at the base. Iris brown, edges of
eyelids vermilion. Feet and claws black. The whole of the plumage is
pure white.
Length to end of tail 19 inches, to end of wings 20-1/2; extent of
wings 41; wing from flexure 13-1/2; tail 6-1/4; bill along the back
1-5/12, along the edge of lower mandible 2; tarsus 1-7/12; middle
toe 1-2/12, its claw (5-1/2)/12. Weight 20 oz.
Young of the second year, killed in September. Plate CCLXXXVII. Fig. 2.
After the second moult, the bill is pale yellow at the end, dusky
at the base for two-thirds of its length; the edges of the eyelids
vermilion, the iris brown, the feet black. The plumage is white; the
forehead and sides of the head mottled with leaden-grey; most of the
wing-coverts have towards the end a spot of greyish-black, and the
quills, large coverts, and tail-feathers are similarly marked, the
markings on the tail forming a subterminal bar.
THE YELLOWSHANK.
_TOTANUS FLAVIPES_, VIEILL.
PLATE CCLXXXVIII. MALE.
The Yellowshank is much more abundant in the interior, or to the
westward of the Alleghany Mountains than along our Atlantic coast,
although it is also met with in the whole extent of the latter, from
Florida to Maine. It exceeds the Tell-tale Godwit in numbers on the
shores of the Ohio, as well as on the margins of the numerous ponds
and lakes in the vicinity of the Mississippi, from the mouth of the
river just mentioned to New Orleans, and beyond that city southward.
In early autumn, when the sand-bars of the Ohio are left uncovered,
these active birds are seen upon them in small flocks, formed each
apparently of a single family, busily employed in searching for food,
and wading in the water up to the feathered part of their legs. When
the water is high, they resort to ponds and damp meadows intersected
by small rivulets. In the Carolinas and the Floridas they are pretty
numerous, in the former betaking themselves to the rice-fields, and in
the latter to the wet savannahs. They are equally fond of frequenting
the shores of our estuaries that are bordered by salt marshes, on
the muddy edges of which they find their food. I have also met with
them on the margins of clear streams in the interior of the States,
and indeed should hardly be able to mention a district in which the
species is not to be seen, from the beginning of September until
May, when the greater number retire northward, although some remain
and breed, even in our Middle States, as NUTTALL says they are seen
in the neighbourhood of Boston in the middle of June. I found a few
on the coast of Labrador, but did not succeed in discovering their
nests, which was the more surprising that these birds, according
to my friend THOMAS MACCULLOCH, breed in considerable numbers about
Pictou. He describes the nest as placed among the grass on the edges
of the rivers and large ponds of the interior.
The flight of the Yellowshank is very similar to that of the Tell-tale
Godwit. They generally run to some distance before they take to wing,
stop as if to discover your intention, vibrate their body backwards
and forwards, intimate by their cries the knowledge they have of
the nature of the weapon you carry, and, as if convinced that you
are bent on mischief, spring up, rise obliquely to some height, emit
louder notes, and with continued flappings pass around you, or remove
to some distant place. Their long yellow legs, which are stretched
out behind, are quite conspicuous when they are on wing. Should you
bring one to the ground wounded, it walks off leisurely, vibrates its
body, and emits plaintive cries; and should one fall into the water
under similar circumstances, it paddles its way towards the nearest
shore with considerable speed. If you approach it, it may immerse
its head, but it cannot dive to any depth.
In very dry weather, I have observed this species on the uplands
searching for grasshoppers and insects. It has been alleged that
when one is wounded, its companions hover around so as to be easily
shot; but this I have never observed, for although they are perhaps
less shy than the Tell-tales, on such occasions, I never found one
of them to remain; they seemed, on the contrary, to be well aware
of the danger, and would fly quite out of sight, rising high in the
air, and pursuing a direct course, emitting cries at intervals.
Along the shores of the sea, they are now and then seen in company
with other species, although they cannot be said actually to associate
with them. In autumn they become fat, and by many are considered good
eating, although they always have a kind of fishy taste not at all
agreeable to my palate. Their food consists of diminutive fishes,
shrimps, worms, and aquatic insects.
I have represented one of these birds on the fore ground of a little
piece of water a few miles distant from Charleston in South Carolina,
on the borders of which, in the company of my kind friend JOHN BACHMAN
and others, I have spent many a pleasant hour, while resting after
fatiguing rambles in the surrounding woods.
SCOLOPAX FLAVIPES, _Lath._ Ind. Ornith. vol. ii. p. 723.—_Ch.
Bonaparte_, Synopsis of Birds of the United States, p. 324.
YELLOWSHANKS SNIPE, SCOLOPAX FLAVIPES, _Wils._ Amer. Ornith.
vol. vii. p. 55. pl. 58. fig. 4.
TOTANUS FLAVIPES, YELLOWSHANKS TATLER, _Swains. and
Richards._ Fauna Bor. Amer. part ii. p. 390.
YELLOWSHANKS TATLER, _Nuttall_, Manual, vol. ii. p. 152.
Adult Male in Summer. Plate CCLXXXVIII. Fig. 1.
Bill a little longer than the head, very slender, subcylindrical,
straight, flexible, compressed at the base, the point rather depressed
and obtuse. Upper mandible with the dorsal line straight, the ridge
convex, broader at the base, slightly depressed towards the end, the
sides sloping, towards the end convex, the edges soft and obtuse,
the tip slightly deflected. Nasal groove long and narrow, extending
to a little beyond the middle of the bill; nostrils basal, linear,
pervious. Lower mandible with the angle very long and extremely narrow,
the dorsal line straight, the sides convex, with a slight groove in
their basal half.
Head small, oblong, anteriorly narrowed. Eyes large. Neck rather long
and slender. Body slender. Feet very long, slender; tibia bare for
half its length, scutellate before and behind; tarsus also scutellate
before and behind; hind toe very small and elevated; fore toes of
moderate length, very slender, connected at the base by webs, of which
the outer is much larger; second or inner toe considerably shorter
than fourth, third longest; all scutellate above, flat and marginate
beneath. Claws small, slightly arched, much compressed, obtuse, that
of middle toe much larger, with the inner edge enlarged.
Plumage very soft, blended, on the fore part of the head very
short. Wings long, narrow, pointed; primaries narrow and tapering,
first longest, second a little shorter, the rest rapidly graduated;
secondaries short, broad, incurved, obliquely rounded, the inner
elongated and tapering. Tail short, rounded, of twelve rounded
feathers.
Bill black. Iris dark brown; edges of eyelids dark grey. Feet bright
yellow, claws brownish-black. Upper part of the head, lores, cheeks,
neck, and sides of the neck deep brownish-grey, the edges of the
feathers greyish-white; a white line from the bill to the eye and over
it; upper part of throat white; fore neck greyish-white, streaked with
brownish-grey, as are the sides, the rest of the lower parts white,
the lower tail-coverts slightly marked with grey. The general colour
of the back and scapulars is olivaceous brown tinged with grey, the
feathers edged with small dusky and white spots. The wing-coverts
and inner secondary quills are similar, the marginal spots on the
latter forming bands; primary quills blackish-brown, the shaft of
the outer brownish-white, of the rest dark brown, the edges of the
inner, and of the middle secondaries white; hind part of back grey,
upper tail-coverts white, the larger obscurely barred with grey.
Length to end of tail 10-3/8 inches, to end of wings 11-2/12 to end of
claws 13-2/12, extent of wings 20; wing from flexure 6-9/12; tail 2-1/2;
bill along the back 1-5/12, along the edge of lower mandible 1-5/12;
bare part of tibia 1-4/12; tarsus 1-11/12, middle toe 1-2/12, its claw
(2-1/2)/12. Weight 2-1/2 oz.
SOLITARY SANDPIPER.
_TOTANUS CHLOROPYGIUS_, VIEILL.
PLATE CCLXXXIX. MALE.
The only nest of this bird that I ever met with was placed in an
elevated part of the woods near Bayou Sara, on the margin of a
small pond scarcely ten yards broad, overgrown with low bushes, and
cumbered with fallen branches of trees. It was formed of grass and
withered leaves, arranged without much care, and contained three eggs.
Both birds were greatly disconcerted, ran round me, and frequently
alighted on the twigs and branches with all the nimbleness of land
birds, constantly throwing their heads forward and vibrating their
body and tail in the manner of the Louisiana Water Thrush. The eggs
measured one inch one eighth and a half in length, seven and a half
eighths in breadth; the colour was greenish-yellow, with spots and
patches of umber, more abundant around the crown, where the larger
marks formed a conspicuous circle. I carried one of the eggs home,
and, on returning a few days after to the spot, found one of the birds
sitting, which proved to me that the great anxiety shewn at my first
visit was chiefly because the female was about to lay her last egg.
The male was absent, nor did it shew itself during my stay. About a
fortnight after I found the wings of one of the birds near the place;
the eggs also were gone; and I concluded that some quadruped, probably
a racoon, had committed the havock. No bird of this species was in
the neighbourhood.
In the Fauna Boreali-Americana, Dr RICHARDSON says that in high
northern latitudes these birds deposit their eggs on the bare sand,
which is another proof in addition to the many already given, that
great differences as to the mode of nestling may exist in the same
species in different parts of the country. Indeed, almost all the
habits of this curious bird differ according to the locality. In the
Southern States, they are particularly fond of low flat lands among
deep woods and cane brakes, and rarely approach ponds of any great
extent, but prefer those which are small and most secluded. In the
Middle Districts I have found them along the Leighhigh, and in watery
places both on low and on elevated ground. In the State of Maine
they frequented similar localities. In the prairies of Indiana I have
seen them in early spring, during rainy weather, wading and running
through the water, on the very foot-path before me, for eight or ten
yards at a time. When flushed, they would fly in a semicircle close
over the ground, and re-alight at the distance of a hundred yards or
so on the same path. Not one of the species was observed in Labrador
or Newfoundland by my party; and my friend THOMAS MACCULLOCH informs
me that only a few single birds are seen near Pictou, and that in
autumn, when they keep in marshy grounds in the neighbourhood of the
sea.
The flight of the Solitary Sandpiper is swift and protracted. It moves
in a zigzag manner, and at times makes its way through the woods with
surprising ease, seldom leaving the starting place without uttering
a clear and pleasant tweet. In re-alighting it pitches downwards
like the Common Snipe. On the ground they are very active, and at
times so indifferent to the approach of man, that they will merely
fly across or around a small pond for a considerable time, and, if
shot at and not touched, they will be sure to be found in the same
place a few hours after. Its alighting on trees has often appeared
to me as singular as that of Bartram’s Snipe and the Semipalmated
species. The Solitary Snipe is, however, the most expert at catching
insects on the wing, especially the smaller kinds of dragon-flies,
which it chases from the sticks on which they alight, and generally
seizes before they have flown across the little ponds, which are the
favourite place of resort of this species. I have found their stomachs
filled with aquatic insects, caterpillars of various kinds, and black
spiders of considerable size.
I consider this bird to be a constant resident in the United States,
although it ranges over a great space in summer and winter. Scarcely
any difference is observable in the sexes; and I am of opinion that
the young acquire their full plumage the first spring.
TOTANUS CHLOROPYGIUS, _Ch. Bonaparte_, Synopsis of Birds
of the United States, p. 325.—_Swains. and Richards._ Fauna
Bor. Amer. part ii. p. 393.
SOLITARY SANDPIPER, TRINGA SOLITARIA, _Wils._ Amer. Ornith.
vol. vii. p. 53. pl. 58. fig. 3.
GREEN-RUMP TATLER, _Nuttall_, Manual, vol. ii. p. 159.
Adult Male. Plate CCLXXXIX. Fig. 1.
Bill a little longer than the head, very slender, subcylindrical,
straight, flexible, compressed at the base, the point rather depressed
and obtuse. Upper mandible with the dorsal line straight, the ridge
convex, broader at the base, slightly depressed towards the end, the
sides sloping, towards the end convex, the edges soft and obtuse, the
tip very slightly deflected. Nasal groove long and narrow, extending
to a little beyond the middle of the bill; nostrils basal, linear,
pervious. Lower mandible with the angle very long and extremely narrow,
the dorsal line straight, the sides convex, with a slight groove in
their basal half.
Head small, oblong, anteriorly narrowed. Eyes large. Neck rather long
and slender. Body slender. Feet long and slender; tibia bare nearly
half its length, scutellate before and behind; tarsus also scutellate
before and behind; hind toe very small and elevated; fore toes rather
long, very slender, connected at the base by webs, of which the outer
is much larger; second or inner toe considerably shorter than fourth,
third longest; all scutellate above, flat and marginate beneath.
Claws small, slightly arched, much compressed, rather obtuse, that
of middle toe much larger, with the inner edge enlarged.
Plumage very soft, blended, on the fore part of the head very short.
Wings long, narrow, pointed; primaries rather narrow and tapering,
first and second equal, the rest rapidly graduated; secondaries short,
broad, incurved, obliquely rounded, the inner elongated and tapering.
Tail rather short, slightly rounded, of twelve rounded feathers.
Bill greenish-black. Iris brown; edges of eyelids dark grey. Feet
greenish-grey, claws brownish-black. Upper part of the head, lores,
cheeks, hind neck and sides of the neck deep brownish-grey, the edges
of the feathers brownish-white; a dull white line from the bill to
the eye; upper part of throat greyish-white; fore-neck of the same
colour, streaked with brownish-grey, as are the sides; the rest of
the lower parts greyish-white. The general colour of the back and
scapulars is deep greenish-brown, the feathers edged with a few small
spots of white and dusky, those on the inner secondaries more numerous.
Wing-coverts similar, excepting those along the edge of the wing, which
with the alula and primary coverts are deep brownish-black; primary
quills brownish-black, secondaries greyish-brown; lower wing-coverts
mottled with brownish-black and white, the axillar feathers barred
with greyish-white and dusky, as are the upper tail-coverts and the
tail-feathers, of which the two middle are merely spotted with white
on the edges.
Length to end of tail 8-1/2 inches, to end of wings 9, to end of claws
10; extent of wings 16-1/2; wing from flexure 5-1/4; tail 2; bill
along the back 1-2/12 along the edge of lower mandible 1-(2-1/2)/12;
tarsus 1-2/12; middle toe 11/12, its claw (2-1/2)/12 Weight 1-3/4 oz.
Adult Female. Plate CCLXXXIX. Fig. 2.
There is no decided difference between the sexes in the colouring,
but the female is somewhat larger. From the only instance in which
I found this species in the act of depositing its eggs, I conclude
that it generally forms its nest on the higher grounds or along the
declivities of hills.
THE RED-BACKED SANDPIPER.
_TRINGA ALPINA_, LINN.
PLATE CCXC. MALE IN SUMMER, AND ADULT IN WINTER.
In autumn and winter, this species is abundant along the whole range
of our coast, wherever the shores are sandy or muddy, from Maine
to the mouths of the Mississippi; but I never found one far inland.
Sometimes they collect into flocks of several hundred individuals,
and are seen wheeling over the water near the shores or over the
beaches, in beautiful order, and now and then so close together as
to afford an excellent shot, especially when they suddenly alight
in a mass near the sportsman, or when, swiftly veering, they expose
their lower parts at the same moment. On such occasions a dozen or
more may be killed at once, provided the proper moment is chosen.
There seems to be a kind of impatience in this bird that prevents
it from remaining any length of time in the same place, and you may
see it scarcely alighted on a sand-bar, fly off without any apparent
reason to another, where it settles, runs for a few moments, and
again starts off on wing. When searching for food they run with
great agility, following the retiring waves, and retreating as they
advance, probing the wet sands, and picking up objects from their
surface, ever jerking up the tail, and now and then uttering a faint
cry, pleasant to the ear, and differing from the kind of scream which
they emit while on wing.
When I was in the Floridas in winter, I found this species abundant,
and my party shot a great number of them, on account of the fatness
and juiciness of their flesh. They all appeared to have their plumage
greyer than those shot in the Carolinas at the same season, and not
one exhibited the least redness on the back, although that colour
is so conspicuous in spring before they leave us for the north. They
usually take their departure from the south about the first of April,
reach the Middle Districts by the fifteenth of that month, and in a
few days assume their summer plumage. I have observed that at this
season the male birds are frequently in the habit of raising their
wings and running in that position for a few steps, when they close
them, and nod to the nearest female. None of the other sex, however,
seemed to take the least notice of this homage. On our way to Labrador
we saw flocks of these birds passing, but we found none breeding in
that country. My friend Mr MACGILLIVRAY has given me the following
account of the habits of this species during the breeding season.
“About the middle of April, the Purres betake themselves to the moors,
in the northern parts of Scotland, and in the larger Hebrides, where
they may be found scattered in the haunts selected by the Golden
Plovers, with which they are so frequently seen in company that
they have obtained the name of Plovers’ Pages. In the Hebrides, from
this season until the end of August, none are to be found along the
shores. The nest is a slight hollow in a dry place, having a few bits
of withered heath and grass irregularly placed in it. The eggs, four
in number, are ovato-pyriform, an inch and four-twelfths in length,
eleven-twelfths in breadth, oil-green or light greenish-yellow,
irregularly spotted and blotched with deep brown, the spots becoming
more numerous toward the larger end, where they are confluent. The
young, like those of the Golden Plover and Lapwing, leave the nest
immediately after exclusion, run about, and when alarmed, conceal
themselves by sitting close to the ground and remaining motionless.
If at this period, or during incubation, a person approaches their
retreats, the male especially, but frequently the female also, flies
up to meet the intruder, settles on a tuft near him, or runs along
and uses the same artifices for decoying him from the nest or young
as the Plover or Ring Dotterel. When the young are fledged, the birds
gather into small flocks, which often in the evenings unite into
larger, and join those of the Golden Plover. They rest at night on
the smoother parts of the heath, and both species, when resting by
day, either stand or lie on the ground. When one advances within a
hundred yards of such a flock, it is pleasant to see them stretch up
their wings as if preparing for flight, utter a few low notes, and
immediately stand on the alert, or run a few steps. At this season,
however, they are not at all shy. Towards the end of August, the
different colonies betake themselves to the sandy shores. On a large
sand-ford in Harris, I have at this season seen many thousands at
once, running about with extreme activity in search of food. This
place seemed a general rendezvous, and after a few weeks the host
broke up and dispersed, few if any remaining during the winter.”
TRINGA CINCLUS, _Linn._ Syst. Nat. vol. i. p. 251.—_Lath._
Ind. Ornith. vol. ii. p. 335. Winter plumage.
TRINGA ALPINA, _Linn._ Syst. Nat. vol. i. p. 429.—_Lath._
Ind. Ornith. vol. ii. p. 736.—Summer plumage.
TRINGA VARIABILIS, _Temm._ Man. d’Ornith. part ii. p. 612.
TRINGA ALPINA, _Ch. Bonaparte_, Synops. of Birds of the
United States, p. 317.
RED-BACKED SANDPIPER, TRINGA ALPINA, _Wils._ Amer. Ornith.
vol. vii. p. 5. pl. 56. fig. 2. Summer.
PURRE, TRINGA CINCLUS, _Wils._ Amer. Ornith. vol. vii. p.
39. pl. 57. fig. 3. Winter.
TRINGA ALPINA, THE AMERICAN DUNLIN, _Swains. and Richards._
Fauna Bor. Amer. part ii. p. 383.
DUNLIN OR OX-BIRD, _Nuttall_, Manual, vol. ii. p. 106.
Adult Male in Summer. Plate CCXC. Fig. 1.
Bill longer than the head, slender, subcylindrical, nearly straight,
being slightly curved towards the end, compressed at the base, the
point rather depressed and obtuse. Upper mandible with the dorsal line
nearly straight, slightly sloping at the base, and slightly decurved
towards the end, the ridge narrow, towards the end flattened, at the
point convex, sides sloping, edges rather blunt and soft. Nasal groove
long, extending to near the point; nostrils basal, linear, pervious.
Lower mandible with the angle long and very narrow, the dorsal line
slightly concave, the sides sloping outwards, towards the end convex.
Head rather small, oblong, compressed. Eyes rather small. Neck
of moderate length. Body rather full. Feet slender, of moderate
length; tibia bare a considerable way up, anteriorly and posteriorly
scutellate, as is the compressed tarsus; hind toe very small and
elevated, anterior toes of moderate length, slender; inner toe
slightly shorter than outer, middle toe considerably longer; all
scutellate above, marginate with prominent papillæ, and free. Claws
small, slightly arched, extremely compressed, blunt; edge of middle
claw dilated and thin.
Plumage very soft, blended; on the back the feathers rather distinct.
Wings long and pointed; primaries tapering, obtuse, the first longest,
the second a little shorter, the rest rapidly graduated; secondaries
rather short, obliquely cut at the end with a recurved blunt point,
the inner elongated and tapering. Tail rather short, even, but with
the two middle feathers considerably longer, of twelve feathers.
Bill and feet black. Iris dark brown. The upper part of the head, the
back and the scapulars, are chestnut-red, each feather brownish-black
in the centre, and the scapulars barred with the same colour. The wing
coverts greyish-brown, as are the quills, the bases and tips of the
secondaries and part of the outer webs of the middle primaries white.
Tail light brownish-grey, the two middle feathers darker. Forehead,
sides of the head and hind neck, pale reddish-grey, streaked with
dusky; fore neck and anterior part of breast greyish-white, streaked
with dusky; on the breast a large patch of brownish-black; abdomen
and lower tail-coverts white, the latter with dusky markings.
Length to end of tail 8-1/2 inches, to end of wings 8-7/12; extent of
wings 15, wing from flexure 4-10/12; tail 2-5/12; bill along the ridge
1-7/12, along the edge of lower mandible 1-6/12; tarsus 1; middle toe
10/12, its claw (2-1/2)/12. Weight 3 oz.
Adult in Winter. Plate CCXC. Fig. 2.
The bill, feet and eyes as above; the general colour of the upper parts
is brownish-grey, varying in different individuals in intensity of
tint. The wings and tail are as in summer. Throat greyish-white, sides
of the head and neck, and fore part of the latter, pale brownish-grey,
faintly streaked with darker, as are the sides; the rest of the lower
parts white, with a few streaks on the breast.
LABRADOR.
When I look back upon the many pleasant hours that I spent with the
young gentlemen who composed my party, during our excursions along the
coast of sterile and stormy Labrador, I think that a brief account of
our employments may prove not altogether uninteresting to my readers.
We had purchased our stores at Boston, with the aid of my generous
friend Dr PARKMAN of that city; but unfortunately many things necessary
on an expedition like ours were omitted. At Eastport in Maine we
therefore laid in these requisites. No traveller, let me say, ought
to neglect any thing that is calculated to ensure the success of his
undertaking, or to contribute to his personal comfort, when about to
set out on a long and perhaps hazardous voyage. Very few opportunities
of replenishing stores of provision, clothing or ammunition, occur
in such a country as Labrador; and yet, we all placed too much
confidence in the zeal and foresight of our purveyors at Eastport.
We had abundance of ammunition, excellent bread, meat, and potatoes;
but the butter was quite rancid, the oil only fit to grease our guns,
the vinegar too liberally diluted with cider, the mustard and pepper
deficient in due pungency. All this, however, was not discovered until
it was too late to be remedied. Several of the young men were not
clothed as hunters should be, and some of the guns were not so good
as we could have wished. We were, however, fortunate with respect
to our vessel, which was a notable sailer, did not leak, had a good
crew, and was directed by a capital seaman.
The hold of the schooner was floored, and an entrance made to it from
the cabin, so that in it we had a very good parlour, dining-room,
drawing-room, library, &c. all those apartments however, being,
united into one. An extravagantly elongated deal table ranged along
the centre; one of the party had slung his hammock at one end, and
in its vicinity slept the cook and a lad who acted as armourer.
The cabin was small; but being fitted in the usual manner with side
berths, was used for a dormitory. It contained a small table and a
stove, the latter of diminutive size, but smoky enough to discomfit
a host. We had adopted in a great measure the clothing worn by the
American fishermen on that coast, namely, thick blue cloth trowsers,
a comfortable waistcoat, and a pea-jacket of blanket. Our boots were
large, round-toed, strong, and well studded with large nails to prevent
sliding on the rocks. Worsted comforters, thick mittens, and round
broad-brimmed hats, completed our dress, which was more picturesque
than fashionable. As soon as we had an opportunity, the boots were
exchanged for Esquimaux mounted mocassins of seal-skin, impermeable
to water, light, easy, and fastening at top about the middle of the
thigh to straps, which when buckled over the hips secured them well.
To complete our equipment, we had several good boats, one of which
was extremely light and adapted for shallow water.
No sooner had we reached the coast and got into harbour, than we
agreed to follow certain regulations intended for the general benefit.
Every morning the cook was called before three o’clock. At half-past
three, breakfast was on the table, and every body equipt. The guns,
ammunition, botanical boxes, and baskets for eggs or minerals, were
all in readiness. Our breakfast consisted of coffee, bread, and various
other materials. At four, all except the cook and one seaman, went off
in different directions, not forgetting to carry with them a store
of cooked provisions. Some betook themselves to the islands, others
to the deep bays; the latter on landing wandered over the country,
until noon, when laying themselves down on the rich moss, or sitting
on the granite rock, they would rest for an hour, eat their dinner,
and talk of their successes or disappointments. I often regret that
I did not take sketches of the curious groups formed by my young
friends on such occasions, and when, after returning at night, all
were engaged in measuring, weighing, comparing and dissecting the
birds we had procured, operations which were carried on with the aid
of a number of candles thrust into the necks of bottles. Here one
examined the flowers and leaves of a plant, there another explored
the recesses of a diver’s gullet, while a third skinned a gull or a
grous. Nor was our journal forgotten. Arrangements were made for the
morrow, and at twelve we left matters to the management of the cook,
and retired to our roosts.
If the wind blew hard, all went on shore, and, excepting on a few
remarkably rainy days, we continued our pursuits much in the same
manner during our stay in the country. The physical powers of the
young men were considered in making our arrangements. SHATTUCK and
INGALS went together; the Captain and COOLEDGE were fond of each
other, the latter having also been an officer; LINCOLN and my son
being the strongest and most determined hunters, generally marched
by themselves; and I went with one or other of the parties according
to circumstances, although it was by no means my custom to do so
regularly, as I had abundance of work on hand in the vessel.
The return of my young companions and the sailors was always looked
for with anxiety. On getting on board, they opened their budgets, and
laid their contents on the deck, amid much merriment, those who had
procured most specimens being laughed at by those who had obtained
the rarest, and the former joking the latter in return. A substantial
meal always awaited them, and fortunate we were in having a capital
cook, although he was a little too fond of the bottle.
Our “fourth of July” was kept sacred, and every Saturday night the
toast of “wives and sweethearts” was the first given, “parents and
friends” the last. Never was there a more merry set. Some with the
violin and flute accompanied the voices of the rest, and few moments
were spent in idleness. Before a month had elapsed, the spoils of
many a fine bird hung around the hold; shrubs and flowers were in
the press, and I had several drawings finished, some of which you
have seen, and of which I hope you will ere long see the remainder.
Large jars were filling apace with the bodies of rare birds, fishes,
quadrupeds, and reptiles, as well as molluscous animals. We had
several pets too, Gulls, Cormorants, Guillemots, Puffins, Hawks, and
a Raven. In some of the harbours, curious fishes were hooked in our
sight, so clear was the water.
We found that camping out at night was extremely uncomfortable, on
account of the annoyance caused by flies and musquitoes, which attacked
the hunters in swarms at all times, but more especially when they lay
down, unless they enveloped themselves in thick smoke, which is not
much more pleasant. Once when camping, the weather became very bad,
and the party was twenty miles distant from Whapatiguan as night threw
her mantle over the earth. The rain fell in torrents, the north-east
wind blew furiously, and the air was extremely cold. The oars of the
boats were fixed so as to support some blankets, and a small fire
was with difficulty kindled, on the embers of which a scanty meal was
cooked. How different from a camp on the shores of the Mississippi,
where wood is abundant, and the air generally not lacking heat, where
musquitoes, although plentiful enough, are not accompanied by carraboo
flies, and where the barkings of a joyful squirrel, or the notes of
the Barred Owl, that grave buffoon of our western woods, never fail
to gladden the camper as he cuts to the right and left such branches
and canes as most easily supply materials for forming a lodging for
the night! On the coast of Labrador there are no such things; granite
and green moss are spread around, silence like that of the grave
envelopes all, and when night has closed the dreary scene from your
sight, the wolves, attracted by the scent of the remains of your
scanty repast, gather around you. Cowards as they are, they dare not
venture on a charge; but their howlings effectually banish sleep. You
must almost roast your feet to keep them warm, while your head and
shoulders are chilled by the blast. When morning comes, she smiles
not on you with rosy cheeks, but appears muffled in a grey mantle of
cold mist, which shews you that there is no prospect of a fine day.
The object of the expedition, which was to procure some Owls that had
been observed there by day, was entirely frustrated. At early dawn,
the party rose stiffened and dispirited, and glad were they to betake
themselves to their boats, and return to their floating home.
Before we left Labrador, several of my young friends began to
feel the want of suitable clothing. The sailors’ ever-tailoring
system was, believe me, fairly put to the test. Patches of various
colours ornamented knees and elbows; our boots were worn out; our
greasy garments and battered hats were in harmony with our tanned
and weather-beaten faces; and, had you met with us, you might have
taken us for a squad of wretched vagrants; but we were joyous in the
expectation of a speedy return, and exulted at the thoughts of our
success.
As the chill blast that precedes the winter’s tempest thickened the
fogs on the hills and ruffled the dark waters, each successive day
saw us more anxious to leave the dreary wilderness of grim rocks and
desolate moss-clad valleys. Unfavourable winds prevented us for a
while from spreading our white sails; but at last one fair morning
smiled on the wintry world, the Ripley was towed from the harbour,
her tackle trimmed, and as we bounded over the billows, we turned our
eyes toward the wilds of Labrador, and heartily bade them farewell
for ever!
THE HERRING GULL.
_LARUS ARGENTATUS_, BRUNN.
PLATE CCXCI. MALE.
On the 22d of May 1833 I was kindly received with my party on board
the United States revenue-cutter the Swiftsure, commanded by Captain
COOLEDGE, and on the morning of the next day was landed on White
Head Island, at the entrance of the Bay of Fundy. This island is
the property of a worthy Englishman of the name of FRANKLAND, who
received us with great hospitality, gave us leave to ransack his
domains, and invited us to remain as long as we pleased. The Herring
Gulls, he said, were breeding in great numbers, and we might expect
good sport. We immediately set out in search of them, directing our
course toward the pine woods, in which we were informed we should
find them, and in approaching which we passed over an elevated marsh
of great extent. As we came up to the place I observed that many of
the Gulls had alighted on the fir-trees, while a vast number were
sailing around, and when we advanced nearer, the former took to wing,
abandoning their nests, and all flew about uttering incessant cries.
I was greatly surprised to see the nests placed on the branches,
some near the top, others about the middle or on the lower parts of
the trees, while at the same time there were many on the ground. It
is true I had been informed of this by our captain, but I had almost
believed that, on arriving at the spot, I should find the birds not to
be gulls. My doubts, however, were now dispelled, and I was delighted
to see how strangely Nature had provided them with the means of
securing their eggs and young from their arch-enemy man. My delight
was greatly increased on being afterwards informed by Mr FRANKLAND
that the strange habit in question had been acquired by these gulls
within his recollection, for, said he, “when I first came here, many
years ago, they all built their nests on the moss and in open ground;
but as my sons and the fishermen collected most of their eggs for
winter use, and sadly annoyed the poor things, the old ones gradually
began to put their nests on the trees in the thickest parts of the
woods. The youngest birds, however, still have some on the ground, and
the whole are becoming less wild since I have forbidden strangers to
rob their nests; for, gentlemen, you are the only persons out of my
family that have fired a gun on White Head Island for several years
past, and I daresay you will not commit any greater havock among them
than is necessary, and to that you are welcome.”
I was much pleased with the humanity of our host, and requested him
to let me know when all the Gulls, or the greater part of them, would
abandon the trees and resume their former mode of breeding on the
ground, which he promised to do. But I afterwards found that this was
not likely to happen, because on some other islands not far distant,
to which the fishermen and eggers have free access, these Gulls breed
altogether on the trees, even when their eggs and young are regularly
removed every year, so that their original habits have been entirely
given up. My opinion that, after being thus molested for some time
longer, they may resort to the inaccessible shelves of the high rocks
of these islands, was strengthened by Mr FRANKLAND’s informing me
that many pairs had already taken refuge in such places, where they
bred in perfect security. The most remarkable effect produced by
these changes of locality is, that the young which are hatched on
the trees or high rocks, do not leave their nests until they are able
to fly, while those on the ground run about in less than a week, and
hide themselves at the sight of man among the moss and plants, which
frequently saves them from being carried away. The young on the trees
are shaken out of their nests, or knocked down with poles, their
flesh being considered as very good by the fishermen and eggers, who
collect and salt them for winter provision.
Some of the nests which I saw were placed at a height of more than
forty feet on the trees, others, seen in the thickest parts of the
woods, were eight or ten feet from the ground, and were placed close
to the main stem, so as to be with difficulty observed. It was truly
curious to see the broad-winged birds make their way to and from
them in these secluded retreats. The nests placed on the ground were
several yards apart, and measured from fifteen to eighteen inches
in diameter, their cavity being from four to six. The lower stratum
consisted of grass, plants of various kinds, moss, and grey lichens,
and the whole was lined with fine bent, but without any feathers.
Those on the trees measured from twenty-four to twenty-six inches in
diameter externally, and were composed of the same materials, but in
greater quantity, the object of which I thought might be to allow
more space to the young while growing, as they could not enjoy the
pleasure of running about like those hatched on the ground. Perhaps,
however, the smaller size of the nests placed there may be owing to
their belonging to the younger Gulls, as I have often observed that
the older the individual the larger is its nest. Mr FRANKLAND informed
me that they frequently repair the old nests at the commencement
of the breeding season, and I found the assertion proved by my own
observation. The eggs, which are three, measure three inches in
length, by two in breadth, have an oval somewhat pyriform shape,
are rough though not granulated, and are of a dull yellowish earthy
colour, irregularly blotched and spotted with dark umber. They are
nearly as large as those of the Great Black-backed Gull; but they
differ considerably in size as well as in colour, some being more
or less rounded or elongated. The yolk is bright orange, the albumen
bluish-white; and they are excellent eating.
About the beginning of May the Herring Gulls collect into great
flocks for the purpose of reproducing, and betake themselves to large
sand-bars or mud-flats at low water, where their cacklings may be
heard at a great distance. With the aid of a glass you may see them
going through their courtships; the males swell their throats, walk
about proudly, throw their heads upwards, and emit their love notes.
These general meetings take place at all hours of the day, according
to the state of the tide, and continue for about a fortnight, when
they all depart and betake themselves to the islands on which they
breed. Several of these are situated near the one mentioned, and there
is one near Cape Sable, a few miles from the most southern point of
Nova Scotia, on which we saw thousands alighted on the trees as we
were sailing along that coast on our way to Labrador. Some individuals
begin to lay about the 19th of May or a few days earlier, while others
have not finished the process until the middle of June. During this
period they resort at certain hours to bare rocky islets, on which
they copulate. At White Head Island, while we were seated on the edge
of a beautiful sand-bar eating our dinner, we saw, on one of these
rocks, a vast number forming as it were a dense mass, which covered
about half an acre. At twelve o’clock, we observed that all those
which were not sitting on their eggs, flew over us and alighted on
the sea, about half a mile from the shore, where they remained upwards
of an hour, swimming gracefully but in silence all the while. A seal
happening to raise its head above the water frightened them, and
all raised their wings as if about to fly. Soon after they rose all
at once, separated, and went off in search of food, but returned in
less than an hour to the island, flying high and cackling loudly. A
little before sunset all those unoccupied with incubation went off
to the same rocky islands to roost, flying in silence, and mostly in
files. It was curious to observe that, whenever a large flock made
towards the sea cackling, all the ducks about immediately flew off to
a considerable distance, as if afraid of them; and we saw that these
Gulls, although timorous in the presence of man, shew great courage
in attacking predatory birds, such as Jays, Crows, Ravens, and even
Hawks, which they pursued and forced into the deep woods, or drove
away from the vicinity of their nests.
Shy and wary nearly in as great a degree as the Black-backed Gull,
they were with difficulty obtained, unless we approached them under
cover. The least noise made them instantly leave their perch, and
although there were six of us, each furnished with a good gun, and
some sufficiently expert, not more than a dozen were killed that
day, and all of them while flying. The moment one started, it would
sound an alarm, on which hundreds would rise and sail over us, at
such a height that it was useless to shoot at them. Now and then,
one accidentally passing low over the woods, was brought down. While
returning in the evening we shot one at a great height, having merely
broken the tip of its wing. Having caught it, we placed it on the
narrow path, on which it ran before us nearly to the house of the
Governor, as Captain FRANKLAND is called. It offered no resistance,
but bit severely, and now and then lay down to rest for a few moments.
It ran fast enough to keep several yards before us, cackling all the
while, and once suddenly made off from the path at a rapid rate.
Their flight is as strong as that of the Great Black-backed Gull,
but more buoyant as well as graceful. During the love season their
aërial evolutions are extremely beautiful; they pass through the air
in wide circlings, at a great height, and then come down in curious
zigzags until near the tops of the trees, or the surface of the
sea. While in pursuit of fish, they dart in curved lines with great
rapidity, frequently wheeling suddenly when over their prey, and
falling towards it. When travelling, they pass indifferently over the
land or the water, but generally at a considerable height. Their food
consists principally of herrings, of which they destroy great numbers,
following the shoals. They also feed on other fishes of small size,
shrimps, crabs, and shell-fish, as well as on young birds and small
quadrupeds, and suck all the eggs they can find. The rocky shores of
the islands on which I found them breeding are covered with multitudes
of sea-urchins, having short greenish spines, which give them the
semblance of a ball of moss. At low water the Herring Gulls frequently
devour these animals, thrusting their bill through the shell, and
sucking its contents. They also take up shells in the air, and drop
them on the rocks to break them. We saw one that had met with a very
hard mussel, take it up and drop it three times in succession, before
it succeeded in breaking it, and I was much pleased to see the bird
let it fall each succeeding time from a greater height than before.
They seem to go out to sea in search of food at particular periods,
setting out at the first ebb and returning to the shore as the tide
rises.
The young are at first fed chiefly with shrimps and other small
crustacea, which are picked up from the mud-bars or along the shores.
They are then of a deep rusty colour all over, and when fully feathered
they retain a good deal of that hue, but the feathers are edged with
light grey or brown; the feet and legs are of a greenish-blue colour,
inclining to purple; the bill dusky or nearly black. In spring they
acquire their full size, but still retain the grey and rusty plumage.
The next year they shew much light ash-grey and white about the
head, neck, and lower parts, the orange spot appears on the bill,
the feet and legs are flesh-coloured, the tail still partially banded
towards the extremity. At this age, however, I believe they breed, as
I observed some coloured in the manner described, mated with older
birds. The third spring they acquire the colouring represented in
the plate.
I found no other species breeding on the same islands. Old and young
associate together all the year round, excepting during the breeding
season, when the latter separate and pursue their avocations together.
The cry or cackling of this species, which is heard at a considerable
distance, may be imitated by pronouncing the syllables _hac_, _hac_,
_hac_, _cah_, _cah_, _cah_.
The Herring Gull has a greater range of migration along our coast and
in the interior than any other American species. I have found it on
our great lakes, and on the Ohio, Missouri and Mississippi, down to
the Gulf of Mexico, during the autumnal months, and in winter along
the shores of the latter, and all our eastern coasts. It may be said
to be resident in the United States, as it breeds from off Boston to
Eastport in Maine; but the greater number go farther north. We found
the nests of some on the bare rocks of the Seal Islands off Labrador,
but not on the coast itself. They were composed of dry plants and moss
brought from the mainland. The birds kept by themselves, and appeared
to be completely mastered by the Great Black-backed Gulls. On our
return we saw old and young on the northern coast of Newfoundland,
and on the different bays over which we passed.
I have represented an adult male, but not one of the largest, and a
young bird shot in winter, which I have placed on a bunch of Racoon
oysters, where it was standing when shot.
LARUS ARGENTATUS, _Temm._ Man. d’Ornith. part ii. p. 764.
LARUS ARGENTATUS, _Ch. Bonaparte_, Synopsis of Birds of
the United States, p. 360.
LARUS ARGENTATOIDES, _Ibidem_.
Adult Male in spring. Plate CCXCI. Fig. 1.
Bill shorter than the head, robust, compressed, higher near the
end than at the base. Upper mandible with the dorsal line nearly
straight at the base, declinate and arched towards the end, the
ridge convex, the sides slightly convex, the edges sharp, inflected,
arcuato-declinate towards the end, the tip rather obtuse. Nasal
groove rather long and narrow; nostril in its fore part, lateral,
longitudinal, linear oblong, wider anteriorly, pervious. Lower mandible
with the angle long and narrow, the outline of the crura curved, the
dorsal line beyond the prominence slightly concave, the sides erect
and nearly flat, the edges sharp and inflected.
Head rather large, oblong, narrowed anteriorly. Neck of moderate
length, strong. Body full. Feet of moderate length, rather slender;
tibia bare below; tarsus somewhat compressed, covered anteriorly with
numerous scutella, laterally with angular scales, behind with numerous
small rectangular scales; hind toe very small and elevated, the fore
toes of moderate length, rather slender, the fourth longer than the
second, the third longest, all scutellate above, and connected by
reticulated entire membranes, the lateral toes margined externally
with a thick narrow membrane. Claws small, slightly arched, depressed,
rounded, that of the middle toe with an expanded thin inner margin.
The plumage in general is close, full, elastic, very soft and blended,
on the back rather compact. Wings very long, broad, acute, the first
and second quills nearly equal, the rest of the primaries rather
rapidly graduated; secondaries broad and rounded, the inner narrower.
Tail of moderate length, even, of twelve rounded feathers.
Bill gamboge-yellow, with a large orange-red patch inclining to carmine
towards the end of the lower mandible. Edges of eyelids gamboge; iris
silvery white. Feet flesh-coloured; claws brownish-black. The head,
neck, lower parts, rump and tail, are pure white; the back and wings
pearl-grey or light bluish-grey, very slightly tinged with purple;
the edges of the wing and the extremities of all the quills, are
white. The first six quills are brownish-black towards the end, that
colour including the outer webs and the greater part of the inner of
the two first, and on the rest gradually diminishing, so as on the
sixth merely to form a bar; first quill with a patch of white about
an inch and a half long on both webs near the end; second with a
circular white patch on the inner web, the tips of all white.
Length to end of tail 23 inches, to end of wings 24-1/2, to end of claws
21-1/2; extent of wings 53; wing from flexure 18; tail 7-1/4; bill along
the ridge 2-1/2, along the edge of lower mandible 3; its depth at the
angle 3/4; tarsus 2-1/2; middle toe 2-1/4, its claw (4-1/2)/12. Weight
1 lb. 10 oz.
The Female is similar to the male, but somewhat less.
Young in November. Plate CCXCI. Fig. 2.
Bill brownish-black, paler at the base of the lower mandible. Edges
of eyelids greenish-grey; iris hazel. Feet purplish flesh-colour;
claws brownish-black. The general colour of the whole plumage is
light purplish-grey, the upper part of the head darker, the lower
parts minutely mottled with pale yellowish-grey; the feathers of the
upper parts, and the upper tail-coverts, irregularly edged and barred
with greyish-white. Primary quills greyish-brown, their inner webs
paler, their tips whitish; tail of the same colour, its base and outer
webs of lateral feathers irregularly mottled with whitish, the tips
brownish-white.
Length to end of tail 18-3/4 inches, to end of wings 20; extent of wings
51; wing from flexure 16; tail 6; bill along the ridge 2, along the
edge of lower mandible 2-1/2; tarsus 2-1/4; middle toe 2, its claw
(4-1/2)/12. Weight 22 oz.
From the examination of individuals of this species, it would appear
that little reliance can be placed on the markings of the quills as
affording a specific character. Four undoubted specimens of _Larus
argentatus_ now before me, have a white spot, varying in length from
one to two inches, and including both webs, near the end of the _first_
quill. One has no spot on the _second_ quill; another has a spot on
both webs of the _second_ quill of one wing, and a smaller spot on
part of the inner web of the same quill of the other wing; the third
has a very small spot on part of the inner web of the same quill of
both wings; the fourth has a large circular spot on the inner web of
that quill also in both wings.
THE CRESTED GREBE.
_PODICEPS CRISTATUS_, LATH.
PLATE CCXCII. MALE AND FEMALE.
This beautiful species returns from its northern places of residence,
and passes over the Western Country, about the beginning of September.
A few remain on the lower parts of the Ohio, on the Mississippi,
and the lakes in their neighbourhood, but the greater number proceed
towards the Mexican territories. They pass swiftly through the air,
at a height of about a hundred yards, in flocks of from seven or
eight to fifty or more, proceeding in a loose body, and propelling
themselves by continued flappings, their necks and feet stretched out
to their full length. I have observed them thus passing in autumn,
for several years in succession, over different parts of the Ohio, at
all hours of the day. On such occasions I could readily distinguish
the old from the young, the former being in many instances still
adorned with their summer head-dress. I never saw this species near
the sea-coast, where, on the contrary, I have met with the Red-necked
Grebe.
When about to alight on the water, these birds glide swiftly downward,
with their wings half-closed, and produce a sound not unlike that of
a hawk stooping towards its prey. Their velocity is so great at this
moment, that on alighting, they glide on the surface of the water
for twenty or thirty yards, leaving a furrow in their wake. In a
few moments they are all engaged in washing and cleaning themselves,
after which they dive in pursuit of the fishes on which they feed,
and which they secure by following them in the manner of Divers and
Cormorants. They are exceedingly quick-sighted, and frequently elude
by diving the shot intended for their destruction, seldom after being
chased raising more than their bill above the water, but rarely making
for the shore unless when nearly exhausted.
When in ponds, they may easily be caught with fishing hooks placed
on lines near the bottom; but if the lines are not closely attended
to, or held from a place of concealment, where you may feel that
they are hooked, and at once haul them out, the birds drown in a very
short time. On catching two or three in this manner, I found the pond
deserted the following morning and for several days after. They very
rarely fly in your presence, and they leave the ponds at night. If
forced to rise on wing, they run paddling on the water for several
yards before they rise, and fly several times round a pond of thirty
or forty yards before they attain the level of the tree-tops, for
they never fly through the woods. When once high in the air, they
move in a direct course and with speed, towards some other pond or
the nearest river. I do not remember to have ever met with a bird
of this species on a narrow creek or bayou, or on muddy waters; and
on the Ohio’s rising I have observed that they abandon the river and
betake themselves to the clear ponds of the interior.
By the 1st of October, scarcely any difference can be perceived between
the young and the old birds with respect to plumage, only the latter
have the under surface of the wings still dashed with the reddish
colour of the summer dress. I am not able to say from observation
how long the young are in attaining maturity; but European writers
assert that they take three or four years. When these birds leave
the southern waters about the beginning of April, the old already
shew their summer head-dress, but seldom have it so perfect as is
represented in the plate.
The food of this species consists of fishes, aquatic insects, and
small reptiles, together with the seeds of water plants. Dr RICHARDSON
states that these birds are abundant in all the secluded lakes of
the mountainous districts of the fur countries, and adds that their
nests are formed of a large quantity of grass, placed among reeds
and carices, and rise and fall with the water. Mr YARRELL has kindly
furnished me with specimens of the eggs, which are generally four,
measure two inches and a quarter in length by one inch and a half,
have an oval form, and a smooth surface, of a uniform yellowish-white
colour.
PODICEPS CRISTATUS, _Lath._ Ind. Ornith. vol. ii. p.
780.—_Ch. Bonaparte_, Synopsis of Birds of the United
States, p. 417.
CRESTED GREBE, OR GAUNT, _Nuttall_, Manual, vol. ii. p. 250.
Adult Male in spring. Plate CCXCII. Fig. 1.
Bill about the length of the head, straight, compressed, tapering.
Upper mandible with the dorsal line straight, slightly declinate
towards the tip, the ridge convex, the sides convex, the edges
sharp and inflected, the tip rather sharp. Nasal groove rather
wide, extending to nearly half the length of the mandible; nostrils
linear-elliptical, basal, rather small, pervious. Lower mandible with
the angle long and extremely narrow; dorsal line beyond it ascending
and straight, sides erect, slightly convex, tip acuminate, edges sharp.
Head of moderate size, oblong, compressed. Neck long, slender. Body
long and depressed. Feet short, large, placed close to the extremity of
the body; tibia feathered to the joint; tarsus extremely compressed;
its anterior edge with a row of small scutella, the sides with broad
scutella, behind which are some irregular scales, the posterior
ridge with a double line of small prominent scales; first toe very
small with a posterior membrane, fourth longest; the toes scutellate
above, connected at the base by a membrane, and having on both sides
an expanded web-like margin marked with oblique lines, and having a
crenated edge. Claws flat, that of third toe broadest.
Plumage very soft, blended, on the lower parts silky, on the back
glossy and rather compact. Two tufts of elongated feathers on the
occiput, and a large frill on the sides and anterior portion of the
neck at its upper part. Wings small, acute; primaries much curved,
second longest, first almost equal, the rest rapidly graduated;
secondaries short, rounded. Tail a slight tuft of loose feathers.
Bill blackish-brown tinged with carmine; bare loral space dusky
green, as is the edge of the eyelids. Iris bright carmine. Feet
greenish-black, the webs greyish-blue. Upper part of the head and
tufts greyish-black tinged with green, as is the hind part of the
ruff, its anterior part being brownish-red; sides of the head and
the throat white; fore neck white tinged with brown; breast silvery
white, sides reddish-brown with dusky streaks; the upper parts are
brownish-black, the feathers edged with lighter, the sides of the
neck tinged with reddish, as is the rump. Wing-coverts greyish-brown,
primary quills brownish-black, tips of the inner white, the middle
secondaries white.
Length to end of tail 24 inches, to end of wings 21, to end of claws
29; extent of wings 33; wing from flexure 7-1/2; bill along the ridge
2, along the edge of lower mandible 2-7/12; tarsus 2-1/2; third toe 3/4,
its claw 1/4. Weight 2 lb. 9 oz.
Adult Female in spring. Plate CCXCII. Fig. 2.
The Female has the occipital feathers a little elongated, but wants
the ruff on the neck. Bill dusky green; bare loral space, edges of
eyelids, and iris, as in the male. Upper part of head and hind neck
blackish-grey; back and wings as in the male, but more tinged with
grey; lower parts silvery white, the sides under the wings dusky.
Length to end of tail 19-1/2, to end of claws 24-1/4; extent of wings
30; bill along the back 2-1/4, along the edge of lower mandible 2-3/4;
tarsus 2-1/4; third toe 2-1/2, its claw 1/4. Weight 1 lb. 6-1/2 oz.
The following account of the digestive organs of this species was
taken from an adult male.
The œsophagus is nine and a half inches long; at its commencement,
and for an inch and a half, it has a diameter of half an inch, for
the next two inches only two-twelfths, towards the lower extremity
four-twelfths; this, however, in the contracted state, the specimen
having been kept in spirits. The mucous coat is raised into numerous
longitudinal folds.
The walls of the proventriculus are extremely thick, the glands
cylindrical, generally about a quarter of an inch long, and one-twelfth
in diameter. The stomach is roundish, compressed, the muscular coat
very thick, being that of a true gizzard, the tendons nearly half
an inch in diameter; the inner coat thick, the cuticular lining very
thick and rugous.
Between the orifice of the œsophagus and the pylorus is a rounded lobe,
from the lower part of which the intestine comes off. The pylorus
has no valve, but a thick marginal rim. The intestine, immediately
after its commencement, dilates to the diameter of half an inch, and
continues of that size for twelve inches, then gradually contracts
for about six inches, when its diameter is four-twelfths, and again
within six inches of the cœca becomes enlarged. The cœca come off at
the distance of two inches from the anus, and are an inch and a half
in length, a little enlarged towards their extremity, and rounded. The
rectum is half an inch in diameter, the cloaca one inch. The entire
length of the intestine is forty-two inches.
The heart is conical, rather pointed, and slightly curved. The trachea
is flattened, of uniform diameter, the rings complete, 167 in number,
its transverse diameter two inches and half a twelfth, contracted at
the bifurcation to two-twelfths.
The tail of the Grebes is usually described as a small tuft of
feathers; but on carefully removing the coverts and downy parts,
the tail may be satisfactorily traced. In this species there are 14
feathers, on each side 7 arranged in a semicircular manner. The two
middle feathers are separated to the distance of about 2/12, and the
two outer or lateral approach each other below, leaving an interval
of about the same space. When the feathers are broken across near
their bases, which they frequently are, there is thus produced the
appearance of a small circular tuft. When perfect, they are about 1-1/2
inches long, arched, with loose barbs, downy at their extremities.
THE LARGE-BILLED PUFFIN.
_MORMON GLACIALIS_, LEACH.
PLATE CCXCIII. MALE.
Although my learned friend Prince CHARLES BONAPARTE says in his
Synopsis of the Birds of the United States, that this species is not
uncommon in winter on our coast, I have only once met with it, and
even then I rather supposed than was actually certain that the birds
observed were Large-billed Puffins. They occurred on the outer side
of the Island of Grand Manan, at the entrance of the Bay of Fundy.
None were seen by myself or my companions on our way to Labrador, or
in that country, so that I am unable to say any thing respecting the
habits of this remarkable bird. The specimens from which my figures
were taken were kindly lent to me by Mr GOULD of London, whose name
must be familiar to you as a successful cultivator of Ornithology.
MORMON GLACIALIS, _Ch. Bonaparte_, Synops. of Birds of the
United States, p. 430.
LARGE-BILLED PUFFIN, _Nuttall_, Manual, vol. ii. p. 541.
Adult Male. Plate CCXCIII. Fig. 1.
Bill about the length of the head, nearly as high as long, exceedingly
compressed, at the base higher than the head, obliquely furrowed on
the sides. Upper mandible with a horny rim along the incurved basal
margin, its dorsal line irregularly curved from the base, the ridge
very narrow but rounded, the sides rapidly sloping, and marked with
three curved oblique grooves, the edges strong, rather sharp, their
outline nearly straight, the tip deflected, very narrow, but obtuse.
Between the basal rim and the first groove is a triangular flat space,
in the lower part of which, close to the edge of the mandible, is
the linear direct nostril. Lower mandible with the angle narrow, and
so placed that the base is inflected much beyond the perpendicular,
the dorsal line irregularly curved, towards the end ascending and
nearly straight, the ridge narrow, broader about the middle, the sides
nearly flat and grooved, the edges strong, the tip very narrow. The
gape extends downwards a little beyond the base of the bill, and is
furnished with a soft corrugated extensible membrane.
Head large, oblong, anteriorly compressed. Eyes of moderate size,
with bare orbits; over the upper eyelid an oblong, tapering horny
body directed upwards and backwards, on the lower a linear body of a
similar nature over its whole length. Neck short and thick. Body full
and rounded. Feet short, rather stout; tibia bare for a short space
above the joint. Tarsus very short, little compressed, anteriorly
for three-fourths of its length with a series of small scutella,
the rest with reticular angular scales. Hind toe wanting, toes
rather long, and slender, scutellate above, connected by reticulated
entire membranes, the third and fourth toes about equal, the second
considerably shorter, with a narrow marginal web. Claws strong, of
moderate length, compressed, arched, that of the inner toe much curved
and acute.
Plumage close, blended, soft, very short on the head. Wings curved,
short, narrow, acute. Primary quills tapering, incurved, the first
longest, the second a little shorter, the rest regularly graduated;
secondaries very short and rounded. Tail very short, much rounded,
of sixteen rounded feathers.
Bill bright orange-red, soft edges of mouth gamboge. Edges of eyelids
orange-red; the iris and horny appendages light blue. Feet orange-red,
with the webs paler, the claw yellowish-brown. The sides of the head
and the lower parts in general, white; upper part of the head light
brownish-grey tinged with lilac; a broad collar extending to the
lower mandible, of a dark greyish-brown tint below, and gradually
passing into the colour of the upper parts, which is brownish-black,
glossed with blue; primary quills and their coverts blackish-brown,
very slightly margined with paler.
Length to end of tail 13 inches, to end of claws 14; to end of wings
12-1/2; extent of wings 24-1/2; bill along the ridge 2-1/4; along the
edge of lower mandible 1-5/8; depth of bill at the base 1-11/12, its
greatest diameter 5/8; tarsus 1-3/8; middle toe 1-7/8, its claw 1/2.
Adult Female. Plate CCXCIII. Fig. 2.
The Female is precisely similar to the Male.
THE PECTORAL SANDPIPER.
_TRINGA PECTORALIS_, BONAP.
PLATE CCXCIV. MALE AND FEMALE.
This Sandpiper is not uncommon along the shores of our Eastern States
in autumn and winter. It has also lately been found in England, and
I have seen a specimen of it in the possession of WILLIAM YARRELL,
Esq. of London, who received it from a person who had shot it not far
from the metropolis. I first met with this species in the immediate
vicinity of Dennisville, in the State of Maine, feeding on the rocky
bars of the river at low water. In the neighbourhood of Boston it
is more abundant than elsewhere. Mr NUTTALL states, that “they are
killed in abundance on the shores of Cohasset, and other parts of
Massachusetts Bay, and are brought in numbers to the market of Boston,
being very fat and well-flavoured.” “They arrive,” he adds, “in
flocks about the close of August, and continue there, as well as in
New Jersey, till the month of September. In some instances solitary
individuals have been killed in the marshes of Charles River, in
Cambridge, about the 22d of July; these were in company with flocks
of small Sandpipers (_T. Wilsonii_), but whether pairs may perhaps
breed in the neighbouring marshes or not, we have not had the means of
ascertaining. While here, they feed on small coleoptera, larvæ, and
the common green _Ulva latissima_, as well as some species of fucus
or sea-weed, on which they become fat. They utter a low plaintive
whistle when started, very similar to that of other species. Like
the Snipe they seem fond of damp meadows and marshes, and solitary
individuals are often surprised by the sportsman in the manner of
that bird.”
I have observed that the flight of the Pectoral Sandpiper resembles
that of the Knot, and is firm, rapid, and well sustained. It skims
rather low over the surface of the water or the land, and at times
shoots high up into the air, propelling itself with double rapidity
and in perfect silence. It runs with great agility, and probes the
sand or wet earth, immersing its bill up to the base. I never saw
this species in any part of the interior. Its places of resort during
the breeding season, and the changes of plumage which it undergoes,
are unknown.
TRINGA PECTORALIS, PECTORAL SANDPIPER, _Ch. Bonaparte_,
Synopsis of Birds of the United States, p. 318.
PECTORAL SANDPIPER, TRINGA PECTORALIS, _Ch. Bonaparte_,
Amer. Ornith. vol. iv. p. 43. pl. 23. fig. 2.—_Nuttall_,
Manual, vol. ii. p. 111.
Adult Male in Summer. Plate CCXCIV. Fig. 1.
Bill rather longer than the head, slender, subcylindrical, straight,
flexible, compressed at the base, the point rather depressed and
obtuse. Upper mandible with the dorsal line straight, slightly
decurved towards the end, the ridge convex, towards the end a little
flattened, at the point convex, the sides sloping, the edges rather
blunt and soft. Nasal groove extending to near the tip; nostrils
basal, linear, pervious. Lower mandible with the angle long and very
narrow, the dorsal line straight, the sides nearly erect, with a long
narrow groove, the tip a little broader but tapering.
Head of moderate size, oblong, compressed. Eyes rather large. Neck of
moderate length. Body rather slender. Feet of moderate length, slender;
tibia bare for a considerable length; tarsus compressed, anteriorly
and posteriorly with numerous small scutella; hind toe very small;
the rest rather long, slender, the fourth slightly longer than the
second, the third longest, all free, scutellate above, flat beneath,
slightly marginate; claws rather small, slightly arched, compressed,
acute, that of third toe much larger, with the inner edge dilated.
Plumage very soft, blended beneath, slightly distinct above. Wings
long and pointed; primaries tapering, obtuse, the first longest,
the second considerably shorter, the rest regularly graduated; outer
secondaries short, obliquely rounded, the inner elongated and tapering.
Tail of twelve feathers, rather short, nearly even, but with the
middle feathers much longer and pointed, the rest rounded.
Bill dull olive-green, dusky towards the point. Iris hazel. Feet dull
yellowish-green; claws dusky. Upper part of the head reddish-brown,
the central part of each feather brownish-black; a faint whitish line
from the bill to a little beyond the eye; lores dusky; sides of the
head and anterior and lateral parts of the neck, with a portion of
the breast, light brownish-grey, marked with dark brown lines; chin
and the rest of the lower parts white. The feathers on the upper
parts are brownish-black, edged with reddish-brown, those on the
wings lighter, primary quills dusky; the outer secondaries tinged
with grey, the inner like the feathers of the back. Tail-feathers
light brownish-grey, slightly margined and tipped with white, the
two central dark like the back.
Length to end of tail 9-1/4 inches, to end of wings 9-1/4; to end
of claws 10-1/2; extent of wings 18; wing from flexure 5-10/12; tail
2-7/12; bill along the ridge 1-1/4, along the edge of lower mandible
1-2/12; bare part of tibia (5-1/2)/8, tarsus 1-(1-1/2)/12, middle
toe 7/8, its claw 3/12. Weight 6 oz.
Adult Female in summer. Plate CCXCIV. Fig. 2.
The Female, which is a little larger, is similar to the male.
THE MANKS SHEARWATER.
_PUFFINUS ANGLORUM_, RAY.
PLATE CCXCV. ADULT.
Although I have procured this species to the westward of the banks
of Newfoundland, or between their soundings and the American coast,
I am unable to say any thing of importance respecting its habits as
observed by myself. This species formerly inhabited a small islet close
to the Isle of Man, but appears to have now entirely deserted it. In
the Orkneys, however, it is still abundant, and the eggs and young are
in much request there. It arrives in March, and, when the young are
able to fly, betakes itself to the open sea, disappearing towards the
approach of winter. The British writers who have described it inform
us, that it stands nearly erect, flies with great rapidity, feeds on
marine animal substances of all kinds, and, when taken, squirts out
an oily fluid from its nostrils in the manner of the Petrels. It is
said to breed in burrows, and to lay only a single egg, of a white
colour, and elliptical form, about the size of that of a domestic fowl.
PROCELLARIA PUFFINUS, _Linn._ Syst. Nat. vol. i. p.
213.—_Lath._ Ind. Ornith. vol. ii. p. 824.
PUFFINUS ANGLORUM, _Ch. Bonaparte_, Synops. of Birds of
the United States, p. 371.
SHEARWATER PETREL, _Nuttall_, Manual, vol. ii. p. 336.
Adult. Plate CCXCV.
Bill about the length of the head, rather slender, a little compressed,
straightish, the tips curved. Upper mandible with the dorsal line
convex, and sloping at the base, afterwards slightly concave, on the
unguis curved, the ridge broadly convex, narrowed towards the end,
the sides convex, the edges sharp and slightly inflected; the unguis
stout, curved, rather acute. Nostrils tubular, approximated, dorsal;
the narrow nasal groove extending to the unguis. Lower mandible
with the angle very long and narrow, the short dorsal line beyond it
decurved, the sides convex and sloping inwards, the edges sharp and
inflected.
Head of moderate size, ovate, narrowed before. Neck of moderate
length. Body elongated. Feet of moderate size; tibia feathered to
near the joint; tarsus compressed, anteriorly and posteriorly sharp,
covered all over with diversiform scales, of which a series on the
inner side is scutelliform. Toes rather long, slender, excepting
the first, which is a mere conical knob principally composed of the
claw; anterior toes connected by striated webs of which the margin
is concave, scutellate above, the third and fourth longest and about
equal. Claws small, compressed, slightly arched, obtuse, that of
third toe with the inner edge a little dilated.
Plumage dense, soft, blended, on the upper parts rather compact.
Feathers of the fore part of the head very short. Wings long, sharp;
primaries tapering, rounded; first longest, the rest regularly
graduated; secondaries rather short, rounded. Tail rounded, of twelve
feathers.
Bill deep greenish-black. Iris dark brown. Inner and middle of outer
side of tibia dingy orange, the rest greenish-black, as is the fourth
toe and outer side of the third, the inner side of the latter and
the whole of the second dingy orange; the webs much paler; claws
brownish-black. All the upper parts are brownish-black, the lower
white.
Length to end of tail 15 inches, to end of wings 15-1/2, to end of claws
16; extent of wings 32; wing from flexure 9-3/4; tail 3-1/2; bill
along the back 1-8/12, along the edge of lower mandible 1-10/12;
tarsus 1-11/12; middle toe 1-10/12, its claw 4/12. Weight 15 oz.
The Female is similar to the male.
GREAT EGG HARBOUR.
Some years ago, after having spent the spring in observing the habits
of the migratory warblers and other land birds, which arrived in
vast numbers in the vicinity of Camden in New Jersey, I prepared to
visit the sea shores of that State, for the purpose of making myself
acquainted with their feathered inhabitants. June had commenced, the
weather was pleasant, and the country seemed to smile in the prospect
of bright days and gentle gales. Fishermen gunners passed daily
between Philadelphia and the various small sea-ports, with Jersey
wagons, laden with fish, fowls and other provisions, or with such
articles as were required by the families of those hardy boatmen; and
I bargained with one of them to take myself and my baggage to Great
Egg Harbour.
One afternoon, about sunset, the vehicle halted at my lodgings, and
the conductor intimated that he was anxious to proceed as quickly
as possible. A trunk, a couple of guns, and such other articles as
are found necessary by persons whose pursuits are similar to mine,
were immediately thrust into the wagon, and were followed by their
owner. The conductor whistled to his steeds and off we went at a
round pace over the loose and deep sand that in almost every part of
this State forms the basis of the roads. After a while we overtook a
whole caravan of similar vehicles moving in the same direction, and
when we got near them our horses slackened their pace to a regular
walk, the driver leaped from his seat, I followed his example, and we
presently found ourselves in the midst of a group of merry wagoners,
relating their adventures of the week, it being now Saturday night.
One gave intimation of the number of “Sheep-heads” he had taken to
town, another spoke of the Curlews which yet remained on the sands,
and a third boasted of having gathered so many dozens of Marsh Hen’s
eggs. I inquired if the Fish Hawks were plentiful near Great Egg
Harbour, and was answered by an elderly man, who with a laugh asked
if I had ever seen the “Weak fish” along the coast without the bird
in question. Not knowing the animal he had named, I confessed my
ignorance, when the whole party burst into a loud laugh, in which,
there being nothing better for it, I joined.
About midnight the caravan reached a half-way house, where we rested a
while. Several roads diverged from this spot, and the wagons separated,
one only keeping us company. The night was dark and gloomy, but the
sand of the road indicated our course very distinctly. Suddenly the
gallopping of horses struck my ear, and on looking back we perceived
that our wagon must in an instant be in imminent danger. The driver
leaped off, and drew his steeds aside, barely in time to allow the
runaways to pass without injuring us. Off they went at full speed,
and not long after their owner came up panting, and informed us that
they had suddenly taken fright at some noise proceeding from the
woods, but hoped they would soon stop. Immediately after we heard a
crash; then for a few moments all was silent; but the neighing of the
horses presently assured us that they had broken loose. On reaching
the spot, we found the wagon upset, and a few yards farther on were
the horses quietly browsing by the road side.
The first dawn of morn in the Jerseys in the month of June, is worthy
of a better description than I can furnish, and therefore I shall
only say that the moment the sunbeams blazed over the horizon, the
loud and mellow notes of the Meadow Lark saluted our ears. On each
side of the road were open woods, on the tallest trees of which I
observed at intervals the nest of a Fish Hawk, far above which the
white-breasted bird slowly winged its way, as it commenced its early
journey to the sea, the odour of which filled me with delight. In
half an hour more, we were in the centre of Great Egg Harbour.
There I had the good fortune to be received into the house of a
thorough bred fisherman-gunner, who besides owning a comfortable cot
only a few hundred yards from the shore, had an excellent woman for
a wife, and a little daughter as playful as a kitten, though as wild
as a sea-gull. In less than half an hour, I was quite at home, and
the rest of the day was spent in devotion.
Oysters, though reckoned out of season at this period, are as good
as ever when fresh from their beds, and my first meal was of some
as large and white as any I have eaten. The sight of them placed
before me on a clean table, with an honest and industrious family
in my company, never failed to afford more pleasure than the most
sumptuous fare under different circumstances; and our conversation
being simple and harmless, gaiety shone in every face. As we became
better acquainted, I had to answer several questions relative to the
object of my visit. The goodman rubbed his hands with joy as I spoke
of shooting and fishing, and of long excursions through the swamps
and marshes around.
My host was then, and I hope still is, a tall strong-boned muscular
man, of dark complexion, with eyes as keen as those of the Sea-eagle.
He was a tough walker, laughed at difficulties, and could pull an oar
with any man. As to shooting, I have often doubted whether he or Mr
EGAN, the worthy pilot of Indian Isle, was best; and rarely indeed
have I seen either of them miss a shot.
At day-break on Monday, I shouldered my double-barrelled gun, and
my host carried with him a long fowling-piece, a pair of oars, and
a pair of oyster-tongs, while the wife and daughter brought along
a seine. The boat was good, the breeze gentle, and along the inlets
we sailed for parts well known to my companions. To such naturalists
as are qualified to observe many different objects at the same time,
Great Egg Harbour would probably afford as ample a field as any part
of our coast, excepting the Florida Keys. Birds of many kinds are
abundant, as are fishes and testaceous animals. The forests shelter
many beautiful plants, and even on the dryest sand-bar you may see
insects of the most brilliant tints. Our principal object, however,
was to procure certain birds known there by the name of Lawyers, and
to accomplish this we entered and followed for several miles a winding
inlet or bayou, which led us to the interior of a vast marsh, where
after some search we found the birds and their nests. Our seine had
been placed across the channel, and when we returned to it the tide
had run out and left in it a number of fine fishes, some of which we
cooked and ate on the spot. One, which I considered as a curiosity,
was saved and transmitted to Baron CUVIER. Our repast ended, the
seine was spread out to dry, and we again betook ourselves to the
marshes, to pursue our researches until the return of the tide. Having
collected enough to satisfy us, we took up our oars, and returned
to the shore in front of the fisherman’s house, where we dragged the
seine several times with success.
In this manner I passed several weeks along those delightful and
healthy shores, one day going to the woods to search the swamps in
which the Herons bred, passing another amid the joyous cries of the
Marsh Hens, and on a third carrying slaughter among the White-breasted
Sea Gulls, by way of amusement sometimes hauling the fish called the
Sheep-head from an eddy along the shore, or watching the gay Terns
as they danced in the air, or plunged into the waters to seize the
tiny fry. Many a drawing I made at Great Egg Harbour, many a pleasant
day I spent along its shores; and much pleasure would it give me once
more to visit the good and happy family in whose house I resided there.
THE BARNACLE GOOSE.
_ANSER LEUCOPSIS_, BECHST.
PLATE CCXCVI. MALE AND FEMALE.
Several old gunners on the coast of Massachusetts and Maine, who
were Englishmen by birth, assured me that they had killed Barnacles
there, and that these birds brought a higher price in the markets
than the Common Brent Geese. The Prince of Musignano states in his
Synopsis that they are very rare and accidental in the United States,
and Mr NUTTALL says that they are “mere stragglers” there. For my
part, I acknowledge that I never met with one of them, either along
the coast or in the interior, although I have seen beautiful mounted
specimens in various parts. Being neither anxious to add to our Fauna,
nor willing unnecessarily to detract from it, I have figured a pair
of these birds, with the hope that ere long, the assertions of the
gunners, and those of the authors above mentioned, may be abundantly
verified by the slaughter of many geese. In the mean time I must
further confess my ignorance of the habits of the Barnacle.
Mr SELBY thus speaks of it in the second volume of his
Illustrations:—“The Bernicle is amongst the number of our winter
visitants, annually resorting in vast numbers, upon the approach of
autumn, to the western shores of Britain, and to the north of Ireland.
Upon the Lancashire coast, the Solway Frith, &c. it is very abundant;
frequenting the marshy grounds that are occasionally covered by the
spring-tides, and such sands as produce the sea-grasses and plants
upon which it feeds. Upon the eastern and southern shores of Britain
it is of rare occurrence, its place being supplied by its nearly
allied congener, the Brent Goose (_Anser Brenta_); which again is as
rarely seen upon the opposite coast of the island. Like the rest of the
genus, the Bernicle is a very wary bird, and can only be approached by
the most cautious manœuvres. It is sometimes shot by moonlight, when
it comes on the sands to feed, by persons couched on the ground, or
from behind any occasional shelter in such places as the flocks are
known to frequent. Its flesh is sweet and tender, and highly esteemed
for the table. Upon the approach of spring it leaves our shores for
more northern countries, and by the middle of March the whole have
retired.” It is known to breed in Iceland, Spitzbergen, Greenland,
&c. as well as in Lapland, the northern parts of Russia, and northern
Asia. It also inhabits Hudson’s Bay and other polar districts of the
American continent. During its equatorial or winter migration, it is
abundant in Holland, France, and parts of Germany.
The eggs, which I describe from specimens deposited in the rich museum
of the University of Edinburgh, measure two inches and seven-eighths
by one inch and seven-eighths, and are of a uniform yellowish-cream
colour.
I have represented an adult male in spring, and a female of the
preceding year.
ANAS ERYTHROPUS, _Linn._ Syst. Nat. vol. i. p. 197.—_Lath._
Ind. Ornith. vol. ii. p. 843.
ANSER LEUCOPSIS, _Ch. Bonaparte_, Synopsis of Birds of the
United States, p. 377.
BARNACLE GOOSE, _Nuttall_, Manual, vol. ii. p. 355.
Adult Male in Spring. Plate CCXCVI. Fig. 1.
Bill much shorter than the head, higher than broad at the base,
somewhat conical, slightly depressed towards the end, narrowed and
rounded at the tip. Upper mandible with the dorsal line sloping,
the ridge broad and flattened, the sides sloping, the edges soft and
obtuse, the oblique marginal lamellæ short, transverse, about thirty
on each side, besides minute anterior ones; the unguis roundish,
convex, striato-denticulate on the inner edge. Nasal groove elliptical,
commencing at the base and extending to the middle of the bill,
parallel to the ridge, filled by the soft membrane of the bill;
nostrils lateral, submedial, longitudinal, narrow-elliptical, open,
pervious. Lower mandible straight, with the angle very long, rather
wide, and rounded, the sides sloping rapidly upwards, the edges soft
and obtuse, with about thirty-eight distinct lamellæ on an inflected
plane.
Head small, oblong, compressed. Neck rather long and slender. Body
full, slightly depressed. Feet short, stout, placed a little behind the
centre of the body; legs bare a little above the tibio-tarsal joint.
Tarsus short, a little compressed, covered all round with angular
reticulated scales, which are smaller behind. Hind toe extremely
small, with a very narrow membrane; third toe longest, fourth a little
shorter, but longer than second all the toes reticulated above at
the base, but with narrow transverse scutella towards the end; the
three anterior connected by a reticulated membrane, the outer with
a thick margin, the inner with the margin extended into a two-lobed
web. Claws small, arched, rather compressed, except that of the middle
toe, which is bent obliquely outwards, depressed, with a curved edge.
Wings of moderate length, with an obtuse protuberance at the flexure.
Plumage close, rather short, compact above, blended on the head,
neck, and lower parts of the body. The feathers of the head and neck
very narrow, of the back very broad and abrupt, of the breast and
belly broadly rounded. Wings when closed extending about an inch and
a quarter beyond the tail, acute; primaries very strong, curved, the
second longest; secondaries long, broad, rounded. Tail very short,
rounded, of sixteen stiff rounded and acuminate feathers.
Bill, feet, and claws black. Iris dark hazel. Anterior part of the
head, including a broad space above the eye, the sides of the head,
and the throat, white; the feathers margining the bill, and a line
from the bill to the eye, curving below the lower eyelid, and running
along the upper, brownish-black. Neck all round glossy black, of
which colour are the anterior or dorsal feathers, the scapulars, and
the wing-coverts, towards their extremities, while their bases are
ash-grey, and their terminal margins white. The shorter feathers on the
middle of the back are similar; those on the rump and the tail-feathers
deep black. The quills are greyish-black, darker towards the tips,
the outer webs more or less tinged with ash-grey. The breast, sides,
and abdomen greyish-white, the upper feathers of the sides with more
grey; the upper and lower tail-coverts, and the sides of the rump,
pure white.
Length 27 inches, extent of wings 4 feet 8 inches; bill along the
ridge 1-1/2, in depth at the base 10/12, in breadth 9/12; tarsus
2-10/12, middle toe and claw 2-10/12; wing from flexure 17; tail 6;
the feet extend beyond the tail 3-1/2 inches. Weight 4 lb. 1 oz.
Adult Female. Plate CCXCVI. Fig. 2.
The Female, which is much smaller, has the same colours, the black
parts being tinged with brown, and the tints generally duller.
Length 23-1/2 inches, extent of wings 4 feet 4 inches; the feet extend
beyond the tail 2-1/2 inches. Weight 2 lb. 9 oz.
THE HARLEQUIN DUCK.
_FULIGULA HISTRIONICA_, BONAP.
PLATE CCXCVII. MALE AND FEMALE.
I have the pleasure of presenting you with three figures of the
Harlequin Duck, one a male in all the perfection of its spring plumage,
the bird having attained complete maturity, another male two years
old, and an adult female shot in the pairing season. No figures of the
adult male or of the female have, I believe, hitherto been published.
To the south of the Bay of Boston the “Lord and Lady Duck” is rarely
seen on our coast; but from that neighbourhood it becomes more
plentiful as you proceed eastward; and, on reaching Maine and the
entrance of the Bay of Fundy, you may see it at any period of the
year among the rocky islands there. It breeds on the Seal, White
Head, and Grand Manan Islands, and along the coast of Nova Scotia,
Cape Breton, Newfoundland, and Labrador. Many, however, proceed much
farther north, for specimens were obtained by Captain JAMES CLARK ROSS
in the highest latitudes visited by him. It is extremely attached
to certain localities, from which it rarely wanders unless greatly
molested, and it thus remains about the islands, or the parts of
the coast on which it breeds, unless it be forced off by very severe
weather in winter. Few persons shoot it for its flesh; not that it
is inferior as food to other deep-diving ducks, but because it is
comparatively small, and difficult to be obtained. Not only is it at
all seasons remarkably shy and vigilant, but even if approached when
on rocks, it plunges into the water the moment its keen eye catches
a glance of you, dives with all the agility of the Black Guillemot,
and seldom rises within shot. If you shoot at it when passing on
wing, even should it be beyond reach, it plunges into the water the
moment it perceives the flash,—a habit which is also occasionally
observed in the Black Guillemot. It being usually found in flocks of
one or two families, or of from twelve to fifteen individuals, some
one always acts as a watchful sentinel, whose single note of alarm
is sufficient to induce the whole to move off without hesitation.
Notwithstanding all this vigilance, however, my party procured a
good number of them at different times, by lying in wait for them
under cover of some rocks, in the neighbourhood of which they were
known to alight at certain hours of the day, to bask in the sun and
dress their plumage. On these occasions a shot seldom failed to kill
several, for they fly compactly and alight close together.
On the 31st of May 1833, I found them breeding on White Head Island,
and other much smaller places of a similar nature, in the same part
of the Bay of Fundy. There they place their nests under the bushes
or amid the grass, at the distance of twenty or thirty yards from
the water. Farther north, in Newfoundland and Labrador, for example,
they remove from the sea, and betake themselves to small lakes a mile
or so in the interior, on the margins of which they form their nests
beneath the bushes next to the water.
The nest is composed of dry plants of various kinds, arranged in a
circular manner to the height of two or three inches, and lined with
finer grasses. The eggs are five or six, rarely more, measure two
inches and one-sixteenth by one inch and four-and-a-half eighths,
and are of a plain greenish-yellow colour. These measurements differ
a little from those of an egg sent to me by my friend Mr HEWITSON
of Newcastle-upon-Tyne, and which had been found in Ireland by Mr
ATKINSON. After the eggs are laid, the female plucks the down from
the lower parts of her body, and places it beneath and around them,
in the same manner as the Eider Duck and other species of this tribe.
The male leaves her to perform the arduous, but no doubt to her
pleasant, task of hatching and rearing the brood, and, joining his
idle companions, returns to the sea-shore, where he moults in July and
August. The little ones leave the nest a few hours after they burst
the shell, and follow their mother to the water, where she leads them
about with the greatest care and anxiety. When about a week old she
walks with them to the sea, where they continue, in the same manner
as the Eiders. When discovered in one of these small inland lakes,
the mother emits a lisping note of admonition, on which she and the
young dive at once, and the latter make for the shores, where they
conceal themselves, while the former rises at a good distance, and
immediately taking to wing, leaves the place for a while. On searching
along the shores for the young, we observed that, on being approached,
they ran to the water and dived towards the opposite side, continuing
their endeavours thus to escape, until so fatigued that we caught
four out of six, When at sea, they are as difficult to be caught as
the young Eiders.
The flight of the Harlequin Duck is rapid and generally straight. At
sea it flies at a small height, but when flying over the land, or even
when approaching it, should there be any suspicion of danger, it rises
to a considerable height. Its food consists of shrimps, small fishes,
roe, aquatic insects, and mollusca, which it procures by diving. The
flesh is dark, and generally tastes of fish, but that of the female
is good during the period of her sojourn on the fresh-water ponds.
The male takes three years to acquire his full plumage, although many
individuals breed in the second year. The female is perfect in the
second spring. Dr RICHARDSON, in the Fauna Boreali-Americana, describes
a male killed on the eastern declivity of the Rocky Mountains, whence
it appears that at times it goes far inland; and it is very probable
that its habits differ greatly in different localities.
ANAS HISTRIONICA, _Linn._ Syst. Nat. vol. i. p. 204.—_Lath._
Ind. Ornith. vol. ii. p. 849.
HARLEQUIN DUCK, ANAS HISTRIONICA, _Wils._ Amer. Ornith.
vol. viii. p. 139. pi. 72, fig. 4.
FULIGULA HISTRIONICA, _Ch. Bonaparte_, Synops. of Birds of
the United States, p. 394.
CLANGULA HISTRIONICA, HARLEQUIN DUCK, _Swains. and Richards._
Fauna Bor. Amer. part ii. p. 459.
HARLEQUIN DUCK, _Nuttall_, Manual, vol. ii. p. 448.
Adult Male in summer. Plate CCXCVII. Fig. 1.
Bill much shorter than the head, comparatively narrow, deeper than
broad at the base, slightly depressed towards the end, which is
rounded. Upper mandible with the dorsal line straight and sloping to
the middle, then nearly straight, towards the tip decurved, the ridge
broad and flat at the base, convex towards the end, the sides convex,
the edges soft, with about thirty-five oblique internal lamellæ,
the unguis large and elliptical. Nostrils subbasal, elliptical, very
large, pervious, nearer the ridge than the edge. Lower mandible flat,
with the angle long, rather narrow, rounded, the dorsal line slightly
convex, the edges with about forty lamellæ, the unguis elliptical.
Head rather large, compressed. Eyes of moderate size. Neck of ordinary
length, thick. Body large, depressed. Wings rather small. Feet very
short, placed rather far behind; tarsus very short, compressed, having
anteriorly in its whole length a series of small scutella, and above
the outer toe a few broad scales, the rest covered with reticular
angular scales. Hind toe very small, with a free membrane beneath;
anterior toes longer than the tarsus, connected by reticulated
membranes, having a sinus on their free margins, the inner with a
narrow lobed marginal membrane, the outer with a thickened edge,
the third and fourth about equal and longest, all covered above with
narrow scutella. Claws small, arched, obtuse, that of first toe very
small, of third largest, and with an inner thin edge.
Plumage dense, soft, blended. Feathers on the fore part of the
head very small and rounded, on the upper part of the head slightly
elongated, on the neck narrow, on the other parts broad and rounded.
Wings rather short, narrow, pointed; primary quills curved, strong,
tapering, and pointed, the first and second about equal, and longest,
the rest rapidly graduated; secondary short, broad and rounded. Tail
very short, cuneate, of sixteen strong tapering feathers.
Bill light yellowish-olive, the tips of the unguis lighter. Iris
reddish-brown. Feet light blue, the webs greyish-black, the claws
whitish. A broad band from the base of the bill to the occiput
bluish-black, margined behind with light yellowish-red, before
with white, that colour forming a broad triangular spot on the
cheek anterior to the eye. Sides of the head, and neck all round,
purplish-blue; a spot of white behind the ear, a curved line on the
side of the neck, a complete ring of white below the middle of the
neck, with a curved band of the same colour anterior to the wing. All
these white markings broadly edged with deep black. The fore part
of the back light purplish-blue, the hind part gradually deepening
in tint, so as to become almost black, of which colour is the rump
all round. Scapulars chiefly white; wing-coverts purplish-blue, as
are the alula and primary coverts, the quills dark greyish-brown,
the tail greyish-black, a small white spot near the flexure of the
wing; a band of white across the wing, formed by the tips of the
secondaries, of which the inner have their outer webs principally
of the same colour. Fore part of the breast purplish-blue, hind part
and abdomen greyish-brown, sides light red; a lateral spot of white
near the root of the tail.
Length to end of tail 17-1/4 inches, to end of wings 14-1/2, to end of
claws 16-1/2; extent of wings 26-1/2; wing from flexure 7-3/4; tail
3-1/2; bill along the back 1-1/12 along the edge of lower mandible
1-1/2; tarsus 1-4/12; middle toe 2, its claw 4/12. Weight 1-1/2 lb.
Male in the second year.
The young male, after the first moult, is greyish-brown on the back
and wings, light brownish-grey beneath. The head and neck are of a
dull leaden blue, the upper part of the head darker. The white spot
before the eye is mottled with grey, the line extending over the eye
obscure, and the edging of the occiput faint reddish-brown. The two
white marks exist on the sides of the neck, but are merely edged with
darker blue; there are slight indications of the white collar, and the
band before the wing is marked, but much smaller than in the adult.
The quills are dark brown, but the secondaries are not tipped with
white, of which there are but slight indications on the scapulars.
The upper tail-coverts are blackish, the tail bluish-grey, lighter
at the end. The bill is dusky, the feet of a leaden tint.
Male in the third year. Plate CCXCVII. Fig. 2.
After the second moult, the male has greatly improved in colouring,
although the tints are not nearly so pure as in the old bird. The
hind part of the back is still brown, as are the wing-coverts; the
sides are dark brownish-grey, with undulated yellowish-red bars. The
white collar is not yet complete, but all the white markings on the
neck are edged with black; the fore part of the breast is dull grey,
the middle yellowish-grey, spotted with bluish-grey. The white bar
on the wing is still wanting; the rump is glossy bluish-black, the
tail nearly of the same tint.
Adult Female. Plate CCXCVII. Fig. 3.
The principal colour of the female is greyish-brown, deeper on the
head and rump, lighter on the fore neck, and mottled with greyish-white
on the breast. The quills are dark brown edged with lighter, the tail
blackish-grey. There is a large whitish spot mottled with grey before
the eye, and another of a purer white behind the ear. Bill and feet
dull bluish-grey. Iris brown.
Length to end of tail 16 inches, to end of wings 13-1/2, to end of claws
15-1/2; extent of wings 24-1/4; wing from flexure 8-1/4; tail 3-1/2;
bill along the back 1-10/12, along the edge of lower mandible 1-1/2;
tarsus 1-1/4; middle toe 2, its claw 4/12 Weight 1-1/4 lb.
THE RED-NECKED GREBE.
_PODICEPS RUBRICOLLIS_, LATH.
PLATE CCXCVIII. MALE AND YOUNG.
I have found this species along the coast from New York to Maine, in
the winter season, when old and young were generally in about equal
number. At Boston I procured several specimens. On the Bay of Fundy,
and among the islands at its entrance, I saw these Grebes already
in their spring plumage, it being then the beginning of May. On one
occasion our boat was rowed over an eddy in which a pair had dived
in search of food. On emerging they were only a few yards distant;
but, although several guns were fired at them, they escaped unhurt,
for they instantly dived again, passed under the boat at the depth of
about a yard, and did not rise until at a safe distance. None of us
could conceive how they had managed to elude us, for as they were so
near, the shot threw up the water in its course, and I had expected
to find them completely mangled.
Although I have seen this species far up our salt-water bays, I never
observed it on any of the southern fresh-water ponds or rivers. Dr
RICHARDSON states, in the Fauna Boreali-Americana, that it “is very
common in the fur countries, frequenting every lake with grassy
borders.” M. TEMMINCK says “that they inhabit rivers, lakes, and
the borders of the sea, but in greater number on fresh-waters; are
tolerably common in different parts of Europe; feed on small fish,
fry, amphibious reptiles, insects, and vegetables; form their nests
of the same materials, and place it in the same situations as the
Crested Grebe, and lay three or four eggs.” An egg lent me by my
esteemed friend Mr YARRELL, measured two inches in length by one inch
and a quarter in breadth, and was of a uniform pale greenish-white.
PODICEPS RUBRICOLLIS, _Lath._ Ind. Ornith. vol. ii. p.
783.—_Ch. Bonaparte_, Synopsis of Birds of the United States,
p. 417.—_Swains. and Richards._ Fauna Bor. Amer. part ii.
p. 411.
RED-NECKED GREBE, _Nuttall_, Manual, vol. ii. p. 253.
Adult Male. Plate CCXCVIII. Fig. 1.
Bill about the length of the head, straight, rather slender,
compressed, acute. Upper mandible with the dorsal line straight and
slightly sloping to the middle, then slightly convex, the ridge
convex, the sides sloping, towards the end erect and convex, the
edges acute and inflected. Nasal groove extending to the middle of
the mandible; nostrils subbasal, linear-elliptical, pervious. Lower
mandible with the angle long and extremely narrow, the dorsal line
ascending and straight, the sides erect, slightly convex, the edges
sharp, inflected, the tip narrow, very acute.
Head of moderate size, oblong, compressed. Neck long and slender.
Body depressed. Feet large, placed very far behind; tibia feathered
almost to the joint; tarsus short, extremely compressed, anteriorly
with a narrow scutellate ridge, laterally with very broad scutella,
posteriorly with a narrow ridge having a double row of small prominent
scales. Hind toe very small, with an inferior small membrane; fore
toes long, the outer longest, scutellate above, united at the base
by short webs, externally margined with narrowish, internally with
broad, lobe-shaped expansions, which are marked with parallel oblique
lines, and crenate on the edges. Claws flattened, that of the middle
toe broadest, with an extremely thin broad terminal edge.
Plumage of the head and neck very soft and downy, of the breast and
sides silky and highly glossed, of the abdomen and rump downy, of the
upper parts imbricated, but with loose edges. Wings small; primaries
much curved, the first longest, the second almost equal, the inner
secondaries extending beyond the first primary when the wing is
closed. Tail a small tuft of loose feathers. On the head is a tuft
of elongated feathers on each side behind the eye, and those of the
posterior part of the cheek are also elongated.
Bill brownish-black, bright yellow at the base. Iris carmine. Tarsi
and toes greenish-black externally, yellow on the inner side, the
edges of the lobes dusky. Upper part of the head greyish-black, lower
part ash-grey, with a white line from the base of the lower mandible
to beyond the eye. Hind part of the neck, and upper parts generally,
greyish-black; the feathers edged with pale brown; the edge of the
wing and the outer secondaries white. The fore part and sides of the
neck rich brownish-red; the breast and sides are of a silvery white,
faintly marked with grey.
Length to end of rump-feathers 18-3/4 inches, to end of wings 16-1/2, to
end of claws 24; extent of wings 32; wing from flexure 7-1/4; bill along
the back 1-8/12, along the edge of lower mandible 2-3/8; tarsus 2; outer
toe 2-1/2, its claw 1/4. Weight 23 oz.
Young after first moult. Plate CCXCVIII. Fig. 2.
Bill bright yellow, the ridge of the upper mandible dusky. Iris pale
yellow. Feet as in the adult. The upper part of the head blackish-grey,
the hind neck, and the upper parts generally, of the same colour,
but darker towards the rump; the edge of the wing and the outer
secondaries greyish-white, the latter grey towards the end. The lower
parts greyish-white.
THE DUSKY PETREL.
_PUFFINUS OBSCURUS_, CUV.
PLATE CCXCIX. MALE.
On the 26th of June 1826, while becalmed on the Gulf of Mexico, off
the western shores of Florida, I observed that the birds of this
species, of which some had been seen daily since we left the mouth
of the Mississippi, had become very numerous. The mate of the vessel
killed four at one shot, and, at my request, brought them on board.
From one of them I drew the figure which has been engraved. The
notes made at the time are now before me, and afford me the means of
presenting you with a short account of the habits of this bird.
They skim very low over the sea in search of the floating bunches
of marine plants, usually called the Gulf Weed, so abundant here as
sometimes to occupy a space of half an acre or more. In proceeding,
they flap their wings six or seven times in succession, and then sail
for three or four seconds with great ease, having their tail much
spread, and their long wings extended at right angles with the body.
On approaching a mass of weeds, they raise their wings obliquely,
drop their legs and feet, run as it were on the water, and at length
alight on the sea, where they swim with as much ease as ducks, and dive
freely, at times passing several feet under the surface in pursuit
of the fishes, which, on perceiving their enemy, swim off, but are
frequently seized with great agility. Four or five, sometimes fifteen
or twenty of these birds, will thus alight, and, during their stay
about the weeds, dive, flutter, and swim, with all the gaiety of a
flock of ducks newly alighted on a pond. Many gulls of different kinds
hover over the spot, vociferating their anger and disappointment at
not being so well qualified for supplying themselves with the same
delicate fare. No sooner have all the fishes disappeared than the
Petrels rise, disperse, and extend their flight in search of more,
returning perhaps in a while to the same spot. I heard no sound or
note from any of them, although many came within twenty yards of the
ship and alighted there. Whenever an individual settled in a spot,
many others flew up directly and joined it. At times, as if by way
of resting themselves, they alighted, swam lightly, and dipped their
bills frequently in the water, in the manner of Mergansers.
I preserved the skins of the four specimens procured. One of them I
sent to the Academy of Natural Sciences of Philadelphia, by Captain
JOHN R. BUTLER, of the ship Thalia, then bound from Havannah to
Minorca. Two others were presented to my excellent friend Dr TRAILL,
on my first becoming acquainted with him at Liverpool.
I found the wings of this species strong and muscular for its size,
this structure being essentially requisite for birds that traverse
such large expanses of water, and are liable to be overtaken by heavy
squalls. The stomach resembles a leather purse, four inches in length,
and was much distended with fishes of various kinds, partially digested
or entire. The œsophagus is capable of being greatly expanded. Some
of the fishes were two and a half inches in length, and one in depth.
The flesh of this Petrel was fat, but tough, with a strong smell, and
unfit for food; for, on tasting it, as is my practice, I found it to
resemble that of the porpoises. No difference is perceptible in the
sexes.
While on board the United States’ Revenue Cutter the Marion, and in
the waters of the Gulf Stream opposite Cape Florida, I saw a flock
of these birds, which, on our sailing among them, would scarcely swim
off from our bows, they being apparently gorged with food. As we were
running at the rate of about ten knots, we procured none of them. I
have also seen this species off Sandy Hook.
PROCELLARIA OBSCURA, _Lath._ Ind. Ornith. vol. ii. p. 828.
PUFFINUS OBSCURUS, _Ch. Bonaparte_, Synops. of Birds of
the United States, p. 371.
DUSKY PETREL, _Lath._ Synops. vol. iv. p. 416.—_Nuttall_,
Manual, vol. ii. p. 337.
Adult Male. Plate CCXCIX.
Bill about the length of the head, straight, somewhat cylindrical,
the tips curved. Nostrils tubular, separate, inclosed in a horny
sheath, and dorsal, the outline straight, curved on the unguis, the
sides nearly erect, convex, the edges sharp, hard, and inflected, the
tip decurved, strong. Lower mandible straight, the angle very narrow
and extending nearly to the tip, the dorsal line beyond it decurved,
the sides convex and inclining inwards, the edges sharp and inflected.
Head of moderate size. Neck of ordinary length; body ovate. Feet stout;
tibia bare a short way above the joint; tarsus of moderate length,
rather stout, reticulate; hind toe a very slight knob, with a small
conical claw; fore toes long, slender, connected by reticulated webs
with concave margins, the outer toe slightly longer than the third.
Claws small, slightly arched, compressed obtuse.
Plumage soft, full; the feathers rounded, those of the back and wings
rather compact. Wings long; primaries tapering, rounded, the first
longest, the rest rapidly graduated; secondaries of moderate length,
rounded. Tail rather short, much rounded, of twelve feathers.
Bill light blue, the tips black, mouth light blue. Edges of eyelids
light blue, iris bluish-black. Outside of tarsus and toes indigo-black,
inside and webs pale yellowish-flesh-colour; claws bluish-black. The
upper parts are sooty black, the lower pure white.
Length to end of tail 11 inches, to end of wings 10-1/2, to end of
claws 11-1/4; extent of wings 26-1/2; bill along the back 1-4/12,
along the edge of lower mandible 1-3/4; tarsus 1-1/2; outer toe 2,
its claw (2-1/2)/12.
THE GOLDEN PLOVER.
_CHARADRIUS PLUVIALIS_, LINN.
PLATE CCC. ADULT IN SPRING AND IN WINTER, AND VARIETY.
The Golden Plover spends the autumn, winter, and part of the spring,
in various portions of the United States, appearing in considerable
numbers both along the coast and in the interior, and not unfrequently
on our highest grounds. A much greater number, however, proceed in
severe winters beyond the limits of our Southern States, and the
partial migrations of this species are much influenced by the state
of the weather. They are more abundant along the sea shores of
the Middle and Eastern Districts, from the middle of April to the
beginning of May, whereas in autumn they range over the interior, and
more especially the western prairies. In the early part of May they
congregate in immense flocks, and commence their journey toward more
northern regions, where they are said to breed.
The account which WILSON gave of this species refers in part to the
“Bull-headed Plover,” _Charadrius helveticus_, although his figure
cannot be mistaken for that of the latter, even in its first autumnal
dress. But the Editor of the second edition of WILSON’s work has
rejected the Golden Plover as an American Bird, although he might have
frequently seen it in the very markets of Philadelphia. The Prince of
Musignano corrected this error, in his valuable “Observations on the
Nomenclature of WILSON’s Ornithology.” Mr SELBY, in speaking of the
Golden Plover, gives it as his opinion, that the bird so called in
America, differs from that of Europe. This opinion, however, I cannot
consider as correct, as I have seen and examined the Golden Plovers
of both countries, and have found their manners, tone of voice, and
appearance, precisely similar.
This bird moves on the ground with sprightliness. When observed, it
often runs with considerable rapidity to some distance, suddenly stops
short, nods once or twice, vibrating its body at the same time, and
if it should imagine itself unnoticed, it often lies down and remains
crouched until the danger is over. At the time of their departure
from the north, and while on the sands or mud-bars on the sea shore,
they often raise their wings as if to air them for a few moments.
While searching for food, they move in a direct manner, often look
sideways toward the ground, and pick up the object of their search by
a peculiar bending movement of the body. They are frequently observed
to pat the moist earth with their feet, to force worms from their
burrows. In autumn they betake themselves to the higher grounds,
where berries as well as insects are to be met with, and where they
find abundance of grasshoppers.
When travelling to a considerable distance, the Golden Plover flies
at the height of from thirty to sixty feet, in a regular manner, with
considerable velocity, the flock, when large, forming an extended
front, and moving with regular flappings, an individual now and then
uttering a mellow note. Before alighting they often perform various
evolutions, now descending and flying swiftly over the ground, then
curving upwards or sidewise, closing and extending their ranks, until
the sportsman is often tired of watching them, and, after all, the
flock, just when he expects it to alight, may suddenly shoot off and
fly to a distance. When they alight within shooting distance, the
moment their feet touch the ground is the critical one, for they are
generally in a compact body, and almost immediately afterwards they
disperse. I have often observed them while flying from one place to
another, suddenly check their course for a moment or two, as if to
look at the objects below, in the manner of Curlews.
While at New Orleans, on the 16th of March 1821, I was invited by
some French gunners to accompany them to the neighbourhood of Lake
St John, to witness the passage of thousands of these birds, which
were coming from the north-east, and continuing their course. At the
first appearance of the birds early in the morning, the gunners had
assembled in parties of from twenty to fifty at different places,
where they knew from experience that the Plovers would pass. There
stationed, at nearly equal distances from each other, they were sitting
on the ground. When a flock approached, every individual whistled in
imitation of the Plover’s call-note, on which the birds descended,
wheeled, and passing within forty or fifty yards, ran the gauntlet
as it were. Every gun went off in succession, and with such effect
that I several times saw a flock of a hundred or more reduced to a
miserable remnant of five or six individuals. The game was brought
up after each volley by the dogs, while their masters were charging
their pieces anew. This sport was continued all day, and at sunset,
when I left one of these lines of gunners, they seemed as intent on
killing more as they were when I arrived. A man near the place where
I was seated had killed sixty-three dozens. I calculated the number
in the field at two hundred, and supposing each to have shot twenty
dozen, forty-eight thousand Golden Plovers would have fallen that day.
On inquiring if these passages were of frequent occurrence, I was
told that six years before, such another had occurred immediately
after two or three days of very warm weather, when they came up with
a breeze from the north-east. Only some of the birds were fat, the
greater number of those which I examined being very lean; scarcely
any had food in their stomach, and the eggs in the ovaries of the
females were undeveloped. The next morning the markets were amply
supplied with Plovers at a very low price.
I have again applied to my friend WILLIAM MACGILLIVRAY for an account
of the manners of this species during the breeding season, which I
now lay before you.
“The Golden Plover is in many parts of Scotland, but especially in
the Northern Highlands, and in the Hebrides, a very common bird. When
the weather begins to improve towards the end of spring, these birds
may be seen flying over the shores or fields in their vicinity, at a
great height, in loose flocks, which now extend into a wide front, now
form irregular angular lines, move with a quiet and regular flight,
frequently emitting their peculiar soft notes, and at times uttering a
singular cry, somewhat resembling the syllables _courlie-wee_. These
flocks are leaving their winter haunts and returning to the inland
moors, over which they disperse in pairs. In the beginning of May,
should you traverse one of the dreary heaths, you will often hear
the plaintive cry of the Plover, mingling, perhaps, with the feeble
cheep of the Dunlin, or the loud scream of the Curlew. Before you have
advanced to any considerable distance, there may come up and alight
on some mossy knoll beside you, a male, clad in his beautiful summer
vesture of black and green. You may approach him within ten paces if
you are inclined, and in some districts it would be easy for one to
shoot many dozens of them in a day at this season. After incubation
has commenced, the females seldom make their appearance on such
occasions. Whether the males assist their mates at that time or not,
they certainly do not forsake them. The nest is a slight hollow in a
tuft of moss, or on a dry place among the heath, irregularly strewed
with fragments of withered plants. The eggs, of which the full number
is four, are placed, as usual in this genus, with their small ends
together. They are much larger and more pointed than those of the
Lapwing, being at an average two inches and one-twelfth in length,
and an inch and a-half in their greatest transverse diameter. The
shell is thin and smooth, of a light greyish-yellow or cream-colour,
irregularly spotted, dotted and patched with dark brown, and sometimes
having a few light purple spots interspersed, the markings larger
towards the broadest part. The young leave the nest immediately after
they burst the shell, and conceal themselves by lying flat on the
ground. At this period, the female evinces the greatest anxiety for
their safety, and will occasionally feign lameness to entice the
intruder to pursue her. I have several times seen one fly off to
a considerable distance, alight in a conspicuous place, and tumble
about as if in the agonies of death, her wings flapping as if they
had been fractured or dislocated. The eggs are delicious, and the
young birds when fledged not less so.
“When the young are able to fly, the Plovers collect into flocks, but
remain on the moors until the commencement of winter, when they advance
towards the pasture lands, and in severe weather betake themselves to
the low grounds near the shores. During continued frosts, they feed
on the sands and rocky shores at low water, and in general during
the winter remain at no great distance from the sea.
“When a flock alights at this season on a field, the individuals
disperse, run about with great activity, and pick up their food.
Sometimes one finds them so tame that he can approach within fifteen
yards, and I have often walked round a flock several times in order
to force them together before shooting. In windy weather they often
rest by lying flat on the ground, and I have reason to think that
at night this is their general practice. In the Hebrides I have
often gone to shoot them at night by moonlight, when they seemed as
actively engaged as by day, which was also the case with the Snipes;
but I seldom succeeded in my object, it being extremely difficult to
estimate distances at night. The numbers that at this season frequent
the sandy pastures and shores of the Outer Hebrides is astonishing.
“The Golden Plover, although occasionally addicted to wading, evidently
prefers dry ground, in which respect it differs essentially in habits
from the _Totani_ and _Limosæ_. It frequently probes the moist sands,
and in summer the dry cow dung on the moors and upland pastures is
seen perforated by its bill. It affords delicious eating, and in my
opinion is scarcely inferior in this respect to the Woodcock.”
CHARADRIUS PLUVIALIS, _Linn._ Syst. Nat. vol. i. p.
254.—_Lath._ Ind. Ornith. vol. ii. p. 740.—_Ch. Bonaparte_,
Synopsis of Birds of the United States, p. 297.
GOLDEN PLOVER, CHARADRIUS PLUVIALIS, _Wils._ Amer. Ornith.
vol. vii. p. 71. pl. 59. fig. 5., Winter.—_Nuttall_, Manual,
vol. ii. p. 16.
Adult Male in Spring. Plate CCC. Fig. 1.
Bill shorter than the head, straight, subcylindrical. Upper mandible
with the dorsal line straight and slightly sloping for two-thirds of
its length, then bulging a little and curving to the tip, which is
rather acute, the sides flat and sloping at the base, convex towards
the end, where the edges are sharp and inclinate. Nasal groove extended
along two-thirds of the mandible, filled with a bare membrane; nostrils
basal, linear, in the lower part of the membrane, open and pervious.
Lower mandible with the angle long, narrow, but rounded, the sides
at the base sloping outwards and flat, the dorsal line ascending and
slightly convex, the edges sharp and involute towards the narrow tip.
Head of moderate size, oblong, rather compressed, the forehead rounded.
Eyes large. Neck rather short. Body ovate, rather full. Wings long.
Feet rather long, slender; tibia bare for a considerable space; tarsus
rather compressed, covered all round with reticulated hexagonal scales;
toes slender; the hind toe wanting; third or middle toe longest,
fourth considerably longer than the second, all scutellate above and
marginate, the outer connected with the middle toe by a membrane as
far as the second joint; claws small, compressed, slightly arched,
slender but obtuse at the end, the inner edge of the middle claw
dilated.
Plumage soft, blended, slightly glossed, the feathers rounded. Wings
long and pointed; primary quills tapering, the first longest, the
second a little shorter, the rest rapidly graduated; outer secondaries
short, broad, obliquely rounded, inner tapering and elongated. Tail
rather short, rounded, of twelve rounded feathers.
Bill black. Iris brown. Feet bluish-grey. The upper part of the head,
the fore part of the back, and the scapulars are beautifully variegated
with brownish-black and bright yellow, the latter in spots along
the edges of the feathers. The hind part of the back greyish-brown,
variegated with yellow of a duller tint; the tail brown, barred with
white. The wings are hair-brown, the smaller coverts spotted with
yellowish-white, the primary coverts and secondaries tipped with white.
The inner secondaries like the scapulars. Part of the forehead, the
loral space, a band over the eye, and the throat, are greyish-white;
the sides of the neck and body variegated with brown, dull white
and yellowish. The breast and a broad band down the fore-neck, are
brownish-black, the latter margined on each side with white. Axillar
feathers, and lower tail-coverts white.
Length to end of tail 10-1/2 inches, to end of wings 10-1/4, to end
of claws 11-1/2; extent of wings 22-3/8; wing from flexure 7; tail
3-2/12; bill along the back 11/12, along the edge of lower mandible
1-2/12; bare part of tibia 8/12; tarsus 1-7/12; middle toe 1-1/12,
its claw 4/12. Weight 5-1/2 oz.
Adult in winter. Plate CCC. Fig. 2.
The black on the lower parts is peculiar to the breeding season;
and after the autumnal moult, they become of a light greyish colour,
spotted and streaked with deep grey. In other respects the plumage
is similar to that described above.
Length to end of tail 10-3/4, to end of claws 11-7/8; extent of wings
22-5/8. Weight 4-1/2 oz.
Light coloured variety. Plate CCC. Fig. 3.
Bill and feet greyish-blue. Iris deep brown. Upper part of head and
back mottled with black and pale yellow; wing-coverts greyish, with
white and dusky spots, as are the sides of the head and the throat; a
broad band of white over the eye; fore part of neck pale grey, fading
into pale cream colour and white; the breast and fore-neck with large
spots of black.
This individual was killed in the breeding season.
REMARKS ON THE FORM OF THE TOES OF BIRDS.
Although naturalists have laboured, more especially since the time of
the great LINNÆUS, who gave an impulse to the study of natural history
unparalleled in that of any other science, to make us acquainted with
animals of every class; and although much has been done by them in
ornithology in particular, it requires little knowledge to be enabled
to say with truth that a great deal more remains to be done. To take
an apparently trivial example, let us look to the tips of the toes
of birds, and we shall no doubt find much that is curious, and much
that has been entirely overlooked. The examination of those parts
was suggested to me by the following occurrence.
On the 21st of March 1816, while I was residing at Henderson in
Kentucky, great flocks of Golden Plovers happening to be passing from
their winter toward their summer haunts, I procured a good number of
them. While engaged in drawing a fine specimen, I observed something
beneath the claws, which induced me to look more particularly to that
part of the toes, when I found there what might be called a second
but smaller claw, equally horny with the part properly so called. I
examined several others, and, finding them all alike in this respect,
I mentioned the circumstance to a friend, who agreed with me in
thinking it very curious. Since that period I have generally, on
procuring a bird of any kind, looked to its toes, and I have found
many species, both of the genus _Charadrius_ and of other Grallæ,
similarly supplied with double claws.
Although I use this term, however, let it not be supposed that I
consider the parts in question as really subsidiary or secondary
claws; for as they are not furnished with a central bone, or process
either from the last phalanx or that next to it, they cannot be truly
considered as such, however much they may sometimes resemble them.
But, in order to explain to you what I mean, let us take a general
view of the subject. If we examine the foot of any common land bird, a
domestic fowl for example, we observe that the extremity of its toes
under the nail are rounded, and covered with quincuncial papillæ,
generally flattened. The extreme degree of this rounded form is seen
in the _Eagles_ and _Hawks_, of which the end of the toe projects
beneath the claw, having the appearance of a large round knob or
rather pad. It is not, however, my intention at present to describe
the structure of this part in the land birds. I may however remark,
that in them, as well as in the others, the examination of the parts
in question will materially aid in limiting the number of merely
nominal species, by disclosing an identity of form, as well as in
separating species that have been confounded, by shewing a diversity,
as I have had occasion to observe, in several species of both kinds.
In the aquatic tribes numerous remarkable modifications are observed.
Beginning with those which have the extremity of the toe largest and
most rounded, we find that the _Geese_, _Ducks_, and _Gulls_, supply
good examples. Thus in _Larus marinus_, the protuberance beneath the
claw is rounded, and covered with small rounded and flattened papillæ,
of which there is a semicircular terminal series of a larger size,
as is represented by fig. 1.
[Illustration: Fig. 1.]
[Illustration: Fig. 2.]
[Illustration: Fig. 3.]
The _Pelicans_ and _Gannets_ are similar in this respect to the
Gulls, as are the _Cormorants_, which, however, have the terminal pad
projecting and more pointed. In the _Guillemots_, also, it is rounded,
with small distinct rounded scales. In the _Frigate Bird_, in which
the webs are short, and do not modify the pads, the terminal scales
are similar to those of the Gulls. In the genus _Lestris_, they are
smaller, and obscured by the webs, their papillæ smaller and more
pointed. In the Terns, they are similar to those of the Gulls, but
narrower, and with the papillæ large. In _Phaeton æthereus_, the webs
appear to obliterate the terminal papillæ, which are very small. In
all these, the extremities of the toes are more or less rounded, and
terminated just beneath the claw by a semicircular series of scales
larger than those immediately behind.
In the _Auks_, however, there is a large scale or plate, on the inner
side of the middle toe, and then a series of narrow scales. In _Mormon
glacialis_, of which the end of the middle toe is represented by fig.
2, there is a single much recurved narrow horny plate, behind which
is a narrow series of oblong scales. In the genus _Puffinus_, there
is also a single short rounded terminal scale or plate.
The _Colymbi_ or _Divers_ have the end of the toe very narrow and
flat, with a single small rounded terminal plate, and numerous small
scales behind it. These birds have the claws depressed, a form which
shews its extreme development in the _Grebes_. Of the extremity of
the middle toe of one of these, _Podiceps cristatus_, fig. 3. is a
representation. Here the claw is almost quite flat, and the end of the
toe beneath it is not elevated or rounded as in almost all the other
genera, but perfectly depressed, and having its outline concave, but
still, as usual, with a series of large scales.
If we now look to the _Grallæ_, we shall find similar modifications.
Fig. 4 represents the lower surface, and the lateral aspect of the
extremity of the middle toe of _Ardea rufescens_, which agrees, in a
general point of view, with that of the other species of the genus,
as well as with that of the _Cranes_. The pad here is rounded, and
terminated by a semicircle of larger scales. In the genera _Numenius_
and _Limosa_, the arrangement is similar, the terminal scales being
much smaller in the latter than in the former, and two of the lateral
scales enlarged. In the genera _Tringa_, _Scolopax_ and _Gallinula_,
the arrangement is similar. All these genera exhibit more or less of
the rounded form, terminated by a series of larger scales.
[Illustration: Fig. 4.]
[Illustration: Fig. 5.]
[Illustration: Fig. 6.]
In _Ibis alba_ the extremity is narrowed and terminated by a small
rather pointed horny plate, divided into two unequal portions, as
represented by fig. 5. The _Tantali_ have this part also narrowed
at the end, flattened, and terminated by a semicircular slightly
projecting plate or hooflet. The same appearance is presented in
_Hæmatopus palliatus_, in which, however, the extremity is more
rounded, the semicircular plate more decurved, and concave above, as
represented by fig. 6. In _Rallus elegans_, fig. 7, and the _Rails_
generally, the terminal plate is similar, but narrow and rather
curved upwards. It is in the genera _Strepsilas_, _Charadrius_ and
_Totanus_, that the terminal plate, being narrower, more elongated
and more pointed, assumes more especially the semblance of a second
claw. The extremities of the middle toes of _Totanus semipalmatus_
and _Charadrius Pluvialis_, are represented by figs 8. and 9.
[Illustration: Fig. 7.]
[Illustration: Fig. 8.]
[Illustration: Fig. 9.]
Having now reached the point from which I started, according to the
approved method of reasoning in a circle, or if not, of exhibiting
natural objects in a circular arrangement, I take my leave, hoping that
when I again request your indulgence, I shall be enabled to present
you with something equally curious, and perhaps better calculated to
induce you to extend your inquiries into the neglected parts of the
structure of those objects, whose investigation cannot fail to raise
our minds towards the Being who framed the beautiful and harmonious
system of which we form a part.
ERRATA.
Page 211, line 4, _for_ Traders _read_ Waders
— 222, ... 2, ... Sir James Ross, _read_ Sir John Ross,
— 273, ... 22, ... Orelans _read_Orleans
— 317, ... 13 from bottom, _for_ even _read_ not only
— 325, ... 22, _for_ Santie _read_ Santee
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W. A. Coleman, Esq. New York.
R. O. Anderson, Esq. Georgetown, South Carolina.
James Grimshaw, Esq. New Orleans.
Persons intending to subscribe for “The Birds of America,” are
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SMITH, Bookseller, Tythebarn Street, Liverpool; ADAM & CHARLES BLACK,
Booksellers, Edinburgh.
INDEX.
Page
Alca Torda, 112
American Coot, 291
— Oyster-catcher, 181
— Snipe, 322
— Sun Perch, 47
— Woodcock, 474
Anas acuta, 214
— Boschas, 174
— Crecca, 219
— Sponsa, 52
Anser albifrons, 598
— canadensis, 1
— Hutchinsii, 526
— leucopsis, 609
Arctic Jager, 470
— Tern, 366
Ardea candidissima, 317
— exilis, 77
— Herodias, 87
— ludoviciana, 136
— nycticorax, 275
— occidentalis, 542
— rufescens, 411
Auk, Razor-billed, 112
Barnacle Goose, 609
Bewick, Thomas, 300
Bittern Least, 77
Black Guillemot, 148
— Tern, 535
Black-backed Gull, 305
Booby Gannet, 63
Breaking up of the Ice, 408
Brown Pelican, 376
Buff-breasted Sandpiper, 452
Calm at Sea, 491, 520
Camp, a Maple-sugar, 438
Canada Goose, 1
Cayenne Tern, 505
Charadrius melodus, 154
Charadrius pluvialis, 623
— vociferus, 191
— Wilsonius, 73
Clapper Rail, 33
Claws of Birds, 629
Colymbus septentrionalis, 20
Common American Gull, 98
— Cormorant, 458
— Gallinule, 330
Coot American, 291
Cormorant, Double-crested, 420
— Common, 458
— Florida, 387
Crane, Whooping, 202, 441
Cray-fish, 199
Crested Grebe, 595
Curlew, Esquimaux, 69
— Hudsonian, 283
— Long-billed, 240
— Sandpiper, 444
Diver, Red-throated, 20
Dobchick, Pied-billed, 359
Double-crested Cormorant, 420
Duck, Eider, 342
— Harlequin, 612
— King, 523
— Pintail, 214
— Ring-necked, 259
— Scaup, 226
— Velvet, 354
— Wood, 52
Dusky Petrel, 620
Eider Duck, 342
Eggers of Labrador, 82
Egret, Reddish, 411
Esquimaux Curlew, 69
Fishing in the Ohio, 122
Florida, Wreckers of, 158
Florida Cormorant, 387
Foolish Guillemot, 142
Forked-tailed Gull, 561
— Petrel, 434
Fresh-water Marsh-hen, 27
Fulica americana, 291
Fuligula fusca, 354
— histrionica, 612
— Marila, 226
— mollissima, 342
— spectabilis, 523
— rufitorques, 259
Fulmar Petrel, 446
Frigate Pelican, 495
Gallinula Chloropus, 330
Gallinule, Common, 330
Gannet Booby, 63
Godwit, Great Marbled, 287
— Hudsonian, 426
Golden Plover, 623
Goose, Barnacle, 609
— Canada, 1
— Hutchins’s, 526
— White-fronted, 568
Great Black-backed Gull, 305
— Blue Heron, 87
— Egg Harbour, 606
— Marbled Godwit, 287
— White Heron, 542
Grebe, Crested, 595
— Horned, 429
— Red-necked, 617
Greenshank, 483
Green-winged Teal, 219
Grus Americana, 202, 441
Guillemot, Black, 148
— Foolish, 142
— Large-billed, 336
Gull, Common American, 98
— Forked-tailed, 561
— Great Black-backed, 305
— Herring, 588
— Ivory, 571
— Kittiwake, 186
— White-winged Silvery, 553
Hæmatopus palliatus, 181
Harlequin Duck, 612
Heron, Great Blue, 87
— Great White, 542
— Louisiana, 136
— Night, 275
— Snowy, 317
Herring Gull, 588
Hooded Merganser, 246
Horned Grebe, 429
Horse, a Wild, 270
Hudsonian Curlew, 283
— Godwit, 426
Hutchins’s Goose, 526
Hyperborean Phalarope, 118
Ibis alba, 173
— Wood, 128
Ice, Breaking up of the, 408
Ivory Gull, 571
Jager, Arctic, 470
— Pomarine, 396
— Richardson’s, 503
Kildeer Plover, 191
King Duck, 523
Kittiwake Gull, 186
Labrador, 584
— Eggers of, 82
Large-billed Guillemot, 336
— Puffin, 599
Larus argentatus, 588
— eburneus, 571
— leucopterus, 553
— marinus, 305
— Sabini, 561
— tridactylus, 186
— zonorhynchus, 98
Least Bittern, 77
Lestris parasiticus, 470
— pomarinus, 396
— Richardsonii, 503
Limosa Fedoa, 287
— Hudsonica, 426
Long-billed Curlew, 240
Long Calm at Sea, 491
Lost Portfolio, 564
Louisiana Heron, 136
Mangrove, 386
Mallard, 164
Marbled Godwit, 287
Mank’s Shearwater, 604
Maple-sugar Camp, 438
Marsh Hen, Salt-water, 33
— Hen, Fresh-water, 27
Mergus cucullatus, 246
Merganser, Hooded, 246
Mormon arcticus, 105
— cirrhatus, 364
— glacialis, 599
Natchez in 1820, 539
Night Heron, 275
Noddy Tern, 516
Numenius borealis, 69
— hudsonicus, 283
— longirostris, 240
Ohio, Fishing in the, 122
Opossum, 454
Oyster-catcher, American, 181
Pectoral Sandpiper, 601
Pelecanus fuscus, 376
Pelican, Brown, 376
— Frigate, 495
Perch, Sun, 47
— White, 197
Petrel, Dusky, 620
— Forked-tailed, 434
— Fulmar, 446
— Wilson’s, 486
Phaeton æthereus, 442
Phalacrocorax Carbo, 458
— dilophus, 420
— floridanus, 387
Phalarope, Hyperborean, 118
— Red, 404
— Wilson’s, 400
Phalaropus fulicarius, 404
— hyperboreus, 118
Phalaropus Wilsonii, 400
Pied-billed Dobchick, 359
Pintail Duck, 214
Piping Plover, 154
Pitting of Wolves, 338
Plover, Golden, 623
— Piping, 154
— Kildeer, 191
— Wilson’s, 73
Podiceps carolinensis, 359
— cornutus, 429
— cristatus, 595
— rubricollis, 617
Pomarine Jager, 396
Portfolio, the Lost, 564
Procellaria glacialis, 446
Puffin, 105
— Large-billed, 599
— Tufted, 364
Puffinus Anglorum, 604
— cinereus, 555
— obscurus, 620
Purple Sandpiper, 557
Racoon Hunt in Kentucky, 235
Rail, Clapper, 33
— Great Red-breasted, 27
— Sora, 51
— Virginian, 41
Rallus carolinus, 251
— crepitans, 33
— elegans, 27
— virginianus, 41
Razor-billed Auk, 112
Red-backed Sandpiper, 580
Red-breasted Rail, 27
Reddish Egret, 411
Red-necked Grebe, 617
Red Phalarope, 404
Red-throated Diver, 20
Reminiscences of Bewick, 300
Richardson’s Jager, 503
Ring-necked Duck, 259
Roseate Tern, 296
Sabine’s Gull, 561
Salt-water Marsh Hen, 33
Sanderling, 231
Sandpiper, Buff-breasted, 451
— Curlew, 444
— Pectoral, 601
— Purple, 558
— Red-backed, 580
— Schinz’s, 529
— Solitary, 576
Sandwich Tern, 531
Scaup Duck, 226
Schinz’s Sandpiper, 529
Scolopax minor, 474
— Wilsonii, 322
Semipalmated Snipe, 510
Shearwater Manks, 604
— Wandering, 555
Snipe, American, 322
Snowy Heron, 317
Solitary Sandpiper, 576
Sooty Tern, 263
Sora Rail, 251
Sterna arctica, 366
— cantiaca, 531
— Dougallii, 296
— cayana, 505
— fuliginosa, 263
— nigra, 535
— Stolida, 516
Still Becalmed, 520
Sula fusca, 63
Sun Perch, 47
Tachypetes Aquilus, 495
Tantalus Loculator, 128
Tringa alpina, 580
— arenaria, 231
Teal, Green-winged, 219
Tern, Arctic, 366
— Black, 535
— Cayenne, 505
— Noddy, 516
— Roseate, 296
— Sandwich, 531
— Sooty, 263
Thalassidroma Leachii, 434
— Wilsonii, 486
Thomas Bewick, 300
Totanus Glottis, 483
— flavipes, 573
— semipalmatus, 510
Tough Walk for a Youth, 371
Tringa maritima, 558
— pectoralis, 601
— rufescens, 451
— Schinzii, 529
— subarquata, 444
Tropic Bird, 442
Tufted Puffin, 364
Uria Brunnichii, 336
— Grylle, 148
— Troile, 142
Velvet Duck, 354
Virginian Rail, 41
Walk, a tough one for a youth, 371
Wandering Shear-water, 555
Wreckers of Florida, 158
Whooping Crane, 202, 441
White-fronted Goose, 568
White Heron, Great, 542
— Ibis, 173
— Perch, 197
White-winged Silvery Gull, 553
Wild Horse, 270
Willet, 510
Wilson’s Petrel, 486
— Phalarope, 400
— Plover, 73
Wolves, Pitting of, 338
Wood Duck, 52
— Ibis, 128
Woodcock, American, 474
Yellowshank, 573
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