CORNELL LAB of ORNITHOLOGY LIBRARY AT SAPSUCKER WOODS Illustration of Snowy Owl by Louts Agassiz Fuertes DATE DUE GAYLORD PRINTED INUSA eS WITH A eae Ticks ( : NEW YORK T L.MAGAGNOS & C® 16 Beckman St WILSON’S AMERICAN ORNITHOLOGY, WITH NOTES BY JARDINE: A SYNOPSIS OF AMERICAN BIRDS, INCLUDING THOSE DESCRIBED bE BONAPARTE, AUDUBON, NUTTALL, AND RICHARDSON; By T. M. BREWER. NEW-YORK : T. L. MAGAGNOS & COMPANY, 16 BEEKMAN STREET. MDCCCLIV. 1 3% Deartn Ole GSI w/t 954 Entered according to Act of Congress, in the year 1839, by Tuomas M. Brewer, In the Clerk’s Office of the District Court of the District of Massachusetts. ADVERTISEMENT. Tue want of an edition of Witson’s Orniruooey, adapted to general circulation, has long been felt in the United States. While several popular editions have been published in Europe, there has been none here, except the original one, and an- other, with slight modifications; both of which, on account of their costliness, have been necessarily excluded from the hands of many who might desire to possess or peruse WiLson’s work. The present work is designed to supply this want, and it is hoped it may serve at once to extend the fame of the author, to give a wider scope to the influence of his genius, and pro- mote an interest in the study of American ornithology. To accomplish these objects, the original work of Wizsom has been followed, adding thereto the copious and valuable notes of Jarpine. In order, however, to present a complete view of the birds of North America, a Synopsis has been ap- pended, including all the birds described by Witson, Nutra, Bonaparte, Aupugpon, and Ricuarpson. The Synopsis has been prepared solely with a view to supply, so far as could be done within such narrow limits, that which is wanting in the original text of Witson. AQ brief explanation of the plan upon which it has been prepared, may not, therefore, be out of place. It will be seen that the Synopsis comprises the names, both scientific and otherwise, of all the birds now known to exist in North America, arranged according to their natural affinities Wherever birds have been fully described in the preceding pages, it has been deemed necessary to refer only to the works of American ornithologists, who have also given their history. iv ADVERTISEMENT. Where this has been imperfectly given, such additional facts relative to their manner of breeding, etc., as the space ad- mitted, have been added; and where the bird was not known to Witson, a brief scientific description has been appended. I should be guilty of great injustice, were I to omit to add how much I have been assisted by the labors and writings of the illustrious Aupuson. With his free and generous consent, I have been permitted to draw from the materials which his industry and perseverance had prepared to my hands, and without which I could have done but little. Whatever merits, therefore, may appear in my. labors, will, I trust, be attributed to the source to which they are rightly due. It will also be seen that in the arrangement by genera and families, the present Synopsis owes a great deal to that of Mr. Aupuzon. It, however, differs in two material points. The latter has no division by orders. The omission is an important one, and it was deemed advisable to supply it. I have also judged it inexpedient to imitate the needless subdivisions into genera, which is the prevailing fault in modern ornithology. Without entering into a discussion of this controverted question, I have only to urge, in defence of my adhesion except in such instances as it appeared wrong to do so, to old genera — my conviction that the present mode of subdivision, instead of tending to | simplify science, as its advocates assert, but adds to the difficul- ties of the beginner, and serves to discourage his efforts to master the subject. Th fine, I would venture to submit this brief catalogue of the birds of North America, with the assurance, which justice compels me to make, that its merits, if it has any, are due to others; its faults—-and I am aware of its deficiencies — are partly mine, and partly those of my narrow limits. T. WM. B. SONTENTS. ‘ Page. Auk, Little,....... nae 2.4 eases C008, Avoset, American, ........... +539 , Long-legged,.......-.- 490 Bittern, American,..... Sepa 558 , Least,...... aa tebntes 560 Blue Bird,......ceeeeee seen edd Brantycceey ceawawdqeaee sone 621 Bunting, Bay-winged,......... 296 » Black-throated,........ 36 ete COW cece acces enone 187 , Painted, ....eeeeeeeee 234 ——-, Rice,...........0006 129 a SSM OW io c:vievausisla'e-anerecocetd 212 « Towhe,....-eeseeeese 121 5 » (Female,)..... 459 ——,, White-crowned,...... 295 Butcher Bird,............- ea 04D Buzzard, American, ........... 452 5 urkey comes: seasons 660 Cat Bird jicioisiedaviatern tg werinaeed 157 Cedar Bird, ....... Siar ait sive acne 70 Chat, Yellow-breasted,.......... 60 Chuck-Will’s Widow,.......... 462 Coot, Cinereous,..........0006 633 Crate, Blues. ccc cssies sen oeckae 534 Page Crow, Clark’s,.....eseeeee +9209 gp WISN 5a artes ene cceenee B4D Cuckoo, Black-billed,.......... 269 , Yellow-billed,......... 267 Curlew, Esquimaux,........... 473 -, Long-billed, ..... eo 02d00 Darter, Black-bellied, ......... 644 , -, (Female,)..647 Diver, Great Northern,........ 648 Dove, Ground,........eeseeees 409 Hy. AUTELE, tacts soeiccgitees 8 aise 382 Duck, Black or Surf,.......--- 567 -, Buffel-headed,.......... 568 ——, Canvass-Back,.,.....4.. 603 ——, Dusky, ... AG 15-3 6.626 —, Eider,............0000- 61E —-, ; (Female,)........617 , Harlequin,...........+ 625 , Long-tailed,..........6 596 —., , (Female,). ..597 =, Pied pears viomwaweniai tae 594 ——-, Pintail, .... cc eevee eeee 582 , Red-headed,..........0. 607 ——-, Ruddy,............-.4 619 —-, , (Female,)....... 620 ——, Scaup,...-eseeerecseeee 590 COLL eis se acwnnes seer 623 5 SUMMET 2 -seae sacar Rae 598 5 dMfted ssegase voces es «574 5, VELVEtS ieiasiainie's ca enearne 624 , Wood,...... eee ne eeeeee 598 White-headed or Bald,.. .325 e Vi CONTENTS. ' Page Page. Eagle, Ring-tailed, ......+.++++ 467 | Grouse, Pinnated,...-......606 256 5 OE sea wees waseieee oe 469 Ruffed,..--.ssseeeeee- 430 Gull, Black-headed,........... 652 Falcon, Rough-legged,....-.--- 302 > Winter,......02 ee eee 314 | Hawk, American Sparrow, 171,300 Finch, Pine,......+seeseeereee 180 --, Ash-colored or Black-cap,453 <==, Purple, dione ceres 79, 386 | ——-, Black, .....-+-++++ 455, 456 , Savannah, .....s..eeeee 313 | ——--, Broad-winged,..-.+-+++. 460 , Sea-Side, ......-.ee eee 311 | ———-, Fish, ...-6-- eee iseaete tee 334 - , Sharp-tailed,.......-..-. 312 | ——-, Great-footed,.......+++- 677 Flamingo, Red,.......+..+++-- 565 | ———-, Marsh,....... icexaees 445 ~. S@ & Flycatcher, Canada,.........-5 253 -, Night, .....eeseeeeee ee 371 a (se. ——_——--, Great-crested, ..... 147 | ——--, Pigeon,..--..-eeeeeeeee 166 uy é, _—_——_-~, GreenBlack- capped ,255 —, Red-shouldered, aegeeaaacen te 457 -, Hooded,........-++254 | ——) Red-tailed, .........00 450 -, Pewit,...... Gatidetted 149 | ———-, Sharp-shinned,........- 404 ——_——-, Red-eyed,......... 133 | ———-, Slate-colored,.........- 407 -, Small Blue-gray,...199 | ——--, Swallow-tailed,......... 447 —_—_--, Small Green-crested,148 —") White-breasted, aa astbs-etarse i 452 -, Small-headed,...... 443 | Heron, Great,......- Ssh graiaiaaaaes 554 ————--, Solitary,.........-. 186 =§ White,.......... 527 ————--, Tyrant, ..........- 140 | ——--, Green,......+.4- veges O22 , Warbling,......... 385 | ——--, Louisiana,...... exis oa 042 -, White-eyed,....... 200 | ——--, Night, ......... were ve O24 -, Wood Pewee,...... 151 | ———-, Snowy, ....s--eeeeeeee 536 -, Yellow-throated,. 77 -, Yellow-crowned,....... 552 Humming Bird,..... teen eeenee 115 Gadwalliwicnecs ose eh tecaias'e's 614 Gallinule, Purple, ..........-++ 637 | Ibis, Scarlet,........ sefeiqoied ne 20D Godwit, Great Marbled,........ 479 | —--, White,.......-++ wieeease 564 Telltale socsiescetad oon 495 | —--, Wood, ....-.066- aiesiee «DOL Golden Bye, anes ek Qyovaieiahateravarend # 575 | Indigo Bird,.......++sseeeeeees 66 Goldfinch,......... Serer oy ee TiJunco 7% Goosander,.......+20+6- aishaye'e 579 | Jay, Blue,...... ne tetaeed dbeciarens 1 ——-~, (Female,). kn glen ee 581 | —, Sanda weal od aco wave se acaba 211 _ Goose, Canada,.......0s.0.0, 570| Kee £ ie Gee Yre a, RO -€4 Wy) Gece NOW ys arc hvaseaeraieicies s 585 | Kingsfisher, Belted,...... he 227 “5 , (Young).........593 Kite, Mississippi, Les eae ee tities 241 Grakle, Purple,.......+-...06: Q7\re Ula as .f y RUSE paciosey «seniors 216 | Lark, Brown,..........+.. 120 887 Grosbeak, Blue,.........-++ 240 | ——, Meadow,..........4+ 220203 4 ——-, Cardinal,......... 123 | ——, Shore,.........eeeeeeee «57 a, Piney... oe cae necasae 5B | Loon,... css eee e cece ee cee ee 648 —-——-, Rose-breasted,...... 182 | [See Sa | CONTENTS. vit Page Magpie,........ aensinaaes 316 | Plover, Sanderling, i Mallard, ....... aceeaceniaes Sau 608 , Wilson's, .... 2.065 | ; Martin, Purple,.....+-++++see6 305: | Putré;. «<> vaswteas canis tenes | | ) Sanders sendasae score 358 | i Merganser, Hooded,.....--++++ 586 | Qua Bird,........06 cee eee ee 524 ; ——_——--, Red-breasted,...... 588 | Quail, ...... cece eee eee eee 413 Mocking Bird,......++seeesees j | Nie WY tea nce renon ales , ; Nuthatch, Brown-headed, é ————-, Red-bellied, Black- s i capped,.....++.ee 97 | Red Bird, Summer, ....+----+-- tv. | -———-, White-breasted, Black- | Red Poll, Lesser, .....---2-+--.223 i capped,....+.-.0-. Q4 | Redstart)... ccc cece eee e eee 405. | i ——_——--, American,.....-++-.+- Gr | Oriole, Baltimore,......-..+++++ 10 Robin, cadhnued aes smarts | i --, ————-, (Female,).. ..453 Radweng Bh dw ; ! i : oo Orchards sss cisistey gone es 43 Sandulbet: Agtie colored,......-- rae Sande | OSPrey,.e eee ee cere eee neces 334 , Bartram’s,....-..--4 ; r 1 Owl, Barred, ......-..- 0200055 304 | ——~——-, Little,......---.--- 247 | i , Great Horned,.........++ 435 | —— , Red-backed,........47% | | La, Hawhyc'snaw veemase ye eu 444 | ______, Red-breasted,.....-. 437 1 a; Gitte as a vata scene ties 309 | —————, Semipalmated, ! i ——, Long-eared,.....-..-e05+ 449 | —_———-, Solitary,........-- : \ as, Mottled, ...ccadetrsase re 201 , Spotted, ........60. "7 £ ‘ me, Red) ssneseimona aia es 333 | Sheerwater,....e.eeeeee cece ee \ ‘| ——, Short-eared,.......000005 307 | Shoveller,.......eseeee rere ee! ; || ——,, Snow, .- eee e cece cere 297 | Shrike, Great American,......-- “ s 4 ——, White or Barn,........-- 440 , Loggerhead, Oyster: -Catcher, Pied, wawe’s ese 543 | Skimmer, Black, Oecn bt vo PO | Smew, ee cee eee e eee e eee eee ee 1 Parrot, Carolina,......++++26+ -246 | Snake Bird,.......---+-+- Partridge,......-. eee eeee eens 413 | Snipe,...... eee cece eee Petrel, Stormy,....-.+++++ee+ 517 Red-breasted,... «020-54 4s Phalarope, Gray,......ee+eeree 640 , Semipalmated,......+++- 477 —_—-, Red,.........00.00- 642 , Yellow Shanks,.....-.+- 40 | Pigeon, Carolina,...... sages. 388 | Snow Bird,..... ghd Rikaove a Ravewtiad avs NM , Passenger, .....-.---06 394 | Sparrow, Chipping,....-.--++-+ V7 Plover, Black-bellied,.........- 486 w-, Field, ....ceeeeeeenee 174 , Golden,.......4. baa Rs 505 | ———--, Fox-colored, ........ .22) . few ——, Kildcer,.........000-e+ 507 | ———--, Savannah,......-.-.. 224 Ring, ..-..ceeeeeeeeeee 500 | ———--, Song, .....seeeeeeeee 1i6 ——, Ringed, .......--....-7 B45, --, SWAINPys sees cece eee OOM ' YFG on asunsenaness HEL | =e Bee sins Gitex! ssavAienaeecaN, 173 RN wy mw Q uri fy any OF DO vill Pause. Sparrew White-throated,...... 222 --, Yellow-winged, ...... 239 Spoonbill, Roseate,......++++-- 538 . Starling, Red-winged,......-.- 281 Swallow, Bank,......-..+0++++ 338 -, Barn,...eeeeeeeee eee 348 -, Chimney,....--s00e. 359 ——---, Green, Blue, or White- bellied,.........40- 356 Tanager, Louisiana,«...e+.+- 207 —-—, Bearlet,......seeeeee 125 Teal, Blue-winged,...... ainacaiere 583 , Green-winged, ......-.-+ 601 Tern, Great,..........00ese 008 509 ——-, Lesser... ccc ceceseeeeee 511 ——-, Marshy,......--0s-0e0-s 630 —-, Short-tailed,,....-...... 513 ——-, Sooty... 6. eee reece eee 632 . Thrush, Ferruginous,.s.......+ 152 , Golden-crowned,...... 155 — , Hermit, ..............391 ——-, Tawny, ........-ee0ee 392 ———, Water,......sseeeeees 233 o Whoo; azesianiena ied a xs 15 Titmouse, Black-capped,........ 91 ——--, Crested, .......-..00- 92 "Purnstone.cacaccrse cae esas 480 Vulture, Black,........e.eee ee 667 35, TDOEKOY5 cia.es.s eae a2 age 660 f¥uveo Warbler, Autumnal,........... 232 --, Bay-breasted,........ 161 —--, Blackburnian,....... 2231 —--, Black Poll, ...... 287, 466 ——--, Black and Yellow,....231 ——--, Black-throated Blue,. .170 ——--, Black-throated Green,.183 ——--, Blue-eyed Yellow,....169 — --, Blue-green,.......... 265 -, Blue Mountain, ——--, Blue-winged Yellow,..167 "SYNOPSIS, CONTENTS. ‘ Page. Warbler, Blue Yellow-Back,....270 --, Cape May, -......06. 465 ——--, Cerulean, ........... 185 ——--, Chestnut-sided,...... 162 ———--, Connecticut,......... 370 ———--, Golden-winged,...... 170 ——--, Hemlock,.......+.++- 403 ———--, Kentucky,......--.-- 244 ———--, Mourning,....g--+-++ 163 ——--, Nashville,..........+- 266 ———--, Pine Creeping,....... 206 ———--, Pine Swamp,...-...-- 393 ——--, Prairie,........+220-- 245 ——--, Prothonotary,....-.+- 236 —--, Tennessee,......-.065 243 ——--, Worm-eating,........ 223 --, Yellow Red-Poll,..... 271 ——--, Yellow-Rump, .......406 ——--, Yellow-rumped,...... 184 ————--, Yellow-Throat,....... 139 Whippoorwill,...........+005- 376 Widgeon, American,.......... 591 Woodcoel, o.c2.cced cbse nevins 426 Woodpecker, Downy,......... 104 ——--, Gold-winged, ..... 29 —_——---, Hairy,........... 102 --, Ivory-billed,..... 272 ——_———---, Lewis’s,......... 210 —————---, Pileated,......... 279 --, Red-bellied,....... 5 ——___—--, Red-cockaded,... .164 —-———--, Red-headed,....... 96 --, Yellow-bellied,...100 Wren, Great Carolina,......... 137 --, Golden-crested, ......... 84 —--, House, .......... cece ee 87 —--, Marsh, .........0..0008 135 ——--, Ruby-crowned,.......... Shen j ——--, Winter, .............08. 94° : Yellows Bird iii seccsiteaesdteena 7 Yellow Throat, Maryland,.. .59, 198 WILSON’S AMERICAN ORNITHOLOGY. BLUE JAY.—CORVUS CRISTATUS. — Fie. 1. ‘Linn. Syst. i. p. 157, 158. — Garrulus Canadensis coeruleus, Briss. ii. p. 54,2 t. 4. fig. 2. — Pica glandaria cristata, /vein, p.61, 3.— Le geay bleu du Canada, Buff. il. p. 120. Pl. enl. 529.— Blue Jay, Cates. Car, i. 16,— Edw. 239.— Arct. Zool. ii, No. 38.— Lath, Syn. i. p. 386, 20.— Bartram, p. 290.— Peale’s Museum. No. 1290. GARRULUS CRISTATUS. — Viriwwot. Garrulus cristatus, View. Gal. des Ois. pl. 102.— North, Zool. ii. p. 293. — Bonap. Synop. No. 63. — Pica cristata, Wugl? No. 8. _ Turs elegant bird, which, as far as } can learn, is peculiar to North America, is distinguished as a kind of beau among the feathered ten- “ants of our woods, by the brilliancy of his dress ; and, like most other coxcombs, makes himself still more conspicuous by his loquacity, and the odduess of his tones and gestures. The Jay measures eleven inches in length; the head is ornamented with a erest of light blue or purple feathers,which he can elevate or depress at pleasure; a narrow tne of black runs along the frontlct, rising on each side higher than the eye, but not passing over it, as Catezby-has represented, and as Pennant and many others have described it; back and-upper part of the neck a fine light purple, in which the blu predominates; a collar of black, proceeding from ‘the hind head, passes with a graceful curve down -each side of the neck to the upper part of the breast, where it forms a crescent; chin, cheeks, throat, and belly, white, the three former slightly tinged with blue; greater wing-coverts, a rich blue; exterior sides of the primaries, light blue, those of the secondaries, a deep pur- ple, except the three feathers next the body, which are of a splendid light blue; all these, except the primaries, are beautifully barred with crescents of black, and tipped with white; the interior sides of the wing-feathers are dusky black; tail long and cuneiform, composed of twelve feathers of a glossy light blue, marked at half inches with transverse curves of black, each feather being tipped with white, except the two middle ones, which deepen into a dark purple at the extremities ; breast and sides under the wings, a dirty white, faintly 1 : 4 2 BLUE JAY. stained with purple; inside of the mouth, the tongue, bill, legs, and claws, black; iris of the eye, hazel. The Blue Jay is an almost universal inhabitant of the woods, fre- quenting the thickest settlements as well as the deepest recesses of the forest, where his squalling voice often alarms the deer, to the disappointment and mortification of the hunter; one of whom.-informed me; that he made it a point, in summer, to kill every Jay he could meet with. In the charming season of spring, when every thicket pours forth harmony, the part performed by the Jay always catches the ear. He appears to be among his fellow-musicians what the trumpeter is ina band, some of-his notes having no distant resem- blance to the tones of that ‘instrument. These he has the faculty of changing through a great variety of modulations, according to the particular humor he happens to be in. When disposed for ridicule, there is scarce a bird whose peculiarities of song he cannot tune his notes to. When engaged in the blandishments of love, they resem- ble the soft chatterings of a Duck, and, while he nestles among the thick branches of the cedar, are scarce heard at a few paces’ distance ; but he no sooner discovers your approach than he sets up a sudden and vehement outcry, flying off, and screaming with all his might, as if he called the whole feathered tribes of the neighborhood to witness some outrageous usage he had received. When he hops undisturbed among the high branches of the oak and hickory, they become soft and musical; and his calls of the female a stranger would readily mistake for the repeated screakings of an ungreased. wheelbarrow. All these he accompanies with various nods, jerks, and other gesticula- tions, for which the whole tribe of Jays are so remarkable, that, with some other peculiarities, they might have very well justified the great Swedish naturalist in forming them into a separate genus by. them- selves, ; : . * This has now been done; and modern omithologists adopt the tile Garrulus, of Brisson, for this distinct and very well defined group, containing many species, which agree intimately in their general ‘form and habits, and are dispersed over every quarter of the world, New Holland excepted. The colors of their plumage are brown, gray, blue, and black; in some-distributed with sober chastity, while, in others, the deep tints and decided markings rival the richest gems. Proud of cerulean stains, “ From Weaven’s unsullied arch purloin’d, the Jay 5 Screams hoarse. = Gisponne’s Ifalks in a Forest. In geographical distribution, we find those of splendid plumage following the warmer climates, and associating there with our ideas of Bastern magnificence ; while the more sober dressed, and, in our opinion, not the least pleasing, range through more temperate and northern regions, or those exalted tracts in tropical countries, where all the productions in some manner receive the impress of an alpine or northern station. ‘This is no where better exemplified than in the specimens lately sent to this country from the lofty and extensive plains of the Himalaya, where we have already met-with prototypes of the European Jay, Black and Green Wood- peckers, Greater Titmouse, and Nutcracker. ‘They inhabit woody districts ; in their dispositions are cunning, bold, noisy, active, and restless, but docile and_easily tamed, when introduced to the care of man, and are capable of being taught tricks and various sounds, The following instance of the latter propensity is thus related by Bewick :— “ We have heard one imitate the sound made by the action of a saw, so exactly, that, though it was on a Sunday, we could hardly be persuaded that the person who kept it, had not a carpenter at work in the house. Anathen, at the ap- proach of cattle, had learned to hound a cur dog upon them, by whistling and calling BLUE JAY. 3 The Blue Jay builds a. large nest, frequently in the cedar, sometimes on an apple-tree, lines it with dry, fibrous roots, and lays five eggs of a dull olive, spotted with brown. The male is particularly careful of not being heard near the place, making his visits as silently and _se- cretly as possible. His favorite food is chestnuts, acorns, and Indian corn. He occasionally feeds on bugs and caterpillars, and sometimes pays a plundering visit to the orchard, cherry rows,.and potato patch ; and has been known, in times of scarcity, to venture into the barn, through openings between the weather boards. In these cases he is extremely active and silent, and, if surprised in the fact, makes his escape. with precipitation, but without noise, as if conscieus of his ctiminality. ' Of ali birds, he is the most bitter enemy to the Owl. No sconer has he discovered the retreat ot one of these, than he summons the whole feathered fraternity to his assistance, who surround the glimmering solitaire, and attack him from all sides, raising such a shout as may be heard, in a still day, more than half'a mile off When, in my hunting excursions, | have passed near. this scene of tumult, I have imagined to myself that I heard the insulting party venting their respective charges with all the virulency of a Billingsgate mob ; the Owl, mean- while, returning every compliment with a broad, goggling stare. The war becomes louder and louder, and the Owl at length, forced to betake himself to flight, is followed by his whole train of persecutors, until driven beyond the boundaries of their jurisdiction. @ But the Blue Jay himself is not guiltless of similar depredations with the Owl, and becomes in his turn the very tyrant he detested, when he sneaks through the woods, as he frequently does, and among the thickets and hedge-rows, plundering every nest he can find of its eggs, tearing up the callow young by piecemeal, and spreading alarm and sorrow around him. The cries of the distressed parents soon bring together a number of interested spectators, (for birds in such circum- stances seem truly to sympathize with each other,) and he is some- times attackéd with such spirit as to be under the necessity of making a speedy retreat. upon him by his name. At last, during a severe frost, the dog was, by that means excited to attack a cow big with calf, when the poor animal fell on the ice, an was much hurt: the Jay was complained of as a nuisance; and its owner was obliged to destroy it.” They, feed indiscriminately, and, according to circum- stances, on either animal or vegetable substances; plundering nests of’ their eggs and young, and even, in the more exposed farm-yards, disappointing the hopes of the mistress, in the destruction of a favorite brood. They are also robbers of or- chards and gardens of their finest fruits ; but, when without the reach of these luxu- ries, they will be content to satisfy their hunger with Nature’s own productions, the wild berries, or fruits and seeds of the forest and the field. Several new species have been added to the North American list, some of which are described by the Prince of Musignano; and, in addition, we may mention one new species, published by Dr. Richardson and Mr. Swainson, in the Arctic Zoology. The only specimen brought home was killer! on the roof of the dwelling-house at Fort Franklin, and was so similar to the Canada Jay, that it was not then recognized as a. distinct species. The chief distinctions mentioned in the above work are the shorter bill, broader at the base, and narrower on the ridge ;_ the pluses looser than in G. Canadensis ; the secondaries proportionally longer, and all end in slender, but very distinct points, scartely discernible in the Blue Jay, and not nearly so much developed in the Whisky-Jack. ‘Tail is shorter than the latter; the tarsus is more robust. — Ep. He will sometimes assault small birds, with the intention of killing and devouring them; an instance of which I myself once witnessed, over a piece of woods near the borders of Schuylkill; where I saw him engaged for more than five minutes pursuing what I took to be a species of Motacilla, wheeling, darting, and doubling in the air, and, at last, to.my great satisfaction, got disappointed, in the escape of his intended prey. In times of great extremity, when his hoard or mag- azine is frozen up, buried in snow, or perhaps exhausted, he becomes very voracious, and will make a meal of whatever carrion or other animal substance comes in the way, and has been found regaling himself on the bowels of a Robin in Jess than five minutes after 1t was shot. There are, however, individual exceptions to this general character for plunder and outrage, a proneness for which: is probably often oc-: 2asioned by the wants and irritations of necessity. A Blue Jay, which I have kept for some time; and with whom | am on terms of familiarity, is in reality a very notable example of mildness of disposition and sociability of manners. An accident in the woods first put me in pos- session of this bird, while in full plumage, and in high health and spirits ; I carried him home with me, and put him into a cage alreaay occupied by a Golden-win#ed Woodpecker, where he was saluted with such rudeness, and received sucha drubbing from.the lord of the manor, for entering his premises, that, to save his life, ] was obliged to take him out again, I then put him into another cage, where the only tenant was a female Orchard Oriole. She also put on airs of alarm, as if she considered herself endangered and insulted by the in- trusion ; the Jay, meanwhile, sat mute and motionless on the bottom of the cage, either dubious of his own situation, or willing to allow time for the fears of his neighbor to subside. “Accordingly, in a few minutes, after displaying various threatening gestures, (like some of those Indians we read of in their first interviews with the whites,) she began to make her approaches, but with great circumspection, and readiness for retreat. Seeing, however, the Jay begin to pick up some crumbs of broken chestnuts, in a humble and peaceable way, she also descend- ed, and began to do the same; but, at the slightest motion of her new guest, wheeled round, and put herself on the defensive. All this ceremonious jealousy vanished before evening ; and they now roost together, feed, and play together, in perfect harmony and good humor. When the Jay goes to drink, his messmate very impudently jumps into the water to wash herself, throwing the water in showers over her companion, who bears it all patiently; venturing now and then to take a sip between every splash, without betraying the smallest token of irritation. On the contrary, he seems to take pleasure in his little fel- low-prisoner, allowing her to pick (which she does very gently) about his whiskers, and to clean his claws from the minute fragments of chestnuts which happen to adhere to them. This attachment on the one part, and mild condescension on the other, may, perhaps, be partly the effect of mutual misfortunes, which are found not only to ‘knit mankind, but many species of inferior animals, more closely together ; and shows that the d sposition of the Blue J ay, may be humanized, and rendered susceptible of affectionate impressions, even for those birds i 4 BLUE JAY. | | 1 Re BLUE JAY. 5 which, in a state of nature, he would have no hesitation in making a meal of. : : He is not only bold and vociferous, but possesses a considerable talent for mimicry, and seems to enjoy great satisfaction in mocking and teasing other birds, particularly the Little Hawk, (F. sparverius,) imitating his cry wherever he sees him, and squealing out as if caught: this soon brings a number of his own tribe around him, who all join in the frolic, darting about the Hawk, and feigning the cries of a bird sorely wounded, and already under the clutches of its devourer ; while others lie concealed in bushes, ready to second their associates in the attack. But. this ludicrous farce often terminates tragically. The Hawk, singling out one of the most insolent and provoking, sweeps upon him in an unguarded moment, and offers him up a sacrifice to his hunger and resentment. In an instant the tune is changed; all their buffoonery vanishes, and loud and incessant screams proclaim their disaster. oe Wherever the Jay has had the advantage of education from man, he has not only shown himself an apt scholar, but his suavity of man- ners seems equalled only by his art and contrivances; though it must be confessed, that his itch for thieving keeps pace with all his other acquirements. Dr. Mease, on the authoriy of Colonel Postell, of South Carolina, informs me, that a Blue Jay, which was brought up in the family of the latter gentleman, had all the tricks and loquacity of a parrot; pilfered every thing he could conveniently carry off, and hid them in holes and crevices; answered to his name with great sociability, when called on; could articulate a number of words pretty distinctly ; and, when he heard an uncommon noise, or loud talking, seemed impatient to contribute his share to the general festivity . he probably thought it) by a display. of all the oraterical powers he was possessed of. Mr. Bartram relates an instance of the Jay’s sagacity, worthy of remark. “Having caught a Jay in the winter season,” says he, “1 turned him loose in the greenhouse, and fed him with corn, (zea, maize,) the heart of which they are very fond of. This grain being ripe and hard, the bird at first found a difficulty in breaking it, as it would start from his bill when he struck it. After looking about, and, as if con- sidering for a moment, he picked up his grain, carried and placed it close up in a corner on the shelf, between the wall and a plant: box, where, being confined on three sides, he soon effected his purpose, and continued afterwards to make use of this same practical expedient. The Jay,” continues this judicious observer, “is one of the most use- ful agents in the economy of nature, for disseminating’ forest-trees, and other ruciferous and hard-seeded vegetables on which they feed. Their chief employment, during the autumnal season, is foraging to supply their winter stores. In performing this necessary duty, they drop abundance of seed in their flight over fields, hedges, and by fences, where they alight. to deposit them in the post holes, &c.. It is remarkable what numbers of young trees rise up in fields and pas- tures after a wet winter and spring. These birds alone are capable, in a few years’ time, to replant all the cleared lands.” * * Letter of Mr. William Bartram to the author. * 6 BLJE JAY. The Blue Jays seldom associate in any cons derable numbers, except in the months of September and October, when they hover about, in scattered parties of from forty to fifty, visiting the oaks, in search of their favorite acorns. At this season, they are less shy than usual, and keep chattering to each other in a variety of strange and querulons notes. I have counted fifty-three, but never more, at one time; and these generally following each other in straggling irregularity from one range of woods to another. Yet we are told by the learned Dr. Latham, — and his statement has been copied into many respectable European publications, — that the Blue Jays of North America “ often unite into flocks of twenty thousand at least! which, alighting on a field of ten or twelve acres, soon lay waste the whole.” * If this were really so, these birds would justly deserve the character he gives them, of being the most destructive species in America. But I will venture the assertion, that the tribe Oriolus pheniccus, or Red-winged Black- birds, in the environs of the River Delaware alone, devour and destroy more Indian corn than the whole Blue Jays of North America. As to their assembling in such immense multitudes, it may be sufficient to observe, that a flock of Blue Jays of twenty thousand would be as extraordinary an appearance in- America, as the same number of Mag- pies or Cuckoos would be €n Britain. : It has been frequently said, that numbers of birds are common to the United States and Europe; at present, however, I am not certain of many. Comparing the best descriptions and delineations of the European ones with those of our native birds, said to be of the same species, either the former are very erroneous, or the différence of plumage and habits in the latter justifies us in considering a great proportion of them to be really distmet species. Be this, however, as it may, the Blue Jay appears to belong exclusively to North America. I cannot find it mentioned by any writer or traveller among the birds of Guiana, Brazil, or any other part of South America. It is equally unknown in Africa. In Europe, and even in the eastern parts of Asia, it is never seen in its wild state. To ascertain the exact limits of its native regions, would be difficult. These, it is highly probable, will be found to be bounded by the extremities of the temperate zone. Dr. Latham has indeed asserted, that the Blue Jay of America is not found farther north than the town of Albany.t This, however, is a mistake. They are common in the Eastern States, and are mentioned by Dr. Bel- knap in his enumeration of the birds of New Hampshire.t They are also natives of Newfoundland. I myself have seen them in Upper Canada. Blue Jays and Yellow-Birds were found by Mr. M’Kenzie, when on his journey across the continent, at the head waters of the Unjigah, or Peace River, in N. lat. 54°, W. lon. 121°, on the west side of the great range of Stony Mountains.§ Steller, who, in 1741, accompanied Captain Behring in his expedition for the discovery of the north-west coast of America, and who wrote the journal of the voyage, relates, that he himself went on shore near Cape St. Elias, in N. lat. 58° 28’, a, Synopsis of Birds, vol.i. p 387. See also Encyclopedia Britannica, art Dorvus. + Synopsis, vol. i. p. 387. $ History of New Hampshire, vol. iii. p. 163. § Voyages from Montreal, &c. p. 216, 4to., London, 1801. YELLOW-BIRD, OR GOLDFINCH. 7 rl . W. fon. 141° 46/, acgording to his estimation, where he observed several species of birds not known in Siberia ; and one, in: particular, described by Catesby, under the name of the Blue J ay.* Mr. William Bartram informs me, that they are numerous in the peninsula of Flor- ida, and that he also found them at Natchez, on the Mississippi. Captains Lewis and Clark, and their intrepid companions, in their memorable expedition across the continent of North America to the Pacific Ocean, continued to see Blue Jays for six hundred miles up the Missouri.t From these accounts it follows, that this species occupies, generally or partially, an extent of country stretching upwards of seventy degrees from east to west, and more than thirty degrees from north to south; though, from local circumstances, there may be inter- mediate tracts, in this i immense range, which they seldom visit. YELLOW-BIRD, OR GOLDFINCH.—FRINGILLA TRISTIS. Fig. 2. ; Linn. Syst. i. p. 320. — Carduelis gma Ting iy Briss. iii. p. 6, 3. —Le Chardonnerat aune, Buff. iv. p. 112. Pl. enl. 202, fo. 2.— American Goldfinch, Arct. Zool. ii. ioe 242, han ‘274. — Lath. Syn. ili. p. 288, 57. Id. Sup. p. 166. =e p- 290. — Peale’s Museum, No. 6344. CARDUELIS AMERICANA. — Evwarps. New York Siskin, Penn. Arct. Zool. p. 372. (Male changing his plumage, and the male in his winter dress taken for female, auct. Swains. )— Fringilla ae Bonap. Syn. p. 111, No. 181.—Carduelis Americana, North. Zool. it. p. 268 Tais bird is four inches and a half in length, and eight inches in extent, of a rich lemon yellow, fading into white towards thé rump and vent. The wings and tail are black, the former tipped and edged with white; the interior webs of the latter are also white ; the fore part, of the head is black, the bill and legs of a reddish cinnamon color. This is the summer dress of the male; but in the month of September the yellow gradually changes to a brown olive, and the male and female are then nearly alike. They build a very neat and delicately-formed little nest, which they fasten to the twigs of an apple-tree, or to the strong, branching stalks of hemp, covering it on the outside with pieces of lichen, which they find on the trees and fences; these they glue together with their saliva, and afterwards line the inside with the softest downy substances they can procure. The female lays five eggs, of a dull white, thickly marked at the greater end; and they generally raise two broods in a season. The males do not arrive at their perfect plumage until the succeeding spring; want- ing, during that time, the black on the head, and the white on the wings being of a sream color. In the month of April, they begin to * See SteLter’s Journal, apud Pallas. + This fact I had from Captain Lewis. 8 YELLOW-BIRD, OR GOLDFINCH. change their winter dress, and, before the middle of May, appear in brilliant yellow: the whole plumage towards its roots is of a dusky bluish black. s The song of the Yellow-Bird resembles that of the Goldfinch of Britain; but is in general so weak,as to appear to proceed from a considerable distance, when perhaps the bird is perched on the tree over your head. I have, however, heard some sing in cages with great energy and animation. On. their first arrival in Pennsylvania, in February, and until early in April, they associate in flocks, fre- quently assembling in great numbers on the same tree to bask and dress themselves in the morning sun, singing in concert for half ax hour together; the confused mingling of their notes forming a kinc of harmony not at all unpleasant.* / ope Be ‘About the last of November, and sometimes sooner, they generally leave Pennsylvania, and proceed to the south; some, however, are seen even in the midst of the severest winters. Their flight is not direct, but in alternate risings and sinkings; twittering as they fly, at each successive impulse of the wings.t During the latter part of summer they are almost constant visitants in our gardens, in search * Carduelis of Brisson, having types in‘the common Goldfinch and Siskin of this country, is now generally used as the generic appellation for the group to which our present species belongs. It contains several Americar and European _ species. They are closely allied to the true Linnets ; and the lesser Red-Poll (the ol ik ils linaria auctorum) has even by some been ranked, with them. They also much re- semble the latter group in their manners, their haunts, their breeding, and feeding. Every one who has lived much in the country, must have often remarked the com- mon European Gray Linnets, in the manner above described, of the American Gold- finch, congregating towards the close of a fine winter’s evening, perched. on the summit oF aene bare tree, pluming themselves in the last rays of the sun, ¢heruping the commencement of their evening song, and then bursting simultaneously into one general chorus; again resuming their single strains, and again joining, as if happy, and rejoicing at the termination of their day’s employment. Mr. Audubon has re- marked the same trait in their manners, and confirms the resemblance of their notes : “So much does the.song of our Goldfinch resemble that of the European species, that, whilst in France and England, 1 have frequently thought, and with ploaaiire thought, that they were the notes of our own bird which I heard.” — Ep. + The flight of the American Goldfinch, and its manners during it, are described by Mr. Audubon with greater minuteness’: it is exactly similar to the European bird of the same name, being performed in deep curved lines, alternately rising and falling, after each propelling motion of the wings. It scarcely ever describes one of those curves, without uttering two or three notes whilst ascending, such as. its European relative uses on similar occasions. In this manner its flight is prolonged to-considerable distances, and it frequently moves in a circling direction before alighting. Their migration is performed during the day. They seldom alight on the ground, unless to procure water, in which they wash with great liveliness and pleasure ; after which they pick up some particles of gravel and sand. So fond of each other’s company are they, that a party of them soaring on the wing will alter their course at the calling of a single one perched ona tree. This cal) is uttered with much emphasis: the bird prolongs its usual note, without much altération ; and, as the party approaches, erects its body, and moves to the right and left, asi turning on a pivot, apparently pleased at showing the beauty of ils plumage and elegance of its manners. : : ? This natural group has been long celebrated for their docility, and easy instruc- tion, whether in music, or to perform a variety of tricks. They are, consequently, favorites with bird-fanciers, arid often doomed to undergo a severe and cruel dis- cipline. The Goldfinch, Canary, the various Linnets, the Siskin, and Chaffinch, are principally used for this purpose; and it is often astonishing, and almost incredible, with what correctness they will obey the voice or motions cf their masters. Mr. YELLOW-BIRD. OR, GOLDFINCH. 9 of seeds, which they dislodge from the husk with great address, while hanging, frequently head downwards, in the manner of the Titmouse. From these circumstance as well as’ from their color, they are very generally known, and pass by various names expressive of their food, color, &c., such as Thistle-Bird, Lettuce-Bird, Salad-Bird, Yellow-Bird, &c. The gardeners, who supply the city of Philadelphia with vege- tables, often take them in trap-cages, and expose them for sale in market. They are easily familiarized to confinement, and feed with sceming indifference a few hours after being taken. The great resemblance which the Yellow-Bird bears to the Canary has made many persons attempt to pair individuals of the two species sogether. An ingenious French gentleman, who resides in Pottsgrove, Pennsylvania, assured me, that he had tried the male Yellow-Bird with the female Canary, and the female Yellow-Bird with the male Canary, but without effect, though he kept them for several years together, and supplied them with proper materials for building. Mr. Hnsecg? of New York, however, who keeps a great number of native as well as foreign birds, informed me, that a Yellow-Bird paired with a Canary in his possession, and laid eggs, but did not hatch, which he attributed to the lateness of the season. These birds were seen by Mr. M’Kenzie, in his route across the continent of North America, as far north as lat. 54°; they are numer- ous in all the Atlantic states north of the Carolinas; abound in Mexico, and are also found in great numbers in the savannahs of Guiana. The seeds of the lettuce, thistle, hemp, &c., are their favorite food ; and it is pleasant to observe a few of them at work in a calm day, detaching the thistle-down, in search of the seeds, making it fly in clouds around them. The American Goldfinch has been figured and described by Mr Catesby,* who says, that the back part of the head is a dirty green, &c. This description must have been taken while the bird was Syme, inhis History of British Song Birds, when speaking of the Sieur Roman, who some years since exhibited Goldfinches, Linnets, and Canaries, wonderfully trained, relates, that ‘one appeared dead, aud was held up by the tail or claw without exhibiting any signs of life; a second stood on its head with its claws in the air; a third imitated a Dutch milkmaid going to market with pails on its shoulders ; a fourth mimicked a Venetian girl looking out at a Window; a fifth ap- peared as a soldier, and mounted guard as a sentinel ; and the sixth acted asa cannonier, with a cap on its head, a firelock on its shoulder, and a match in its claw and discharged a small cannon. The same bird also acted as if it had been wounded. It was wheeled in a barrow, to convey it, as it were, to the hospital ; after which it flew away before the company: the seveuth tumed a kind of wind- mill; and the last bird stood in the midst of some fireworks which were discharged all round it, and this without exhibiting the least symptom of fear.” The American Goldfinch is no less. docile than its congeners. Mr. Audubon relates, that they are often cage in trap-eages; and that he knew one, which had undergone severe training, draw water for its drink from a glass, by means of a. little chain fastened to a soft, leathern belt round its body, sidlanga, equally light, fastened to a little bucket, which was kept by its weight in the water: it was also obliged to supply wale with food, by being obliged to draw towards its bill a little chariot filled with seeds. : ; Female is represented in Bonaparte’s continuation. — ED. * Nat. Hist. Car. vol. i. 0 43 10 BALTIMORE ORIOLE. changing its plumage. At the approach of fall, not only the rich vallae eed itty 3 bret olive, but the spot of black on the crown and forehead becomes also of the same olive tint. Mr. Edwards has also-erred in saying, that the young male bird has the spot of black on the forehead; tiris it does not receive until the succeeding spring.* The figure in Edwards is considerably too large; and that by Catesby has the wings and tail much longer than in nature, and the body too slender, — very different from the true form of the living bird. Mr. Pennant also tells us, that the legs of this species are black ; they are, however, of a bright cinnamon color; but the worthy naturalist, no - doubt, described them as he found them in the dried and stuffed skin, shrivelled up and blackened with decay; and thus too much of our natural history has been delineated. a a BALTIMORE ORIOLE.—ORIOLUS BALTIMORE. —Fic. 3. Linn. Syst. oe. 162, 10.—Icterus Minor, Briss. ii.p. 109, 19, t. 12, fig. 1. —Le baltimore, uf ill. p. 231. Pd. enl. 506, fig. 1.— Baltimore Bird, Catesb. Car. i. 48. — Arct. Zool. ii. p. 142.— Lath. Syn. ii. p. 432, 19. — Bartram, p. 290.— Peule s Museum, No. 1506. 5 « ICTERUS BALTIMORE. — Davntn. ‘ Yphantes Baltimore, Vieill. Gal. des Ois. pl. 87. — Icterus Baltimore, Bonap. Syn. p. 51.— North. Zool. ii. p. 284. — Baltimore Oriole, pl. 12, and Orn. Biog. p. 66. Tuts is a bird of passage, arrivmg in Pennsylvania, from the south, about the beginning of May, and departing towards the latter end of August, or beginning of September From the singularity of its colors, the construction of its nest, and its preferring the apple-trees, weeping willows, walnut and tulip-trees, adjaining the farm-house, to build on, it is generally known, and, as usual, honored with a variety * These changes take place in the Common Siskin o Has country : indeed changes, and, in‘many cases, similar to those alluded to, are co.nmon, according to season, among all our Fringillide ; the Common Chaffinch loses the pale gray of his fore head, which becomes deep bluish purple ; the head and back of the Brambling, or Mountain Finch. becomes a deep glossy black ; and thie forehead and breasts of the different Linnets, from a russct brown, assume a rich and beautiful crimson. ° ‘They are chiefly produced by the falling off of the eads of the plumules of each feather, which hefore concealed the richer tints of its lower parts; at other times, by the entire change of color. The tint itself, however, is always much increased in beauty and gloss as the season for its display advances; at its termination the general moult commences, when the feathers are replaced with their new elongated tips, of a more sombre hue, which, no doubt, adds to the heat of the winter clothing, and remain until warmer weather and desires promote their dispersion. — Ep. + During migration, the flight of the Baltimoge is high above all the trees, and is straight and continuous ; it is mos‘. y-performed during the day, as I have usually observed them alighting, always singly, about the setting of the sun, uttering a note es an darting into the lower branches to feed, at afterwards to rest, — Au on. — ED. BALTIMORE C RIOLE. il of names, such as Hang-Nest, Hanging-Bird, Golder, Robin, Fire-Bird, (from the bright orange seen through the green leaves, resembling a flash of fire,) &&c., but more generally the Baltimore Bird, so named, as Catesby informs us, from its colors, which are black and orange, being those of the arms or livery of Lord Baltimore, formerly pro- prietary of Maryland. : The Baltimore Oriole is seven inches in length ; bill, almost straight, strong, tapering to a sharp point, black, and sometimes lead-colored, above, the lower mandible light blue towards the base. Head, throat, upper part of the back and wings, black; lower part of the back, rump, and whole under parts, u bright orange, deepening into ver- milion on the breast; the black on the shoulders is also divided by a band of orange; exterior edges of the greater wing-coverts, as well as the edges of ‘the secondaries, and part of those of the primaries, white; the tail-feathers under the coverts, orange; the two middle ones, from thence to the tips, are black; the next five, on each side, black near the coverts, and orange towards the extremities, so disposed that, when the tail is expanded, and the coverts removed, the black appears in the form of a pyramid, supported on an arch of orange. Tail, slightly forked, the exterior feather on each side, a quarter ot aninch shorter than the others; legs and feet, light blue, or lead color; iris of the eye, huzel. The female has the head, throat, upper part of the neck and back, ef a dull black, each feather being skirted with olive yellow; lower part of the back, rump, upper tail-coverts, and whole lower parts, -orange yellow, but much duller than that of the nale; the whole - Wing-feathers are of a deep dirty brown, except the quills, which are exteriorly edged, and the greater wing-coyerts, and next superior row, which are broadly tipped witha dull yellowish white ; tail, olive yellow; in some specimens, the two middle feathers have been found partly black, in others wholly so; the black on the throat does not descend so far as in the male, is of a lighter tinge, and more irregular; bill, legs, and claws, light blue.* Buffon and Latham have both described the male of the Bastard Baltimore ( Oriolus spurius) asthe female Baltimore. Mr. Pennant has committed the same mistake; and all the ornithologists of Europe, with whose works { am acquainted, who have undertaken to figure and describe these birds, haye mistaken the proper males and females, and confounded the two species together in a very confused and extraor- dinary manner, for which, indeed, we ought to pardon them, on ac- * The change of the plumage of this bird, according to age, is beautifully repre- sented on one of Mr. Audubon’s gigantic plates, together with its favorite tulip-tree, and curious peusile nest. According to that gentleinan, the male does not receive his full plumage until the third spring. Inthe male of one year, the bill is dark: brown above, pale blue beneath; the iris, brown; feet, light blue. ‘The general color is dull brownish yellow, tinged with olive on the head and back; the wings, blackish brown ; the quills and large coverts margined and ynped with white ; the lesser coverts are olivaceous ; the tail, destitute a black; and the under parts paler than in the adult, without any approach to the vivid orange tints displayed on it, In that of the second spring, the distribution of color has become the same as in the adult male, but the yellow ts less vivid; the upper mandible is brownish black above, and the iris is light brown: in the third spring, they receive the rich and brilliant plumage described by our author. — Ep. 12 BALTIMORE ORIOLE. count of their distance from the native residence of ut generally by a sudden spring, or leap BLUE-BIRD. Al is never seen on trees, though it makes its nest in the holes of them!” * night as well have said, that the Americans are never seen in the streets, though they build their houses by the side’ of them. Fof what is there in the construction of the feet and claws of this bird to prevent it from perching? Or what sight more common to an inhabitant of this country than the Blue-Bird perched on the top of a peach or apple- tree ; or among the branches of those reverend, broad-armed chestnut- ‘trees, that stand alone in the middle of our fields, bleached by the rains and blasts of ages ? The Blue-Bird is six inches and three quarters in length, the wings : remarkably full and broad; the whole upper parts are of a rich sky blue, with purple reflections ; the bill and legs are black; inside of the mouth and soles of the feet, yellow, resembling the color of a ripe persimmon ; the shafts of all the wing and tail-feathers are black; throat, neck, breast, and sides, partially under the wings, chestnut ; wings, dusky black at the tips; belly and vent, white; sometimes the secondaries are exteriorly light brown, but the bird has in that case not arrived at his full color. The female is easily distinguished by the duller cast of the back, the plumage of which is skirted with light brown, and by the red on the breast being much fainter, and not de- scending nearly so low as in the male; the secondaries are also more dusky. This species is found over the whole United States; in the Bahama Islands, where many of them winter; as also in Mexico, Brazil, and Guiana. Mr. Edwards mentions, that the specimen of this bird which he was favored with, was sent from the Bermudas; and, as these islands abound with the cedar, it is highly probable that many of those birds pass from our continent thence, at the commencement of winter, tc enjoy the mildness of that climate as well as their favorite food. As the Blue-Bird is so regularly seen in winter, after the contin- uance of a few days of mild and open weather, it has given rise to various conjectures as to the place of his retreat; some supposing it to be in close, sheltered thickets, lying to the sun; others, the neigh- borhood of the sea, where the air is supposed to be more temperate, and where the matters thrown up by the waves furnish him with a constant and,plentiful supply of food. Others trace him to the dark recesses of hollow trees, and subterraneous caverns, where they sup- pose he dozes away the winter, making, like Robinson Crusoe, oc- casional reconnoitring excursions from his castle, whenever the weather happens to be favorable. But amidst the snows and severities of win- ter, I have sought for him in vain in the most favorable sheltered sit- uations of the Middle States ; and not only in the neighborhood of the sea, but on both sides of the mountains.t I have never, indeed, ex- plored the depths of caverns im search of him, because I would as down, and returning immediately with the prey in their bill, where it is retained for a few minutes, while they repeat their uniform note. The young, as soon as they are able to fly, have the same manners with their parents, and at the season when these are first on the wing, some extensive commons have appeared almost entirely in motion with our common species. — Ep. * Synopsis, vol. ii. p. 446—40, + I speak of the species here generally. Solitary individuals are found, particu- larly among our a sometimes in the very depth of winter. 42 BLUE-BIRD. soon expect to meet with tulips and butterflies there, as Blue-Birds ; but, among hundreds of woodmen, who have cut down trees of all sorts, and at all seasons, 1 have never heard one instance of these birds being found so immured in winter; while, in the whole of the Middle and Eastern States, the same general observation seems to prevail, that the Blue-Bird always makes his appearance in winter after a few days of mild and open weather. On the other hand, I have myself found them numerous in the woods of North and South Carolina, in the depth of winter; and I have also been assured by different gentlemen of respectability, who have resided in the islands of Jamaica, Cuba, and the Bahamas and Bermudas, that this very bird is common there in winter. We also find, from the works of Hernandez, Piso, and others, that it is well known in Mexico, Guiana, and Brazil; and, if so, the place of its winter retreat is easily ascer- tained, without having recourse to all the trumpery of holes and caverns, torpidity, hybernation, and such ridiculous improbabilities. Nothing is more common in Pennsylvania than to see large flocks of these birds, in spring and fall, passing at considerable heights in the air; from the south in the former, and from the north in the latter season. I have seen, in the month of October, about an hour after sunrise, ten or fifteen of them descend from a great height, and settle on the top of a tall, detached tree, appearing, from their silence and sedateness, to be strangers, and fatigued. After a pause of a few minutes, they began to dress and arrange their plumage, and con- tinued so employed for ten or fifteen minutes more; then, on a few warning notes being given, perhaps by the leader of the party, the whole remounted to a vast height, steering in a direct line for the south-west. In passing along the chain of the Bahamas towards the West Indies, no great difficulty can occur, from the frequency of these islands; nor even to the Bermudas, which are said to be six hundred miles from the nearest part of the continent. This may seem an extraordinary flight for so small a bird; but it is, neverthe- less, a fact that it is performed. If we suppose the Blue-Bird in this case to fly only at the rate of a mile per minute, which is less than I have actually ascertained him to do over land, ten or eleven hours would be sufficient to accomplish the journey; besides the chances he would have of resting-places by the way, from the number of vessels that generally navigate those seas. In lke manner, two days at most, allowing for numerous stages for rest, would conduct him from the remotest regions of Mexico to any part of the Atlantic States. When the natural history of that part of the continent and its adja- cent isles is better known, and the periods at which its birds of pas- sage arrive and depart are truly ascertained, I have no doubt but these suppositions will be fully corroborated. ORCHARD ORIOLE. 43 ORCHARD ORIOLE. — ORIOLUS. MUTATUS. — Fies. 11, 12, 13, 14. Peale's Museum, No. 1508. — Bastard Baltimore, Catesby, i. 49.— Le Baltimore Batard, De Buffon, ili, 233, Pl. enl. 506.— Oriolus Spurius, Gmelin, Syst. i. p. 389.— Lash. Syn. ii. p- 433, 20, p. 437, 24. — Bartram, p. 990. ICTERUS SF -RIUS.— Bonaparte. , Icterus Spurius, Bonap. Synop. p. 5 .—The Orchard Oriole, Awd. i. 221, pl.xlit. THERE are no circumstances, relating to birds, which tend so much to render their history obscure and perplexing, as the various changes of color which many of them undergo. These changes are in some cases periodical; in others progressive; and are frequently so extra- ordinary, that, unless the naturalist has resided for years in the country which the birds inhabit, and has examined them at almost every season, he is extremely liable to be mistaken and imposed on by their novel appearance. Numerous instances of this kind might be cited, from the pages of European writers, in which the same bird has been described two, three, and even four different times, by the same person, and each time as a different kind. The species we are now about to examine is a remarkable example of this; and as it has never, to my knowledge, been either accurately figured or described, I have devoted one plate to the elucidation of its history. The Count de Buffon, in introducing what he supposed to be the male of this bird, but which appears evidently to have been the female of the Baltimore Oriole, makes the following observations, which I give in the words of his translator: — “This bird is so called, (Spuri- ous Baltimore,) because the colors of its plumage are not so lively as in the preceding, (Baltimore 0.) In fact, when we compare these birds, and find an exact correspondence in every thing except the colors, and not even in the distribution of these, but only in the different tints they assume, we cannot hesitate to infer that the Spurious Baltimore is a variety of a more generous race, degenerated by the influence of climate, or some other ‘accidental cause.” How the influence of climate could affect one portion of a species and not the other, when both reside in the same climate, and feed nearly on the same food; or what accidental cause could produce a difference s: striking, and also so regular, as exists between the two, wh I confess, matters beyond my comprehension. But if it be rec- ollected that the bird which the Count was thus philosophizing upon, was nothing more than the female Baltimore Oriole, which exactly corresponds to the description of his male Bastard Baltimore, the difficulties at once vanish, and with them the whole superstructure of theory founded on this mistake. Dr. Latham, also, while he confesses the great confusion and uncertainty that prevail between the True and Bastard Baltiu ore, and their females, considers it highly probable that the whole wil’ >e found to belong to one and the same species, in 44 ORCHARD ORIOLE. their different changes of color. In this, conjecture, however, the worthy naturalist has likewise been mistaken; and I shall endeavor to point out the fact, as well as the source of this mistake. And here I cannot but take notice of the name which naturalists have bestowed on this bird, and which is certainly remarkable. Specific names, to be perfect, ought to express some peculiarity, common to no other of the genus; and should, at least, be consistent with truth; but, in the case now before us, the name has no one merit of the former, nor even that of the latter to recommend it, and ought henceforth to be rejected as highly improper, and calculated, like that of Goatsucker, and many others equally ridiculous, to perpet- uate that error from which it originated. The word bastard, among men, has its determinate meaning; but when applied to a whole species of birds, perfectly distinct from any other, originally deriving their peculiarities of form, manners, color, &c., from the common source of all created beings, and perpetuating them, by the usual laws of generation, as unmixed and independent as any other, is, to call it by no worse name,a gross absurdity. Should the reader be displeased at this,I beg leave to remind him, that, as the faithful historian of our feathered tribes, I must be allowed the liberty of vin- dicating them from every misrepresentation whatever, whether origi nating in ignorance or prejudice, and of allotting to each respective species, as far as I can distinguish, that rank and place in the great order of nature to which it is entitled. To convince the foreigner, (for Americans have no doubt on the subject,) that the present is a distinct species from the Baltimore, it might be sufficient to refer to the representation of the latter, in Fig. 3, and to Fig. 14, of this work. I will, however, add, that I con- clude this bird to be specifically different from the Baltimore, from the following circumstances: its size —it is less, and more slender; its colors, which are different, and very differently disposed ; the form of its bill, which is sharper pointed, and more bent; the form of its tail, which is not even, but wedged; its notes, which are neither so full nor so mellow, and uttered with much more rapidity; its mode of building, and the materials it uses, both of which are different; and, lastly, the shape and color of the eggs of each, (see Figs. a and b,* which are evidently unlike. If all these circumstances — and I coul enumerate a great many more — be not sufficient to designate this as a distinct species, by what criterion, I would ask, are we to discrim- inate between a variety and an original species, or to assure ourselves, that the Great Horned Owl is not, in fact, a Bastard Goose, or the Carrion Crow a mere variety of the Humming Bird ? These mistakes have been occasioned by several causes; princi- pally by the changes of color to which the birds are subject, and the distance of Europeans from the.country they inhabit. Catesby, it is true, while here, described and figured the Baltimore, and perhaps was the first who published figures of either species; but he entirely omitted saying any thing of the female, and, instead of the male and female of the present species, as he thought, he has only figured tHe male in tw» of his different dresses ; and succecding compilers have * Referring 10 Wilson's original edit.on. ‘ ORCHARD ORIOLE. 45 followed and repeated the same error. Another cause may be as- signed, viz. the extreme shyness of the female Orchard Oriole, repre- sented at Fig. 11. This bird has hitherto escaped the notice of Euro- pean naturalists, or has been mistaken for another species, or perhaps for a young bird of the first season, which it almost exactly resembles. In none of the numerous works on ornithology has it ever before ap- peared in its proper character; though the male has been known to Europeans for more than a century, and has usually been figured in one of his dresses as male, and in another as female; these varying according to the fluctuating opinions of different writers. It is amus- ing to see how gentlemen have groped in the dark in pairing these two species of Orioles, of which the following examples may be given: Buffon’s and Latham’s Bal-§ Male... . Male Baltimore. tmore Oriole. Female... Male Orchard Oriole, Fig. 14. Spurious Baltimore of ditto Male: . «. Vemale Baltimore, A P *? Female... Male Orchard Oriole, Fig 12. .. Male Baltimore. ’, . . i Pennant’s Baltimore Oriole. Female. . Young male Baltimore. . . Male. ...Male Orchard Oriole, Fig. 14. Spurious Oriole of ditto. 9 Fnale.. Ditto ditto, Fig. 12. r . . Male... .Male Baltimore. Catesby’s Baltimore Oriole. Female. . Not mentioned. Male... .Male Orchard Oriole, Fig. 12. Sporious Baltimore of ditto. } Fy nate, . Ditto ditto, Fig. 14. 4 Among all these authors Catesby is doubtless the most inexcusable, having lived for several years in America, where he had an opportunity of being more correct: yet, when it is considered, that the female of this bird is so much shyer than the male; that it is seldom seen; and that, while the males are flying around and bewailing an approach to their nest, the females keep aloof, watching every movement of the enemy in restless but silent anxiety; it is less to be wondered at, I say, that two birds of the same kind, but different in plumage, making their appearance together at such times, should be taken for male and female of the same nest, without doubt or examination, as, from that strong sympathy for each other’s distress which prevails so uni- versally among them at this season, it is difficult sometimes to distin- guish between the sufferer and the sympathizing neighbor. The female of the Orchard Oriole, Fig. 11, is six inches and a half in length, and eleven inches in extent; the color above is a yellow olive, inclining to a brownish tint on the back; the wings are dusky brown, lesser wing-coverts tipped with yellowish white, greater coverts and secondaries exteriorly edged with the same, primaries slightly so; tail, rounded at the extremity, the two exterior feathers three quarters of an inch shorter than the middle ones; whole lower parts, yellow; bill and legs, light blue; the former bent a little, very sharp pointed, and black towards the extremity; iris of tiie eye, hazel; pupil, black. The young male of the first season corresponds nearly with the above description. But in the succeeding spring he makes his appearance with a large patch of black marking the front, lores, and throat, as represented in Fig. 12. In this stage, loo, the black sometimes makes its appearance on the two middle feathers 46 ORCHARD ORIOLE. . of the tail; and slight stains of reddish are seen commencing on the sides and belly. The rest of the plumage as in the female; this con- tinning nearly the same, on the same bird, during the remainder of the season. At the same time, other individuals are found, as rep- resented by Fig. 13, which are at least birds of the third summer. These are mottled with black and olive on the upper parts of the back, and with reddish bay and yellow on the belly, sides, and vent, scattered in the most irregular manner, not alike in any two individ- uals; and, generally, the two middle feathers of the, tail are black, and the others centred with the same color. This bird is now evi- dently approaching to its perfect plumage, as represented in Fig. 14, where the black spreads over the whole head, neck, upper part of the back, breast, wings, and tail; the reddish bay, or bright chestnut, occupying the lower part of the breast, the belly, vent, rump, tail- coverts, and three lower rows of the lesser wing-coverts. The black on the head is deep and velvety; that of the wings inclining to brown; the greater wing-coverts are tipped with white. In the same orchard, and at the same time, males in each of these states of plu- mage may be found, united to their respective plain-colored mates. In all these, the manners, mode of building, food, and notes, are, generally speaking, the same, differing no more than those of any other individuals belonging to one common species. The female appears always nearly the same. I have said that these birds construct their nests very differently from the Baltimores. They are so particularly fond of frequenting orchards, that scarcely one orchard in summer is without them. They usually suspend their nest from the twigs of the apple-tree ; and often from the extremities of the outward branches. It is formed exteriorly of a particular species: of long, tough, and flexible grass, knit, or sewed through and through ina thousand directions, as if actually done with a needle. An old lady of my acquaintance, to whom I was one day showing this curious fabrication, after admiring its texture for some time, asked me, in a tone between joke and earnest, whether I did not think it possible to learn these birds to darn stockings. This nest is hemispherical, three inches deep by four in breadth; the concavity scarcely two inches deep by two in diameter. Thad the curiosity to detach one of the fibres, or stalks of dried grass, from the nest, and found it to measure thirteen inches in length, and in that distance was thirty-four times hooked through and returned, winding round and round the nest! The inside is usually composed of wool, or the light, downy appendages attached to the seeds of the Platanus occidentalis, or button-wood, which form a very soft and commodious bed. Here and there the outward work is extended to an adjoming twig, round which it is strongly twisted, to give more stability to the whole, and prevent it from being overset by the wind. When they choose the long, pendent branches of the weeping willow to build in, as they frequently do, the nest, though formed of the same materials, is made much deeper, and of slighter texture. The circumference is marked out by a number of these pensile twigs that descend on each side like ribs, supporting the whole; their thick foliage, at the same time, completely concealing the nest from view. The depth in this case is increased to four or five inches, and the . ORCHARD ORIOLE. 47 whole is made much slighter. These long, pendent branches, being sometimes twelve and even fifteen feet in length, have a large sweep in the wind, and render the first of these precautions necessary, to prevent the eggs or young from being thrown out; and the close shelter afforded by the remarkable thickness of the foliage is, no dotbt, the cause of the latter. Two of these nests, such as I have here described, are now lying before me, and exhibit not only art in the construction, but judgment in adapting their fabrication so judi- ciously to their particular situations. If the actions of birds pro- ceeded, as some would have us believe, from the mere impulses of that thing called instinct, individuals of the same species would uniformly build their nest in the same manner, wherever they might happen to fix it; but it is evident from those just mentioned, and a thousand such circumstances, that they reason a prior, from cause to consequence; providently managing with a constant eye to future necessity and convenience. The eggs, one of which is represented on the same plate, (Fig. a,) are usually four, of a very pale bluish tint, with a few small specks of brown, and spots of dark purple. An egg of the Baltimore Oriole is exhibited beside it, (Fig. b ; *) both of these were minutely copied from nature, and are sufficient of themselves to determine, beyond all possibility of doubt, the identity of the two species. I may add, that Mr. Charles W. Peale, proprietor of the museum in Philadelphia, who, as a practical naturalist, stands deservedly first in the first rank of American connoisseurs, and who has done more for the promotion of that sublime science than all our speculative theorists together, has expressed to me his perfect conviction of the changes which these birds pass through; having himself examined them both in spring and towards the latter part of summer, and having at the present time in his possession thirty or forty individuals of this species, in almost every gradation of change. The Orchard Oriole, though partly a dependant on the industry of the farmer, is no sneaking pilferer, but an open and truly beneficent friend. To all those countless multitudes of destructive bugs and caterpillars that infest the fruit-trees in spring and summer, preying on the leaves, blossoms, and embryo of the fruit, he is a deadly ene- my; devouring them wherever he can find them, and destroying, on an average, some hundreds of them every day, without offering the slightest injury to the fruit, however much it may stand in his way. I have witnessed instances where the entrance to his nest was more than half closed up by a cluster of apples, which he could have easily demolished in half a minute; but, as if holding the property of his patron sacred, or considering it as a natural bulwark to his own, he slid out and in with the greatest gentleness and caution. I am not sufficiently conversant in entomology to particularize the different species of insects on which he feeds, but I have good reason for be- lieving that they are almost altogether such as commit the greatest depredations on the fruits of the orchard; and, as he visits us at a time when his services are of the greatest value, and, like a faithful guardian, takes up his station where the enemy is most to be expected, * The references here are to Wilson’s original edition. 48 ORCHARD ORIOLE. he ought to be held in respectful esteem, and protected by every con- siderate husbandman. Nor is the gayety of his song one of his least recommendations. Being an exceedingly active, sprightly, and rest- less Vird, he is on the ground— on the trees — flying and carolling in his hurried manner, in almost one and the same instant. His notes are shrill and lively, but uttered with such rapidity and seeming con- fusion, that the ear is unable to follow them distinctly. Between these, he has a single note, which is agreeable and interesting. Wherever he is protected, he shows his confidence and gratitude by his numbers and familiarity. In the botanic gardens of my worthy and scientific friends, the Messrs. Bartrams of Kingsess, which present an epitome of almost every thing that is rare, useful, and beautiful in the vegetable kingdom of this western continent, and where the murderous gun scarce ever intrudes, the Orchard Oriole revels with- out restraint through thickets of aromatic flowers and blossoms, and, heediess of the busy gardener that labors below, hangs his nest, in perfect sécurity, on the branches over his head. The female sits fourteen days; the young remain in the nest ten days afterwards, before they venture abroad, which is generally about the middle of June. Nests of this species, with eggs, are sometimes found so late as the 20th of July, which must either belong to birds that have lost their first nest, or, it is probable that many of them tee two broods in the same season, though I am not positive of the act. The Orchard Orioles arrive in Pennsylvania rather later than the Baltimores, commonly about the first week in May, and extend as far as the Province of Maine. They are also more numerous towards the mountains than the latter species. In traversing the country near the Blue Ridge, in the month of August, i have seen at least five of this species for one of the Baltimore. Early in September, they take their departure for the south; their term of residence here being little more than four months. Previous to their departure, the young birds become gregarious, and frequent the rich extensive meadows of the Schuylkill, below Philadelphia, in flocks of from thirty to forty, or upwards. They are easily raised from the nest, and soon become agreeable domestics. One which I reared and kept through the winter, whistled with great clearness and vivacity at two months old. [t had an odd manner of moving its head and neck, slowly and regu- larly, and in various directions, when intent on observing any thing, without stirring its body. This motion was as slow and regular as that of asnake. When at night a candle was brought into the room, it became restless, and evidently dissatisfied, fluttering about the cage, as if seeking to get out; but, when the cage was placed on the same table with the candle, it seemed extremely well pleased, fed and drank, dressed, shook and arranged its plumage, sat as close to the light as possible, and sometimes chanted a few broken, irregular notes in that situation, as I sat writing or reading beside it. I also kept a young female of the same nest, during the greatest part of winter, but could not observe, in.that time, any change in its plumage.* * This bird is interesting, as showing the remarkable change of color which takes place in the group, and which, in many instances, has been the eccasion of a mul- GREAT AMERICAN SHRIKE, OR BUTCHER BIRD. 49 GKEAT AMERICAN SHRIKE, OR BUTCHER BIRD. LANIUS EXCUBITOR.* — Fie. 15. La pie grische-grise, De Buffon, i. 296. Pl. enl. 445.— Peale’s Museum, No. 664. — White Whisky John, Phil. Trans. xii. 386.— Arct. Zool. ti. No. 127. LANIUS BOREALIS. — ViE1.vo0t. Lanius borealis, Vieill.— North. Zool. ii. 3. Tue form and countenance of this bird bespeak him full of courage and energy; and his true character does not belie his appearance, for he possesses these qualities in a very eminent degree. He is repre- sented on the plate rather less than his true size, but in just propor- tion, and with a fidelity that will enable the European naturalist to determine, whether this be really the same with the great cinereous Shrike (Lanius ercubitor, Linn.) of the eastern continent, or not; though the progressive variableness of the plumage, passing, accord- ing to age, and sometimes to climate, from ferruginous to pale ash, and even to a bluish white, renders it impossible that this should be an exact representation of every individual. This species is by no means numerous in the lower parts of Penn- sylvania; though most so during the months of November, December, and March. Soon after this, it retires to the north, and to the higher inland parts of the country to breed. It frequents the deepest forests ; builds a large and compact nest in the upright fork of a small tree; composed outwardly of dry grass, and whitish moss, and warmly lined within with feathers. The female lays six eggs, of a pale cinereous color, thickly marked at the greater end with spots and streaks of rufous. She sits fifteen days. The young are produced early in June, sometimes towards the latter end of May; and during the greater part of the first season are of a brown ferruginous color on the back. When we compare the beak of this species with his legs and claws, tiplication of species. It will rank with the Baltimore Bird in the Icterus of Brisson, and they will form the only individuals belonging to the northern continent of America. According to Audubon, the flesh of the Orchard Oriole is esteemed by the Creoles of Louisiana, and at the season when the broods have collected, and feed most upon insects in the moist meadows, they are procured for the table in considerable abundance. — Ep. * Wilson has marked this species with a note of doubt, showing the accuracy of his observation where he had such sleader means of making out species ; a mistake also into which C. L. Bonaparte, with greater opportunities, has also fallen. Vieil- lot seéms to have been the first to distinguish it, and Mr. Swainson has satisfactorily ointed out the differences, in the Northern Zoology. Lanius excubitor is not found at all in America, and this species seems to fill up its want; the chief differ- ences are in the size, Lanius borealis being larger. The female is of a browner shade, with more gray underneath ; the former a distribution of color in the females unknown among those bearing similar shades ; in habits they in every way agree —Ep. + In W Ison’s ange edition. 00 GREAT AMERICAN SHRIKE, °¢R BUTCHER BIRD. they appear to belong to two very different orders of birds; the former approaching, in its conformation, to that of the Accipitrine; the latter to those of the Pies; and, indeed, in his food and mamners he is as- similated to both. For though man has arranged and subdivided this numerous class of animals into separate tribes and families, yet nature has united these to each other by such nice gradations, and so inti- mately, that it is hardly possible to determine where one tribe ends, or the succeeding commences. We therefore find several eminent naturalists classing this genus of birds with the Accipitrine, others with the Pies. Like the former, he preys occasionally on other birds ; and, like the latter, on insects, particularly grasshoppers, which I believe to be his principal food; having at almost all times, even in winter, found them in his stomach. In the month of December, and while the country was deeply covered with snow, I shot one of these birds near the head waters of the Mohawk River, in the state of New York, the stomach of which was entirely filled with large black spiders. He was of a much purer white above, than any I have since met with; though evidently of the same species with the present; and I think it probable that the males become lighter colored as they advance in age, till the minute transverse lines of brown on the lower parts almost disappear. In his manners he has more resemblance to the Pies than to birds of prey, particularly in the habit of carrying off his surplus food, as if to hoard it for future exigencies; with this difference, that Crows, Jays, Magpies, &c., conceal theirs at random, in holes and crevices, where, perhaps, it is forgotten, or never again found; while the Butcher Bird sticks his on thorns and bushes, where it shrivels in the sun, and soon becomes equally useless to the hoarder. Both retain the same habits in a state of confinement, whatever the food may be that is presented to them. : This habit of the Shrike, of seizing and impaling grasshoppers and other insects on thorns, has given rise to an opinion that he places their carcasses there by way of baits, to allure small birds to them, while he himself lies in ambush to surprise and destroy them. In this, however, they appear to allow him a greater portion of reason and contrivance than he seems entitled to, or than other circumstances will altogether warrant; for we find, that he not only serves grass- hoppers in this manner, but even small birds themselves, as those have assured me who have kept them in cages in this country, and amused themselves with their maneuvres. If so, we might as well suppose the farmer to be inviting Crows to his corn when he hangs up their carcasses around it, as the Butcher Bird to be decoying small birds by a display of the dead bodies of their comrades! In the Transactions of the American Philosophical Society, vol. iv. p. 124, the reader may find a long letter on this subject from Mr. John Heckewelder, of Bethlehem, to Dr. Barton; the substance of which 1s as follows: — That on the 17th of December, 1795, he ae Hecke- welder} went to visit « young orchard which had been planted a few weeks before, and was surprised to observe on every one of the trees one, and on some two and three grasshoppers, stuck down on the sharp, thorny branches; that, on inquiring of his tenant the reason of this, ne informed him, that they were stuck there by a small bird of prey, GREAT AMERICAN SHRIKE, OR BUTCHER BIRD. ot called by the Germans, Weuntoedter,¢Nine-killer,) which caught and stuck nine grasshoppers a day; and he supposed that, as the bird it- self never fed on grasshoppers, it must do it for pleasure. Mr. Heck- ewelder now recollected, that one of those Nine-killers had, many years before, taken a favorite bird of his out of his cage at the window ; since which, he had paid particular attention to it; and being perfectly satisfied that it lived entirely on mice and small birds, and, moreover, observing the grasshoppers on the trees all fixed in natural positions, as if alive, he began to conjecture that this was done to decoy such small birds as feed on these insects to the spot, that he might have an opportunity of devouring them. “If it were true,” says he, “that this little hawk had stuck them up for himself, how long would he be in feeding on one or two hundred grasshoppers? But if it be in- tended to seduce the smaller birds to feed on these insects, in order to-have an opportunity of catching them, that number, or even one half, or less, may be a good bait all winter,” &c. This is, indeed, a very pretty, fanciful theory, and would entitle our bird to the epithet fowler, perhaps with more propriety than lantus, or butcher ; but, notwithstanding the attention which Mr. Heckewelder professes to have paid to this bird, he appears not only to have been ignorant that grasshoppers were, in fact, the favorite food of this Nine-killer, but never once to have considered, that grasshoppers would be but a very insignificant and tasteless bait for our winter birds, which are chiefly those of the Finch kind, that feed almost ex- clusively on hard seeds and gravel; and among whom five hundred grasshoppers might be stuck up on trees and bushes, and remain there untouched by any of them forever. Besides, where is his necessity of having recourse to such refined stratagems, when he can, at any time, seize upon small birds by mere force of flight? I have seen him, in‘an open field, dart after one of our small Sparrows with the rapidity of an arrow, and kill it almost instantly. Mr. William Bar- tram long ago informed me, that one of these Shrikes had the temerity to pursue a Snow Bird (£. Hudsonia) into an open cage, which stood in the garden; and, before they could arrive to its assistance, had already strangled and scalped it, though he lost his liberty by the ex- ploit. In short, I am of opinion, that his resolution and activity are amply sufficient to enable him to procure these small birds whenever he wants them, which, I believe, is never but when hard pressed by necessity, and a deficiency of his favorite insects; and that the Crow or the Blue Jay may, with the same probability, be supposed to be laying baits for mice and flying squirrels, when they are hoarding their Indian corn, as he for birds, while thus disposing of the exuber- ance of his favorite food. Both the former and the latter retain the same habits in a state of confinement; the one filling every seam and chink of his cage with grain, crumbs of bread, &c., and the other sticking up, not only insects, but flesh, and the bodies of such birds as are thrown in to him, on nails or sharpened sticks fixed up for the purpose. Nor, say others, is this practice of the Shrike difficult to be accounted for. Nature has given to this bird a strong, sharp, and powerful beak, a broad head, and great strength in the muscles of his neck; but his legs, feet, and claws are by no means proportionably 52 GREAT AM:kICAN SHRIKE, OR BUTCHER BIRD strong, and are unequal to the task of grasping and teanng his prey, like those of the Owl and Falcon kind. He, therefore, wisely avails himself of the powers of the former, both in strangling his prey, and in tearing it to pieces while feeding. The character of the Butcher Bird is entitled to no common degree of respect. His activity is visible in all his motions; his courage and intrepidity beyond every other bird of his size, (one of his own tribe only excepted, L. tyrannus, or King Bird;) and in affection for his young, he is surpassed-by no other. He associates with them in the latter part of summer, the whole family hunting in company. He attacks the largest Hawk or Eagle in their defence, with a resolution truly astonishing; so that all of them respect him, and, on every occasion, decline the contest. As the snows of winter approach, he descends from the mountainous forests, and from the regions of the north, to the more cultivated parts of the country, hovering about our hedge-rows, orchards, and meadows, and disappears again early in April. The Great American Shrike is ten inches in length, and thirteen in extent; the upper part of the head, neck, and back, is pale cinere- ous; sides of the head, nearly white, crossed with a bar of black that passes from the nostril, through the eye, to the middle of the neck ; the whole under parts, in some specimens, are nearly white, in others more dusky, and thickly marked with minute transverse curving lines of light brown; the wings are black, tipped with white, with a single spot of white on the primaries, just below their coverts; the scapulars, or long downy feathers that fall over the upper part of the wing, are pure white ; the rump and tail-coverts, a very fine gray or light ash; the tail is cuneiform, consisting of twelve feathers, the two middle ones wholly black, the others tipped more and more with white to the exterior ones, which are nearly all white; the legs, feet, and claws are black; the beak straight, thick, of a light blue color; the upper mandible furnished with a sharp process, bending down greatly at the point, where it is black, and beset at the base with a number of long black hairs or bristles; the nostrils are also thickly covered with recumbent hairs; the iris of the eye is a light hazel; pupil, black. Fig. 15 will give a perfect idea of the bird. The female is easily distinguished by being ferruginous on the back and head, and having the band of black extending only behind the eye, and of a dirty brown or burnt color; the under parts are also something rufous, and the curving lines more strongly marked ; she is rather less than the male, which is different from birds of prey in general, the females of which are usually the larger of the two. In the 4rctic Zoology, we are told that this species is frequent in --ussia, bnt does not extend to Siberia; yet one was taken within Behring’s Straits, on the Asiatic side, in lat. 66°; and the species probably extends over the whole continent of North America, from the Western Ocean. Mr. Bell, while on his travels through Russia, had one of these birds given him, which he kept in a room, having fixed up a sharpened stick for him in the wall; and on turning small birds loose in the room, the Butcher Bird instantly caught them by the throat in such a manner as soon to suffocate them; and then PINE GROSBEAK. 53 stuck them on the stick, pulling them on with bill and claws; and so served as many as were turned loose, one after another, on the same stick.* —— PINE GROSBEAK.— LOXIA ENUCLEATOR. — Fiz. 16. Loxia enucleator, Linn. Syst. i. p. 299, 3.— Le dur bec, ou gros bec de Canada. Buffon, iii. p. 457. Pl. enl. 135, 1. — Edw. 123 124, — Lath. Syn. iii. p. 111, 5. — Peale’s Museum, No. 5652. ‘COR YTHUS ENUCLEATOR. — Covier.t Loxia enucleator, Penn. Arct. Zool. ii. p. 348. — Corythus enucleator, Cuv. Regn. Anim. i. p. 391.— Fleem. Br. Zool. p. 76. — Bouvreuil dur bee, Pyrrhula enu- cleator, Temm. i. 333.— Pine Grosbeak, Pyrrhula enucleator, Selby, Orn. Ill, i. 256, pl. 53. — Pyrrhula enucleator, Bonap. Syn. 114. Tuts is perhaps one of the gayest plumaged land birds that fre- quent the inhospitable regions of the north, whence they are driven, as if with reluctance, by the rigors of winter, to visit Canada and some of the Northern and Middle States; returning to Hudson’s Bay so early as April. The specimen from which our drawing was taken was shot on a cedar-tree, a few miles to the north of Philadelphia, in the month of December; and a faithful resemblance of the original, as it then appeared, is exhibited in Fig. 16. A few days afterwards, another bird of the same species was killed not far from Gray’s Ferry, * EDWARDS, vii. 23]. t This interesting species‘ seems nowhere of common occurrence ; it is very seldom seen in collections ; and boxes of skins, either from different parts of Europe, or America, can seldom rank the Pinc Grosbeak among their number ; the testimony of all travellers in America, who have attended to nature, correspond in their ac counts ; and one of the latest, Mr. Audubon, has mentioned it to me as of extreme searcity. In this country, they seem to be of equal rarity, though they are gener- ally placed in our list of British birds without any remark. Pennant observes, (Arct. Zool. ii. 348,) that he has seen them in the forests of Invercauld ; and Mr. Selby says, (Br. Orn. 257,) that, from the testimony of the gamekeepers, whom he had an opportunity of speaking with in the Highlands, they may be ranked only as occasional visitants. I am aware, however, of no instance of their being killed in this country. Pennant infers, from those which he saw in the month of August, that they breed here. “Such a conclusion,” Mr. Selby justly remarks, “ ought scarcely to be inferred from this fact, as a sufficient interval of time had elapsed for these individuals to have emigrated from Norway, or other northern countries, to Scotland, after incubation, as they are known to breed as early as May in their natural haunts.” I have been unable to find any trace whatever of their ever breeding in this country ; most of the migrating species breed very early, and those that change their station for the sake of finding a breeding place, commence the office of building, 8c. immediately on their arrival, a necessary circumstance to enable the young to perform their migration before the change of season. Cuvier has formed his genus Corythus of this individual, which still remains the only one that has yet been placed in it ; but I am of opinion, that the Crimson-necked Bullfinch (Pyrrhda frontalis, Say) should stand very near, or with it. Their alliance to the ‘true Bullfinches is very great, and Mr. Swainson’s genus, Crithagra, may form another near ally. — Ep. 5* 54 PINE GROSBEAK. four miles south from Philadelphia, which proved to be a female. In this part of the state of Pennsylvania, they are rare birds, and’ seldom seen. As they do not, to my knowledge, breed in any part of this state, I am unable, from personal observation, to speak of their man- ners or musical talents. Mr. Pennant says, they sing on their first arrival in the country round Hudson’s Bay, but soon become silent ; make their nest on trees, at a small height from the ground, with sticks, and line it with feathers. The female lays four white eggs, which are hatched in June. Forster observes, that they visit Hudson’s Bay only in May, on their way to the north; and are not observed to return in the autumn; and that their food consists of birchwillow buds, and others of fhe same nature.* The Pine Grosbeak measures nine inches in length, and fourteen -inches in extent; the head, neck, breast, and rump, are of a rich crimson, palest on the breast; the feathers on the middle of the back are centred with arrow-shaped spots of black, and skirted with crim- son, which gives the plumage a considerable flush of red there ; those on the shoulders are of a deep slate color, partially skirted with red, and light ash. The greater wing-coverts and next superior row are broadly tipped with white, and slightly tinged with reddish; wings and tail, black, edged with light brown; tail, considerably forked ; lower part of the belly, ash color; vent-feathers, skirted with whxe, and streaked with black; legs, glossy black; bill, a brownish horn color, very thick, short, and hooked at the point; the upper mandible overhanging the lower considerably, approaching in its form to that of the Parrot; base of the bill, covered with recumbent hairs of a dark brown color. The whole plumage, near the roots, as in most other birds, is of a deep bluish ash color. The female was half an inch shorter, and answered nearly to the above description; only, those parts that in the male were crimson, were in her of a dirty yellowish color. The female, according to Forster, referred to above has those parts which in the male are red, more of an orange tint; and he censures Edwards for having represented the female of too bright a red. It is possible, that my specimen of the female might have been a bird of the first season, not come to its full colors. Those figured by Mr. Edwards + were both brought from Hudson's Bay, and appear to be the same with the one now before us, though his coloring of the female differs materially from his description. If this, as Mr. Pennant asserts, be the same species with that of the eastern continent, it would seem to inhabit almost the whole extent of the arctic regions. It is found in the north of Scotland, where Pennant suspects it breeds. It inhabits Europe as far north as Drontheim ; is common in all the pine forests of Asia, in Siberia, and the north of Russia; is taken in autumn about Petersburg, and brought to market in great numbers. It returns to Lapland in spring; is found in Newfoundland, and on the western coast of North America. Were I to reason from analogy, I would say, that, from the great resemblance of this bird to the Purple Finch, (Fringila purpurea,) it does not attain its full plumage until the second summer; and is * Philosoplical Trunsacti ms, \xii. 402. ¢ Epw. iii, 124. PENNANT. ee Soe See oes. d Sa RUBY-CROWNED WREN. i 55 subject to considerable change of color in moulting, which may have occasioned all the differences we find concerning it in dif- ferent authors. But this is actually ascertained to be the case; for Mr. Edwards saw two of these birds alive in London, in cages; the person in whose custody they were, said they came from Norway; that they had moulted their feathers, and were not after- wards so heautiful as they were at first. One of them, he says, was colored very much like the Green Finch, (Z. chloris.) The Purple Finch, though much smaller, has the rump, head, back, and breast, nearly of the same color as the Pine Grosbeak, feeds in the same manner, on the same food, and is als) subject to like changes of color. Since writing the above, I have kept one of these Pine Grosbeaks, a male, for more than half a year. In the month of August those parts of the plumage which were red becrme of a greenish yellow, and continue so still. In May and June its song, though not so loud as some birds of its size, was extremely clear, mellow, and sweet. It would warble out this for a whole morning together, and acquired several of the notes of a Red-Bird (Z. cardinals) that hung near it. It is exceedingly tame and familiar, and when it wants food or water, utters a continual melancholy and anxious note. It was caught in winter near the North River, thirty or forty miles above New York. RUBY-CROWNED WREN.— SYLVIA CALENDULA. — Fie. 17, Le Roitelet rubis, De Buff. v. 373. — Edw. 254, — Lath. Syn. ii. 511.— Arct. Zool. 520. — Regulus cristatus alter vertice rubini coloris, Bartram, p. 292.— Peale’s Museum, No. 7244. REGULUS CALENDULUS. —Sternens.* Regulus calendulus, Steph. Cont. Sh. Zool. vol. x. p. 760. — Bonap. Synop. 91. Tuis little bird visits us early in the spring, from the south, and is generally first found among the maple blossoms, about the beginning of April. These failing, it has recourse to those of the peach, apple,. and other fruit-trees, partly for the tops of the sweet and slender ‘stamina of the flowers, and partly for the winged insects that hover among them. In the middle of summer, I have rarely met with these birds in Pennsylvania; and as they penetrate as far north as the country round Hudson’s Bay, and also breed there, it accounts for their late arrival here, in fall. They then associate with the different species of Titmouse, and the Golden-crested Wren; and are particu- larly numerous in the month of October, and beginning of November, in orchards, among the decaying leaves of the apple-trees, that at * See note to Regulus cristatus. 56 RUBY-CROWNED WREN. that season are infested with great numbers of small, black-winged insects, among which they make great havock. I have often regretted the painful necessity one is under of taking away the lives of such inoffensive, useful little creatures, merely to obtain a more perfect knowledge of the species; for they appear so busy, so active, and unsuspecting, as to continue searching about the same twig, even after their companions have been shot down beside them. They are more remarkably so in autumn, which may be owing te the great number of young and inexperienced birds which are then among them ; and frequently, at this season, I have stood under the tree, mo- tionless, to observe them, while they gleaned among the low branches sometimes within a foot or two of my head. They are extremely adroit in catching their prey; have only at times a feeble chirp; visit the tops of the tallest trees, as well as the lowest bushes; and con- tinue generally for a considerable time among the branches of the same tree, darting about from place to place; appearing, when on the top of a high maple, no bigger than humble-bees. The Ruby-crowned Wren is four inches long, and six in extent; the upper parts of the head, neck, and back, are of a fine greenish . olive, with a considerable tinge of yellow; wings and fee dusky~ purplish brown, exteriorly edged with yellow olive; secondaries, and first row of wing-coverts, edged and tipped with white, with a spot of deep purplish brown across the secondaries, just below their coverts; the hind head is ornamented with an oblong lateral spot of vermilion, usually almost hid by the other plumage ; round the eye, a ring of yellowish white; whole under parts, of the same tint; legs, dark brown; feet” and claws, yellow; bill, slender, straight, not notched, furnished with a few black hairs at the base ; inside of the mouth, orange. The female differs very little in its plumage from the male, the colors being less lively, and the bird somewhat less. Not- withstanding my utmost endeavors, I have never been able to discover their nest; though, from the circumstance of having found them sometimes here in summer, I am persuaded that they occasionally breed in Pennsylvania; but I know several birds, no larger than this, that usually build on the extremities of the tallest trees in the woods ; which I have discovered from their beginning before the leaves are out; many others, no doubt, choose similar situations; and should they delay building until the woods are thickened with leaves, it is no easy matter to discover them. In fall, they are so extremely fat, as almost to dissolve between the fingers as you open them; owing to the great abundance of their favorite insects at that time. SHORE-LARK. 57 SHORE-LARK.—ALAUDA ALPESTRIS. — Fie. 18. Alauda alpestris, Linn. Syst. 289.— Lath. Synop. ii. 385.— Peale’s Museum, No. 5190.— Alauda campestris, gutture flavo, Bartram, p. 290.—L’Alouette de Virginia, De Buff. v. 55. — Catesb. i. 32. ALAUDA ALPESTRIS. — Linnxvus. Alauda alpestris alouette 4 Hause col noir, Temm. i. 279. — Bonap. Synop. 102. _ Vieill. Gal. des Ois. pl. 155, p. 256.—Alauda cornuta, Swain. Synop.— Birds of Mexico, Phil. Mag. § Ann. 1827, p. 434. — North. Zool. ii. p. 245. Turis is the most beautiful of its genus, at least in this part of the world. It is one of our winter birds of passage, arriving from the north in the fall; usually staying with us the whole winter, frequent- ing sandy plains and open downs, and is numerous in the Southern States, as far as Georgia, during that season. They fly high, in loose, scattered flocks; and at these times have a single cry, almost exactly like the Sky-Lark of Britain. They are very numerous in many tracts of New Jersey, and are frequently brought to Philadelphia market. They are then generally very fat, and are considered excel- lent eating. Their food seems principally to consist of small, round, compressed, black seeds, buckwheat, oats, &c., with a large proportion of gravel. On the flat commons, within the boundaries of the city of Philadelphia, flocks of them are regularly seen during the whole winter. In the stomach of these I have found, in numerous instances, quantities of the eggs or larve of certain insects, mixed with a kind of slimy earth, About the middle of March they generally disappear, on their route to the north.* Forster informs us that they visit the environs of Albany Fort in the beginning of May, but go farther north to bréed ; that they feed on grass seeds and buds of the sprig birch, and run into small holes, keeping close to the ground, from whence the natives call them Chi-chup-pi-sue.t This same species appears also to be found in Poland, Russia, and Siberia, in winter, from whence they also retire farther north on the approach of spring; ° except in the north-east parts, and near the high mountains.{ The length of this bird is seven inches, the extent twelve inches; . the forehead, throat, sides of the neck, and line over the eye, are of a delicate straw, or Naples yellow, elegantly relieved by a bar of black, + In winter, says Pennant, they retire to the southern provinces in great flight but it is only by severe weather that they reach Virginia and Carolina The, < quent sand hills on the sea shore, and feed on the sea-side oats, or Uni = punts uta. They have a single note, like the Sk -Lark in winter. — Temmin’’ ~cutii chem as birds of passage in Germany, and that they breed also ins. One or two specimens have lately heen killed in England, so that their gevgraphic range is pretty considerable. The Alauda calandra of Linnzus is introduced into the Northern Zoology, as an inhabitant of the Fur countries, on the authority of a specimen in the British Museum, and will stand as the second Lark found in that country. — Ep. + Philosophical Transactions, vol. \xii. p. 398. $ Arctic Zoology. 58 SHORE-LARK. that passes from the nostril to the eye, below which it falls, rounding. +o the depth of three quarters of an inch; the yellow on the forehead and over the eye, is bounded within, for its who.e length, with black, which covers part of the crown; the breast is ornamented with a broad, fan-shaped patch of black; this, as well as all the other spots of black, are marked with minute curves of yellow points; back of the neck, and towards the shoulders, a light drab, tinged with lake ; lesser wing- coverts, bright cinnamon; greater wing-coverts, the same, interiorly dusky, and tipped with whitish ; back and wings, drab colored, tinged with reddish, each feather of the former having a streak of dusky black down its centre; primaries, deep dusky, tipped and edged with whitish ; exterior feathers, most so; secondaries, broadly edged with light drab, and scolloped at the tips; tail, forked, black; the two middle feathers, which by some have been mistaken for the coverts, are reddish drab, centred with brownish black; the two outer ones on each side, exte- riorly edged with white; breast, of a dusky vinous tinge, and marked with spots or streaks of the same; the belly and vent, white; sides, streaked with bay; bill short, (Latham, in mistake, says seven inches,*) of a dusky blue color; tongue, truncate and bifid; legs and claws, black; hind heel, very long, and almost straight; iris of the eye, hazel. One glance at Fig. 18 will give a better idea than the whole of this minute description, which, however, has been rendered necessary by the errors of others. The female has little or no black on the crown; and the yellow on the front is narrow, and of a dirty tinge. There isa singular appearance in this bird, which I have never seen taken notice of by former writers, viz., certain long, black feathers, which extend, by equal distances beyond each other, above the eye- brow; these are longer, more pointed, and of a different texture from the rest around them; and the bird possesses the power of erecting them, so as to appear as if horned, like some of the Owl tribe. Having kept one of these birds alive for some time, I was much amused at this odd appearance, and think it might furnish a very suitable spe- cific appellation, viz. dlauda cornuta, or Horned Lark. These horns become scarcely perceivable after the bird is dead. The head is slightly crested. , Shore-Lark and Sky-Lark are names by which this species is usually known in different parts of the Union. They are said to sing well, mounting in the air, in the manner of the Song-Lark of Europe; but this is only in those countries where they breed. I have never heard of their nests being found within the territory of the United States. * Szevpsis, vol. ii. p. 383. MARYLAND YELLOW-THROAT. 59 oO ; / 2 Aer Wo drctrse. 7 trate Fi ry a 3 A “ ss MARYLAND YELLOW-THROAT.— SYLVIA PY, MARILANDICA. — Fic, 19. : vce Turdus trichas, Linn. Syst. i. 293. — Edw. 237.— Yellow-breasted Warbler, Arct Zool. ii. No. 283, Id. 284,— Le Figuier aux joues noires, De Buff. v. 292. —~ La Fauvette a poitrine jaune de la Louisiane, Buff. v. 162. Pl. ent. 709, fig. 2. — Lath. Syn. iv. 433, 32.— Peale’s Museum, No. 6902. TRICHUS PERSONATUS, —Swainson.* Trichas personatus, Swain. Zool. Journ. No. 10, p. 167.— The Yellow-breasted Warbler, or Maryland Yellow-Throat, Aud. i. pl. 23, p. 121. Tus is one of the humble inhabitants of briers, brambles, alder bushes, and such shrubbery as grows most luxuriantly in low, watery situations; and might with propriety be denominated Humility, its business or ambition seldom leading it higher than the tops of the un- derwood. Insects and their larve are its usual food. It dives into the deepest of the thicket, rambles among the roots, searches round the stems, examines both sides of the leat, raising itself on its legs, so as to peep into every crevice; amusing itself at times with a very simple, and not disagreeable, song or twitter, whitititee, whitititee, whitititee ; pausing for half a minute or so, and then repeating its notes as before. It inhabits the whole United States from Maine to Florida, and also Louisiana ; and is particularly numerous in the low, swampy thickets of Maryland, Pennsylvania, and New Jersey. It is by no means shy; but seems delibcrate and unsuspicious, as if the places it frequented, or its own diminutiveness, were its sufficient security. It often visits the fields of growing rye, wheat, barley, &c., and no doubt performs the part of a friend to the farmer, in ridding the stalks of vermin, that might otherwise lay waste his fields. It seldom approaches the farm- house, or city; but lives in obscurity and peace, amidst its favorite * Mr. Swainson has formed from this species his genus T'richas, and bestowed upon it the new and appropriate name of personatus, or masked ; Marilandica of Brisson and Wilson could scarcely be retained, Trichas of Linnzus having the priority. ‘The latter is now converted into a generic term ; and as the species does not seem entirely confined to Maryland, another and more appropriate than either will perhaps ‘wake less confusion than the attempts to restore some old one. Mr. Swainson makes the following remarks upon the genus :—“ This form is intimately connected with Synalaxis, and two or three other groups peculiar to Africa and Australia. Feebleness of flight and strength of foot separate these birds from the typical genera; while the strength and curvature of tye hind claw forbid us to as- sociate them with the true Motucilla.” The female is figured on No. 86, of this volume, where it is mentioned as one of the birds whose nest the Cow Bunting selects to deposit her eggs in. ‘ The nest,” according to Mr. Audubon, “is placed on the ground, and partly sunk in it: it is now and then covered over in the form of an oven, from which circumstance, chil- dren name this warbler the Oren-bird. It is composed externally of withered leaves and grass, and is lined with hair. The eggs are from four to six, of a white color, speckled with light brown, and are deposited about the middle of May. Sometimes two broods are reared in a season. I have never observed the egg of the Cow Bunting in the nests of the second brood.” The male birds do not attain their full plumage until the second spring. — Ep. 60 YELLOW-BREASTED CHAT. thickets. It arrives in Pennsylvania about the middle, or last week, of April, and begins to build its nest about the middle of May: this is fixed on the ground, among the dried leaves, in the very depth of a thicket of briers, sometimes arched over, and a small hole left for en- trance; the materials are dry leaves and fine grass, lined with coarse hair; the eggs are five, white or semi-transparent, marked with specks of reddish brown, The young leave the nest about the 22d of June; and a second brood is often raised in the same season. Early in September they leave us, returning to the south. This pretty little species is four inches and three quarters long, and six inches and a quarter in extent ; back, wings, and tail, green olive, which also covers the upper part of the neck, but approaches to cine- reous on the crown; the eyes are inserted in a band of black, which passes from the front, on both sides, reaching half way down the neck ; this is bounded above by another band of white, deepening into light blue; throat, breast, and vent, brilliant yellow ; belly, a fainter tinge of the same color; inside coverts of the wings,-also yellow; tips and inner vanes of the wings, dusky brown; tail, cuneiform, dusky, edged with olive green; bill, black, straight, slender, of the true Motacilla form, though the bird itself was considered as a species of Thrush by Linneus, but very properly removed ‘to the genus JMota- cilla by Gmelin; legs, flesh colored; iris of the eye, dark hazel. The female wants the black band through the eye, has the bill brown, and the throat of a much paler yellow. This last, I have good reason to suspect, has been described by Europeans as a separate species ; and that from Louisiana, referred to in the synonymes, appears evidently the same as the former, the chief difference, according to Buffon, be- ing in its wedged tail, which is likewise the true form of our own species; so that this error corrected will abridge the European nomenclature of two species. Many more examples of this kind will occur in the course of our descriptions. YELLOW-BREASTED CHAT.*—PIPRA POLYGLOTTA. — Fig. 20. * Muscicapa viridis, Gmel. Syst. i. 936.— Le Merle vert de la Caroline, Buffon, iii. 396.— Chattering Flycatcher, Arct. Zool. ii. No. 266.— Lath. Synop. iii. 350, 48. — Garrulus australis, Bartram, 290.— Peale’s Museum, No. 6661. ICTERIA VIRIDIS.— Bonaparte. Ieteria dumicola, Vieill. Gal. des Ois. pl. 85, p. 119.—Icteria viridis, Bonap. Synop. p. 69. Tuis is a very singular bird. In its voice and manners, and the habit it has of keeping concealed, while shifting and vociferating around * The Prince of Musignano remarks, when speaking of this bird, in his excellent ° Obserszions on the Nomenclature of Wilson's Ornithology, “Tt is not a little re- YELLOW-EREASTED CHAT. 61 you, it differs from most other birds with which I am acquainted, and has considerable claims to originality of character. It arrives in Pennsylvania about the first week in May, and returns to the south again as soon as its young are able for the journey, which is usually about the middle of August; its term of residence here being scarcely four months. The males generally arrive several days before the females —a circumstance common with many other of our birds of passage. ; When he has once taken up his residence in a favorite situation, which is almost always in close thickets of hazel, brambles, vines, and thick underwood, he becomes very jealous of his possessions, and seems offended at the least intrusion; scolding every passenger as soon as they come within view, in a great variety of odd and un- couth monosyllables, which it is difficult to describe, but which may be readily imitated, so as to deceive the bird himself, and draw him after you for half a quarter of a mile at a time, as I have sometimes amused myself in doing, and frequently without once seeing him. On these occasions, his responses are constant and rapid, strongly expressive of anger and anxiety ; and while the bird itself remains unseen, the voice shifts from place to place, among the bushes, as if it proceeded from a spirit. First is heard a repetition of short notes, resembling the whistling of the wings of a Duck or Teal, beginning loud and rapid, and falling lower and slower, till they end in detached notes; then a succession of others, something like the barking of young puppies, is followed by a variety of hollow, guttural sounds, each eight or ten times repeated, more like those proceeding from the throat of a quadruped than that of a bird; which are succeeded by others not unlike the mewing of a cat, but considerably hoarser. All these are uttered with great vehemence, in such different keys, and with such peculiar modulations of voice, as sometimes to seem at a considerable distance, and instantly as if just beside you; now on this hand, now on that; so that, from these mancuvres of ventrilo- quism, you are utterly at a loss to ascertain from what particular spot or quarter they proceed. If the weather be mild and serene, with clear moonlight, he continues gabbling in the same strange dialect, with very little intermission, during the whole night, as if disputing with his own echoes; but probably with a design of inviting the passing females to his retreat; for, when the season is further ad- vanced, they are seldom heard during the night. About the middle of May they begin to build. Their nest is usually fixed in the upper part of a bramble bush, in an almost im- penetrable thicket ; sometimes in a thick vine or small cedar; seldom more than four or five feet from the ground. It is composed out- 2 ® markable, that Wilson should have introduced this genus in his Ornithology. The bird he placed in it has certainly no relation to the Manaking, nor has any one of that genus been found within the United States. - This bird has been placed by authors in half a dozen different genera. It was arranged in Muscicapa, by Gmelin, Latham, and Pennant; in Jurdus, by Brisson and Buffon; in Ampelis, by Sparr- man; and in Tanagra, by Desmarest. I svas at first inclined to consider it as a Vireo ; but, after having dwelt more upon the characters and habits of this remark- able species, I have concluded to adopt Icteria as an independent genus, agreeably to Vieillot.””—Ep. 62 YELLOW-BREASTED CHAT. wardly of dry leaves; within these are laid thin strips of’ the bark ot grape-vines, and the inside is lined with fibrous roots of plants, and fine, dry grass. The female lays four eggs, slightly flesh colored, and speckled all over with spots of brown or dull red. The young are hatched in twelve days, and make their first excursion from the nest about the second week in June. A friend of mine, an amateur in Canary Birds, placed one of the Chat’s eggs under a hen Canary, who brought it out; but it died on the second day, though she was so solicitous to feed and preserve it, that her own eggs, which required two days more sitting, were lost through her attention to this. While the female of the Chat is sitting, the cries of the male are still more loud and incessant. When once aware that you have seen him, he is less solicitous to conceal himself, and will sometimes mount up into the air, almost perpendicularly, to the height of thirty or forty feet, with his legs hanging; descending as he rose, by re- peated jerks, as if highly irritated, or, as is vulgarly said, “dancing mad.” All this noise and gesticulation we must attribute to his ex- treme affection for his mate and young; and when we consider the great distance which in all probability he comes, the few young pro- duced at atime, and that seldom more than once in the season, we can see the wisdom of Providence very manifestly in the ardency of his passions. Mr. Catesby seems to have first figured the Yellow-breasted Chat ; and the singularity of its manners has not escaped him. After re- peated attempts to shoot one of them, he found himself completely baffled, and was obliged, as he himself informs us, to employ an Indian for that purpose, who did not succeed without exercising all his ingenuity. Catesby also observed its dancing manceuvres, and supposed that it always flew with its legs extended ; but it is only in these paroxysms of rage and anxiety that this is done, as I have par- ticularly observed. The food of these birds consists chiefly of large black beetles, and other coleopterous insects ; I have also found whortleberries frequently in their stomach, in great quantities, as well as several other sorts of berries.* They are very numerous in the neighborhood of Philadel- phia, particularly on the borders of rivulets, and other watery situa- tions, in hedges, thickets, &c., but are seldom seen in the forest, even where there is underwood. Catesby indeed asserts, that they are only found on the banks of large rivers, two or three hundred miles from the sea; but, though this may be the case in South Carolina, yet in Maryland and New Jersey, and also in New York, I have met with these birds within two ‘hours’ walk of the sea, and in some places within less than a mile of the shore. I have not been able to trace him to any of the West India Islands; though they certainly retire to Mexico, Guiana, and Brazil, having myself seen skins’ of these birds in the possession of a French gentleman, which were brought from the two latter countries. By recurring to the synonymes at the beginning of this article, it will be perceived how much European naturalists have differed in * Vieillot mentions the fruit of the Solanum Carolinense as a particular favorite of this bird. - -Ep. SUMMER RED-BIRD. 63 classing this bird. That the judicious Mr. Pennant, Gmelin, and ever Dr. Latham, however, should have arranged it with the Flycatchers, is certainly very extraordinary ; as neither in the particular structure of its bill, tongue, feet, nor in its food or manners, has it any affinity whatever to that genus. Some other ornithologists have removed it to the Tanagers; but the bill of the Chat, when compared with that of the Summer Red-Bird, (Fig. 21,) bespeaks it at once to be of a dif- ferent tribe. Besides, the T'anagers seldom lay more than two or three eggs; the Chat usually four: the former build on trees; the latter in low thickets. In short, though this bird will not exactly correspond with any known genus, yet the form of its bill, its food, and many of its habits, would almost justify us in classing it with the genus Pipra, red to which family it seems most nearly related. The Yellow-breasted Chat is seven inches long, and nine inches in extent; the whole upper parts are of a rich and deep olive green, except the tips of the wings and interior vanes of the wing and tail- feathers, which are dusky brown; the whole throat and breast is of a most brilliant yellow, which also lines the inside of the wings, and spreads on the sides immediately below; the belly and vent are white ; the front, slate colored, or dull cinereous; lores, black; from the nostril, a line of white extends to the upper part of the eye, which it nearly encircles ; another spot of white is placed at the base of the lower mandible; the bill is strong, slightly curved, sharply ridged on the top, compressed, overhanging a little at the tip, not notched, pointed, and altogether black; the tongue is tapering, more fleshy than those of the Muscicapa tribe, and a little lacerated at the tip; the nostril is oval, and halt covered with an arching membrane; legs and feet, light blue, hind claw rather the strongest, the two exterior toes united to the second joint. The female may be distinguished from the male by the black and white adjoining the eye being less intense or pure than in the male, and in having the inside of the mouth of a dirty flesh-color, which, in the male, is black ; in other respects, their plumage is nearly alike. —>———_ SUMMER RED-BIRD.—TANAGRA ASTIVA.— Fries. 21, 22. Tanagra Mississippensis, Lath. Ind. Orn. i. 421, 5.—Mexican Tanager, Lath. Synop. iii. 219, 5. 8. — Tanagra variegata, Ind. Orn. i. 421, 6. — Tanagra estiva, Ind. Orn. i, 422, 7. — Mascicapa tubra, Linn. Syst. i. 326, ae. vi, 252. Pl, enl. 741, — Catesby, Car. 1. 56.—Merula flammula, Sandhill Red-Bird, Bartram, 299.— Peale’s Museum, No. 6134. PYRANGA JESTIVA, — Viri.iot. Subgenus Pyranga,* Tanagra estiva, Bonap. Synop. p. 105. Tue change of color which this bird is subject to during the first year, and the imperfect figure first given of it by Catesby, have de- * Pyranga has been used by Vieillot to designate a group among the Tanagers, having the bill of considerable strength, and furnished on the upper mandible with 64 SUMMER RED-BIRD. ceived the European naturalists so much, tlat four different species have been formed out of this one, as appears by the above synonymes, all of which are referable to the present species, the Summer Red- Bird. As the female differs so much in color from the male, it has been thought proper to represent them both; the female having never, to my knowledge, appeared in any former publication; and all the figures of the other that I have seen being little better than carica- tures, from which a foreigner can form no just conception of the original. The male of the Summer Red-Bird (Fig. 21) is wholly of a rich ver- milion color, most brilliant on the lower parts, except the inner vanes and tips of the wings, which are of a dusky brown; the bill is dispro- portionably large, and inflated, the upper mandible furnished with a process, and the whole bill of a yellowish horn color; the legs and feet are light blue, inclining to purple; the eye, large, the iris of a light hazel color; the length of the whole bird, seven inches and a quarter ; and between the tips of the expanded wings, twelve inches. The female (Fig. 22) differs little in size from the male; but is, above, of a brownish yellow olive, lightest over the eye; throat, breast, and whole lower part of the body, of a dull orange yellow; tips and in- terior vanes of the wings, brown; bill, legs, and eye, as in the male. The nest is built in the woods, on the horizontal branch of a half- grown tree, often an evergreen, at the height of ten or twelve feet from the ground; composed, outwardly, of broken stalks of dry flax, and lined with fine grass; the female lays three light-blue eggs; the young are produced about the middle of June; and I suspect that the same pair raise no more than one brood in a season, for I have never found their nests but in May or June. Towards the middle of August, they take their departure for the south, their residence here being scarcely four months. The young are, at first, of a green olive above, nearly the same color as the female below, and do not acquire their full tints till the succeeding spring or summer. The change, however, commences the first season before their de- parture. 1n the month of August, the young males are distinguished from the females by their motley garb; the yellow plumage below, as well as the olive green above, first becoming stained with spots of a buff color, which gradually brighten into red; these being irregularly scattered over the whole body, except the wings and tail, particularly the former, which I have often found to contain four or five green quills in the succeeding June. The first of these birds I ever shot was green winged ; and conceiving it at that time to be a nondescript, I made a drawing of it with care ; and on turning to it at this moment, 1 find the whole of the primaries, and two of the secondaries, yellowish green, the rest of the plumage a full red. This was about the middle _ an obtuse tooth,—a structure which has been taken by Desmarest to denote his Tanagras Coluriens, or Shrike-like Tanagers. They are also the Tanagras Car- dinal of Cuvier. Bonaparte, again, retains Vieillot’s group, but only as a subgenus to Tanagra. It is composed of nine or ten species, three only being found in North America. They are generally of rich, sometimes gaudy, plumage, and require more than one toe to ave at maturity. They live in pairs, and feea on insects, berries, or soft seeds. — Ep. SUMMER RED-BIRD. 65 of May. In the month of August, of the same year, being in the woods with the gun,I perceived a bird of very singular plumage, and having never before met with such an oddity, instantly gave chase to it. It appeared to me, at a small distance, to be sprinkled all over with red, green, and yellow. After a great deal of difficulty — for the bird had taken notice of my eagerness, and had become extremely shy —I succeeded in bringing it down ; and found it to be a young bird of the same species with the one I had killed in the preceding May, but less advanced to its fixed colors; the wings entirely of a greenish yellow, and the rest of the plumage spotted, in the most irregular manner, with red, yellow, brown, and greenish. This is the Varie- gated Tanager, referred to in the synonymes prefixed to this article. Having, since that time, seen them in all their stages of color, during their residence here, I have the more satisfaction in assuring the reader that the whole four species mentioned by Dr. Latham are one and the same. The two figures in our plate represent the male and female in their complete plumage. The food of these birds consists of various kinds of bugs, and large black beetles. In several instances, I have found the stomach en- tirely filled with the broken remains of humble-bees. During the season of whortleberries, they seem to subsist almost entirely on these berries ; but, in the early part of the season, on insects of the above description. In Pennsylvania, they are a rare species, having myself sometimes passed a whole summer without seeing one of them; while in New Jersey, even within half a mile of the shore opposite the city of Philadelphia, they may generally be found during the season. The note of the male is a strong and sonorous whistle, resembling a loose tril] or shake on the notes of a fife, frequently repeated; that of the female is rather a kind of chattering, approaching nearly to the rapid pronunciation of chicky-tucky-tuck, chicky-tucky-tuck, when she sees any person approaching the neighborhood of her nest. She is, however, rarely seen, and usually mute, and scarcely to be distin- guished from the color of the foliage at a distance; while the loqua- city and brilliant red of the male make him very conspicuous; and when seen among the green leaves, particularly if the light falls strongly on his plumage, he has a most beautiful and elegant appear- ance. It is worthy of remark, that the females of almost all our splendid feathered birds are dressed in plain and often obscure colors, as if Providence meant to favor their personal concealment, and, con- sequently, that of their nest and young, from the depredations of birds of prey; while, among the latter, such as Eagles, Owls, Hawks, &c., which are under no such apprehension, the females are uniformly cov- ered with richer-colored plumage than tne males. The Summer Red-Bird delights ina flat, sandy country covered with wood, and interspersed with pine-trees, and is consequently more numerous towards the shores of the Atlantic than in the interior. In both Carolinas, and in Georgia and Florida, they are in great plenty. In Mexico some of them are probably resident, or, at least, winter there, as many other of our summer visitants are known to do. Inthe Northern States they are very rare; and I do not know that they have been found either yee or Lower Canada. Du Pratz, in his His- 66 INDIGO BIRD. tory of Loutsiina, has related some particulars of this bird, which have been repeated by almost every subsequent writer on the subject, viz., that “it inhabits the woods on the Mississippi, and collects against win- ter a vast magazine of maize, which it carefully conceals with dry leaves, leaving only a small hole for entrance; and is so jealous of it, as never to quit its neighborhood, except to drink.” It is probable, though I cannot corroborate the fact, that individuals of this species may winter near the Mississippi; but that, in a climate so moderate, and where such an exuberance of fruits, seeds, and berries is to be found, even during winter, this, or any other b.:d, should take so much pains in hoarding a vast quantity of Indian corn, and attach itself so closely to it, is rather apocryphal. The same writer, vol. ii. p. 24, re- lates similar particulars of the Cardinal Grosbeak, (Loria cardinalis,) which, though it winters in Pennsylvania, where the climate is much more severe, and where the length and rigors of that season would require a far larger magazine, and be a threefold greater stimulus to hoarding, yet has no such habit here. Besides, I have never found a single grain of Indian corn in the stomach of the Summer Red-Bird, though I have examined many individuals of both sexes. On the whole, I consider this account of Du Pratz’s in much the same light with that of his countryman, Charlevoix, who gravely informs us, that the Owls of Canada lay up a store of live mice for winter; the legs of which they first break, to prevent them from running away, and then feed them carefully, and fatten them, till wanted fof use.* Its manners — though neither its bill nor tongue — partake very much of those of the Flycatcher; for I have frequently observed both male and female, a little before sunset, in parts of the forest clear of underwood, darting after winged insects, and continuing thus engaged till it was almost dusk. INDIGO BIRD.—FRINGILLA CYANEA.— Fic. 23. Tanagra cyanea, Linn. Syst. i. 315. — Le Ministre, Buff. iv. 86.— Indigo Bunting, Arct. Zool. ii. No. 235. — Lath. Synop. iii. 205, 63. — Blue Linnet, Ldw. 273. — Peale’s Museum, No. 6002. — Linaria cyanea, Bart. p. 290. FRINGILLA CYANEA.—Wiso0n. Fringilla cyanea, Bonup. Synop.t p. 107. Tuis is another otf tuuse rich plumaged tribes that visit us in spring from the regions of the south. It arrives in Pennsylvania on the second week in May, and disappears about the middle of September. It is numerous in all the settled parts of the Middle and Eastern States ; * Travels in Canada, vol. i. p. 239. Lond. 1761. 8vo. + By a letter from my friend, Mr. Swainson, I am informed that the Prince of eine intends to form a genus of this bird; I have therefore provisionally added its present name, not wishi:g to interfere where J am acquainted with the intentions of another. It appears 1 range with the Tanagrine.— Ep. INDIGO BIRD. 67 in the Carolinas ana Georgia it is also abundant. Though Catesby says that it is only found at a great distance from the sea, yet round the city of New York, and in many places along the shores of New Jersey, I have met with them in plenty. I may also add, on the authority of Mr. William Bartram, that “they inhabit the continent and sea-coast islands, from Mexico to Nova Scotia, from the sea-coast west beyond the Apalachian and Cherokee mountains.”* They are also known in Mexico, where they probably winter. Its favorite haunts, while with us, are about gardens, fields of deep clover, the borders of woods, and road sides, where it is frequently seen perched on the fences. In its manners, it is extremely active and neat, and a vigorous and pretty good songster. It mounts to the highest tops of a large tree, and chants for half an hour at atime. Its song is not one continued strain, but a repetition of short notes, commencing loud and rapid, and falling, by almost imperceptible gradations, for six or eight seconds, till they seem hardly articulate, as if the little minstrel were quite exhausted; and, after a pause of half a minute, or less, com- mences again as before. Some of our birds sing only in spring, and then chiefly in the morning, being comparatively mute during the heat of noon; but the Indigo Bird chants with as much animation under the meridian sun, in the month of July, as in the month of May; and continues his song, occasionally, to the middle or end of August. His usual note, when alarmed by an approach to his nest, is a sharp chip, like that of striking two hard pebbles smartly together. Notwithstanding the beauty of his plumage, the vivacity with which he sings, and the ease with which he can be reared and kept, the In- digo Bird is seldom seen domesticated. The few I have met with were taken in trap cages; and such of any species rarely sing equal to those which have been reared by hand from the nest. There is one singularity which, as it cannot be well represented in the figure, may be mentioned here, viz. that, in some certain lights, his plumage ap- pears of a rich sky blue, and in others of a vivid verdigris green; so that the same bird, in passing from one place to another before your eyes, seems to undergo a total change of color. When the angle of incidence of the rays of light, reflected from his plumage, is acute, the color is green; when obtuse, blue. Such, I think, I have observed to be uniformly the case, without being optician enough to explain why it isso. From this, however, must be excepted the color af the head, which, being of a very deep blue, is not affected by a change of position. The nest of this bird is usually built ina low bush, among rank grass, grain, or clover, suspended by two twigs, one passing up each side; and is composed outwardly of flax, and lined with fine dry grass. I have also known it to build in the hollow of an apple-tree. The eggs, generally five, are blue, with a blotch of purple at the great end. The Indigo Bird is five inches long, and seven inches in extent ; the whole body is of a rich sky blue, deepening on the head to an al- tramarine, with a tinge of purple; the blue on the body, tail, and wings, varies in particular lights to a light green, or verdigris color, similar to that on the breast of a Peacock; wings, black, edged with © Taicels, p. 299. cf 68 AMERICAN REDSTART. light blue, and becoming brownish towards the tips Jesser coverts, light blue; greater, black, broadly skirted with the same blue; tail, black, exteriorly edged with blue; bill, black above, whitish below, somewhat larger in proportion than Finches of the same size usually are, but less than those of the genus Emberiza, with which Mr. Pen- nant has classed it, though, I think, improperly, as the bird has much more of the form and manners of the genus Fringilla, where I must be permitted to place it; legs and feet, blackish brown. The female is of a light flaxen color, with the wings dusky black, and the cheeks, breast, and whole lower parts, a clay color, with streaks of a darker color under the wings, and tinged in several places with bluish. To- wards fall, the male, while moulting, becomes nearly of the color ofthe female, and in one which I kept through the winter, the rich plumage did not return for more than two months; though I doubt not, had the bird enjoyed his liberty and natural food under a warm sun, this brown- ness would have been of shorter duration. The usual food of this species is insects and various kinds of seeds. AMERICAN REDSTART.— MUSCICAPA RUTICILLA. — Fig. 24. Muscicapa ruticilla, Lynn. Syst. i. 236, 10. — Gmel. Syst. i. 935. — Motacilla fla- vicauda, Gmel. Syst. i. 997, (female.)— Le gobe-mouche d’Amerique, Briss. Orn. ii. 383, 14. Pl. enl. 566, fig. 1,2.— Small American Redstart, Edw. 80. Id. 257, (female.) Yellow-tailed Warbler, Arct. Zool. ii. No. 301. Id. ii. No. 282, — Lath. Syn. iv. 427, 18.— Arct. Zool. ii. No. 301, (female.) — Peale’s Museum, No, 6658. SETOPHAGA RUTICILLA. —Swainson.* Muscicapa ruticilla, Bonap. Pree . 68. —Setophaga ruticilla, North. Zool. ii. 295, — Setophaga, Soa . Groups, Zool. Journ. Sept. 1827, p. 360. Tuoveu this bird has been classed by several of our most respec- table ornithologists among the Warblers, yet in no species are the characteristics of the genus Muscicapa more decisively marked ; and, in fact, it is one of the most expert fly-catchers of its tribe. It is al- most perpetually in motion, and will pursue a retreating party of flies from the tops of the tallest trees, in an almost perpendicular, but zig- zag direction, to the ground, while the clicking of its bill is distinctly zeard:; and I doubt not but it often secures ten or twelve of these in a descent of three or four seconds. It then alights on an adjoining branch, traverses it lengthwise for a few moments, flirting its expand- ed tail from side to side, and suddenly shoots off, in a direction quite unexpected, after fresh game, which it can discover at a great distance. * 'This bird forms the type of Setophaga, Swamson ; a genus formed of a few species belonging entirely to the New World, and intimately connected with the fan-tailed Flycatchers of Australia, the Rhippidure of Vigors and Horsfield. Th: young bird is figured in No. 186.— Ep. AMERICAN REDSTART. 69 Its notes, or twitter, though animated and sprightly, are not deserving the name of song; sometimes they are weése, weése, weése, repeated every quarter of a minute, as it skips amung the branches; at other times this twitter varies to several other chants, which I can instantly distinguish in the woods, but cannot find words to imitate. The in- terior of the forest, the borders of swamps and meadows, deep glens covered with wood, and wherever flying insects abound, there this little bird is sure to beseen. It makes its appearance in Pennsylvania, from the south, late in April; and leaves us again about the beginning of September. It is very generally found over the whole United States, and has been taken at sea, in the fall, on its way to St. Domingo,* and other of the West India islands, where it winters, along with many more of our summer visitants. It is also found in Jamaica, where it remains all winter.t The name Redstart, evidently derived from the German rothsterts (red tail,) has been given this bird from its supposed resemblance to the Redstart of Europe, (Motacilla phenicurus ;) but besides being decisively of a different genus, it is very different both in size and in the tints and disposition of the colors of its plumage. Buffon goes even so far as to question whether the differences between the two be more than what might be naturally expected from change of climate. This eternal reference of every animal of the New World to that of the Old, if-adopted to the extent of this writer, with all the transmu- tations it fs supposed to have produced, would leave us in doubt whether even the Ka-te-dids t of America were not originally Night- ingales of the Old World, degenerated by the inferiority of the food and climate of this upstart continent. We have in America many different species of birds that approach so near in resemblance to one another, as not to be distinguished but by the eye of a naturalist, and on a close comparison; these live in the same climate, feed on the same food, and are, I doubt not, the same now as they were five thousand years ago; and, ten thousand years hence, if the species then exist, will be found marked with the same nice discriminations as at present. It is therefore surprising, that two different species, placed in different quarters of the world, should have certain near resemblances to one another, without being bastards, or degenerated descendants, the one of the other, when the whole chain of created beings seems united to each other by such amazing gradations, that bespeak, not random chance and accidenta! degeneracy, but the magnificent design of an incomprehensibly wise and omnipotent Creator. The American Redstart builds frequently in low bushes, in tie fork of a small sapling, or on the drooping branches of the elm, within a few feet of the ground; outwardly it is formed of flax, well wound together, and moistened with its saliva, interspersed here and there with pieces of lichen, and lined with a very soft, downy substance. The female lays five white eggs, sprinkled with gray, and specks of blackish. The male is extremely anxious for its preservation; and, * EDWARDS. + SLOANE. t A species of Gryllus, well known for its lively chatter during the evenings and nights of September and October. 70 CEDAR BIRD. on a person’s approaching the place, will flirt about within a few feet, seeming greatly distressed.* ; The length of this species is five inches; extent, six and a quarter: the general color above is black, which covers the whole head and neck, and spreads on the upper part of the breast in a rounding form, where, as well as on the head and neck, it is glossed with steel blue ; sides of the breast below this, black; the inside of the wings, and upper half of the wing-quills, are of a fine aurora color; but the greater and lesser coverts of the wings, being black, conceal this ; and the orange or aurora color appears only as a broad, transverse band across the wings; from thence to the tip, they are brownish ; the four middle feathers of the tail are black, the other eight of the same aurora color, and black towards the tips; belly and vent, white, slightly streaked with pale orange; legs, black; bill, of the true Muscicapa form, triangular at the base, beset with long bristles, and notched near the point. The female has not the rich aurora band across the wing; her back and crown are cinereous, inclining to olive; the white below is not so pure; lateral feathers of the tail and sides of the breast, greenish yellow; middle tail-feathers, dusky brown. The young males of a year old are almost exactly like the female, differing in these particulars, that they have a yellow band across the wings which the female has not, and the back is more tinged with brown; the lateral tail-feathers are also yellow; middle ones, brownish black; inside of the wings, yellow. On the third season, they receive their complete colors; and, as males of the second year, in nearly the dress of the female, are often seen in the woods, having the same notes as the full-plumaged male, it has given occasion to some people to assert that the females sing as well as the males; and others have taken them for another species. The fact, however, is as I have stated it. Ei bird is too little known by people in general to have any provin- cial name CEDAR BIRD.—AMPELIS AMERICANA. —Fic. 25. ope exhale, Linn. Syst. i. 297, 1, 8B. — Bombycilla Carolinensis, Brisson, ii. 7, 1. dd. 8vo. i. 251.—Chatterer of Carolina, Catesb. i. 46.— Arct. Zool. ii. No. 207.— Lath. Syn. iii. 93.1, a. — Edw. 242. — Cook’s Last Voyage, ii. 518. — Ellis’s Voyage, it. 13. — Peale's Museum, No. 5608. BOMBYCILLA AMERICANA, — Swainson. Le jaseur du cédre, Bombycilla cedorum, Vieill. Gal. des Ois. pl. exviii. p. 186. — ombycilla Carolinensis, Bonap. Synop. p.59.— Bombycilla Americana, North. Zool. ii. p. 239. Tue figure of the Cedar Bird wnich accompanies this description was drawn from a very beautiful specimen; and exhibits the form of * Mr. Audubon says, “ The nest is slight, composed of lichens and dried fibres, of a weeds, or grape vines, nicely lined with sof, cotton materials.” —P, 203. —Eb. CEDAR BIRD. 71 its crest when erected, which gives it so gay and elegant an appear- ance. At pleasure it can lower and contract this so closely to its head and neck as not to be observed. The plumage of these birds is of an exquisitely fine and silky texture, lying extremely smooth and glossy. Notwithstanding the name Chatlerers given to them, they are perhaps the most silent species we have ; making only a feeble, lisping sound, chiefly as they rise or alight. They fly in compact bodies, of from twenty to fifty; and usually alight so close together on the same tree, that one half are frequently shot down at a time. In the months of July.and August, they collect together in flocks, and retire to the hilly parts of the state, the Blue Mountains, and other collateral ridges of the Alleghany, to enjoy the fruit of the Vaccinium uligine- sum, Whortleberries, which grow there in great abundance; whole mountains, for many miles, being almost entirely covered with them ; and where, in the month of August, I have myself found the Cedar Birds numerous. In October they descend to the lower, cultivated parts of the country, to feed on the berries of the sour gum and red cedar, of which last they are immoderately fond; and thirty or forty may sometimes be seen fluttering among the branches of one small cedar-tree, plucking off the berries.* They are also found as far south as Mexico, as appears from the accounts of Fernandez, Seba,t and others. ‘Fernandez saw them near Tetzeuco, and calls them Coquantotl ; says they delight to dwell in the mountainous parts of the country; and that their flesh and song are both indifferent. Most of our epicures here are, however, of a different opinion, as to their palatableness ; for, in the fall and beginning of summer, when they become very fat, they are in considerable esteem for the table; and great numbers are brought to the market of Philadelphia, where they are sold from twelve to twenty-five cents per dozen. During the whole winter and spring they are occasionally seen; and, about the 25th of May, appear in numerous parties, making great havock among the early cherries, selecting the best and ripest of the fruit. * They appear all to be berry-eaters, at least during winter. Those of Europe have generally been observed to feed on the fruit of the mountain ash, and one or two killed near Carlisle, which I had an opportunity of examining, were literally crammed with hollyberries. ‘“ ‘The appetite of the Cedar Bird,” Audubon remarks, “4s of so extraordinary a nature as to prompt it to devour every fruit or berry that comes in its way. In this manner they gorge themselves to such excess as some- times to be unable to fly, and suffer themselves to be taken by the hand; and I have seen some, which, though wounded and confined to a cage, have eaten apples until suffocation deprived them of life.” —P. 227. ‘‘ But they are also excellent fly- catchers, spending much of their time in the pursuit of winged insects: this is not, however, managed with the vivacity or suddenness of true Flyeatchers, but with a kind of listlessness. They start from the branches, and give chase to the insects, ascending after them for a few yards, or move horizontally towards them, and as soon as the prey is secured, return to the spot, where they continue watching with slow motions of the head. ‘This amusement is carried on during evening, and longer at the epnrael of autumn, when the berries become scarce. They become very fat during the season of fruits, and are then so tender and juicy as to be sought after by every epicure for the table, — a basketful of these birds is sometimes sent asa Chietmas present.” — P, 223.— Ep. + The figure of this bird, in Seba’s voluminous work, is too wretched for criti- cism; it is there called “ Oiseau Xomou, d’Amerique, huppée.” SEB. ii. p. 66, t. 65, fig. 5. 1 Fst. Av. Nov, Hisp. 55. 72 CEDAR BIRD. Nor are they easily intimidated by the presence of Mr. Scarecrow for I have seen a flock deliberately feasting on the fruit of a loaded cherry-tree, while on the same tree one of these guardian angels, and a very formidable one too, stretched his stiffened arms, and displayed his dangling legs, with all the pomposity of authority. At this time of the season most of our resident birds, and many of our summer visitants, are sitting, or have young; while, even on the Ist af June, the eggs in the ovary of the female Cedar Bird are no larger than mustard seed; and it is generally the 8th or 10th of that month before they begin to build. These last are curious circumstances, which it is difficult to account for, unless by supposing that incubation is retarded by a scarcity of suitable food in spring, berries and other fruit being their usual fare. In May, before the cherries are ripe, they are lean, and little else is found in their stomachs than a few shrivelled cedar ber- ries, the refuse of the former season, and a few fragments of beetles and other insects, which do not appear to be their common food ; but in June, while cherries and strawberries abound, they become extremely fat; and, about the 10th or 12th of that month, disperse over the country in pairs to breed; sometimes fixing on the cedar, but ply choosing the orchard for that purpose. The nest is large or the size of the bird, fixed in the forked or horizontal branch of an apple-tree, ten or twelve feet from the ground; outwardly, and at bottom, is laid a mass of coarse, dry stalks of grass, and the inside is lined wholly with very fine stalks of the same material. The eggs are three or four, of a dingy bluish white, thick at the great end, tapering suddenly, and becoming very narrow at the other; marked with small, roundish spots of black of various sizes and shades; and the great end is of a pale, dull, purple tinge, marked likewise with touches of various shades of purple and black. About the last week in June the young are hatched, and are at first fed on insects and their larve ; but, as they advance in growth, on berries of various kinds. These facts I have myself been an eye-witness to. The female, if disturbed, darts from the nest in silence to a considerable distance ; no notes of wailing or lamentation are heard from either parent, nor are they even seen, notwithstanding you are in the tree examining the nest and young. ‘These nests are less frequently found than many others, owing, not only to the comparatively few numbers of the birds, but to the remarkable muteness of the species. The season of love, which makes almost every other small bird musical, has no such effect on them; for they continue, at that inter- esting period, as silent as before. This species is also found in Canada, where it is called Recollet, probably, as Dr. Latham supposes, from the color and appearance of its crest resembling the hood of an order of friars of that denomination. It has also been met with by several of our voyagers on the north-west coast of America, and appears to have an extensive range. Almost all the ornithologists of Europe persist in considering this bird as a variety of the European Chatterer, (4. garrulus,) with what justice or propriety a mere comparison of the two will determine.* * The small American species, figured by our author, was by many considered as only the American variety of that which was thought to belong to Europe and CEDAR BIRD. 73 The European species is very nearly twice the cubic bulk of ours; has the whole lower parts of a uniform dark vinous bay ; the tips of the wings streaked with lateral bars of yellow; the nostrils, covered with bristles ;* the feathers on the chin, loose and tufted; the wings, black; and the markings of white and black on the sides of the head different from the American, which is as follows: — Length, seven inches, extent eleven inches; head, neck, breast, upper part of the back and wing-coverts, a dark fawn color, darkest on the back, and brightest on the front; head, ornamented with a high, pointed, almost upright, crest; line from the nostril over the eye to the hind head, velvety black, bordered above with a fine line of white, and another line of white passes from the lower mandible; chin, black, gradually brightening into fawn color, the feathers there lying extremely close ; bill, black; upper mandible nearly triangular at the base, without bristles, short, rounding at the point, where it is deeply notched; the lower, scolloped at the tip, and turning up; tongue, as in the rest of the genus, broad, thin, cartilaginous, and lacerated at the end; belly, yellow; vent, white; wings, deep slate, except the two secondaries next the body, whose exterior vanes are of a fawn color, and interior ones, white ; forming two whitish stripes there, which are very con- spicuous ; rump and tail-coverts, pale light blue ; tail, the same, grad- ually deepening into black, and tipped for half an inch with rich yel- low. Six or seven, and sometimes the whole nine, secondary feathers of the wings are ornamented at the tips with small, red, oblong appen- dages, resembling red sealing-wax ; these appear to be a prolongation of the shafts, and to be intended for preserving the ends, and conse- quently the vanes, of the quills, from being broken and worn away by the almost continual fluttering of the bird among thick branches of the cedar. The feathers of those birds, which are without these ap- pendages, are uniformly found ragged on the edges, but smooth and perfect in those on whom the marks are full and numerous. These singular marks have been usually considered as belonging to the male alone, from the circumstance, perhaps, of finding female birds without them. They are, however, common to both male and female. Six of the latter are now lying before me, each with large and numerous clusters of eggs, and having the waxen appendages in full perfection. The young birds do not receive them until the second fall, when, in moulting time, they may be seen fully formed, as the feather is devel- oped from its sheath. I have once or twice found a solitary one on the extremity of one of the tail-feathers. The eye is of a dark blood color; the legs and claws, black; the inside of the mouth, orange; Asia alone. ‘The fallacy of this opinion was decided by the researches of several ornithologists, and latterly confirmed, by the discovery in America of the B. ga:- ma itself, the description of which will form a part of Vol. IIL. (of the Londou edition. The ae Bombycilla of Brisson is generally adopted for these two birds, and will now also contain a third very beautiful and nearly allied species, discovered in Japan by the eperpicne, bal unfortunate, naturalist Seibold, and figured in the Planches Coloriées of M. 'Temminck, under the name of B. pheenicoptera. It may be remarked, that the last wants the waxlike appendages to the wings and tail; at least so they are represented in M. ‘Temminck’s plate; but our own species some- tumes wants them also. — Ep. * TURTON. 74 CEDAR BIRD. gap, wide; and the gullet capable of such distention as often to con- tain twelve or fifteen cedar berries, and serving as a kind of craw to prepare them for digestipn. No wonder, then, that this gluttonous bird, with such a mass of food almost continually in its throat, should want both the inclination and powers for vocal melody, which would seem to belong to those only of less gross and voracious habits. The chief difference in the plumage of the male and female consists in the dulness of the tints of the latter, the inferior appearance of the crest, and the narrowness of the yellow bar on the tip of the tail. Though I do not flatter myself with being able to remove that pre- judice from the minds of foreigners, which has made them look on this bird, also, as a degenerate and not a distinct species from their own, yet they must allow that the change has been very great, very uniform, and universal, all over North America, where I have never heard that the European species has been found; or, even if it were, this would only show more clearly the specific difference of the two, by proving that climate or food could never have produced these dif- ferences in either when both retain them, though confined to the same climate. But it is not only in the color of their plumage that these two birds differ, but in several important particuiars in their manners and habits. The breeding-place of the European species is absolutely unknown ; supposed to be somewhere about the polar regions; from whence, in winter, they make different and very irregular excursions to various parts of Europe; seldom advancing farther south than the north of England, in lat. 54° N., and so irregularly, that many years sometimes elapse between their departure and reappearance; which, in more superstitious ages, has been supposed to portend some great national calamity. On the other hand, the American species inhabits the whole extensive range between Mexico and Canada, and perhaps much farther both northerly and southerly, building and rearing their young in all the intermediate regions, often in our gardens and or- chards, within a few yards of our houses. Those of our fellow-citizens who have still any doubts, and wish to examine for themselves, may see beautiful specimens of both birds in the superb collection of Mr. Charles W. Peale of Philadelphia, whose magnificent museum is indeed a national blessing, and will be a lasting honor to his memory. In some parts of the country they are called Crown Birds ; in others Cherry Birds, from their fondness for that fruit. They also feed on ripe persimmons, small winter grapes, bird cherries, and a great variety of other fruits and berries. The action of the stomach on these seeds and berries does not seem to injure their vegetative powers, but rather to promote them, by imbedding them in a calcareous case; and they are thus transported to and planted in various and distant parts by these little birds. In other respects, however, their usefulness to the farmer may be questioned; and in the general chorus of the feathered songsters they can scarcely be said to take a part. We must, therefore, rank them far below many more homely and minute warblers, their neighbors, whom Providence seems to have formed, both as allies to protect the property of the husbandman from devour- ing insects, and as musicians to cheer him, while engaged in the labors of tre field, with their innocent and delightful melody. RED-BELLIED WOODPECKER. 75 RED-BELLIED WOODPECKER.— PICUS CAROLINUS. — Fig. 26. Picus Carolinus, Linn. Syst. i. 174, 10.— Pic varie de la Jamaique, Buffon, vii. 72. Pl enl. 597. — Picus varius medius Jamaicensis, Sloan. Jam. 299, 15. — Jamaica Woodpecker, Edw, 244. — Cates. i. 19, fig. 2. Arct. Zool. ii. No. 161.— Lath. Syn. it. 570, 17. Id. 571, 17, a. Id. B. —L'Epeiche rayé de Ja Louisiane, Buff. vi. 73. Pl. enl. 692. — Peule’s Museum, No. 1944. COLAPTES CAROLINUS.— Swarnson. Picus Carolinus, Bonap. Synop. p. 45.— Picus erythrauchen, Wagl. Syst. Av No. 38. Tuts species possesses all the restless and noisy habits so charac- teristic of its tribe. It is more shy and less domestic than the Red- headed one, (P. erythrocephalus,) or any of the other spotted Wood- peckers. It is also more solitary. It prefers the largest, high-timbered woods, and tallest decayed trees of the forest; seldom appearing near the ground, on the fences, or in orchards, or open fields; yet where the trees have been deadened, and stand pretty thick, in fields of Indian corn, as is common in new settlements, I have observed it to be very numerous, and have found its stomach sometimes completely filled with that grain.* Its voice is hoarser than any of the others; and its usual note, “ chow,” has often reminded me of the barking of alittle lapdog. Itis a most expert climber, possessing extraordinary strength in the muscles of its feet and claws, and moves about the body and horizontal limbs of the trees with equal facility in all direc- tions. It rattles, like the rest of the tribe, on the dead limbs, and with such violence as to be heard, in sti]l weather, more than half a mile off, and listens to hear the insects it has alarmed. In the lower side of some lofty branch that makes a considerable angle with the horizon, the male and female, in conjunction, dig out a circular cavity for their nest, sometimes out of the solid wood, but more generally into a hollow limb, twelve or fifteen inches above where it becomes solid. This is usually performed early in April. The female lays five eggs, of a pure white, or almost semi-transparent; and the young generally make their appearance towards the latter end of May, or beginning of * This species will also range in the genus Coluptes, but will present a more aberrant form., In it we have the compressed and slightly bent shape of the bill, becoming stronger and more angular ; we have the barred plumage of the upper parts, but that of the head is uniform and only slightly elongated behind ; and in the wings and tail the shafts of the quills lose their strength and beautiful color. In Wilson’s description of the habits, we also tind them agreéing with the modifications of form. It prefers the more solitary recesses of lofty forests ; and, though capable of turning and twisting, and possessing a great part of the activity of the Nuthatch and Titmice, it seldom ee about orchards or upon the ground; yet it occa- sionally wsits the corn-fields, and feeds on the grain, and, as remarked above, is “capable of subsisting on coarser and more various fare.” These modifications of habit we shall always find ix unison with the structure; and we cannot too much admire the wisdom that has t’ :« mutually adapted them to the various offices they are destined to fil. — Ep. 76 RED-BELLIED WOODPECKER. June, climbing up to the higher parts of the tree, being as yet unable to fly. In this situation they are fed for several days, and often become the prey of the Hawks. T'rom seeing the old ones continuing their caresses after this period, I believe that they often, and perhaps always, produce two broods ina season. During the greatest part of the summer, the young have the ridge of the neck and head of a dull brownish ash; and a male of the third year has received his complete colors. : The Red-bellied Woodpecker is ten inches in length, and seven- teen in extent; the bill is nearly an inch and a half in length, wedged at the point, but not quite so much grooved as some others, strong, and of a bluish black color; the nostrils are placed in one of these grooves, and covered with curving tufts of light brown hairs, ending in black points; the feathers on the front stand more erect than usual, and are of a dull yellowish red; from thence, along the whole upper part of the head and neck, down the back, and spreading round to the shoulders, is of the most brilliant, golden, glossy red; the whole cheeks, line over the eye, and under side of the neck, are a pale buff color, which, on the breast and belly, deepens into a yellow- ish ash, stained on the belly with a blood red; the vent and thigh feathers are dull white, marked down their centres with heart-formed and long arrow-pointed spots of black. The back is black, crossed with transverse curving lines of white; the wings are also black; the lesser wing-coverts circularly tipped, and the whole primaries and secondaries beautifully crossed with bars of white, and also tipped with the same ; the rump is white, interspersed with touches of black; the tail-coverts, white near their extremities; the tail consists of ten feathers, the two middle ones black, their interior webs or vanes white, crossed with diagonal spots of black; these, when the edges of the two feathers just touch, coincide and form heart-shaped spots ; a narrow sword-shaped line of white runs up the exterior side of the shafts of the same feathers; the next four feathers, on each side, are black; the outer edges of the exterior ones, barred with black and white, which, on the lower side, seems to cross the whole vane, as in the figure; the extremities of the whole tail, except the outer feather, are black, sometimes touched with yellowish or cream color; the legs and feet are of a bluish green, and the iris of the eye red. The tongue, or os hyoides, passes up over the hind head, and is attached, by a very elastic, retractile membrane, to the base of the right nos- tril; the extremity of the tongue is long, horny, very pointed, and thickly edged with barbs; the other part of the tongue is worm- shaped. In several specimens, I found the stomach nearly filled with pieces of a species of fungus that grows on decayed wood,* and, in all, with great numbers of insects, seeds, gravel, duc. The female differs from the male, in having the crown, for an inch, of a fine ash, and the black not so intense; the front is reddish, as in the male, and the whole hind head, down to the back, likewise of the same rich red as his. In the bird, from which this latter description was taken, I “ Most probably swallowed with the insects which infest and are nourished in the various Bo.2:2 polypori, Sc., but forming no part of their real food. — Ep. HT I YELLOW-THROATED FLYCATCHER. 77 found a large cluster of minute eggs, to the number of fifty, or up- wards, in the beginning of the month of March. This species inhabits a large extent of country, in all of which it seems to be resident, or nearly so. I found them abundant in Upper Canada, and in the northern parts of the state of New York, in the month of November; they also inhabit the whole Atlantic states as far as Georgia, and the southern extremity of Florida, as well as the interior parts of the United States, as far west as Chilicothe, in the state of Ohio, and, according to Buffon, Louisiana. They are said to be the only Woodpeckers found in Jamaica, though I question whether this be correct, and to be extremely fond of the capsicum, or Indian pepper.* They are certainly much hardier birds, and capable of subsisting on coarser and more various fare, and of sustaining a greater degree of cold, than several other of our Woodpeckers. They are active and vigorous; and, being almost continually in search of insects that injure our forest-trees, do not seem to deserve the injurious epithets that almost all writers have given them. It is true, they fre- quently perforate the timber, in pursuit of these vermin; but this is almost always in dead and decaying parts of the tree, which are the nests and nurseries of millions of destructive insects. Considering matters in this light, I do not think their services overpaid by all the ears of Indian corn they consume, and would protect them, within my own premises, as being more useful than injurious. YELLOW-THROATED FLYCATCHER. — MUSCICAPA SYLVICOLA. — Fie. 27. Peale’s Museum, No. 6827. VIREO{ FLAVIFRONS. — Virtort. Vireo flavifrons, Bonap. Synop. p. 70. Tis summer species is found chiefly in the woods, hunting among the high branches; and has an indolent and plaintive note, which it repeats with some little variation, every ten or twelve seconds, like * SLOANE. + Vireo is a genus originally formed by Vieillot to contain an American group of birds, since the formation of which several additions have been made by Bona- parte and Swainson of species which were not at first contemplated as belonging to it. ‘The group is peculiar to both continents of America, — they inhabit woods, feed on insects and berries, and in their manner have considerable alliance to the War- blers and Flycatchers. By Mr. Swainson they are placed among the Ampelide, or berry-eaters, but with a mark of uncertainty whether they should stand here or at the extremity of some other famiy. The arctic expedition has added a new svecies much allied to V. olivaceus. Ir. Swainson has dedicated it to the venera- ose naturalist Bartram, tne inumate fr:ena af Wison ana menuons. tnat on com- banng seventeen species, Vireo Barcrame was m2ta smene: 22 come “ne 738 YELLOW-THROATED : LYCATCHER. preev, preea, &c. It is often heard in company with the Red-eyed Flycatcher (Muscicapa olivacea) or Whip-tom-ke.ly of Jamaica; the loud, energetic notes of the latter, mingling with the soft, languid war- ble of the former, producing an agreeable effect, particularly during the burning heat of noon, when almost every other songster but these two is silent. Those who loiter through the shades of our magnificent forests at that hour, will easily recognize both species. It arrives from the south early in May; and returns again with its young about the middle of September. Its nest, which is sometimes fixed on the upper side of a limb, sometimes on a horizontal branch among the twigs, generally on a tree, is composed outwardly of thin strips of the bark of grape vines, moss, lichens, &c., and lined with fine fibres of such like substances; the eggs, usually four, are white, thinly dotted with black, chiefly near the great end. Winged insects are its principal food. Whether this species has been described before or not, 1 must leave to the sagacity of the reader, who has the opportunity of exam- ining European works of this kind, to discover.* I have met with no description in Pennant, Buffon, or Latham, that will properly apply to this bird, which may perhaps be owing to the imperfection of the account, rather than ignorance of the species, which is by no mens rare. The Yellow-throated Flycatcher is five inches and a half long, and nine inches from tip to tip of the expanded wings; the upper part of the head, sides of the neck, and the back, are of a fine yellcw olive; throat, breast, and line over the eye, which it nearly encircles, a deli- cate lemon yellow, which, in a lighter tinge, lines the wings; belly and vent, pure silky ‘white; lesser wing-coverts, lower part of the back, and rump, ash; wings, deep brown, almost black, crossed with two white bars; primaries, edged with light ash, secondaries, with white; tail, a little forked, of the same brownish black with the wings, the three exterior feathers edged on each vane with white; legs and claws, light blue; the two exterior toes united to the middle one, as far as the second joint; bill, broad at the base, with three or four slight bristles, the upper mandible overhanging the lower at the point, near which it is deeply notched; tongue, thin, broad, tapering near the end, and bifid; the eye is of a dark hazel; and the whole bill of a dusky light blue. The female differs very little in color from the male; the yellow on the breast, and round the eye, is duller, and the white on the wings less pure. brighter, the wings considerably shorter and more rounded, and the first quill al- ways shorter than the fifth, — that V”. olivaceus is confined to North America, while V. Bartramii extends to Brazil. The species of the arctic expedition were pro- cured by Mr. David Douglas on the banks of the Columbia. Mr. Swainson also met with the species in the Brazils ; and, from specimens sent to us by that gentle- man, J have no hesitation in considering them ‘istinct, and of at once recognizing the differences he has pointed out. Mr. Audubon has figured another peels which will rank as an addition to this genus, and, if proved new, will stand as Vireo Vigorsii; he has only met with a single individual in Pennsylvania, and enters ito no description of its history, or distinctions from other allied birds. — Ep. “ See Orange-throated Warbler, Latnam, Syn. ii. 481, 103. PURPLE FINCH. 79 PURPLE FINCH.—FRINGILLA PURPUREA. — Fic. 28. Fringilla purpurea Gel, Syst. i. 923. — Bouvreuil violet de la Caroline, Buff. iv. 395.— Purple F’ach, Arct. Zool. ii. No. 258. — Cates, i. 41. — Lath. Synop. iii. 275, 39.— Crimson-headed Finch, Arct. Zool. ii. No. 257. — Lath. Synop. iii. 275, 39. — Gimel. Syst. i. 864.— Fringilla rosea Pallas, iii, 699, 26. — Hemp Bird, Bartram, 291. — Fringilla Purpurea, Id. 291. — Peale’s Museum, No. 6504. ERYTHROSPIZA PURPUREA. — Bonaparte. * Fringilla purpurea, Bonup. Synop. p. 114.— Purple Finch, Aud. i. p. 24. Pl. iv. — Foose purpurea, Crested Purple Finch, North. Zool. ii. p. 264. — Erythrospiza purpurea, Osserv. di C. L. Bonap. Sulla Sec. Ed, del. Cuv, Regs Anim. p. 80. Tus is a winter bird of passage, coming to us in large flocks from the north, in September and October; great numbers remaining with us in Pennsylvania during the whole winter, feeding on the seeds of the poplar, button-wood, juniper, cedar, and on those of many rank weeds that flourish in rich bottoms, and along the margin of creeks. When the season is very severe, they proceed to the south, as far at least as Georgia, returning north early in April. They now frequent the elm-trees, feeding on the slender but sweet covering of the flowers; and as soon as the cherries put out their blossoms, feed almost exclusively on the stamina of the flowers; afterwards the apple blossoms are attacked in the same manner; and their depreda- tions on these continue till they disappear, which is usually about the 10th or middle of May. I have been told that they sometimes breed in the northern parts of New York, but have never met with their nests. About the middle of September, I found these birds numerous on Long Island, and round Newark in New Jersey. They fly at a considerable height in the air, and their note is a single chink, like that of the Rice Bird. They possess great boldness and spirit, and, when caught, bite violently, and hang by the bill from your hand, striking with great fury; but they are soon reconciled to confine- ment, and in a day or two are quite at home. I have kept a pair of these birds upwards of nine months to observe their manners. One was caught in a trap, the other was winged with the gun; both are now as familiar as if brought up from the nest by the hand, and seem to prefer hemp seed and cherry blossoms to all other kinds of food. Both male and female, though not crested, are almost constantly in the habit of erecting the feathers of the crown; they appear to be of atyrannical and domineering disposition, for they nearly killed an Indigo Bird, and two or three others, that were occasionally placed with them, driving them into a corner of the cage, standing on them, and tearing out their feathers, striking them on the head, munching their wings, é&c., till I was obliged to interfere; and, even if called to, the aggressor would only turn up a malicious eye to me for a moment, and renew his outrage as before. They are a hardy, vigorous bird. In the month of October, about the time of their first arrival, I shot a male, rich in plumage, and plump in flesh, but which wanted one leg, that had been taken off a little above the knee; the ee 80 PURPLE FINCH. wound had healed so completely, and was covered wits 30 th.ck a skin, that it seemed as though it had been so for years Whether this mutilation was occasioned by a shct, or in party quarrels of its own, I could not determine; but om invalid seemed to have used his stump either in hopping or resting, tor it had all the appearance of having been brought in frequent contact with bodies harder than itself. This bird is a striking example of the truth of what I have frequently repeated in this work, that in many instances the same bird has been more than once described by the same person as a different species ; for it is a fact which time will establish, that the Crimson-headed Finch of Pennant and Latham, the Purple Finch of the same and other naturalists, the Hemp Bird of Bartram, and the Fringilla rosea of Pallas, are one and the same, viz., the Purple Finch, the subject of the present article.* The Purple Finch is six inches in length, and nine in extent; head, neck, back, breast, rump, and tail-coverts, dark crimson, deepest on the head and chin, and lightest on the lower part of the breast; the back is streaked with dusky; the wings and tail are also dusky black, edged with reddish, the latter a good deal forked ; round the base of the bill, the recumbent feathers are of a light clay or cream color; belly and vent, white ; sides under the wings, streaked with dull reddish ; legs, a dirty purplish flesh color; bill, short, strong, conical, and of a dusky horn color; iris, dark hazel; the feathers covering the ears are more dusky red than the other parts of the head. This is the male when arrived at its full colors. The female is‘nearly of the same size, of a brown olive or flaxen color, streaked with dusky black ; the head, seamed with lateral lines of whitish; above and below the hind part of the ear-feathers, are two streaks of white; the breast is whitish, streaked with a light flax color; tail and wings, as in the male, only both edged with dull brown, instead of red; belly and vent, white. This is also the color of the young during the first, and to at least the end of the * The present figure is that of an adult male ; and that sex in the winter state is again figured and described in the second volume. (London edition.) Bonaparte has shown that Wilson is wrong in making the F. rosea of Pallas, and the Lozxia erythrina of Gmelin, the same with his bird. Mr. Swainson remarks, ‘“ We are almost persuaded that there are two distinct species of these Purple Finches, which not only Wilson, but all the modern ornithologists of America, have confounded under the same name.” We may reasonably conclude, then, that another -allied species may yet be discovered, and that perhaps Wilson was wrong regarding birds which he took for the F’. rosea. F. purpurea and Pyrrhula frontalis of Say and Bonaparte will rank as a sub- enus in Pyrrhula, and, frow the description of their habits, approach very near to ‘both the Crossbills and Pine Grosbeaks, By the attention of the Prince of Musignano, I have received his review of Cuvier’s Régne Animal, and am now enabled to state from it the opinion of that ornithologist regarding the station of these birds. He agrees in the subordinate rank of the group, and its alliance to the Finches, Bullfinches, and Coccothraustes or Hawfinch, and proposes the subgeneric name of Krythrospiza, which I have provisionally adopted, aving Fringilla purpurea of Wilson as typical, and containing Pyrrhula frontalis, Say and Bonap.; P. githaginea, Temm. PI. Col.; Losxia Siberica, Falck.; L. rosea, Pall.; L. erythrina, Pall.; P. synoica,'Temm. PI). Col.; and L. ruticilla, Lath. According to the list of species which he has mentioned, and which we have mo present opportunity of comparing with the true type, the group will have a very extensive distribution over America, Europe, Asia, and Africa. —Eb. BROWN CREEPER. 81 second season, when the males begin to become lighter yellowish. which gradually brightens to crimson; the female always retains nearly the same appearance. The young male bird of the first year may be distinguished from the female by the tail of the former being edged with olive green, that of the latter with brown. A male of one of these birds, which I kept for some time, changed in the month of October from red to greenish yellow, but died before it recovered its former color. BROWN CREEPER.—CERTHIA FAMILIARIS.— Fie. 29. Little Brown Variegated Creeper, Bartram, 289.— Peale’s Museum, No. 2434. CERTHIA FAMILIARIS. — Linnzus. Certhia familiaris, Linn. Syst. Nat. i. 469. Bonap. Synop. p. 95.—The Creeper, Bewick, Brit. Birds, i. p. 148.—Le Grimpereau, T’emm. Man. i. p. 410.— Common Creeper, Selby Jil. plate 39, vol. i. p. 116. Tars bird agrees so nearly with the Common European Creeper, (Certhia ea T have little doubt of their being one and the same species.* I have examined, at different times, great numbers of these birds, and have endeavored to make a correct drawing of the male, that Europeans and others may judge for themselves; and the excellent artist to whom the plate was intrusted has done his part so well in the engraving, as to render the figure a perfect resemblance of the living original. The Brown Creeper is an extremely active and restless little bird. In winter it associates with the small Spotted Woodpecker, Nuthatch, Titmouse, é&c.; and often follows in their rear, gleaning up those * Thave compared numerous British specimens with skins from North America, and can find no differences that will entitle a separation of species. In this country they are very abundant, more so apparently in winter, so that we either receive a eat accession from the more northern parts of Europe, or the colder season and iminished supply of food draws them from twir woody solitudes nearer to the habitations of man. It is often said to be rare — an opinion no doubt arising from the difficulty of seeing it, and from its solitary and unassuming manners. A short quotation from a late author will best explain our meaning, and confirm the account of its manners, so correctly described above. ‘A retired inhabitant of the woods and groves, and not iu any way conspicuous for voice or plumage, it passes its days with us, creating scarcely any notice or attention. Its small size, and the manner in which it procures its food, both tend to secrete him from sight. In these pursuits its actions are more like those of a mouse than of a bird, darting like a great moth from tree to tree, uttering a faint, trilling sound as it fixes on aie boles, running round them in a spiral direction, when, with repeated wriggles, having gained the summit, it darts to the base of another, and commences again.” The present species will form the type and only individual yet discovered of the genus Certhia. The other birds described by our author as Certhic, will all rank elsewhere ; and the groups now known under the titles Cinyris, Nectarinia, &c. which were formerly included, making it of great extent, and certainly of very varied forms, will also with propriety hold their separate stations. The solitary type ranges in Europe, according to Pennant, as far north as Russia and Siberia, and Sandmore in peoien In North America, it 71] extend nearly over the whole continent. — Ep. 82 BROWN CREEPER. insects which their more powerful bills had alarmed and exposed ; for its own slender, incurvated bill seems unequal to the task of pen- etrating into even the decayed wood; though it may into holes, and behind scales of the bark. Of the Titmouse, there are, generally, present the individuals of a whole family, and seldom more than one or two of the others. As the party advances through the woods from tree to tree, our little gleaner seems to observe a good deal of regu- larity in his proceedings; for I have almost always observed that he alights on the body near the root of the tree, and directs his course, with great nimbleness, upwards, to the higher branches, sometimes spirally, often in a direct line, moving rapidly and uniformly along, with his tail bent to the tree, and not in the hopping manner of the Woodpecker, whom he far surpasses in dexterity of climbing, running along the lower side of the horizontal branches with surprising ease. If any person be near when he alights, he is sure to keep the opposite side of the tree, moving round as he moves, so as to prevent him from getting more than a transient glimpse of him. The best method of outwitting him, if you are alone, is, as soon as he alights, and disap- pears behind the trunk, take your stand behind an adjoining one, and keep a sharp look-out twenty or thirty feet up the body of the tree he is upon,—for he generally mounts very regularly to a considerable height, examining the whole way as he advances. Ina minute or two, hearing all still, he will make his appearance on one side or other of the tree, and give you an opportunity of observing him. These birds are distributed over the whole United States, but are most numerous in the Western and Northern States, and particularly so in the depth of the forests, and in tracts of large timbered woods, where they usually breed, visiting the thicker settled parts of the country in fall and winter. They are more abundant in the flat woods of the lower district of New Jersey than in Pennsylvania, and are frequently found among the pines. Though their customary food appears to con- sist of those insects of the coleopterous class, yet I have frequently found in their stomachs the seeds of the pine-tree, and fragments of a species of fungus that vegetates in old wood, with generally a large proportion of gravel. There seems to be scarcely any difference between the colors and markings of the male and female. In the month of March, I opened eleven of these birds, among whom were several females, as appeared by the clusters of minute eggs with which their ovaries were filled, and also several well-marked males ; and, on the most careful comparison of their plumage, I could find little or no difference; the colors, indeed, were rather more vivid and intense in some than in others: but somet:mes this superiority be- longed to a male, sometimes to a female, and appeared to be entirely owing to difference in age. I found, however, a remarkable and very striking difference in their sizes; some were considerably larger, and had the bill, at least, one third longer and stronger than the others, and these I uniformly found to be males. I also received two of these birds from the country bordering on the Cayuga Lake, in New York state, from a person who killed them from the tree in which they had their nest. The male of this pair had the bill of the same extraordinary size with several others I had examined before ; the plumage in every respect the same. Other males, indeed, were found at the same time, SS ee BROWN CHRSEPER. 83 | of the usual size. Whether this be only an accidental variety, or | whether the male, when full grown, be naturally so much larger than the female, (as is the case with many birds,) and takes several years in arriving at his full size, I cannot positively determine, though I | think the latter most probable. The Brown Creeper builds his nest in the hollow trunk or branch | of a tree, where the tree has been shivered, or a limb broken off, or | where Squirrels or Woodpeckers have wrought out an entrance; for nature has not provided him with the means of excavating one for him- | self. I have known the female begin to lay by the 17th of April. The eggs are usually seven, of a dull cinereous, marked with small dots of | reddish yellow, and streaks of dark brown. The young come forth | with great caution, creeping about long before they venture on wing. From the early season at which they begin to build, I have no doubts of their raising two broods during summer, as I have seen the old | ones entering holes late in July. = The length of this bird is five inches, and nearly seven from the Coke | extremity of one wing to that of the other; the upper part of the head is of a deep brownish black; the back brown, and both streaked with white, the plumage of the latter being of a loose texture, with its fil- aments not adhering ; the white is in the centre of every feather, and is skirted with brown; lower part of the back, rump, and tail-coverts, ! tusty brown, the last minutely tipped with whitish; the tail is as long as the body, of a light drab color, with the inner web dusky, and con- : sists of twelve quills, each sloping off and tapering toa pointinthe — manner of the Woodpeckers, but proportionably weaker in the shafts ; i in many specimens the tail was very slightly marked with transverse, undulating waves of dusky, scarce observable; the two middle . ; feathers the longest, the others on each side shortening, by one sixth of an inch, to the outer one; the wing consists of nineteen feathers, | the first an inch long, the fourth and fifth the longest, of a deep brownish black, and crossed about its middle with a curving band of rufous white, a quarter of an inch in breadth, marking ten of the quills; below this the quills are exteriorly edged, to within a little of their tips, with rufous white, and tipped with white; the three secon- daries next the body are dusky white on their inner webs, tipped on the exterior margin with white, and above that, alternately streaked laterally with black and dull white ; the greater and lesser wing-coverts are exteriorly tipped with white ; the upper part of the exterior edges : of the former, rufous white; the line over the eye, and whole lower ' parts, are white, a little brownish towards the vent, but, on the chin | and throat, pure, silky, and glistening; the white curves inwards about the middle of the neck; the bill is half an inch long, slender, | compressed sidewise, bending downwards, tapering to a point, dusky above, and white below; the nostrils are oblong, half covered with a convex membrane, and without hairs or small feathers; the inside of the mouth is reddish; the tongue tapering gradually to a point, and horny towards the tip; the eye is dark hazel; the legs and feet, a dirty clay color; the toes, placed three before and one behind, the two outer ones connected with the middle one to the first joint; the claws rather paler, large, almost semicircular, and extremely sharp pointed: the hind claw the largest. 84 GOLDEN-CRESTED WREN. GOLDEN-CRESTED WREN.—SYLVIA REGULUS.— Fie. 30. Motacilla Regulus, Linn. Syst. i. 338, 48.— Lath. Syn. iv. 508, 145.—~ Edw. 254 — Peale’s Museum, No. 7246. REGULUS REGULOIDES.* —Janrvine. Regulus cristatus, Bonap. Synop. p. 91.— Female Golden-crowned Gold-Crest, Cont. of N. A. Orn. i. pl. 2, p. 22. — Sylvia reguloides, Sw. MSS. Tus diminutive species is a frequent associate of the one last described, and seems to be almost a citizen of the world at large, having been found not only in North and South America, the West Indies, and Europe, but even in Africa and India. The specimen * The Gold-Crests, the Common Wrens, with an immense and varied host of spe- cies, were associated together in the genus Sylvia, until ornithologists began to look, not to the external characters in a limited view only, but in connection with the habits and affinities which invariably connect species together. Then many divis- ions were formed, and among these subordinate groups, Regulus of Ray was pro- posed for this small but beautiful tribe. It was used by Stephens, the continuator of Shaw’s Zoology, and by Bonaparte in his Synopsis of North American Birds, and the first volume of his elegant Continuation of Wilson. Mr. Swainson makes this genus the typical form of the whole Sylviane, but designates it on that account under the title Sylvia. I have retained the old name of Regulus, on account of its former use by Ray, also from its having been adopted to this form by Stephens and Bonaparte, and lastly, as liable to create less confusion than the bringing for- ward of an old name (though denoting the typical affinity of the typical group) which has been applied to so man different forms in the same family. Wilson was in error re; cette ie species here-figured and the Corie Gold- — of Europe being identical, and Bonaparte has fallen into the same mistake when figuring the female. Regulus cristatus is exclusively European. Regulus reguloides appears yet exclusively North American. Upon comparing the two species minutely together, I find the following variations: — Length of R. a three inches six eighths:- In R. ¢Fistatus the bill is longer and more dilated at the base, and the under parts of the body are more tinged with olive, —in R. regu- loides the orange part of the crest is much broader, and the black surrounding it, with the bar in front, broader and more distinct ; the white streak above the eye is also better marked, and the nape of the neck has a pale ash-gray tinge, nearly wanting entirely in the British species.t This very hardy and active tribe, with one exception, inhabits the temperate and northern climates, reaching even to the boundaries of the arctic circle. They are migratory in the more northern countries; and though some species are able to brave our severest winters, others are no doubt obliged, by want of food anda lower Acgree of cold, to quit the rigors of northern latitudes. The species of our author performs migrations northward to breed; and in Great Britain, at the commence- ment of «\!".!cr, we have a regular accession to the numbers of our own Gold-Crest. If we examine their size, strength, and powers of flight, we must view the extent of their journeys with astonishment; they are indeed often so much exhausted, on their first arrival, as to be easily taken, and many sometimes even perish with the fatigue. A remarkabie instance of a large migration is related by Mr. Selby, as _-doides, three inches seven eighths=—of R. cristatus, from three inches and a half to t There is a curious structure in the covering of the nostrils in most birds ; where there is any in addition to the horny substance, it is composed either of fine bristles or hairs, or of narrow feathers closely spread together. In the Gold-Crests it consists of a single Plumevet or eacz side, tne weds diverg:ng widely GOLDEN-CRESTED WREN. 85 from Europe, in Mr. Peale’s collection, appears to be in nothing specifically different from the American; and the very accurate description given of this bird, by the Count de Buffon, agrees in every respect with ours. Here, as in Europe, it is a bird of passage, making its first appearance in Pennsylvania early in April, among the blossoms of the maple, often accompanied by the Ruby-crowned Wren, which, except in the markings of the head, it very much re- sembles. It is very frequent among evergreens, such as the pine, _spruce, cedar, juniper, &c., and in the Tillis generally found in com- pany with the two species“of Titmouse, Brown Creeper, and small Spotted Woodpecker. It is an active, unsuspicious, and diligent branches, and sometimes even on ody of the tree, in search of the larve of insects attached to the leaves and stems, and various occurring on the coast of Northumberland in 1822, when the sandhills and links were perfectly covered with them. “On the 24th and 25th of October, 1822, after a very severe gale, with thick fog, from the north-east, (but veering, towards its conclusion, to the east and south of east,) thousands of these birds were seen to arrive upon the sea-shore and sand- banks of the Northumbrian coast; many of them so fatigued by the length of their flight, or perhaps by the unfavorable shift of wind, as to be unable to rise again from the ground, and great numbers were in consequence caught or destroyed. This flight must have been immense in quantity, as ils extent was traced through the whole length of the coasts of Northumberland and Durham. There appears little doubt of this having been a migration from the more northern provinces of Europe, (probably furnished by the pine forests of Norway, Sweden, &c.,) from the circumstance of its arrival being simultaneous with that of large flights of the Woodcock, Fieldfare, and Redwmg. Although 1 had never before witnessed the actual arrival of the Gold-crested Regulus, I had long felt convinced, from the great and sudden increase of the species during the autumnal and hyemal months, that our indigenous birds must be augmented by a body of strangers, making these shores their winter's resort. “A ‘nore extraordinary circumstance in the economy of this bird took place during ne same winter, (Memoirs of Wernerian Society, vol. v. p. 397,) viz., the total disappearance of the whole tribe, natives as well as strangers, throughout Scotland and the north of England. This happened towards the conclusion of the month of January, 1823, and a few days previous to the long-continued snow-storm so severely felt through the northern counties of England, and along the eastern parts of Scotland, The range and point of this migration are unascertained, but it must probably have been a distant one, from ire fact of not a single pair having returned to breed, or pass the succeeding sumuwr, in the situations they had been known always to frequent. Nor was one of the species to be seen till the following October, or about the usual time, as I have above stated, for our receiving an an- nual accession of strangers to our own indigenous birds.” . They are chiefly, if not entirely, insectivorous, and very nimble and agile in search after their prey. They build their nests with great art, —that of this country has it usually suspended near the extremity of a branch, and the outside beautifully cov- ered with different mosses, generally similar to those growing upon the tree on which they build. In colors and the distribution of them, they closely agree, and all possess the beautiful golden crown, the well-known and admired mark of their common name. Our own island possesses only one, and though strong hopes have lately been raised of finding the second European species, R. ignicupillus, our en- deavors have hitherto been unsuccessful. But I do not yet despair; they are so closely allied that a very near inspection is necessary to determine the individuals. Mr. Audubon has described and figured a bird under the name of R. Cuvierit, which may prove an addition to this genus. Only a single specimen was procured in Pennsylvania, and the species will rest on Mr. Audubon & plate alone, until some others are obtained. The centre of the crest is described and represented of a rich vermilion. — Ep. 8 | little creature, climbing and hanging, occasionally, among the... -- | | t 86 GOLDEN-CRESTED WREN. still farther north to breed, it is seldom seen in Pennsylvama from May to October; but is then numerous in orchards, feeding among the leaves of the apple-trees, which, at that season, are infested with vast numbers of small, black-winged insects. chirp is feeble, not much louder than that of a mouse; though, where it breeds, the male is sai to have a variety of sprightly notes. It builds its nest frequently on the branches of an evergreen, covers it entirely round, leaving a small hole on one side for entrance, forming it outwardly of moss and lichens, and lining it warmly with down. The female lays six or eight eggs, pure white, with a few minute specks of dull red. Dr. Latham, on whose authority this 1s given, observes, “It seems to fre- quent the oak-trees in preference to all others. 1 have more than once seen a brood of these in a large oak, in the middle of a lawn, the whole little family of which, as soon as able, were in perpetual motion, and gave great pleasure to many who viewed them. The nest of one of these has also been made in a garden on a fir-tree; it | was composed of moss, the opening on one side, in shape roundish ; t ' | | | kinds of small flies, which it frequently seizes on wing. As it retires | | | | it was lined with a downy substance, fixed witn small filaments. It is said to sing very melodiously, very like the Common Wren, but weaker.”* In Pennsylvania, they continue with us from October to December, and sometimes to January. The Golden-crested Wren is four inches long, and six inches and a half in extent; back, a fine yellow olive; hind head and sides of the ' neck, inclining to ash; a line of white passes round the frontlet, ex- tending over and beyond the eye on each side; above this, another line or strip of deep black passes in the same manner, extending ; farther behind ; between these two strips of black, lies a bed of glossy golden yellow, which, being parted a little, exposes another of | a bright flame’ color; éxtending over the whole upper part of the head; i when the little warbler flits among the branches, in pursuit of insects, he opens and shuts this golden ornament with great adroitness, which produces a striking and elegant effect; lores, marked with circular i points of black; below the eye is a rounding spot of dull white; i! from the upper mandible to the bottom of the ear-feathers runs a line ‘ of black, accompanied by another of white, from the lower mandible ; ~besast, light cream color; sides under.the wings.and vent, the same; i wings, dusky, edged exteriorly with yellow olive; greater wing- ‘ coverts, tipped with white, immediately below which, a spot of black extends over several of the secondaries; tail, pretty long, forked, dusky, exterior vanes broadly edged with yellow olive; legs, brown; 4 feet and claws, yellow; bill, black, slender, straight, evidently of the rr Muscicupa form, the upper mandible being notched at the point, and 4 furnished at the base with bristles, that reach half way to its point; but, what seems singular and peculiar to. this little bird, the nostril ‘on each side is covered by a single feather, that much resembles the antenne of some butterflies, and is half the length of the bill. Buffon has taken notice of the same in the European. Inside of the mouth, a reddish orange ; claws, extremely sharp, the hind one the longest. In the female, the tints and markings are nearly the same, * Synopsis, ri. 509. HOUSE WREN. 87 only the crown or crest is pale yellow. These birds are numerous in Pennsylvania, in the month of October, frequenting bushes that overhang streams of water, alders, briers, and particularly apple-trees, where they are eminently useful in destroying great numbers of insects, and are at that season extremely fat. HOUSE WREN.—SYLVIA DOMESTICA.— Fie. 31. Motacilla domestica, (Regulus rufus,) Bartram, 291. — Peale’s Museum, No. 7283. TROGLODYTES DON. — Virruor. ‘Troglodytes cedon, Bonap. Synop. p. 93, and note . 439. — Northern Zool, ii. p. 316.— The House Wren, Aud. pl. 83. Orn, Biog. i. 427. Tas well-known and familiar bird arrives in Pennsylvania about the middle of April, and, about the 8th or 10th of May, begins to build its nest, sometimes in the wooden cornice under the eaves, or in a hollow cherry-tree ; but most commonly in small boxes, fixed on the top of a pole, in or near the garden, to which he is extremely partial, for the great number of caterpillars and other larve with which it constantly supplies him. If all these conveniences are wanting, he will even put up with an old hat, nailed on the weather boards, with a small hole for entrance ; and, if even this be denied him, he will find some hole, corner, or crevice about the house, barn, or stable, rather than abandon the dwellings of man. In the month of June, a mower hung up his coat under a shed, near a barn; two or three days elapsed before he had occasion to put it on again; thrusting his arm up the sleeve, he found it completely filled with some rubbish, as he expressed it, and, on extracting the whole mass, found it to be the nest of a wren completely finished, and lined with a large quantity of feathers. In his retreat, he was followed by the little forlorn pro- prietors, who scolded him with great vehemence for thus ruining the whole economy of their household affairs. The twigs with which the outward parts of the nest are constructed are short and crooked, that they may the better hook in with one another, and the hole or entrance is so much shut up, to prevent the intrusion of snakes or cats, that it appears almost impossible the body of the bird could be admitted; within this isa layer of fine dried stalks of grass, and lastly feathers. The eggs are six or seven, and sometimes nine, of a red purplish flesh color, innumerable fine grains of that tint being thickly sprinkled over the whole egg. They generally raise two aoe in a season; the first about the beginning cf June, the second in July.* * The Wrens figured on this plate, and, indeed, all those of this northern con- tinent, seem to be great favorites with the country people, to which distinction, their utility in gardens in destroying caterpillars and noxious insects, their sprightly, social manner, with their +2,a and neat appearance, fully entitle them. ‘They 88 HOUSE WREN. This little bird has a strong antipathy to cats; for, having frequent occasion to glean among the currant bushes, and other shrubbery in the garden, those lurking enemies of the feathered race often prove fatal to him. A box fitted up in the window of the room where I slept, was taken possession of by a pair of Wrens. Already the nest was built, and two eggs laid, when one day, the window being open, as well as the room door, the female Wren, venturing too far into the room to reconnoitre, was sprung upon by Grimalkin, who had planted herself there for the purpose, and, before relief could be given, was destroyed. Curious to see how the survivor would demean himself, I form the genus Troglodytes of moderns, are limited in numbers, but distributed over Europe, America, and Africa; their habits are nearly alike, and the colors of the plumage are so similar, that some species are with aifeenity distinguished from each other ; and both those now figured have been confounded with that of this coun- try, from which, however, the first differs, and the latter is still doubtful. The colors of the plumage are brown, with bars and crossings of darker shades, intermingled occasionally with spots, and irregular blotches of yellowish white. They make very commodious nests, with a single entrance ; all those with which we are ac- quainted are very prolific, breed more than once in the year, and lay at a time from twelve to sixteen eggs ; they are always to be met with, but never in such profusion as their numerous broods would Jead-us to infer if all arrived at maturity. That of this country, though not so tame as to make use of a ready-made convenient breeding-place, is extremely familiar, and will build close by a window, or above a door, where there is a constant thoroughfare. It roosts, during the night, in holes of banks, ricks, or in the eaves of thatched houses, and generally seven or eight individuals will oceu y one hole, flitting about, and disputing, as it were, which should enter first. ‘These are beautiful provisions for their welfare, and the pro- portion of animal heat possessed necessarily by so small a bulk. Another curious parvenler in the economy of these little birds, is the many useless nests which are uilt, or, as they are sometimes called by boys, cock nests. These are never built so carefully, or in such private and recluse situations, as those intended for incuba- tion, and are even sometimes left in an unfinished, half-built state. I have never been able to satisfy myself whether they were the work of the male bird only, or of both conjointly ; or to ascertain their use, whether really commenced with the view of breeding in them, or for roosting places. The generally-exposed situation in which they are placed, with the concealed spot chosen for those that have young, ‘would argue against the former, and the latter would, perhaps, require a greater reasoning power than most people would be willing to grant to this animal. They may, per aps, be the first instinctive efforts of the young. Notwithstanding their sinall bulk, and tender-looking frame, they are very hardy, and brave the severest winters of this country ; driven nearer to our houses from the necessity of food, they seem to rejoice in a hard, clear frost, singing merrily on the top of some heap of naked, or sounding, in rapid succession, their note of alarm, when disturbed by any unwelcome visitor. A kitty hunt, in a snow storm, used to be a favorite amusement with boys; and many a tumble was got in the unseen ruggedness of the ground when in pursuit. At any time when annoyed, a hole, or thick heap of sticks, will form a refuge for this curious little bird, where it will either remain quiet until the danger is over, or, if there is any under way, will creep and run, escaping at another sides in like manner, it will duck and dive in the openings or hollows of the snow, and at the moment when capture seems inevitable, will escape at some distant opening, disappointing the hopes of the urchin who already anticipated possession. i We must here mention, in addition to the already-described North American species, one figured by Mr. Audubon, and dedicated to an artist, who will be long remembered by the British omithologist, Troglodyles Bewickii. Mr. Audubon has killed three specimens of it in Louisiana, and observes, “In shape, form, color, and movements, it nearly resembles the great Carolina Wren, and forms a kind of link between that bird and the House Wren. It has not the quickness of motion, nor the liveliness of either “7 shese birds.” — Ep. HOUSE WREN. 89 watched him carefully for several days. At first he sung with great vivacity for an hour or so, but, becoming uneasy, went off for half an hour ; on his return, he chanted again as betore, went to the top of the house, stable, and weeping-willow, that she might hear him; but, seeing no appearance of her, he returned once more, visited the nest, ventured cautiously into the window, gazed about with suspicious looks, his voice sinking to a low, melancholy note, as he stretched his little neck about in every direction. Returning to the box, he seemed for some minutes at a loss what to do, and soon after went off, as I thought, altogether, for I saw him no more that day. Towards the afternoon of the second day, he again made his appearance, accom- panied with a new female, who seemed exceedingly timorous and shy, and who, after great hesitation, entered the box; at this moment the little widower or bridegroom seemed as if he would warble out his very life with ecstasy of joy. Afler remaining about half a minute in, they both flew off, but returned in a few minutes, and instantly began to carry out the eggs, feathers, and some of the sticks, supplying the place of the two latter with materials of the same sort, and ultimately succeeded in raising a brood of seven young, all of which escaped in safety. The immense number of insects which this sociable little bird removes from the garden and fruit-trees, ought to endear him to every cultivator, even if he had nothing else to recommend him; but his notes, loud, sprightly, tremulous, and repeated every few seconds with great animation, are extremely agreeable. In the heat of sum- mer, families in the country often dine under the piazza adjoining green canopies of mantling grape vines, gourds, é&c., while overhead the trilling vivacity of the Wren, mingled with the warbling mimicry of the Mocking Bird, and the distant, softened sounds of numerous other songsters, that we shall hereafter introduce to the reader’s acquaintance, form a soul-soothing and almost heavenly music, breathing peace, innocence, and rural repose. The European who judges of the song of this species by that of his own Wren, (™. trog- lodytes,) will do injustice to the former, as, in strength of tone and execution, it is far superior, as well as the bird is in size, figure, and elegance of markings, to the Kuropean one. Its manners are also different; its sociability greater. It is no underground inhabitant; its nest is differently constructed, the number of its eggs fewer; it is also migratory, and has the tail and bill much longer. Its food is insects and caterpillars, and, while supplying the wants of its young, it destroys, on a moderate calculation, many hundreds a day, and greatly circumscribes the ravages of these vermin. It is a bold and insolent bird against those of the Titmouse and Woodpecker kind that venture to build within its jurisdict on; attacking them withe:t hesitation, though twice its size, and generally forcing them to de- camp. I have known him drive a pair of Swallows from their newly- formed nest, and take immediate possession of the premises, in which his female also laid her eggs, and reared her young. Even the Blue- Bird, who claims an equal and sort of hereditary right to the box in the garden, when attacked by this little impertinent, soon relinquishes the contest, the sin placidness of his disposition not being a match x 90 HCUSE WREN. fur the fiery impetuosity of his little antagonist. With those of his own species who settle and build near him, he has frequent squabbles; and when their respeciive females are sitting, each strains his whole powers of song to excel the other. When the young are hatched, the hurry and press of business leave no time for, disputing, so true it is that idleness is the mother of mischief. These birds are not confined to the country; they are to be heard on the tops of the houses in the most central parts of our cities, singing with great energy. Scarce a house or cottage in the country is without at least a pair of them, and sometimes two ; but unless where there isa large garden, orchard, and numerous outhouses, it is not often the case that more than one pair reside near the same spot, owing to their party disputes and jealousies. It has been said by a friend to this little bird, that “the esculent vegetables of a whole garden may, perhaps, be preserved from the depredations of different species of insects, by ten or fifteen pair of these small birds;” * and probably they might, were the com- bination practicable; but such a congregation of Wrens about one garden is a phenomenon not to be expected but from a total change in the very nature and disposition of the species. Having seen no accurate description of this bird in any European publication, I have confined my references to Mr. Bartram and Mr. Peale; but though Europeans are not ignorant of the existence of this bird, they have considered it, as usual, merely as a slight variation from the original stock, (JM. troglodytes,) their own Wren; in which they are, as usual, mistaken ; the length and bent form of the bill, its notes, migratory habits, long tail, and red eggs, are sufficient specific differences. The House Wren inhabits ‘the whole of the United States, in all of which it is migratory. It leaves Pennsylvania in September; I have sometimes, though rarely, seen it in the beginning of October. It is four inches and a half long, and five and three quarters in extent, the whole upper parts of a deep brown, transversely crossed with black, except the head and neck, which is plain; throat, breast, and cheeks, light clay color; belly and vent, mottled with black, brown, and white; tail, long, cuneiform, crossed with black; legs and feet, light clay color, bill, black, long, slightly curved, sharp pointed, and resembling that of the genus Certhia, considerably; the whole plu- mage below the surface is bluish ash; that on the rump having large, round spots of white, not perceivable unless separated with the hand The female differs very little in plumage from the male. * Barton’s Fragments, parti. 2. 22. BLACK-CAPPED TITMOUSE. 91 BLACK-CAPPED TITMOUSE.— PARUS ATRICAPILLUS. — Fie. 32, Parus atricapillus, Linn. Syst. i. 341, 6. — Gmel. Syst. i. 1008.—La Mésange 2 téte noire de Canada, Buffon, v. 408.— Canada Titmouse, Arct. Zool. ii. No. 328. — Lath. Syn. iv. 542, 9.— Peale’s Museum, No. 7380. PARUS ATRICAPILLUS. — Linnzvs.* Parus atricapillus, Bonap. Synop. p. 100.— North. Zool. p. 226. Tuis is one of our resident birds, active, noisy, and restless ; hardy beyond any of his size, braving the severest cold of our continent as far north as the country round Hudson’s Bay, and always appearing most lively in the coldest weather. The males have a variety of very sprightly notes, which cannot, indeed, be called a song, but rather a lively, frequently repeated, and often varied twitter. They are most usually seen during the fall and winter, when they leave the depths of the woods, and approach nearer to the scenes of cultivation. At such seasons, they abound among evergreens, feeding on the seeds of the pine-tree; they are also fond of sunflower seeds, and associate in parties of six, eight, or more, attended by the two species of Nuthatch already described, the Crested Titmouse, Brown Creeper, and small Spotted Woodpecker ; the whole forming a very nimble and restless company, whose food, manners, and dispositions are pretty much alike. About the middle of April they begin to build, choosing the deserted hole of a Squirrel or Woodpecker, and sometimes, with incredible la- bor, digging out one for themselves. The female lays six white eggs, marked with minute specks of red; the first brood appear about the beginning of June, and the second towards the end of July ; the whole of the family continue to associate together during winter. They traverse the woods in regular progression, from tree to tree, tumbling, chattering, and hanging from the extremities of the branches, examin- ing about the roots of the leaves, buds, and crevices of the bark, for insects and their larva. They also frequently visit the orchards, particularly in fall, the sides cf the barn and barn yard, in the same pursuit, trees in such situatioxs being generally much infested with insects. We, therefore, with pleasure, rank this little bird among the ie friends, and trust our rural citizens will always recognize him as such. This species has a very extensive range; it has been found on the western coast of America, as far north as lat. 62°; it is common at Hudson’s Bay, and most plentiful there during winter, as it then ap- proaches the settlements in quest of food. Protected by a remarkably thick covering of long, soft, downy plumage, it braves the severest cold of those northern regions. * This is very closely allied to the Parus palustris, the Marsh Titmouse of Eu- rope; but it is exclusively American, and ranges extensively to the north. The authors of the Northern Zoology mention them as one of the most common birds in the Fur countries ; a family inhabits almost every thicket. — Ep. . 92 CRESTED TITMOUSE. The Black-capped Titmouse 1s five inches and a half in length, and six and a half in extent; throat, and whole upper part of the head and ridge of the neck, black; between these lines a triangular patch of white, ending at the nostril; bill, black and short; tongue, truncate ; rest of the upper parts, lead colored or cinereous, slightly tinged with brown; wings, edged with white; breast, belly, and vent, yellowish white ; legs, light blue; eyes, dark hazel. The male and female are nearly alike. The Fig. 32, in the plate, renders any further descrip- tion unnecessary. The upper parts of the head of the young are for some time of a dirty brownish tinge ; and in this state they agree so exactly with the Parus Hudsonicus,* described by Latham, as to afford good grounds for suspecting them to be the same. These birds sometimes fight violently with each other, and are known to attack young and sickly birds, that are incapable of resist- ance, always directing their blows against the skull.t Being in the woods one day, [ followed a bird for some time, the singularity of whose notes surprised me. Having shot him from off the top of a very tall tree, I found it to be the Black-headed Titmouse, with a long and deep indentation in the cranium, the skull having been evidently, at some former time, drove in and fractured, but was now perfectly healed. Whether or not the change of voice could be owing to this circum- stance, I cannot pretend to decide. CRESTED TITMOUSE.—PARUS BICOLOR. — Fie. 33. Parus bicolor, Linn. Syst. i. 544, 1.— La Mésange huppée de la Caroline, Buff. v. 451.—Toupet Titmouse, Arct. Zool. i. No. 324.— Lath. Syn. iv. 544, 11.— Peale’s Museum, No. 7364. PARUS BICOLOR. — Linxxvs. Parus bicolor, Bonap. Synop. p. 100. — The Crested Titmouse, Aud. pl. 39. Orn. Biog. i. p. 198. Tuis is another associate of the preceding species, but more noisy, more musical, and more suspicious, though rather less active. It is, nevertheless, a sprightly bird, possessing a remarkable variety in the tones of its voice, at one time not much louder than the squeaking of a mouse, and a moment after whistling aloud, and clearly, as if calling a dog; and continuing this dog-call through the woods for half an hour at a time. Its high, pointed crest, or, as Pennant calls it, toupet, * Hudson Bay Titmouse, Synopsis, ii. 557. os . . t Ihave frequently heard this stated regarding the British Titmice, particularly the Greater, but I have never been able to trace it to any authentic source ; it is perhaps exaggerated. Feeding on carrion, which they have also been repre- sented to do, must in a wild state le from necessity. Mr Audubon asserts it as a ae with regard to the P. bicolor. Mr. Selby has seen P. major eat young birds. —Eb. CRESTED TITMOUSE. gives it a smart and not inelegant appearance. Its foecd corresponds with that of the foregoing; it possesses considerable strength in the muscles of its neck, and is almost perpetually digging into acorns, nuts, crevices, and rotten parts of the bark, after the larve of insects. It is also a constant resident here. When shot at and wounded, it fights with great spirit. When confined to a cage, it soon becomes familiar, and will subsist on hemp seed, cherry stones, apple seeds, and hickory nuts, broken and thrown into it. However, if the cage be made of willows, and the bird not much hurt, he willsoon make his way through them. The great concavity of the lower side of the wings and tail of this genus of birds, is a strong characteristic, and well suited to their short, irregular flight. This species is also found over the whole United States, but is most numerous towards the north. It extends also to Hudson’s Bay, and, according to Latham, is found in Denmark, and in the southern parts of Greenland, where it is called Avingursak. If so, it probably inhabits the continent of North America, from sea to sea. The Crested Titmouse is six inches long, and seven inches and a half in extent. The whole upper parts, a dull cinereous or lead color, except the front, which is black, tinged with reddish; whole lower parts, dirty white, except the sides under the wings, which are reddish orange ; legs and feet, light blue; bill, black, short, and pretty strong ; wing-feathers, relieved with dusky on their inner vanes; eye, dark hazel; lores, white; the head, elegantly ornamented with a high, pointed, almost upright crest; tail, a little forked, considerably con- cave below, and of the same color above as the back ; tips of the wings, dusky ; tongue, very short, truncate, and ending in three or four sharp points. The female cannot be distinguished from the male by her plumage, unless in its being something duller, for both are equally marked with reddish orange on the sides under the wings, which some foreigners have made the distinguishing mark of the male alone. The nest is built in a hollow tree, the cavity often dug by itself; the female begins to lay early in May; the eggs are usually six, pure white, with a few very small specks of red near the great end. The whole family, in the month of July, hunt together, the parents keeping up a continual chatter, as if haranguing and directing their inexpe- rienced brood.* * This beautiful and attractive race of birds, the genuine Titmice, have a geo- eerie distribution over the whole world, — South America, New Holland, and e islands in the South Pacific Ocean, excepted. In the latter countries, they seem represented by the genus Pardalotus, yet, however, very limitedin numbers. They are more numerous in temperate and even northern climates, than near the tropics ; the greater numbers, both as to individuals and species, extend over Europe. In this country, when the want of foliage allows us to examine their manners, they form one of the most interesting of our winter visitants. I call them visitants only ; for during summer they are occupied with the duties of incubation in retire- ment, amid the depths of the most solitary forests, and only at the commencement of winter, or during its rigors, become more domesticated, and flock in small parties the amount of their broods, to our gardens, and the vicinity of our houses ; several species together, and generally in company with the Gold-crested Wrens. The activity of their motions in search of food, or in dispute with one another; the va- riety of their cries, from something very shrill and timid, to loud and wild; their sometimes elegant, sometimes grotesque attitudes, contrasted by the difference of form; and the varied flights, from the short dart and jerk of the Marsh and Cole 94 WINTER WREN. WINTER WREN.—SYLVIA TROGLODYTES. — Fie. 34. Motacilla troglodytes ? Linn. — Peale’s Museum. No. 7284 TROGLODYTES HYEMALIS ? — Vixi.tot Troglodytes Europeus Leach, Bonap. Synop. p. 93.—Troglodytes hyemalis Bee Vieille, Bneye. MER, aoe 10 North, ool. a 6.318, : Tuis little stranger visits us from the north in the month of October, sometimes remaining with us all the winter, and is always observed, early in spring, on his route back to his breeding-place. In size, color, song, and manners, he approaches nearer to the Kuropean Wren Titmouse, or Gold-crested Wren, to the stringy successive line of the Long-tailed one, — are objects whit’: have, no doubt, called forth the notice of the ornithologist who has sumetimes allowed himself to examine them in their natural abodes. The form of the different species is nearly alike; thick-set, stout, and short, the legs comparatively strong, the whole formed for active motion, and uniting strength for the removal of loose bark, moss, or even rotten wood, in search of their favorite food, insects ; it, however, varies in two species of this country, (one of which will form a separate subdivision,) the Long-tailed and the Bearded Titmice, (P. caudatus and biarmicus,) in the weaker frame and more lengthened shape of the tail; and it may be remarked, that both these make suspended nests, the one in woods, of a Jengthened form and beautiful workmanship, generally hung near the extremity of a branch belonging to some thick silver, spruce, or Scotch fir; the other balanced and waving among reeds, like some of the aquatic Warblers; while all the other species, and indeed all those abroad with whole nidification lam acquainted, choose some hoHow tree or rent wall, for their place of breeding. In a Brazilian species, figured by Temminck, the tail assumes a forked shape. Insects are not their only food, though perhaps the most natural. When the sea- son becomes too inclement for this supply, they become granivorous, and will lunder the farm yards, or eat grain and potatoes with the poultry and pigs. Some fiers seen so domesticated, (the common Blue and Greater Titmice,) as to come regularly during the storm to the windows, for crumbs of bread. When confined, they become very docile, and will also eat pieces of flesh or fat. During winter, they roost in holes of trees or walls, eaves of thatched houses, or hay and corm Ticks. When not in holes, they remain suspended, with the back downwards or outwards. A common Blue Tomtit (and, I have no doubt, the same individual) has roosted for three years in the same spot, under one of the projecting capitals of a pillar, by the side of my own front door. The colors of the group are chaste and pleasing, as might have been expected from their distribution. "There are, however, one or two exceptions in those figured by M. Temminck, from Africa. The gen- eral shades are black, gray, white, blue, and different tints of olive, sometimes reddish brown ; and in these, when the brightest colors occur, the blue and yellow, they are so blended, as not to be hard or offensive. Most of the species have some decided marks or coloring about the head, and the plumage is thick and downy, and loose —a very necessary requisite to those which frequent the more northern latitudes. Mr. Audubon says that this species sometimes forms a nest, by digging a hole for the purpose in the hardest wood with great industry and perseverance, although it is more frequently contented with the hole of the Downy Woodpecker, or some other small bird of that genus. We can hardly conceive that the Crested Titmouse, or indeed any of the race, had sufficient strength to dig its own nest. The bil., though very powerful, when compared with the individual’s bulk, is not formed on the principle of those which excavate for themselves. I lately received the nest of this species, taken from some hollow tree. The inside lining was almost entirely composed of the scales and cast-off exuvia of snakes. — Ep. WINTER WREN. 95 (M. troglodjtes) than any other species we have. During his residence ere, he frequents the projecting banks of creeks, old roots, decayed logs, small bushes, and rushes near watery places ; he even approaches the farm-house, rambles about the wood pile, creeping among the in- terstices like a mouse. With tail erect, which is his constant habit, mounted on some projecting point or pinnacle, he sings with great animation. Even in the yards, gardens, and outhouses of the city, he appears familiar and quite at home. In short, he possesses almost all the habits of the European species. He is, however, migratory, which may be owing to the superior coldness of our continent. Never having met with the nest and eggs, I am unable to say how nearly they approximate to those of the former. I can find no precise description of this bird, as an American species, in any European publication. Even some of our own naturalists seem to have confounded it with another very different bird, the Marsh Wren,* which arrives in Pennsylvania from the south in May, builds a globular or pitcher-shaped nest, which it suspends among the rushes and bushes by the river side, lays five or six eggs of a dark fawn color, and departs again in September. But the colors and markings of that bird are very unlike those of the Winter Wren, and its song altogether different. The circumstance of the one arriving from the north as the other returns to the south, and vice versa, with some gen- eral resemblance between the two, may have occasioned this mistake. They, however, not only breed in different regions, but belong to different genera, the Marsh Wren being decisively a species of Cer- thia, and the Winter Wren a true Motacilla. Indeed, we have no less than five species of these birds in Pennsylvania, that, by a super- ficial observer, would be taken for one and the same, but between each of which nature has drawn strong, discriminating, and indelible lines of separation. These will be pointed out in their proper places. If this bird, as some suppose, retires only to the upper regions of the country and mountainous forests to breed, as is the case with some others, it will account for his early and frequegt residence along the Atlantic coast during the severest winters ; Brough I rather suspect that he proceeds considerably to the northward; as the Snow Bird, (F. Hudsonia,) which arrives about the same time with the Winter ‘Wren, does not even breed at Hudson’s Bay, but passes that settle- gen in June, on his way to the northward; how much farther is un- nown. The length of the Winter Wren is three inches and a half, breadth, - five inches; the upper parts are of a general dark brown, crossed with transverse touches of black, except the upper parts of the head and neck, which are plain; the black spots on the back terminate in minute points of dull white; the first row of wing-coverts is also marked with specks of white at the extremities of the back, and tipped minutely with black; the next row is tipped with points of white ; the primaries are crossed with alternate rows of black and cream color; inner vanes of all the quills, dusky, except the three sec- ondaries next the body ; tips of the wings, dusky; throat, line over the * See Professor Barton’s observations on this subjec« inder the article Motacilla troglodytes? Fragments, &c. p. 18; Ibid. p. 12. 96 RED-HEADED WOODPECKER. eye, sides of the neck, ear-feathers and breast, dirty white, with minute, transverse touches of a drab or clay color; sides under the wings, speckled with dark brown, black, and dirty white; belly and vent, thickly mottled with sooty black, deep brown, and pure white, in transverse touches ; tail, very short, consisting of twelve feathers, the exterior one on each side a quarter of an inch shorter, the rest length- ening gradually to the nuddle ones; legs and feet, a light clay color, and pretty stout; bill, straight, slender, half an inch long, and not notched at the point, of a dark brown or black above, and whitish below; nostril, oblong; eye, light hazel. The female wants the points of white on the wing-coverts. The food of this bird is derived from that great magazine of so many of the feathered race, insects and their larve, particularly such as inhabit watery places, roots of bushes, and piles of old timber. It were much to be wished that the summer residence, nest, and eggs of this bird, were precisely ascertained, which would enable us to determine whether it be, what I strongly suspect it is, the same species as the common domestic Wren of Britain.* RED-HEADED WOODPECKER.— PICUS ERYTHROCE- PHALUS. — Fie. 35. Picus erythrocephalus, Linn. Syst. i. 174,7.— Gmel. Syst. i. 429. — Pic noir 4 do- mino rouge, Buffon, vii. 55, Pl. enl. 117.— Catesby, i. 20.— Arct. Zool. ii. No. 160.— Lath. Syn. ii. 561.— Peale’s Museum, No. 1922. MELANERPES ERYTHROCEPHALUS. — Swatnson.t Picus erythrocephalus, Bonap. Synop. p. 45.— Wagler S; ec. Av. Picus, No. 14. —The Red-headed’ Woodpecker, Moi, pl, 2; Orn Big. \ p. 14 —Me- Janerpes erythrocephalus, North. Zool. ii. p. 316. Tuer: is perhaps no bird in North America more universally known than this. His tricolored plumage, red, white, and black, glossed with * There is a very great alliance between the British and American specimens ; and all authors who have described this bird and that of Europe, have done so with uncertainty. Wilson evidently had a doubt, both from what he says, and from marking the species and his one with a query. Vieillot had doubts, and Bonaparte goes a good deal on his authority, but points out no difference between the birds. Mr. Swainson, in the Northern Zoology, has described a bird, as that of Vieillot’s, killed on the shores of Lake Huron, and proves distinctly that the plumage, and some of the relative proportions, vary. It is likely that there are two American species concerned in this, — one northern, another extending to the south, and that one perhaps may be identical with that of Europe; one certainly seems distinct. Ihave retained hyemalis with a mark of doubt, it being impossible to determine those so closely allied. without an examination of numerous species. —Eb. + This will pomt out another of Mr. Swainson’s groups among the Wood- ckers, equally distinct with Colapies. The form is long and swallow-like; the il more rounded than angular, the culmen quite round; the wings nearly as long as the tail. In their manners, they are extremely familiar; and during summer, RED-HEALED WOODPECKER, 97 steel blue, is so striking and characteristic, and his predatory habits in the orchards and corn-fields, added to his numbers, and fondness for hovering along the fences, so very notorious, that almost every child is acquainted with the Red-headed Woodpecker. In the immediate neighborhood of our large cities, where the old timber is chiefly cut down, he is not so frequently found; and yet, at this present time, (June, 1808,) I know of several of their nests within the boundaries of the city of Philadelphia. T'wo of these are in buttor wood-trees (Platanus occidentalis,) and another in the decayed limb of an elm. The old ones, I observe, make their excursions regularly to the woods beyond the Schuylkill, about a mile distant; preserving great silence and circumspection in visiting their nests,— precautions not much attended to by them in the depth of the woods, because there the prying eye of man is less to be dreaded. Towards the mountains, particularly in the vicinity of creeks and rivers, these birds are ex- tremely abundant, especially in the latter end ot’ summer. Wherever you travel in the interior at that season, you hear them screaming from the adjoining woods, rattling on the dead limbs of trees, or on the fences, where they are perpetually seen flitting from stake to stake, on the roadside, before you. Wherever there is a tree, or trees, of the wild cherry, covered with ripe fruit, there you see them busy among the branches; and, in passing orchards, you may easily know where to find the earliest, sweetest apples, by observing those trees, on or near which the Red-headed Woodpecker is skulking; for he is so excellent a connoisseur in fruit, that wherever an apple or pear is found broached by him, it is sure to be among the ripest and best. flavored: when alarmed, he seizes a capital one by striking his open bill deep into it, and bears it off to the woods. When the Indian corn is in its rich, succulent, milky state, he attacks it with great eagerness, opening a passage through the numerous folds of the husk, and feeding on it with voracity. The girdled, or deadened timber, so common among corn-fields in the back settlements, are his favorite retreats, whence he sallies out to make his depredations. He is fond of the ripe berries of the sour gum, and pays pretty regular visits to the cherry-trees, when loaded with fruit. ‘Towards fall he often ap- proaches the barn or farm-house, and raps on the shingles and weather boards: he is of a gay and frolicsome disposition; and half a dozen of the fraternity are frequently seen diving and vociferating around the high, dead limbs of some large tree, pursuing and playing with each other, and amusing the passenger with their gambols. Their note, or cry, is shrill and lively, and so much resembles that of a species of tree-frog which frequents the same tree, that it is some- times difficult to distinguish the one from the other. Such are the vicious traits, if I may so speak, in the character of the Red-headed Woodpecker; and I doubt not but, from what has been said on this subject, tnat some readers would consider it merito- rious to exterminate the whole tribe as a nuisance; and, in fact, the legislatures of some of our provinces, in former times, offered pre- feed almost entirely on the rich fruits and ripe gr ms of the country. The chaste and simple-colored Picus bicolor, from the Minas ¥eraies, I believe, will be another representative of this form. — Ep. 98 RED-HEADED WOODPECKER. miums to the amount of twopence per head for their destruction.*® But let us not condemn the species unheard: they exist — they must therefore be necessary.t If their merits and usefulness be found, on examination, to preponderate against their vices, let us avail ourselves of the former, while we guard as well as we can against the latter. Though this bird occasionally regales himself on fruit, yet his natural and most useful food is insects, particularly those numer¢.s and destructive species that penetrate the bark and body of the ee to deposit their eggs and larve, the latter of which are well known to make immense havock. That insects are his natural food is evident from the construction of his wedge-formed bill, the length, elasticity, and figure of his tongue, and the strength and position of his claws, as wall as from his usual habits. In fact, insects form at least two thirds of his subsistence ; and his stomach is scarcely ever found with- out them. He searches for them with a dexterity and intelligence, I may safely say, more than human; he perceives, by the exterior ap- pearance of the bark, where they lurk below; when he is dubious, he rattles vehemently on the outside with his bill, and his acute ear dis- tinguishes the terrified vermin shrinking within to their inmost retreats, where his pointed and barbed tongue soon reaches them. The masses of bugs, caterpillars, and other larve, which I have taken from the stomachs of these birds, have often surprised me. These larve, it should be remembered, feed not only on the buds, leaves, and blossoms, but on the very vegetable life of the tree,—the alburnum, or newly- forming bark and wood; the consequence is, that the whole branches and whole trees decay under the silent ravages of these destructive vermin; witness the late destruction of many hundred acres of pine- * KauM. + The abundance of this species must be very great, and from the depredations they commit, must be more felt. Mr. Audubon says that a hundred have been shot, in one day, from a single cherry-tree. In addition to their other bad habits, they carry off apples by thrusting in their bill as a spike, and thus supporting them. They also frequent pigeon-houses, and suck the eggs, —a habit not very common among this tribe ; and, for the same purpose, enter the boxes prepared for the Mar- tins and Blue-Birds. Another method of adding to their destruction, in Kentucky and the Souther States, is in the following manner related by Audubon :— “ As soon as the Red-heads have begun to visit a cherry or apple-tree, a pole is placed along the trunk of the tree, passing up amongst the central branches, and extending six or seven feet above the highest twigs. ‘The Woodpeckers alight by preference on the pole, and whilst their body is close to it, a man, standing at the foot of the pole, gives it a twist below with the head of an axe, on the opposife side to that on which the Woodpecker is, when, in consequence of the sudden vibration produced in the upper part, the bird is thrown off dead.” According to the same gentleman, many of the Red-heads (a name by which they are universally known) remain in the southern districts of the United States during the whole winter. The peer number, however, pass to countries farther south. Their migration takes place during night, is commenced in the middle of September, and continues for a month or six weeks. They then fly high above the trees, far apart, like a disbanded army, propelling themselves by reiterated flaps of their wings at the end of each successive curve which they describe in their flight. The note which they emit at this time is different from the usual one, sharp, and easily heard fron the ground, although the birds may be out of sight. At the dawn of day, the whole alight on the tops of the dead trees about the plantations, and re- main in search of food until the approach of sunset, when they again, one afler another, mount the air, and continue their jourmsy. — Ep RED-HEADED WOODPECKER. 99 trees, in the north-eastern parts of South Carolina,* and the thousands of peach-trees that yearly decay from the same cause. Will any one say, that taking half a dozen, or half a hundred, apples from a tree, is equally ruinous with cutting it down? or, that the services of a useful animal should not be rewarded with a small portion of that which it has contributed to preserve? Weare told, in the benevolent language of the Scriptures, not to muzzle the mouth of the ox that treadeth out the corn; and why should not the same generous liberal- ity be extended to this useful family of birds, which forms so powerful a phalanx against the inroads of many millions of destructive vermin r The Red-headed Woodpecker is, properly speaking, a bird of pas- sage ; though, even in the Mastern States, individuals are found during moderate winters, as well as in the states of New York and Pennsy!- vania; in Carolina, they are somewhat more numerous during that season, but not one tenth of what are found in summer. They make their appearance in Pennsylvania about the Ist of May, and leave us about the middle of October. They inhabit from Canada to the Gulf of Mexico, and are also found on the western coast of North America. About the middle of May they begin to construct their nests, which, like the rest of the genus, they form in the body or large limbs of trees, taking in no materials, but smoothing it within to the proper shape and size. The female lays six eggs, of a pure white, and the young make their first appearance about the 20th of June. During the first season, the head and neck of the young birds are blackish gray, which has occasioned some European writers to mistake them for females; the white on the wing is also spotted with black; but in the succeeding spring they receive their perfect plumage, and the male and female then differ only in the latter being rather smaller, and its colors not quite so vivid; both have the head and neck deep scarlet; the bill light blue, black towards the extremity, and strong; back, primaries, wing-coverts, and tail, black, glossed with steel blue ; rump, lower part of the back, secondaries, and whole under parts from the breast downward, white; legs and feet, bluish green; claws, light blue; round the eye, a dusky narrow skin, bare of feathers; iris, dark hazel; total length, nine inches and a half; extent, seventeen inches. The Fig. 35, on the plate, was drawn and colored from a very elegant living specimen. Notwithstanding the care which this bird, in common with the rest of its"genus, takes to place its young beyond the reach of enemies, within the hollows of trees, yet there is one deadly foe, against whose depredations neither the height of the tree, nor the depth of the cavity, is the least security. This is the black snake, (Coluber constrictor,) wlio frequently glides up the trunk of the tree, and, like a skulking savage, enters the Woodpecker’s peaceful apartment, devours the eggs or helpless young, in spite of the cries and flutterings of the parents ; and, ‘ if the place be large enough, coils himself up in the spot they occu- pied, where he will sometimes remain for several days. The eager schoolboy, after hazarding his neck to reach the Woodpecker’s hole, * In one place, on a tract of two thousand acres of pine land, on the Sampit River, near Georgetown, at least ninety trees in every hundred were destroyed by this pernicious insect, —a small, black-winged buy, resembling the weevil, but somewhat larger. - 100 YELLOW-BELLIED WOODPECKER. at the triumphant moment when he thinks the nestlings his own, and strips his arm, launching it down into the cavity, and grasping what he conceives to be the callow young, starts with horror at the sight ofa hideous snake, and almost drops from his giddy pinnacle, retreating down the tree with terror and precipitation. Several adventures of this kind have come to my knowledge; and one of them was attended with serious consequences, wnere both snake and boy fell to the ground ; and a broken thigh, and long confinement, cured the adven- turer completely of his ambition for robbing Woodpeckers’ nests. YELLOW-BELLIED WOODPECKER.—PICUS VARIUS. — Fre. 36. Picus varius, Linn. Syst. i. 176, 20.— Gmel. Syst. i. 735.—Le pic varié de la Caroline, Buff. vii. 77. Pl. enl. 785. — Yellow-bellied Woodpecker, Catesb. i. 21. — Arct. Zool. ii. No. 166.— Lath. Syn. ii. 574, 20. Id. Sup. p. 109. — Peale’s Museum, No. 2004. DENDROCOPUS VARIUS. —Swainson.* Picus varius, Bonap. Synop. p. 45.— Wagl. Syst. Av. Picus, No. 16.—Dendro- copus varius, Worth. Zool. ii. p. 309. Tuis beautiful species 1s one of our resident birds. It visits our orchards in the month of October in great numbers, is occasionally seen during the whole winter and spring, but seems to seek the depths of the forest, to rear its young in; for, during summer, it is rarely seen among our settlements; and even in the intermediate woods, I have seldom met with it in that season. According to Brisson, it inhabits the continent from Cayenne to Virginia; andI may add, as far as to Hudson’s Bay, where, according to Hutchins, they are called Meksewe * In this species, and the two following, the little Woodpecker of this country, and many others, we have the types of a sub-genus (Dendrocopus, Koch) among the Woodpeckers, which I have no hesitation in adopting, as containing a very marked group of black and white spotted birds, allied to confusion with each other. The genus is made use of, for the first time, in a British publication, the Northern Zoology, by Mr. Swainson, as the third sub-genus of Picus. He thus remarks :— “The third sub-genus comprehends all the smaller black and white spotted Woodpeckers of Europe and America. Some few occur in the mountainous parts of India; but, with these exceptions, the group, which is very extensive, seems to uelong more particularly to temperate latitudes.” “It was met with by the over-land expedition in flocks, on the banks of the Sas- katchewon, in May. Its manners, at that period of the year, were strikingly con- trasted with those of the resident Woodpeckers ; for, instead of flitting in a solitary way, from tree to tree, and assiduously boring for insects, it flew about in crowded flocks, in a restless manner, and kept up a continual chattering. Its geographical range is extensive, from the sixty-first patallel of :atitude, to Mexico.” r. Swainson mentions having received a single specimen of a Woodpecker from Georgia, closely allied to this, which he suspects to be undescribed; and, in the event of being correct, he proposes to dedicate it to Mr. Audubon, — Dendrocopus Audubonii, Sw. — Ep. YELLOW-BELLIED WOODPECKER. 101 Paupastaow;* they are also common in the states of Kentucky and Ohio, ‘and have been seen in the neighborhood of St. Louis. They are reck- oned by Georgi among the birds that frequent the Lake Baikal, in Asia ;} but their existence there has not been satisfactorily ascertained. The habits of this species are similar to those of the Hairy and Downy Woodpeckers, with which it generally associates. The only nest of this bird which I have met with, was in the body of an old pear-tree, about ten or eleven feet from the ground. The hole was almost exactly circular, small for the size of the bird, so that it crept in and out with difficulty; but suddenly widened, descending by a small angle, and then running downward about fifteen inches. On the smooth, solid wood lay four white eggs. This was about the twenty-fifth of May. Having no opportunity of visiting it afterwards, I cannot say whether it added any more eggs to the number; I rather think it did not, as it appeared at that time to be sitting. The Yellow-bellied Woodpecker is eight inches anda half long, and in extent fifteen inches; whole crown, a rich and deep scarlet, bordered with black on each side, and behind forming a slight crest, which it frequently erects;t from the nostrils, which are thickly covered with recumbent hairs, a narrow strip of white runs downward, curving round the breast; mixing with the yellowish white on the lower part of the breast ; throat, the same deep scarlet as the crown, bordered with black, proceeding from the lower mandible on each side, and spreading into a broad, rounding patch on the breast; this black, in birds of the first and second year, is dusky gray, the feathers being only crossed with circular touches of black; a line of white, and below it another of black, proceed, the first from the upper part of the eye, the other from the posterior half of the eye, and both lose themselves on the neck and back; back, dusky yellow, sprinkled and elegantly waved with black; wings, black, with a large, oblong spot of white ; the primaries, tipped and spotted with white; the three secondaries next the body are also variegated with white; rump, white, bordered with black; belly, yellow; sides under the wings, more dusky yellow, marked with long arrow-heads of black; legs and feet, greenish blue; tail, black, consisting of ten feathers, the two outward feathers on each side tipped with white, the next totally black, the fourth edged on its inner vane half way down with white, the middle one white on its interior vane, and spotted with black; tongue, flat, horny for half an inch at the tip, pointed, and armed along its sides with reflected barbs; the other extremities of the tongue pass up behind the skull in a groove, and end near the right nostril; in birds of the first and second year they reach only to the crown; bill, an inch long, channeled, wedge- formed at the tip, and of a dusky horn color. The female is marked nearly as the male, but wants the scarlet on the throat, which is whitish ; she is also darker under the wings and on the sides of the breast. The young of the first season, of both sexes, in October, have the crown sprinkled with black and deep scarlet; the scarlet on the throat may be also observed in the young males. The principal food of these birds is insects ; and they seem particularly fond of frequent- * LATHAM. t Ibid. ¢ This circumstance seems to have been overlooked by naturalists. * d ( a i, - — | 102 HAIRY WOODPECKER. ing orchards, boring the trunks of the apple-trees in their eager search after them. On opening them, the liver appears very large, and of a dirty gamboge color; the stomach strongly muscular, and generally filled with fragments of beetles and gravel. In the moming, they are extremely active in the orchards, and rather shyer than the rest of their associates. Their cry is also different, but, though it is easily distinguishable in the woods, cannot be described by words. HAIRY WOODPECKER.—PICUS VILLOSUS.— Fie. 37. Picus villosus, Linn. Syst. i. 175, 16.—Pic chevelu de Virginie, Buffon, vii. 7.— Pic varié male de Virginie, P/. ent. 754. — Hairy Woodpecker, Catesb. i. 19, Fig. 2.— Arct. Zool. ii. No. 164,— Lath. Syn. ii. 572,18. Id. Sup, 108.— Peale’s Museum, No. 1988, DENDROCOPUS VILLOSUS.— Swainson. Picus villosus, Bonap. Synop. p. 46.— Wagl. Syst. Av. Picus, 22.— Dendrocopus villosus, North. Zeal. in. p. 305. , Tuis is another of our resident birds, and, like the former, a haunter of orchards, and borer of epple-trees, an eager hunter of insects, their eggs and larve, in old stumps and old rails, in rotten branches and crevices of the bark; having all the characters of the Woodpecker strongly marked. In the month of May he retires with his mate to the woods, and either seeks out a branch already hollow, or cuts out an opening for himself. In the former case I have known his nest more than five feet distant from the mouth of the hole; and in the latter he digs first horizontally, if in the body of the tree, six or eight inches, and then downward, obtusely, for twice that distance ; carrying up the chips with his bill, and scraping them out with his feet. They also not unfrequently choose the orchard for breeding in, and even an old stake of the fence, which they excavate for this purpose. The female lays five white eggs, and hatches in June. This species is more numerous than the last in Pennsylvania, and more domestic ; frequently approaching the farm-house and skirts of the town. In Philadelphia I have many times observed them examining old ragged trunks of the willow and poplar while people were passing imme- diately below. Their cry is strong, shrill, and tremulous; they have also a single note, or chuck, which they often repeat, in an eager man- ner, as they hop about, and dig into the crevices of the tree. They inhabit the continent from Hudson’s Bay to Carolina and Georgia. The Hairy Woodpecker is nine inches long, and fifteen in extent; crown, black; line over and under the eye, white ; the eye is placed in a black line, that widens as it descends to the back; hind head, scarlet, sometimes intermixed with black; nostrils, hid under re- merkably thick, bushy, recumbent hairs, or bristles; under the bill are certain long hairs thrown forward and upward, as represented in Fig. 87; bill, a bluish horn color, grooved, wedged at the end, HAIRY WOODPECKER. 103 straight, and about an inch and a quarter long; touches of black, proceeding from the lower mandible, end in a broad black strip that joins the black on the shoulder; back, black, divided by a broad, lateral strip of white, the feathers composing which are loose and unwebbed, resembling hairs, — whence its name ; rump and shoulders of the wing, black; wings, black, tipped and spotted with white, three rows of spots being visible on the secondaries, and five on the prima- ries; greater wing-coverts, also spotted with white; tail, as in the others, cuneiform, consisting of ten strong-shafted and pointed feathers, the four middle ones black, the next partially white, the two exterior ones white, tinged at the tip with a brownish burnt color; tail-coverts, black; whole lower side, pure white; legs, feet, and claws, light blue, the latter remarkably large and strong; inside of the mouth, flesh colored; tongue, pointed, beset with barbs, and capable of being protruded more than an inch and a half; the os hyoides, in this species, passes on each side of the neck, ascends the skull, passes down towards the nostril, and is wound round the bone of the right eye, which projects considerably more than the left for its accommoda- tion. The great mass of hairs, that cover the nostril, appears to be designed as a protection to the front of the head, when the bird is engaged in digging holes into the wood. The membrane which encloses the brain in this, as in all the other species of Woodpeckers, is also of extraordinary strength, no doubt to prevent any bad effects from violent concussion while the bird is employed in digging for food. The female wants the red on the hind head; and the white below is tinged with brownish. The manner of flight of these birds has been already described under a former species, as consisting of alternate risings and sinkings. The Hairy Woodpeckers generally utter a loud, tremulous scream as they set off, and when they alight. They are hard to kill; and, like the Red-headed Woodpecker, hang by the claws, even of a single foot, as long as a spark of life remains, before they drop. This species is common at Hudson’s Bay, and has lately been found in England.* Dr. Latham examined a pair which were shot near Halifax, in Yorkshire ; and, on comparing the male with one brought irom North America, could perceive no difference, but in a slight interruption of the red that marked the hind head of the former; a circumstance which J have frequently observed in our own. The two females corresponded exactly. * This, I believe, is a mistake ; and although this bird is beginning to creep into our fauna in the rank of an occasional visitant, I can find no authentic trace of the Hairy Woodpecker being ever killed in Great Britain. It is a bird belonging to a northern climate ; and although it closely resembles a native species, it can never be mistaken, with any ordinary examination or comparison. The Halifax in Yorkshire will turn out in reality the Halifax of the New World. — En. 104 DOWNY WOODPECKER. DOWNY WOODPECKER.—PICUS PUBESCENS — Fic. 38. Picus pubescens, Linn. Syst. i. 175, 15.— Gmel. Syst. i. 435, — Petit pic varié de Virginie, Buffon, vii. 76.— Smallest Woodpecker, Catesb. i. 21.— Arct. Zool. ii, No. 963. — Little Woodpecker, Lath. Synop. ii. 573, 19. Id. Sup. 106.— Pesle’s Museum, No. 1986. DENDROCOPUS PUBESCENS, —Swatnson. Picus pubescens, Bonap. Synop. p. 46.— Wagl. Syst. Av. Picus, No. 23.— Den- i i drocopus pubescens, North. Zool. ii. p. 307. : Tus is the smallest of our Woodpeckers,* and so exactly resembles the former in its tints and markings, and in almost every thing except its diminutive size, that 1 wonder how it passed through the Count de Buffon’s hands without being branded as a “spurious race, degenerated by the influence of food, climate, or some unknown cause.” But, though it has escaped this infamy, charges of a much more heinous nature have been brought against it, not only by the writer above mentioned, but by the whole venerable body of zoologists in Europe, who have treated of its history, viz., that it is almost constantly boring and digging into apple-trees, and that it isthe most destructive of its whole genus to the orchards. The first part of this charge I shall not pretend to deny ; how far the other is founded in truth will appear in the sequel. Like the two former species, it remains with usthe whole year. About the middle of May, the male and female look out for a suitable place for the reception of their eggs and young. An apple, pear, or cherry-tree, often in the near neighborhood of the farm-house, is generally fixed upon for this purpose. The tree is minutely recon- noitred for several days previous to the operation, and the work is first begun by the male, who cuts out a hole in the solid wood as cir- cular as if described with a pair of compasses. He is occasionally relieved by the female, both parties working with the most indefatigable diligence. The direction of the hole, if made in the body of the tree, is generally downwards, by an angle of thirty or forty degrees, for the distance of six or eight inches, and then straight down for ten or twelve more ; within, roomy, capacious, and as smooth as if polished by the cabinet-maker ; but the entrance is judiciously left just so large as * This species, as Wilson observes, is the smallest of the American Woodpeckers, and it will fill the place in that country which is occupied in Europe and Great Brit- ain by the Picus minor, or Least Woodpecker ; unlike the latter, however, it is both abundant, and is familiar in its manners. Mr. Swainson, in a note to the Northern Zoology, thinks that several American species are confounded under this. “ We have no doubt,” he says, “ that two, if not three, species of these little Woodpeckers, from different parts of North America, have been confounded under the common ,name of pubescens.” He proposes to distinguish them by the names of Dendrocopus medianus, inhabiting the middle parts of North America, chiefly different from D. pubescens in the greater portion of red on the hind head, relative length of the quills, and shape of the tail-feathers ; and Dendrocopus meridionalis, inhabiting Georgia, fess than D. pubescens, and with the under plumage hair brown. — Ep. DOWNY WOODPECKER. 105 to admit the bodies of the owners. During this labor, they regularly carry out the chips, often strowing them at a distance, to prevent sus- picion. This operation sometimes occupies the chief part of a week. Before she begins to lay, the female often visits the place, passes out and in, examines every part, both of the exterior and interior, with great attention, as every prudent tenant of a new house ought to do, and atlength takes complete possession. The eggs are generally six, pure white, and laid on the smooth bottom of the cavity. The male occasionally supplies the female with food while she is sitting; and about the last week in June the young are perceived making their way up the tree, climbing with considerable dexterity. All this goes on with great regularity where no interruption is met with; but the House Wren, who also builds in the hollow of a tree, but who is neither furnished with the necessary tools nor strength for excavating such an apartment for himself, allows the Woodpeckers to goon, till he thinks it will answer his purpose, then attacks them with violence, and gen- erally succeeds in driving them off I saw some weeks ago a striking example of this, where the Woodpeckers we are now describing, after commencing in a cherry-tree, within a few yards of the house, and having made considerable progress, were turned out by the Wren; the former began again on a pear-tree in the garden, fifteen or twenty yards off, whence, after digging out a most complete apartment, and one egg being laid, they were once more assaulted by the same imper- tinent intruder, and finally forced to abandon the place. The principal characteristics of this little bird are diligence, famili- arity, perseverance, and a strength and energy in the head and muscles of the neck, which are truly astonishing. Mounted on the infected branch of an old apple-tree, where insects have lodged their corroding and destructive brood in crevices between the bark and wood, he labors sometimes for half an hour incessantiy at the same spot, before he has succeeded in dislodging and destroying them. At these times you may walk up pretty close to the tree, and even stand immediately below it, within five or six feet of the bird, without in the least em- barrassing him; the strokes of his bill are distinctly heard several hundred yards off; and I have known him to be at work for two hours together on the same tree. Buffon calls this “incessant toil and slavery ;” their attitude, “a painful posture ;” and their life, “a dull and insipid existence ;” expressions improper, because untrue; and absurd, because contradictory. The posture is that for which the whole organization of his frame is particularly adapted; and though, to a Wren or a Humming Bird, the Jabor would be both toil and slavery, yet to him it is, I am convinced, as pleasant and as amusing, as the sports of the chase to the hunter, or the sucking ‘of flowers to the Humming Bird. The eagerness with which he traverses the upver and lower sides of the branches ; the cheerfulness of his cry, ani the liveliness of his motions while digging into the tree and dislodgiug the vermin, justify this belief. He has a single note, or chink, which, like the former species, he frequently repeats; and when he flies off, or alights on another tree, he utters a rather shriller cry, composed of nearly the same kind of note, quickly reiterated. In fall and winter, he associates with the Titmouse, Creeper, &c., both in their wood and orchard excursions, and usually leads the van. Of all our Wood- 106 DOWNY WOODPECKER. peckers, none rid the apple-trees of so many vermin as this, digging off the moss which the negligence of the proprietor had suffered to accumulate, and probing every crevice. In fact, the orchard is his favorite resort in all seasons; and his industry is unequalled, and almost incessant, which is more than can be said of any other species ‘ve have. In fall, he is particularly fond of boring the apple-trees for insects, digging a circular hole through the bark, just sufficient to ad- mit his bill, after that a second, third, &c., in pretty regular, horizontal circles round the body of the tree; these parallel circles of holes are often not more than an inch or an inch and a half apart, and some- times so close together, that I have covered eight or ten of them at once with a dollar. From nearly the surface of the ground up to the ‘rst fork, and sometimes far beyond it, the whole bark of many apple-- -rees is perforated in this manner, so as to appear as if made by euccessive discharges of buck-shot; and our little Woodpecker, the subject of the present account, is the principal perpetrator of this supposed mischief, —I say supposed, for so far from these perforations of the bark being ruinous, they are not only harmless, but, I have good reason to believe, really beneficial to the health and fertility of the tree. I leave it to the philosophical botanist to account for this ; but the fact I am confident of. In more than fifty orchards which | have myself carefully examined, those trees which were marked by the Woodpecker (for some trees they never touch, perhaps because not penetrated by insects) were uniformly the most thriving, and seemingly the most productive ; many of these were upwards of sixty years old, their trunks completely covered with holes, while the branches were broad, luxuriant, and loaded with fruit. Of decayed trees, more than three fourths were untouched by the Woodpecker. Several intelligent farmers, with whom I have conversed, candidly acknowledge the truth of these observations, and with justice look upon these birds as beneficial ; but the most common opinion is, that they bore the trees to suck the sap, and so destroy its vegetation; though pine and other resinous trees, on the juices of which it is not pretended they feed, are often found equally perforated. Were the sap of the tree their object, the saccharine juice of the birch, the sugar maple, and several others, would be much more inviting, because more sweet and nourishing, than that of either the pear or apple-tree ; but I have not observed one mark on the former, for ten thousand that may be seen on the latter. Besides, the early part of spring is the season when the sap flows most abundantly; whereas, it is only during the months of September, October, and November, that Woodpeckers are seen so indefatigably engaged in orchards, probing every crack and crevice, boring through the bark, and, what is worth remarking, chief- ly on the south and south-west sides of the tree, for the eggs and larve deposited there by the countless swarms of summer insccts. These, if suffered to remain, would prey upon the very vitals, if I may so express it, of the tree, and in the succeeding summer give birth to myriads more of their race, equally destructive. Here, then, is a whole species, I may say, genus, of birds, which Providence seems to have formed for the protection of our fruit and forest-trees from the ravages of vermin which every day destroy mil- lions of those noxious insects that would otherwise blast the hopes of MOCKING BIRD. 107 the husbandman, and which even promote the fertility of the tree and, in return, are proscribed by those who ought to haye been their protectors, and incitements and rewards held out for their destruction ! Let us examine better into the operations of nature, and many of our mistaken opinions and groundless prejudices will be abandoned for more just, enlarged, and humane modes of thinking. The length of the Downy Woodpecker is six inches and three quarters, and its extent twelve inches; crown, black; hind head, deep scarlet ; stripe over the eye, white; nostrils, thickly covered with re- cumbent hairs, or small feathers, of a cream color; these, as in the preceding species, are thick and bushy, as if designed to preserve the forehead from injury during the violent action of digging; the back is black, and divided by a lateral strip of white, loose, downy, unwebbed feathers; wings, black, spotted with white ; tail-coverts, rump, and four middle feathers of the tail, black; the other three on each side, white, crossed with touches of black; whole under parts, as well as the sides of the neck, white; the latter marked with a streak of black, proceeding from the lower mandible, exactly as in the Hairy Wood- pecker ; legs and feet, bluish green; claws, light blue, tipped with black; tongue formed like that of the preceding species, horny to- wards the tip, where, for one eighth of an inch, it is barbed; bill, of a bluish horn color, grooved, and wedge-formed, like most of the genus; eye, dark hazel. The female wants the red on the hind head, having that part white; and the breast and belly are ofa dirty white. This, and the two former species, are generally denominated Sap- suckers. They have also several other provincial appellations, equally absurd, which it may, perhaps, be more proper to suppress than to sanction by repeating. MOCKING BIRD.—TURDUS POLYGLOTTUS.— Fie. 39. Mimic Thrush, Lath. Syn. iii. p. 40, No. 42.— Arct. Zool. ii. No. 194. — Turdus poly siete, Lin. Syst. i, p. 293, No. 10.—Le grand moqueur, Briss. Orn. ii. he 6, 29.— Buff. Ois. iii. p. 325, Pl. enl. 558, Fig. 1. — Singing Bird, Mockin ird, or Ni tingle, Ruii Syn. p. 64, No. 5, p. 185, 31. — Sloan. Jam. ii. 306, No. 34.— The Mock Bird, Catesb. Car. i. pl. 27.— Peale’s Museum, No. 5288. ORPHEUS POLYGLOTTUS. —Swainson. Turdus polyglottus, Bonap, Synop. p. 74.— The Mocking Bird, Aud. pl. xxi Orn Biog. 108. Tus celebrated and very extraordinary bird, in extent and variety of vocal powers, stands unrivalled by the whole feathered songsters of this, or perhaps any other country, and shall 1eceive from us, in this place, all that attention and respect which superior merit is justly entitled to. Among the many novelties which the discovery of this part of the western continent first brought into notice, we may reckon that of the 108 MOCKING BIRD. Mocking Bird, which is not only peculiar to the New Werld, but inhabits a very considerable extent of both North and South America ;_ having been traced from the states of New England to Brazil, and also among many of the adjacent islands. They are, however, much more numerous in those states south, than in those north, of the River Delaware; being generally migratory in the latter, and resident (at least many of them) in the forme A warm climate, and low country, not far from the sea, seems most congenial to their nature; accord- ingly, we find the species less numerous to the west than east of the great range of the Alleghany, in the same parallels of latitude. In the severe winter of 1808-9, I found these birds, occasionally, from Fred- ericksburg, in Virginia, to the southern parts of Georgia; becoming still more numerous the farther ] advanced to the south. The berries of the red cedar, myrtle, holly, Cassine shrub, many species of smilax, together with gum berries, gall berries, and a profusion of others with which the luxuriant, swampy thickets of those regions abound, furnish them with a perpetual feast. Winged insects, also, of which they are very fond, and remarkably expert at catching, ‘abound there even in winter, and are an additional inducement to residency. Though rather a shy bird in the Northern States, here he appeared almost half domesticated, feeding on the cedars, and among the thickets of smilax that lined the roads, while I passed within a few feet; playing around the planter’s door, and hopping along the shin- gles. During the month of February, I sometimes heard a solitary one singing; but, on the 2d of March, in the neighborhood of Savan- nah, numbers of them were heard on every hand, vieing in song with each other, and with the Brown Thrush, making the whole woods vocal with their melody. Spring was at that time considerably advanced, and the thermometer ranging between 70 and 78 degrees. On arriving at New York, on the 22d of the same month, I found many parts of the country still covered with snow, and the streets piled with ice to the height of two feet; while neither the Brown Thrush nor Mocking Bird were observed, even in the lower parts of Pennsylvania, until the 20th of April. The precise time at which the Mocking Bird begins: to build his nest, varies according to the latitude in which he resides. In the lower parts of Georgia, he commences building early in April; but in Pennsylvania, rarely before the 10th of May; and in New York, and the states of New England, still later. There are particular situ- ations to which he gives the preference. A solitary thorn bush; an almost impenetrable thicket; an orange-tree, cedar, or holly bush, are favorite spots, and frequently selected. Itis no great objection with ‘him that these happen, sometimes, to be near the farm, or mansion- house: always ready to defend, but never over-anxious to conceal, his nest, he very often builds within a small distance of the house; and not unfrequently in a pear or apple-tree; rarely at a greater height than six or seven feet trom the ground. The nest varies a little with different individuals, according to the conveniency of collecting suitable materials. A very complete one is now lying before me, and is composed of the following substances: First, a quan- tity of dry twigs and sticks, then, withered tops of weeds, of the pre- ceding year ‘ntermixed with fine straws, hay, pieces of wool and MOCKING BIRD. 109 tow; and, lastly, a thick layer of fine fibrous roo‘s, of a light brown color, lines the whole. The eggs, one of which is represented on the plate, are four, sometimes five, of a cinereous blue, marked with large blotches of brown. The female sits fourteen days, and generally pro- duces two broods in the season, unless robbed of her eggs, in which case she will even build and lay the third time. ‘She is, however, extremely jealous of her nest, and very apt to forsake it if much dis- turbed. It is even asserted by some of our bird-dealers that the old ones will actually destroy the eggs, and poison the young, if either the one or the other have been handled. But I cannot give credit to this unnatural report. I know, from my own experience, at least, that it is not always their practice ; neither have I ever witnessed a case of the kind above mentioned. During the period of incubation, neither cat, dog, animal, nor man, can approach the nest without being attacked. The cats, in particular, are persecuted whenever they make their appearance, til] obliged to retreat. But his whole vengeance is most particularly directed against that mortal enemy of his eggs.and young, the black snake. Whenever the insidious approaches of this reptile are discovered, the male darts upon it with the rapidity of an arrow, dexterously eluding its bite, and striking it violently and incessantly about the head, where it is very vulnerable. The snake soon becomes sensible of its danger, and seeks to escape; but the intrepid defender of his young redoubles his exertions, and, unless his antagonist be of great magnitude, often succeeds in destroying him. All its pretended powers of fascination avail it nothing against the vengeance of this noble bird. As the snake’s strength begins to flag, the Mocking Bird seizes and lifts it up, partly, from the ground, beating it with his wings ; and, when the business is completed, he returns to the repository of his young, mounts the summit of the bush, and pours out a torrent of song in token of victory. As it is of some consequence to be able to distinguish a young male bird from a female, the following marks may be attended to; by which some pretend to be able to distinguish them in less than a week after they are hatched. These are, the breadth and purity of the white on the wings, for that on the tail is not so much to be depended on. This white, in a full-grow1. male bird, spreads over the whole nine primaries, down to, and considerably below, their coverts, which are also white, sometimes slightly tipped with brown. The white of the primaries also extends equally far on both vanes of the feathers. In the female, the white is less pure,.spreads over only seven or eight of the primaries, does not descend so far, and extends considerably farther down on the broad, than on the narrow, side of the feathers. The black is also more of a brownish cast. The young birds, if intended for the cage, ought not to be left till they are nearly ready to fly, but should be taken rather young than otherwise; and may be fed, every half hour, with milk, thickened w:th Indian meal; mixing occasionally with it a little fresh meat, cut or minced very fine. After they begin to eat of their own accord, they ought still to be fed by hand, though at longer intervals, and a few cherries, strawberries, &c., now and then thrown in to them. The same sort of food, adding grasshoppers and fruit, particularly the various kinds of berries in which they delight, and plenty of clear, fine 10 110 MOCKING BIRD. gravel, is found very proper for them after they are grownup. Should the bird at any time appear sick or dejected, a few spiders thrown in to him will generally remove these symptoms of disease. If the young bird is designed to be taught by an old one, the best singer should be selected for this office, and no other allowed to be beside him. Or, if by the bird organ, or mouth-whistling, it should be begun early, and continued, pretty constantly, by the same person, until the scholar, who is seldom inattentive, has completely acquired his lesson. The best singing birds, however, in my own opinion, are those that have been reared in the country, and educated under the tuition of the feathered choristers of the surrounding fields, groves, woods, and meadows. The plumage of the Mocking Bird, though none of the homeliest, has ‘nothing gaudy or brilliant in it; and, had he nothing else to recommend him, would scarcely entitle him to notice; but his figure is well proportioned, and even handsome. The ease, elegance, and rapidity of his movements, the animation of his eye, and the intelli- gence he displays in listening and laying up lessons from almost every species of the feathered creation within his hearing, are really surpri- sing, and mark the peculiarity of his genius. To these qualities we may add that of a voice full, strong, and musical, and capable of al- most every modulation, from the clear, mellow tones of the Wood Thrush, to the savage scream of the Bald Eagle. In measure and -accent, he faithfully follows his originals. In force and sweetness of expression, he greatly improves upon them. In his native groves, mounted on the top of a tall bush, or half-grown tree, in the dawn of dewy morning, while the woods are already vocal with a multitude of warblers, his admirable song rises preéminent over every com- petitor. The ear can listen to Ais music alone, to which that of all the others seems a mere accompaniment. Neither is this strain alto- gether imitative. His own native notes, which are easily distinguish- able by such as are well acquainted with those of our various song birds, are bold and full, and varied seemingly beyond all limits. They consist of short expressions of two, three, or, at the most, five or six syllables; generally interspersed with imitations, and all of them uttered with great emphasis and rapidity; and continued, with undi- minished ardor, for half an hour, or an hour, at a time. His expanded wings and tail, glistening with white, and the buoyant gayety of his action, arresting the eye, as his song most irresistibly does the ear, he sweeps round with enthusiastic ecstasy—he mounts and descends as his song swells or dies away ; and, as my friend Mr. Bartram has beautifully expressed it, “ He bounds aloft with the celerity of an arrow, as if to recover or recall his very soul, expired in the last elevated strain.” * While thus exerting himself, a bystander, destitute of sight, would sup- pose that the whole feathered tribes had assembled together, on a trial of skill, each striving to produce his utmost effect; so perfect are his imitations. He many times deceives the sportsman, and sends him in search of birds that perhaps are not within miles of him, but whose notes he exactly imitates: even birds themselves are frequently tmposed on by this admirable mimic, and are decoyed, by the fancied * Travels, p. 52. Tntrod MOCKING BIRD. Ill calls of their mates, or dive, with precipitation, into the depth of thickets, at the scream of what they suppose to be the Sparrow Hawk. The Mocking Bird loses little of the-power and energy of his song by confinement. In his domesticated state, when he commences his _ career of song, it is impc ssible to stand by uninterested. He whistles for the dog,— Cesar starts up, wags his tail, and runs to meet his master. He squeaks out like a hurt Chicken, — and the Hen hurries about with hanging wings, and bristled feathers, clucking to protect its injured brood. The barking of the dog, the mewing of the cat, the creaking of a passing wheelbarrow, follow, with great truth aud rapidity. He repeats the tune taught him by his master, though of considerable length, fully and faithfully. He runs over the quiverings of the Canary, and the clear whistlings of the Virginia Nightingale, or Red-Bird, with such superior execution and effect, that the morti- fied songsters feel their own inferiority, and become altogether silent; while he seems to triumph in their defeat by redoubling his exertions. This excessive fondness for variety, however, in the opinion of some, injures his song. THis elevated imitations of the Brown Thrush are frequently interrupted by the crowing of Cocks ; and the warblings of the Blue-Bird, which he exquisitely manages, are mingled with the screaming of Swallows, or the cackling of Hens; amidst the simple melody of the Robin, we are suddenly surprised by the shrill reitera- tions of the Whip-poor-will; while the notes of the Killdeer, Blue Jay, Martin, Baltimore, and twenty others, succeed, with such impos- ing reality, that we look round for the originals, and discover, with astonishment, that the sole performer in this singular concert is the admirable bird now before us. During this exhibition of his powers, he spreads his wings, expands his tail, and throws himself around the cage in all the ecstasy of enthusiasm, seeming not only to sing, but to dance, keeping time to the measure of his own music. Both in his native and domesticated state, during the solemn stillness of night, as soon as the moon rises in silent majesty, he begins his delightful solo, and serenades us the livelong night with a full display of his vocal powers, making the whole neighborhood ring with his inimitable medley.* Were it not to seem invidious in the eyes of foreigners, 1 might, in this place, make a comparative statement between the powers of the Mocking Bird, and the only bird, I believe, in the world, worthy of being compared with him,—the European Nightingale. This, Aow- ever, I am unable to do from my own observation, having never myself heard the song of the latter; and, even if 1 had, perhaps * The hunters in the Southern States, when setting out upon an excursion by night, as soon as they hear the Mocking Bird begin to sing, know that the moon is rising. Reda anonymous author, speaking of the Mocking Birds in the island of Jamaica, and their practice of singing by moonlight, thus gravely philosophizes, and attempts to account for the habit. ‘It is not certain,” says he, “whether they are kept so wakeful by the clearness of the light, or by any extraordinary attention and vigilance, at such times, for the protection of their nursery from the piratical as- saults of the Owl and the Night Hawk. It is possible that fear may operate upon them, much in the same manner as it has been observed to affect some cowardly persons, who whistle stoutly in a lonesome place, while their mind is agitated with the terror of thieves or yobgoblins.” — History of Jamaica, vol. iii. p. 894, quarto. 1122 MOCKING BIRD. something might be laid to the score of partiality, which, as a faithful biographer, I am anxious to avoid. I shall, therefore, present the reader with the opinion of a distinguished English naturalist and curious observer, on this subject, the Honorable Daines Barrington, who, at the time he made the communication, was vice-president of the Royal Society, to which it was addressed.* “It may not be improper here,” says this gentleman, “to consider whether the Nightingale may not have a very formidable competitor in the American Mocking Bird, though almost all travellers agree, that the concert in the European woods is superior to that of the other parts of the globe.” “I have happened, however, to hear the Ameri- can Mocking Bird, in great perfection, at Messrs. Vogels and Scotts, in Love Lane, Eastcheap. This bird is believed to be still living, and hath been in England these six years. During the space of a minute, he imitated the Woodlark, Chaffinch, Blackbird, Thrush, and Sparrow ; I was told also that he would bark like a dog; so that the bird seems to have no choice in his imitations, though his pipe comes nearest to our Nightingale of any bird I have yet met with. With regard to the original notes, however, of this bird, we are still at a loss, as this can only be known by those who are accurately acquainted with the song of the other American birds. Kalm indeed informs us, that the natural song is excellent;+ but this traveller seems not to have been long enough in America to have distinguished what were the genuine notes: with us, mimics donot often succeed but in imitations. I have little doubt, however, but that this bird would be fully equal to the song of the Nightingale in its whole compass; but then, from the attention which the Mocker pays to any other sort of disagreeable noise, these capital notes would be always debased by a bad mix- ture.” On this extract I shall make a few remarks. If, as is here con- ceded, the Mocking Bird be fully equal to the song of the Nightin- gale, and, as I can with confidence add, not only to that, but to the song of almost every other bird, besides being capable of exactly imitating various other sounds and voices of animals,— his vocal powers are unquestionably superior to. those of the Nightingale, which possesses its own native notes alone. Further, if we consider, as.is asserted by Mr. Barrington, that “one reason of the Nightingale’s being more attended to than others is, that it sings in the night;” and if we believe, with Shakspeare, that The Nightingale, if she should sing by day, When every Goose is cackling, would be thought No better a musician than a Wren, what must we think of that bird, who, in the glare of day, when a multitude of songsters are straining their throats in melody, over- powers all competition, and, by the superiority of his voice, expression, and action, not only attracts every ear, but frequently strikes dumb his mortified rivals ; when the silence of night, as well as the bustle of day, bear witness to his melody; and when, even in captivity, in a * Philosophical Transactions, vol. \xii. part ii. p. 284. t Travels, vol i. p. 219. ‘ ; , MUAY HOURS LOIS POM ISL BPA MOON ULL PRE LRQIOM, LNA ALY ERY Mee ep do PRDV4 EE LAM MAUMS: CAL TBE WEL MUSE OGL USIMUE OT OLE OE OMORE PET yay pana L014 a Se SS REE : MOCKING BIRD. 113 foreign country, he is declared, by the best judges in that country, to be fully equal to the song of their sweetest bird in its whole compass ? The supposed degradation of his song by the introduction of extra- neons sounds and unexpected imitations, is, in fact, one of the chief excellences of this bird; as these changes give a perpetual novelty to his strain, keep attention constantly awake, and impress every hearer with a deeper interest in what is to follow. In short, if we believe in the truth of that mathematical axiom, that the whole is greater than a part, all that is excellent or delightful, amusing or striking, in the music of birds, must belong to that admirable songster, whose vocal powers are equal to the whole compass of their whole strains. The native notes of the Mocking Bird have a considerable resem- blance to those of the Brown Thrush, but may easily be distinguished by their greater rapidity, sweetness, energy of expression, and variety. Both, however, have, in many parts of the United States, particularly in those to the south, obtained the name of Mocking Bird; the first, or Brown Thrush, from its inferiority of song, being called the French, and the other the English Mocking Bird,—a mode of expression probably originating in the prejudices of our forefathers, with whom every thing French was inferior to every thing English.* The Mocking Bird is frequently taken in trap-cages, and, by proper management, may be made sufficiently tame tosing. ‘The upper parts of the cage (which ought to be of wood) should be kept covered, until the bird becomes a little more reconciled to confinement. If placed in a wire cage, uncovered, he will soon destroy himself in at- tempting to getout. These birds, however, by proper treatment, may be brought to sing perhaps superior to those raised by hand, and cost less trouble. The opinion which the naturalists of Europe entertain of the great difficulty of raising the Mocking Bird, and that not one in ten survives, is very incorrect. A person called on me a few days ago, with twenty-nine of these birds, old and young, which he had carried about the fields with him for several days, for the convenience of feed- ing them while engaged intrapping others. He had carried them thirty miles, and intended carrying them ninety-six miles farther, viz., to New York, and told me that he did not expect to lose one out of ten of them. Cleanliness, and regularity in feeding, are the two principal things to be attended to; and these rarely fail to succeed. The eagerness with which the nest of the Mocking Bird is sought after in the neighborhood of Philadelphia, has rendered this bird 'ex- tremely scarce for an extent of several miles round the city. In the country round Wilmington and Newcastle, they are very numerous, from whence they are frequently brought here for sale. The usual price of a singing bird is from seven to fifteen, and even twenty dollars. I have known fifty dollars paid for a remarkably fine singer, and one instance where one hundred dollars were refused for a still more extra- ordinary one. § * The observations of Mr. Barrington, in the paper above referred to, make this Eppenien still more probable. ‘“ Some Nightingales,” says he, “are so vastly inferior, that the bird-catchers will not keep them, branding them with the name of Frenchmen.” 283. . 10* 114 MOCKING BIRD. Attempts have been made to induce these charming birds to pair, and rear their young, in a state of confinement, and the result has been such as to prove it, by proper management, perfectly practicable. In the spring of 1808, a Mr. Klein, living in North Seventh Street, Philadelphia, partitioned off about twelve feet. square in the third story of his house. This was lighted by a pretty large wire-grated window. In the centre of this small room he planted a cedar bush, five or six feet high, in a box of earth, and scattered about a sufficient quan- tity of materials suitable for building. Into this place a male and female Mocking Bird were put, and soon began to build. The female laid five eggs, all of which she hatched, and fed the young with great affection until they were nearly able to fly. Business calling the proprietor from home for two weeks, he left the birds to the care of his domestics, and, on his return, found, to his great regret, that they had been neglected in food. The young ones were all dead, and the parents themselves nearly famished. The same pair have again com- menced building this season, in the same place, and have at this time, July 4, 1809, three young, likely todo well. The place might be fitted up with various kinds of shrubbery, so as to resemble their native thickets, and ought to be as remote from noise and interruption of company as possible, and strangers rarely allowed to disturb, or even approach them. The Mocking Bird is nine and a half inches long, and thirteen in breadth. Some individuals are, however, larger, and some smaller, those of the first hatch being uniformly the biggest and stoutest.* The upper parts of the head, neck, and back, are a dark, brownish ash, and when new moulted, a fine light gray; the wings and tail are nearly black, the first and second rows of coverts tipped with white ; the prima- Ty coverts, in some males, are wholly white, in others, tinged with brown, | The three first primaries are white from their roots as far as their coverts; the white on the next six extends from an inch to one and three fourths farther down, descending equally on both sides of the feather; the tail is cuneiform, the two exterior feathers wholly white, the rest, except the middle ones, tipped with white; the chin is white ; sides of the neck, breast, belly, and vent, a brownish white, much purer in wild birds than in those that have been domesticated ; iris of the eye, yellowish cream colored, inclining to golden; bill, black, the base of the lower mandible, whitish; legs and feet, black, and strong. The female very much resembles the male; what differ- ence there is, has been already pointed out in a preceding part of this account. The breast of the young bird 1s spetted like that of the Thrush.t * Many people are of opinion that there are two sorts, the ]arge and the small Mocking Bird ; but, after examining great numbers of these birds in various regions of the United States, 1 am satisfied ‘Rat this variation of size is merely accidental, or owing to the circumstance above mentioned. + A bird is described in the Northern Zoology as the Varied ‘Thrush of Pennant, the Turdus nevius of Latham, which will r as an addition to the North Amer- ican species of this genus, and has been named by Mr. Swainson O. meruloides, Throshlike Mocking Bird. Mr. Swainson has changed the name of Latham, to give it one expressive of its form ; as he considers the structure intermediate between Orpheus and Turdus, though leaning most to the former. According to Dr. Rich HUMMING BIRD. 115 Mr. William Bartram observes of the Mocking Bird, that “ formerly, say thirty or forty years ago, they were numerous, and often staid all winter with us, or the year through, feeding on the berries of ivy, smi- lax, grapes, persimmons, and other berries. The ivy (Hedera helix) they were particularly fond of, though a native of Europe. We have an ancient plant adhering to the wall of the house, covering many yards of surface; this vine is very fruitful, and here many would feed and lodge during the winter, and, in very severe cold weather, sit on the top of the chimney to warm themselves.” He also adds, “ I have ob- served that the Mocking Bird ejects from his stomach through his mouth the hard kernels of berries, such as smilax, grapes, &c., retain- ing the pulpy part.” * HUMMING BIRD.{—TROCHILUS COLUBRIS. — Fies. 40, 41. Trochilus colubris, Linn. Syst. i. p. 191, No. 12. — L’Oiseau mouche a gorge rouge de la Caroline, Briss. Orn. iii. p. 716, No. 13, t. 36, Fig. 6. —Le Rubis, Buff. Ois. vi. p. 13. —Humming Bird, Catesb, Car. i. 65.— Red-throated Humming Bird, Edw. i. 38, male and female.— Lath. Syn. ii. 769, No. 35.— Peale’s Museum, No. 2520. TROCHILUS COLUBRIS, —Linnxvus. Trochilus colubris, Bonap. Synop. p. 98. — The Ruby-throated Humming Bird, Aud. pl. xlvii. Orn. Biog. i. 248.—'Trochilus colubris, Northen Hamming Bird, North. Zool. ii. p. 323, Nature, in every departrnent of her work, seems to delight in vari- ety; and the present subject of our history is almost as singular for its minuteness, beauty, want of song, and manner of feeding, as the preceding is for unrivalled excellence of notes, and plainness of plu- ardson, it was discovered by Captain Cook at Nootka Sound, and described by Latham from these specimens. — Ep. * Letter from Mr. Bartram to the author. - t The “ Fairy Humming Birds,” ‘‘ The Jewels of Ornithology,” “¢ Least of the winged vagrants of the sky,”? though amply dispersed over the southern continent of the New World, from their delicate and slender structure, being unable to bear the severities of a hardier cli- mate, are, with two exceptions, withdrawn from its northern parts ; and it is with wonder that we see creatures of such tiny dimensions occasionally daring to brave even the snows and frosts of a northern latitude. The present species, though sometimes exceeding its appointed time, is obliged to seek warmer abodes during winter; and it is another subject for astonishment and reflection, how they are enabled to perform a lengthened migration, where the slightest gale would waft them far from their proper eourse. Mr. Audubon is of opinion, that they mi- grate during the night, passing through-the air in long undulations, raising them- selves for some distance at an angle of about 40°, and then falling in a curve ; but he adds, that the smallness of their size preckides the possibility of following sem farther than fifty or sixty yards, even with + good glass. The Humming Birds, or what are gener ily known by the genus Trochilus of Linneus have been, through the researches of late travellers and waturalists, vastly 116 HUMMING BIRD. mage. Though this interesting and beautiful ge.ius of birds compre- hends upwards of seventy species, all of which, with a very few ex- ceptions, are natives of America and its a jacent islands, it is yet sin- gular that the species now before us should be the only one of its tribe that ever visits the territory of the United States. According to the observations of my friend Mr. Abbot, of Savannah, in Georgia, who has been engaged these thirty years in collecting and drawing subjects of natural history in that part of the country, the Hum- ming Bird makes its first appearance there, from the south, about the 23d of March, two weeks earlier than it does in the county of Burke, sixty miles higher up the country towards the interior, and at least five weeks sooner than it reaches this part of Pennsylvania. As it passes on to the northward, as far as the interior of Canada, where it is seen in great numbers,* the wonder is excited how so feebly constructed and delicate a little creature can make its way over such extensive regions of lakes and forests, among so many enemies, all its superiors in strength and magnitude. But its very minuteness, the rapidity of its flight, which almost eludes the eye, and that admirable instinct. reason, or whatever else it may be called, and daring courage, whic} Heaven has implanted in its bosom, are its guides and protectors In these we may also perceive the reason why an all-wise Providence has made this little hero an exception to a rule which prevails almost universally through nature, viz., that the smallest species of a tribe are the most prolific. The Eagle lays one, sometimes two, eggs; the Crow, five ; the Titmouse, seven or eight; the small European Wren, fifteen; the Humming Bird two: and yet this latter is abundantly more numerous in America than the Wren is in Europe. About the 25th of April, the Humming Bird usually arrives in Pennsylvania, and, about the 10th of May, begins to build its nest. This is generally fixed on the upper side of a horizontal branch, not among the twigs, but on the body of the branch itself. Yet 1 have known instances where it was attached by the side to an old moss- grown trunk ; and others where it was fastened on astrong rank stalk, or weed, in the garden; but these cases are rare. In the woods, it very often chooses a white oak sapling to buildon; and in the orchard. or garden, selects a pear-tree for that purpose. The branch is sel- increased in their numbers; they form a large and closely-connected group, but show a considerable variety of form and character, and have been divided into different genera. ‘They may be said to be strictly confined to the New World, with her islands ; and although other countries possess many splendid and closely- allied forms, “ with gemmed frontlets and necks of verdant gold,” which have been by some included, none we consider can properly range with any of those found in this division of the world. In India and the Asiatic continent, they may be represented by Cereba, &c.; in Africa, by Nectarinia and Cyniris ; and in Aus- tralia aud in the Southern Pacific, by Meliphaga, Myrzomela, &c. Europe pos- sesses no direct prototype. The second northeru species alluded to was discovered by Captain Cook in Nootka Sound, and first described by Dr. Latham, as the Ruffed-necked Hum- ming Bird. Mr. Swainson introduces it in the Northern Zoology, under his genus Selasphorus. It ranges southwards to Real clel Monte, on the table-land of Mex- ico. — Ep. * Mr. M’Kenzie speaks of seeing a “ beautiful Humming Bird” near the head of the Unjigah, or Peace River, in lat. 54 deg., but has not particularized the species. IIUMMING BIRD. 117 dom more than ten feet from the ground. ‘The nest is about an inch in diameter, and as much in depth. A very complete one is now lying before me, and the materials of which it is composed are as follows: — The outward coat is formed of small pieces of a species of bluish gray lichen that vegetates on old trees and fences, thickly glued on with the saliva of the bird, giving firmness and consistency to the whole, as well as keeping out moisture. Within this are thick, matted layers of the fine wings of certain flying seeds, closely laid together; and, lastly, the downy substance from the great mullein, and from the stalks of the common fern, lines the whole. The base of the nest is continued round the stem of the branch, to which it closely adheres ; and, when viewed from below, appears a mere mossy knot or accidental protuberance. The eggs are two, pure white, and of equal thickness at both ends. The nest and eggs in the plate were copied with great precision, and by actual measurement, from one just taken in from the woods. On a person’s approaching their nest, the little proprietors dart around with a humming sound, passing fre- quently within a few inches of one’s head; and, should the young be newly hatched, the female will resume her place on the nest even while you stand within a yard or two of the spot. The precise period of incubation [am unable to give; but the young are in the habit, a short time before they leave the nest, of thrusting their bills into the mouths of their parents, and sucking what they have brought them. I never could perceive that they carried them any animal food; though, from circumstances that will presently be mentioned, I think it highly probable they do. As TI have found their nests with eggs so late as the 12th of July, Ido not doubt but that they frequently, and perhaps usually, raise two broods in the same season. The Humming Bird is extremely fond of tubular flowers, and I have often stopped, with pleasure, to observe his mancuvres among the blossoms of the trumpet flower. When arrived before a thicket of these, that are full blown, he poises, or suspends, himself on wing, for the space of two or three seconds, so steadily, that his wings become invisible, or only like a mist; and you can plainly distinguish the pupil of his eye looking round with great quickness and circum- spection; the glossy, golden green of his back, and the fire of his throat, dazzling in the sun, form altogether a most interesting appear- ance. The position into which his body is usually thrown while in the act of thrusting his slender tubular tongue into the flower, to ex- tract its sweets, is exhibited in the figure on the plate. When he alights, which is frequently, he always prefers the small, dead twigs of a tree or bush, where he dresses and arranges his plumage with great dexterity. His only note is a single chirp, not louder than that of a small cricket or grasshopper, generally uttered while passing from flower to flower, or when engaged in fight with his fellows ; for, when two males meet at the same bush or flower, a battle instantly takes place; and the combatants ascend in the air, chirping, darting and circling around each other, till the eye is no longer able to follow them. The conqueror, however, generally returns to the place to reap the fruits of his victory. Ihave seen him attack, and for a few moments tease the King Bird; and have also seen him, in his turn, assaulted by a humble-bee, which he soon put to flight. He is one 118 HUMMING BIRD. of those few birds that are universally beloved; and amidst the sweet, dewy serenity of a summer’s morning, his appearance among the arbors of honeysuckles, and beds of flowers, is truly interesting When the morning dawns, and the blest sun again Lifts his red glories from the eastern main, Then through our woodbines, wet with glittering dews, The flower-fed Humming Bird his round pursues ; Sips, with inserted tube, the honey’d blooms, And chirps his gratitude as round he roams ; While richest roses, though in crimson drest, Shrink from the splendor of his gorgeous breast. What heavenly tints in mingling radiance fly ! Each rapid movement gives a different dye 5 Like scales of burnish’d gold they dazzling show, Now sink to shade — now like a furnace glow ! The singularity of this little bird has induced many persons to attempt to raise them from the nest, and accustom them to the cage. Mr. Coffer, of Fairfax county, Virginia, a gentleman who has paid great attention to the manners and peculiarities of our native birds, told me that he raised and kept two, for some months, in a cage ; supplying them with honey dissolved in water, on which they readily fed. As the sweetness of the liquid frequently brought small flies and gnats about the cage and cup, the birds amused themselves by snapping at them on wing, and swallowing them with eagerness, so that these insects formed no inconsiderable part of their food. Mr. Charles Wilson Peale, proprietor of the museum, tells me that he had two young Humming Birds, which he raised from the nest. They used to fly about the room, and would frequently perch on Mrs. Peale’s shoulder to be fed. When the sun shone strongly in the chamber, he has observed them darting after the motes that floated in the light, as Flycatchers would after flies. In the summer of 1803, a nest of young Humming Birds was brought me, that were nearly fit to fly. One of them actually flew out by the window the same evening, and, falling against a wall, was killed. The other refused food, and the next morning I could but just perceive that it had life. A lady in the house undertook to be its nurse, placed it in her bosom, and, as it began to revive, dissolved a little sugar in her mouth, into which she thrust its bill, and it sucked with great avidity. In this manner it was brought up until fit for the cage. [ kept it upwards of three months, supplied it with loaf sugar dissolved in water, which it pre- ferred to honey and water, gave it fresh flowers every morning sprinkled with the liquid, and surrounded the space in which I kept it with gauze, that it might not injure itself. It appeared gay, active, and full of spirit, hovering from flower to flower, as if in its native wilds, and always expressed, by its motions and chirping, great pleasure at seeing fresh flowers introduced to its cage. Numbers of people visited it from motives of curiosity; and I took every precau- tion to preserve it, if possible, through the winter. Unfortunately, however, by some means it 4 tt at large, and, flying about the room, so injured itself that it soon after died. : This little bird is extremely susceptible of cold, and, if long de- prived of the animating influence of the sunbeams, droops, and soon dies. A very beautiful male was brought me this season, [1809,} HUMMING BIRD. 119 which I put into a wire cage, and placed in a retired, shaded part of the room. After fluttering about for some time, the weather being un- commonly cool, it clung by the wires, and hung in a seemingly torpid state for a whole forenoon. No motion whatever of the lungs could be perceived, on the closest inspection, though, at other times, this is remarkably observable; the eyes were shut; and, when touched by the finger, it gave no signs of life or motion. I carried it out to the open air, and placed it directly in the rays of the sun, in a sheltered situation. In a few seconds, respiration became very apparent; the bird breathed faster and faster, opened its eyes, and began to look about, with as much seeming vivacity as ever. After it had complete- ly recovered, I restored it to liberty; and it flew off to the withered top of a pear-tree, where it sat for some time dressing its disordered plumage, and then shot off like a meteor. The flight of the Humming Bird, from flower to flower, greatly re- sembles that of a bee, but is so much more rapid, thac the latter ap- pears a mere loiterer to him. He poises himself on wing, while he thrusts his long, slender, tubular tongue into the flowers in search of food. He sometimes enters a room by the window, examines the bouquets of flowers, and passes out by the opposite door or window. He has been known to take refuge in a hot-house during the cool nights of autumn, to go regularly out in the morning, and to return as regularly in the evening, for several days together. he Humming Bird has, hitherto, been supposed to subsist alto- gether on the honey, or liquid sweets, which it extracts from flowers. One or two curious observers have, indeed, remarked, that they have found evident fragments of insects in the stomach of this species; but these have been generally believed to have been taken in by accident. The few opportunities which Europeans have to determine this point by observations made on the living bird, or by dissection of the newly- killed one, have rendered this mistaken opinion almost general in Eu- rope. For myself, I can speak decisively on this subject: I have seen the Humming Bird, for half an hour at a time, darting at those little groups of insects that dance in the air in a fine summer evening, retiring to an adjoining twig to rest, and renewing the attack with a dexterity that sets all our other Flycatchers at defiance. I have opened, from time to time, great numbers of these birds; have exam- ined the contents of the stomach with suitable glasses, and, in three cases out of four, have found these to consist of broken fragments of msects. In many subjects, entire insects of the coleopterous class, but very small, were found unbroken. The observations of Mr. Coffer, as detailed above, and the remarks of my worthy friend Mr. Peale, are corroborative of these facts. It is well known that the Humming Bird is particularly fond of tubular flowers, where numerous small in- sects of this kind resort to feed on the farina, &c.; and there is every reason for believing that he is as often in search of these insects as of honey, and that the former compose at least as great a portion of his usual sustenance as the latter. If this food be so necessary for the parents, there is no doubt but the young also occasionally partake of it. To enumerate all the flowers of which this little bird is fond, would be to repeat the names of half our American Flora. From the blos- soms of the towering poplar or tulip-tree, through a thousand imter- 120 HUMMING BIRD. mediate flowers, to those of the humble larkspur, he ranges at will, and almost incessantly. Every period of the season produces a fresh multitude of new favorites. Towards the month of September, there is a yellow flower which grows in great luxuriance along the sides of creeks and rivers, and in low, moist situations; it grows to the height of two or three feet, and the flower, which is about the size of a thimble, hangs in the shape of a cap of liberty above a luxuriant growth of green leaves. It is the Balsamina noli me tangere of bot- anists, and is the greatest favorite with the Humming Bird of all our other flowers. In some places, where these plants abound, you may see, at one time, ten or twelve Humming Birds darting about, and fighting with and pursuing each other. About the 20th of September they generally retire to the south. I have, indeed, sometimes seen a solitary individual on the 28th and 30th of that month, and sometimes even in October; but these cases are rare. About the beginning of November, they pass the southern boundary of the United States into Florida. The Humming Bird is three inches and a half in length, and four and a quarter in extent; the whole back, upper part of the neck, sides under the wings, tail-coverts, and two middle feathers of the tail, are of a rich, golden green; the tail is forked, and, as well as the wings, of a deep brownish purple; the bill and eyes are black; the legs and feet, both of which are extremely small, are also black; the bill is straight, very slender, a little inflated at the tip, and very incompetent to the exploit of penetrating the tough, sinewy side of a Crow, and precipitating it from the clouds to the earth, as Charlevoix would per- suade his readers to believe.* The nostrils are two small, oblong slits, situated at the base of the upper mandible, scarcely perceivable when the bird is dead, though very distinguishable and prominent when living; the sides of the belly, and belly itself, dusky white, mixed with green; but what constitutes the chief ornament of this little bird is the splendor of the feathers of his throat, which, when placed in a proper position, glow with all the brilliancy of the ruby. These feathers are of singular strength and texture, lying close together like scales, and vary, when moved before the eye, from a deep black toa fiery crimson and burning orange. The female is destitute of this ornament, but differs little in other appearance from the male; her tail is tipped with white, and the whole lower parts are of the same tint. The young birds of the first season, both male and female, have the tail tipped with white, and the whole lower parts nearly white; in the month of September, the ornamental feathers on the throat of the young males begin to appear. On dissection, the heart was found to be remarkably large, nearly as big as the cranium; and the stomach, though distended with food, uncommonly small, not exceeding the globe of the eye, and scarcely more than one sixth part as large as the heart; the fibres of the last were also exceedingly strong. The brain was in large quantity, and very thin; the tongue, from the tip to an extent equal with the length of the bill, was perforated, forming two closely-attached parallel and cylindrical tubes; the other extremities of the tongue corresponded * Histoire de la Nouvelle France, iii. p 185. TOWHE BUNTING. 121 exactly to those of the Woodpecker, passing up the hind head, and reaching to the base of the upper mandible. These observations were verified in five different subjects, all of whose stomachs con- tained fragments of insects, and some of them whole ones. TOWHE BUNTING.—EMBERIZA ERYTHROPTHALMA. — Fic. 42. Fringilla erythropthalma, Linn. Syst. p. 318, 6.— Le Pinson de la Caroline, Briss Orn. iii. p. 169, 44. — Buff. Ois. iv. p. 141. — Lath. ii. p. 199, No. 43. — Catesh. Car. i. plate 34. — Peale’s Museum, No. 5970. PIPILO ERYTHROPTHALMA. — ViEtLiotT. Pipilo erythropthalma, Vieil’. Gal. des Ois. plate ia peep gp erythropthalma, Bonap. Synop. p. 112. — The Towhe Bunting, Aud. plate 29, male and female ; Orn. Biog. i. p. 150. Tuts is a very common, but humble and inoffensive species, fre- quenting close-sheltered thickets, where it spends most of its time in scratching up the leaves for worms, and for the larve and eggs of insects. It is far from being shy, frequently suffering a person to walk round the bush or thicket, where it is at work, without betraying any marks of alarm, and when disturbed, uttering the notes tow-he repeatedly. At times the male mounts to the top of a small tree, and chants his few, simple notes for an hour at atime. These are loud, not unmusical, something resembling those of the Yellow Hammer of Britain, but more mellow and more varied. He is fond of thickets with a southern exposure, near streams of water, and where there is plenty of dry leaves; and is found, generally, over the whole United States. He is not gregarious, and you seldom see more than two together. About the middle or 20th of April, they arrive in Penn- sylvania, and begin building about the first week in May. The nest is fixed on the ground among the dry leaves, near, and sometimes under, a thicket of briers, and is large and substantial. The outside is formed of leaves and dry pieces of grape-vine bark, and the inside, of fine stalks of dried grass, the cavity completely sunk beneath the surface of the ground, and sometimes half covered above with dry grass or hay. The eggs are usually five, of a pale flesh color, thickly marked with specks of rufous, most numerous near the great end. The young are produced about the beginning of Jur:, and a second brood commonly succeeds in the same season. "ais bird rarely winters north of the state of Maryland, retiring trom Pennsylvania to the south about the 12th of October. Yet in the middle districts of Virginia, and thence south to Florida, I found it abundant during the months of January, February, and March. Its usual food is obtained by scratching up the leaves; it also feeds, like the rest of its tribe, on various hard seeds and gravel, but rarely commits any depredations on the harvest of the husbandman, gener- 1] 122 TOWHE BUNTING. ally preferring the woods, and traversing the bottom of fences shel- tered with briers. He is generally very plump and fat; and, when confined in a cage, soon becomes familiar. In Virginia, he is called the Bullfinch; in many places, the Towhe Bird; in ‘Pennsylvania, the Chewink, and by others, the Swamp Robin. He contributes a little to the harmony of our woods in epring and summer; and is remarkable for the cunning with whick ae conceals his nest. He shows great affection for his young, and the deepest marks of distress on the ap- pearance of their mortal enemy, the black snake. The specific name which Linneus has bestowed on this bird, is deduced from the color of the iris of its eye, which, in those that visit Pennsylvania, is dark red. But I am suspicious that this color is not permanent, but subject to a periodical change. I examined a great number of these birds in the month of March, in Georgia, every one of which had the iris o the eye white. Mr. Abbot, of Savannah, assured me that, at this season, every one of these birds he shot had the iris white, while at other times it was red; and Mr. Elliot, of Beaufort, a judicious naturalist, informed me, that in the month of February he killed a Towhe Bunting with one eye red and the other white! It should be observed that the iris of the young bird’s eye is ef a chocolate color during its residence in Pennsylvania: perhaps this may brighten into a white during winter, and these may have been all birds of the preceding year, which had not yet received the full color of the eye. : The Towhe Bunting is eight inches and a half long, and eleven broad; above, black, which also descends, rounding on the breast, the sides of which are bright bay, spreading along under the wings; the belly is white ; the vent, pale rufous; a spot of white marks the wing just below the coverts, and another a little below that extends obliquely, across the primaries; the tail is long, nearly even at the end; the three exterior feathers, white for an inch or so from the tips, the outer one wholly white, the middle ones black; the bill is black; the legs and feet, a dirty flesh color, and strong, for scratching up the ground. The female differs in being of a light reddish brown in those parts where the male is black, and in having the bill more of a light horn color.* * Mr. Swainson makes Pipilo a sub-genus among the Sparrows. Six species have been described, and the above-mentioned gentleman has lately received two in addition. They are confined to both continents of America, and the species of our author was considered as the only one belonging to the northern parts; the Northern Zoology will give to the public a second under the title Pipilo arctica, which was only met with on the plains of the Saskatchewan, where it was supposed to breed, from a specimen being killed late in July. It frequents shady and moist clumps of wood, and is generally seen on the ground. It feeds on grubs; is a solitary and retired, but not distrustful bird. It approaches nearest to the Mexican ae maculata, Sw. rt. Audubon says, ‘‘ The haunts of the Towhe Bunting are dry, barren tracts, but not, as others have said, low and swampy grounds, at least during the season of incubation.” The name of Swamp Robin would indicate suenis the reverse of this, and provincial names are generally pretty correct in their application; dif- ferent habits may fae be sought at different seasons. In “the Barrens of Kentucky they are found i: the greatest abundance. They rest upon the ground at night. Their mig-ations are performed by day, from bush to bush; and they CARDINAL GROSBEAK (23 CARDINAL GROSBEAK.— LOXIA CARDINALIS.— Fies, 43, 44. | | | Linn. Syst. i. p. 300, No. 5.—Le Gros-bec de Virginie, Briss. Orn. iii. p. 255, | No. 17.— Buff. iii. p. 458, pl. 28. Pl. enl. 37. — Lath. Syn. ii, p. 118, No. 13.— | Cardinal, Brown’s Jum. p. 647, — Peale’s Museum, No. 5668. | | GUARICA CARDINALIS.— Swainson. Fringilla eardinalis, Bonap. Synop. p. 113. Turis is one of our most common cage birds; and is very generally | known, not only in North America, but even in Europe, numbers of them having been carried over both to France and England, in which last country they are usually called Virginia Nightingales. To this name, Dr. Latham observes, “they are fully entitled,” from the clear- ness and variety of their notes, which, both in a wild and domestic state, are very various and musical: many of them resemble the high notes of a fife, and are nearly as loud. They are in song from March to September, beginning at the first appearance of dawn, and repeat- ing a favorite stanza, or passage, twenty or thirty times successively ; sometimes, with little intermission, for « whole morning together, which, like a good story too often repeated, becomes at length tire- some and insipid. But the sprightly figure and gaudy plumage of the Red-Bird, his vivacity, strength of voice, and actual variety of note, and the little expense with which he is kept, will always make him a favorite. This species, like the Mocking Bird, is more numerous to the east of the great range of the Alleghany Mountains, and inhabits from New England to Carthagena. Michaux the younger, son to the celebrated botanist, informed me, that he found this bird numerous in the Bermu- das. In Pennsylvania and the Northern States, it is rather a scarce species; but through the whole lower parts of the Southern States, in the neighborhood of settlements, J found them much more numerous ; their clear and lively notes, in the months of January and February, being, at that time, almost the only music of the season. Along the road sides and fences I found them hovering in half dozens together, associated with Snow Birds, and various kinds of Sparrows. In the Northern States, they are migratory; but in the lower parts of Pennsylvania, they reside during the whole year, frequenting the bor- ders of creeks and rivulets, in sheltered hollows, covered with holly, laurel, and other evergreens. They love also to reside in the vicinity of fields of Indian corn, a grain that constitutes their chief and favor- ite food. The seeds of apples, cherries, and of many other sorts of fruit, are also eaten by them ; and they are accused of destroying bees. seem to be much at a Joss when a large extent of forest is to be traversed by them. ‘They perform these journeys almost singly. ‘The females set out before the males in autumn, the males before the females in spring; the latter not appearing in the midd.- districts until the end of April, a fortnight after the males had arrived.” E —Er 124 CARDINAL GROSBEAK. In the months of March and April, the males have many violent engagements for their favorite females. Early in May, in Pennsylva- nia, they begin to prepare their nest, which is very often fixed in a holly, cedar, or laurel bush. Outwardly, it is constructed of small twigs, tops of dry weeds, and slips of vine bark, and lined with stalks of fine grass. The female lays four eggs, thickly marked all over with touches of brownish olive, on a dull white ground, as represented in the figure ; and they usually raise two broods in the season. These birds are rarely raised from the nest for singing, being so easily taken in trap-cages, and soon domesticated. By long confinement, and per- haps unnatural food, they are found to fade in color, becoming of a pale whitish red. If well taken care of, however, they will live to a considerable age. There is at present in Mr. Peale’s museum, the stuffed skin of one of these birds, which is there said to have lived in a cage upwards of twenty-one years. The opinion which so generally prevails in England, that the music of the groves and woods of America is far inferior to that of Europe, I, who have a thousand times listened to both, cannot admit to be cor- rect. We cannot with fairness draw a comparison between the depth of the forest in America, and the cultivated fields of England ; because it is a well-known fact, that singing birds seldom frequent the former in any country. But let the latter places be compared with the like situations in the United States, and the superiority of song, | am fully persuaded, would justly belong to the western continent. The few of our song birds that have visited Europe extort admiration from the best judges. “The notes of the Cardinal Grosbeak,” says Latham, ‘are almost equal to those of the Nightingale.” Yet these notes, clear and excellent as they are, are far inferior to those of the Wood Thrush, and even to those of the Brown Thrush, or Thrasher. Our inimitable Mocking Bird is also acknowledged, by themselves, to be fully equal to the song of the Nightingale, “in its whole compass.” Yet these are not one tenth of the number of our singing birds. Could these people be transported to the borders of our woods and set- tlements, in the month of May, about half an hour before sunrise, such a ravishing concert would greet their ear as they have no concep- tion of. The males of the Cardinal Grosbeak, when confined together in a cage, fight violently. On placing a looking-glass before the cage, the gesticulations of the tenant are truly laughable; yet with this he soon becomes so well acquainted, that, in a short time, he takes no notice whatever of it; a pretty good proof that he has discovered the true cause of the appearance to proceed from himself. They are hardy birds, easily kept, sing six or eight months in the year, and are most lively in wet weather. They are generally known by the names, Red-Bird, Virginia Red-Bird, Virginia Nightingale, and Crested Red- Bird, to distinguish them from another beautiful species, the Scarlet Tanager, Figs. 45 and 46. Ido not know that any successful attempts have been made to in- duce these birds to pair and breed in confinement; but I have no doubt of its practicability, by proper management. Some months ago, I placed a young, unfledged Cow-Bird, (the Fringilla pecoris of Turton,) whose mother, like the Cuckoo of Europe, abandons her SCARLET TANAGER 125 eggs and progeny to the mercy and management of other smaller birds, in the same cage with a Red-Bird, which fed and reared it with reat tenderness. T'hey both continue to inhabit the same cage, and have hopes that the Red-Bird will finish his pupil’s education by teaching him his song. I must here remark, for the information of foreigners, that the story told by Le Page du Pratz, in his History of Lonisiana, and which has been so often’ repeated by other writers, that the Cardinal Grosbeak “collects together great hoards of maize and buck-wheat, often as much as a bushel, which it artfully covers with leaves and small twigs, leaving only a small hole for entrance into the magazine,” is entirely fabulous. This species is eight inches long, und eleven in extent; the whole upper parts are a dull, dusky red, except the sides of the neck and head, which, as well as the whole lower parts, are bright vermilion ; chin, front, and lures, black; the head is ornamented with a high, pointed crest, which it frequently erects in an almost perpendicular position, and can also flatten at pleasure, so as to be scarcely percep- tible; the tail extends three inches beyond the wings, and is nearly even at the end; the bill is of a brilliant coralline color, very thick and powerful, for breaking hard grain and seeds; the legs and feet, a light clay color, (not blood red, as Buffon describes them) iris of the eye, dark hazel. The female (Fig. 44) is less than the male, has the upper parts of a brownish olive, or drab color, the tail, wings, and tip of the crest excepted, which are nearly as red as those of the male; the lores, front, and chin, are light ash; breast, and lower parts, a reddish drab; bill, legs, and eyes, as those of the male; the crest is shorter, and less frequently raised. One peculiarity in the female of this species is, that she often sings nearly as well as the male. I do not know whether it be owing to some little jealousy on this score or not, that the male, when both occupy the same cage, very often destroys the female. SCARLET TANAGER.— TANAGRA RUBRA.— Fries. 45, 46. Tanagra rubra, Lynn. Syst. i. p. 314, 3. —Cardinal de Canada, Briss. Orn. iii. p. 48, pl. 2, fig. 5. — Lath. ii. 217, No. 3.— Scarlet Sparrow, Edw. pl. 343.— Canada "Tanager ar mn Tanager, Arct. Zool. p. 369, No. a$7, 238. — Peale’s Museum, No. 6 PYRANGA* RUBRA.— Swainson. Pyranga eens qe Enc, Method. p. 793.— Tanagra rubra, Bonap. Synop. p. 105.— Pyranga rubra, North. Zool. ii. p, 273. Tas is one of the gaudy foreigners (and perhaps the most showy) that regularly visit us -rom the torrid regions of the south. He is. * Pyranga has been established for the reception of this bird as the type, and a few others, ; all natives of the New World, and more particularly inhabiting the 11* 126 SCARLET ‘TANAGER. dress .d in the richest scarlet, set off with the most jetty olack, and comes, over extensive countries, to sojourn for a time among us. While we consider him entitled to all. the rights of hospitality, we may be permitted to examine a little into his character, and endeavor to discover whether he has any thing else to recommend him, besides that of having a fine coat, and being a great traveller. On or about the first of May, this bird makes his appearance in Pennsylvania. He spreads over the United States, and is found even in Canada. He rarely approaches the habitations of man, unless, perhaps, to the orchard, where he sometimes builds, or to the cherry- trees, in search of fruit. The depth of the woods is his favorite abode. There, among the thick foliage of the tallest trees, his simple and almost monotonous notes, chip, churr, repeated at short intervals, in a pensive tone, may be occasionally heard, which appear to proceed from a considerable distance, though the bird be immediately above you, —a faculty bestowed on him by the beneficent Author of Nature, no doubt, for his protection, to compensate, in a degree, for the danger to which his glowing color would often expose him. Besides this usual note, he has, at times, a more musical ‘chant, something resem- bling in mellowness that of the Baltimore Oriole. His food consists of large-winged insects, such as wasps, hornets, and humble-bees, and also of fruit, particularly those of that species of Vaccinium usually called huckle-berries, which, in their season, form almost his whole fare. His nest is built, about the middle of May, on the horizontal branch of a tree, sometimes an apple-tree, and is but slightly put to- gether; stalks of broken flax and dry grass, so thinly woven together, that the light is easily perceivable through it, form the repository of his young. The eggs are three, of a dull blue, spotted with brown or purple. ‘They rarely raise more than one brood in a season, and leave us for the south about the last week in August. Among all the birds that inhabit our woods, there is none that strikes the eye of a stranger, or even a native, with so much brilliancy as this. Seen among the green leaves, with the light falling strongly on his plumage, he really appears beautiful. If he has little of melody in his notes to charm us, he has nothing in them to disgust. His manners are modest, easy, and inoffensive. He commits no depreda- tions on the property of the husbandman, but rather benefits him by the daily destruction, in spring, of many noxious insects; and, when winter approaches, he is no plundering dependent, but seeks, in a dis- tant country, for that sustenance which the severity of the season denies to his industry in this. He is a striking ornament to our rural scenery, and none of the meanest of our rural songsters. Such being the true traits of his character, we shall always with pleasure welcome this beautiful, inoffensive stranger to our orchards, groves, and forests. warmer parts of it. The present species is, indeed, the only one which is common to the north and south continents ; and, in the former, it ranks only as a summer visitant. hey are all of very bright colors, and distinct markings. They are distinguished from the true Tanagers, by their stout and rounded bill, slightly notched, bent at the tip, and having a jutting-out, blunt tooth about the middle of the upper mandible. They are jared’ by Desmarest among his Tanagras colluriens, or Shrike-like Tanagers ; and by Lesson among the Tanagras cardinales. The lat ter writer enumerates only three species belonging to his division. — Ep. SCARLET TANAGER. 127 The male of this species, (Fig. eal when arrived at his full size and colors, is six inches and a half in length, and ten and a half broad. The whole plumage is of a most brilliant scarlet, except the wings and tail, which are of a deep black; the latter, handsomely forked, sometimes minutely tipped with white, and the interior edges of the wing-feathers nearly white; the bill is strong, considerably inflated, like those of his tribe, the edge of the upper mandible, somewhat irregular, as if toothed, and the whole of a dirty gamboge, or yellow- ish horn color; this, however, like that of most other birds, varies according to the season. About the Ist of August he begins to moult ; the young feathers coming out, of a Sine yellow color, until he appears nearly all dappled with spots of scarlet and greenish yellow. In this state of plumage he leaves us. How long it is before he re- covers his scarlet dress, or whether he continues of this greenish color all winter, I am unable to say. The iris of the eye is of a cream color; the legs and feet, light blue. The female, Fig. 46, (now, I be- lieve, for the first time figured,) is green above, and yellow below; the wings and tail, brownish black, edged with green. The young birds, during their residence here the first season, continue nearly of the same color with the female. In this circumstance we again recognize the wise provision of the Deity, in thus clothing the female and the inexperienced young ina garb so favorable for concealment among the foliage; as the weakness of the one, and the frequent visits of the other to her nest, would greatly endanger the safety of all. That the young males do not receive their red plumage until the early part of the succeeding spring, I think highly probable, from the circum- stance of frequently finding their red feathers, at that season, inter- mixed with green ones, and the wings also broadly edged with green. These facts render it also probable that the old males regularly cane their color, and have a sunmer and winter dress; but this further ob- servations must determine. There is in the Brazils a bird of the same genus with this, and very much resembling it, so much so as to have been frequently confounded with it by European writers. It is the Tanagra Brazilia of Turton; and, though so like, is yet a very distinct species from the present, as I have myself had the opportunity of ascertaining, by examining two very perfect specimens from Brazil, now in the possession of Mr. Peale, and comparing them with this. The principal differences are these: The plumage of the Brazilian is almost black at bottom, very deep scarlet at the surface, and of an orange tint between; ours is ash colored at bottom, white in the middle, and bright scarlet at top. The tail of ours is forked, that of the other cuneiform, or rounded. The bill of our species is more inflated, and of a greenish yellow color; the other’s is black above, and whitish below, towards the base. The whole plumage of the southern species is of a coarser, stiffer quality, particularly on the head. The wings and tail, in both, are black. In the account which Buffon gives of the Scarlet Tanager and Cardinal Grosbeak, there appears to be very great confusion, and many mistakes; to explain which, it is necessary to observe that Mr. Ed- wards, in his figure of the Scarlet Tanager, or Scarlet Sparrow, as he calls it, has given it a hanging crest, owing, no doubt, to the loose, dis- ordered state of the plumage of the stuffed or dried skin from which 128 SCARLET ‘1.sNAGER. he made his drawing. Buffon has afterwards confounded the two together, by applying many stories, originally related of the Cardinal Grosbeak, to the Scarlet Tanager, and the following he gravely gives as his reason for so doing: “We may presume,” says he, “that when travellers talk of the warble of the Cardinal, they mean the Scarlet Cardinal, for the other Cardinal is of the genus of the Grosbeaks, consequently a silent bird.”* This silent bird, however, has been declared by an eminent English naturalist to be almost equal to their own Nightingale! The count also quotes the following passage from Charlevoix to prove the same point, which, if his translator has done him justice, evidently proves the reverse. “It is scarcely more than a hundred leagues,” says this traveller, “south of Canada that the Cardinal begins to be seen. ‘Their song is sweet, their plumage beautiful, and their head wears a crest.” But the Scarlet Tanager is found even in Canada, as well as a hundred leagues to the south, while the Cardinal Grosbeak is not found in any great numbers north of Maryland. The latter, therefore, it is highly probable, was the bird meant by Charlevoix, and not the Scarlet Tanager. Buffon also quotes an extract of a letter from Cuba, which, if the circumstance it relates be true, is a singular proof of the estimation in which the Spaniards hold the Cardinal Grosbeak. “On Wednesday arrived at the port of Havannah, a bark from Florida, loaded with Cardinal birds, skins, and fruit. The Spaniards bought the Cardinal birds at so high a price as ten dollars apiece; and, notwithstanding the public distress, spent on them the sum of 18,000 dollars!” * With a few facts more I shall conclude the history of the Scarlet Tanager: When you approach the nest, the male keeps cautiously at a distance, as if fearful of being seen; while the female hovers around in the greatest agitation and distress. When the young leave the nest, the male parent takes a most active part in feeding and attend- ing them, and is then altogether indifferent of concealment. Passing through an orchard one morning, I caught one of these young birds, that had but lately left the nest. I carried it with me about half a mile, to show it to my friend, Mr. William Bartram; and, having procured a cage, hung it up on one of the large pine-trees in the botanic garden, within a few feet of the nest of an Orchard Oriole, which also contained young; hopeful that the charity or tenderness of the Orioles would induce them to supply the cravings of the stranger. But charity with them, as with too many of the human race, began and ended at home. The poor orphan was altogether neglected, notwith- standing its plaintive cries; aad, as it refused to be fed by me, I was about to return it back to the place where I found it, when, towards the afternoon, a Scarlet Tanager, no doubt its own parent, was seen flutte1- ing round the cage, endeavoring togetin. Finding this impracticable, he flew off, and soon returned with food in his bill, and continued to feed it till after sunset; taking up his lodgings on the higher branches of the same tree. Inthe morning, almost as soon as day broke, he was again seen most actively engaged in the same affectionate man- ner; and, notwithstanding the insolence of the Orioles, continued his benevolent offices the whole day, roosting at night as before. On the * Burron ‘ol. tv. p. 209. t GmMeLLr CarERI. RICE BUNTING. 129 third or fourth day, he appeared extremely solicitous for the liberation of his charge, using every expression of distressful anxiety, and every call and invitation that nature had put in his power, for him to come out. This was too much for the feelings of my venerable friend ; he procured a ladder, and, mounting to the spot where the bird was sus- pended, opened the cage, took out the prisoner, and restored him to liberty and to his parent, who, with notes of great exultation, accom- panied his flight to the woods. The happiness of my good friend was scarcely less complete, and showed itself'in his benevolent countenance ; and I could not refrain saying to myself, —If such sweet sensations can be derived from a single circumstance of this kind, how exquisite —how unspeakably rapturous— must the delight of those individuals have been, who have rescued their fellow-beings from death, chains, and imprisonment, and restored them to the arms of their friends and relations! Surely, in such godlike actions, virtue is its own most abun- dant reward. RICE BUNTING.— EMBERIZA ORYZIVORA. — Fies. 47, 48. Emberiza oryzivora, Linn. Syst. p. 311, 16.—Le Ortolan da la Caroline, Briss. Orn. iii. p. 282, 8, pl. 15, fig. 3. Pl. enl. 388. fig. 1.— L’Agripenne ou J’ortolan de Riz, Buff. Ois. iv. p. 337.— Rice Bird, Catesb. Car. i. pl. 14. — Edw. pl. 2 — Latham, ii. p. 188, No. 25.— Peale’s Museum, No. 6026. DOLYCHONYX ORYZIVORUS.—Swainson. Icterus agripennis, Bonap. Si . p. 53,—- Dolychonyx oryzivorus, Sw. Synop. Birds of Mexico, 435.— North. Zool. ii. p. 278.— Aud. pl. 54. Orn. Biog. i. p- 283. Tus is the Bodlink of the Eastern and Northern States, andthe Rice and Reed Bird of Pennsylvania and the Southern States. Though small in size, he is not so in consequence; his coming is hailed by the sportsman with pleasure ; while the careful planter looks upon him as a devouring scourge, and worse than a plague of locusts. Three good qualities, however, entitle him to our notice, particularly as these three are rarely found in the same individual, — his plumage is beautiful, his song highly musical, and his flesh excellent. I might also add, that the immense range of his migrations, and the havock he commits, are not the least interesting parts of his history.* * To Wilson’s interesting account of the habits of this curious bird, Mr. Audubon adds the following particulars: —In Louisiana they pass under the name of Meadow Birds, and they arrive there in small flocks of males and females abouw the middle of March or beginning of April. Thcir song in spring is extremely in teresting, and, emitted with a volubility bordering on the burlesqee. is heard from a whole party at the same time, and it becomes amusing to hear thirty or forty of them beginning one afler another, as if ordered to follow in quick succession, after the first notes are given by a leader, and producing such a medley as it is impos- sible to describe, although it is extremely pleasant tohear. While you are listening, the whole flock simultaneously ceases, which appears equally extraordinary. This curious exhibition takes place pay time the flock has alighted on a tree. Another curious fact mentioned by this gentleman is, that during their spring 130 RICE BUNTING. The winter residence of this species'I suppose to be from Mexico to the mouth of the Amazon, from whence, in hosts innumerable, they regularly issue every spring; perhaps to both hemispheres, extending their migrations northerly as far as the banks of the Illinois and the shores of the St. Lawrence. Could the fact be ascertained, which has been asserted by some writers, that the emigration of these birds was altogether unknown in this part of the continent, previous to the intro- duction of rice plantations, it would certainly be interesting. Yet, why should these migrations reach at least a thousand miles beyond those places where rice is now planted; and this, not in occasional excursions, but regularly to breed, and rear their young, where rice never was, and probably never will be, cultivated? Their so recent arrival on this part of the continent, I believe to be altogether imagi- nary, because, though there were not a single grain of rice cultivated within the United States, the country produces an exuberance of food of which they are no less fond. Insects of various kinds, grubs, May-flies, and caterpillars, the young ears of Indian corn, and the seed of the wild oats, or, as it is called in Pennsylvania, reeds, (the Zizania aquatica of Linneus,) which grows in prodigious abundance along the marshy shores of our large rivers, furnish, not only them, but millions of Rail, with a delicious subsistence for several weeks. I do not doubt, however, that the introduction of rice, but more particularly the progress of agriculture, in this part of America, has greatly increased their numbers, by multiplying their sources of subsistence fifty fold within the same extent of country, In the month of April, or very early in May, the Rice Bunting, male and female, in the dresses in which they appear in Figs. 47 and 48, arrive within the southern boundaries of the United States, and are seen around the town of Savannah in Georgia, about the 4th of May, sometimes in separate parties of males and females, but more generally promiscuously. They remain there but a short time; and, about the 12th of May, make their appearance in the lower parts of Pennsyl- vania, as they did at Savannah. While here, the males are extremely gay and full of song; frequenting meadows, newly-ploughed fields, sides of creeks, rivers, and watery places, feeding on May-flies and caterpillars, of which they destroy great quantities. In their passage, however, through Virginia, at this season, they do great damage to the early wheat and barley, while in its milky state. About the 20th of May, they disappear, on their way to the north. Nearly at the same time, they arrive in the state of New York, spread over the whole New England States, as far as the River St. Lawrence, from Lake Ontario to the sea; in all of which places, north of Pennsylvania, they remain during the summery, building, and rearing their young. The nest is fixed in the ground, generally in a field of grass; the outside is com- posed of dry leaves and coarse grass, the inside is lined with fine stalks of the same, laid in considerable quantity. The female lays five eggs, of a bluish white, marked with numerous, irregular spots of blackish brown. The song of the male, while the female is sitting, is singular, and very agreeable. Mounting and hovering on wing, at a migrations eastward, they ff monly at night; whereas, in autumn, when they are returning southward, their flight is diurnal. — Ep. RICE BUNTING. BI small height above the field, he chants out such a jingling medley of short, variable notes, uttered with such seeming confusion and rapidity, and continued for a considerable time, that it appears as if half a dozen birds of different kinds were all singing together. Some idea may be formed of this song by striking the high keys of a piano- forte at random, singly and quickly, making as many sudden contrasts of high and low notes as possible. Many of the tones are, in them- selves, charming ; but they succeed each other so rapidly, that the ear can hardly separate them. Nevertheless, the general effect is good; and, when ten or twelve are all singing on the same tree, the concert is singularly pleasing. I kept one of these birds for a long time, to observe its change of color. During the whole of April, May, and June, it sang almost continually. In the month of June, the color of the male begins to change, gradually assimilating to that of the female, and before the beginning of August it is difficult to distinguish the one from the other, both being then in the dress of Fig. 48. At this time, also, the young birds are so much like the female, or rather like both parents, and the males so different in appearance from what they were in spring, that thousands of people in Pennsylvania, to this day, persist in believing them to be a different species altogether; while others allow them, indeed, to be the same, but confidently assert that they are all females—none but females, according to them, returning in the fall; what becomes of the males they are totally at a loss to conceive. Even Mr. Mark Catesby, who resided for years in the coun- try they inhabit, and who, as he himself informs us, examined by dis- section great numbers of them in the fall, and repeated his experi- ment the succeeding year, lest he should have been mistaken, declares that he uniformly found them to be females. These assertions must appear odd to the inhabitants of the Eastern States, to whom the change of plumage in these birds is familiar, as it passes immediately under their eye; and also to those who, like myself, have kept thern in cages, and witnessed their gradual change of color.* That accu- rate observer, Mr. William Bartram, appears, from the following extract, to have taken notice of, or at least suspected, this change of color in these birds, more than forty years ago. “Being in Charles- ton,” says he, “in the month of June, I observed a cage full of Rice Birds, that is, of the yellow, or female color, who were very merry and vociferous, having the same variable music with the pied, or male bird, which I thought extraordinary, and, observing it to the gentle- man, he assured me that they were all of the male kind, taken the pre- ceding spring, but had changed their color, and would be next spring of the color of the pied, thus changing color with the seasons of the year. If this is really the case, it appears they are both of the same species intermixed, spring and fall.” Without, however, implicating the veracity of Catesby, who, I have no doubt, believed as he wrote, a few words will easily explain why he was deceived: The internal * The beautiful plumage of the male represented on the plate, is that during the breeding season, and is lost as soon as the duties incumbent thereon are completed. Tn this we have a se analogy with some nearly allied African Fringillide. The genus Dolyconyx bas becn made by Mr. Swainson to contain this curious and interesting form: by that gentleman it is placed in the aberrant families of the Sturnidee. — Ep 132 RICE BUNTING. organization of undomesticated birds, of all kinds, undergoes a *e- markable change every spring and summer; and those who wish to ascertain this point by dissection will do well to remember, that in this bird those parts that characterize the male are, in autumn, no larger than the smallest pin’s head, and in young birds of the first year can scarcely be discovered; though in spring their magnitude in each is at least one hundred times greater. To an unacquaintance with this extraordinary circumstance, I am persuaded, has been owing the mis- take of Mr. Catesby, that the females only return in the fall; for the same opinion I long entertained myself, till a more particular examina- tion showed me the source of my mistake. Since that, I have opened and examined many hundreds of these birds, in the months of Sep- tember and October, and, on the whole, have found about as many males as females among them. The latter may be distinguished from the former by being of a rather more shining yellow on the breast and belly: it is the same with the young birds of the first season. During the breeding season, they are dispersed over the country; but, as soon as the young are able to fly, they collect together in great multitudes, and pour down on the oat-fields of New England like a torrent, depriving the proprietors of a good tithe of their harvest; but, in return, often supply his table with a very delicio1s dish. From all parts of the north and western regions, they direct their course towards the south; and, about the middle of August, revisit Pennsylvania, on their route to winter quarters. For several days, they seem to confine themselves to the fields and uplands; but, as soon as the seeds of the reed are ripe, they resort to the shores of the Delaware and Schuylkill in multitudes; and these places, during the remainder of their stay, appear to be their grand rendezvous. The reeds, or wild oats, furnish them with such abundance of nutritious food, that in a short time they become extremely fat, and are supposed, by some of our epicures, to be equal to the famous Ortolans of Europe. Their note at this season is a single chink, and is heard overhead, with little intermission, from morning to night. These are halcyon days for our gunners of all descriptions, and many a lame and rusty gun-barrel is put in requisi- tion for the sport. The report of musketry along the reedy shores of the Schuylkill and Delaware is almost incessant, resembling a running fire. The markets of Philadelphia, at this season, exhibit proofs of the prodigious havock made among these birds ; for almost every stall is ornamented with strings of Reed Birds. This sport, however, is considered inferior to that of Rail shooting, which is carried on at the same season and places, with equal slaughter. Of this, as well as of the Rail itself, we shall give a particular account in its proper place. Whatever apology the people of the Eastern and Southern States may have for the devastation they spread among the Rice and Reed Birds, tic Pennsylvanians — at least those living in this part of it — have little to plead in justification but the pleasure of destruction, or the savory dish they furnish their tables with ; for the oat harvest is gen- erally secured before the great body of these birds arrive, the Indian corn too ripe and hard, and the reeds seem to engross all their atten- tion. But in the states south of Maryland, the harvest of early wheat and barley in spring, and the numerous plantations of rice in fall, suffer severely. Early in October, or as soon as the nights begin to RED-EYED FLYCATCHER. 133 set in cold, they disappear from Pennsylvania, directing their course to the south. At this time they swarm among the rice fields; and appear in the :sland of Cuba in immense numbers, in search of the same delicious grain. About the middle of October, they visit the island of Jamaica in equal numbers, where they are called Butter Birds. They feed on the seed of the Guinea grass, and are also in high esteem there for the table.* Thus it appears that the regions north of the fortieth degree of latitude, are the breeding places of these birds; that their migrations northerly are performed from March to May, and their return southerly from August to November; their precise winter quarters, or farthest retreat southerly, are not exactly known. The Rice Bunting is seven inches and a half long, and eleven and a half in extent. His spring dress is as follows : — Upper part of the head, wings, tail, and sides of the neck, and whole lower parts, black ; the feathers frequently skirted with brownish yellow, as he passes into the colors of the female; back of the head, a cream color ; back, black, seamed with brownish yellow; scapulars, pure white; rump and tail- coverts the same; lower part of the back, bluish white; tail, formed like those of the Woodpecker genus, and often used in the same man- ner, being thrown in to support it while ascending the stalks of the reed; this habit of throwing in the tail it retains even in the cage; legs, a brownish flesh color; hind heel, very long; bill, a bluish horn color; eye, hazel; see Fig. 47. In the month of June this plumage gradually changes to a brownish yellow, like that of the female, (Fig. 48,) which has the back streaked with brownish black; whole lower parts, dull yellow; bill, reddish flesh color; legs and eyes as in the male. The young birds retain the dress of the female until the early part of the succeeding spring; the plumage of the female undergoes no material change of color. RED-EYED FLYCATCHER. —MUSCICAPA OLVIACEA. — Fie 49. Linn. Syst. it 327, 14. Gobe mouche de Ja Caroline et de Ja Jamaique, Buff. iv. p. 539, Edw. t. 253. — Catesb. t. 54.— Lath. Syn. iii. p.351, No. 52. — Musci- capa sylvicola, Bartram, p. 290.— Peale’s Museum, No. 6675. VIREO OLIVACEUS. — Bonaparte. Vireo olivaceus, Bonap. Suna, ‘i 7T1.— Vireo olivaceus, Red-eyed Greenlet, orth. Zool. ii. p. 233. Tuis is a numerous species, though confined chiefly to the woods and forests, and, like all the rest of its tribe that visit Pennsylvania, is a bird of passage. It arrives here late in April; has a loud, lively, * Rennew’s Fist, Jinn, 12 134 RED-EYED FLYCATCHER. and energetic song, which it continues, as it hunts among the thick foliage, sometimes for an hour with little intermission. In the months of May, June, and to the middle of July, it is the most distinguishable of all the other warblers of the forest; and even in August, long after the rest have almost all become mute, the notes of the Red-eyed Fly- catcher are frequently heard with unabated spirit. These notes are in short, emphatical bars, of two, three, or four syllables. In Jamaica, where this bird winters, and is probably also resident, it is called, as Sloane informs us, Whip-tom-kelly, from an imagined resemblance of its notes to these words. And, indeed, on attentively listening for some time to this bird in his full ardor of song, it requires but little of imagination to fancy that you hear it pronounce these words, “'Tom- kelly, whip-tom-kelly!” very distinctly. It inhabits from Georgia to the River St. Lawrence, leaving Pennsylvania about the middle of September. This bird builds, in the month of May, a small, neat, pensile nest, generally suspended between two twigs of a young dog-wood or other small sapling. It is hung by the two upper edges, seldom ata greater height than four or five feet from the ground. It is formed of pieces of hornets’ nests, some flax, fragments of withered leaves, slips of vine bark, bits of paper, al] glued together with the saliva of the bird, and the silk of caterpillars, so as to be very compact; the inside is lined with fine slips of grape-vine bark, fibrous grass, and sometimes hur. These nests are so durable, that I have often known them to resist tLe action of the weather for a year; and, in one instance, I have fouad the nest of the Yellow-Bird built in the cavity of one of those of the preceding year. The mice very often take possession of them after they are abandoned by the owners. The eggs are four, sometimes five, pure white, except near the great end, where they are marked with a few small dots of dark brown or reddish. They generally raise two broods in the season. The Red-eyed Flycatcher is one of the adopted nurses of the Cow Bird, and a very favorite one, showing all the symptoms of affection for the foundling, and as much solicitude for its safety, as if it were its own. The figure of that singular bird, accompanied by a particular account of its history, is given in Fig. 83. Before I take leave of this bird, it may not be amiss to observe that there is another, and a rather less species of Flycatcher, somewhat resembling the Red-eyed, which is frequently found in its company. Its eyes are hazel; its back more cinereous than the other, and it has a single light streak over the eye. The notes of this bird are low, somewhat. plaintive, but warbled out with great sweetness, and form a striking contrast with those of the Red-eyed Flycatcher. I think it probable that Dr. Barton had reference to this bird when he made the following remarks, (see his Fragments of the Natural History of Penn- sylvania, page 19 :) — “ Muscicapa olivacea. — 1 do not think with Mr. Pennant that this is the same bird as the Whup-tom-kelly of the West Indies. Our bird has no such note, buta great variety of soft, tender, and agreeable notes. It inhabits forests, and does not, like the West India bird, build a pendulous nest.” Had the learned professor, however, examined into this matter with his usual accuracy, he would have found that the JMuscicapa olivacea, and the soft and tender song- MARSH WREN. 135 ster he mentions, are two very distinct species , and that both the one and the other actually build very curious, pendulous nests. This species is five inches and a half long, and seven inches in ex tent; crown, ash, slightly tinged with olive, bordered on each side with a line of black, below which is a line of white passing from the nostril over and a little beyond the eye; the bill is longer than usual with birds of its tribe, the upper mandible overhanging the lower consid erably, and notched, dusky above, and light, blue below; all the rest of the plumage above is of a yellow olive, relieved on the tail, and at the tips of the wings, with brown; chin, throat, breast, and belly, pure white ; inside of the wings and vent-feathers, greenish yellow; the tail is very slightly forked; legs and feet, light blue; iris of the eye, red. The female is marked nearly in the same manner. and is distin- guishable only by the greater obscurity of the colors. MARSH WREN.—CERTHIA PALUSTRIS. — Fie. 50. Lath. Syn. Suvpl. p. 244.—Motacilla palustris, (regulus minor,) Bartram, p. 291. — Peule’s Museum, No. 7282. TROGLODYTES PALUSTRIS. — Bonaparte. Troglodytes palustris, Bonap. Synop. p.93.— The Marsh Wren, Aud. pl. 100. Te EY Onn. Bhog. cp. Uh Norin, Doel. i. p. 48. Tus obscure but spirited little species has been almost overlooked by the naturalists of Europe, as well as by those of its own country. The singular attitude in which it is represented will be recognized, by those acquainted with its manners, as one of its most common and favorite ones, while skipping through among the reeds and rushes. The Marsh Wren arrives in Pennsylvania about the middle of May, or as soon as the reeds and a species of nymphea, usually called splatter- docks, which grow in great luxuriance along the tide water of our rivers, are sufficiently high to shelter it. To such places it almost wholly limits its excursions, seldom venturing far from the river. Its food consists of flying insects, and their larve, and a species of green grasshoppers that inhabit the reeds. As to its notes, it would be mere burlesque to call them by the name of song. Standing on the reedy borders of the Schuy!kill or Delaware, in the month of June, you hear a low, crackling sound, something similar to that produced by air bub- bles forcing their way through mud cr boggy ground when trod upon; this is the song of the Marsh Wren. But as, among the human race, it is not given to one man to excel in every thing, and yet each, per- haps, has something peculiarly his own, so, among birds, we find a like distribution of talents and peculiarities. The little bird now be- fore us, if deficient and contemptible in singing, excels in the art of design, and constructs a nest, which, in durability warmth, and conve- C Fe 136 MARSH WREN. nience, is scarcely inferior to one. and far superior to many, of its more musical brethren. This is formed outwardly of wet rushes mixed with mud, well intertwisted, and fashioned into the form of a cocoa nut. A small hole is left two thirds up, for entrance, the upper edge of which projects like a pent-house over the lower, to prevent the admission of rain. The inside is lined with fine, soft grass, and sometimes feathers ; and the outside, when hardened by the sun, resists every kind of weath- er. This nest is generally suspended among the reeds, above the reach of the highest tides, and is tied so fast in every part to the sur- rounding reeds, as to bid defiance to the winds and the waves. The eggs are usually six, of a dark fawn color, and very small. The young leave the nest about the 20th of June, and they generally have a sec- ond brood in the same season. The size, general color, and Habit of this bird of erecting its tail, give it, to a superficial observer, something of the appearance of the Common House Wren, represented in Fig. 31; and still more that of the Winter Wren, Fig. 34; but with the former of these it never asso- ciates; and the latter has left us some time before the Marsh Wren makes his appearance. About the middle of August, they begin to go off; and, on the 1st of September, very few of them are to be seen. How far north the migrations of this species extend, I am unable to say; none of them, to my knowledge, winter in Georgia, or any of the Southern States. The Marsh Wren is five inches long, and six in extent; the whole upper parts are dark brown, except the upper part of the head, back of the neck, and middle of the back, which are black, the two last streaked with white; the tail is short, rounded, and barred with black ; wings, slightly barred; a broad strip of white passes over the eye half way down the neck; the sides of the neck are also mottled with touch- es of a light elay color on a whitish ground; whole under parts, pure silvery ite, except the vent, which is tinged with brown; the legs are light brown; the hind claw, large, semicircular, and very sharp; bill, slender, slightly bent; nostrils, prominent; tongue, narrow, very tapering, sharp pointed, and horny at the extremity; eye, hazel. The female almost exactly resembles the male in plumage. From the above description, and a view of Fig. 50, the naturalist will perceive that this species is truly a Certhia, or Creeper; and in- deed its habits confirm this, as it is cc-atinually climbing along the stalks of reeds, and other aquatic plants, n search of insects. GkEAT CAROLINA WHEN. 137 GREAT CAROLINA WREN.—CERTHIA CAROLINIANA.— Fie. 51. Le Roitelet de la Louisiana, Pi. ent. 730, fig. 1.— Lath. Syn. vii. p. 507, var. B. — Le Troglodytes de la Louisiana, Buff. Ois. v. p. 361.— Motacilla Caroliniana, (regulus magnus,) Bartram, p. 291. — Peale’s Museum, No. 7248. TROGLODYTES LUDOVICIANUS. — Bonaparte. Troglodytes Ludovicianus, Bonap. Synop. p. 93.—The Great Carolina Wren, Aud. pl. 78, male and female. Orn. Biog. i. p. 399. Turs is another of those equivocal species that so often occur to puzzle the naturalist. The general appearance of this bird is such, that the most illiterate would at first sight call ita Wren; but the Common Wren of Europe, and the Winter Wren of the United States, are both Warblers, judging them according to the simple principle of Linneus. The present species, however, and the preceding, (the Marsh Wren, ) though possessing great family likeness to those above mentioned, are decisively Creepers, if the bill, the tongue, nostrils, and claws, are to be the criteria by which we are to class them. The color of the plumage of birds is but an uncertain and inconstant guide; and though in some cases it serves to furnish a trivial or specific appellation, yet can never lead us to the generic one. I have, there- fore, notwithstanding the general appearance of these birds, and the practice of former ornithologists, removed them to the genus Certhia, from that of Motacilla, where they have hitherto been placed.* This bird is frequently seen, early in May, along the shores of the Delaware, and other streams that fall into it on both sides, thirty or forty miles below Philadelphia; but is rather rare in Pennsylvania. This circumstance is a little extraordinary; since, from its size and stout make, it would seem more capable of braving the rigors of a northern climate than any of the others. It can, however, scarcely be called migratory. In the depth of winter I found it numerous in Vir- ginia, along the shores and banks of the James River, and its tributary streams, and thence as far south as Savannah. I also observed it on * Of this bird, and some others, Vieillot formed his genus Tryothorus, containing the larger Wrens, with long, and somewhat curved bills, and possessing, if possi- ble, more of the habits of the Creepers. This has, with almost universal consent, been laid aside even as a sub-genus, and they are all included in Troglodytes. Read the descriptions of our author, or of Audubon, and the habits of the Wren will be at once perceived. ‘Its tail,” says the latter ornithologist, “ is almost ce ..- stantly erect ; and before it starts to make the least flight, it uses a quick mo‘.on, which brings its body almost in contact with the object on which it stands. The quickness of the motions of this little bird is fully equal to that of a mousc . it ap- pears, and is out of sight in a moment; peeps into a crevice, passes rapidly through it, and shows itself at a different place the next instant. These Wrens often sing from the roof of an abandoned flat-boat. When the song is finished, they creep from one board to another, thrust themselves through an auger hole, entering the boat’s side at one place, and peeping out at another.” In them we have exactly “portrayed the manners of our British Wren, when engaged about a heap of rubbish, old stones, or a a farm yard. — Ep. 12* SSS ee ES 138 GREAT CAROLINA WREN. the banks of the Ogechee. It seemed to be particularly attached to the borders of cypress swamps, deep hollows, among piles of old, de- caying timber, and by rivers and small creeks. It has all the restless, jerking manners of the Wrens, skipping about with great nimbleness, hopping into caves, and disappearing into holes and crevices, like a tat, for several minutes, and then reappearing in another quarter. It occasionally utters a loud, strong, and singular twitter, resembling the word chirr-rup, dwelling long and strongly on the first syllable; and so loud, that I at first mistook it for the Red-Bird, (U. cardinalis.) It has also another chant, rather more musical, like “ Sweet William Sweet William,” much softer than the former. Though I cannot positively say, from my own observations, that it builds in Pennsylvania, and have never yet been so fortunate as to find its nest, yet, from the cir- cumstance of having several times observed it within a quarter of a mile of the Schuylkill, in the month of August, I hsve no doubt that some few breed here, and think it highly probable that Pennsylvania and New York may be the northern boundaries of their visits, having sought for it in vain among the states of New England. Its food ap- pears to consist of those insects, and their larve, that frequent low, damp caves, piles of dead timber, old roots, projecting banks of creeks, &c. It certainly possesses the faculty of seeing in the dark better than day birds usually do; for I have observed it exploring the re- cesses of caves, where a good acute eye must have been necessary to enable it to distinguish its prey. . In the Southern States, as well as in Louisiana, this species is gen- erally resident; though in summer they are more numerous, and are found rather farther north than in winter. Jn this last season their chirrupping is frequently heard in gardens soon after daybreak, and along the borders of the great rivers of the Southern States, not far from the sea-coast, The Great Wren of Carolina is five ches and a quarter long, and seven broad; the whole upper parts are reddish brown, the wings and tail being barred with black; a streak of yellowish white runs from the nostril over the eye, down the side of the neck, nearly to the back; below that, a streak of reddish brown extends from the pos- . terior part of the eye to the shoulder; the chin is yellowish white; the breast, sides, and belly, a light rust color, or reddish buff; vent- feathers, white, neatly barred with black ; in the female, plain; wing- coverts, minutely tipped with white ; legs and feet, flesh-colored, and very strong; bill, three quarters of an inch long, strong, a little bent, grooved, and pointed ; the upper mandible, bluish black ; lower, light blue ; nostrils, oval, partly covered with a prominent, convex mem- brane; tongue, pointed and slender; eyes, hazel; tail, cuneiform, the two exterior feathers on each side three quarters of an inch shorter, whitish on their exterior edges, and touched with deeper black; the same may be said of the three outer primaries. The female wants the white on: the wing-coverts, but differs little in color from the male. In this species I have observed a circumstance common to the House and Winter Wren, but which is not found in the Marsh Wren — the feathers of the lower part of the back, when parted by the hand. or breath, appear spotted with white, being at bottom deep ash, reddish YELLOW-THRC AT WARBLER. 139 brown at the surface, and each feather with a spot of white between ihese two colors. This, however, cannot be perceived without parting the feathers. ——_—_—_ YELLOW-THROAT WARBLER. — SYLVIA FLAVICOLLIS. — Fie. 52. Yellow-throat Warbler,® Arct. Zool. p. 400. No, 286,— Catesb. i. 62.— Lath. ii, 437.— La Mesange gre a gorse jaune, Buff. v. 454.— La gorge jaune de St. Domingue, Pl. end. 6 6, fig. 1. SYLVICOLA FLAVICOLLIS, — Swainson. Sylvia pensilis, Bonap. Synop. p. 79. —S. pensilis, Lath. Tue habits of this beautiful species, like those of the preceding, are not consistent with the shape and construction of its bill; the for- mer would rank it with the Titmouse, or with the Creepers; the latter is decisively that of the Warbler. The first opportunity I had of examining a living specimen of this bird, was in the southern parts of Georgia, in the month of February. Its notes, which were pretty * As with many others, there has been some confusion in the synonymes of this . species, and it has been described under different names by the same authors. That of flavicollis, adopted by our author, is characteristic of the markings ; whereas pensilis, of Latham and Vieillot, is applicable to the whole group 3 and perhaps re- storing Wilson’s name will create less confusion than taking one less known. The genus Sylvicola, with the sub-genus Vermivora, have been used by Mr. Swainson to designate almost all those birds in North America, which will represent the Eu- ropean Sylviane, or Warblers. They are generally of a stronger make; the bill, though slender, is more conical, and the wings have the first and second quills of nearly equal length. The general dress is chaste and unobtrusive 5 but, at the same time, we have exceptions, showing great brilliancy and beauty of coloring. Their habits are precisely the same with our Warblers. They frequent woods and thick- ets. They are in constant motion, creeping and clinging about the branches, and inspecting the crevices in the bark, or under sides of the leaves, in search of insects When their duties of incubation are over, they become less retired, and, with their broods, assemble in the gardens and cultivated grounds, where they find sustenance in the various fruits and berries. The notes of all are sprightly and pleasant; and a few possess a melody hardly inferior to the best songsters of Europe. » Mr. Audubon has figured the following birds, which appear to rank under this genus, as hitherto undescribed : — Sylvia Rathbonia, Aud., male and female, plate xv. He met with this species only once; it is entirely of a bright yellow color, about four and a half inches in length. The bill appears more ‘bent than in the typical species. Sylvia Roscoe, Aud. plate xxiv. male; looking more like a Trichas, shot on the Mississippi, the only one seen. The colors of the upper parts are dark olive, a slender white streak over each eye, and a broad black band from the eye downwards ; the under parts, yellow. Sylvia Childrenii, Aud. plate xxxy. ; killed in the state of Louisiana ; only two specimens were met with. General color of the plumage, yellowish green ; length, about four inches and three quarters. We cannot but regret the want of specimens of these interesting and rare species. Their authority will rest upon Mr. Audubon’s plates. It is impossible, from them alone, to say, with precision, that they belong to this genus 5 and they are placed in it provisionally, with the view of making the list as complete as possible, and to some them out to others who may have the opportunity of examining them. —LD. 146 TYRANT FLYCATCHER, OR KING BIRD. loud and spirited, very much resembled those of the Indigo Bird. It continued a considerable time on the same pine-tree, creeping around the branches, and among the twigs, inthe manner of the Titmouse, uttering its song every three or four minutes. On flying to another tree, it frequently alighted on the body, and ran nimbly up or down, spirally and perpendicularly, in search of insects. I had afterwards many opportunities of seeing others of the same species, and found them all to correspond in these particulars. This was about the 24th of February, and the first of their appearance there that spring, for they leave the United States about three months during winter, and, consequently, goto no great distance. JI had been previously informed that they also pass the summer in Virginia, and in the southern parts of Maryland ; but they very rarely proceed as far north as Pennsyl- vania, This species is five inches and a half in length, and eight anda half broad; the whole back, hind head, and rump, are a fine light slate color; the tail is somewhat forked, black, and edged with light slate; the wings are also black, the three shortest secondaries, broadly edged with light blue; all the wing-quills are slightly edged with the same; the first row of wing-coverts is tipped and edged with white, the second, wholly white, or nearly so; the frontlet, ear-feathers, lores, and above the temple, are black; the line between the eye and nostril, whole throat, and middle of the breast, brilliant golden yellow; the lower eyelid, line over the eye, and spot behind the ear-feathers, as well as the whole lower parts, are pure white; the yellow on the throat is bordered with touches of black, which also extend along the sides, under the wings; the bill is black, and faithfully represented in the figure; the legs and feet, yellowish brown; the claws, extremely fine pointed; the tongue, rather cartilaginous, and lacerated at the end. The female has the wings of a dingy brown, and the whole colors, particularly the yellow on the throat, much duller; the young birds of the first season are without the yellow. a —~+—_—_ TYRANT FLYCATCHER, OR KING BIRD.— MUSCICAPA TYRANNUS.#* — Fie. 53. Lanius tyrannus, Lin. Syst. 136.—Lath. Syn. i. 186. — Catesb. i. 55. —Le Tyran* de la Caroline, Buff. iv. 577. Pl. enl. 676.— Arct. Zool. p. 384. No. 263.— Peale’s Museum, No. 578. TYRANNUS INTREPIDUS, Vie1..o0t. Muscicapa tyrannus, Bonap. Biman p. 66.— Tyrannus intrepidus, Vieill. Gal. des Ois. pl. 133.— North. Zool. ii. 137.— The Tyrant Flycatcher, Aud. pl. 79, male and female. Orn. Biog. i. 403. Tuis is the Field Martin of Maryland and some of the Southern States, and the King Bird of Pennsylvania and several of the * Among the fanily of the Lanaidw, North America possesses only two of the sub-families ; the ypical one, Laniane, represented by Lanius, and an aberrant TYRANT FLYCATCHER, OR KING BIRD. 141 northern districts. The epithet Tyrant, which is generally applied to him by naturalists, I am not altogether so well satisfied with; some, however, may think the two terms pretty nearly synonymous. form, Tyrannine, represented by Tyrannus. Of the former, we have already seen an example at page 49. ‘I'hese are comparatively few ; the great bulk of that form being confined to Africa and the warmer parts of Asia and India; and, with the latter, we enter into the great mass of American Flycatchers, ranging over both the continents, particularly the southern. “Tropical America,” Mr. Swainson remarks, “swarms with the Tyrannine, so much so, that several mdividuals, of three or four species, may be seen in the sur- rounding trees at the same moment, watching for passing insects; each, however, looks out for its own particular prey, and does not interfere with such as appear destined by Nature for its stronger and less feeble associates. It is only towards the termination of the rainy season, when myriads of the Termites and Formice emerge from the earth in their winged state, that the whole family of Tyrants, of all sizes and species, commence a regular and simultaneous attack upon the thou- sands which then spring from the ground.” From their long-accepted name we have some idea of their manners. They possess extensive powers of locomotion, to enable them to secure a prey at once active and vigilant ; and their long and sharp wings are beautifully formed for quick and, rapid flight.* The tail, next in importance as a locomotive organ, is also generally of a form joining the greatest advantages, — that of a forked shape ; in some with the exterior feathers extending to a considerable length, while, in others, certainly only slightly divaricating, or nearly square; but never, as among the Thamnophiline, or Bush Shrikes, of a graduated or rounded form, where the individuals seek their prey by stealth and prowling, and require no great extent of flight ; on the other hand, those organs of less utility for securing the means of sus- tenance, are of much inferior strength and power. The accessory members for seizing their inseet prey are, in like manner, adapted to their other powers ; the bill, though of considerable strength, is flattened ; the rictus being ample, and fur- nished with bristles. The genus Tyrannus, however, does not entirely feed on insects when on wing, like the smaller Z’yrannulce, but, as shown by Mr. Swainson, will also feed on small fish and aquatic insects ; and, if this fact be united with the weak formation of the tarsi, and, in several species, having the toes united at the base, there will be an evident connection between ihis group and the Fissirostres, That gentleman, in the second volume of the Northern Zoology, relates a fact from his journal when resident in Brazil, most beautifully illustrative of this affinity, and shows the value of attending to all circumstances relative to the habits of in- dividuals, which, though, like the present, of no importance alone, will, when taken’ in connection with other views, be of the very utmost consequence. “ April 7, 1817. Sitting in the house this morning, I suddenly heard a splash in the lake close to the window ; on looking out, I saw a common Gray-breasted Tyrant (Tyrannus cru- delis) perched upon a dead branch hanging over the water, plunging and drying itself. Intent upon watching this bird, I saw it, within a quarter of an hour, dive into the lake two successive times, after some small fish or aquatic insects, precisely like a Kingfisher ; this action was done with amazing celerity, and it then took its former station to plume and dry its feathers.” Here we have exactly the habits of the Kingfisher ; and I believe a contrariety of manner, equally worthy of remark, is observed among some of the Dacelones, frequenting woods, and darting by sur- prise on the larger insects. Both tribes have another similarity in their economy, and delight to sit motionless, either watching their prey, or plauming and resting on the extremity or top of some dead branch, pale, or peaked rock. With regard to the Tyrant’s being not only carnivorous, but preying also on the weaker reptiles, we have the authority of Azara, who mentions the common Tyrannus sulphuratus, or Bentivo of Brazil, as “S’approchent des animaux morts pour )’emporter des debris et des petits morceaux de chair que laissent les Caragaras.” And Mr. Swainson (North. Zool. ii. 133) has himself taken from the stomach of this species * In many species the quills become suddenly emarginated at the tips. This also occurs in the sub-genera Milvulus and Wegeta, both much allied, and possessing great powers of flight. 142 TYRANT FLYCATCHER, OR KING BIRD. The trivial name King, as well as Tyrant, has been bestowed on this bird for its extraordinary behavior, and the authority it assumes over all others during the time of breeding. At that season his ex- treme affection for his mate, and for his nest and young, makes him suspicious of every bird that happens to pass near his residence, so that he attacks, without discrimination, every intruder. In the months of May, June, and part of July, his life is one continued scene of broils and battles; in which, however, he generally comes off con- queror. Hawks and Crows, the Bald Eagle, and the Great Black Eagle, all equally dread a rencounter with this dauntless little cham- pion, who, as soon as he perceives one of these last approaching, launches into the air to meet him, mounts to a considerable height above him, and darts down on his back, sometimes fixing there to the great annoyance of his sovereign, who, if no convenient retreat or resting-place be near, endeavors by various evolutions to rid himself of his merciless adversary. But the King Bird is not so easily dis- mounted. He teases the Eagle incessantly, sweeps upon him from right to left, remounts, that he may descend on his back with the greater violence; all the while keeping up a shrill and rapid twitter- ing; and continuing the attack sometimes for more than a mile, till he is relieved by some other of his tribe equally eager for the contest. There is one bird, however, which, by its superior rapidity of flight, is sometimes more than a match for him; andI have several times witnessed his precipitate retreat before this active antagonist. This is the Purple Martin, one whose food and disposition are pretty similar to his own, but who has greatly the advantage of him on wing, in eluding all his attacks, and teasing him as he pleases. I have also seen the Red-headed Woodpecker, while clinging on a rail of the fence, amuse himself with the violence of the King Bird, and play bo-peep with him round the rail, while the latter, highly irritated, made every attempt, as he swept from side to side, to strike him — but in vain. All this turbulence, however, vanishes as soon as his young are able to lizards, in an entire state, sufficiently large to excite surprise how they possibly could have been swallowed by the bird; it is also here that we have the habits, and, in some respects, the form of the Laniane, serving at the other extremity as a connecting link. The North American species, coming under the definition which we would wish to adopt for this group, are comparatively few. A new and more northern species is added by the authors of the Northern Zoology,* — the Tyrannus borealis, Sw. Only one specimen of this species, which Mr. Swainson considers undescribed, was procured. It was shot on the banks of the Saskatchewan River. Like the King Bird, it is found in the Fur countries only in summer. It is considerably smaller than the Tyrannus intrepidus, and may at once be distinguished from it by the forked tail not tipped with white, and much shorter tarsi, as well as by very evident differences in the colors of the plumage. Its bill is rather more depressed at the base, and its lower mandible is dissimilar to the upper one; the relative length of the tail-feathers in the two species are also different; the first of 7’. bo- realis, shorter than the third, the fourth being farther apart from the latter than in T. intrepidus. — Ep. * They are also bacciv yrous, as shown by our author in the description of this species and T. crinitus. TYRANT FLYCATCHER, OR KING BIRD. 143 shift for themselves: and he is then as mild and peaceable as any other bird. But he has a wors2 habit than all these,—one much more obnoxious to the husbandman, and often fatal to himself. He loves, not the honey, but the bees ; and, it must be confessed, is frequently on the look-out for these little industrious insects. He plants himself on a post of the fence, or on a small tree in the garden, not far from the hives, and from thence sallies on them as they pass and repass, making great havock among their numbers. His shrill twitter, so near to the house, gives intimation to the farmer of what is going on, and the gun soon closes his career forever. Man arrogates to himself, in this case, the exclusive privilege of murder; and, after putting thousands of these same little insects to death, seizes on the fruits of their labor. The King Birds arrive in Pennsylvania about the 20th of April, sometimes in small bodies of five and six together, and are at first very silent, until they begin to pair, and build their nest. This gener- ally takes place about the first week in May. The nest is very often built in the orchard, on the horizontal branch of an apple-tree; fre- quently also, at Catesby observes, on a sassafras-tree, at no great height from the ground. The outside consists of small slender twigs, tops of withered flowers of the plant yarrow, and others, well wove together with tow and wool; and is made large, and remarkably firm and compact. It is usually lined with fine, dry, fibrous grass, and horse hair. The eggs are five, of a very pale cream color, or dull white, marked with a few, large spots of deep purple, and other smaller ones of light brown, chiefly, though not altogether, towards the great end. They generally build twice in the season. The King Bird is altogether destitute of song, having only the shrill twitter above mentioned. His usual mode of flight is singular. The vibrations of his broad wings, as he moves slowly over the fields, resemble those of a Hawk hovering and settling in the air to recon- noitre the ground below; and the object of the King Bird is no doubt something similar, viz., to look out for passing insects, either in the air, or among the flowers and blossoms below him. In fields of pasture he often takes his stand on the tops of the mullein, and other rank weeds, near the cattle, and makes occasional sweeps after passing insects, particularly the large, black gadfly, so terrifying to horses and cattle. His eye moves restlessly around him, traces the flight of an insect for a moment or two, then that of a second, and even a third, until he perceives one to his liking, when, with a shrill sweep, he pursues, seizes it, and returns to the same spot again, to look out for more. This habit is so conspicuows when he is watching the bee-hive, that several intelligent farmers of my acquaintance are of opinion that, he picks out only the drones, and never injures the working bees. Be this as it may, he certainly gives a preference to one bee, and one species of insect, over another. He hovers over the river, sometimes for a considerable time, darting after insects that frequent such places, snatching them from the surface of the water, and diving about in the air like a Swallow; for he possesses at will great powers of wing. Numbers of them are frequently seen thus engaged, for hours together, over the Rivers Delaware and Schuylkill, in a calm day, particularly towards evening. He bathes himself by diving repeatedly into the 144 TYRANT FLYCATC.{ER, OR KING BIRD. water from the overhanging branches of some tree, where he sits to dry and dress his plumage. Whatever antipathy may prevail against him for depredations on the drones, or, if you will, on the bees, I can assure the cultivator that this bird is greatly his friend, in destroying multitudes of insects, whose larve prey “+ harvests of his fields, particularly his corn, fruit-trees, cucumue.., » +m kins. These noxious insects are the daily food of this bird; a:.. he destroys, upon a very moderate average, some hundreds of them daily. The death of every King Bird is therefore an actual loss to the farmer, by multiplying the numbers of destructive insects, and encouraging the depredations of Crows, Hawks, and Eagles, who avoid as much as possible his imme- diate vicinity. For myself, I must say that the King Bird possesses no common share of my regard. I honor this little bird for his extreme affection for his young; for his contempt of danger, and unexampled intrepidity ; for his meekness of behavior when there are no calls on his courage, a quality which, even in the human race, is justly consid- ered so noble: In peace there’s nothing so becomes a man As modest stillness and humility ; But when the blast of war, &c. 5 but, above all, I honor and esteem this bird for the millions of ruin- ous vermin which he rids us of; whose depredations, in one season, but for the services of this and other friendly birds, would far over- balance all the produce of the bee-hives in fifty. As a friend to this persecuted bird, and an enemy to prejudices of every description, will the reader allow me to set this mater in a somewhat clearer and stronger light, by presenting him with a short poetical epitome of the King Bird’s history ? f Far in the south, where vast Maragnon flows, And boundless forests unknown wilds enclose ; Vine-tangled shores, and suffocating woods, Parched up with heat or drowned with pouring floods ; Where each extreme alternately prevail, And Nature sad their ravages bewails ; Lo! high im air, above those trackless wastes, With spring’s return the King Bird hither hastes ; Coasts the famed Gulf,* and, from his height, explores Its thousand streams, its Jong-indented shores, Its plains immense, wide opening on the day, Its lakes and isles, where feathered millions play : All tempt not him; till, gazing from on high, Coxiumsra’s regions wide below him lie ; There end his wanderings and his wish to roam, There lie his native woods, his fields, his home ; Down, circling, he descends, from azure heights, And on a full-blown sassafras alights. Fatigued and silent, for a while he views His old frequented haunts, and shades recluse ; Sees brothers, comrades, every hour arrive — Hears. humming round, the tenants of the hive: Love fires his breast ; he wooes, and soon is blest; And in the blooming orchard builds his nest. * OF Mexico. TYRANT FLYCATC.IER, OR KING BIRD. 45 Come now, ye cowards! ye whom Heaven disdains, Who boast the happiest home — the richest plains ; On whom, perchance, a wife, an infant’s eye Hang as their hope, and on your arm rely ; Yet, when the hour of danger and dismay Comes on your country, sneak in holes away, Shrink from the perils ye were bound to face, And leave those babes and country to disgrace ; Come here, (if such we have,) ye dastard herd! And kneel in dust before this noble bird. When the specked eggs within his nest appear, Then glov's affection, ardent and sincere ; No discord sours him when his mate he meets ; But each warm heart with mutual kindness beats. For her repast he bears along the lea The bloated gadfly, and the balmy bee ; For her repose scours o’er th’ adjacent farm, Whence Hawks might dart, or lurking foes alarm 5 For now abroad a band of ruffians prey, The Crow, the Cuckoo, and th’ insidious Jay ; These, in the owner’s absence, all destroy, And murder every hope and every joy. Soft sits his brooding mate, her guardian he, Perched on the top of some tall, neighboring tree ; Thence, from the thicket to the concave skies, His watchful eye around unceasing flies. Wrens, Thrushes, Warblers, startled at his note, Fly in affright the consecrated spot. He drives the plundering Jay, with honest scorn, Back to his woods; the Mocker, tp his thorn ; Sweeps round the Cuckoo, as the thief retreats ; Attacks the Crow ; the diving Hawk defeats ; Darts on the Eagle downwards from afar, And, ’midst the clouds, prolongs the whirling war. All danger o’er, he hastens back elate, —- To guard his post, and feed his faithful mate. Behold him now, his little family flown, Meek, unassuming, silent, and alone ; Lured by the well kiom h hum of favorite bees, As slow he hovers o’er the garden trees ; (por all have failings, passions, whims that lead, ome favorite wish, some appetite to feed ;) Straight he alights, and, from the pear-tree, spies The circling stream of humming insects rise ; Selects his prey ; darts on the busy brood, And shrilly twitters o’er his savory food. Ah! ill-timed triumph! direful note to thee, That guides thy murderer to the fatal tree ; See where he skulks! and takes his gloomy stand, The deep-charged musket hanging in his hand ; And, gaunt for blood, he leans it on a rest, Prepared, and pointed at thy snow-white breast. Ah, friend! good friend! forbear that barbarous deed Against it valor, goodness, pity, plead ; Ife’era ey Briefs, a widow’s woe, Have reached thy soul, in mercy let him go ! Yet, should the tear of pity nought avail, Let interest speak, let gratitude prevail ; Kill not thy friend, who thy whole harvest shields, And sweeps ten thousand vermin from thy fields ; Think how this dauntless bird, thy poultry’s guard, Pee ee Hawk and Eagle from thy ards, 146 TYRANT FLYCATCHER, OR KING BIRD Watched round thy cattle as they fed, and slew The hungry, blackening swarms that round them flew Some smail return — some little right resign, And spare his life whose services are thine! plead in vain! Amid the bursting roar, The poor, lost King Bird welters in his gore ! This species is eight inches long, and fourteen in extent; the gen- eral color above is a dark slaty ash; the head and tail are nearly black ; the latter even at the end, and tipped with white; the wings are more of a brownish cast; the quills and wing-coverts are also edged with dull white ; the upper part of the breast is tinged with ash; the throat, and all the rest of the lower parts, are pure white ; the plumage on the crown, though not forming a crest, is frequently erected, as represented in the plate, and discovers a rich bed of bril- liant orange, or flame color, called by the country people his crown; when the feathers lie close, this is altogether concealed. The bill is very broad at the base, overhanging at the point, and notched, of a glossy black color, and furnjshed with bristles at the base; the legs and feet are black, seamed with gray; the eye, hazel. The female differs in being more brownish on the upper parts, hasa smaller streak of paler orange on the crown, and a narrower border of duller white on the tail. The young birds do not receive the orange on the head during their residence here the first season. This bird is very generally known from the Lakes to Florida. Be- sides insects, they feed, like every other species of their tribe with which I am acquainted, on various sorts of berries, particularly black- berries, of which they are extremely fond. Early in September they leave Pennsylvania, on their way to the south. A few days ago, I shot one of these birds, the whole plumage of which was nearly white, or a little inclining to a cream color; it was a bird of the present year, and could not be more than a month old. This appeared also to have been its original color, as it issued from the egg. The skin was yellowish white ; the eye, much lighter than usual ; the legs and bill, blue. It was plump, and seemingly in good order. I presented it to Mr. Peale. Whatever may be the cause of this loss of color, if I may so call it, in birds, it is by no means uncom- mon among the various tribes that inhabit the United States. The Sparrow Hawk, Sparrow, Robin, Red-winged Blackbird, and many others, are occasionally found in white plumage; and I believe that such birds do not become so by climate, age, or disease, but that they are universally hatched so. The same phenomena are observable not only among various sorts of animals, but even among the human race; and a white negro is no less common, in proportion to their numbers, than a white Blackbird; though the precise cause of this in either is but little understood. GREAT CRESTED FLYCATCHER. 147 GREAT CRESTED FLYCATCHER. — MUSCICAPA CRINITA. — Fic. 54. Linn. Syst. 325.— Lath. ii. 357.— Arct. Zool. p. 386, No. 267.—~ Le Mouche- rolle de Virginie a huppe verte, Buff. iv. 565. Pl. enl. 569. — Peale’s Museum, No. 6645. TYRANNUS CRINITUS. —Swatnson. Tyrannus crinitus, Swain. Monog. Journ. of Science, vol. xx. p. 271. — Muscicapa crinita, Bonap. Synop. p. 67. By glancing at the physiognomy of this bird, and the rest of the figures of the same genus, it will readily be observed that they all be- long to one particular family of the same genus. They possess strong traits of their particular caste, and are all remarkably dexterous at their profession of fly-catching. The one now before us is less generally known than the preceding, being chiefly confined to the woods. There his harsh squeak —for he has no song — is occasionally heard above most others. He also visits the orchard; is equally fond of bees, but wants the courage and magnanimity of the King Bird. He arrives in Pennsylvania early in May, and builds his nest in a hollow tree, deserted by the Blue-Bird or Woodpecker. The materials of which this is formed are scanty, and rather novel. One of these nests, now before me, is formed of a little loose hay, feathers of the Guinea fowl, hogs’ bristles, pieces of cast snake skins, and dogs’ hair. Snake skins with this bird appear to be an indispensable article, for I have never yet found one of his nests without this material forming a part of it.* Whether he surrounds his nest with this by way of terrorem, to prevent other birds or animals from entering, or whether it be that he finds its silky softness suitable for his young, is uncertain; the fact, however, is notorious. The female lays four eggs, of a dull cream color, thickly scratched with purple lines of various tints as if done with a pen, This species is eight inches and a half long, and thirteen inches in extent; the upper parts are of a dull greenish olive; the feathers on the head are pointed, centred with dark brown, ragged at the sides, and form a kind of blowzy crest; the throat, and upper parts of the breast, delicate ash; rest of the lower parts, a sulphur yellow; the wing-coverts are pale drab, crossed with two bars of dull’ white; the primaries are of a bright ferruginous, or sorrel color; the tail is slightly forked, its interior vanes of the same bright ferruginous as the primaries; the bill is blackish, very much like that of the King Bird, furnished also with bristles; the eye is hazel; legs and feet, bluish black. The female can scarcely be distinguished, by its colors, from the male. * As I have mentioned at page 94, this forms the lining to the nests of other birds also ; and, as the number of snakes is considerable in those uncultivated and woody countries, their castings may form a more -quent substitute than is gener ally supposed. — Ep. Ei iere eee pte 148 SMALL (REEN-CRESTED FLYCATCHER. f This bird also feeds on berries towards the end of summer, particu- larly on huckle-berries, which, during the time they last, seem to form the chief sustenance of the young birds. I have observed this species here as late as the 10th of September; rarely later. They do not, to my knowledge, winter in any of the Southern States. SMALL GREEN-CRESTED FLYCATCHER.* —MUSCICAPA QUERULA. — Fie. 55. Muscicapa subviridis, Bartram, p: 289.— Arct. Zool. p. 386, No. 268. — Peale’s luseum, No. 6825. TYRANNULA ACADICA. — Swainson. Muscicapa acadica, Bonap. Synop. p. 68. Turs bird is but little known. It inhabits the deepest, thick-shaded, solitary parts of the woods, sits generally on the lower branches, utters, every half minute or so, a sudden, sharp squeak, which 1s heard * This species, with the two following of our author, have been separated from the Tyrants, and placed in a ey Tyrannula, They are, however, in reality, little Tyrants, and agree in their habits, as far as their smaller size and weaker powers enable them. Their food is nearly the same, more confined, how- ever, to insects, sufficient power being wanting toi overcome any stronger prey. Tyrannula will contain a great many species most closely allied to each other in form, size, and color ; so much so, that it is nearly impossible to distinguish them, without a comparison of many together. When they are carefully analyzed, they seem distinct, and, the characters being constant, are also of sufficient specific im- portance. They are natives of both North and South America, and the adjacent islands ; the North American known species are, — those described by our author, which will be found in another part of this volume, one or two figured by Bona- parte, with two new species discovered in the course of the last over-land arctic expedition, and described by Mr. Swainson in the second volume of the Northern Zoology. South America, however, possesses the great host of species, where we may yet expect many noveltics. The extent and the closely-allied features of the group render them most difficult of distinction.* Both this form and the Tyrants are confined to the New World, and the latter may be said to represent the great mass of our Flycatchers. The new species described by Mr. Swainson are, Tyrannula pusilla, Sw., very closely allied to Muscicapa querula of Wilson, but satisfactorily proved distinct ; the wings are much shorter, somewhat rounded, and the comparative proportion of the quills differ; the colors, however, nearly agree: the species brought home by the expedition was killed at Carlton House in 53° N. lat., and it extends southward to Mexico. — T. Richardsonii, closely resembling 7’. fusca; it differs in the form of the bill, and size of the feet ; the crest is thick and lengthened ; the upper plumage is more olive, while the under has an olive whitish tint; the tail is more forked . 7 was found in the neighborhood of Cumberland House, frequenting moist, shaay woods by the banks of rivers and lakes. Mr. Audubon also figures a species as new, and dedicates’ it to Dr. Trail, of Liverpool ; but, as I have remarked before, it is impossible to decide from a plate, * [t may be here remarked that the Prince of Musignano, in his Synopsis, evidently recognizes this form as a aub-genus, though he has not churacterized it. — Ep. PEWIT FLYCATCHER. 149 a considerable way through the woods; and, as it flies from one tree ifo another, has a low, querulous note, something like the twitterings f Chickens nestling under the wings of the Hen. On alighting, this ound ceases, and it utters its note as before. It arrives from the : south about the middle of May; builds on the upper side of a limb, jn a low, swampy part of the woods, and lays five white eggs. It dere us about the beginning of September. It is a rare and very sSolitary bird, always haunting the most gloomy, moist, and unfre- quented parts of the forest. It feeds on flying insects, devours bees, and, in the season of huckle-berries, they form the chief part of its food. Its northern migrations extend as far as Newfoundland. %, The length of this species is five inches and a half; breadth, nine ‘qnches; the upper parts are of a green olive color, the lower, pale eenish yellow, darkest on the breast; the wings are deep brown, ‘Frogsed with two bars of yellowish white, and a ring of the same surrounds the eye, which is hazel. The tail is rounded at the end; the bill is remarkably flat and broad, dark brown above, and flesh color below; legs and feet, pale ash. The female differs little from the male in color. ” —>——_ wPEWIT FLYCATCHER. — MUSCICAPA NUNCIOLA. — Fic. 56. st Bartram, p. 289. — Blackeap Flycatcher, Lath. Syn. ii. 353. — Phoebe Flycatcher, Id. Sup. p. 173.— Le Gobe-mouche noiratre de la Caroline, Buff. iv. 541.— Arct. Foal, p- 387, No. 269. — Peale’s Museum, No. 6618. TYRANNULA FUSCA. —Janvine. Muscicapa fusca, Bonap. Synop. p. 68. Tuts well-known bird is one of our earliest spring visitants, arriving in Pennsylvania about the first week in March, and continuing with us until October. I have seen them here as late as the 12th of No- vember. In the month of February, I overtook these birds lingering in the low, swampy woods of North and South Carolina. They were ee ding on smilax berries, and chanting, occasionally, their simple _notes.® The favorite resort of this bird is by streams of water, under ‘or near bridges, in caves, &&c. Near such places he sits on a nroject- ing twig, calling out, pe-wée, pe-wittitee pe-ure, for a whol .norning ; darting after insects, and returning to the sane twig; .cequently flirt- ing his tail, like the Wagtail, though not so rapidly. He begins to build about the 20th or 25th of March, on some projecting part under « bridge, in a cave, in an open well, five or six feet down among the ‘nterstices of the side walls, often under a shed, in the low eaves of a however accurate. Tyrannula Trailii will come nearest to the Wood Pewee, but ffers as well in some parts of the plumage as in the habits. It is found in the woods which skirt the prairie lands of the Arkansas River. — Ep. 5 « 150 PEWIT FLYCATCHER. * cottage, and such like places.* The outside is composed of yi, mixed with moss, is generally large and solid, and lined with flax pate horse hair. The eggs are five, pure white, with two or three dots of red near the great end. I have known them rear three broods 1: one season. : ‘ In a particular part of Mr. Bartram’s woods, with which I am «-- quainted, by the side of a small stream, in a cave, five or six feet hiv. formed by the undermining of the water below, and the projection o* two large rocks above, — There down smooth, glistening rocks the rivulet pours, Till.in a pool its silent waters sleep, A dark-browed cliff, o’ertopped with fern and flowers, Hangs, grimly lowering, o’er the glassy deep ; Above through every chink the woodbines creep, And smooth-barked beeches spread their arms around, ic Whose roots cling twisted round the rocky steep ; : " A more sequestered scene is no where found, | 4 For contemplation deep, and silent thought profound ;— . in this cave I knew the Pewit to build for several years. The pia: « was solitary, and he was seldom disturbed. In the month of Apr’. one fatal Saturday, a party of boys from the city, armed with gun. " dealing indiscriminate destruction among the feathered tribes aro: B them, directed their murderous course this way, and, within 1... hearing, destroyed both parents of this old and peaceful settleme:. For two successive years, and, I believe, to this day, there has b- - : no Pewee seen about this place. This circumstance almost ¢ ~.; vinces me that birds, in many instances, return to the same spots ': breed ; and who knows, but, like the savage nations of Indians, 1! may usurp a kind of exclusive right of tenure to particular distr.¢.. where they themselves have been reared ? The notes of the Pewee, like those of the Blue-Bird, are pleasi: not for any melody they contain, but from the ideas of spring and -- turning verdure, with all the sweets of this lovely season, which »r+ associated with his simple but lively ditty. Towards the middle . " q June, he becomes nearly silent; and late in the fall gives us a t*» farewell and melancholy repetitions, tnat recall past imagery, + make the decayed and withered face of nature appear stil] more r ancholy. The Pewit is six inches and a half in length, and nine and ak + broad; the upper parts are of a dark dusky olive ; the plumage of the 4 ga a * The general manners of this species, and indeed of the greater part of the smaller! Ty, 77zlce, bear a considerable resemblance to those of the Cominei i Spotted Flycatcu. of this country, which the dilatation at the base of the bill anc 4 the color of the plumage render still greater. The peculiar droop of the tail, ==? 2 oceasional rise and depression of the feathers’ on the crown, which are somew elongated —the motionless perch on some bare branch——the impatient cal: -- the motion of the tail—and the sudden dart after some insect, and return td the same spot —are all close resemblances to the manners delineated by our auther and the resort by streams, bridges, or caves, with the manner and place of build. —even the color of the eggs —are not to be mistaken. In one instance our Fy. catcher and the Tyrannulce disagree ; the former posseg3 no pleasing notes; us only cries are a single, rather harsh and monotonous click | quarter of a minute atatime. It builds a snug, somewhat singula: | nest, on the ground, in the woods, generally on a declivity facing th: ; south. This is formed of leaves and dry grass, and lined with hain.’ aM Though sunk below the surface, it is arched over, and only a smal” ¢ hole left for entrance: the eggs are four, sometimes five, white’ irregularly spotted with reddish brown, chiefly near the great end - When alarmed, it escapes from the nest with great silence anc rapidity, running along the ground like a mouse, as if afraid to tread -y too heavily on the leaves; if you stop to examine its nest, it also- stops, droops its wings, flutters, and tumbles along, as if hardly able - to crawl, looking back now and then to see whether you are taking”: ; notice of it. Ifyou slowly follow, it leads you fifty or sixty yards off, in a direct line from its nest, seeming at every advance to be gaining fresh strength; and when it thinks it has decoyed you to a sufficient distance, it suddenly wheels off and disappears. This kind of decep- tion is practised by many other species of birds that build on the round; and is sometimes so adroitly performed, as actually to have e desired effect of securing the safety of its nest and young. This is one of those birds frequently selected by the Cow-Pen ' Bunting to be the foster parent of its young. Into the nest of this ; bird the Cow Bird deposits its egg, and leaves the result to the mercy S bie and management of the Thrush, who generally performs the part ot'a ; faithful and affectionate nurse to the foundling. : a The Golden-crowned Thrush is six inches long, and nine in extent ; the whole upper parts, except the crown and hind head, are a rich yellow olive ; the tips of the wings, and inner vanes of the quills, are | dusky brown; from the nostrils, a black strip passes to the hind head | on each side, between which lies a bed of brownish orange ; the sides of the neck are whitish; the whole lower parts, white, except the breast, which is handsomely marked with pointed spots of black, or i deep brown, as in the figure ; round the eye is a narrow ring of yel- F lowish white; legs, pale flesh color; bill, dusky above, whitish below. The female has the orange on the crown considerably paler. This bird might with propriety be ranged with the Wagtails, its notes, manners, and habit of building on the ground being similar to these. It usually hatches twice in the season; feeds on small bugs and the larve of insects, which it chiefly gathers from the ground. It f is very generally diffused over the United States, and winters in Jamaica, Hispaniola, and other islands of the West Indies. i the true Thrush in perching high, and in possessing a sweet and re song. i We have, therefore, in shape, color, and some of the habits, an alliance to the. Thrushes, while the colors and their distribution agree both with Merula and An- / thus, and in their principal economy a combination of the Sylviane and Motacil- \ lane, —altggether a most interesting form; while, in the structure of their nest, and _ the color of the eggs, they agree with the Wrens. Mr Swainson has made from’ it his genus Seirus. —En. ge a ets 22 SS t CAT BIRD. 157 i * CAT BIRD.*—TURDUS LIVIDUS. — Fie. 60. 4 ‘ne cieapa. Carolihensis, Linn, Syst. 328.— Le Gobe-mouche brun de Virginie, Briss. ii. 365.—Cat Bird, Catesb. i. 66.— Lutham, ii. 353. — Le Moucherolle du Virginie, Buff. iv. 562. — Lucar lividus, apice nigra, The Cat Bird, or Chicken saujBird, artram, p. 290. — Peale’s Museum, No. Ti 2% - ORPHJEUS FELIV OX. —Swainson. Turdus felivox, Bonap. Synop. p. 75. ‘We have here before us a very common and very numerous sp: cies, in this part of the United States; and one as well known to al! classes of people, as his favorite briers, or blackberry bushes. In spring or summer, on approaching thickets of brambles, the first salutation you receive is from the Cat Bird; and a stranger, unac- qvainted with its note, would instantly conclude that some vagrant, erphan kitten had got bewildered among the briers, and wanted ‘assistance ; so exactly does the call of the bird resemble the voice of chat animal. Unsuspicious, and extremely familiar, he seems less apprehensive of man than almost any other of our summer visitants ; for whether in the woods, or in the garden, where he frequently builds Ics nest, he seldom allows you to pass without approaching to pay his respects, in his usual way. This humble familiarity and deference, fon a stranger, too, who comes to rear his young, and spend the s samer with us, ought to entitle him to a full share of our hospitality. Sony I am, however, to say, that this, in too many instances, is cruelly the reverse. Of this I will speak more particularly in the se uel. About the 28th of February, the Cat Bird first arrives in the lower parts of Georgia from the south, consequently winters not far distant, probably in Florida. On the second week in April, he usually reaches this part of Pennsylvania, and, about the beginning of May, has already succeeded in building his nest. The place chosen for this | .rpose is generally a thicket of bricrs or brambles, a thorn bush, t. ck vine, or the fork of a small sapling ; no great solicitude is shown tu: concealment, though few birds appear more interested for the sa ety of their nest and young. The materials are dry leaves and weeds, small twigs, and fine, dry grass; the inside is lined with the fine, black, fibrous routs of some plant. The female lays four, some- ‘tunes five eggs, of a uniform greenish blue color, without any spots. .They generally raise two, and sometimes three broods in a season. In passing through the woods in summer, I have sometimes amused _ * At first sight, this species, singular both in habils and structure, appears to range with Brachypus ; but a more minute inspection shows that it will rathick stand as an aberrant form with Orpheus. The structure of the bill, feet, and tail, are all of the latter; while the colors, and their distribution, agree with Brachypus, par- ticularly the rufous vent; that part is a nearly constant mark among the Brachipi, gbeing of a different and brighter color, and very generally red or yellow. The true ‘rachépi do not seem to extend to North America; they are chiefly confined to Africa, and the warmer countries of India. + | | hema "ane t 158 CAT BIRD. myself with imitating the vivlent chirping or squeaking of young. birds, in order to observe what different species were around me ; oe such sounds, at such a season, in the woods, are no less alarmirf to! the feathered tenants of the bushes, than the cry of fire or murd& in® the streets is to the inhabitants of a large‘and populous city. On “ch + occasions of alarm and consternation, the Cat Bird is the first to r.idke his appearance, not singly, but sometimes half a dozen at'a pe +2, flying from different quarters to the spot. At this time, those whgvae disposed to play with his feelings may almost throw him into fits, his emotion and agitation are so great, at the distressful cries of whayi.e ; supposes to be his suffering young. Other birds are variously affegtcu ;- tt { 4 \ but none show symptoms of such extreme suffering, He hufizs backwards and forwards, with hanging wings and open mouth, calling out louder and faster, and actually screaming with distress, ti]! hé appears hoarse with his exertions. He attempts no offensive means: but he bewails — he implores — in the most pathetic terms with wluch nature has supplied him, and with an agony of feeling which is truly affecting. Every feathered neighbor within hearing hastens to the a i place, to learn the cause of the alarm, peeping about with look: of : consternation and sympathy. But their own powerful parental dutics “a and domestic concerns soon oblige each to withdraw. At any other 5 season, the most perfect imitations have no effect whatever on him. , The Cat Bird will not easily desert its nest. I took two eggs}froni i one which was sitting, and in their place put two.of the Be » if Thrush, or Thrasher, and took my stand at a convenient distanc’, « eae see how she would behave. Ina minute or two, the male mac: his oe 1 | | approaches, stooped down, and looked earnestly at the strange gy». if then flew off to his mate, who was not far distant, with whom ‘h- seemed to have some conversation, and instantly returning, with the ' greatest gentleness took out both the Thrasher’s eggs, first one and then the other, carried them singly about thirty yards, and dropped them among the bushes. I then returned the two eggs I had taken, | and, soon after, the female resumed her place on the nest as before. From the nest of another Cat Bird I took two half-fiedged young, and placed them: in that of another, which was sitting on five <> :. i She soon turned them both out. The place where the nest wa- ot 3 being far from the ground, they were little injured, and the u. , {i observing their helpless situation, began to feed them with greai a-s.- af duity and tenderness. “| I removed the nest of a Cat Bird, which contained four eggs, nearly | hatched, from a fox grape vine, and fixed it firmly and carefully in a | thickéet of briers close by, without injuring its contents. In less thrn eS half an hour I returned, and found it again occupied by the femal”. 4 The Cat Bird is one of our earliest morning songsters, begip-usg’ generally before break of day, and hovering from bush to bush, wire: great sprightliness, when there is scarce light sufficient to distinguisu; him. His notes are more remarkable for singularity than for melody. They consist of short imitations of other birds, and other sounds; but, his pipe being rather deficient in clearness and strength of tone, His imitations fail where these are requisite. Yet he is not-easily dis- couraged, but seems to study certain passages with great persevgg« ance ; uttering them at first low, and, as he succeeds, higher and more eS SS ee SS ES CAL BIRD. 159 ‘ B tres. ‘nowise embarrassed by the presence of a spectator even within H = few.yards of him. On attentively listening for some time to him, if ‘one can perceive considerable variety in his performance, in which he ‘seems to introduce all the odd sounds and quaint passages he has it been able to collect. Upon the whole, though we cannot arrange him 1 with the grand leaders of our vernal choristers, he well merits a place among the most agreeable general performers. ; ; u “" This bird, as has been before observed, is very namerous, in sum- mer, in the Middle States. Scarcely a thicket in the country is with- , out its Cat Birds; and were they to fly in flocks, like many other cs ‘birds, they would darken the air with their numbers, But their migra- gt tions are seldom observed, owing to their gradual progress and reces- sion, in spring and autumn, to and from their breeding places. They enter Georgia late in February, and reach New England about the beginning of May. In their migrations, they keep pace with the progress of agriculture; and the first settlers in many parts of the Gennesee‘country, have told me, that it was several years after they removed there, before the Cat Bird made his appearance among them. With al] these amiable qualities to recommend him, few people in the country respect the Cat Bird; on the contrary, it is generally the object of dislike; and the boys of the United States entertain the same prejudice and contempt for this bird, its nest and young, as those of Britain do for the Yellow Hammer, and its nest, eggs, and young. I am at a loss to account for this cruel prejudice. Even those by whom it is entertained, can scarcely tell you why ; only they “hate Cat Birds ;” as some persons tell you they hate Frenchmen, they hate Dutchmen, &c., — expressions that bespeak their own nar- : rowness of understanding, and want of liberality. Yet, after rumi- 3 nating over in my own mind all the probable causes, I think I have at last hit on some of them; the principal of which seems to me to be a certain similarity of taste, and clashing of interest, between the Cat . Bird and the farmer. The Cat Bird is fond of large, ripe garden i strawberries; so is the farmer, for the good price they bring in ; narket: the Cat Bird loves the best and richest early cherries; so C loes the farmer, for they are sometimes the most profitable of his t arly fruit: the Cat Bird has a particular partiality for the finest, ripe, le inellow pears; and these are also particular favorites with the farmer. te But the Cat Bird has frequently the advantage of the farmer, by } snatching off the first fruits of these delicious productions; and the rn “armer takes revenge, by shooting him down with his gun, as he finds «ld hats, windmills, and scarecrows, are no impediments in his way to U ‘aese forbidden fruits ; and nothing but this resource — the ultimatum ef farmers as well as kings—can restrain his visits. The boys are “ow set to watch the cherry-trees with the gun: and thus commences .. train of prejudices and antipathies, that commonly continue through i [fife. _ Perhaps, too, the common note of the Cat Bird, so like the oy *newing of the animal whose name it bears, and who itself sustains -no small share of prejudice, the homeliness of his plumage, and even his familiarity, so proverbially known to beget contempt, may also con- W ue to this mean, illiberal, and persecuting prejudice ; but, with ne generous and the good, the lovers of nature and of rural charms, the confidence which this familiar bird Haces in man by building in 160 CAT BIRD. his garden, under his eye, the music of his song, and the interes. ngt playfulness of his manners, will always be more than a recomp ase for all the little stolen morsels he snatches. ; The Cat Bird measures nine inches in length; at a smal] dist ice ‘: he appears nearly black; but, ona closer examination, isof a -ep oF slate color above, lightest on the edges of the ile, nd of a considerably lighter slate color below, except the under tail-coyerts, which are very dark red; the tail, which is rounded, and upper patt of the head, as well as the legs and bill, are black, The female differs little in color from the male. Latham takes notice of a bird, exactly resembling this, being found at Kamtschatka, only it wanted the red under the tail. Probably it might have been a young bird, in which the red is scarcely observable. . This bird has been very improperly classed among the Flycatchers. As he never seizes his prey on wing, has none of their manners, feeds _ principally on fruit, and seems to differ so little from the Thrushes/ I think he more properly belongs to the latter tribe, than-to any ther genus we have. His bill, legs, and feet, place and mode of buii ing, the color of the eggs, his imitative notes, food, and general man iers, all justify me in removing him to this genus. * The Cat Bird is one of those unfortunate victims, and indeed the principal, against which credulity and ignorance have so often directed the fascinating quality of the black snake. A multitude of marvellous stories have been told me by people who have themis>!vea seen the poor Cat Birds drawn, or sucked, as they sometimes express it, from the tops of the trees, (which, by the by, the Cat Bird rarely visits,) one by one into the yawning mouth of the immovable snake. It has so happened with me that, in all the adventures of this kind that I have personally witnessed, the Cat Bird was actually the assailant, and always the successful one. These rencounters never take place but during the breeding time of birds ; for whose eggs and young the snake has a particular partiality. It is no wonder that those species, whose nests are usually built near the ground, should be the greatest sufferers, and the most solicitous for their safety : hence the cause why the Cat Bird makes such a distinguished figure in most of these marvellous narrations. That a poisonous snake will strike a bird or mouse, and allow it to remain till nearly expiring before he begins to devour it, our observations on the living rattle- snake, at present [1811] kept by Mr. Peale, satisfy us is a fact; but that the same snake, with eyes, breath, or any other known quality he possesses, should be capable of drawing a bird, reluctantly, from the tree tops to its mouth, is an absurdity too great for me to swallow. I am led to these observations by a note which I receiv: ' th morning from my worthy friend Mr. Bartram: “Yesterday,” says this gentleman, “I observed a conflict, or contest, between a Gi, Rird andasnake. It took place in a gravel walk in the garden, nea a dry wall of stone. I was within a few yards of the combatasts. The bird pounced or darted upon the snake, snapping his bill; the sn.ke would then draw himself quickly into a coil, ready for a blow; but the bird would cautiously circumvent him at a little distance, now and | then running up to, and snapping at him; but keeping at a sufficient, distance to avoid a blow. After some minutes, it became a renning BAY-BREASTED WARBLER. 161 ht, the snake retreating; and, at last, he took shelter in the wall. The Cat Bird had young ones in the bushes near the field of battle. “This may show the possibility of poisonous snakes biting birds ; the operation of the poison causing them to become, ‘as it were, “fascinated.” —p— , BAY-BREASTED WARBLER. — SYLVIA CASTANEA. — Fic. 61. Parus peregtinus, The Little Chocolate-breasted ‘Titmouse, Bartram, p. 292. — Peale’s Museum, No. 7311. SYLVICOLA CASTANEA.— Swarnson. Sylvia castanea, Bonap. Synop. p. 81. * - Tus very rare species passes through Pennsylvania about the begin- ning of May, and soon disappears. It has many of the habits of the Titmouse, and all its activity; hanging among the extremities of the twigs, and darting about from place to-place, with restless diligence, in search of various kinds of the larvee of insects. It is never seen here in summer, and very rarely on its return, owing, no doubt, to the greater abundance of foliage at that time, and to the silence and real scarcity of the species. Of its nest and eggs we are altogether un- informed. / ” The length of this bird is five inches, breadth eleven ; throat, breast, and sides under the wings, pale chestnut, or bay; forehead, cheeks, line over and strip through the eye, black; crown, deep chestnut; Jower parts, dull yellowish white ; hind head and: back, streaked with black, on a grayish buff ground; wings, brownish black, crossed with two bars of white; tail, forked, brownish black, edged with ash, the three exterior feathers marked with a spot of white on the inner edges ; behind the eye is a broad, oblong spot of yellowish white. The female has much less of the bay color on the.breast; the black on the fore- ‘head is also less, and of a brownish tint. The legs and feet, in both, are dark ash, the claws extremely sharp for climbing and hanging; the bill is black; irides, hazel. / The ornithologists of Europe take no notice of this species, and . have probably never met with it. Indeed, it is so seldom seen in this part of Pennsylvania, that few even of our own writers have men- tioned it. - I lately received a very neat drawing of this bird, done by a young lady in Middletown, Connecticut; where it seems also to be a rare species. p> *: * According to Bonaparte. discovered and first described by Wilson. —Epb. 14* a eee —s 162 CHESTNUT-SIDED WARBLER. , CHESTNUT-SIDED WARBLER. —SYLVIA PENNSYLVANICA. —Fie. 62 2 Ht Ld Linn. Syst. 333, — Red-throated Elycatcher, Edw.. 301. — Bloody-side Warbler, rton, Syst. i. p. 596. — Le figuier apoitrine rouge, Buff. .v. 308 — Briss. Add 105.— Lath. ii. 489. — Arct. Zeal. p. 405, No. 298.— Peale’s Museum, No. 7000. SYLVICOLA- ICTEROCEPHALA. — Swainson. Sylvia icterocephala, Bonap. ‘Synop, p. 80. —- The Chestnut-sided Warbler, Aud. : pl. 59. Orn. Biog. p. 306. " OF this bird I can give but little account. _ It is. one of those tran- sient visitors that pass through Pennsylvania, in April and May, on their way farther north to breed. During its stay here, which seldom exceeds a week or ten days, it appéars actively engaged among the _ opening buds and young leaves, in search of insects. has no song but a feeble-chirp, or twitter, and is not numerous. As‘it leaves us early - in May, it probably breeds in Canada, or, perhaps, some parts of New England; though I have no certain knowledge of the fact. In a whole day’s excursion, it is rare to meet with more than one or two of these birds; though a thousand individuals of some species may be seen in the same time. Perhaps they may be more numerous on some ‘other part of the continent. aay se es The length of this species is five inches ; the extent, seven and three ‘quarters. The frontline over the eye, and ear-feathers, are pure white; upper part of the ‘head,-brilliant yellow; the lores and space immediately below are marked with a triangular patch of black; the * back and hind head are streaked with gray, dusky black, and dull yel- low; wings, black; primaries, edged with pale blue, the first and sec- ond row of coverts, broadly tipped with pale yellow; secondaries, broadly edged with the same ; tail; black, handsomely forked, exteriorly edged with aslr; the inner webs of the three exterior feathers with each aspot of white; from the extremity of the black at the lower mandible, on each side, a streak of deep reddish chestnut descends along the sides of the’ neck, and under the wings, to the root of the tail; the rest of the lower parts are pure white; legs and feet, ash; _ bill, black; irides, hazel, The female has the hind head much lighter, and the chestnut on the sides is considerably narrower, and not-of so ‘deep a tint. we cee ; Turton, and some other writers, have bestowed on this little bird the' singular epithet of “ bloody-sided,” for which I was at a loss to ‘know the reason, the color of that part being a plain chestnut; till, on examining Mr. Edwards's colored figure of this bird in the public libra- ry of Philadelphia, I found its side tinged with a brilliant blood color Hence, I suppose, originated the name! 3 F { MOURNING WARBLER 163 MOURNING WARBLER. — SYLVIA PHILADELPHIA. — Fic. 63. TRICHAS? PHILADELPHIA. — Janvine. Sylvia Philadelphia, Bonap: Synop. p. 85. Iuave now the honor of introducing to the notice of naturalists and others a very modest and neat little species, which has hitherto eluded their research. I must also add, with regret, that it is the only one of its:kind I have yet'met with. The bird from which the figure in the plate was taken, was shot in the early part of June, on the bor- der of a marsh, -within a*few miles’ of Philadelphia. It was flittin from one low bush to another, very busy in search of insects ; and ha a sprightly and pleasant warbling song, the novelty of which first at- tracted my attention. I have traversed the same and many such places, every spring and summer since, in expectation of again meeting with some individual of the species, but without success. I have, however, the satisfaction to say, that the drawing was done with the greatest attention to peculiarity of form, markings, and ‘tint of plumage; and the figure on the plate is a good resemblance of the original. I have yet hopes of meeting, insome of my excursions, with the female, and, should I be.so fortunate, shall represent her in some future volume of the present work, with such further remarks on their manners, &c., as I may then be enabled to make, There are two species mentioned by Turton, to which the present has some resemblance, viz., Motacilla mitrata, or Mitred Warbler, and M. cucullata, or Hooded Warbler ; both birds of the United States, _ or, more properly, a single bird; for they are the same species twice described, namely, the Hooded Warbler. The difference, however, between that and the present is so striking, as to determine this at once to be a very distinct species. The singular appearance of the head, neck, and breast, suggested the name. ; The Mourning Warbler is five inches long, and seven in extent ; the whole back, wings, and tail, are of a deep greenish olive, the tips of the wings, and the centre of the tail-feathers, excepted, which are brownish; the whole head is of a dull slate color; the breast is orna- mented with a singular crescent of alternate, transverse lines of pure _ glossy white, and very deep black; all the rest of the lower parts are of a brilliant yellow ; the tail is rounded at the end; legs and feet, a cs ‘as color 5 bill, deep brownish black above, lighter below ; eye, azel.™ : * ‘Wilson saw this bird only once, and I have ‘met with no one who has since seen it, From the general appearance of the representation, it seems to approach nearest to the generic appellation we have given, but which.must rest yet undecided. Ee oe observes, “The excessive rarity might lead us to suppose it an_acci- dental variety of some other, — perhaps S. trichas2’? —En. 164 RED-COCKADED WOODPECKER. RED-COCKADED WOODPECKER. —PICUS QUERULUS. — Fic. 64. Peale’s Museum, No. 20°7 DENDROCOPUS QUERULUS —Kocn. Picus.querulus, Bonap. Synop. p. 46. Tuis new species I first discovered in the pine woods of North Carolina. The singularity of-its voice, which greatly resembles the chirping of young nestlings, and the red streak on the side of its head, suggested the specific name I have given it. 1. also extends through South Carolina and Georgia, at least as far as the Altamaha River. Observing the first specimen I found to be so slightly marked with red, I suspected it to be a young bird, or imperfect in its. plumage; but the great numbers I afterwards shot, satisfied:me that this is a peculiarity of the species. It appeared exceedingly restless, active, and clamorous; and every where I found its manners the same. This bird seems to be an intermediate link between the Red-bellied and the Hairy Woodpecker, represented in Nos. 26 and 37. It has the back of the former, and the white belly and spotted neck of the latter; but wants the breadth of red. in both, and is less than either. A preserved specimen has been deposited in the Museum of Phila- delphia. - This Woodpecker is seven inches and a half long, and thirteen broad; the upper part of the head is black; the back barred with twelve white transversely semicircular lines, and as many of black, alternately ; the cheeks and sides of the neck are white ; whole lower parts, the same; from the lower mandible, a list of black passes towards the shoulder of the wing, where it is lost in small black spots on each side of the breast; the wings are black, spotted with white; the four middle tail-feathers, black; the rest white, spotted with black ; rump, black, variegated with white; the vent, white, spotted with black ; the hairs that cover the nostrils are of a pale cream color; the bill, deep slate. But what forms the most distinguishing peculiarity of this bird, is a fine line of vermilion on each side of the head, sel- dom occupying more than the edge of a single feather. The female is destitute of this ornament; but, in the rest of her plumage, differs in nothing from the male. The iris of the eye, in both, was hazel. ‘The stomachs of all those I opened were filled with small black insects and fragments of large beetles. The posterior extremities of the tongue reached near y to the base of the upper mandible. BROWN-HEADED NUTHATCH. 165 BROWN-HEADED NUTHATCH.—SITTA PUSILLA.—Fic. 65 Small Nuthatch, Catesby, Car. i. 22, upper figure. — La petite sitelle a téte brune, Buff. v. 474, — Peale's Museum, No. 2040, — Briss. iit. 958, — Lath. i. 651, C. SITTA PUSILLA. — LatHam. Sitta pusilla, Bonap. Synop. p. 97. Tuis bird is chiefly an inhabitant of Virginia and the Southern States, and seems particularly fond of pine-trees. I have never yet discovered it either in Pennsylvania or any of the regions north of this. Its manners are very similar to those of the Red-bellied Nut- hatch, represented in No.7; but its notes are more shrill and chirp- ing. In the countries. it inhabits it is a constant resident; and in winter associates with parties, of eight or ten, of its own species, whe hunt busily from tree to tree, keeping up a perpetual screeping. It is a frequent companion of the Woodpecker figured beside it; and you rarely find the one in the woods without observing or hearing the other not far off. It climbs-equally in eVery direction, on the smaller branches as well as on the body of the tree, in search of its favorite food, small insects and their larve. It also feeds on the seeds of the pine-tree. I have never met with its nest. This species is four inches and a quarter long, and eight broad; the whole upper part of the head and neck, from the bill to the back, and as far down as the eyes, is light brown, or pale ferruginous, shaded with darker touches, with the exception of a spot of white near the back; from the nostril through the eyes, the brown is deepest, making a very observable line there; the chin, and sides of the neck under the eyes, are white; the wings, dusky; the coverts and three seconda- ries next the body, a slate or lead color, which is also the color of the rest of the upper parts; the tail is nearly even at the end, the two middle feathers slate color, the others black, tipped with slate, and crossed diagonally with a streak of white; legs and feet, dull blue ; upper mandible, black; lower, blue at the base; iris, hazel. The female differs in having the brown on the head rather darker, and the line through the eye less conspicuous. This diminutive bird is little noticed in history, and what little has been said of it by Europeans is not much to its credit. It is charac- terized as “a very stupid bird,” which may easily be knocked down, from the sides of the tree, with one’s cane. I confess | found it a very dexterous climber, and so rapid and restless in its motions as to be shot with difficulty. Almost all very small birds seeni less suspicious of man than large ones; but that activity and restless diligence should constitute stupidity, is rather a new doctrine. Upon the whole, Iam of opinion, that a person who should undertake the destruction of these bifds, at even a dollar a head for all he knocked down with his cane, would run a fair. chance of starving by his profession.* * In our note at page 24, we mentioned that-the American Nuthatches and that of Europe were the only species known, ~ M. Vigors has sitice described, in the 166 PIGEON HAWK. PIGEON HAWK.—FALCO COLUMBARIUS — Fic. 66.— Matz. Linn. Syst p. 128, No. 21.— Lath. Syn. i. p..101, No, 86.—L’Epervier de la Garoline, Briss. Orn. i. p. 238.— Catesb. i. p. 3, t. 3.— Bartram, p. 290. — Turton, sSyst. i: p. 162.— Peale’s Museum, No. 352. FALCO COLUMBARIUS. —lannavs. Pigeon Hawk, Penn. Arct. Zool ii. 222.— Falco Columbarius, Bonap. Synop. ek + p:28.— North. Zool. ii. p. 35. : Tuis small Hawk possesses great spirit and rapidity of flight. He is generally migratory in the Middle and Northern States, arriving in Pennsylvania early in spring, and extending his migrations as far north, as Hudson’s Bay. After building, and rearing his young, he retires to the south early in November. Small birds and mice are his principal food. When the Reed Birds, Grakles, and Red-winged Blackbirds congregate in large flights, he is often observed hovering in their rear, or on their flanks, picking up the weak, the wounded, or stragglers, and frequently making a sudden and fatal sweep into the very midst of their multitudes. The flocks of Robins and Pigeons are honored with the same attentions from this marauder, whose daily excursions are entirely regulated by the movements of the great body on whose unfortunate meinbers, he fattens. The individual from which the drawing on the plate was taken, was shot in the meadows below Phil- adelphia in the month of August. He was carrying off a Blackbird (Oriolus pheniceus) from the flock, and, though mortally wounded and dying, held his prey fast till his last-expiring breath, having struck his claws into its very heart. This was found to bea male. Sometimes when shot at, and not hurt, he will fly in circles ovey the sportsman’s head, shrieking out with great violence, asif highly irritated. He fre- quently flies low, skimming a little above the field. I have never seen his nest.* : The Pigeon Hawk is eleven inches Jong, and twenty-three broad ; the whole upper parts are of a deep dark brown. except the tail, which is crossed with bars of white ; the inner vanes of the quill-feathers are marked with round spots of reddish brown; the bill is short, strongly toothed, of a light blue color, and tipped with black; the skin surround- ing the eye, greenish ; cere, the same; temples and line over the eye, proceedings of the Committee of Science of the Zoological Soviety, one under the name of Sitta castaneoventris, from India, which, if true to the type, may prove an addition. In the satne plate, that gentleman, also describes a secoud species of Certhia, (C. spilonata,) but adds, “ the tail of this bird is soft and flexible.” We have noticed, in a former note, the. C. familiaris as-the only known species, and ‘we doubt if that now mentioned can rank with it.— Fp, 3 * Mr. Hutchins, in his notes on the Hudson’s Bay birds, informs us that this spe; cies makes its nest in hollow rocks and trees, of sticks and grass, lined with feathers, laying from two to four white eggs, thinly marked: with red spots. . ~ This species has the form ot the,Falcons, with the bill strongly toothed, but somewhat of the plumage of the Sparrow Hawks. The color of the eggs is also that of the.latter.— Ep. : a 7 a BLUE-WINGED YELLOW WARBLER. * 167 lighter brown; the lower parts, brownish white, streaked laterally with dark brown; legs, yellow; claws, black, The female is an inch anda half longet, of a still deeper color, though marked nearly in the same manner, with the exception of some white on the hind head The femoral, or thigh feathers, in both are of a remarkable length, reaching nearly to the feet, and are also streaked, longitudinally with dark brown. ‘The irides of the eyes of this bird have been hitherto described as being of a brilliant yellow; but every specimen I have yet met with had the iris of a deep hazel. I must therefore follow nature, in opposition to very numerous and respectable authorities. I cannot, in imitation of European naturalists, embellish the history of this species with anecdotes of its exploits in falconry. This science, if it may be so called, is among the few that have never yet travelled across the Atlantic; neither does it appear that the idea of training our Hawks or Eagles to the chase, ever suggested itself to any of the Indian nations of North America. The Tartars, however, from whom, according to certain writers, many of these nations’ originated, have-long excelled in the practice of this’ sport, which is indeed better suited to an open country than to one covered with forest. Though once so honorable and so universal, it_is now much disused in Europe, and in Britain is nearly extinct. Yet I cannot but considef it as a much more noble and princely amusement than horse-racing and cock-fighting, cultivated in certain states with so much care; or even than “pugilism, which is. still so highly patronized is some of those enlightened countries. ‘ e BLUE-WINGED YELLOW WARBLER. —SYLVIA SOLITARIA. — Fie. 67. 3 a @ Parus aureus alis cceruleis, Bartram, p, 292: — Edw. pl. 277, upper figure. — F ne Warbler, Arct. Zool. p. 412, No. 318. — Peale’s Museum, No. 7307. VERMIVORA SOLITARIA, — Swainson. Sylvia solitaria; Bonap. Synop. p. 87. — The Blue-winged Yellow Warbler, Aud. pl. 20, Orn. Biog. i. 102. Turis bird has been mistaken for the Pine Creeper of Catesby. It is a very different species, It comes to us early in May from the south; haunts thickets and shrubberies, searching the branches for insects; is fond of visiting gardens, orchards, and willow-trees, of gleaning among blossoms and currant bushes; and is frequently found in very sequestered woods, where it generally builds its nest. This is fixed in a thick bunch or tussock of long grass, sometimes sheltered by a brier bush. It is built in the form of an inverted cone, or funnel, the bottom thickly bedded with dty beech leaves, the sides formed of the dry bark of strong weeds, lined within with fine, dry grass. These 168 BLUE-WINGED YELLOW WARBLER. materials are not placed in the usual manner, circularly, b it shelving downwards on all sides from the top; the mouth being wide, the bot- tom_very narrow, filled with leaves, and the eggs or young occupying the middle.. The female lays five eggs, pure white, with a few very faint dots of reddish near the great end; the young appear the first week in June. I am not certain whether they raise a second brood in the same season. . I have met with several of these nests, always in a retired, though open, part of the woods, and very similar.to each other. The first specimen of this bird taken notice of by European writers was transmitted, with many others, by Mr. William Bartram to Mr. Edwards, by whom it was drawn and etched in the 277th plate of. his Ornithology. In his remarks on.this bird, he seems at a loss to deter- mine whether it is not the Pine Creeper of Catesby ;* a difficulty occasioned by the very imperfect coloring and figure of Catesby’s’ bird. The Pine Creeper, however, is a much larger bird; is of a dark yellow olive above, and orange yellow below; has all the habits of a Creéper, alighting on the trunks of the pine-trees, running nimbly round them, and, according to Mr. Abbot, builds a pensile nest. I observed thousands of them in the pine woods of Carolina and Georgia, where they are resident, but have never met with them in any-part of Pennsylvania.. 3 This species is five inches and a half long, and seven and a half broad; hind head, and whole back, a rich green olive; crown and front, orange yellow; whole lower parts, yellow, except the vent- feathers, which are white ; bill, black above, lighter below ; lores, black ; the form of the bill approximates a little to that of the Finch; wings and tail, deep brown, broadly edged with pale slate, which makes them appear wholly of that tint, except at the tips; first and second row of coverts, tipped with white slightly stained with yellow; the three exterior tail-feathers have their inner vanes nearly all white; legs, pale bluish; feet, dirty yellow; the two midgle tail-feathers are pale slate. The female differs very little in color from the male. This species very much resembles the Prothonotary Warbler of Pennant and Buffon; the only difference I can perceive, on comparing specimens of each, is, that the yellow of the Prothonotary is more of an orange tint, ard the bird somewhat larger. * Caressy, Car. vol. i. pl. 61. BLUE-EYED YELLOW WARBLER. 169 BLUE-EYED YELLOW WARBLER.—SYLVIA CITRINELLA. — Fic. 68. Vellow-Poll Warbler, Lath, Syn. vol. ii. No. 148, — Arct. Zool. p. 402, No. 292,— Le Figuier tacheté, Buff. Ois. vy. p. 285.— Motacilla estiva, Turton’s Syst. p. 615. —Parus luteus, Summer Yellow-Bird, Bartram, p. 292. — Peale’s Mu- seum, No. 7266. ' SYLVICOLA JESTIV A, —Swatnson. Sylvia.estiva, Bonap. Synop. p. 83.— Sylvicola estiva, North. Zool. ii. p. 212: Tus is a very common summer species, and appears almost always actively employed: among the leaves and blossoms of the willows, snow-ball shrub, and poplars, searching aftay small green caterpillars, which are its principal’ food. It has afew shrill notes, uttered with emphasis, but’ not deserving the name of song. It_errives in Penn- sylvania about the beginning of May, and departs again for the south about the middle of September. According to Latham, it is numerous in Guiana, and is also found in Canada. It is a very sprightly, unsuspi- , cious, and familiar little bird; is often seen in and about gardens, among the blossoms of fruit-trees and shrubberies; and, on account of its color, is very noticeable. Its nest is built with great neatness, generally in the triangular fork of a srnall shtub, near or among brier bushes. Outwardly it is composed of flax or tow, in thick, circular layers, strongly twisted round the twigs that rise through its sides, and lined within with hair and.the soft downy substance from the stalks of fern. The eggs are four or five, of a dull white, thickly sprinkled near the gréat end with specks of pale brown. They raise two broods in the season. This little bird, like many others, will feign lameness to draw you away from its nest, stretching out his neck, spreading and bending down his tail, until it trails along the branch, and fluttering feebly along, to draw you after him ; sometimes looking back, to see if you are following him, and returning back to repeat the same mancenvres, in order to attract your attention. The male is most remarkable for this practice. The Blue-eyed Warbler is five inches long, and seven broad ; hind head and back, greenish yellow; crown, front, and whole lower parts, rich golden yellow ; breast and sides, streaked laterally with dark red; wings and tail, deep brown, except the edges of the former, and the _inner vanes of the latter, which are yellow; the tail is also slightly forked ; legs, a pale clay color; bill and eyelids, light blue. The f. - male is of a less brilliant yellow, and the streaks of red on the breast are fewer and more obscure. Buffon is mistaken in supposing No. 1 of PI. enl. plate lviii. to be the female of this species, 15 . 170 GOLDEN-WINGED WARBLER. GOLDEN-WINGED WARBLER.— SYLVIA CHRYSOPTERA. — Fie. 69. Edw 299.— Le Figuier aux ailes dorées, Buff. v. 311.— Lath. ii. 492. — Art. Zool. 403, No. 255. Ib. No. 296. — Motacilla chrysoptera, F'urt., Syst. i. 597.— Mot. flavifrons, Yellow-fronted Warbler,, Jd. 601. — Parus alis.aureis, Bartram, vp. 292. — Peale’s, Museum, No. 7010. VERMIVORA CHRYSOPTERA;— Swainson. Sylvia chrysoptera, Benap. Synop. p. 87. Turs is another spring passenger through the United States to the north. This bird, as well as Fig. 67, from the particular form of its bill, ought rather to be separated from the Warblers ; or, along with several others of the same kind, might be arranged as a ‘subsgenera, or partic- ular family of that tribe, whch might with propriety be called Worm- eaters, the Motacilla vermivora of ‘Turton having the Dill exactly of ° this form. The habits of these birds partake a good deal of those of the Titmouse ; and, in'their language and action, they very much fe- semble them. All that can be said of this species is, that it appears in Pennsylvania for a few. days, about the last of April or beginning of May, darting actively among the young leaves and opening buds, and_is rather a scarce species. The Golden-winged Warbler is five inches long, and seven broad ; the crown, golden yellow’ the first and second row of wing-coverts, of the same rich yellow; the rest of the upper parts, a deep ash, or dark slate color ; tail, slightly forked, and, as well as the wings, edged with whitish; a "black band passes through the eyé, and is separated from. the yellow of the crown, by a fine line of white; chin and throat, black, between which and that passing through the eye runs a strip of white, as in the. figure; belly and vent, white ; bill, black, gradually tapering to a sharp point ; legs, dark ash ; irides, hazel. Pennant has described this species twice, first, as ‘the Golden- winged Warbler, and, immediately after, as the Yellow-fronted Warbler. See the synonymes at the beginning of this article. aes BLACK-THROATED BLUE WARBLER.—SYLVIA CANADENSIS. — Fic. 70. Motacilla Canadensis, Linn. Syst. 336.— Le Figuier bleu, Buff. v. 304. Pl. enl 685, fig. 2, — Lath. Syn. ii. p. 487, No. 113. — Edw. 252. — Arct. Zool. p. 399, No. 285. — Peale’s Museum, No. 7222, SYLVICOLA CANADENSIS. — Swatnsow. Sylvia Canadensis, Bonap. Synop. p. 84. I Know little of this bird. It is one of those transient visitors that, in the month of April, pass through Pennsylvania, on its way to the AMERICAN SPARRQW HAWK. 17) north, to breed. It has much of the Flycatcher in its inanners, though the form of its bill is decisively that of the Warbler. These birds are occasionally seen for about a week or. ten days, viz., from the 25th of April to the end’ of the first week in May. I soughtfor them in the Southern States in winter, but in vain. It is highly probable that they breed in Canada; but the summer residents among the feathered race on that part of the continent are little known or attended to. The habits of the bear, the deer, and beaver, are much more interesting to those people, and for a good, substantial reason too, because more lu- crative ; and unless there should arrive an order from England for a cargo of skins of Warblers and Flycatchers, sufficient to make them an object worth speculation, we are likely to know as little of them hereafter.as at present. ; This species is five inches long, and seven and a half broad, and is wholly of a fine, light slate color above ; the throat, cheeks, front and upper part of the breast, are black; wings and tail, dusky black, the primaries marked with a spot of white immediately below their coverts ; tail, edged with blue; belly and vent, white ; legs and feet, dirty yel- low; bill, black, and beset with bristles at the base. The female is more of a dusky ash on the breast, and, in some specimens, nearly white. a They, no doubt, pass this way on their return in autumn, for I have myself shot several in that season; but as the woods are then still thick with leaves, they are much more difficult to.be seen, and make a shorter stay than they do in spring. ; Sg » AMERICAN SPARROW HAWK.—FALCO SPARVERIUS — Fig. 71, — FEmMALe. Emerillon de St. Domingue, ie i. 291. Pl. enl. 465,— Arct. Zool: 212. — Lite Faleon, Lath. Syn. 1. p. 110, No. 94. Ib. 95, — Peale’s' Museum, No. 389. FALCO SPARVERIUS. — Linnzvs. Faleo sparverius, Bonap. Synop. p. 21.—Falco sparverius, Little Rusty-crowned Falcon, North. Zool. ii. p. 31. In no department of ornithology has there been greater confusion, or more mistakes made, than among this class of birds of prey. The great difference of size between the male and female, the progressive variation of plumage to which, for several years, they are subject, and -he difficulty of procuring a sufficient number of specimens for exam- mation, — all these causes conspire to lead the naturalist into almost unavoidable mistakes. For these reasons, and in order, if possible, to ascertain each species of this genus distinctly, 1 have determined, where any doubt or ambigyity prevails, to represent both male and female, as fair and perfect spécimens of each may come into my pos- session. According to fashionab’s etiquette, the honor of precedence, 172 AMERICAN SPARROW HAWK. in the present instance, is given to the female of this species; both because she is the most courageous, the largest and handsomest of the two, best ascertained, and less subject to change of color than the male, who will require some further examination, and. more observa- tion, before we can venture to introduce him. ; ‘ This bird is a constant resident in almost every part of the United States, particularly in the states north of Maryland. In the Southern States there is a smaller species found, which is destitute of the black spots on the head; the legs are long and very slender, and the wings light blue. This has been supposed, by some, to be the male of the present species ; but this is an error.: The eye of the present species is dusky ; that of the smaller species a brilliant orange; the former nas the tail rounded at the end, the latter slightly forked. Such essen- tial differences never take place between two individuals of the same species. It ought, however, to be remarked, that-in all the figures and © descriptions I have hitherto met with of the bird now before us, the iris is represented of a bright goldencolor; but, in all.the specimens I have shot, I uniformly found the. eye very dark, almost black, resem- bling a globe of black glass. No doubt the golden color of the iris would give the figure of the bird a more striking appearance ; but, in works of natural history, to sacrifice truth to mere picturesque effect is detestable, though, I fear, but too often put in practice. The nest of this species is usually built in a hollow tree; generally pretty high up, where the top, or a large limb, has been broken off. I have never seen its egas; but have. been told that the female gener- ally lays four or five, which are of a light brownish yellow color, spot- ted with a darker tint; the young are fed on grasshoypete, mice, and small birds, the usual food of the parents. ve The habits and manners of this bird are well known. It flies rather irregularly, occasionally suspending itself in the air, hovering over a particular spot for a minute or two, and then shooting off in another direction. It perches on the top of a dead tree or pole, in the middle of a field or meadow, and, as it alights, shuts its long wings so sud- denly, that they seem instantly to disappear ; it sits here in an almost perpendicular position, sometimes for an hour at a time, frequently jerking its tail, and reconnoitring the ground below, in every direc- tion, for mice, lizards, &c. It approaches the farm-house, particularly in the morning, skulking about the barn-yard for mice or young chick- ens. Itfrequently plunges into a thicket after small birds, as if by random, but always with a particular, and generally a fatal, aim. One day I observed a bird of this species perched on the ‘highest top of a. large poplar, on the skirts of the wood, and was in the act of raising . the gun to my eye, when he swept down, with the rapidity of an ar- row, into a thicket of briers, about thirty yards off, where I shot him dead, and, on coming up, found the small Field Sparrow (Fig. 72) quiv- ering in his grasp. Both our aims had been taken in the same instant, and, unfortunately for him, both were fatal. It is particularly fond of watching along hedge-rows, and in orchards, where those small birds represented in the same plate usually resort. When grasshoppers,are plenty, they form a considerable part of its food. ° Though small snakes, mice, lizards, &c., be favorite morsels with AMERICAN SPARROW HAWK. 173 this active bird, yet we are not to suppose it altogether destitute of delicacy in feeding. It will seldom or never eat of any thing that it has not itself killed, and even that, if not (as epicures would term it) in good eating order, is sometimes rejected. A very respectable friend, through the medium of Mr. Bartram, informs me, that one moming he observed one of these Hawks dart down on the ground, and seize a mouse, which he carried to a fence post, where, after examining it for some time, he left it, and, a little while after, pounced upon another mouse, which he instantly carried off to his nest, in the hollow of a tree hard by. The gentleman, anxious to know why the Hawk had rejected the first mouse, went up to it, and found it to be almost cov- ered with lice, and greatly emaciated! Here was not only delicacy of taste, but- sound and prudent reasoning:—If I carry this to my nest, thought he, it will fill it with vermin, and hardly be worth eating. The Blue Jays have a particular antipathy to this bird, and frequently insult it by following and imitating its notes so exactly, as to deceive even those well acquainted with both. In return for all this abuse, the Hawk contents himself with, now and then, feasting on the plumpest of his persecutors, who are, therefore, in perpetual dread of him; and yet, through some strange infatuation, or from fear that, if they lose sight of him, he may attack them unawares, the Sparrow Hawk no sooner appears than the alarm is given,.and the whole posse of Jays follow. The female of this species, which is here faithfully represented from a very-beautiful living specimen, furnished by a particular friend, -is eleven inches long, and twenty-three from tip to tip of the expanded wings. The cere and legs are yellow; bill, blue, tipped with black ; space round the eye, greenish blue; iris, deep dusky; head, bluish ash; crown, rufous; seven spots of black on a white ground surround the head, in the manner represented in the figure ; whole npper parts reddish bay, transversely streaked with black; primary and secondary quills, black, spotted on their inner vanes with brownish white ; whole lower parts, yellowish white, marked with longitudinal streaks of brown, except the chin, vent, and femoral feathers, which are white ; claws, black. 5 The male of this species (which is an inch and a half shorter, has the shoulder of the wings blue, and also the black marks on the head, but is, in other respects, very differently marked from the female) will appear in an early part of the present work, with such other particu- lars as may be thought worthy of communicating.* * See description of male, and note, in a subsequent. part of this work. 15* 174 FIELD SPARROW. FIELD SPARROW.*—FRINGILLA PUSILLA.— Fic. 72. “Passer agrestis, Bartram, p: 291. — Peale’s Museum, No, 6560. EMBERIZA PUSILLA. — Jarvixe, Sw. MSS. Fringilla pusilla, Bonap. Synop. p. 110. Tis is the sivallest of all our Sparrows, and, in Pennsylvania, is generally migratory. 4. arrives early in April, frequents dry fields covered with, long grass, builds a small nest on the ground, generally at the foot of a brier; lines it with horse hair; lays six eggs, so thickly sprinkled with ferruginous, as to appear altogether of that tint; and raises two, and often three, broods in a season. It is more frequently found in the ‘middle of fields and orchards than any ‘of the other species, which usually lurk along hedge-rows. It has no song, but a kind of cheruping, not. much different from the chirpings of a cricket. ‘Towards fall they assemble in loose flocks, in orchards and corn-fields, in search of the seeds of various rank weéds ; and are then very.nimerous. As the weather becomes seyere, with-deep snow, they disappear. In the Jower parts of North and South Carolina, I found this species in multitudes in the months of January and Febru- ary. _When disturbed, they, take to the bushes, clustering so close together, that a dozen may easily be shot at atime. I continued to see them equally numerous through the whole lower parts of Georgia ; from whence, according to Mr. Abbot, they all disapptar early in the spring. . "None of our birds have been more: imperfectly described than that family of the’Finch tribe’ usually called Sparrows. They have been considered as too insignificant -for particular notice, yet they possess distinct characters, and some of them peculiarities well worthy of notice, They are innocent in their habits, subsisting chiefly on the small seeds of wild plants, and seldom injuring the property of the farmer. In the dreary season of winter, some of them enliven the prospect by hopping familiarly about our doors, humble pensioners on the sweepings of the threshold. ; “ The . present species has never before, to my knowledge, been figured, Tt is five inches and a quarter long, and eight ‘inches broad; bill and legs, a reddish cinnamon color ;.upper part of the head, deep chestnut, divided by a’slight streak of drab, widening as it goes back ; cheeks, line over the eye, breast, and sides under. the wings, a brownish clay color, lightest on the chin, and darkest ‘on the ear-feathers; a * The American Bunting Finches are most puzzling, the forms being constantly intermediate, and never assuming the true type. Mr. Swainson has also felt this, and has been obliged to form a new genus, to cofitain one portion nearly inadmissi- ble to amy of the others. The present species will rank as allied nearest to the Reed Bunting of Europe, Z. schoeniculus. Another, mentioned neither by Wilson nor Bonaparte, has been: added by the over-land expedition, — Emberiza pallida, Clay-colored Bunting, Sw. and Richard. North. Zool. It approaches nearest to E. socialis, but differs in wanting the bright rufous crown, and having the ear- feathers brown, margined above and below. with a dark edge. — Ep. TREE SPARROW. 1% small streak of brown at the lower angle of the bill; back, streaked with -black, drab, and bright bay, the latter being generally centred with the former; rump, dark @rab, or cinereous; wings, dusky black, the primaries edged with whitish, the secondaries bordered with bright bay; greater wing-coverts, black, edged and broadly tipped with brownish white; tail, dusky black, edged with clay color: male and female nearly alike in plumage’ the chestnut on the crown of the male: rather brighter. , TREE SPARROW.—FRINGILLA ARBOREA.— Fie. 73. Le Soulciet, Buff. iii. 500.— Moineau de Canada, Briss. iii. 101. Pl. ent. 223.— Lath, ii. 252. — Edw. 269.— Arct. Zool. p. 373, No. -246.— Peale’s Museum, No. 6575. ° EMBERIZA CANADENSIS. —Swatnson. Fringilla Canadensis, Bonap. Synop. p. ee Emberiza Canadensis, North. Zool. ii. p. 252, Tus Sparrow is a native of the north, who takes up his winter quarters in Pennsylvania, and most of the Northern States, as well as several of the Southern ones. He arrives here about the beginning of. November, and leaves us again early in April’; associates in flocks with the Snow Birds; frequents sheltered hollows, thickets, and hedge-rows, near springs of water; and has a low, warbling note, scarcely audible at the distance of twenty or thirty.yards. If dis- turbed, he takes to trees, like the White-throated Sparrow, but contrary to the habit of most of the others, who are inclined rather to dive into thickéts. Mr. Edwards has erroneously represented this as the female of the Mountain Sparrow; but that judicious and excellent naturalist, Mr. Pennant, has given a more correct account of it, and informs us that it-inhabits the country bordering on Hudson’s Bay during sum- mer; comes to Severn settlement in May ; advances farther north to breed; and ‘returns ‘in autumn on its way southward. It also visits Newfoundland.* By some of our own naturalists, this species has been confounded with the Chipping Sparrow, (Fig. 75,) which it very much resembles, but is larger ind handsomer, and is never found with us in summer. The former departs forthe south about the same time that the latter arrives from the north ; and, from this circumstance, and their general resemblance, has arisen the mistake. _ The Tree Sparrow is six inches and a half long, and nine and a half in extent; the whole upper part of the head is of a bright reddish chestnut, sometimes slightly skirted with gray ; from the nostrils, over _ the eye, passes a white strip, fading into pale ash, as it extends back ; sides of the neck, chin, and breast, very pale ash; the centre of the breast marked with an obscure spot of dark brown; from the lower * Arctic Zoology, vol, ii. p. 373. 176 SONG SPARROW, angle of the bill proceeds a slight. streak of chestnut ; sides, under the wings, pale brown; back, handsomely streaked with pale drab, bright bay, and black; lower part of the back and rump, brownish drab ; lesser wing-coverts, black, edged with pale ash; wings, black, broadly edged with bright bay; the first and second row of coverts, tipped with pure white; tail, black, forked, and exteriorly edged with dull white ; belly and vent, brownish white ; bill, black above, yellow below ; legs, a brownish clay color; feet, black. The female is about half an inch shorter; the chestnut or bright bay on the wings, back, and crown, is less brilliant ; and the white on the coverts narrower, and not so pure. These are all the differences I can perceive.* ; SONG SPARROW.—FRINGILLA MELODIA.—Fic. 7. Fasciated Finch? Arct. Zool. p. 375, No. 252. — Peale’s Museum, No. 6573. EMBERIZA?} MELODIA, —Jarvine. Bonap. Synop. p. 108. — The Song Sparrow, Aud. pl. 25, Orn. Biog. i. p. 126, So nearly do many species of our Sparrows approximate: to each other in plumage, and so imperfectly have they ‘been taken notice of, that it is absolutely impossible’ to say, with certainty, whether the present species has ever been described or not. And yet, of all our Sparrows, this is the most numerous, the most generally diffused over the United States, and by far.the earliest, sweetest, and most lasting songster. It may be said to be partially migratory, many passing to the south in the month of November; and many of them still remain- ing with us, in low, close, sheltered meadows and swamps, during the whole of winter. It is the first, singing bird in spring, taking prece- dence even of the Pewee and Blue-Bird. Its song continues occa- sionally’ during the whole summer and fall, and is sometimes heard even in the depth of winter. The-notes, or chant, are short, but very sweet, resembling the beginning of the Canary’s song, and frequently repeated, generally from the branches of a bush or small tree, where it sits chanting for an hour together. It is fond of frequenting the borders of rivers, meadows, swamps, and such like watery places; and, if wounded, and unable to fly, will readily take to the water, and swim with considerable rapidity. In the great cypress swamps of the Southern States, in the depth of winter, I observed multitudes of these birds mixed with several other species ; for these places appear to be the grand winter rendezvous of almost. all our Sparrows. I have found * Peculiar to America, and we should say, going more off from the group than F, socialis, Wils., as mentioned by Swainson in the Northern Zoology. — Ep. + Ihave been puzzled where to place this bird —in Emberiza, or as a sub-genus of it. There seems much difference in the form of the bill, though it has “ a rudi- ment of the knob.” I have been unable to obtain a specimen for comparison. Mr. Swainson thinks it connects the American Bunting with his Zonotrichia. — Ep. CHIPPING SPARROW. 177 this bird in every district of the United States, from Canada to the southern boundaries of Georgia; but Mr. Abbot informs me that he knows of only one or two species that remain in that. part of Georgia during the summer. : ate The Song Sparrow builds in the ground, under a tuft of grass; the nest is formed of fine, dry grass, and lined with horse hair; the eggs are four or five, thickly marked with spots of reddish brown, on a white, sometimes bluish white, ground ; if not interrupted, raises three broods in the season. I have found his nest with young as early as the 26th of April, and as late as the 12th of August. What is sin- gular, the same bird often fixes. his nest in a cedar-tree, five or six feet from the ground. Supposing this to have been a variety, or different species, I have examined the bird, nest, and eggs, with particular care, several times, but found no difference. I have observed the same accidental habit in the Red-winged Blackbird, which sometimes builds among the grass, as well as on alder bushes, ' This species is six inches.and a half long, and eight and a half in extent; upper part of the head, dark chestnut, divided laterally by a line of pale dirty white ; spot at each nostril, yellow ochre ; line over the eye, inclining to ash; chin, white; streak from the lower mandi- ble, slit of the mouth, and posterior angle of the eye, dark chestnut ; breast, and sides under the wings, thickly marked with long-pointed spots of dark chestnut, centred with black, and running in chains; belly, white ; vent, yellow ochre, streaked with brown ; back, streaked with b_ack, bay, and pale ochre ; tail, brown, rounded at the end, the two middle feathers streaked down their centres with black; legs, flesh colored ; wing-coverts, black, broadly edged with bay, and tipped with yellowish white; wings, dark brown. The female is scarcely distinguishable by its plumage from the male. The bill in both, horn colored. i CHIPPING SPARROW. — FRINGILLA SOCIALIS. — Fie. 75. Passer domesticus, The Little House Sparrow, or Chipping Bird, Bartram, p. 291. ‘ — Peale’s Museum, No. 6571. EMBERIZA SOCIALIS. — Swainson. Fringilla socialis, Bonap. Synop. p. 109. . Tars species, though destitute of the musical talents of the former, is, perhaps, more generally known, because more familiar, and even domestic.. He inhabits, during summer, the city, in common with man, building in the branches of the trees with which our streets and gardens are ornamented ; and gleaning up crumbs from our yards, and even our doors, to feed his more advanced young with. I have known one of these birds attend regularly every day, during a whole summer, ' while the family were at dinney under a piazza, fronting the garden, ¢ 178 SNOW BIRD. and pick up the crumbs that were thrown to him. This sociable habit, which continues chiefly during the summer, is a singular char- acteristic. ‘Towards the end of summer he takes to the fields and hedges, until the weather becomes severe, with snow, when he departs for the south. - ; ae fg The Chipping Bird builds his nest most commonly in‘a cedar bush, and lines it thickly with cow hair. The female lays four or five eggs, of a light blue color, with a few dots of purplish black near the great end. : - ‘ : “This species may easily be distinguished from the four preceding ones by his black bill and frontlet, and by his familiarity in summer ; yet, in the months of August. and September, when they moult their feathers, the black on the front, and partially on the bill, disappears. The young are also without the black during the first season. The Chipping Sparrow is five inches and a quarter long, and eight inches in extent; frontlet, black; chin, and line over the eye, whitish ; crown, chestnut; breast- and sides of the neck, pale ash; bill, in win- ‘ter, black; in summer, the lower mandible flesh colored; rump, dark ash; belly and vent, white; back, variegated with black and bright bay; wings, black, broadly edged with bright chestnut; tail, dusky, forked, and slightly edged with pale ochre ; legs and feet, a pale flesh color. The female differs in having less black on the frontlet, and the bay duller. Both lose the black front in moulting. ae 1 a am 5 Sad ot > les ta JUNO “SNOW BIRD.—FRINGILLA HUDSONIA.* — Fic. 76. Fringilla Hudsonia, Turton, Syst. i. 568. — Emberiza hyemalis, Jd.531.— Lath. 1. 66. — Catesb. i. 36.— Arct. Zool. p. 359, No. 223. — Passer nivalis, Bartram, p. 291. — Peale’s Museum, No. 6532. FRINGILLA HYEMALIS, — Linnzvs. Fringilla hyemalis, Bonap. Synop. p. 109. — North. Zool. ii. p, 259. — The Snow Bird, Aud. pl. 13, Orn. Biog. i. p. 72. . Tuts well-known species, small and insignificant as it may appear, is. by far the most numerous, as well as the most extensively dissemi- nated, of all the feathered tribes that visit us from the frozen regions of the north, — their migrations extending from the arctic circle, and, probably, beyond it, to the shores of the Gulf of Mexico, spreading over the whole breadth of the United States, from the Atlantic Ocean to Louisiana ; how much farther westward, I am unable tosay. About the 20th of October, they make their first appearance’ in those parts et Pennsylvania east of the Alleghany Mountains, At first they are most generally seen on the borders of woods among the.falling and decayed leaves, in loose flocks of thirty or forty together, always taking to the trees when disturbed. As the weather sets in colder, '* Mivalis of first edition. SNOW BIRD. 179 they approach nearer the farm-house and villages; and on the.appear- ance of, what is usually called, falling weather, assemble in larger flocks, and seem doubly diligent. in searching for food. This increased activity is generally a sure prognostic of a storm. When deep snows cover the ground, they become almost half domesticated. They col- lect about the barn, stables, and other out-houses, spread over the yard, and.even round the steps of the door; not only in the country and villages, but in the heart of our large cities ; crowding around the threshold early in the morning, gleaning up the crumbs; appearing very lively and familiar. They have also recourse, at this severe season, when the face of the earth is shut up from them, to the seeds of many kinds of weeds that still rise above the snow, in corners of fields, and low, sheltered situations, along the borders of creeks and fences, where they associate with several species of Sparrows, particu- ‘larly those represented in Nos. 72,73, and 74. They are, at this time, easily caught with almost any kind of trap; are generally fat, and, it is said, are excellent eating. 2 I cannot but: consider this bird as the most numerous of its tribe of any within. the United States. From the northern parts of the District * of Maine to the Ogeechee River in Georgia, —a distance, by the circuitous route in which I travelled, of more than 1800 miles, — I never passed a day, and scarcely a mile, without seeing numbers of these birds, and frequently large flocks of several thousands. Other travellers with whom I conversed, who had come from Lexington, in Kentucky, through Virginia, also declared that they found these birds numerous along the whole road. It should be observed that the road- sides are their favorite haunts, where many rank weeds, that grow along the fences, furnish them with food, and the road with gravel. In the vicinity of places where they were most numerous, I observed the Small Hawk, represented in No. 71, and several others of his tribe, watching. their opportunity, or hovering cautiously around, making an occasional sweep among them, and retiring to the bare branches of an old cypress to feed on their victims. In the month of April, when the weather begins to be warm, they are observed to retreat to the woods, and to prefer the shaded sides of hills and thick- ets; at which time the males warble out a few very low, sweet notes, and are almost perpetually pursuing and fighting with each other. About the 20th of April, they take their leave of our humble regions, and retire to the north and to the high ranges of the Alleghany, to build their nests, and rear their young. In some of those ranges, in the interior of Virginia, and northward, about the waters of the west branch of the Susquehanna, they breed in great numbers. The nest is fixed in the ground, or among the grass, sometimes several being within a small distance of each other. According to the observations of the gentlemen residing at Hudson Bay Factory, they arrive there about the beginning of June, stay a week or two, and proceed farther north to breed. They return to that settlement in the autumn, on their way to the south. ; In some parts of New England, I found the op‘nion pretty general that the Snow Bird in summier, is transformed into the Small Chipping * Now State of Maine. a 180 PINE FINCH. Sparrow, which we find so common in that season, and which is represented in No. 75. I had convinced a gentleman of New York of his mistake in this matter, by taking him to the house of a Mr. Gautier there, who amuses himself by keeping.a great number of na- tive, as well as foreign, birds. This was in the month of July, and the Snow Bird appeared there in the same colored plumage he usually has. Several individuals of the Chipping Sparrow were also in the same apartment. The evidence was, therefore, irresistible ; but, as I had not the same proofs to offer to the eye in New England, I had not the same success. There must be something in the temperature of the blood or consti- tution of this bird, which unfits it for residing, during summer, in the lower parts of the United States, as the country here abounds with a great variety of food, of which, during its stay, it appears to be re- markably fond. Or, perhaps, its habit of associating in such numbers to breed, and building its nest with so little precaution, may, to insure is safety, require a solitary region, far from the intruding footsteps of man. “ The Snow Bird is six inches long, and nine in extent; the head, neck, and upper parts of the, breast, body, and wings, are of a deep slate color; the plumage sometimes skirted with brown, which is the color of the young birds ; the lower parts of the breast, the whole belly, and vent, are pure white; the three secondary quill-feathers next the body are edged with brown, the primaries with white ; the tail is dusky slate, a little forked, the two exterior feathers wholly white, which are flirted out as it flies, and appear then very prominent ; the bill and legs are of a reddish flesh color; the eye, bluish black. The female differs from the male in being considerably more brown. In the depth of winter, the slate color of the male becomes more deep, and much purer, the brown disappearing nearly altogether. 2 —~+>—___ PINE FINCH.—FRINGILLA PINUS. —Fis. 77. Peale’s Museum, No. 6577. CARDUELIS PINUS. — Swainson. Fringilla pins, (sub-genus Carduelis,) Bonap. Synop. p. 111. Tuis little northern stranger visits us in the month of November, and seeks the seeds of the black alder on the borders of swamps, creeks, and rivulets. As the weather becomes more severe, and the seeds of the Pinus Canadensis are fully ripe, these birds collect in larger flocks, and take up their residence almost exclusively amon: these trees.’ Inthe gardens of Bush Hill, in the neighborhood of Phila- delphia, a flock of two or three hundred of these birds have regularly wintered many years ; where a noble avenue of pine-trees, and walks covered with fine, white gravel, furnish them with abundance through the winter. Early in March. they disappear, either to the north or to PINE FINCH. 181 the pine woods that cover many lesser ranges of the Alleghany. While here, they are often so tame as to allow you to walk within a few yards of the spot where a whole flock of them are sitting. They flutter ‘among the branches, frequently hanging by the cones, and uttering a note almost exactly like that of the Goldfinch, (F- tristts.) I have not a doubt but this bird appears in a richer dress in summer in those placés where he breeds, as he has so very great a resemblance to the bird above mentioned, with whose changes we are well ac- quainted. * The length of this species is four inches; breadth, eight inches ; upper part of the head, the neck, and back, a dark flaxen color, streaked with black; wings black, marked with two rows of dull white or cream color; whole wing-quills, under the coverts, rich yel- low, appearing even when the wings are shut; rump and tail-coverts, yellowish, streaked with dark brown; tail-feathers, rich yellow from the roots half way to the tips, except the two middle ones, which are blackish brown, slightly edged with yellow ; sides, under the wings, of a cream color, with long streaks of black; breast, a light flaxen col- or, with small streaks or pointed spots of black; legs, purplish brown ; bill,.a dull horn color; eyes, hazel. The female was scarcely distin- guishable by its plumage from the male) The New York Siskin of Pennant * appears to be only the Yellow-Bird (Fringilla tristis) in his winter dress. 4A ; This bird has a still greater resemblance to the Siskin of Europe, (Ff. spinus,) and may, perhaps, be the species described by Turton + as the Black Mexican Siskin, which he says is varied above with black and yellowish, and is white beneath, and which is also said to sing finély. This change from flaxen to yellow is observable in the Gold- finch; and no other two birds of our country resemble each other more than these do in their winter dresses. Should these surmises be found correct, a figure of this bird, in his sumtner dress, shall appear in some future part of our work. t * Arctic Zoology, p. 372, No. 243. t Turron, vol. i. p. 560. { This is a true Siskin; and we have a very accurate description of the general manners of the group in those of the individual now described by Wilson. Little seems to be known of their summer haunts ; and, indeed, the more northern species remain in the same obscurity. They generally all migrate, go north to breed, and winter in southern latitudes. The species of Great Britain and Europe performs a like migration, assembling in very large flocks during winter, feeding upon seeds, &c., and retiring north to-breed. A few pairs, not performing the migration to its utmost northern extent, breed in the larger pine woods in the Highlands of Scot- Jand. In 1829, they were met with in June, in a Jarge fir wood at Killin, evidently breeding ; last year, they were known to breed in an extensive wood at New Ab- vey, in Galloway. In their winter migrations, they are not regular, particular districts being visited by them at uncertain periods. th Annandale, Dumfriesshire, uney were always accounted rare, and the first pair I ever saw there was shot in 1827. Early in October, as the winter advanced, very large flocks arrived, and fed chiefly upon the rag-weed, and under some large beech-trees, turning over the fallen mast, and eating part of the kernels, as well as any seeds they could find among them. In 1828, they again appeared ; but in 1829, not one was seen 3 and «ne present winter, (1830,) they are equally wanting. The plate of our author is that of the bird in its winter dress. ‘As he justly observes, the plumage becomes much richer during the season of incubation. "The black parts become brighter and deeper, and the olive of a yellower green. — Ep. 16 182 ROSE-BREASTED GROSBEAK. ROSE-BREASTED GROSBEAK.* — LOXIA ROSEA.—Fic. 78. Loxia Ludoviciana, 'Turton’s Syst.— Red-breasted Grosbeak, Arct. Zool. p. 350, No. 212.—Red-breasted: Finch, Id. 372, No. 245.—Le rose gorge, Buff. iii. 460. — Gros-béc de Ia Louisiane, Pl: enl. 153, fig. 2.— Lath. ii. 126.— ‘eale’s Museum, No. 5806, male ; 5807, female ; 5806, a, male of one year old. \ GUIRACA LUDOVICIANA. — Swainson, Fringilla (sub- enus: Coceothraustes) Ludoviciana Bonap. Synop. p. 113. — Coc- . cailvaneles (Guiraca) Ludoviciana, North. Donk t 71. ; Tus elegant species is rarely found in the lower parts of Pennsyl- vania; in the state of New York, and those of New England, it is more frequently observed, particularly in fall, when the berriés of the sour gum are ripe, on the kernels of which it eagerly feeds. Some of its trivial names would import that it is also an inhabitant of Louisiana; but I have not-heard of its being seen in any. of the Southern States. A gentleman of Middletowr., Connecticut, informed me that he kept one of these birds for some considerable time in a cage, and observed that it frequently sang at night, and all night; that its notes were extremely clear and mellow, and the sweetest of any bird with which he is acquainted. | : : The bird from which the figure on the plate was taken, was shot, . late in April, on the borders of a swamp, a few miles from Philadel- phia. Another male of the same species was killed at the same time, considerably different in its markings; a proof that they do not ac- quire their full colors until ‘at least the second spring or summer. The Rose-breasted Grosbeak is eight inches and a half long, and thirteen inches in extent; the whole upper parts are black, except the second row of wing-coverts, which are broadly tipped with white; a spot of the same extends over the primaries, immediately below. their coverts; chin, neck, and upper part of the breast, black; lower part of the breast, middle of the belly, and lining of the wings, a fine light carmine, or rose color; tail, forked, black, the three exterior feathers, on each side, white on their inner vanes for an inch or more from the tips; bill, like those of its tribe, very thick and strong, and pure white ; legs and feet, light blue; eyes, hazel. The young male of the first spting has the plumage of the back variegated with light brown, white * This species seems to have been described, under various specific names, by various authors. Wilson, in the body of his work, calls it L. rosea; but he corrects that name afterwards in the index, and restores that by which’ it must now stand. The generic appellation has also been various, and the necessity of some decided one cannot be better shown, than in the different opinions expressed by naturalists, who have placed it in three or four of the known genera, without being very well satisfied with any of its situations. Gmelin and Latham have even placed the young and old in different genera; Loxia and Fringilla ; by Brisson, it is a Coccothraus- tes; and by Sabine, a Phyrrhula. It appears a form exclusively American, sup- Janting the Coccothraustes of Asia and. the Indian continent, and Guiraca has sen appropriated to it by Mr. Swainson, in which will also range the Cardinal and Blue Gnsheska of our autha:.— Ep. , BLACK-THROATED GREEN WARBLER. 183 and black; a line of white extends over the eye; the. rose color also reaches to the base of the bill, where it is speckled with black and white. The female is of a light yellowish, flaxen color, streaked with dark olive, and whitish; the breast is streaked with olive, pale flaxen, and white ; the lining of the wings is pale yellow ; the bill, more dusky than in the male, a the white on the wing less. 4 —~——_—. BLACK-THROATED GREEN WARBLER.— SYLVIA VIRENS. — Fie. 79. Motacilla virens, -Gmel. Syst. i. p. 985. — Le Figuier a cravate noire, Buff. v. p. 298, — Black-throated Green Flycatcher, Edw. t. 300. — Green Warbler, Aret. Zool. ii. No. 297. — Lath. Syn. iv. p. 484, 108.— Turton, Syst. p. 607. — Parus viridis gutture nigro, The Green Black-throated Flycatcher, Guan, p- 292. SYLVICOLA VIRENS, — Swainson. Sylvia virens, Bonap. Synop. p. 80. Tuis is one of those tfansient visitors that pass through Pennsyl- vania, inthe latter part of April and beginning of May, on their way to the north to breed. It generally frequents the high branches and tops of trees, in the woods, in search of the larve of insects that prey on the opening buds. It has a few singular cheruping notes; and is very lively and active. About the. 10th of May it disappears. It is rarely observed on its return in the fall, which may probably be owing to, the scarcity of its proper food at that season obliging it to pass with greater haste; or to the foliage, which prevents it and other pas- sengers from being so easily observed. Some few of these birds, however, remain all summer in Pennsylvania, having myself shot three this season, (1809,)in the month of June; but I have never yet seen their nest. This species is four inches and three quarters long, and seven broad; the whole’ back, crown, and hind head, is of a rich yellowish green; front, cheek, sides of the breast, and line over the eye, yellow ; chin and throat, black; sides, under the wings, spotted with black; belly and vent, white; wings, dusky black, marked with two white bars; bill, black; legs and feet, brownish yellow; tail, dusky, edged with light ash; the three exterior feathers spotted on their inner webs ae yn The female is distinguished by having no black on the roat. 184 YELLOW-RUMPED WARBLER ’ YELLOW-RUMPED WARBLER.—SYLVIA CORONATA Fie. 80. Motacilla maculosa, Gmel. Syst. i. p. 984.— Motacilla coronata, Linn. Syst. i. p. 332, No. 31. Le Figuier a téte cendrée, Buff. v. p. 291.— Le Figuier couronné Wor, Id. v. p. 312. — Yellow-Rump Flycatcher, Ldw. t. 255,— Golden-crowned Flycatcher, Id. t. 298. —Yellow-Rump Warbler, Arct. Zool. ii. No. 288. — Golden- crowned Warbler, Jd. ii. No. 294.— Lath. Syn. iv. 5; 481, No. 104. Id. Supp. p. 182, Id. Syn. iv. p. 486, No. 11.— Turton, p. 599, Id. 606. — Parus cedrus uro- ygio flavo. — ‘The Yellow Rump, Bartram, p. 292.— Parus aurio vertice. — he Golden-Crown Flycatcher, Jd. 292. — Peale’s Museum, No. 7134. SYLVICOLA CORONATA. —Swaiwson. Sylvia coronata, Bonap. Synop. p..77, (summer plumage.*) — Sylvicola coronata : : North. Zool. i. p. 16. Y In this beautiful little species we have another instance of the mis- takes occasioned by the change of color to which many of our birds are subject. In the present case this. change is both progressive and periodical. The young birds of the first season are of a brown olive above, which continues until the month of February and March; about which time it gradually changes into a fine slate color, as in Fig. 80. About the middle of April this change is completed. I have shot them in all their gradations of changé. While in their brown olive dress, the yellow on the sides of the breast and crown is scarcely observable, unless the feathers be parted with the hand; but that on the rump is still vivid; the spots of black on the cheek are then also obscured. The difference of appearance, however, is so great, that we need scarcely wonder that foreigners, who have no opportunity of examining the progress of these variations, should ‘have concluded them to be two distinct species, and designated them as in the above synonymes. : This bird is also a passenger through Pennsylvania. Early in Oc- tober he arrives from the north, in his olive dress, and frequents the cedar-trees, devouring the berries with great avidity. He remains with us three or four weeks, and is very numerous wherever there are trees of the red cedar covered with berries. He leaves us for the south, and spends the winter season among the myrtle swamps of Vir- ginia, the Carolinas, and Georgia. . The berries of the Myrica cerifera, both the large and dwarf kind, are his particular favorites. On those of the latter I found them feeding, in great numbers, near the sea- shore, in the District of Maine, in October; and through the whole of the lower parts of the Carolinas, wherever the myrtles grew, these birds were numerous, skipping about, with hanging wings, among the bushes. In those parts of the country, they are generally known by the name of Myrtle Birds. Round Savannah, and bevond it as far as the Altamaha, I fourid him equally numerous, as late as the middle of March, when his change of color had considerably progressed to the slate hue. Mr. Abbot, who is well acquainted with this change, assured me, that they attain this rich slate color fully before their departure J * Winter plumage, Fig. 187. CERULEAN WARBLER. 185 from thence, which is about the last of March, and to the 10th of April. About the middle or 20th of the same month, they appear in Pennsyl- vania, in full dress, as represented in Fig. 80; and after continuing to be seen, for a week or ten days, skipping among the high branches and tops of the trees, after those larvee that feed on the opening buds, they disappear until the next October. Whether they retire to the north, or to the high ranges of our mountains to breed, like many other of our passengers, is yet uncertain. They are a very numerous species, and always associate together in considerable numbers, both in spring, winter, and fall. This species is five inches and a half long, and eight inches broad ; whole back, tail-coverts, and hind head, a fine slate color, streaked with black; crown, sides of the breast, and rump, rich yellow; wings and tail, black; the former crossed with two bars of white, the three exterior feathers of the latter, spotted with white; cheeks and front, black; chin, line over and under the eye, white; breast, light slate, streaked with black, extending under the wings ; belly and vent, white, the latter spotted with black; bill and legs, black. ‘This is the spring and summer dress of the male; that of the female of the same season differs but little, chiefly in the colors being less vivid, and not so strongly marked With a tincture of brownish on the back. In the month of October the slate color has changed to a brownish olive; the streaks of black are also considerably brown, and the white is stained with the same color; the tail-coverts, however, still retain their slaty hue; the yellow on the crown and sides of the breast be- comes nearly obliterated, Their only note is a kind of chip, occasion- ally repeated; their motions are quick, and one can scarcely ever observe them at rest. Though the form of the bill of this bird obliges me to arrange him with the Warblers, yet, in his food and all his motions, he is decidedly a Flycatcher. On again recurring to the descriptions in Pennant of the “ Yellow Rump Warbler,” * “Golden-crowned Warbler,” + and “ Belted War- bler,’{ I am persuaded that the whole three have been drawn from the present species. ‘ —~._— CERULEAN WARBLER.—SYLVIA COSRULEA. — Fie. 81 Peale’s Museum, No. 7309. SYLVICOLA CQ@RULEA. — Swainson. — Mate. Sylvia azurea, Bonap. Synop. p. 85. — Sylvia azurea, Azure Warbler, Steph. © . Zool. x. p. 653.—Sylvia coerulea, Cerulean Warbler, Steph. Sh. Zool. x. p 652. — Sylvia bifasciata, Say, Journ. to Rocky Mount. i. p. 170.— The Azure Warbler, Sylvia azurea, Aud, pl. 48, male and female, Orn. Biog. i. p. 255. Tus delicate little species is now, for the first time, introduced to public notice. Except my friend, Mr. Peale, I know of no other natu- = Arctic Bosley, p. 400, No. 188. + Ibid. No. 294. } Ibid. No. 306. 186 SOLITARY FLYCATCHER. ralist who seems to have ‘uitherto known of its existence. At what time it arrives from the south I cannot positively say, as I never met with it in spring, but have several times found it during summer. On the borders of streams and marshes, among the branches of the poplar, it is Sometimes to be found. It has many of the habits of the Fly- catcher ; though, like the preceding, from the formation of its bill, we must arrange it with the Warblers. It is one of our scarce birds in Pennsylvania, and its nest has hitherto eluded my search. I have never observed it after the 20th of August, and therefore suppose it retires early to the south. This bird is four inches anda half ong, and seven and a half broad ; the front and upper part of the head is of a fine verditer blue; the hind head and back, of the same color, but not quite so brilliant; a few lateral streaks of black mark the upper part of the back; wings and tail, black, edged with sky blue; the three secondaries next the body, edged with white, and the first and second row of coverts also tipped with white; tail-Goverts, large, black, and broadly tipped with blue; lesser wing-coverts, black, also broadly tipped with blue, so as to appear nearly wholly of that tint; sides of the breast, spotted or streaked with blue; belly, chin, and throat, pure white; the tail is forked, the five lateral feathers on each side with each a spot of white; the two middle more slightly marked with the same ; from the eye backwards extends a line of dusky blue; before and behind the eye, a line of white ; bill, dusky above, light blue below; legs and feet, light blue. Riceswiden Vives SOLITARY FLYCATCHER.— MUSCICAPA SOLITARIA.— : Fie. 82. VIREO SOLITARIUS. — Virr.vor. Vireo solitarius, Bonap. Synop. p. 70. ieee) é mae ‘ Tis rare species I can find nowhere described. I have myself never seen more than three of them, all of whom corresponded in their markings ; and, on dissection, were found to be males. It is a silent, solitary bird. It is also occasionally found mm the state of Georgia, where I saw a drawing of it in the possession of Mr. Abbot, who con- sidered it a very scarce species. He could give me no information of the female. The one from which Fig. 82 was taken, was shot in Mr, Bartram’s woods, near Philadelphia, among the branches of dogwood, in the month of October. It appears to belong to a particu- lar family, or subdivision of the Muscicapa genus, among which are the White-eyed, the Yellow-throated, and ‘several others already de- scribed in the present work. Why one species should be so rare, while another, much resembling it, is so numerous, at least a thousand for one, is a question Iam unable to answer, unless by supposing the few we meet with here to bé accidental stragglers from the great body-which may have ther residence in some. other parts of our ex- tensive continr:at at COW BiNTING. 187 The Solitary Flycatcher is five inches long, and eight inches in breadth; cheeks, and, upper part of the head and neck, a fine bluish gray ; breast, pale cineréous; flanks and sides of the breast, yellow ; whole back and tail-coverts, green olive ; wings, nearly black ; the first and second row of coverts, tipped with white ; the three secondaries next the body, edged with pale yellowish white ; the rest of the quills, bor- dered with light green ; tail, slightly forked, of the same ‘tint as the wings, and. edged with light green ; from the nostrils a line of white proceeds to and enciréles the eye; lores, black; belly and vent, white ; ipper mandible, black ; lower, light blue ; legs and feet, light blue ; ayes, hazel.' ‘ _—_——— COW BUNTING.* —EMBERIZA PECORIS. — Fres. 83, 84, 85. Le Brunet, Buffy iv. 138.—Le Pingon de Virginie, Briss. iii. 165. — Cow-Pen Bird, Cates. i. 34.— Lath. ii. 269. Arct. Zool. p. 371, No. 241, — Sturnus stercorarius, Bartram, p. 291. — Peale’s Museum, No. 6378, male; 6379, female. MOLOTHRUS PECORIS.—Swatnson. Fringilla pecoris, Sab. Frank. Journ. p. 676. — Stumus junceti, Lath. Ind. Orn. — Emberiza pecoris, Bonap. Nomencl. No. 89.—Icterus pecoris, Bonap. yee p. 53. — Aglaius \pecoris, Sw. Synop. Birds of Mex. Phil. Mag. June, 1827, p. 436.— The Cow-Pen Bird, Aud. pl. 99, Orn. Biog. i. p. 493. — Molothrus pecoris, North. Zool. ii. p. 277. * : : Tuer is one striking peculiarity in the works of the great Creator, which becomes: more amazing the more we reflect'on it; namely, that le has formed no species of animals so minute, or obscure, that are not invested with certain powers and peculiarities, both of cutward con- formation and internal faculties, exactly suited to their pursuits, suffi- cient to distinguish them from. all-others; and forming for them a character. solely and exclusively their own. This is particularly so among the feathered race. If there be any case where these charac- teristic features are not evident, it is owing to our want of observation ; to our little intercourse with that particular tribe; or to that contempt for inferior animals, and all their -habitudes, which is but too general, and which bespeaks a morose, unfeelng, and unreflecting mind. These peculiarities are often surprising, always instructive where understood, and (as in the subject of. our present chapter) at least amusing, and worthy of being further investigated.t * The American Cuckoo (Cuculus Carolinensis) is by many people called the Cow Bird, from the sound of its notes resembling the words Cow, cow. This bird builds its own nest very artlessly in a cedar or an apple-tree, and lays four green- ish blue-eggs, which it hatches, and rears its young with great tenderness, + In this curious species, we have another instance of those wonderful provisions of Nature, which have hitherto baffled the knowledge and perseverance of man to discover for what uses they were intended. ‘The only authenticated instance of.a like circumstance that we are aware of, is in the economy of the Common Cuckoo of Europe. Some foreign species, which rank as true Cuculi, are said to deposit their eggs in the rests of other birds ; but I am not sure that the fact is confirmed. With regard to tl e birds in question, there is little common between them, except 188 COW BUNTING. The most remarkable trait in the character of this species is, the unaccountable practice it has of dropping its eggs into the nests of other birds, instead of building and hatching for itself; and thus en- tirely abandoning its progeny to the care and mercy. of strangers. More than two thousand years ago, it was well known, in those countries where the birc inhabits, that the Cuckoo of Europe (Cuculus canorus) never built herself a nest, but dropped her eggs in,the nests of other birds ; but, among the thousands of different species that spread over that and other parts of the globe, no other instance of the same uniform habit has been found to exist, until discovered in the bird now before us. Of the reality of the former there is no doubt; it is known to every school-boy in Britain; of the truth of the latter I can myself speak with confidence, from personal observation, and from the testi- mony of gentlemen, unknown to each other, residing in different and distant parts of the United States. The circumstances. by which I became first acquainted with this peculiar habit of the bird are as follows : — > T had, in numerous instances, found, in the nests of three or four particular -species of birds, one egg, much larger, and differently marked from those beside it; I had remarked, that these odd-looking eggs were all of the same color,-and marked nearly in the same man- ner, in whatever nest they lay, though frequently the eggs beside them were of a quite different tint; and I had also been told, in a vague way, that the Cow Bird laid in other birds’ nests. At length I detected the female of this very bird in the nest of the Red-eyed Fly- catcher, which nest is very small, and very singularly constructed. Suspecting her purpose, | cautiously withdrew without disturbing her ; and had the satisfaction to find, on my return, that the egg which she had just dropped corresponded as nearly as eggs of the same species nsually ids, in its size, tint, and markings, to those formerly taken notice of. Since that time, I have found the young Cow Bunting, in many instances, in the nests of one or other of these small birds; 1 have seen these last followed by the young Cow Bird calling out clamorously for food, and often engaged in feeding it; and I have now, in a cage before me, a very fine one, which, six months ago, I took from the nest of the Maryland Yellow-Throat, and from which the figures of the young bird and male Cow Bird in the plate were taken: the figure in the act of feeding it, is the female Maryland Yellow- Throat, in whose nest it was found. I claim, however, no merit for a discovery not originally my own, these singular habits having long that both are migratory, and both deposit their eggs in the nest of an alien. The Cow Bunting is polygamous ; and I strongly suspect that our Cuckoo is the same. In the deposition of the ege, the mode of procedure is nearly similar ; great uneasi- ness, and a sort of Tee preyiously, with a calm of quiet satisfaction afterwards. In both species we have beautiftil provisions to insure the non-disturbance of the intruder by its foster-progeny : in the one, by a greater strength, easily overcomin and driving out the natural but more tender young 5 in all Jove of the natur: offspring being destroyed in the parents, and succeeded by a powerful desire to preserve and rear to maturity the usurper of their rights: in the other, where the young would, in some instances, be of a like size and strength, and where a combat might prove fatal in an opposite direction to the intentions of Providence, all ne- cessity of contest is at once avoided by the eBes of the Cow Bunting requiring shorter period to hatch than any of the birds chosen as foster-parents. — Ep. COW BUNTING 189 been known to people of observation resident in the country, whose information, in this case, has preceded that of all our school philoso- phers and closet naturalists, to whom the matter has, till now, been totally unknown. ; About the 25th of March, or early in April, the Cow-Pen Bird makes his first appearance in Pennsylvania from the south, sometimes in company with the Red-winged Blackbird, more frequently in detached parties, resting early in the morning, an hour at a time, on the tops of trees near streams- of water, appearing solitary, silent, and fatigued, They continue to be occasionally seen, in small, solitary parties, par- ticularly along creeks and banks of rivers, so late as the middle of June ; after which, we see no more of them until about the beginning or middle of October, when they reappear in much larger flocks, gen- erally accompanied by numbers of the Redwings; between whom and the present species there is a considerable similarity of manners, dialect, and personal resemblance. In these aerial voyages, like other experienced navigators, they take advantage of the direction of the wind, and always set out with a favorable gale. My venerable and observing friend, Mr. Bartram, writes me, on the 13th of October, as follows: —‘“ The day before yesterday, at the height of the north-east storm, prodigious numbers of the Cow-Pen Birds came by us, in several flights of some thousands in a flock; many of them settled on trees in the garden to rest themselves, and then resumed their voyage south- wards. There were a few of their cousins, the Redwings, with them. We shot three, a male and two females.” From the early period at which these birds-pass in the spring, it is highly probable that their migrations extend very far north. Those which pass in the months of March and April can have no opportunity of depositing their eggs here, there being not more than one or two of our small birds which build so early. Those that pass in May and June are frequently observed loitering singly about solitary thickets, reconnoitring, no doubt, for proper nurses, to whose care they may commit the hatching of their eggs, and the rearing of their helpless orphans. Among the birds selected for this duty are the following, all of which are figured and described in this volume :— The Blue- Bird, which builds in a hollow tree ; the Chipping Sparrow, in a cedar bush; the Golden-crowned Thrush, on the ground, in the shape of an oven; the Red-eyed Flycatcher, a neat, pensile nest, hung by the two upper edges on a small sapling, or drooping branch; the Yellow-Bird, in the fork of an alder; the Maryland Yellow-Throat, on the ground, at the roots. of brier bushes; the White-eyed Flycatcher, a pensile nest on the bending of a smilax vine; and the small Blue-gray Fly- catcher, also a pensile nest, fastened to the slender twigs of a tree, sometimes at the height of fifty or sixty feet from the gsound. The three last-mentioned nurses are represented on the same plate. with the bird now under consideration. There are, no doubt, others to whom the same charge is committed; but all these I have myself met with acting in that capacity. Among these, the Yellow-Throat and the Red-eyed Flycatcher ap- pear to be particular favorites; and the kindness and affectionate at- tention which these two little birds seem to pay to their nurslings, fully justify the partiality of the parents, 190 COW BUNTING. It is well known to those who have paid attention to the manners of birds, that, after their nest is fully finished, a day or two generally elapses before the female begins to lay. This delay. is in most cases necessary to give firmness to the yet damp materials, and allow them time to dry. In this state it.is sometimes met with, and laid in by the Cow Bunting; the result of which 1 have invariably found to be the desertion of the nest by its rightful owner, and the consequent loss of the egg thus dropped in it by the intruder. But when the owner herself has begun to lay, and there are one or more eggs in the nest before the Cow Bunting deposits’hers, the attachment of the proprietor is segured, and remains unshaken until incubation is fully performed, and the little stranger is able to provide for itself. : The well-known practice of the young Cuckoo of Europe in turn- ing out all the eggs and young which it feels around it, almost as soon as it is hatched, has been detailed in a very satisfactory and amusing manner by the amiable Dr. Jenner,* who has since risen to immortal celebrity in a much nobler pursuit; andto whose genius and humani- ty the whole human race are under everlasting obligations. In our Cow Bunting, though no such habit has been observed, yet still there is something mysterious in the disappearance of the nurse’s own eggs soon after the foundling is hatched, which happens regularly before all the rest. From twelve to fourteen days is the usual time of incu- bation with our small birds; but although I cannot exactly fix the precise period requisite for the egg of the Cow Bunting, I think I can say almost positively, that it is a day or two less than the shortest of the above-mentioned spaces! In this singular circumstance, we see a striking provision of the Deity; for did this egg require a day or two more, instead of so much Jess, than those among which it has been dropped, the young it contained would in every instance most inevitably perish; and thus, in a few years, the whole species must become extinct. On the first appearance of the young Cow Bunting, the parent being frequently obliged to leave the nest to provide sus- tenance for the foundling, the business of incubation is thus necessarily interrupted ; the disposition to continue it abates; nature has now given a new direction to the zeal of the parent; and the remaining eggs, within a day or two at most, generally disappear. In some in- stances, indeed, they have been found on the ground near, or below, the nest; but this is rarely the case. I have never known more than one egg of the Cow Bunting dropped in the same nest. This egg is somewhat larger than that of the Blue-Bird, thickly sprinkled with grains of pale brown on a dirty white ground. It is of a size proportionable to that of the bird. So extraordinary and unaccountable is this habit, that I have some- times thought it might not be general among the whole of this species in every situation; that the extreme heat of our summers, though suit- able enough for their young, might be too much for the comfortable residence of the parents ; that, therefore, in their way to the north, through our climate, they were induced to secure suitable places for their progeny ; and that in the regions where they more generally pass the summer, they might perhaps build nests for themselves, and * See Philosophicul Transitions for 1788, part it. COW BUNTING. 191 \ rear their own young, like every other species around them. On the other hand, when I consider that many of them tarry here so late as the middle of June, dropping their eggs, from time to time, into every convenient receptacle —that in the states of Virginia, Maryland, Del- aware, New Jersey, and Pennsylvania, they uniformly retain the same habits — and, in short, that in all these places I have never yet seen or heard of their nest,—reasoning from these facts, I think I may safely conclude that they never build one; and that in those remote northern regions their manners are the same as we find them here. What reason Nature may have for this extraordinary deviation from her general practice is, I confess, altogether beyond my compre- hension. There is nothing singular to be observed in the anatomicul structure of the bird that would seem to prevent or render it incapa- ble of incubation. The extreme heat of our climate is probably one reason why, in the months of July and August, they are rarely to be seen here. Yet we have many other migratory birds that regularly pass through Pennsylvania to the north, leaving a few residents be- hind them, who, without exception, build their own nests and rear their own young. This part of the country also abounds with suita- ble food, such as they usually subsist on. Many conjectures indeed might be formed as to the probable cause ; but all of them that have occurred to me are unsatisfactory and inconsistent. Future and more numerous observations, made with, care, particularly in those coun- tries where they most usually pass the summer, may throw more light on this matter ; till then, we can only rest satisfied with the reality of the fact. This species winters regularly in the lower parts of North and South Carolina and Georgia; I have also met with them-near Wil- liamsburg, and in several other parts of Virginia. In January, 1809, I observed strings of them for sale in the market of Charleston, South Carolina. They often frequent corn and rice fields, in company with their cousins, as Mr. Bartram calls them, the Red-winged Blackbirds ; but are more commonly found accompanying the cattle, feeding on the seeds, worms, &c., which they pick up amongst the fodder, and from the excrements of the cattle, which they scratch up for this pur- pose. Hence they have pretty generally obtained the name of Cow- Pen Birds, Cow Birds, or Cow Blackbirds. By the naturalists of Eu- rope they have hitherto been classed with the Finches, though im- properly, as they have no family resemblance to that tribe, sufficient to justify that arrangement. If we are to be directed by the conforma- tion of their bill, nostrils, tongue, and claws, we cannot hesitate a moment in classing them with the Red-winged Blackbirds, Oriolus pheniceus ; not, however, as Orioles, but as Buntings, or some new intermediate genus; the notes or dialect of the Cow Bunting and those of the Redwings, as well as »ome other peculiarities of voice and gesticulation, being strikingly similar. Respecting this extraordinary bird, I have received communications from various quarters, all corroborative of the foregoing particulars. Among these is a letter from Dr. Potter, of Baltimore, which, as it contains some new and interesting facts, and several amusing inci- dents, illustrative of the character of the bird, I shall with pleasure lay before the reader, apologizing to the obliging writer for a few 192 COW BUNTING. unimportant omissions which have been anticipated in the preceding pages, “T regret exceedingly that professional avocations have put it out of my power to have replied earlier to your favor of the 19th of Sep- tember; and although I shall not now reflect all the light you desire, a faithful transcript from memoranda, noted at the moment of observa- tion, may not be altogether uninteresting. “The Fringilla pecoris is generally known in Maryland by the name of the Cow Blackbird; and none but the naturalist view it as a distinct species. It-appears about the last of March, or first week in April, though sometimes a little earlier, when the spr.ng is unusually for- ward. It is less punctual in its appearance than many other of our migratory birds. “Tt commomy remains with us till about the last of October, though unusually cold weather sometimes banishes it much earlier. It, how- ever, sometimes happens that a few of them remain with us all winter, and are seen hovering about our barns and farm-yards when straitened for sustenance by snow or hard frost. It is remarkable that in some years I have not been able to discover one of them during the months of July and August; when they have suddenly appeared in Septem- ber in great numbers. I have noticed this fact always immediately after a series of very hot weather, and then only. The general opin- ion is, that they then retire to the deep recesses of the shady forest ; but, if this had been the fact, I should probably have discovered them in my rambles in every part of the woods. I think it more likely that they migrate farther north, till they find a temperature more congenial to their feelings, or find a richer repast in following the cattle in a better pasture.* “Tn autumn, we often find them congregated with the Marsh Black- birds, committing their common depredations upon the ears of the In- dian corn; and at other seasons, the similarity of their pursuits in feeding introduces them into the same company. I could never ob- serve that they would keep the company of any other bird. “ The Cow-Pen Finch differs, moreover, in another respect, from all the birds with which I am acquainted. After an observance of many years, I could never discover any thing like paring, or a mutual at- tachment between the sexes. Even in the season of love, when other birds are separated into pairs, and occupied in the endearing office of providing a receptacle for their offspring, the Fringille are seen feed- ing in odd as well as even numbers, from one to twenty, and discov- ering no more disposition towards perpetuating their species than birds * « Tt may not be improper to remark here, that the appearance of this bird in spring is sometimes looked for with anxiety by the farmers. If the horned cattle heppet be diseased in spring, they ascribe it to worms, and consider the pursuit of the birds as an unerring indication of the necessity of medicine. Although this hy- pothesis of the worms infesting the cattle so as to produce much disease, is problem- atical, their superabundance at this season cannot be denied. The larve of several species are deposited in the vegetables when green, and the cattle are fed on them as fodder in winter. This furnishes the principal inducement for the bird to follow the cattle in spring, when the aperient effects of the green grasses evacuate great numbers of worms. At this season the Pecoris often stufis its crop with them till it can contain no more. There are several species, but the most numerous is a small white one similar to, if not the same as, th: Ascaris of the human species.” COW BUNTING. — 193 of any other species at other seasons, excepting a promiscuous con- cubinage, which pervades the whole tribe. When the female separates from the company, her departure is not noticed; no gallant partner accompanies her, nor manifests any solicitude in her absence; nor is her return greéted by that gratulatory tenderness that so eminently characterizes the males of other birds. The male proffers the same civilities to any female, indiscriminately, and they are reciprocated ac- cordingly, without exciting either resentment or jealousy in any of the party. This want of sexual attachment is not inconsistent with the general economy of..this singular bird; for, as they are neither their own architect, nor nurse of their own young, the degree of attachment that governs others would be superfluous. “That the Fringilla never builds a nest for itself, you may assert without the facerd oF a refutation. I once offered a premium for the nest, and the negroes in the neighborhood brought me a variety of nests ; but they were always traced to some other bird. The time of depositing their eggs is from the middle of April to the last of May, or nearly so; corresponding with the season of laying observed by the small birds on whose property it encroaches. It never deposits but one egg in the same nest, and this is generally after the rightful ten- ant begins to deposit hers, but never, I believe, after she has com- menced the process of incubation. It is impossible to say how many they lay in a season, unless they could be watched when confined in an aviary. / “ By a minute attention to a number of these birds when they feed in a particnlar field, in the laying season, the deportment of the female, when the time of laying draws near, becomes particularly in- teresting. She deserts her associates, assumes a drooping, sickly as- pect, and perches upon some eminence where she can reconnoitre the operations of other birds in the process of nidification. Ifa discovery suitable to her purpose cannot be made from her stand, she becomes more restless, and is seen flitting from tree to tree, till a place of de- posit can be found. I once had an opportunity of witnessing a scene of this sort, which T cannot forbear to relate. Seeing a female prying into a bunch of bushes in search of a nest, I determined to see the result, if practicable; and, knowing how easily they are disconcerted by the near approach of man, I mounted my horse, and proceeded slowly, sometimes seeing and sometimes losing sight of her, till I had travelled nearly two miles along the margin of a creek. She entered every thick place, prying. with the strictest scrutiny into places where the small birds usually build, and at last darted suddenly into a thick copse of alders and briers, where she remained five or six minutes, when she returned, ‘soaring above the underwood, and re- turned to the company she had left feeding in the field. Upon enter- ing the covert, I found the nest of a Yellow-Throat, with an egg of each. Knowing the precise time of deposit, I noted the spot and date, with a view of determining a.question of importance —the time re- quired to hatch the egg of the Cow Bird, which I supposed to com-. mence from the time of the Yellow-Throat’s laying the lastegg. A few. days after, the nest was removed, I knew not how, and I was dis- appointed. In the proyress of the Cow Bird along the creek’s side, she entered the os boughs of a small cedar, and returned several 1 194 COW BUNTING. times before she could prevail on herself to quit the place; and, upon examination, I found a Sparrow sitting on its nest, on which she, no doubt, would have stolen in the absence of the owner. It is, I believe, ' certain that the Cow-Pen Finch never makes a forcible entry upon the premises by attacking other birds, and ejecting them from their rightful tenements, although they are all, perhaps, inferior in strength, except the Blue-Bird, which, although of a mild as well as affectionate disposition, makes a vigorous resistance when assaulted. Like most other tyrants and thieves, they are cowardly, and accomplish by stealth what they cannot obtain by force. . eye “The deportment of the Yellow-Throat, on. this occasion, is not to be omitted. She retuned while I waited near the spot, and darted into her nest, but returned immediately, and perched upon a bough near the place ; remained a minute or two, and entered it again; re- turned, and disappeared, In ten minutes, she returned with the male. They chattered with great agitation for half an hour, seeming to par- ticipate in the affront, and then left the place. I believe all the birds thus intruded on manifest more or less concern at finding the egg of a stranger in their own nests. Among these, the Sparrow is particu- larly punctilious ; for she sometimes chirps her complaints for a day or two, and often deserts the premises altogether, even after she has deposited one or more eggs... The following anecdote will show, not only that the Cow-Pen Finch insinuates herself slyly into the nests of other birds, but that even the most pacific of them wil] resent the insult. A Blue-Bird had built, for three successive seasons, in the cavity of a mulberry-tree near my dwelling. One day, when the nest was.nearly finished, I discovered a female Cow Bird perched upon a -fence-stake near it, with her eyes apparently fixed upon the spot, while the builder was busy in adjusting her nest. The moment she left it, the intruder darted into it, and in five minutes returned, and sailed off to her companions with seeming delight, which she ex- pressed by her gestures and notes. The Blue-Bird soon returned, and entered the nest, but instantaneously fluttered back, with much appar- ent hesitation, and perched upon the highest branch of the tree, utter- ing a rapidly-repeated note of complaint and resentment, which soon brought the male, who reciprocated her feelings by every demonstra- tion of the most vindictive resentment. They entered the nest togeth- er, and returned several times, uttering their uninterrupted complaints for ten or fifteen minutes. _The male then darted away to the neigh- boring frees, as if in quest of the offender, and fell upon a Cat Bird, which he chastised severely, and then turned to an innocent Sparrow that was chanting its ditty in a peach-tree. Notwithstanding the af- front was so passionately resented, I found the Blue-Bird had laid an egg the next day. Perhaps a tenant less attached to a favorite spot would have acted more fastidiously, by deserting the premises alto- gether. In this instance, also, I determined to watch the occurrences that were to follow; but, on one of my morning visits, I found the common enemy of the eggs and young of all the small birds had de- spoiled the nest, —a Coluber was found coiled in the hollow, and the eggs sucked. “ Agreeably to my observation, all the young birds destined to cher- ish the young Cow Bird art: of a mild and affectionate disposition ; and COW BUNTING. 195 it is not less remarkable that they are all smaller thar the intruder; the Blue-Bird is the only one nearly as large. This is a good-natured, _mild creature, although it: makes.a vigorous defence when assaulted. The Yellow-Throat, the Sparrow, the Goldfinch, the Indigo Bird, and the Blue-Bird, are the only birds in whose nests [ have found the eggs _ or the young of the Cow-Pen Firich, though, doubtless, there are some others. ai : «“ What becomes of the eggs or young of the proprietor? This is the most interesting question that appertains to this subject. There must be some special law of nature which determines that the young of the proprietors are never to be found tenants in common with the young Cow Bird. I shall offer the result of my own experience on this point, and leave it to you and others better versed in the mysteries of nature than I am, to draw your own conclusions. Whatever theory may be adopted, the facts must remain the same. Having discovered a Sparrow’s nest with five eggs, four and one, and the Sparrow sitting, I watched the nest daily. The egg of the Cow Bird occupied tbe centre, and those of the Sparrow were pushed a little up the sides of the nest. Five days after the discovery, I perceived the shell of the Finch’s ege broken, and the. next, the bird was hatched. The Sparrow .returned, while I was near the nest, with her mouth full of food, with which she’ fed the young Cow Bird, with every possible mark of affec- tion, and discovered the usual concern at my approach. On the suc- ceeding day, only two of the Sparrow’s eggs remained, and the next day there were none. I sought in vain for them on the ground, and in every direction. : “Having found the eggs of the Cow Bird in the nest of a Yellow- Throat, I repeated my observations. The process of incubation had commenced, and on the seventh day from the discovery, I found a young Cow Bird that had been hatched during my absence of twenty- four hours, all the eggs of the proprietor remaining. I had not an op- portunity of visiting the nest for-three days, and, on my return, there was only one egg remaining, and that rotten. The Yellow-Throat attended the young interloper with the same apparent care and affec- tion as if it had been its own offspring. “The next year, my first discovery was in a Blue-Bird’s nest built ina hollow stump. The nest contained six eggs, and the process of incubation was going on. Three or four days after my first visit, I found a young Cow Bird, and three eggs remaining. I took the eggs out; two contained young birds, apparently come to their full time. and the other was rotten. I found one of the other eggs on the ground at the foot of the stump, differing in no respect from those in the nest, no signs of life being discoverable in either. A . Soon after this, J found a Goldfinch’s nest, with one egg of each only, and I attended it carefully till the usual complement of the owner were laid. Being obliged to leave home, I could not ascertain precisely when the process of incubation commenced; but, from my reckoning, I think the egg of the Cow Bird must have been hatched in nine or ten days from the comriencement of incubation. On my return, I found the young Cow Bird occupying nearly the whole nest, and the foster-mother as attentive to it as she could have been to her own. I ought to acknowledge here, that in none of these instances could 196 - COW BUNTING. Tascertain exactly the time required to hatch the Cow Bird’s eggs, and that, of course, none of them are decisive; but is it not strange that the egg of the intruder should be so uniformly the first hatched? The idea of the egg being larger, and therefore, from its own gravity, find- ing the centre of the nest, is not sufficient to explain the phenomenon; for in this situation the other eggs would be proportionably elevated at the sides, and therefore receive as much or more warmth from the body of the incumbent than the other:* This principle would scarcely apply to the eggs of the Blue-Bird, for they are nearly of the same size; if there be any difference, it would be in favor of the eggs of the builder of the nest. How do the eggs get out of the nest? Is it by the size and nestling of the young Cow Bird? This-cannot al- ways be the case; because, in the instance of the Blue-Bird’s nest in the-hollow stump, the cavity was a foot deep, the nest at the bottom, and the ascent perpendicular; nevertheless, the eggs were removed, although filled with young ones. Moreover, a young Cow-Pen Finch is as helpless as any other young bird, and so far from having the power of ejecting others from the nest, or even the eggs, that they are sometimes found on the ground under the nest, especially when the nest happens to be very small. I will not assert that the eggs of the builder of the nest are never hatched; but I can assert that I have never been able to find one instance to prove the affirmative. If all the eggs of both birds were to be hatched, in some cases the nest would not hold half of them; for instance, those of the Sparrow or Yellow-Bird. I will not assert that the supposititious egg is brought to perfection in less time than those of the bird to which the nest be- longs; but, from the facts stated, Iam inclined to adopt such an opin- ion. How are the eggs removed, after the accouchement of the spu- rious occupant? By the proprietor of the nest, unquestionably ; for this is consistent with the rest of her economy. After the power of hatching them is taken away by her attention to the young stranger, lhe eggs would be only an encumbrance, and therefore instinct prompts her to remove them. I might add that I have sometimes found the eggs of the Sparrow, in which were unmaturéd young ones, lying near the nest containing a Cow Bird, and therefore I cannot re- sist this conclusion. Would the foster-parent feed two species of young at the same time? I believe not. I have never seen an in- stance of any bird feeding the young of another, unless immediately after losing her own. I should think the sooty-looking stranger would scarcely interest a mother, while the cries of her own offspring, al- ways intelligible, were to be heard. Should such a competition ever take place, I judge the stranger would be the sufferer, and probably the species soon become extinct. Why the ler nature conservatriz shonld decide in favor of the surreptitious progeny, is not for me to determine. “ As to the vocal powers of this bird, I believe its pretensions are very humble, none of its notes deserving the epithet musical. The sort of simple, cackling complaint it utters at being disturbed, consti- * The ingenious writer seems not to be aware that almost all birds are in the habit, while siting, of changing the eggs from the centre to the circumference, and vice versa, that all of thet, may receive an equal share of warmth. COW BUNTING. 197 tutes also the expression of its ‘pleasure at finding its companions, varying only in a more rapidly repeated monotony. The deportment of the male, during his promiscuous intercourse with the other sex, resembles much that of a pigeon in the same situation. He uses nearly the same gestures ; anit tent ; hea a low, guttural sort of muttering, which is the most agreeable of his notes, and not unlike the cooing of a pigeon. ; “This, sir, is the amount of my information on this subject, and is no more than a transcript from my notes made several years ago. For ten years past, since I have lived in this city, many of the impressions of nature have been effaced, and artificial ideas have occupied their places. The pleasure I formerly received in viewing and examining the objects of nature are, however, not entirely for- gotten; and those which remain, if they can interest you, are entirely at your service. With the sincerest wishes for the success of your useful, and arduous undertaking, I am, dear sir, yours very respect- fully, Naraanien Potter.” To the above very interesting detail I shall add the following recent fact which fell under. my own observation, and conclude my account of this singular species. Tn the month of July last, took from the nest ofthe Maryland Yellow- Throat, which was built among the dry leaves at the root ofa brier bush, a young male Cow Bunting, which filled and occupied the whole nest. I had previously watched the motions of the foster-parents for more than an hour, in order to ascertain whether any more of their young were lurking about or not; and was fully satisfied that there were none. They had, in all probability, perished in the manner before mentioned. I took this bird home with me, and placed it in the same cage with a ‘Red-Bird, (Loxia cardinalis,) who, at first, and for several minutes after, examined it closely, and seemingly with great curiosity. It soon became clamorous for food, and from that moment the Red- Bird seemed to adopt it as his own, feeding it with all the assiduity and tenderness of. the miost affectionate nurse. When he found that the grasshopper which he had brought it was too large for it to swallow, he took the insect from it, broke it in small portions, chewed them a little to soften them, and, with all the gentleness and delicacy imagi- nable, put them separately into:its month. He often spent several minutes in looking at and examining it all over, and in picking off any particles of dirt that he observed on its plumage. In teaching and encouraging it to learn to eat of itself, he often reminded me of the lines of Goldsmith, — E He tried each art, reproved each dull delay, Allured to “ favorite food,” and led the way. This Cow Bird.is now six months old; is in complete plumage;. and repays the affectionate services of his foster-parent with a fre- quent display of all the musical talents with which nature has gifted him. These, it must be confessed, are far from being ravishing; yet, for their singularity, are worthy of notice. He spreads his wings, swells his body into a globular form, bristling every feather in the 17* by attentively listening, you will hear 198 MARYLAND YELLOW- rHROAT. manner of a Turkey cock,.and, with great seeming difficulty, utters a few low, spluttering notes, as if proceeding from his belly; always, on these-occasions, strutting in front of the spectator with great con- sequential affectation. : To see the Red-Bird, who is himself so excellent a performer, silently listening to all tis guttural splutter, reminds me of the great Handel contemplating a wretched catgut scraper. _Perliaps, however, these may be meant for the notes of love and gratitude, which are sweeter to the ear, and dearer to the heart, than all the artificial solos or concertos on this side heaven. © The length of this: species is seven inches, breadth eleven inches ; the head and neck are of a very deep silky drab; the upper part of the breast, a dark changeable violet; the rest of the bird is black, with a considerable gloss of green when exposed to a good light; the form of the bill is faithfully represented in the plate—it is evidently that of an Emberiza; the tail is slightly forked; legs and claws, glossy black, strong and muscular; iris of the eye, dark hazel. Catesby says of this bird, “It is all over of a brown color, and something lighter below ;” a description that applies only to the female, and-has been repeated, in nearly the same words, by almost all succeeding ornithologists. The: young male birds are at first altogether brown, and for a morith, or more, are naked of feathers round the eye and mouth ; the breast is also spotted like that of a Thrush, with light drab and darker streaks.. In about two months after they leave the nest, the black commences at the shoulders of the wings, and gradu- ally increases along each side, as the young feathers come out, until ' the bird appears mottled on the back and breast with deep black and light drab. At three months, the colors of the plumage are complete, and, except in moulting, are subject to no periodical change. ——>—_—_ MARYLAND YELLOW-THROAT— SYLVIA MARILANDICA. _—Fie. 86.— Femare. : 2 Vary Ireve iba MM. ei DAE oh tees. ho TRICHAS PERSONA TUS. — Swainson. —Femaue. * 4 Ry . Tue male of ths species having already been represented, * ' accompanied by a particular detail of its manners, I have little further to add here relative to this bird. I found several of them round Wil- mington, North Carolina, in the month of January, along the margin of the river, and by the Cypress Swamp, on the opposite side. The individual from which the figure in the plate was taken, was the actual nurse of the young Cow-Pen Bunting, which it’is represented in the act of feeding. : It is five inches long, and seven in extent; the whole upper parts, green olive; something brownish on the neck, tips of the wings, and head; the lower parts, yellow, brightest on the throat and vent; legs, * See Fig. 19. © ~ i. aoa, SMALL BLUE-.“RAY FLYCATCHER. 199 flesh colored. The chief difference between this and the male, in the markings of their plumage, is, that the female is destitute of the black bar through the eyes, and the bordering one of pale bluish white. ——_>—_—— SMALL BLUE-GRAY FLYCATCHER, — MUSCICAPA CQERULEA. — Fie. 87. Motacilla coerulea, Turton, Syst. i. p. 612.— Blue Flycatcher, Edw. pl. 302.— Regulus griseus, the Little Diab grey Wren, Bartram, p. 291. — Le figuier gris de ir, Buff. v. p. 309.—Cervlean Warbler, Arct. Zool. ii. No. 299.— Lath. Syn. iv. p. 490, No. 127. —- Peale’s Museum, No. 6829. CULICIVORA CQ@RULEA.—Swarnson.* Culicivora, Sw. New Groups in Orn. Zool. Journ. No. 11, p. 359.— Sylvia coerulea, Bonap. Synop. p. 85,— The Blue Gray Flycatcher, Aud. pl. 84, male and female; Orn. Biog. 1. p. 431. Tis diminutive species, but for the length of the tail, would rank next to our Humming Bird in magnitude. It is a very dexterous flycatcher, and has also something of the manners of the Titmouse, with whom, in early spring, and fall, it frequently associates. It arrives in Pennsylvania, from the south, about the middle of Apnl; and, about the beginning of May, builds its nest, which it generally fixes among the twigs of a tree, sometimes at the height of ten feet from the ground, sometimes fifty feet high, on the extremities of the tops of a high tree in the woods. This nest is formed of very sligh. and perishable materials, — the husks of buds, stems of old leaves, withered blossoms of weeds, down from the stalks of fern, coated on the-outside with gray lichen, and lined with a few horse hairs, Yet in this frail receptacle, which one would think scarcely sufficient to admit the body of the owner, and sustain even its weight, does the female Cow Bird venture to deposit her egg; and to the manage- ment of these pygmy nurses leaves the fate of her helpless young. The motions. of ‘this little bird are quick; he seems always on the look-out for insects; darts about from one part of the tree to another, with hanging wings and erected tail, making a feeble chirping, isee, tsee, no louder than a mouse. Though so small in itself, it is ambi- tious of hunting on the highest branches, and is seldom seen among the humbler thickets, It remains with us until the 20th or 28th of September ; after which we see no more of it until the succeeding spring. JI observed this bird near Savannah, in Georgia, early in March; but it does not winter: even in the southern parts of that state. A The length of this species is four inches and a half; extent, six and a half; front, and line over the eye, black; bill, black, very slender, * This species will represent another lately-formed genus, of which the Musci- capa stenura of Temminck’s Pl. coloriées forms the type. It is a curious group, connecting Tyrannula, Setophaga, the Flycatchers, and the Sylviade.— Ev. 200 WHITE-EYED FLYC ATCHER. overhanging at the tip, notched, broad, and furnished with bristles at the base; the color of the plumage above is a light bluish gray, bluest on the head, below bluish white ; tail, longer'than the body, a little rounded, and black, except the exterior feathers, which are al- most all white, and the next two also tipped with white ; tail-coverts, black; wings, brownish black, some of the secondaries next the body edged with white ; legs, extremely slender, about three fourths of an th long, and of a bluish black color. The female is distinguished by wanting the black line round the front. oss : The food of this bird is small winged insects, and their larve, but particularly: the former, which it seems almost always in pursuit of: \ WHITE-EYED FLYCATCHER.—MUSCICAPA CANTATRIX.— Fig. 88. , Muscicapa Noveboracensis, Gmel. Syst. i. p. 947. — Hai ing Flycatcher, Lath. Syn. Supp. p. 174. — Arct. Zool. p- 389, No. 274.— Muscicapa cantatrix, the Little Domestic Flycatcher, or Green Wren, Bartram, p. 290.— Peale’s Mu- seum, No. 6778. VIREO NOVEBORACENSIS. — Bonaparte. Vireo Noveboracensis, Bonap. Synop. p.70.— The White-Eyed Flycatcher, or Vireo, Aud. pl. 63, male ; Orn. Biog. i. p. 328. Turs is another of the Cow Bird’s adopted nurses ; a lively, active, and sociable little bird, possessing a strong voice for its size, and a eat variety of notes; and singing with little intermission, from its first arrival, about the middle of April, till.a little before its departure in September. On the 27th of February, I heard this bird in the southern parts of the state of Georgia, in considerable numbers, sing- ing with great vivacity. ‘They had only arrived a few days before. Its arrival in Pennsylvania, a an interval of seven weeks, is a proof that our birds of passage, particularly the smaller species, do not mi- grate at once from south to north; but progress daily, keeping com- | pany, as it were, with the advances of spring. It has been observed in the neighborhood of Savannah so late as the middle of Novem- ber; and probably winters in Mexico and the West Indies. This bird builds a very neat little nest, often in the figure of an in- verted cone; it is suspended, by the upper edge of the two sides, on the circular bend of a prickly vine, — a species of smilax that gener- ally grows in low thickets. Outwardly, it is constructed, of va- rious light materials, bits of rotten wood, fibres of dry stalks of weeds, pieces of paper, commonly newspapers, an article almost always found about its nest, so that some of my friends have given it the name of the Politician ; all these substances are interwoven with the silk of caterpillars, and the inside is lined with fine, dry grass and hair. The female lays five eggs, pure white, marked near the great end with a very few small dots of deep black or purple. They generally raise two broods in a season. They seem particularly attached to thickets me MOTTLED OWL. 201 of this species of smilax, and make a great ado when any one comes near their nest; approaching within a few feet, looking down, and scolding with great vehemence. In Pennsylvania they are a numeér- ous species, The White-eyed Flycatcher is five inches and a quarter long, and seven in extent; the upper parts are a fine yellow olive, those below, white, except the sides of the breast, and under the wings, which are yellow ; line round the eye, and spot near the nostril, also rich yel- low; wings, deep dusky black, edged with olive green, and crossed with two bars of pale yellow; tail, forked, brownish black, edged with green olive ; bill, legs, and feet, light blue; the sides of the neck in- cline to a grayish ash. The female and young of the first season are scarcely distinguishable in plumage from the male. les MOTTLED OWL.—STRIX NAVIA. — Fic. 89. Arct. Zool. 231, No. 118.— Lath. i. 126.— Turton, i. 167. — Peale’s Museum, No. 444. STRIX ASIO —Linnzvs.* Strix asio, Bonap. Synop. p. 36.—Hibou asio, Temm. Pl. col. pl. 80.— The Little Screech Owl, Aud. pl. 97, adult and young; Orn. Biog. i. p. 486. On contemplating the grave and antiquated figure of this night wanderer, so destitute of every thing like gracefulness of shape, I can scarcely refrain from smiling at the conceit of the ludicrous appear- ance this bird must have made, had Nature bestowed on it the powers of song, and’given it the faculty of warbling out sprightly airs, while robed in such a solemn exterior. But the great God of Nature hath, * The difference in the plumage of- the young and old has caused Wilson to fall into a mistake, and multiply species, by introducing the different states under distinct specific appellations. In Fig. 174, is represented the young plumage of the bird, under the name which must ie adopted for it, as the original one of Lin- neus. The Tawny Owls of this country present similar changes, and were long held as distinct, until accurate observers proved their difference. C. L. Bonaparte appears to have been the first who made public mention of the confusion which existed ; and Mr. Audubon~has illustrated the sexes and young in one of his best plates. The species appears peculiar to America. They are scarce in the southern districts ; but above the Falls: of the’Ohio they increase in number, and are plenti- ful in Virginia, Maryland, and all the eastern districts. Its range to the northward perhaps is not very extensive ; it does not_appear to have been met with in the last over-land expedition, no mention being made of it in the’ Northern Zoology. The flight. of this Owl, like its congeners, is smooth and noiseless. By Audubon, it is said sometimes to rise above the top branches of the highest forest-trecs, whilo in pursuit of large beetles, and at other times to sail low and swiftly over the fields or through the woods, in search of small birds, field mice, moles, or wood rats. from which it chiefly derives its subsistence. According to some gentlemen, the nest is placed at the bottom of the lollow trunk of a tree, often not at a greater height than six or seven feet from the ground, at ¢ther times so high, as from thirty: to forty. It is composed of a few grasses and ‘eathers. The eggs are four or five, of a nearly globular form, and pure white color. — Ep. 202 MOTTLED OWL. ~ in His wisdom, assigned to this class of birds a ‘more unsocial, and less noble, thouga, perliaps, not less useful, disposition, by assimila- ting them, not only in form of countenance, but in voice, manners, and appetite, to some particular beasts of prey ; secluding them from the enjoyment of the gay sunshine of day, and giving them little more than the few solitary hours of morning and evening twilight, to pro- cure their food and pursue their amours ; while all the- tuneful tribes, a few excepted, are wrapt in silence and repose. That their true character, however, should not be concealed from those weaker ani- mals on whom they feed, (for Heaven abhors deceit and hypocrisy,) He has stamped their countenance with strong traits of their murder- er, the cat; and birds in this respect are, perhaps, better physiogno- mists than men. : The Owl now before us is chiefly a native of the northern regions, arriving here, with several others, about the commencement of cold weather ; frequenting the uplands and mountainous districts, in pref- erence to the lower parts of the country ; and feeding on mice, small birds, beetles, and crickets. It is rather a scarce species in Pennsyl- vania; flies usually in the early part of night and morning; and is sometimes observed sitting on the fences during day, when it is easily caught, its vision at that time being very imperfect. ; ‘The.bird represented in Fig. 89 was taken in this situation, and presented to me by a friend. I kept it in the room beside me for some time, during which its usual position was such as I have given it. Its eyelids were either half shut, or slowly and alternately open- - ing and shutting, as if suffering from the glare of day; but no sooner was the sun set than its whole appearance became lively and animated ; its full and globular eyes shone like those of a cat; and it often lowered its head, in the manner of a cock when preparing to fight, moving it from side to side, and also vertically, as if reconnoitring you’ with great sharpness. In flying through the room, it shifted from place to place with the silence of a spirit, (if I may be allowed the expression,) the plumage of its wings being so extremely fine and soft as to occasion little or no friction with the air,— a wise provision of Nature, bestowed on the whole genus, to enable them, without giving alarm, to seize their prey in the night. For an hour or two in the evening, and about break of day, it flew about with. great activity. When angry, it snapped its bill repeatedly with violence, and so loud as to be heard in the adjoining room, swelling out its eyes to their full dimensions, and lowering its head as before described. It swal- lowed its food hastily, in large mouthfuls; and never was observed to drink. Of the eggs and nest.“ ‘his species, I am unable to speak. The Mottled Owl is ten inciies long, and twenty-two in extent; the upper part.of the head, the back, ears, and lesser wing-coverts, are dark brown, streaked and variegated with black, pale brown, and ash ; wings, lighter, the greater coverts and primaries spotted with white ; tail, short, even, and mottled with black, pale brown, and whitish, on a dark brown ground ; its lower side, gray; horns, (as they are usually called,) very prominent, each composed of ten feathers, increasing in length from the. front backwards, and lightest on the inside; face, whitish, marked with small touches of dusky, and bounded on each side with a circlet of black ; breast and belly, white, beautifully varie- MEADOW LARK. 203 gated with ragged streaks of black, and small transverse tcuches of brown; legs, feathered nearly to the claws, with a kind of hairy down, of a pale brown color; vent and under tail-coverts white, the latter slightly marked with brown; ‘iris of the eye, a brilliant golden yellow; bill and claws, bluish horn color. . ‘ ; This was a female. The male is considerably less in size; the general colors darker; and the white on the wing-coverts not so observable. 3 - Hollow trees, either in the woods or orchard, or close evergreens in retired situations, are the usual roosting-places of this and most of our other species. These retreats, however, are frequently discovered by the Nuthatch, Titmouse, or Blue Jay, who instantly raise the alarm; a promiscuous group of feathered neighbors soon collect round the spot, like crowds in the streets of a large city, when a thief or murderer is detected; and, by their insults and vociferation, oblige the recluse to seek for another lodging elsewhere. This may account for the cir- cumstance of sometimes finding them abroad during the day, on fences and other exposed situations. MEADOW LARK. — ALAUDA MAGNA. — Fie. 33. Linn. Syst. 289 — Crescent Stare, Arct. Zool. 330, No. 192, Lath. iii..6, var. A.— Le fer-a-cheval, ou Merle a Collier d’Amerique, Buff. iii. p. 371. — Catesb. Car. i. pl. 33. — Bartram, p. 290. — Peale’s Museum, No. 5212. STURNELLA LUDOVICIANA. — Swainson * Sturnus Ludovicianus, (sub-gerius Sturella,) Bonap. Synop. p. 49, —Stumela ee Vieill. Gal. des. Ois. pl. 80.— Sturnella Ludoviciana, North. Zool. i. p. 282. , : THovex this well-known species cannot boast of the powers of song which distinguish that “harbinger of day,” the Sky Lark of Europe, yet in richness of plumage, as well as in sweetness of voice, ~ In changing the specific name of this species, C. L, Bonaparte thinks that Wil- son must have been misled by some ‘European author, as he was acquainted with the works wherein it was previously described. It ought to remain under the appellation bestowed on it by Linnzus, Brisson, &e. ith regard to the generic term, this curious form has been chosen by Vieillot, as thé type of his genus Star- nella, containing yet only two species, — that of Wilson, and another from the southern continent. The form is peculiar to the New World, and seems, to have been a subject of uncertainty to most ornithologists, as we find it placed in the genera T'urdus, ‘Sturnus, Alauda, and Cassicus, to all of which it is somewhat allied, but, to none can it rank as a congener. In the bill, head, and wings, with some modification, we have the forms of the two first and last; in the colors of the plumage, the elongation of the scapularies and tail-coverts, in the legs, feet, and hinder claw, that of the Alaude. ‘The tarsi and feet are decidedly ambulatorial, as is confirmed by the habits of the species, though the tail indicates that of a seansorial bird; but as far as we yet know, it is the only indication of this power. In the structure of the nest, we have the weaving of the Icteri, the situation of many of the’ Warblers, and the form of the true Wrens. —FEp. 204 MEADOW LARK.” (as far as his few notes extend,) he stands eminently its superior. He differs from the greater part of his tribe in wanting the long straight hind claw, which is probably the reason why he has been classed, ‘by some late naturalists, with the Starlings. But in the particular form of his bill, in his rnanners, plumage, mode and place of building his nest, Nature has clearly pointed out his proper family. This species has a very extensive range, having myself found them in Upper Canada, and in each of the states, from New Hampshire to New Orleans. Mr. Bartram also informs me, that they are equally abundant in East Florida. Their favorite places of retreat are pasture fields and meadows, particularly the latter, which have conferred on them their specific name; and no doubt supplies them abundantly with the particular seeds and insects on which they feed. They are rarely or never seen in the depth of the woods ; unless where, instead of underwood, the ground is covered with rich grass, as in the Chac- taw and Chickasaw countries, where I met with them in considerable numbers in the months of May and June. The extensive and luxu- riant prairies between Vincennes and St. Louis also abound with them. ~ It is probable that, in the more rigorous regions of the north, they may be birds of passage, as they are partially so here ; though I have seen them among the meadows of New Jersey, and those that border the Rivers Delaware and Schuylkill, in all seasons; even when the round was deeply covered with snow. There is scarcely a market dey in Philadelphia, from September to March, but they may be found exposed to sale. They are generally considered, for size and delicacy, little inferior to the Quail, or what is here usually called the Partridge, and valued accordingly.’ I once met with a few of these birds in the month of February, during a deep snow, among the heights of the Alleghany, between Shippensburgh and Somerset, gleaning on the road, in company with the small Snow Birds. In the state of South Carolina and Georgia, at the same season of the year, they swarm among the rice plantations, running about the yards and out-houses, accompanied by the Killdeers, with little appearance of fear, as if quite domesticated. 7 : These birds, after the building season is over, collect in flocks, but seldom fly in a close, u«mpact body; their flight is something in the manner of the Grouse and Partridge, laborious and steady, sailing, and renewing the rapid action of the wings alternately. When they alight on trees or bushes, it is generally on the tops of the highest branches, whence they send forth a long, clear, and somewhat melan- choly note, that, in Sweetness and tenderness of expression, is not surpassed by any of our numerous Warblers. This is sometimes fol- lowed by a kind of low, rapid chattering, the particular call of the female ; and again the clear and plaintive strain is repeated as before. They afford tolerably good amusement to the sportsman, being most easily shot while on wing; as they frequently squat among the long grass, and spring, within gunshot. The nest of this species is built generally in, or below, a thick tuft, or tussock, of grass; it is com- posed of dry grass, and fine bent, laid at the bottom, and wound all around, leaving an arched entrance level with the ground; the inside is lined with fine stalks of the same materials, disposed with great ——— a es RES BLACK AND WHITE CREEPER. 205 regularity. The eggs are four, sometimes five, white, marked with specks, and several large blotches of reddish brown, chiefly at the thick end. Their food consists of caterpillars, grub worms, beetles, and grass seeds, with a considerable proportion'of gravel. Their general name is the Meadow Lark; among the Virginians, they are usually called the Old Field Lark. Sar The length of this. bird is. ten inches and a half; extent, sixteen and a half; throat, breast, belly, and line from the eye to the nostrils, rich yellow ; inside lining and edge of the wing, the same ; an oblong crescent of deep velvety-black ornaments the lower part of the throat ; lesser wing-coverts, black, broadly. bordered with pale ash ; rest of the wing-feathers, light brown, handsomely serrated with black; a line of yellowish white divides the crown, bounded on each side by a stripe of black, intermixed with bay, and another line of yellowish. white passes over each eye, backwards; cheeks, bluish white; back, and rest of the upper parts, beautifully variegated with black, bright bay, and pale ochre; tail, wedged, the feathers neatly pointed, the four outer ones on each side, nearly all white; sides, thighs, and vent, pale "yellow ochre, streaked with black; upper mandible, brown; lower, bluish white; eyelids, furnished with strong, black hairs; legs and feet, very large, and of’a pale flesh color. : The female has the black crescent more skirted with gray, and not of so deep a black. In the rest of her markings, the plumage differs little from that of the male. I must here take notice of a mistake committed by Mr. Edwards in his History of Birds, vol. vi. p. 123, where, on the authority ofa bird-dealer of London, he describes the Calandre Lark, (a native of Italy and Russia,) as belonging also to North America, and having been brought from Carolina. I can say with confidence, that, in all my excursions through that and the rest of the Southern States, I never met such a bird, nor any person who had ever seen it. I have no hesitation in believing, that the Calandre is not a native of the United States. : ———e——__. ct ’ ' & Wh p Sadia am er ae i : . omy 2 4 BLACK AND WHITE CREEPER. —CERTHIA Rr , — Fie. 91. Edw. p)._ 300.—White Poll Warbler, Arct. Zool. 402, No. 293.—Le figuier. varié, Buff: v: 305.— Lath. ii. 488.— Turton, i. p. 603. — Peale’s ‘Museum, No: 7092. . SYLVICOLA VARIA. —Janpinz. * Sylvia varia, Bonap. Synop. Boe oh varié, Mniotilla varia, Vieill. -Gall. des Ois. pl. 169. Tis nimble and expert little species seldom perches on the small twigs; but circumambulates the trunk and larger branches, in quest of * This forms the type of Vieillot’s Mniotilla, and will, perhaps, show the scanso- rial form in Re ee 206 PINE-CREEPING WARBL &R. ants and other insects, with admirable dexterity. It arrives in Penn- sylvania, from the south, about the 20th of April; the young begin to fly early in July ; and the whole tribe abandon the country about the beginning of October. Sloane describes this bird as an inhabitant of the West India Islands, where it probably winters. - It was first figured by Edwards from a dried skin sent him by Mr. William Bartram, who gave it its present name. Succeeding naturalists have classed it with the Warblers, —a mistake which I have endeavored to rectify. The genus of Creepers comprehends about thirty different species, many of which are richly adorned with gorgeous plumage; but, like their congenial tribe, the Woodpeckers, few of them excel in song; their tongues seem better calculated for extracting noxious insects from the bark of trees, than for trilling out sprightly airs; as the hardened hands of the husbandman are better suited for clearing ‘the forest, or guiding the plough, than dancing among the keys of a forte- piano. Which of the two is the more honorable and useful employ- ment, is not difficult to determine. Let the farmer, therefore, respect this little bird for its useful qualities in clearing his fruit and forest- trees from destructive insects, though it cannot serenade him with its song. The length of this species is five inches and a half; extent, seven and a half; crown, white, bordered on each side with a band of black, which is again bounded by a line of white passing over each eye; below this isa large spot of black covering the ear-feathers; chin and throat, black; wings, the same, crossed transversely by two bars of ‘white ; breast and -back, streaked with black and white; tail, upper, and also under coverts, black, edged, and bordered with white ; belly, white ; legs and feet, dirty yellow ; hind claw the longest, and all very sharp pointed ; bill, a little compressed sidewise, slightly curved, black above, paler below; tongue, long, fine-pointed, and horny at the extremity. These last circumstances, joined to its manners, charac- terize it, decisively, as a Creeper. The female, and young birds of ve first year, want the black on the throat, having that part of a grayish white. a ees ‘ PINE-CREEPING WARBLER.— SYLVIA PINUS. — Fie, 92, Pine Creeper, Catesb. i. 61.— Peale’s Museum, No. 7312. | SYLVICOLA PINUS. —Jarvinz. Sylvia pinus, Bonap. Synop. p. 81. Tais species inhabits the pine woods of the Southern States, where it is resident, and where I first observed it, running along the bark of the pines ; sometimes alighting, and feeding on the ground, and almost always, when disturbed, flying up, and clinging to the trunks of the trees. As I advanced towards the south, it became more numerous. LOUISIANA TAN AGER. 207 Its note is a simple, reiterated cheruy continued for four or five seconds,, - . Catesby first figured and described this bird; but so imperfectly, as to produce among succeeding writers great confusion, and many mistakes as to what particular bird was intended. Edwards has sup posed it to be the Blue-winged Yellow Warbler! Latham has sup- posed another species to be meant; and the worthy Mr. Pennant has been led into the same mistakes ; describing the male of one species, and the female of another, as the male and female Pine Creeper. Having shot and examined great numbers of these birds, I am enabled to clear up these difficulties by the following descriptions, which will be found to be correct : : The Pine-creeping Warbler is five and a half inches long, and nine inches in extent ; the whole upper parts are of a rich green olive, with a considerable tinge of yellow; throat, sides, and breast, yellow; wings and tail, brown, with a slight cast of bluish, the former marked with two bars of white, slightly tinged with yellow; tail, forked, and edged with ash; the three exterior feathers, marked near the tip with a broad spot of white; middle of the belly and ‘vent-feathers, white. The female is brown, tinged with olive green on the back; breast, dirty white, or slightly yellowish. The bill in both is truly that of a Warbler; and the tongue, slender, as in the Motacilla genus, notwith- standing the habits of the bird. : ; The food of these birds is the seeds of the pitch pine, and various kinds of bugs. The nest, according to Mr. Abbot, is suspended from the horizontal fork of a branch, and Famed outwardly of slips of grape- vine bark, rotten wood, and caterpillars’ webs, with sometimes pieces of hornets’ nests interwoven; and is lined with dry pine leaves, and fine roots of plants. The eggs are four, white, with a few dark brown spots at the great end. - These birds, associating in flocks of twenty or thirty individuals, are found in the depth of the pine barrens; and are easily known by their manner of rising from the ground, and alighting on the body of the tree. They also often glean among the topmost boughs of the pine-tree, hanging, head downwards, like the Titmouse. —— LOUISIANA TANAGER.— TANAGRA COLUMBIANUS. — Fic. 93. Peale’s Museum, No. 6236 PYRANGA? LUDOVICIANA, —Jarp wweE.* Tanagra Ludoviciana, Bonap. Synop. p. 105. — Pyranga erythropis, Vieill. auct. é Bonap. Tus bird, and the two others that occupy the same plate, were discovered in the remote regions of Louisiana, by an exploring party * It is impossible to decide the generic station of this bird. It appears very rare and it is probable that the British collections do not possess any specimen. —ED | 208 LOUISIANA TANAGER. i a ms ‘ under the command o‘ Captain George Merriwether Lewis, and Lieu- tenant, now General, William Clark, in their memorable expedition across the Continent to the Pacific Ocean. They are entitled to a distinguished place in the pages of American OrniTHoLOey, both as being, till now, altogether unknown to naturalists, and as natives of what 78, or at least will be, and that at no distant period, part of the 7 western territory of the United States. The frail remains of the bird now under consideration, as well as of the other two, have been set up by Mr. Peale, in his museum, with as much neatness as the state of the skins would permit. Of three of these, which were put into my hands for examination, the most perfect was selected for the drawing. Its size and markings were as fol- lows :— Length, six inches and a half; back, tail; and wings, black the greater wing-coverts, tipped with yellow; the next superior Tow wholly yellow; neck, rump, tail-coverts, and whole lower parts, greenish yellow; forepart of the head, to and beyond the eyes, light scarlet; bill, yellowish horn color; edges of the upper mandible, ragged, as in the rest of its tribe ; legs, light blue ; tail, slightly forked, and edged with dull whitish: the whole figure about the size, and much resembling. in shape, the Scarlet Tanager, (Figs. 45 and 46 3) but evidently a different species, from the black back and yellow coverts. Some of the feathers on the upper part of the back were also skirted with yellow. A skin of what I supposed to be the female, or a young bird, differed in having the wings and back brownish, and in being rather less. , The family, or genus, to) which this bird belongs, is particularly subject to changes of color, both progressively, during the first and ' second seasons, and also periodically, afterwards... Some of those that habit Pennsylvania, change from an olive green to a greenish yellow, and, lastly, to a brilliant scarlet; and, T confess, when the ‘preserved specimen of the present species. was first shown me, I sus- pected it to have been passing through a similar change at the time it was taken. But, having examined two more skins of the same speciess and finding them all marked very nearly alike, which is seldom the case with those birds that change while moulting, I began to think that this might be its most permanent, or, at least, its summer or winter dress. The little information I have been able to procure of the species generally, or at what particular season these were shot, prevents me from being able to determine this matter to my wish. I can only learn that they inhabit the extensive plains or prairies of the Missouri, between the Osage and Mandan nations, building their nests in low bushes, and often among the grass. With us, the Tana- gers usually build on the branches of a hickory, or white-oak sapling. These birds delight in various kinds of berries, with which those rich prairies are said to abou 1d. CLARK’S CROW. 209 CLARK’S CROW.—CORVUS COLUMBIANUS.— Fie. 94. Peale’s Museum, No, 1371. CORVUS COLUMBIANUS. — Winson. Corvus Columbianus, Bonap. Synop. p. 56. Tus species resembles, 4 little, the Jackdaw of Europe, (Corvus monedula,) but is remarkable for its formidable claws, which approach to those of the Falco genus, and would seem to intimate that its food consists of living animals, for whose destruction these weapons must be necessary. In conversation with different individuals of the party, I understood that this bird inhabits the shores of the Columbia, and the adjacent country, in great numbers, frequenting the rivers and sea- shore, probably feeding on fish ; and that it has all the gregarious and noisy habits of the European species, several of the party supposing it to be the same. Fig. 94 was drawn with particular care, after a mi- nute examination and measurement of the only preserved skin that was saved, and which is now deposited in Mr. Peale’s museum. This bird measures thirteen inches in length; the wings, the two middle tail-feathers, and the interior vanes of the next, (except at the tip,) are black, glossed with steel-blue ; all the secondaries, except the three next the body, are white for an inch at their extremities, forming a large spot of white on that part when the wing is shut; the tail is rounded, yet the two middle feathers are somewhat shorter than those adjoining ; all the rest are pure white, except as already described ; the general color of the head, neck, and body, above and below, is a light, silky drab, darkening almost to a dove color on the breast and belly ; vent, white ; claws, black, large, and hooked, particularly the middle and hind claw; legs, also black; bill, a dark horn color; iris of the eye, unknown. In the state of Georgia, and several parts of West Florida, I discov- ered a Crow, not hitherto taken notice of by naturalists, rather larger than the present species, but much resembling it in the form and length of its wings, in its tail, and particularly its claws. This bird is a constant attendant along the borders of streams and stagnating ponds, feeding on small fish and lizards, which I have many times seen him seize as he swept along the surface. A well-preserved specimen of this bird was presented to Mr Peale, and is now in his museum. It is highly probable that, with these external resemblances, the habits of both may be nearly alike. 18 * 210 LEWIS’S WOODPECKER LEWIS’S WOODPECKER.—PICUS TORQUATUS. — Fie. 95. Peale’s Museum, No. 2020. MELANERPES? TORQUATUS. — Japping.* Picus torquatus, Bonap. Synop. p. 46. OF this very beautiful and singularly-marked species, I am unable to give any further account than as relates to its external appearance. Several skins of this species were preserved, all of which | examined with care, and found little or no difference among them, either in the tints or dispositipn of the colors. The length of this was eleven inches and a half; the back, wings, and tail were black, with a strong gloss of green; upper part of the head, the same ; front, chin, and cheeks beyond ‘the eyes, a dark, rich red; round the neck passes a broad collar of white, which spreads over the breast, and looks as if the fibres of the feathers had been sil- vered: these feathers are also of a particular structure, the fibres being separate, and of a hair-like texture; belly, deep vermilion, and of the same strong, hair-like feathers, intermixed with silvery ones; vent, black; legs and feet, dusky, inclining to greenish blue; bill, dark horn color. For a more particular, and doubtless a more correct account of this and the two preceding species, the reader 1s referred to General Clark’s History of the Expedition. The three birds I have here intro- duced are but a small part of the valuable collection of new subjects in natural history discovered and preserved, amidst a thousand dangers and difficulties, by those two enterprising travellers, whose intrepidity was only equalled by their discretion, and by their active and laborious pursuit of whatever might tend to render their journey useful to sci- ence and to their country. It was the request and particular wish of Captain Lewis, made to me in person, that I should make drawings of such of the feathered tribes as had been preserved, and were new. That brave soldier, that amiable and excellent man, over whose soli- tary grave in the wilderness I have since shed tears of affliction, hav- ing been cut off in the prime of his life, I hope I shall be pardoned for consecrating this humble note to his memory, until a more able pen shall do better justice to the subject. * Having no authority from the founder of the genus, dnd not having seen the bird, I place it with the Red-headed Woodpecker provisionally. The length- ened wings, proportion of toes, and distribution of the colors, seem, however, to warrant it. The female is said by Bonaparte, on the authority of Mr. Peale, who shot them breeding on the Rocky Mountains, to resemble the male closely. — Ep. CANADA JAY. Q11 CANADA JAY.—CORVUS CANADENSIS. — Fie. 96. Linn. Syst. 158.— Cinereous Crow, Arct. Zool. p. 248, No. 137. — Lath. 1. 389. — Le Geay brun de Canada, Briss. ii. 54. — Buff. iii. 117. GARRULUS CANADENSIS. — Swainson. Corvus Canadensis, Bonap. Synop. p. Oe Garrulus Canadensis, North. Zool. ii. p. 295. Wenz I to adopt the theoretical reasoning ef a celebrated French naturalist, I might pronounce this bird to be a debased descendant from the Common Blue Jay of the United States, degenerated by the influence of the bleak and chilling regions of Canada, or perhaps a spurious production between the Blue Jay and the Cat Bird ;‘ or, what -would be more congenial to the count’s ideas, trace its degradation to the circumstance of migrating, some thousand years ago, from the genial shores of Europe, — where nothing like degeneracy or degra- dation ever takes place among any of God’s creatures. I shall, how- ever, on the present occasion, content myself with stating a few partic- ulats better supported by facts, and more consonant to the plain homespun of common sense. This species inhabits the country extending from Hudson’s Bay, and probably farther north, to the River St. Lawrence; also, in win- ter, the inland parts of the District of Maine and northern tracts of the States of Vermont and New York. When the season is very severe, with deep snow, they sometimes advance farther south, but generally return northward as the weather becomes more mild. The character given of this bird by the people of those parts of the country where it inhabits, is, that it feeds on black moss, worms, and even flesh; when near habitations or tents, pilfers every thing it can come at; is bold, and comes even into the tent to eat meat out of the dishes ; watches the hunters while baiting their traps for martens, and devours the bait as soon as their backs are turned; that they breed early in spring, building their nests on pine-trees, forming them of sticks and grass, and lay blue eggs; that they have two, rarely three, young at atime, which are at first quite black, and continue so for some time ; that they fly in pairs; lay up hoards of berries in hollow trees ; are seldom seen in January, unless near houses; are a kind of Mock Bird; and, when caught, pine away, though their appetite never fails them ; notwithstanding all which ingenuity and good qualities, they are, as we are informed, detested by the natives.* The only individuals of this species that I ever met with in the United States were on the shores of the Mohawk, a short way above the Little Falls. It was about the last of November, when the ground was deeply covered with snow. There were three or four in company, or within a small distance of each other, flitting leisurely along the road-side, keeping up a kind of low chattering with one another, and * Hrarnr’s Jo, -ney, p. 405. 212 SNOW BUNTING. seemed nowise apprehensive at my approach. I soon secured the whole; from the best of which the drawing in the plate was carefully made. On dissection, I found their stomachs occupied by a few spi- ders and the aurelie of some insects. I could perceive no difference between the plumage of the male and female. aS The Canada Jay is eleven inches long, and fifteen in extent; back, wings, and tail, a dull, leaden gray, the latter long, cuneiform, and tipped with dirty white ; interior vanes of the wings, brown, and also partly tipped with white; plumage of the head, loose and prominent ; the forehead, and feathers covering the nostril, as well as the whole lower parts, a dirty brownish white, which also passes round the bot- tom of the neck like a collar; part of the crown and hind head, black ; bill and legs, also black; eye, dark hazel. The whole plumage on the back is long, loose, unwebbed, and in great abundance, as if to protect it from the rigors of the regions it inhabits. A gentleman of observation, who resided for many years near the North River, not far from Hudson, in the state of New York, informs roe that he has particularly observed this bird to arrive there at the commencement of cold weather. He has often remarked its solitary habits. It seemed to seek the most unfrequented, shaded retreats, keeping almost constantly on the ground, yet would sometimes, tow- ards evening, mount to the top of a small tree, and repeat its notes which a little resemble those of the Baltimore) for a quarter of an our together; and this it generally did immediately before snow or falling weather. SNOW BUNTING. — EMBERIZA NIVALIS. —Fie. 97. Linn. Syst. 308. — Arct. Zool. p. 355, No. 222.— Tawny Bunting, Br. Zool. No. 121.—L’Ortolan de Neige, Buff. iv. 329. Pl. enl. 497.— Peale’s Museum, No. 5900. PLECTROPHANES NIVALIS.—~ Mever.* Emberiza nivalis, Flem. Br. Antz. ri 79. — Snow Buniag) Mont. Orn. Dict. i. Bew. Br. Birds, i._p. 148.— Selb. Il. Orn. i. 247. pl. 52.— Tawny Bunting, Mont. Orn. Dict. Bew. Br. Birds, i. 150.—Bruent de neize, Temm. Man. @’ Orn. i. p. 319. — Emberiza nivalis, Bonap. Synop. p. 103. —~ Emberiza (plec- trophanes) nivalis, North. Zool. ii. p. 246. 7 Tuts being one of those birds common to both continents, its mi- grations extending almost from the very pole to a distance of forty or fifty degrees around; and its manners and peculiarities having been * This species, from its various changes of plumage, has been multiplied into several ; and in form being allied to many genera, it has been variously placed b different ornithologists. Meyer was the first to institute a place for’ itself, and, witl asecond, the Fringilla Lapponica, it will constitute his Benne Plectrophanes, which is generally adopted into our modern systems. The discrepancies of form were also seen by Vieillot, who, witliout attending to his predecessor, made the genus Passerina of the Lapland Finch. They are both natives of America ; the latter has been added by the Prince of Musignano, and figured in Vol. TI. It has SNOW BUNTING 213 long familiarly known to the naturalists of Europe, I shall in this place avail myself of the most interesting parts of their accounts, subjoin- ing such particulars as have fallen under my own observation. “These birds,” says Mr. Pennant, “inhabit not only Greenland,* but even the dreadful climate of Spitzbergen, where vegetation is nearly extinct, and scarcely any but cryptogamous plants are found. Ittherefore excites wonder, how birds, which are graminivorous in every other than those frost-bound regions, subsist; yet are there found in great flocks, both on the land and ice of Spitzbergen.| They an- nually pass to this country by way of Norway; for, in the spring, flocks innumerable appear, especially on the Norwegian isles, continue only three weeks, and then at once disappear.t As they do not breed in Hudson’s Bay, it is certain that many retreat to this last of lands, and totally uninhabited, to perform, in full security, the duties of love, incubation, and nutrition. That they breed in Spitzbergen, is very probable; but we are assured that they do so in Greenland. They arrive there in April, and make their nests in the fissures of the rocks on the mountains, in May ; the outside of their nest is grass, the middle of feathers, and the lining the down of the arctic fox. They lay five eggs, white, spotted with brown: they sing finely near their nest. also been lately discovered to be an occasional visitant in this country, being taken by the bird-catchers about London. The following very proper observations occur in Mr. Selby’s account of the Lapland Finch: — “The appropriate station for this genus, I conceive to be intermediate between Aoaide an. Emberiza, forming, as it were, the medium of connection or passage from one genus to the other. In Alawda, it is met with that section of the genus which, in the increasing thickness and form of the bill, shows a deviation from the more typical species, and a nearer approach to the thick-billed Fringillide ; to this section Alauda calandra and brachydactyla belong. Its affinity to the Larks is also shown, by the form of the feet, and production of the hinder claw ; this, in Lappo- nica, is nearly straight, and longer than the toe, resembling, in every respect, that of many of the true Larks. The habits and manners of the two known species also bear a much greater resemblance. to those of the Larks than the Buntings. Like the members of the first genus, they live entirely upon the ground, and never perch.’ Their mode of progression is also the same, being by successive steps, and not the hopping motion used by all the trae Emberize. A power of flight, superior to that possessed by the true Buntings, is also indicated by the greater length of the wings and form of thé tail-feathers. In Plectrophanes, the first and second quills are-nearly equal in length, and the longest in the wing; in Emberiza, on the contrary, the second and third are equal, and longer than the first. The affinity of our genus to Emberiza, is shown in the form of the bill, which, with the exception of being shorter and more rounded on the back, possesses the characteristic dis- tinctions of that genus.” : During the spring and breeding season, the plumage assumes a pure white on the under parts, and deep black on all the brown markings of the upper. The feathers are at first edged with brown, which gradually drop off as Ahe summer advances. A third species is figured in the Northern Zoology, (Plectrophanes picta, Sw.) Only one specimen was obtained, associating with the Lapland Buntings, on the banks of the Saskatchewan. ‘The description of the bird in the summer plumage is nearly thus given : —“ Head and sides, velvet black ; three distinct spots of pure white on the sides of the head, one bordering the chin, another on the ear, a third above the ae, a less distinct spot in the middle of the nape ; the neck above, wood brown, the dorsal plumage and lowest rows of wing-coverts, blackish brown; the under plumage, entirely of a color intermediate between wood brown and buff orange.” — Ep. * CranTz,i. 77. . t Lorp Mutecrars’s Voyage, 188; Martiy’s Voyage, 73. } Leems, 256. : 214 SNOW BUNTING “They are caught by the boys in autumn, when they collect near the shores in great flocks, in order to migrate; and are eaten dried.* “Tn Europe, they inhabit, during summer, the. most. naked Lapland alps, and descend in rigorous seasons into Sweden, and fill the roads and fields; on which account the Dalecarlians call them dlwarsfogel, or bad-weather birds—the Uplanders, hardwarsfogel, expressive of the same. The Laplanders.style them alaipg. Leemst remarks, J know not with what foundation, that they fatten on the flowing of the tides in Finmark, and grow lean on the ebb. The Laplanders take them in great numbers in hair springs, for the tables, their flesh being very delicate. Pee, ti Be 4s “They seem to make the countries within the whole arctic circle their summer residence, from whence they overflow the more southern countries in amiazing multitudes, at the setting in of: winter in the frigid zone. In the winter of 1778-9, they came in such multitudes into Birsa, one of the Orkney Islands, as to cover the whole barony ; yet of all the numbers, hardly two agreed in colors. “Lapland, and perhaps Iceland, furnishes the north of Britain with the swarms that frequent these parts during winter, as low as the Cheviot'Hills, in lat. 52° 32’.. Their resting-places, the Feroe Isles, Shetland, and the Orkneys. The Highlands of Scotland, in particular, abound with them. Their flights are immense, and they mingle so closely together in form of a ball, that the fowlers make great havock among them. They arrive lean,soon become very fat, and are delicious food. ‘They either arrive in the Highlands very early, or a few breed there, for I had one shot for me at Invercauld, the 4th of August. But there is a certainty of their migration; for multitudes of them fall, weuried with their passage, on the vessels that are sailing through the Pentland Firth.t : : “In their summer dress, they are sometimes seen in the south of England,§ the climate not having severity sufficient to affect the col- ors; yet now and then a milk-white one appears, which is usually mis- taken for a white Lark. | : “ Russia and Siberia receive them in their severe seasons annually, in amazing flocks, overflowing almost all Russia. They frequent the villages, and yield a most luxurious repast.. They vary there. infinitely in their winter colors, are pure white, speckled, and even quite brown. || This seems to be the influence of difference of age, more than of season. Germany has also its share of them. In Austria, they are caught and fed with millet, and afford the epicure a treat equal to that of the Ortolan.”4] : These birds appear in the northern districts of the United States early in December, or with the first heavy snow, particularly if drifted by high winds. They are usually called the white Snow Bird, to dis- tinguish them from the small dark bluish Snow Bird already described. Their numbers increase with the increasing severity of weaiher; and depth of snow. Flocks of them sometimes reach as far south as the borders.of Maryland ; and the whiteness of their plumage is observed .) be greatest towards the depth of: winter. They spread over the * Faun. Greenl. 118. +t Finmark, 255. , ¢ Bisuop Pococr’s Journal, MS. § Mortown’s Northamp. p. 427. || Bety’s Travels, i. 198. YT Kramer, Anim. Austr. 372. | ; SNOW BONTING. 215 Gennesee country, and the interior.of the District of Maine, flying in close, compact bodies, driving about most in a high wind; sometimes alighting near the doors, but seldom sitting long, being a roving, rest- less bird. In these plentiful regions, where more valuable game is abundant, they hold out no temptation to the sportsman or hunter; and, except the few caught by boys in snares, no other attention is paid to them. They are, however, universally considered as the harbingers of severe cold weather. How far westward they extendI am unable to say. One of the most intelligent and expert hunters who accompanied Captains Lewis and Clark: on their expedition to the Pacific Ocean, informs me that he has no recollection of seeing these birds in any part of their tour, not even among the bleak and snowy regions of the Stony Mountains ; though the little blue one was in abundance. The Snow Bunting derives a considerable part of its food from the seeds of certain aquatic plants, which may be one reason for its pre- ferring these remote northern countries, so generally intersected with streams, ponds, lakes; and shallow arms of the sea, that probably abound with such plants. In passing down the Seneca River towards Lake Ontario, late in the month of October, I was surprised by the appearance of a large flock of these birds feeding on the surface of the water, supported on the tops of a growth of weeds that rose from the bottom, growing so close together that our boat could with great difficulty make its way through them. They were running about with great activity ; and those I shot and examined, were filléd, not only with the seeds of this plant, but with a minute kind of shell fish that adheres to the leaves. In these kind of aquatic excursions they are doubtless greatly assisted by the length of their hind. heel and claws. I also observed a few on Table Rock, above the Falls of Niagara, seemingly in search of the same kind of food. According to the statements of those traders who have resided near Hudson’s Bay, the Snow Buntings are the earliest of their. migratory birds, appearing there about the 11th of April, staying about a month or five weeks, and proceeding farther north to breed. They return again in September, stay till November, when the severe frosts drive therm southward.* . : The summer dress of the Snow Bunting is a tawny brown, inter- spersed with white, covering. the head, neck, and lower parts; the back is black, each feather being skirted. with brown; wings and tail, also black, marked in the following manner: — The three secondaries next the body are bordered with bay, the next with white, and all the rest of the secondaries, as well as their coverts, and shoulder of the wing, pure white; the first six primaries are black from their coverts downwards to their extremities ; tail, forked, the tnree exterior feathers on each side white, marked on the outer edge near the tip with black, the rest nearly all black; tail-coverts, reddish brown, fading into white ; bill, pale brown ; legs and feet, black; hind claw, long, like that of the lark, though more curved. In winter, they become white on the head, neck, and whole under-side, as well as great part of the wings and rump; the back continues black, skirted with brown. Some are even found pure white. Indeed, so much does their plumag? vary according toage and season, that no two are found at any time ake. * London Philosophical Transactions, \xii. 403. 216 RUSTY GRAKLE. oe ee ste wsh, f fp oe RUSTY _GRAKLE.—GRACULA FERRUGINEA. — Fic. 98. Black Oriole, Arct. Zool. p. 259, No. 144. — Rusty Oriole, Zbid. p. 260, No. 146.— New York Thrush, Ibid. p. $39, No. 205.—Hudsonian. Thrush, Ibid. No. 234, female, — Labrador Thrush, Ibid. p. 340, No. 206.— Pealé’s Museum, No. 5514. SCOLEPHAGUS FERRUGINEUS. — Swainson. Quiscalus ferrugineus, Bonap. Synop. p. 55.—Scolephagus ferrugineus, North. ‘ Zool, it. p. 286. ‘ E Here is a single species described by one of the most judicious naturalists of Great Britain no less than five different times! — The greater part of these descriptions is copied by succeeding naturalists, whose synonymes it is unnecessary to repeat: so great is the uncer- tainty in judging, from a mere examination of their dried or stuffed skins, of the particular tribes of birds, many of which, for several years, are constantly varying in the colors of their plumage, and, at different seasons, or. different ages, assuming new and very different appear- ances. Even the size is by no means a safe criterion, the difference in this respect between the male and female of the same species (as in the one now before us) being sometimes very considerable. This bird arrives in Pennsylvania, from the north, early in October ; associates with the Redwings and Cow-Pen Buntings, frequents corn- fields and places where grasshoppers are plenty; but Indian corn, at that season, seems to be its principal food. It is a very silent bird, having only now and then a single note, or chuck. We see them occa- sionally until about the middle of November, when they move off to the south. On the 12th of January, I overtook great numbers of these birds in the woods near Petersburgh, Virginia, and continued to see occasional parties of them almost every day as I advanced southerly, particularly in South Carolina, around the rice plantations, where they were numerous, feeding about the hog pens, and_ wherever Indian corn was to be procured. They also extend to a considerable distance westward. On the 5th of March, being on the banks of the Ohio, a few miles below the mouth of the Kentucky River, in the midst of a heavy snow storm, a flock of these birds alighted near the door of the cabin where I had taken shelter, several of which I shot, and found their stomachs, as usual, crammed with Indiancorn. Early in April they pass hastily through Pennsylvania, on their return to the north to breed. bo ‘. # From the accounts of persons wh ave resided near Hudson’s Bay, it-appears that these birds arrive th e in the beginning of*June, as soon as the ground is thawed sutli: ently for them to procure their food, which is said to be worms am naggots; sing with a fine note till the time of incubation, when they .ave only a chucking noise, till the young take their flight; at whicu time they resume their song. They build their nests in trees, about eight feet from the greund, form- ree them with moss and grass, and lay five eggs of a dark color, spot ted with black. It is added, they gather in great flocks, and retire southerly in September.* * Arctic Zoology, p. 259. * PURPLE GRAKLE. 217 The male of this species, when in perfect plumage, is nine inches - in length, and fourteen in extent; at a small distance appears wholly black; but, on a near examination, is of a glossy dark green; the irides of the eye are silvery, as in those of the Purple Grakle ; the bill is black, nearly of the same form with that of the last-mentioned spe- cies; the lower mandible a. little rounded, with the edges turned inward, and the upper one furnished with a sharp, bony process on the inside, exactly like that of the purple species. The tongue is slender, and lacerated at the tip; legs and feet, black and strong, the hind ‘claw the largest; the tail is slightly rounded. This is the color of the male when of full age; but three fourths of these birds which we meet with, have the whole plumage of the breast, head, neck, and back, tinctured with brown, every feather being skirted with ferrugi- nous; over the eye is a light line of pale brown, below that one of black passing through the eye. This brownness gradually goes off towards spring, for almost all those I shot in the Southern States were but slightly marked with ferruginous. The female is nearly an inch shorter; head, neck, and breast, almost wholly brown; a light line over the eye; lores, black; belly and rump, ash; upper and under tail- coverts, skirted with brown; wings, black, edged with rust color; tail, black, glossed with green; legs, feet, and bill, as in the male. These birds might easily be domesticated. Several that I had winged and kept for some time, became, in a few days, quite familiar, seeming to be very easily reconciled to confinement. —_ ~~ sie, 7~ ™ ‘PURPLE GRAKLE. —GRACULA QUISCALA. — Fie. 99. Linn. Syst. 165.—La pie de la Jamaique, Briss. ii. 41. — Buff. iii. 97, Pl. enl. 538. Arct. Zool. p. 263, No. 153. —Gracula purpurea, the Lesser Purple Jack- daw, or Crow Blackbird, Bartram, p. 289. — Peale’s Museum, No. 1582. QUISCALUS VERSICOLOR. — Viei.uot.* Quiscalus versicolor, Vieill. Gall. des Ois. pl. 108. — Bonap. Synop. p. 54.— Purple Grakle, or Common Crow Blackbird, dud. pl.'7; Orn. Biog. i. p. 35. — Quis- calus versicolor, Common Purple Boat-Tail, North. Zool. ii. p. 285. Tis noted depredator is well known to every careful farmer of the Northern and Middle States. About the 20th of March, the Purple Grakles visit Pennsylvania from the south, fly in loose flocks, frequent swamps and meadows, and follow in the furrows after the plongh: their food at this season consisting of worms, grubs, and: caterpillars, * Gracula will be given exclusively to a form inhabiting India, of which, though one species only is described, I have every reason to believe that at least two are confounded under it. “Quiscalus has been, on this account, taken, by Vieillot, for cur present bird, and some others confined to America. There has been consider- able confusion among the species, which has been satisfactorily cleared up by Bonaparte, and will be seen in the sequel of the work. The female is figured Plate Vv mi the cones by the Prince of Musignano. —Ep. 1 218 PURPLE GRAKLE. of which they destroy prodigious numbers, as if to recompense the husbandman beforehand for the havock they intend to make among _his crops of Indian corn, Towards evening, they retire to the near- est cedars and pine-trees to roost, making a continual chattering as they fly along. On the tallest of these trees they generally build their nests in company, about the beginning or,middle of April; sometimes ten or fifteen nests being on the same tree. One of these nests, taken from a high pine-tree, is now before me. It measures full five inches in diameter. within, and four in depth; is composed outwardly of mud, mixed with long stalks and roots of a knotty kind of grass, and lined with fine bent and horse hair. The eggs are five, of a bluish olive color, marked ‘with large spots and straggling streaks of black and dark brown, also with others of a fainter tinge. They rarely produce more than one brood in a season.* ; The trees where these.birds build are often at no great distance from the farm-house, and overlook the plantations. From thence they issue, in all directions, and with as much confidence, to make their daily depredations among the surrounding fields, as if the whole were intended for their use alone. Their chief attention, however, is di- rected to the Indian corn in all its progressive stages. As soon as the infant blade of this grain begins to make its appearance above ground, the Grakles hail the welcome signal with screams of peculiar satisfac- tion, and, without waiting for a formal invitation from the proprietor, descend on the fields, and begin to pull up and regale themselves on the seed, scattering the green blades around. While thus eagerly employed, the vengeance of the gun sometimes overtakes them ;: but these disasters are soon forgotten, and those who live to get away, Return to steal, another day. About the beginning of August, when the young ears are in their milky state, they are attacked with redoubled eagerness by the Grakles and Redwings, in formidable and combined bodies. ‘They descend * Audubon’s account of their manner of building is at considerable variance with that given above by our author. “The lofty dead trees left standing in our newly-cultivated fields, have many holes and cavities, some of which have been bored by Woodpeckers, and others caused by insects or decay. These are visited and examined in succession, until, a choice being made, anda few dry weeds and feathers collected, the female deposits her eggs, which are from fourto six in number, blotched and streaked with brown and black.” Such is the manner of Building in Louisiana ; but, in the Northern States, their nests are differently constructed, and, as mentioned by our author, it is a singular circumstance that a comparatively short distance should so vary this formation. ‘In the Northern States, their nests are constructed in a more perfect manner. A pine-tree, whenever it occurs ip a conve- nient place, is selected by preference. There the Grakle forms a nest, which, from the ground, might easily be mistaken for that of our Robin, were it less bulky. But it is much larger, and is associated with others, often to the number of a dozen or more, on the horizontal branches of the pine, forming tier above tier, from the lowest to the highest branches. It is composed of grass, slender roots and mud lined with hair and finer grasses.” Mr. Audubon has.also once or twice observed them build in the'fissures of rocks. ‘The ficsh is little better than that of a Crow, being dry and ill-flavored; notwi:hstanding it is aften used, with the addition of one or two Golden-winged Woo lpeckers, or Re ~wings, to make what is called pot-pie. The eggs, on the contrar , are ve: ; delicate.” — Ep. PURPLE GRAKLE. 219 -ike a blackening, sweeping tempest on the corn, dig off the external covering of twelve or fifteen coats of leaves, as dexterously as if done by the hand of man, and, having laid bare the ear, leave little behind to the farmer but the cobs, and shrivelled skins, that contained their favorite fare. I have seen fields of corn of many acres, where more than one half was thus ruined. Indeed the farmers, in the immediate vicinity of the Rivers Delaware and Schuylkill, generally allow one fourth of this crop to the Blackbirds, among whom our Grakle comes in for his full share. During these depredations, the gun is making great havock among their numbers, which has no other effect on the survivors than to send them to another field, or to another part of the same field. This system of plunder and retaliation continues until November, when, towards the middle of that month, they begin to sheer off towards the south. The lower parts of Virginia, North and South Carolina, and Georgia, are the winter residences of these flocks. Here numerous bodies, collecting together from all quarters of the interior and northern districts, and darkening the air with their numbers, sometimes form one congregated multitude of many hundred thousands. A few miles from the banks: of the Roanoke, on the 20th of January, I met with one of those prodigious armies of Grakles. They rose from the surrounding fields with a noise like thunder, and, descending on the length of road before me, covered it and the fences completely with black; and when they again rose, and, after a few evolutions, descended on the skirts of the high-timbered woods, at that time destitute of leaves, they produced-a most singular and striking effect ; the whole trees for a considerable extent, from the top to the lowest branches, seemed as if hung in mourning; their notes and screaming the mean while resembling the distant sound of a great cataract, but in more musical cadence, swelling and dying away on the ear, according to the fluctuation of the breeze. In Kentucky, and all along the Mis- sissippi, from its juncture with the Ohio to the Balize, I found numbers of these birds, so that the Purple Grakle may be considered as a very general inhabitant of the territory of the United States. Every industrious farmer complains of the mischief committed on nis corn by the Crow Blackbirds, as they are usually called; though, were the same means used, as with Pigeons, to take them in clap nets, multitudes of them might thus be destroyed, and the products of them in market, in some measure, indemnify him for their depredations. But they are most numerous and most destructive at a time when the various harvests of the husbandman demand all his attention, and all his hands, to cut, cure, and take in; and so they escape with a few sweeps made among them-by some of the younger boys with the gun, and by the gunners from the neighboring towns and villages; and return from theif winter quarters, sometimes early in March, to renew the like scenes over again. As some consolation, however, to the indus- trious cultivator, [can assure him, that were J placed in his situation, J should hesitate whether to consider these birds most as friends or enemies, as they are particularly destructive to almost all the noxious worms, grubs and caterpillars, that infest his fields, which, were they allowed to multiply unmolested, would soon consume nine tenths of all the production of. his labor, and desolate. the country with the miseries of famine! Is not this another striking proof that the Deity wee eee ee 7? 220 SWAMP SPARROW. has created nothing in vain? and that it is the duty of man, the lord of the creation, to avail himself of their usefulness, and guard against their bad effects as securely as possible, without indulging in the barbarous and even impious wish for their. utter extermination ? The Purple Grakle is twelve inches long, and. eighteen in extent ; on a slight view,,seems wholly black, but placed near, in a good light, the whole head, neck, and breast, appear of a rich glossy steel blue, dark violet, and silky green; the violet prevails most on the head and breast, and the green on the hind part of the neck. The back, rump, and whole lower parts, the breast excepted, reflect a’ strong sence gloss; wing-coverts, secondaries, and coverts of the tail; rich Tight violet,.in which the red prevails ; the rest of the wings, and rounded tail, are black, glossed with steel blue. All the above colors are ex- tremely shining, varying as differently exposed to the light; iris of the eye, silvery ; bill, more than an inch long, strong, and furnished ed on the inside of the upper mandible with a sharp process, like the fr ' stump of the broken blade of a penknife, intended to assist the bird in ‘ macerating its food ; tongue, thin, bifid at the end, and lacerated along the sides. ’ . ; : The female is rather less, has the upper part of the head, neck, and the back, of a dark sooty brown; chin, breast, and belly, dull pale brown, lightest on the former; wings, tail, lower parts of thé back and vent, black, with a few reflections of dark green; legs, feet, bill, and eyes, as in the male. ; : The Purple Grakle is easily.tamed, and sings in confinement. They have also, in several instances, been taught to articulate. some few words pretty distinctly. ae! : : _A singular attachment frequently takes place between this bird and the Fish Hawk. The nest of this latter is of very large dimensions, often from three to four feet in breadth, and from four to five feet high; composed, externally, of large sticks, or fagots, among the in- terstices of which sometimes three or four pairs of Crow Blackbirds — will construct their nests, while the Hawk is sitting or hatching above. Here each pursues the duties of incubation and’ of rearing their young ; living in the greatest harmony, and mutually watching ‘ and protecting each other’s property from depredators. : : SWAMP SPARROW.—FRINGILLA PALUSTRIS. — Fie. 100. Passer palusttis, Bartram, p. 291.— Peale’s Museum, No. 6569. ZONOTRICHIA PALUSTRIS — Janviny.* Fringilla palustris, Bonap. Synop. p. 111.—The Swamp Sparrow, Aud. pl. 64, male; Orn. Biog. i. p. 331. Tue history of this obscure and humble species is short. and unin- teresting. Unknown or overlooked by the naturalists of Europe, it is * The four species figured in Nos. 100, 101, 102, and 103, will pomt out the form which Mr. Swainson has designated as above. Of these, the present and SWAMP SPARROW. 221 now, for the first time, introduced to the notice of the world. It is one of our summer visitants, arriving-in Pennsylvania early in April, frequénting low grounds and river courses; rearing two, and some- times three, broods in a season; and returning to the south as the cold weather commences. The immense cypress swamps and. extensive grassy flats of the Southern States, that border their numerous rivers, and the rich rice plantations, abounding with their favorite seeds and sustenance, appear to be the general winter resort, and grand annual rendezvous, of this and all the other species of Sparrow that remain with us during summer. From the River Trent in North Carolina, to that of Savannah, and still farther south, I found this species very numerous ; not flying in flocks, but skulking among the canes, reeds, and grass, seeming shy and timorous, and more attached to the water than any other of their tribe. Inthe month of April, numbers pass through Pennsylvania to the northward, which I conjecture from the circumstance of finding them at that season in particular parts of the woods, where, during the rest of the year, they are not to be seen. The few that remain frequent the swamps and reedy borders of our creeks and rivers. They form their nest in the ground, sometimes in a tussock of rank grass, surrounded by water, and lay four eggs, of a dirty white, spotted with rufous. So late asthe 15th of August, 1 have seen them feeding their young that were scarcely able to fly. Their principal food is grass seeds, wild oats, and insects.. They have no song; are distinguished by a single chip or cheep, uttered ina rather hoarser tone than that of the Song dourors flirt the tail as they fly; seldom or never take to the trees, but skulk from one low bush or swampy thicket to another. The Swamp Sparrow is five inches and a half long, and seven inches and a half in extent; the back of the neck and front are black; crown, bright bay, bordered with black; a spot of yellowish white between the eye and nostril; sides of the neck and whole breast, dark ash; chin, white; a streak of black proceeds from the lower mandi- ble, and another from the posterior angle of the eye; back, black, slightly skirted with bay ; greater coverts also black, edged with bay ; wings and tail, plain brown; belly and vent, brownish white ; bill, dusky above, bluish below; eyes, hazle; legs, brown; claws, strong and sharp, for climbing the reeds. The female wants the bay on the crown, or has it indistinctly ; over the eye is a line of dull white. the last will recede from the type, the one in the more slender, the other in the stronger bill, and its even, cutting margins. They in every respect show a strong assimilation with the Bunting, Sparrow, and Lark family, though they cannot pee rank with these. According to the characters now laid down, and I be. lieve properly so, they are a most interesting form when taken in cor parison with their ania in other countries. They appear confined to America. —Ep. : 922 WHITE-THROATED SPARROW. WHITE-THROATED SPARROW.—FRINGILLA -ALBICOL LIS. — Fie. 101. . Fringilla fusca, Bartram, p. 291. — Lath. ii. 272. — Edwards, 304.— Arct. Zool. p. 373, No. 248.-— Peale’s Museum, No. 6486. ZONOTRICHIA PENNSYLVANICA. — Swainson. Fringilla Pennsylvanica, Lath. Ind. Orn. i. p. 445.— Bonap. Synop. p. 108. — The White-Throated Sparrow, Aud. pl. 8, male and female; Orn: Biog. i. p. 42. — Worth.’ Zool. it. p. 256. ; Tas is the largest as well as handsomest of all our Sparrows.. It winters with the preceding species and several others in most of the states south of New England. From Connecticut to Savannah I found these birds numerous, particularly in the neighborhood of the Roanoke River, and among the rice plantations. In summer they re- tire-to the higher inland parts of the country, and also farther north, ‘to breed. According to Pennant, they are also found at that, season in Newfoundland. ‘During their residence here in winter, they col- :lect_ together in flocks, always preferring the borders of swampy thickets, creeks, and mill-ponds, skirted with alder bushes and long, yank weeds, the seeds of which form their principal food. Early in - spring, a little before, they leave us, they have 'a few remarkably sweet and clear notes, generally in the morning a little after sunrise. About the 20th of April they disappear, and we see no more of them till the beginning or second week of October, when they again return; part to pass the winter with us, and part on their route farther south. The length of the White-throated Sparrow is six inches and a half, breadth, ninc inches ; the upper part of the back and the lesser wing- coverts are beautifully variegated with black, bay, ash, and li it brown ; a stripe of white passes. from the base of the upper mandible to the hind head; this is bordered on each side with a stripe of black; below this.again is another of white passing over each eye, and deep- ening into orange yellow between that and the nostril; this is again ‘bordered by a stripe of. black proceeding from the hind part of the eye; breast, ash; chin, belly, and vent, white; tail, somewhat pee legs, flesh colored; bill, a bluish born color; eye, hazel. In the female, the white stripe ‘on the crown is alight drab; the breast not so dark; the chin less pure ; and the line of yellow before the eye scarcely half as long as in the male. All the parts that are white in the male are ir the female of a light drab color. FOX-COLORED SPARROW. 223 FOX-COLORED SPARROW. —FRINGILLA RUFA.— Fic. 103. Rusty Bunting, Arct. Zool. p. 364, No. 231. Ibid. 233.—Ferruginous Finch Ibid. 375, No. 251.—Fringilla rufa, Bartram, p. 291.— Peale’s Museum, Blo 6092. r : a ZONOTRICHIA ILIACA.— Swat NSON. Fringilla iliac onap.. Synop. p. 112.—Fringilla (zonotrichia) iliaca, North RENE ES ee eee ee oe Tus plump and pretty species arrives in Pennsylvania from the north about the 20th of October; frequents low, sheltered thickets ; associates in little flocks of ten or twelve ; and is almost continually scraping the ground, and rustling among the fallen leaves. I found this bird numerous in November, among the rich, cultivated flats that border the River: Connecticut ; and was informed that it leaves those places in spring. 1 also found it in the northern parts of the state of Vermont. Along the borders of the great reed and cypress swamps of Virginia and North and South Carolina, as well as around the rice plantations, I observed this bird very frequently. They also inhabit Newfoundland.* They are rather of a solitary nature, seldom feed- ing in the open fields, but generally under thickets, or among tall, rank weeds on the edges of fields. ‘They sometimes associate with the Snow Bird, but more generally keep by themselves. Their manners very much resemble those of the Red-eyed Bunting ; they are silent, tame, and unsuspicious. They have generally no other note while here than a ee shep ; yet I suspect-they have some song in the places where they breed’; for I once heard a single one, a little before ‘the time they leave us, warble out a few very sweet, low notes. The Fox-colored Sparrow is six inches long, and nine and a quarter ‘broad; the upper part of the head and neck is cinereous, edged with rust color; back, handsomely mottled with reddish brown, and cin- ereous; wings and tail, bright ferruginous; the primaries, dusky within and at the tips, the first and second row of coverts, tipped with white; breast and belly, white; the former, as well as the ear- feathers, marked with large blotches of bright bay, or reddish brown, and the beginning of the belly with little arrow-shaped spots of black ; the tail-coverts and tail are a bright fox-color; the legs and feet, a dirty brownish white, or clay color, and very strong; the bill is strong, dusky above and yellow below; iris of the eye, hazel. The chief difference in the female is, that the wings are not of so bright a bay, inclining more to a drab ; yet this is scarcely observable, unless by a comparison of the two together. They are genertlly very fat, live on grass seeds, eggs of insects, and gravel. * PENNANT. 224 SAVANNAH SPARROW. SAVANNAH SPARROW.—FRINGILLA SAVANNA. — Fie. 102.— FEemae.® ’ : Peale’s Museum, No. 6584. ZONOTRICHIA SAVANNA. —Janvinz. Fringilla Savanna, Bonap. Synop. p. 108. ‘Tus new species is an inhabitant. of the low countries on the Atlantic coast, from Savannah, where I first discovered it, to the state of New York, and is generally resident in these places, though rarely found inland, or far from the sea-shore. The drawing of this bird was in the hands of the engraver before I was aware that the male (a figure of which will appear lees was so much its superior in beauty of markings and in general colors. With a representation of the male will also be given particulars of their nest, eggs, and man- ners, which, from the season, and the few specimens I had the oppor- tunity of procuring, I was at that time unable to’collect. I have since found these birds numerous, on the sea-shore, in the state of New Jersey, particularly near Great Egg Harbor. . A pair of these I pre- sented to Mr. Peale of this city, in whose noble collection they now occupy a place. a. The female of the Savannah Sparrow is five inches and a half long, and eight and a half in extent; the plumage of the back is mottled with black, bright bay, and whitish; chin, white; breast, marked with pointed spots of black, edged with bay, running in chains from each base of the lower mandible; sides, touched with long streaks of the same; temples, marked with a spot of delicate yellow; ear-feathers, slightly tinged with the same; belly, white, and a little streaked ; inside of the shoulders, and lining of the wing, pale yellowish; first and second rows of wing-coverts, tipped with whitish; secondaries next the body, pointed and very black, edged also with bay; tail, slightly forked, and without any white feathers; legs, pale flesh color; hind claw, pretty long. _ ; The very slight distinctions of color which Nature has drawn between many distinct species of this family of Finches, render these minute and tedious descriptions absolutely necessary, that the particu- lar species may be precisely discriminated. : * The Male is figured, No. 153. LOGGERHEAD SHRIKE. 225 LOGGERHEAD SHRIKE.—LANIUS CAROLINENSIS. — Fie. 104. Peale’s Museum, No. 557. LANIUS LUDOVICIANUS. — Bonaparte. Janius Ludovicianus, Bonap. Synop. p. 72. — The Loggerhead Shrike, Aud. pl. 57 ‘male and female ; Orn. Biog. i. p. 300. : vee Tus species has a considerable resemblance to the Great American _Shrike.* "It differs, however, from that bird in size, being a full inch shorter; and in color, being much darker on the upper parts; and in having the frontlet black. It also inhabits the warmer parts of the United States; while the Great American Shrike is chiefly confined to the northern regions, and seldom extends to the south of Virginia. This species inhabits the rice plantations of Carolina and Georgia, where it is protected for its usefulness in destroying mice. It sits, for hours together, on the fence, beside the stacks of rice, watching like a cat; and as soon as it perceives a mouse, darts on it like a Hawk. It also feeds on crickets and grasshoppers. Its note, in March, resembled the clear creaking of a sign-board in windy weather. It builds its nest, as I was informed, generally in a detached bush, much like that of the Mocking Bird; but, as the spring was not then sufficiently advanced, I had no opportunity of seeing its eggs. It is generally known by the name of the Loggerhead. } © : * See Fig. 15. b + In the remarks on the Tyrannine, I observed that only two of the sub-fam- ilies of the greater division Laniadc existed in North America, — that now alluded to, and the Laniance, of which our present species, with the L. borealis of a former plate, and that of Europe, will form typical examples.” Ornithologists have always been at variance with regard to the position of these birds, and have placed them alike with the rapacious Falcons and timid Thrushes. They are, however, the “ Falcons of the insect world ;” and among the Jnsessores will be the representatives of that group.’ ; ; America was seen to be the great country of the Tyrannine ; in like manner may the Shrikes claim Africa for their great birth-place. ‘They there wage incessant war on the numerous insect hosts, the larger species occasionally exercising their greater strength on some of the weaker individuals of the feathered race ; and by some gamekeepers, that of this country is killed as a bird of prey, being found to destroy young birds, and even to drag the weak young pheasants through the bars of the breeding 'coops. Small animals’and reptiles also form a part of their prey. They decrease in numbers as the colder and more temperate countries are approached ; and the vast extent of North America appears only to contain five species. New Holland alone is without any true Lanivs, but is supplied by another genus, Falcun- culus, allied in form, and now containing two species, which also unite somewhat of their habits, and feed on insects, though the mode of taking their prey shows some- thing scansorial. : Among the Tyrants, the powers of flight are developed to a great extent, as suitable to the capture of the particular prey upon which they feed. In the Shrikes the form is considerably: modified ; the wings bécome more rounded, and the tail grehisted ; and the'general prey is the larger insects of the orders Coleoptera and lemiptera, to capture which does not require so great an exercise of sy quick or active powers, and which are often patiently watched for and pounced upon b. surprise, in a similar manner to that described of the North American Loggerhead. ‘hey have all the character of being cruel and tyrannous, arising from the pecu- * 226 LOGGERHEAD SHRIKE. This species is nine inckes long, and thirteen in extent; the color above is cinereous, or dark ash; scapulars and line over the eye, liar manner of impaling their prey upon thorns, or gen) itin the clefts of branches, often in a wanton manner, as if for the sake of murder only, thus fixing up all it can seize upon. One species is particularly remarkable for the regular exhibition of this propensity, and has become proverbial for its cruelty, — Lanius collaris of Southern Africa. Its habits are thus described by Le Vaillant : — “When it sees a locust, a mantis, or a small bird, it springs upon it, and immedi- ately carries it off, in order to impale it on a thorn, which it does with great dex- terity, always passing the thorn through the head of its victim. Every animal which it seizes is subjected to the same fate; and it thus continues all day Jong its mur- derous career, apparently instigated rather by the love of mischief than the desire of food. Its throne of tyranny is usually a dry and elevated branch of a tree, from which it pounces on al) intruders, driving off the stronger and more troublesome, and impaling the inexperienced alive ; when hungry, it visits its shambles, and helps itself to a savory meal.” .The Hottentots assured Le Vaillant that it does not love fresh food, and therefore leaves its prey on the gibbet till it becomes putrescent; but beneath the scorching. sun of Africa, the process of decomposition sometimes does not take place, from the rapid exhalation of the animal fluids in a warm and arid atmosphere,,and, consequently, whatever spiny shrub may have been chosen by the Butcher Bird as the place. of execution, is pecuenly found covered, net with sweet-smelling and many-colored blossoms, but with the dried carcasses of singing birds, and the bodies of locusts, and other insects of the larger size. The species of Great Britain, also, exercises this propensity ; but, according to Mr. Selby, it invariably kills its prey-by’ strangulation before transfixing it. That gen- Ueman mentions once having the gratification .of witnessing this operation of the Shrike upon a Hedge Accentor, which it had just killed. “In this instance, after killing the bird, it hovered, with its- préy in its bill, for a short_time over the hedge, apparently occupied in selecting a share fit for its purpose. Upon disturbing it, and advancing to the spot, I found the Accentor firmly fixed by the tendons of the wing at the selected twig.” When in confinement, this peculiarity is also displayed, in placing the food against or between the wires of the cage. They frequent woody countries, with occasional shrubs and hedges, among which they also breed ; the notes, as might be expected, are hoarse and grating, and during the season of incu- bation become very garrulous, particularly when alarmed ; they are very attentive to their young, and continue long to feed and attend: them after they are able to shift for themselves. It may be here remarked that the Falconidce, which our present knowledge leads us to think is represented by this group, always take their prey to some eminence before commencing to devour it—a bare hillock or rock in an open country, the top of some old mound or. dike, or, if in a wood, some de- eayed stump ; and I have known one spot of frequent recurrence by the same individuals ; thus showing some analogy to each other. / ee following seem to be the species which are known to belong to North. merica: — 4 ‘ 2 1. L. borealis, Vieill. —L. excubitor, Wils. Vol. i. p.'74, L. borealis, Bonap. Synop. App.* : = § : 2. L. ludovicianus, Bonap. — L. Carolinensis, Wils. Vol. iii. p. 57; found only in the warmer and more southern states, the Carolinas and Georgia. ‘ wa iain sa ceaaeines) Sw. Nov. spec.— American Gray Shrike, North. Zool. ol, ii. p. 115. ‘ Specimens were brought to this country by the last.over-land arctic expedition. According to Dr. Richardson, it is amore northern bird than L. borealis, and does not advance farther north in summer than the 54° of latitude, and it attains that parallel only in the meridian of the warm and sandy plains of the Saskatchewan, which enjoy an earlier ‘spring, and longer summer, than.the densely-wooded coun- try betwixt them and Hudeons Bay.- Its manners are precisely similar to those of L. borealis, feeding chiefly on grasshoppers, which are exceedingly * When writing ‘the note at page 49, T was not aware that Bonaparte bad taken” notice of the mistake mentioned there in his Appendix to the. Synopsis of North American Birds — Ev. , bb legs, black. BELTED KINGSFISHER. 227 whitish; wings, black, with a small spot of white at the base of the primaries, and tipped with white; a stripe of black ;usses along the front, through each eye, half way down the side of the neck; eye, dark hazel, sunk below the eyebrow; tail, cuneiform, the four middle feathers wholly black ; the four exterior ones, on each side, tipped, more and more with white to the outer one, which is nearly all white ; whole lower parts, white ; and in-some specimens, both of males and females, marked with transverse lines of very pale brown; bill and The female is considerably darker both above and below, but the black does not reach so high on the front; it is also rather less in size. — BELTED KINGSFISHER. — ALCEDO ALCYON. — Fre. 105. — Fremace.. Bartram, p. 289.— Turton, p. 278. — Pesle’s Museum, No. 2145. : ves : : ALCEDO ALCYON.—Linn-xus.*- Alcedo aleyon, Bonap. Symop. p. 49.— The Belted Kingsfisher, Aud. pl.775; Orn. ; co Biog. i. p. 394. 2 Tus is a general inhabitant of the banks and shores of all our fresh water rivers, from Hudson’s Bay to Mexico; and is the only species of its tribe found within the United States. This last circum- numerous. Its nest was found in a bush of willows, built of twigs of Artemesiee and dried grass, and lined with feathers; the eggs, six in number, were very pale yellowish gray,.with many irregular and confluent spots of oil green, interspersed with a few of smoke gray. ° : . . The merit of unravelling this species from several very closely allied to it in its native country, and from that to which it approaches nearest, the L. excubitor of Europe, is’ due to Mr. Swainson ; the chief‘ distinctive characters given by that naturalist are the small proportions of the bill, the frontal feathers cecal bya narrow band of deep black, the black stripe on the side of the head encircling the upper margin of the eyelid, lateral scales of the tarsus being divided in several pieces, the shorter length of the wing when closed, and in the tail being more graduated ; the total length is nine inches; six lines. "4, Lanius elegans, Sw.— White-crowned Shrike. Described by Mr. Swainson, from a specimen in the British Museum, to which it was presented from the Fur countries by the Hudson’s Bay Company. It may at once be distinguished from the other American Shrikes, by the much greater quantity of white on the wings and tail ; its narrower tail-feathers, longer tarsi, and less curved claws ;. the Jength is about nine inches. S 5. Lanius (?) natka, Penn. — Natka Shrike. This , species, the Nootka Shrike of Dr.-Latham, from Nootka Sound, on the north-west coast of North America, seems to be of such dubious authority, that little can be said regarding it. — Ep. ‘ * The description of Wilson, and that of Audubon, whick has been added in a note from the Ornithological Biography, give a very correct detail of the general manners of the true Kingsfishers, or those resembling that 0” this country ; there is ‘throughout the family, however, a very considerable differerie in form, and, as a matter of course, a corresponding difference in habit; this bas occasioned a di- 228 BELTED KINGSFISHER. stance, and its characteristic appearance, make it as universally known here as its elegant little brother, the Common Kingfisher of Europe, is in Britain. Like the lovelorn swains, of whom poets tell us, he delights ‘n murmuring streams and falling waters; not, however, vision of them into various groups, by almost all ornithologists; ‘that 1o which our present species belongs, and of which it is the largest, contains all those of smaller size with four toes and sharp angular and lengthened bills ; they feed entirely on fish and aquatic insects, and live on the banks of rivers, Jakes, and creeks, and occasionally on the sea-shore. They are distributed over the world, but the warmer paris of India, Africa, and South America, possess the greatest share, North America and Europe possessing only one each. The colors’of the plumage, with a few exceptions, particularly the upper parts, are very bright and shining, the webs of the feathers unconnected and loose ; the under parts generally white, with shades of reddish brown and orange ; the division nearest to this, containing’ but a few species of very small size, but similarin form and coloring, has been separated on account of having three toes, and, I believe, is exclusively Indian. Another and a well-marked group is the Haleyon of Mr, Swainson ; it differs materially in the form and manners of living, and ranges every where, except in North America and Europe. ‘The birds are all above the middle size, with a stouter and more robust form; the colors sometimes very gaudy, in others of rich and pleasing shades of brown. The bill, a chief organ of distinction, is large, much dilated at the base, and, i one or two instances, very strong. They inhabit moist woods- and shady streams or creeks, where they watch on a motionless perch for the larger insects, as the common European species does for fish, and they dart upon them when passing, or when scen on the ground, and return again to the same branch or rock ; they also cliase their prey in the manner of the Flycatchers. Notwithstand-. ing these are their common food, fish, water insects, in'a few instances crabs, are resorted to, and in all cases the vicinity. of water seems requisite for their health support. ‘There is an individual (Alcedo dea) which has been separated from this under the name of Tanysiptera ; the only distinction, now, (for it has four ia is the elongation of ‘two tail-feathers, which exceed the length of the body consider- ably ; it was originally discovered in the Isle of Ternate, and, according to Lesson, is abundant in New Guinea, where it is killed by the natives for ornaments, and those coming to this country, being impaled on reeds, are as pees much muti- lated. Another division will comprise the very large New Holland species, usder the title of Dacelo ;* this contains yet only two species, commonly known by the: name of “ Laughing Jackasses ;” by the natives they are called Cuck’unda; the are nearly as large as a Common Pigeon, and have all the members very goweriil the bill is much dilated, and bent at the tip; ee to Lesson, their chief food is large insects, which they seize on the ground; that ornithologist extends the apes to several of the larger-billed small ieee 3 we would now restrict it as earing better marks to those of New Holland only, D. gigantea and Leachii, Another division has been formed among these curious birds, also by M. Lesson, of the Alcedo rufipes of Cuvier, under the name of Syma, and, as a specific appel- lation, that of Yorotora, by which it is known to the Papous, in its native ‘country, New Guinea. It frequents rivers. and the sea-shores, and feeds on fish; the prin- cipal distinction for which it has been separated is a serrature of the mandibles of the bill. M. Lesson, however, did not perceive any’ thing different from its con- ce to which this structure could be applied. From the above remarks it’ will ¢ seen that the old genus Alcedo has been separated into no less than nine di- visions. Four of these will, periaps, only be necessary, and are as follows :— 1, Alcedo ; having the form of Alcedo ispida ; feeding principally on ‘fish; “the geo- praphicel distribution, the kuown world, except very northern Jatitudes; the num- er of species and individuas increasing from the extremes. 2, Halcyon; the form of Sanctus, cinamomeus, omnicolor, tee. 3/ containing Lesson’s Todyrampus ; also, perhaps, his Syma, and the Tanysiptera of Vigors ; the two latter groups, as * M. Lesson proposes a genus (Todyrampus) for all the smaller New Holland species, taking 4. sacra as the type, on account, principally, of the more dilated bill. The same gentleman proposes the titles Melidvra and Choucalcyon, to designate forns among the ingsfishers which I have not ascertaine ; . BELTED KINGSFISHER. 229 merely that they may soothe. his ear, but for a gratification somewhat more substantial. Amidst the roar of the cataract, or over the foam of a torrent, he sits perched upon an overhanging bough, glancing his piercing eye in every direction below for his scaly prey, which, with a sudden, circular plunge, he sweeps from their native element, and swallows in an instant. His voice, which is not unlike the twirling of a watchman’s rattle, is naturally Joud, harsh, and sudden; but -is softened by the sound of the brawling streams and cascades among which he generally rambles. He courses along the windings of the brook or river, at a small height above the surface, sometimes sus-. pending himself by the rapid action of his wings, like certain species of Hawks, ready to.pounce on the. fry below; now and then settling on an old, dead, overhanging limb to reconnoitre.* Mill-dams are particu- larly visited by this feathered fisher; and the sound of his pipe is as well known to the miller as the rattling of his own hopper. Rapid streams, with high, perpendicular banks, particularly if they be of a hard,clayey or sandy nature, are also favorite places of resort for this bird; not only because in such places the small fishyare more exposed to view, but because those steep and dry banks are the chosen situa- tions for his nest. Into these he digs with bill and claws horizontally, sometimes to the extent of four or five feet, at the distance of a foot or two from the surface. The few materials he takes in are not always placed at the extremity of the hole, that he and his mate may have room to turn with convenience. The eggs are five, pure white, and the first brood usually comes out about the beginning of June, and sometimes. sooner, according to the part of the country where they reside, On the shores of Kentucky River, near the town of Frankfort I found the female sitting early in April. They are very tenacious of their haunts, breeding for several successive years in the same hole, and do not readily forsake it, even though it be visited. An intelligent yourig gentleman informed me, that having found where a Kingsfisher built, he took away its eggs from time to time, leaving always one behind, until he had taken no less than eighteen from the same nest. At some of these visits, the female, being within, retired to the ex- tremity of the hole, while he withdrew the egg, and next day, when he returned, he found she had laid again as usual. The fabulous storigs related by the ancients of the nest, manner of species, would be at once distinguished by the peculiarities of form, which are per- haps not sufficient to indicate a genus without more of like characters 5 the geo- graphical distribution, South America, New Holland, Africa, and India. 3. 7) - celo; the form, D. gigantea; geographical distribution, New Holland. And, 4. Ceyax ; containing the Three-toed Kingsfisher, C. tridactyla ; geographical distri- bution, India. —Ep. : : . * Mr. Audubon mentions, that - this species sometimes also visits the salt water creeks, diving after fish; when crossing from one lake. to another, which it fre- quently does, it passes over forests in a direct line, not unfrequently by a course of twenty or thirty miles, towards the interior of the country. Its motions at this time consist of- a serics of slops, about five or six in number, followed by a direct glide, without any apparent undulation. : They dig the holes for their nest with great despatch. As an instance of their potas with celerity, the same gentleman mentions, that he hung a small net in front of one of their holes to entrap the bird upon the nest; but, ere morning, it had scratched its way out. On the followng evening, he stopped up the hole for upwards of a foot "ie a stisk, but the sare thing again took pares Ety 230 BELTED KINGSFISHER hatching, &c., of the Kingsfisher, are too trifling to.be repeated here. Over the winds and the waves the humble Kingsfishers of our days — at least, the species now before us —] ave no control. Its nest is‘neither constructed of glue nor fish-bones, yut of loose-grass and a few feath- ers; it is not thrown on the surface of the water to float about, with its proprietor, at random, but snugly secured from the winds and the weather in the recesses of the earth. Neither is its head or its feath- ers believed, even by the most illiterate of our clowns or seamen, to be a charm for love, a protection against witchcraft, or a security for fair weather. “It is neither venerated, like those of the Society Isles, nor dreaded, like those of some ‘other countries; but is considered merely as a bird that feeds on fish ; is generally fat; relished by some as good eating; and is now and then seen exposed for sale in our markets. ‘ Though the Kingsfisher generally remains with us, in Pennsylva- nia, until the commencement of cold weather, it is seldom seen here - in winter; but returns to us early-in April... In North and South Carolina, I observed numbers of these:birds in the months of -Feb- ruary and March. I also frequently noticed them on the shores of the Ohio, in February, as high up as the mouth of the Muskingum. T suspect this bird to be a native of the Bahama Islands,.as well asof our continent. ‘In passing between these isles and the, Florida shore, in the month of July, a Kingsfisher flew several times round our ship, and afterwards:shot off to the south. 2 het ae The length of this species is twelve inches and a half; extent, twenty; back and whole upper parts, a light bluish slate color; round’ the neck is a collar of pure white, which reaches before to the chin; head, large, crested; the feathers, long and narrow, black in the cen- tre, and generally erect; the shafts of all the feathers, except the white plumage, are black; belly and vent, white ; sides under the wings, variegated with blue; round the upper part of thé breast’ passes a band of blue, interspersed with some light brown feathers; before the-eye is a small spot of white, and another immediately below it; the bill is three inches long from the point to the slit of the mouth, strong, sharp- pointed, and black, except near the base of the lower mandible, and at the tip, where it is of a horn color; primaries and interior webs of the secondaries, black, spotted with white; the interior vanes of the tail- feathers, elegantly spotted with white on a jet-flack ground; lower side, light colored ; exterior vanes, blue; wing-coverts and seconda- ties, marked with small specks of white ; legs, extremely short; when the bird perches, it generally rests on the lower side of the second joint, which is thereby thick and callous; claws, stout and black; whole leg, of a dirty yellowish color; above the knee, bare of feathers for half an inch ; the two exterior toes united together for nearly their whole length. |» ae The female is sprinkled all over with specks of white; the band of blue around the upper part of the breast is nearly half reddish brown; and a little below this passes a band of bright reddish bay, spreading on each side under the wings. The blue and rufcus feathers on the breast are strong, like scales. The head is also of a much darker blue than the back, and the white feathers on the chin and throat of an ex- quisite fine, glossy texture, like the most beautiful satin. BLACK AND YELLOW WARELER. 231 BLACK AND YELLOW WARBLER. —SYLVIA MAGNOLIA. — Fie. 106. Peale’s Museum, No. 7783. SYLVICOLA MACULOSA. — Swainson. Sylvia maculosa, Lath. Ind. Orn. ii, p.536.— Bonap. Synop. p. 78. — Yellow- Rump Warbler, Penn. Arct, Zool. ii..p. 400.— ‘The Black and Yellow Warbler, , {the young is figured onl aca pl.50; Orn. Biog. i. p. 260.—Sylvicola macu- losa, North..Zool. ii. p. a je ' Tus bird I'first met with on the banks of the Little Miami, near its junction with the Ohio. I afterwards found it among the magnolias, not far from Fort Adams, on the Mississippi. These two, both of which happened to be males, are all the individuals I have ever shot of this species ; from which I am justified in concluding it to be a very scarce bird in the United Stdes. Mr. Peale, however, has the merit of having been the first to discover this elegant species, which, he in- forms me, he found, several years ago, not many miles from Philadel- phia. No notice has ever been taken of this bird by any European naturalist whose works I have examined. Its notes, or rather chirp- ings, struck me as very peculiar and characteristic, but have no claim to the title of song. It kept constantly among the higher. branches, and was very active and restless. Length, five inches; extent, seven inches and a half; front, ores, and behind the ear, black; over the eye, a fine line of white, and an- other srnall touch of the same immediately under; back, nearly all black; shoulders, thinly streaked with olive; rump, yellow; tail- coverts, jet black; inner vanes of the lateral tail-feathers, white to within half an inch of the tip, where they are black ; two middle ones, wholly black; whole Iower parts, rich yellow, spotted from the throat downwards with black streaks; vent, white; tail, slightly forked; wings, black, crossed with two broad, transverse bars of white ; crown, fine ash; legs, brown; bill, black. Markings of the female not known. —_~-—_—_ BLACKBURNIAN WARBLER.—SYLVIA BLACKBURNIZ. — Fie. 107. Lath. ii. p. 461, No. 67. — Peale’s Museum, No. 7060. SYLVICOLA BLACKBURNIZE. —Jarvine.., Sylvia Blackburniz, Bonap. Synop. p. 80. ’ Tus is another scarce species in Pennsylvania, making its appear- ance here about the beginning of May, and again in September, on its return, but is seldom seen here during the middle of summer. It isan active, silent bird; inhabits also the state of New York, from whence it was first sent to Europe. Mr. Latham has numbered this as a vari- 232 AUTUMNAL WARBLER " ety of the Yellow-fronted Warbler, a very different species. The specimen sent to Europe, and first described by Pennant, appears also to have been a female, as the breast is said to be yellow, instead of the brilliant orange with which it is ornamented. Of the nest and habits of this bird I can give no account, as there is not more than one or two of these birds to be found here in a season, even with the most diligent search. ; The Blackburnian Warbler is four inches and a half long, and sev- en in extent; crown, black, divided by a line of orange; the black again bounded on the outside by a stripe of rich orange passing over the eye; under the eye, a small touch of orange yellow ; whole throat and breast, rich, fiery orange, bounded by spots and streaks of black; belly, dull yellow, also streaked with black; vent, white; back, black, skirted with ash; wings, the same, marked with a large lateral spot of white; tail, slightly forked; the interior vanes of the three exterior feathers, white ; cheeks, black; bill and legs, brown. The female is yellow where the male is orange; the black streaks are also more obscure and less numerous. = e ——_@——_. AUTUMNAL WARBLER.— SYLVIA AUTUMNALIS. — Fic. 108. SYLVICOLA? AUTUMNALIS. —Janvine. Sylvicola autumnalis Bonap. Synop. p. 84. — The Autumnal Warbler, Aud. plate ; 88; Orn. Bigg. i. p. 447. : Tus plain, little species regularly visits Pennsylvania’ from the north, in the month of October, gleaning among the willow leaves; but, what is singular, is rarely seen in spring. From the Ist to the 15th of October, they may be seen in considerable numbers, almost every day, in gardens, particularly among the branches of the weeping- willow, and seem exceedingly industrious. They have some resem- blance, in color, to the Pine-creeping Warbler; but do not run along the trunk like that bird, neither do they give a preference to the pines. They. are also less. After the first of November, they are no longer to be found, unless the season be uncommonly mild. These birds, doubtless, pass through Pennsylvania in spring, on their way to the north; but either make a very hasty journey, or frequent the tops of the tallest trees; for I have never yet met with one of them in that season, though in October I have seen more than a hundred in an afternoon’s excursion. is ar Length, four inches and three quarters; breadth, eight inches; whole upper parts, olive green, streaked on the back with dusky stripes; tail-coverts, ash, tipped with olive; tail, black, edged with dull white ; the three exterior feathers, marked near the tip with white ; wings, deep dusky, edged with olive, and crossed with two bars of white ; primaries, also tipped, and three secondaries next the body; edged with white; upper mandible, dusky brown; lower, as well as the chin and breast, dull yellow; belly and vent, white; legs, dusky brown; feet and claws, yellow; a pale, yellow ring surrounds the eye. The males of these birds often warble out some low but very sweet notes, while searching among the leavés in autumn. ‘WATER THRUSH 233 WATER THRUSH. —TURDUS AQUATICUS. — Fie. 109. - Peale’s Museum, No. 6896. SEIURUS AQUATICUS. — Swainson, e New York Warbler, Penn. Arct. Zool. ii. p. 303. — Sylvia Noveboracensis, Bonap. Synop. p. 77. — Seiurus aquaticus, Aquatic Accentor, North. Zool. ii. p. 229. Tus bird is remarkable for its partiality to brooks, rivers, shores, ponds, and streams of water; wading in the shallows in search of aquatic insects, wagging the tail almost continually, chattering as, it flies; and, in short, possesses many strong traits and habits of the Water Wagtail. It is also exceedingly shy, darting away on the least attempt to approach it, and uttering a sharp chip repeatedly, as if greatly alarmed. Among the mountain streams in the state of Ten- nessee, I found a variety of this bird pretty numerous, with legs of a bright’ yellow color; in other respects, it differed not from the rest. About the beginning of May, it passes through Pennsylvania to the north; is seen along the channels of our solitary streams for ten or twelve days; afterwards disappears until August. It is probable that it breeds in the higher mountainous districts even of this state, as do many other of our spring visitants that regularly pass a week or two with us in the lower parts, and then retire to the mountains and in- land forests to breed, : But Pennsylvania is not. the favorite resort of this species. The cane brakes, swamps, river shores, and deep, watery solitudes of Louisiana, Tennessee, and the Mississippi Territory, possess them in abundance; there they are eminently distinguished by the loudness, sweetness, and expressive vivacity of their notes, which begin very high and clear, falling with an almost imperceptible gradation till they are scarcely articulated, At these times the musician is perched on the middle branches of a tree over the brook or river bank, pouring out his charming melody, that may be distinctly heard for nearly half amile. The voice of this little bird appeared to me.so exquisitely sweet and expressive, that I was never tired of listening to it, while traversing the deep-shaded hollows of those cane brakes where it usually resorts. . [ have never yet met with its nest. The Water Thrush is six inches long, and nine and a half in ex- tent; the whole upper parts are of a uniform and very dark olive, with a line of white extending over the eye, and along the sides of the neck ; the lower parts are white, tinged with yellow ochre; the whole breast and sides are marked with pointed spots or streaks of black or deep brown ; bill, dusky brown; legs, flesh colored; tail, nearly even; bill, formed almost exactly like the Golden-crowned Thrush, above described, (Fig. 59;) ‘and, except in frequenting the water, much resembling it in ore ers. Male and female nearly alike. # 234 PAINTED BUNTING. PAINTED BUNTING.—EMBERIZA CIRIS.—Fie. 110, Marz; Fie. 111, Femae. Linn. Syst. 313.— Painted Finch, Catesb. i. 44.— Edw. 130, 173.— Arct. Zool. p. 862, No. 226.— Le Verdier de ]a Louisiane, dit vulgairement le Pape, Briss ni. 200, App. a iv. 76, Pl. enl. 159, — Lath. ii. 206.— Linaria iris, sed Painted Finch, or Nonpar~l, Bartram, p. 291. — Peale’s Museum, No. 6062 and 6063. ~ “ y SPIZA ’ CIRIS, — Bonaparte.* : Fringilla (sub-genus Spiza) ciris, Bonap. Synop. p. 107. —La_pesserine nonpareil ea Is papa, Passerina ciris, ‘Vieill. Gall. des Ois. pl. 66. th e Painted Finch, Aud: pl). 53, male and female; Orn. Biog. i. 279. Tuts is one of the most numerous of the little summer birds of Lower Louisiana, where it is universally known among the French in- habitants, and called by them Le Pape, and by: the: Americans The Nonpareil. Its gay dress and docility of manners have procured it many admirers; for these qualities are strongly attractive, and carry their own recommendations always along with them. The low coun- tries of the Southern States, in the vicinity of the sea, and along the borders of our large rivers, particularly among the rice plantations, are the favorite haunts of this elegant little bird. A few are seen in North Carolina; in South Carolina they are more numerous, and still more so in the lower parts of Georgia. To the westward, I first met them at Natchez, on the Mississippi, where they seemed rather scarce. Below Baton Rouge, along the Levee, or embankment of the river, they appeared. in great numbers; and continued to become more common as I approached New Orleans, where they were warbling from almost every fence, and crossing the road before me every few minutes. Their notes very much resemble those of the Indigo Bird, (Fig. 23,) but want the strength and energy of the latter, being more feeble and more concise. * From the general request of this species as a pet, it is requisite that considerable numbers Digult be taken, and the method used 1s thus described by Audubon. 1 may remark, in the taking of various birds alive, “call bitds,” or tame ones, tramed for the purpose of decoy, are commonly used in all countries,-and in some instances, a stuffed specimen, or even a representation made of Paris plaster, is used with success. 2 eta “A male bird, in full plumage, is shot, and stuffed in a defensive attitude, and perched emene some grass seed, rice, or other food, on the same platform as the trap-cage. This is taken to the fields, or near the orangeriés, and placed in so open a situation, that it would be difficult for a living bird of any species to fly over it without observing it. The trap is-set. A male Painted Finch passes, perceives it, and ‘dives towards the stuffed bird, brings down the trap, and is made prisoner. In this manner, thousands of these birds are caught every spring; and so pertina- cious are they in their attacks, that, even when the trap has closed upon them, they continue pecking at the feathers ‘of the supposed rival.” Y . They feed immediately, and some have been kept in confinement for ten years. They cost about sixpence in New Orleans; but, in London, three guineas are sometimes asked. ~ eas The various generic nomenclat ire to which this bird has been subjected, shows that ornithologists are at variance in opinion. . It forms part of ihe first section of Bonaparte’s sub-genus Spiz2, to which should also be referred the Fringilla Cya- nea, (Fig. 23.) — Ep. PAI{TED BUNTING. 235 I found these birds very commonly domesticated in the houses of the French inhabitants of New Orleans, appearing to be the most common cage bird they have. The negroes often bring them to mar- ket, from the neighboring plantations, for sale; either in cages, taken in traps, or in the nest. A wealthy French planter, who lives on the banks of the Mississippi, a few miles below Bayou Fourche, took me into his garden, which is spacious and magnificent, to show me his aviary; where, among many of our common birds, I observed ‘several Nonpareils, two of which had nests, and were then hatching. Were the same attention bestowed on these birds as on the Canary, I have no doubt but they would breed with equal facility, and become. equally numerous and familiar, while the richness of their plumage might compensate for their inferiority of song. Many of them have been transported to Europe; and I think I have somewhere read, that in Holland attempts have been made to breed them, and with success. When the employments of the people of the United States become more sedentary, like those of Europe, the innocent and agreeable amusement of keeping and rearing birds in this manner, will become more general than itis at present, and their manners better known. And I cannot but think, that an intercourse: with these little innocent warblers is favorable to delicacy of feeling and sentiments of humanity ; for I have observed the rudest and most savage softened into benevo- lence while contemplating the interesting manners of these inoffen- sive little creatures. ; Six of these birds, which I brought with me from New Orleans by sea, soon became reconciled to the cage. In good weather, the males sang with great sprightliness, though they had been caught only a few-days before my departure. They were greedily fond of flies, which accompanied us in great numbers during the whole voyage; and many of the passengers amused themselves with catching these, and giving them to the Nonpareils; till, at length, the birds became so well acquainted with this amusement, that as soon as they perceived -any of the people attempting to catch flies, they assembled at the front of the cage, stretching out their heads through the wires with eager expectation, evidently much interested in the issue of their efforts. These birds arrive in Louisiana, from the south, about the middle of April, and begin to build early in May. In Savannah, according to Mr. Abbot, they arrive about the 20th of April. Their nests are usually fixed in orange hedges, or on the lower branches of the orange- tree; I have also found them in a common bramble or blackberry bush. They are formed exteriorly of dry grass, intermingled with the silk of caterpillars, lined with hair, and, lastly, with some extremely fine roots of plants. The eggs are four or five, white, or rather pearl colored, marked with purplish brown specks. As some of these nests had eggs so late as the 25th of June, 1 think it probable that they sometimes raise two broods in the same season. ‘he young birds of both sexes, during the first season, are of a fine green olive above, and dull yellow below. The females undergo little or no change, but that of becoming of a more brownish cast. The males, on the contrary, are long and slow i ~-s" ving at their full variety of colors. In the second season, the biuc on the head begins to make its appearance, intermixed with the olive green; the next year, the yellow shows itself ¢; 236 PROTHONOTARY WARBLER. ' on the back and rump, and also the red, in detached spots, on the throat and lower parts. All these colors are completed-in the fourth season, except, sometimes, that the green still continues on the tail. On the fourth and fifth season, the bird has attained his complete colors, and appears then as represented in the plate, (Fig. 110.) No depen- dence, however, can be placed on the regularity of this change in birds confined in a cage, as the want of proper food, sunshine, and variety of climate, all conspire against the regular operations of nature. The Nonpareil is five inches and t:ree quarters long, ‘and eight inches and three quarters in extent; head, neck ‘above, and sides of the same, a rich purplish blue; eyelid, chin, and whole lower parts, vermilion; back and scapulars, glossy yellow, stained with rich green, and in old birds with red; lesser wing-coverts, purple; larger, green; wings, dusky red, sometimes edged wh green; lower part of the back, rump, and tail-coverts, deep glossy red, inclining to carmine ; tail, slightly forked, purplish brown, (generally green;) legs and feet, leaden gray; bill, black above, pale blue below; iris of the eye, hazel: The female (Fig. 111) is five and a half inches long, and eight inches in extent; ‘upper parts, green olive, brightest on the rump; lower parts, a dusky Naples yellow, brightest on the belly, and tinged con- siderably on the breast with dull green, or olive; cheeks, or ear- feathers, marked with lighter touches ; bill, wholly a pale lead color, lightest below ; legs and feet, the same. _The food of these birds consists of rice, sects, and various kinds of seeds that grow luxuriantly in their native haunts, I also observed them eating the seeds or internal grains of ripe figs. They frequent gardens, building within a few paces of the. house; are particularly attached to orangeries; and chant occasionally during the whole summer. Early in October they retire to more southern climates, being extremely susceptible of cold. : —~-———_— PROTHONOTARY WARBLER.—SYLVIA PROTONOTARIUS. — Fie. 112. 7 Arct. Zool. p. 410.— Buff. v. 316.— Lath. ii. 494. Pl. ent. '704.— Peale’s Museum, No. 7020. VERMIVORA? PROTONOTARIUS.— Janninz. Sylvia (sub-genus Dacnis, Cuv.) protonotarius, Bonap. Synop. p. 86.— The Prothonotary Warbler, Aud. pl. 3, male and female ; Orn. Biog. i. p. 22. Tas is an inhabitant of the same country as the preceding species, and also a passenger from the south, with this difference, that the bird now before us seldom approaches the house or garden, but keeps among the retired, deep, and dark, swampy woods, through which it flits nimbly in search of small caterpilfars, #tering. every now and then a few screaking notes, scarcely worthy of notice. They are WORM-EATING WARBLER. 237 abundant in the Mississippi and New Orleans Territories, near the river, but are rarely found.on the high ridges inland. : From the peculiar form. of its bill, being roundish and remarkably pointed, this. bird might, with propriety, be classed as a sub-genera, or separate family, including several others, viz., the Blue-winged Yellow Warbler, the Gold-crowned Warbler, and Golden-winged Warbler, represented in No. 68, and the Worm-eating Warbler, No. 113, and a few more. The bills of all these correspond nearly in form and point- edness, being generally longer, thicker at the base, and more round than those of the genus Sylma, generally. The first-mentioned species, in particular, greatly resembles this in its general appearance; but the bill of the Prothonotary is rather stouter, and the yellow much deeper, extending farther on the back; its manners, and the country it in- habits, are also different. This species is five inches and a half long, and eight and a half in extent ; the head, neck, and whole lower parts, (except the vent,) are of a remarkably rich and brilliant yellow, slightly inclining to orange ; vent, white; back, scapulars, and lesser wing-coverts, yellow olive ; wings, rump, and tail-coverts, a lead blue; interior vanes of the former, black ; tail, nearly even, and black, broadly edged with blue; all the feathers, except the two middle ones, are marked on their inner vanes, near the tip, with a spot of white; bill, long, stout, sharp-pointed, and wholly black; eyes, dark hazel; legs and feet, a leaden gray. The female differs in having the yellow and blue rather of a duller tint; the inferiority, however, is scarcely noticeable. SSeS WORM-EATING WARBLER.— SYLVIA VERMIVORA. — Fic. 1138. Aret. Zool. p. 406, No. 300.— Edw. 305. — Lath. ii. 499.— Le demi-fin mangeur de vers, Buff. v. 325.— Peale’s Museum, No. 6848. ; VERMIVORA PENNSYLVANICA. —Swatnson.* Ficedula Pennsylvanica, Briss. i. 457.—Sylvia (sub-genus Dacnis, Cuv.) Pennsyl- vanica, Bonap. Synop. p. 86.—The Worm-eating Warbler, Aud. pl. 34, male and female; Orn. Biog. i. p. 177, Tuis is one of the nimblest species of its whole family, inhabiting the same country with the preceding, but extending its migrations much farther north. It arrives in Pennsylvania about the middle of May, and leaves us in-September. I have never yet met with its nest, but have seen them feeding their young about the 25th of June. This bird is remarkably fond of spiders, darting about wherever there is a probability of finding these insects. If there be a branch broken, and the leaves withered, it shoots among them in preference to every other * This species is the type of Mr. Swainson’s genus Vermivora. The specific title is therefore Jost, and I see none better than the restoration of Brisson’s old one. — Ep. 238 WORM-EATING WARBLER. part of the tree, making a great rustling, in search of its prey. I have often watched its maneuvres while thus engaged, and flying from tree to tree in search ‘of such places. On dissection, I have uniformly found their stomachs filled with spiders or caterpillars,.or both. Its note is a feeble chirp, rarely uttered. . s The Worm-Eater is five inches and a quarter in length, and eight inches in extent; back, tail, and wings, a fine clear olive; tips and inner vanes of the wing-quills, a dusky brown; tail, slightly forked, yet. the exterior feathers are somewhat shorter than the middle ones ; head and whole lower parts, a dirty buff; the former marked with four streaks of black, one passing from each nostril, broadening as it de- scends the hind head; and one from the posterior angle of each eye ; the bill is stout, straight, pretty thick at the base, roundish, and taper- ing to a fine point; no bristles at the side of the mouth; tongue, thin, and lacerated at the tip; the breast is most strongly tinged with the orange buff; vent, waved with dusky olive; bill, blackish above, flesh-, colored. below; legs and feet, a pale clay color; eye, dark hazel. The female differs very little in color from the male, sh bee: 5 On this species Mr. Pennant makes the following remarks : —“ Does not appear in Pennsylvania till July, in its passage'northward. Does not return the same way, but is supposed to go beyond the mountains which lie tothe west. This seems to be the case with ali the transient vernal visitants of Pennsylvania.”* That a small bird should permit the whole spring, and half. of the summer, to pass away before it thought of “passing to the north to breed,”.is a circumstance, one should think; would have excited the suspicion of so discerning a naturalist-as the author of Arctic Zoology, as to its truth. I do not know that this bird breeds to the northward of the United States. As to their returning home by “the country beyond the mountains,” this must, doubtless, be for the purpose of finishing the education of their striplings here, as is done in Europe, by making the.grand tour. This, by the by, would be a much more convenient retrograde route for the Ducks and Geese ; as, like the Kentuckians, they could take advantage of the current of the Ohio and Mississippi, to float down to the south- ward. Unfortunately, however, for this pretty theory, all our vernal visitants, with which I am acquainted, are contented to plod home by ie a regions through which they advanced, not even excepting e Geese. wf * Arctic Zoology, p 406. YELLOW-WINGED SPARROW. 239 YELLOW--WINGED SPARROW.—FRINGILLA PASSERINA — Fie. 114. Peale’s Museum, No. 6585. EMBERIZA? PASSERINA, —Janvine.* Fringilla (sub-genus Spiza) passerina, Bonap. Synop. p. 109. T urs small species is now for the first time introduced to the notice of the public.. I can, however, say little towards illustrating its his- tory, which, like that’ of many, individuals of the human race, would be but a-dull detail of humble obscurity. It inhabits the lower parts of New York and Pennsylvania; is very numerous on Staten Island, where‘ first observed it; and occurs also along the sea-coast of New Jersey. But, though it breeds in each of these places, it does not re- main in,any of them during the winter. It has ‘a short, weak, inter- rupted cherup, which it occasionally utters from the fences and tops of low bushes, ~ Its nest is fixed on the ground among the grass; is formed of loose; dry grass, and lined with hair and fibrous roots of plants. The eggs are five, of a-grayish white, sprinkled with brown. On the first of August I found the female sitting. . I cannot say what extent of range this species has, having never met with it in the Southern States ; though I have no doubt that it winters there, with many others of its tribe. It is the scarcest of all our.sum- mer Sparrows., Its food consists principally of grass seeds, and the larve of insects, which it is almost continually in search of among the loose soil and on the surface; consequently it is more useful t« the farmer than otherwise. : The length of this species is five inches; extent, eight inches ; upper part of the’ head, blackish, divided by a slight line of white ; hind head and neck above, marked with short lateral touches of black and white ; a line of yellow extends from above the: eyé to the nos- tril; cheeks, plain brownish white ; back, streaked with black, brown, and pale ash; shoulders of the wings, above and below, and lesser coverts, olive’ yellow; greater wing-coverts, black, edged with pale ash ; primaries, light drab ; tail, the same, the feathers rather pointed at the ends, the outer ones white; breast, plain yellowish white, or pale ochre, which distinguishes it from the Savannah Sparrow, (Fig. 102) belly and vent, white ; three or four slight touches of dusky at the sides of the breast; legs, flesh color; bill, dusky above, pale bluish white below. The male and female are nearly alike in color. \ < * “ A few of these birds,” the Prince of Musignano remarks, “can never h~ separated in any natural arrangement.” What are now placed under the name Emberiza, will require a sub-genus for themselves, perhaps the analogous form of that genus in the New World. In this species we have the palatial knob, and converging edges of the mandibles; and, by Bonaparte, it is placed among the Finches, in the second section of his sub-genus Spiza, as forming the passage to the Buntings. — Ep 2 240 BLUE GROSBEAK. BLUE GROSBEAK.—LOXIA CCERULEA.— Fic. 115. Linn. Syst. 304. — Lath. iii, 116.— Arct. Zool. p. 351, No. 217. — Catesb. i. 39. — Buff. iii. 454. Pl. enl. 154.— Peale’s Museum, No. 5826. GUIRACA CCERULEA.— Swarnson.* Fringilla coerulea, Bonap. Synop. p. 114. Tus solitary and retired species inhabits the warmer parts of America, from Guiana, and probably farther south,t to Virginia. Mr. Bartram also saw it during a summer’s residence near Lancaster, Pennsylvania. In the United States, however, it is a scarce species ; and having but few notes, is more rarely observed. Their most com- mon note is a loud chuck ; they have also at times a.few low, sweet- toned notes. They are sometimes kept in cages, in Carolina; but seldom sing in confinement. The individual represented in Fig. 115, was a very elegant specimen, in excellent order, though just arrived from Charleston, South Carolina. During its stay with me, I fed it on Indian corn, which it seemed to prefer, easily breaking with its pow- erful bill the hardest grains. They also- feed on hemp seed, millet, and the kernels of several kinds of berries. They. are timid birds, watchful, silent, and active, and generally neat in their plumage. Having never yet met with their nest, I am unable at present to de- scribe it. The Blue Grosbeak is six inches long, and ten inches in extent; lores and frontlet, black; whole upper parts, a rich purplish blue, more dull on'the back, where it is streaked with dusky ; greater wing- coverts, black, edged at the tip with bay; next superior row, wholly chestnut; rest of the wing, black, skirted with blue; tail, forked, black, slightly edged with bluish, and sometimes: minutely tipped with white ; legs and feet, lead color; bill, a dusky bluish horn color; eye, large, full, and black. : The female is of a dark drab color, tinged with blue, and considera- bly lightest below. I suspect the males are subject to a change of color during winter. The young, as usual with many other species, do not receive the blue color until the ensuing: spring, and, till then, very much resemble the female. Latham makes two varieties of this species; the first, wholly blue, except a black spot between the bill and eye; this bird inhabits Brazil, and is figured by Brisson, Ornithology, iii. 321, No. 6, pl. 17, Fig. 2. The other is also generally of a fine deep blue, except the quills, tail, and legs, which are black; this is Edwards’s' “ Blue Gros- beak, from Angola,” pl. 125; which Dr. Latham suspects to have been brought from some of the Brazilian settlements, and. considers both as mere varieties of the first. I am sorry I cannot at present clear up this matien, but shall take some ft xther notice of it hereafter. * Loxia coerulea is not figured in tie P/. enl. That bird is-a- Pitylus. + Latuam, ii. p 116. ; MISSISSiPPI KITE. 241 MISSISSIPPI KITE—FALCO MISSISSIPPIENSIS. —Fic. 116 Mate. Peale’s Museum, No. 403. ICTINIA PLUMBEA, — Viei.wo0t.* U'letinie ophiophaga, Ictinia ophiophaga, Vieill. Gall. des Ois. pl. 17.—Faucon oO iophacas Od edit, du Nouv. Det’ d’Hist. Nat. ii. p. 103, female, (auct. Vieill) — Paleo plumbeus, Bonap. Synop. p. 30. : Tis new species I first observed in the Mississippi Territory, a few miles below Natchez, on the plantation of William Dunbar, Esq, where the bird represented in the plate was obtained, after being slightly wounded; and the drawing made with great care from the living bird. To the hospitality of the gentleman above mentioned, and his amiable family, I am indebted for the opportunity afforded me of procuring this and one or two more new species. This excellent man, whose life has been devoted to science, though at that time con- fined to bed by a severe and dangerous indisposition, and personally unacquainted with me, no sooner heard ‘of my arrival at the town of Natchez, than he sent a servant and horses, with an invitation and request to come and make his house my home and _ head-quarters, while engaged in exploring that part of the country. The few happy days I spent there I shall never forget. In my perambulations I frequently remarked this Hawk sailing about in easy circles, and at a considerable height in the air, gener- ally in company with the Turkey Buzzards, whose manner of flight it so exactly imitates as to seem the same species, only in miniature, or seen at a more immense height. Why these two birds, whose food and manners, in other respects, are so different, should so frequently associate together in air, am at a loss to comprehend. We cannot for a moment suppose them mutually deceived by the similarity of each other’s flight: the keenness of their vision forbids all suspicion of this kind. - They may perhaps be engaged, at such times, in mere amusement, as they are observed to soar to great heights previous to a storm, or, what is more probable, they may both be in pursuit of their respective food ;—— one, that he may reconnoitre a vast extent of surface below, and trace the tainted atmosphere to his favorite car- rion; the other in search of those large beetles, or coleopterous insects, that are known often to wing the higher regions of the air; * This, from every authority, appears to be the Falco plumbeus of Latham. Vieillot has described it in his Gallerie des Oiseaux, under the title of Ictinia ophiophaga, descriptive of its manner of feeding; but has since restored the specific name to what it should be by the right of priority entitled. The genus, however, is retained, and appears yet confined to America, inhabiting the Southern States of the northern continent, South America, and Mexico. It will be charac- terized by a short bill; short, slender, scutellated, and partly feathered tarsi, and with the outer toe connected by a membrane ; tne claws, short ; wings, very long, reaching beyond the tail; the tail, even. Bonaparte thinks: that itshould stand intermediate a Falco and Milvus, somewhat allied to Buteo. — Ep. 242 MISSISSIPP1 KI ‘E. and which, in the three individuals of this species of Hawk which I examined by dissection, were the only substances found in their stomachs. For several miles, as I passed near Bayou Manchak, the trees were swarming with a kind of Cicada, or locust, that ‘made a deafening noise; and here I observed numbers of the Hawk now before us sweeping about among the trees like Swallows, evidently in pursuit of these locusts;, so that insects, it would appear, are-the prin- cipal food of this species. Yet when we contemplate the beak and talons of this bird, both so sharp and powerful, it is difficult to believe that they were not intended by nature for some more formidable prey than beetles, locusts, or grasshoppers; and I doubt not but mice, lizards, snakes, and small birds, furnish him with an occasional repast. This Hawk, though wounded and precipitated from a vast height, exhibited, in his’ distress, symptoms of great. strength and an almost unconquerable spirit. I no sooner approached to pick him up than he instantly gave battle, striking rapidly with his claws, wheeling round and round as he lay partly on his rump, and defending himself with great vigilance and dexterity ; while his dark, red eye sparkled with rage. Notwithstanding all my caution in seizing him to carry him home, he struck his hind claw into my hand with such force as to penetrate into the bone. Anxious to preserve his life, I endeavored gently to disengage it; but this made him only contract. it the more powerfully, causing such pain that I had no other alternative but that of cutting the sinew of his heel with my penknife. The whole time he lived with me, he seemed to watch every movement I made; erecting the feathers of his hind head, and eyeing me with savage fierceness ; considering me, no doubt, as the greater savage of the two. What effect education might have had on this species under the tutor- ship of some of the old European professors of falconry, I know not ; but if extent of wing, and energy of character, and.ease and rapidity of flight, would have been any recommendations to royal patronage, this species possesses all these in a very eminent degree, The long-pointed wings and forked tail point out the affinity of this bird to that family or subdivision of the Falco genus, distinguished by the name of Kites, which sail without flapping the wings, and eat from their talons as they glide along. ; ; ae The Mississippi Kite measures fourteen inches in length, and thirty-six inches, or three feet in extent! The head, neck, and exte- rior webs of the secondaries, are of a hoary white; the lower parts, a whitish ash; bill, cere, lores, and narrow line round the eye, black ; back, rump, scapulars, and wing-coverts, dark blackish ash; wings, very long and pointed, the third quill the longest; the primaries are black, marked down each side of the shaft with reddish sorel; pri- mary coverts also slightly touched with the same; all the upper plumage at the roots is white; the: scapulars are also spotted with white — but this cannot be perceived unless the feathers be blown aside ; tail, slightly forked, and, as well as the rump, jet black; légs, vermilion, tinged ‘with orange, and becoming blackish towards the toes; claws, black; iris of the eye, dark red; pupil; black. This was a male. With the female, which is expected soon from that country, I shail, in a future volume, communicate such further information relative to their manners and incubation as I may be able to collect. : TENNESSEE WARBLER. 243 TENNESSEE WARBLER. — SYLVIA PEREGRINA —Fie«. 117. Peale’s Museum, No. T787. VERMIVORA PEREGRINA. — Swainson, Sylvi ina, Bonap. S i . 87. — Sylvicola Vermivora) peregrina eRe , orth, Tool. ii. p. 185. ( r a Tuis plain, little bird has hitherto remained unknown. I first found it on the banks of Cumberland River, in the state of Tennessee, and suppose it to be rare, having since met with only two individuals of the same species. It was hunting nimbly among the young leaves, and, like all the rest of the family of worm-eaters, to which, by its bill, it evidently belongs, seemed to partake a good deal of the habits of the Titmouse. Its notes were few and weak; and its stomach, on dissection, contained small green caterpillars, and a few winged insects. : : As this species is so very rare in the United States, it is most probably a native of a more southerly climate, where it may be equally numerous with any of the rest of its genus. The small Ceru- lean Warbler, (Fig. 81,) which, in Pennsylvania, and almost all over the Atlantic states, is extremely rare, I found the most numerous of its tribe in Tennessee and West Florida; and the Carolina Wren, (Fig. 51,) which is also scarce to the northward of Maryland, is abun- dant through the whole extent of country from Pittsburgh to New Orleans. Particular species of birds, like different nations of men, have their congenial climes and favorite countries; but wanderers are common to both; some in search of better fare, some of adventures, others led by curiosity, and many driven by storms and accident. The Tennessee Warbler is four inches and three quarters long, and eight inches in extent; the back, rump, and tail-coverts are of a rich yellow olive; lesser wing-coverts, the same; wings, deep dusky, edged broadly with yellow olive; tail, forked, olive, relieved with dusky ; cheeks and upper part of the head, inclining to light bluish, and tinged with olive ; line from the nostrils over the eye, pale yellow, fading into white; throat and breast, pale cream color; belly and vent, white; legs, purplish brown; Dill, pointed, and thicker at the base than those of the Sylvia genus generally are; upper mandible, dark dusky ; lower, somewhat paler ; eye, hazel. The female differs little, in the color of her plumage, from the male; i ee line over the eye is more obscure, and the olive not of so rich a tint. 244 KENTUCKY WARBLER. KENTUCKY WARBLER.—SYLVIA FORMOSA. — Fie. 118 Peale’s Museum, No. 7786. SYLVICOLA? FORMOSA. — Janpine. Sylvia formosa, Bonap. Synop. p. 84. — The Kentucky Warbler, Aud. pl. 38, male - eee Gat teadies Oru iah tig 6 : Tis new and beautiful species inhabits the country whose name it bears. It is also found generally in all the intermediate tracts between Nashville and New Orleans, and below that, as far as the Balize, or mouths of the Mississippi; where I heard it several times twittering among the high, rank grass and low bushes of those solitary and desolate looking morasses. In Kentucky and Tennessee it is particularly numerous, frequenting low, damp woods, and builds its nest in the middle of a thick tuft of rank grass, sometimes in the fork of a low bush, and sometimes on the ground ; in all of which situations I have found it. The materials are loose, dry grass, mixed with the light pith of weeds, and lined with hair. The female lays four, and sometimes six eggs, pure white, sprinkled with specks of reddish. I observed her sitting early in May. This species is seldom seen among the high branches ; but loves to frequent low bushes and cane swainps, and-is an active, sprightly bird. Its notes are loud, and in threes, resembling tweedle, tweedle, tweedle. It appears in Kentucky from the south about the middle of April, and leaves. the territory of. New Orleans on the approach of cold weather ; at least I was assured that it does not remain there during the winter. It appeared to me to be a restless, fighting species; almost always-engaged in pursuing some of its fellows; though this might have been occasioned by ‘its numbers, and the particular season of spring, when love and jealousy rage with violence in the breasts of the feathered tenants of the grove; who experience all the ardency of those passions no less than their lord and sovereign, man. ; The Kentucky Warbler is five inches and a half long, and eight inches in extent; the upper parts.are an olive green; line over the eye, and partly under it, and whole lower parts, nich brilliant yellow ; head, slightly crested, the crown, deep black, towards the hind part spotted with light ash; lores, and spot curving down the neck, also black; tail, nearly even at the end, and of a rich olive green; interior vanes of that and the wings, dusky; legs, an almost trans- parent, pale flesh color. : i The female wants the black under the eye, and the greater part of that on the crown, having those, parts yellowish. This bird is very abundant in the moist woods along the Tennessee and Cumberland Rivers PRAIRIE WARBLER. 245 PRAIRIE WARBLER.—SYLVIA MINUTA.—Fie. 119. Peale’s Museum, No. 7784. SYLVICOLA? DISCOLOR. —Janvinz.* Svivin diseclon; Want pl9e, (aust, Bonen Banan, Bonen: pe Ge Tuis pretty little species I first discovered in that singular tract of country in Kentucky, commonly called the Barrens. [ shot several afterwards in the open woods of the Chactaw nation, where they were more numerous. They seem to prefer these open plains and thinly- wooded tracts; and have this singularity in their manners, that they are not easily alarmed ;,and search among the leaves the most leisurely of any of the tribe I have yet met with; seeming to examine every blade of grass and every leaf; uttering at short intervals a feeble chirr. Ihave observed one of these birds to sit on the lower branch of a tree, for half an hour at a time, and allow me to come up nearly to the foot of the tree, without seeming to be in the least disturbed, or to dis- continue the regularity of its occasional note. In activity it is the re- verse of the preceding species; and is rather a scarce bird in the countries where I found it. Its- food consists principally of small caterpillars and winged insects. The Prairie Warbler is four inches and a half long, and six inches and a half in extent; the upper parts are olive, spotted on the back with reddish chestnut ; from the nostril over and under the eye, yellow ; lores, black ; a broad streak of black also passes beneath the yellow under the eye; small pointed spots of black reach from a little below that along the side of the neck and under the wings; throat, breast, and belly, rich yellow ; vent, cream colored, tinged with yellow ; wings, dark dusky olive; primaries and greater coverts, edged’ and tipped ‘with pale yellow; second row of coverts, wholly yellow ; lesser, olive ; tail, deep brownish black, ligher on the edges; the three exterior feathers, broadly spotted with white. : The female is destitute of the black mark under the eye; has a few slight touches of blackish along the sides of the neck; and some faint shades of brownish red on the back. ‘ The nest of this species is of very neat and delicate workman- ship, being pensile, and generally hung on the fork of a low bush or thicket; it is formed outwardly of green moss, intermixed with rotten bits of wood and caterpillar’s silk; the inside is lined with extremely fine fibres of grape-vine bark; and the whole would scarcely weigh a quarter of an ounce. The eggs are white, with a few brown spots at a greatend. These birds are migratory, departing for the south in tober. * Bonaparte is of opinion that this is the same with Vieillot’s Sylvia discolor. 1 have not had an ony of examining it. —Ep. 246 CARC LINA PARROT. CAROLINA PARROT.—PSITTACUS CAROLINENSIS. — Fie. 120. Linn. Syst. 141. — Catesb. i. 11.— Lath. i, 227.— Arct. Zool. 242, No, 132. Did. 133. — Peale’s Museum, No. 762. CONURUS CAROLINENSIS. —Kuunu.* Conurus Carolinensis, Kzhl. consp. psiit. Nov. act, Ceas. Leop. tom, x. p. 4, 23. — - Psittacus Carolinensis, Borup. Synop. p. 41. Or one hundred and sixty-eight kinds of Parrots enumerated by European writers as inhabiting the various regions of the globe, this is the only species found native within the territory of the United States. The vast and luxuriant tracts lying within the torrid zone seem to be the favorite residence of those noisy, numerous, and richly- plumaged tribes. The Count de Buffon has, indeed, circumscribed the whole genus of Parrots to a space not extending more than twenty- three degrees on each side of the equator; but later discoveries:have shown this statement to be incorrect, as these birds have been found on our continent as far south as the Straits of Magellan, and even on the remote shores of Van Diemen’s Land, in Terra Australasia. The species now under consideration is also known to inhabit the interior of Louisiana, and the shores of the Mississippi and Ohio, and their tributary waters, even’ beyond the Illinois River, to the neighborhood of Lake Michigan, in. lat. 42 deg. north; and, contrary to the gen- erally received opinion, is chiefly resident in all these places. East- ward, however, of the great range of the Alleghany, it is seldom seen farther north than the state of Maryland, though straggling parties have been occasionally dbserved among the valleys of the Juniata ; : accel * In all countries Parrots have been favorites, arising from their playful and do- cile manners in domestication, the-beauty of their plumage, and the nearly solitary example of imitating with comparative accuracy the voice and articulation of man. In ancient times, the extravagance with which these birds were sought after, either as ones! of amusement and recreation, or as luxuries for the table, surpasses, if possible, the many fashionable maniz of latter days. We find frequent allusions to these birds both in the prose and poetical writers, railing against the expenses ‘of pace and maintenance, or celebrating their docility,-or their love-and gratitude to eir mistress ; and at the height and splendor of the then Mistress of the World, they were brought forward to the less honorablé avocation of conveying praise and flattery to the great. At the present period they are much sought afler, and a “ good Parrot” will still bring a high price. . : Finteriropiesl countyies are the natural abodes of the Psittacide, where they are gregarious, and present most conspicuous and noisy attraction, revelling in free or grotesque attitudes, among the forest and mountain’ glades, which, awtouk ‘these, and many other brilliant tenants, would present only a solitude of luxuriant vege- tation. It is-impossible, for any one who has only seen these birds ina cage or small enclosure, to conceive what must be the gorgeous appearance of a flock, either in ful! flight, and performing their various evolutions, under a vertical sun, or sporting among the superb, foliage of a tropical forest : In gaudy robes of many-colored patches, The Parrots swung like blossoms from the trees, While their harsh voices undeceived the ear. Ep, CAROLINA PARROT. Q47 and, according to some even twenty-five miles to the north-west of Albany, in the state of New York.* But such accidental visits fur- nish no certain criterion by which to judge of their usual extent of e;—those aerial voyagers, as well as others who navigate the deep, being subject to be cast away, by the violence of the elements, on distant shores and unknown countries. From these circumstances of the northern residence of this species, we might be justified in concluding it to be a very hardy bird, more capable of sustaining cold than nine tenths of its tribe ; and so I be- lieve it is,—having myself seen them, in the month of February, along the banks of the Ohio, in asnow storm, flying about like Pigeons, and in full cry. a The preference, however, which this bird gives to the western coun- tries, lying in the same parallel of latitude with those eastward of the ‘Alleghany Mountains, which it rarely or never visits, is worthy of re- mark; and has been adduced, by different writers, as a proof of the superior mildness of climate in the former to that of the latter. But there are other reasons for this partiality equally powerful, though hitherto overlooked; namely, certain peculiar features of country to which these birds are particularly and strongly attached; these are, low, rich, alluvial bottoms, along the borders of creeks, covered with a gigantic growth of sycamore-trees, or button wood; deep, and al- Most impenetrable swamps, where the vast and towering cypress lifts its still more majestic head ; and those singular salines, or, as they are usually called, licks,so generally interspersed over that country, and which are regularly and eagerly visited by the Paroquets. A still greater inducement is the superior abundance of their favorite fruits. That food which the Paroquet prefers to all others, is the seeds of the zockle bur, a plant rarely found in the lower parts of Pennsylvania or New. York; but which unfortunately grows in too great abundance along the shores of the Ohio and Mississippi ; so much so as to render the wool of those sheep that pasture where it most abounds, scarcely worth the cleaning, covering them with one solid mass of burs, wrought up and embedded into the fleecé, to. the great annoyance of this valuabie animal. The seeds of the cypress-tree and hackberry, as well as beech nuts, are also great favorites with these birds; the two former of which are not commonly found in Pennsylvania, and the latter by no means so general or so productive. Here, then, are several powerful reasons, more dependent on soil than climate, for the preference given by these birds to the luxuriant regions of the west. Pennsylvania, indeed, and also Maryland, abound with excel- lent apple orchards, on the ripe fruit of which the Paroquets occasion- ally feed. But Ihave my doubts whether their depredations in the orchard be not as much the result of wanton play and mischief, as re- gard for the seeds of the fruit, which they are supposed to be in pursuit of. Thave known a flock of these birds alight on an apple-tree, and have myself seen them twist off the fruit, one by one, strowing it in every direction around the tree, without observing that any of the depreda- tors descended to pick them up. To a Paroquet, which I wounded and kept for some considerable time, I very often offered apples, which * Barton’s Fragments, &c. p. 6. Introduction. 248 CAROLINA PARROT. it uniformly rejected; but burs or beech nuts, never. T another very beautiful one, which I brought from New Orleans, and which is now sitting in the room beside me, I have frequently offered this fruit, and also the seeds separately, which I never knew it to taste. Their local attachments, also, prove that food, more than climate, determines their choice of country. For even in the states of Ohio, Kentucky, and the Mississippi Territory, unless in the neighborhood of such places as have been described, it is rare to see them. The inhabitants of Lex- ington, as many of them assured me, scarcely ever observe them in that quarter. In passing from that place to Nashville, a distance of two hundred miles, I neither heard nor saw any, but at a place called Madison’s Lick. In passing on, I next met with them, on the banks and rich flats of the Tennessee River: after this, I saw no more till I reached Bayou St. Pierre, a' distance of several hundred miles; from all which circumstances, I think we cannot, from the residences of these birds, establish with propriety any correct standard by which to judge of the comparative temperatures of different climates. “ In descending the River Ohio, by myself, in the month of February, I met with the first flock of Paroquets at the mouth of the Little Scioto. I had been informed, by an old and respectable inhabitant of Marietta, that they were sometifnes, though rarely, seen there. I ob- | served flocks of them, afterwards, at the mouth of the Great and Little Miami, and in the neighborhood of numerous creeks that discharge themselves into the Ohio. At Big Bone Lick, thirty miles above the mouth of Kentucky River, I saw them in great numbers. They came screaming through the woods in the morning, about an hour after sun- rise, to drink the salt water, of which they, as well as the Pigeons, are remarkably fond. When they alighted on the ground, it appeared at a distance as if covered with a carpet of the richest green, orange, and yellow: they afterwards settled, in one body, on a neighboring tree, which stood detached from any other, covering almost every twig: of it, and the sun, shining strongly on their gay and glossy plumage, produced a very beautiful and splendid appearance. Here I had an opportunity of observing some very particular traits of their charac- ter: Having shot downa number, some of which were only wounded, the whole flock swept repeatedly around their prostrate companions, ‘and again settled on a low tree, within twenty yards of the spot where I stood. At each successive discharge, though showers of them fell, yet the affection of the survivors seemed rather to increase; for, after a few circuits around the place, they again alighted near me, looking down on their slaughtered companions with such menifest symptoms of sympathy and‘ concern, as entirely disarmed me. I could not but take notice of the remarkable contrast between their elegant manner of flight, and their lame and crawling cait among the branches, They fly very much like the Wild Pigeon, in close, compact bodies, and with great rapidity, making a loud and outrageous screaming, not unlike that of the Red-headed Woodpecker. Their flight, is sometimes in a direct line; but most usually circuitous, making a great variety of ‘el- egant and easy serpentine meanders, as if for pleasure. They are particularly attached to the large sycamores, in the hollow of the trunks and branches of which they generally roost, thirty or forty, and sometimes more, entering at the same hole. Here’they cling.close to CAROLINA PARROT. 249 the sides of the tree, holding fast by the claws and also by the bills. They appear to be fond of sleep, and often retire to their holes during the day, probably: to take their regular siesta. They are extremely sociable, and fond of each other, often scratching each other’s heads and necks; and always, at night, nestling as close as possible to each other, preferring, at that time, a perpendicular position, supported by. their bill and claws. In the fall, when their favorite cockle burs are ripe, they swarm along the coast-or high grounds of the Mississippi, above New Orleans, for a great extent. At such times, they are killed and eaten by many of the inhabitants ; though, I confess, I think their flesh very indifferent. I have several times dined on it from neces- sity, in the woods; but found it merely passable, with all the sauce of a keen appetite to recommend it. A very general opinion prevails. that the brains and intestines of the Carolina Paroquet are a sure and fatal poison to cats. 1 had de- termined, when at Big Bone, to put this to the test of experiment ; and for that purpose collected the brains and bowels of more than a dozen of them. But after close search, Mistress Puss was not to be found, being engaged, perhaps, on more agreeable business. I left the medicine with Mr. Colquhoun’s agent, to administer it at the first op- pnts and write me the result; but I have never yet heard from im. A respectable lady near the town of Natchez, and on whose word I can rely, assured me, that she herself had made the experi- ment, and that, whatever might be the cause, the cat had actually died either on that or the succeeding day. A French planter near Bayou Fourche pretended to account to me for this effect by positively assert- ing that the seeds of the cockle burs, on which the Paroquets so eagerly feed, were deleterious to cats; and thus their death was pro- duced by eating the intestines of the bird. These, matters might easily have been ascertained on the spot, which, however, a combina- tion of trifling circumstances prevented me from doing. I several times carried a dose of the first description in my pocket till it became insufferable, without meeting with a suitable patient on whom, like other professional gentlemen, I might conveniently make a fair experi- ment. I was equally unsuccessful in my endeavors to discover the time of incubation or manner of building among these birds. All agreed that they breed in hollow trees; and several affirmed to me that they had seen their nests. Some said they carried in no materials; others, that they did. Some made the eggs white; others, speckled. One man assured me that he cut down a large beech-tree, which was hol- low, and in which he found the brok 2n fragments of upwards of twenty Paroquets’ eggs, which were of a greenish yellow color. The nests, though destroyed in their texture by the falling of the tree, appeared. he said, to be formed of small twigs glued to each other, and to the side of the tree, in the manner of the Chimney Swallow. Ile added, that if it. were the proper season, he could point out to me the weed from which they procured the gluey matter. From all these contra- dictory accounts nothing certain can be deduced, except that they build in companies, in hollow trees. That they commence incubation late in summer, or very early in spring, I think highly probable, from the numerous dissections I made in the months of March, April, May, ° — a 250 CAROLINA PARROT. and June’;‘and the great’ variety which I found in the color of the plumage of the head and neck 2f both sexes, during the two former of these months, convinces me hat the young birds do not receive their full colors until the early part of the succeeding summer.* While: Parrots and Paroquets, from foreign countries, abound in .aumost every street of our large cities, and become such great. favor- ‘ites, no attention seems to have been paid to our own, which, in elegance of figure, and beauty of plumage, is certainly superior to many of them. It wants, indeed, that disposition for perpetual screaming and chattering that renders some of the former pests, not only to their keepers, but to the whole neighborhood in which they reside. It is alike docile and sociable; soon becomes perfectly familiar; and, until equal pains be taken in its instruction, it is unfair to conclude it incapable of equal improvement in the language of man. As so little has hitherto been known of the disposition and manners of: this species, the reader will not, I-hope, be displeased at my detail- ing some of these, in the history of a particular favorite, my sole companion in many a lonesome day’s march, and of which the figure in the plate is a faithful resemblance. . Anxious to try the effects of education on one of those which I procured at Big Bone Lick, and which was but slightly wounded in the wing, I fixed up a place for it inthe stern of my:boat, and presented _it with some cockle burs, which it freely fed on in less than an hour ‘after being on board. The intermediate time between eating and sleeping was occupied in gnawing the sticks that formed its place of confinement, in order to make a practicable breach; which it repeatedly effected. When I abandoned the river, and travelled by land, I wrapped it up closely in asilk handkerchief, tying it tightly around, and carried it in my pocket. When I stopped for refreshment, 1 unbound my prisoner, and gave it its allowance, which it generally ‘despatched with great dexterity, unhusking the seeds from the bur in a twinkling; im doing which, it always employed its left foot to hold the bur, as did several others that I kept for some time. I began to think that this might be peculiar to the whole tribe, and that the whole were, if I may use the expression, left-footed; but, by shooting a number afterwards while engaged in eating mulberries, I found sometimes the left, sometimes tlie right, foot stained with the fruit, the other always clean; from which, and the constant practice of those I kept, it appears, that, like the human species in the use of their hands, they do not prefer one or the other indiscriminately, but are either left or right-footed. But to return to my prisoner: In recommitting it * Mr. Audubon’s information on their manner of breeding is as follows :— “ Their nest, or the place in which they deposit their eggs, is simply the bottom, of such cavities in trees as those to which they usually retire at night- Many females deposit their eggs together. I am of opinion that the number of eggs which each individual lays is two, although I have not been able absolutely to assure myself of this. They are nearly round, of a rich greenish white.. The young are at first covered with soft down, such as is seen-on young Owls.” 3 It may be remarked that most of the Parrots, whose nidification we are acquainted with, build in hollow trees, or holed banks. Few-make a nest ‘for themselves, bit lay the eggs xa the bare wood or earth; and when the nest is built outward as by other birds ‘is of a slight and loose structure. The eggs are always whit —Ep. : ; CAROLINA PARROT. 251 to “durance vile,” we generally had a quarrel; during which it fre- quently. paid me in kind for the wound I had inflicted, and for depriving it of liberty, by ee and almost disabling several of my fingers with its sharp and powerful bill. The path through the wilder- ness between Nashville and Natchez is in some places bad beyond description. There are dangerous creeks to swim, miles of morass to struggle through, yondered almost as gloomy as night by a prodigious growth of timber, and. an underwood of canes and other evergreens ; while the descent: into these sluggish streams is often ten or fifteen feet perpendicular, into a bed of deep clay. In some of the worst of. these places, where I had, as it were, to fight my way through, the Paroquet frequently escaped from my pocket, obliging me to dis- mount and: pursue it through the worst of the morass before I could regain it. On these occasions, I was several times tempted to abandon it; but 1 persisted in bringing it along. When at night I encamped in the woods, I placed it on the baggage beside me, where it usually sat with great composure, dozing and gazing at the fire till morning. In this manner I carried it upwards of a thousand miles, in my pocket, where it was exposed all day to the jolting of the horse, but regularly liberated at meal times and in the evening, at which it always expressed great satisfaction. In passing through the Chick- asaw and Chactaw nations, the Indians, wherever 1 stopped to feed, collected around me, men, women, and children, laughing, and seeming wonderfully amused with the novelty of my companion. The Chick- asaws called it in their language “ Kelinky;” but when they heard me call it Poll, they soon repeated the name; and, wherever I chanced to stop among: these people, we soon became familiar with each other, through the medium of Poll. On arriving at Mr. Dunbar’s, below Natchez, I procured a cage, and placed it under the piazza, where, by its call, it soon attracted the passing flocks; such is the attach- ment they have for each other. Numerous parties frequently alighted on the trees immediately above, keeping up a constant conversation with the prisoner. . One of these I wounded slightly in the wing, and the pieasure Poll expressed.on meeting with this new companion was really amusing. She crept close up to it as it hung on the side of the cage; chattered to it in a low tone of voice, as if sympathizing in its misfortune; scratched about its head and neck with. her bill; and both at night nestled as close as possible to each other, sometimes Poll’s head being thrust among the plumage of the other. On the death of this companion, she appeared restless and inconsolable for several days. On reaching New Orleans, I placed a looking-glass beside the place where she usually sat, and the instant she perceived her image, all her former fondness seemed to return, so that she could ‘scarcely absent herself from it a moment. It was evident that she was completely deceived. Always when evening drew on, and often during the day, she laid. her head close to that of the image in the glass, and began to doze with-great composure and satisfaction. In this short space she had learned to know her name; to answer, and come when called on; to climb up my clothes, sit on my shoulder, and eat from my mouth. I-took her with me to sea, determined to perse- vere in her education; but, destined to another fate, poor Poll, having one morning about day break, wrought her way through the cage, 252 SAROLINA PARROT. while I was asleep, instantly flew overboard, and perished in the Gulf of Mexico. — : aie at ‘The Caro.ina or Illinois Parrot (for it has been described under both these appellations) is thirteen inches long, and twenty-one in extent ; forehead and cheeks, orange red; beyond this, for an inch and a half, down and round the neck, a rich and pure yellow; shoulder and bend of the wing, also édged with rich orange red. The general color of the rest of the plumage is a bright yellowish, silky green, with light blue reflections, lightest and most diluted with yellow below; greater wing-coverts and roots of the primaries, yellow, slightly tinged with green; interior webs of the primaries, deep dusky purple, almost. black; exterior ones, bluish green; tail, Jong, cuneiform, consisting’ of twelve feathers, the exterior one only half’ the length, the others increasing to the middle ones, which are streaked along the middle with light blue ; shafts of all the larger feathers, and of most part of the green plumage, black; knees and vent, orange yellow; feet, a pale, whitish flesh color; claws, black; bill, white, or slightly tinged with- pale cream; iris of the eye, hazel; round the eye is a small space without feathers, covered with a whitish skin; nostrils placed in 4n elevated membrane at the base of the bill, and covered with feathers ; chin, wholly bare of feathers, but concealed by those descending on - each side; from each side of the palate hangs a lobe or skin of a blackish color ; tongue, thick and fleshy.; inside of the upper mandible near the point, grooved exactly like a file, that it may hold with more security. . : ae : opr doch: _ The female differs very little in her colors and markings from the male.. After examining numerous specimens, the following appear to be the principal differences: —'The yellow‘on the neck of the female does not descend quite so far; the interior vanes of the primaries are brownish, instead of black, and the orange red on the bend and edges of the wing is considerably narrower; in other respects, the colors and markings are nearly the same. ‘ ; The young birds of the preceding year, of both sexes, are generally destitute of the yellow on the head and neck, until about the begin- ning or middle of March, having those parts wholly green, except the front and cheeks, which are orange red in them, as in the full-grown birds. Towards the middle of March, the yellow begins to appear, in detached feathers, interspersed among the green, varying in different individuals. In some which I killed about the last of that month, only a few green feathers remained among the yellow, and these were fast assuming the yellow tint; for the color changes without change of plumage. A number of these birds, in all their grades of progressive change from green to yellow, have been deposited in Mr. Peale’s museum. SE te : de ; What is calleu sy Europeans the illinois Parrot, (Psittacus pertinaz,) 1s evidently the young bird in its imperfect colors: Whether the’pres- ent species be found as far south as Brazil, as these writers pretend, I am unable to say; but, from the great extent of country in which T have myself: killed and examined these birds, I am satisfied that the present species, now described, is the only one inhabiting’ the United States. ee i : peg oA Since the foregoing was written, I have had an opportur ity, by the ra CANADA FLYCATCHER. 253 death of a tame Carolina Paroquet,to ascertain the fact of the poison- ous effects of their head and intestines on cats. Having shut up a cat and her two kittens, the latter only a few days old, in a room with the head, neck, and whole intestines of the Paroquet, I found, on the next morning, the whole eaten, except a small part of the bill. The cat exhibited no symptom of sickness; and, at this moment, three days after ‘the experiment has been made, she and her kittens are in their usual health. _ Still, however, the effect might have been different, had the daily food of the bird been cockle burs, instead of Indian corn. CANADA FLYCATCHER. — MUSCICAPA CANADENSIS. — Fig. 121. Lynn. Syst. 324,—~ Arct. Zool. p. 338, No. 273. — Lath. ii. 354. — Peale’s Museum, No. 6969. SETOPHAGA CANADENSIS. —Swatnson.* Sylvia pardalina, Bonap. Synop. p. 79. Tuis is a solitary, and, in the lower parts of Pennsylvania, rather a rare species; being more numerous in the interior, particularly near the mountains, where the only two I ever met with were shot. They are silent birds, as far as I could observe, and were busily darting among the branches after insects. From the specific name given them, it is probable that they are more plenty in Canada than in the United States; where it is doubtful whether they be not mere passen- gers in spring and autumn. This species is four inches and a half long, and eight in extent; front, black ; crown, dappled with small streaks of gray and spots of black ; line from the nostril to,and around the eye, yellow ; below the eye, a streak or spot of black, descending along the sides-of the throat, which, as well as the breast and belly, is brilliant yellow, the breast * Mr. Swainson, in a note to the Northern Zoology, has hinted his suspicion that this bird and Muscicapa Bonapartii of Audubon are the same. As far as we can judge from the two plates, there does not seem any resemblance. Mr. Swainson adds, “ As regards the generic nume (of Setophaga Bonapartii,) we consider the whole structure of the bird as obviously Seciedlinte bervee the Sylvicolce and the typical Setophage, but more closely allied to the latter than the former.” - For ahe present, we shall place the two following species in Setophaga, but suspect that this intermediate form will’ hereafter rank in the value of a su -genus.* To this, also, may be referred the Muscicapa Selbii of Audubon, which seems to approach - nearer Setophaga in the more flattened representation of the bill and stronger bris- les. Mr. Audubon-has only met with it three times in Louisiana. The upper parts are of a dark olive color; the whole under parts, with a streak over-each eye, rich yellow. The length is about five inches ahd ahalf. It was very active in pursuit of flies, and the snapping of the bill, when seizing them, was distinctly heard at some distance. — ED. * They are all furnished with rictorial bristles, but tae bill is not so much depressed. The habits are those 3S Setophaga. i 254 HOODED FLYCATCHER. bemg marked with .a broad, rounding band of black, composed of . large, irregular streaks ; back, wings, and tail, cinereous brown ; vent, white; upper mandible, dusky ; lower, ‘flesh colored; legs and feet, the same ;, eye, hazel. ; Never having met with the female of this bird, I am unable, at present, to say in what its colors differ from those of the male. « —~+>——_—_ HOODED FLYCATCHER. — MUSCICAPA CUCULLATA. — “ Fig. 122. : Le gobe-mouche citrin, Buff. iv. 538, Pl. enl. 666. — Hooded Warbler, Arct. Zool. p. 400, No. 287:— Lath. ii. 462. Catesb. i. 60. — Mitred Warbler, Turton, i. 601. — Hooded Warbler, ibid. — Peale’s Museum, No. 7062. SETOPHAGA MITRATA. —Swainson, Sylvia mitrata, Bonap. Synop. p.79: War those two judicious naturalists, Pennant and Latham, should. have arranged this bird with the Warblers, is to me unaccountable, as few of the Muscicape are more distinctly marked than the species now before us. The bill is broad at the base, where it is beset with bris- tles; the upper mandible, notched, and slightly overhanging at the tip ; and the manners of the bird, in every respect, those of a Flycatcher. This.species is seldom seen in Pennsylvania and the Northern States, but through the whole extent of country south of Maryland, from the Atlantic to the Mississippi, is very abundant. It is, however, most partial to low situations, where there is plenty of thick underwood ; abounds among the canes in the state of Tennessee, and in the Mis- sissippi. Territory ; and seems perpetually in pursuit of winged insects; , now and then uttering three loud, not unmusical, and very lively notes, resembling twee, twee, twitchie, while engaged in the chase. Like‘al- most all its tribe, it is full of spirit, and.exceedingly active. It builds a very neat and compact nest, generally, in the fork of a small bush; forms it outwardly of moss and flax, or broken -hemp, and lines it with hair, and sometimes feathers; the eggs are five, of a grayish white, with red spots. towards the great end. In all parts of the United States where it inhabits,-it. is a bird of passage. At Savannah, I met with it about the 20th of March; so that it probably retires’ to the West India Islands, and-perhaps Mexico, during ‘winter. I also heard this bird, among the rank reeds and rushes, within a few miles of the mouth of the Mississippi. It has been sometimes seen in the neighborhood of Philadelphia, but rately ; and, on such occasions, has all the mute timidity ofa stranger at a distance from home.. This species is five inches and a half long, and eight in extent; forehead, cheeks, and chin, yellow, surrounded with.a hood of black that covers the crown, hind head, and part of the neck, and descends, rounding, over the breast ; all the rest of the lower parts are rich yel- GREEN BLACK-CAPPED FLYCATCHER. 255 low; upper parts of the wings, the tail, and back, yellow olive ; inte- rior vanes, and tips of the wing and tail, dusky; bill, black; legs, flesh colored ; inner webs of the three exterior tail-feathers, white for half their length from the tips; the next, slightly touched with white; the tail, slightly forked, and exteriorly edged with rich, yellow olive. The female has the throat and breast yellow, slightly tinged with ‘blackish ; the black does not reach so far down the upper part of the neck, and is not of so deep a tint. In the other parts of her-plumage, she exactly resembles the male. I have found some females that had little or no black on the head or neck above, but these I took to be young birds, not yet arrived at their full tints. aa j GREEN BLACK-CAPPED FLYCATCHER, — MUSCICAPA ' ° PUSILLA.— Fie. 123. Peale’s Museum, No. 7785. SETOPHAGA? WILSONTI, —JarvinE.* Sylvia Wilsonii, Bonap. Synop. p. 86. — Nomenclature, No. 127. Tuis neat and active little species I have never met with in the works of any European naturalist. It is an inhabitant of the swamps of the Southern States, and has been several times seen in the lower parts of the states of New Jersey and Delaware. Amidst almost unapproachable thickets of deep morasses it commonly spends its time during summer, and has a sharp, squeaking note, no wise musical. It leaves the Southern States early in October. This species is four inches and a half long, and six and a half in extent; front line over the eye, and whole lower parts, yellow, brightest over the eye, and dullest on the cheeks, belly, and vent, where it is tinged with olive; upper parts, olive green; wings and tail, dusky brown, the former very short; legs and bill, flesh colored; crown, covered with a patch of deep black; iris of the eye, hazel. The female is without the black crown, having that part of a dull yellow olive, and is frequently mistaken: for a distinct species. From her great resemblance, however, in other respects, to the male, now first figured, she cannot hereafter be mistaken. * The Prince of Musignano has never seen this species, but was of opinion that it would prove a Sylvia; and the specific name being preoccupied, be chose that of its'discoverer. I have retained his specific name, though the reason of the change will not now be available. The services of Wilson, however, can s*arcely ce overpaid, and the reputation of no one is here implicated. — Ep. 256 PINNATED GROUSE. PINNATED GROUSE.—TETRAO CUPIDO. — Fic. 124. Linn, Syst. i. p. 274-5. — Lath. ii, p. 740. — ‘Aret. Zool.— La Gelinote huppée d@’Amérique, Briss. Orn. i. p. 212, 10,— Urogalus minor, fuscus cervice, plumis alas imitantibus donat&, Catesb. Car. App. pl. 1.—Tetrao lagogus, the Mountain Cock, or Grouse, Bartram, p. 290. — Heath-Hen, Prairie Hen, Barren Hen. — Peale’s Museum, No. 4700, male ; 4701, female. s TETRAO CUPIDO. —Lixnxvs. ; : Attagan Americana, Brisson, i. p. 59.— Pinnated Heatheock, Bonasa cupido, Steph. Sh. Cont. xi. p. 299.— Tetrao cupido, Bonap. Synop. p. 126.” Berore I enter on a detail of the observations which I have myself. personally made on this singular species, I shall lay before the reader a comprehensive and very circumstantial memoir on the subject, com- municated to me by the writer, Dr. Samuel L. Mitchill, of New York, whose exertions, both in his public and private capacity, in behalf of science, and in elucidating the natural history of his country, are well known, and highly honorable to his distinguished situation and abilities. ‘That peculiar tract, generally known by the name of the Brushy Plains of Long Island, having been, for time immemorial, the resort of the bird now before us, some account of this particular range of country seemed necessarily connected with the subject, and: has, ac- cordingly, been obligingly attended to by the learned professor. : ooh “New York, Sept. 19, 1810. “Dear Srr,— It gives me much pleasure to reply to your letter of the 12th instant, asking of me information concerning the Grouse of Long Island. ive ‘ ae : “The birds which are known there emphatically by the name of Grouse, inhabit chiefly the forest range. This district of the island may be estimated as being between forty and fifty miles in length, extending from Bethphage, in Queen’s County, to the neighborhood of the Court-House, in Suffolk. Its breadth is not more than six or seven. For, slthough the island is bounded by the Sound, separating it from Connecticut on the north,and by the Atlantic Ocean on the south, there is a margin of several miles, on each side, in the actual - possession of human beings. ; 4 ee ' «The region in which these birds reside, lies mostly: within the towns of Oysterbay, Huntington, Islip, Smithtown, and Brookhaven; ‘though it would be incorrect to say that they were not to be met with sometimes in Riverhead and Southampton. Their territory has been defined by some sportsmen, as situated between Hampstead Plain on the West, and Shinnecock Plain on the east. : “The more popular name for them is Heath-Hens. By this they are designated in the act of our Legislature for the preservation of them and of other game. I well remember the passing of ‘this law. The bill was introduced by Cornelius J. Bogert, Esq., a member of the Assembly from the city of New York. It was in the month of Feb- PINNATED GROUSE. 207 ruary, 1791, the year when, as a representative from my native county of Queens, I sat for the first time in a legislature. “The statute declares, among other things, that the person who shall kill any Heath-Hen within the counties of Suffolk or Queens, between the Ist day of April and the 5th day of October, shall, for every such offence, forfeit and pay the sum of two dollars and a half, to be recovered, with costs of suit, by any person who shall prosecute for the same, before any justice of the peace, in either of the said counties ; the one half to be paid to the plaintiff, and the other half to the overseers of the poor; and if any Heath-Hen, so killed, shall be found in the possession of any person, he shall be deemed guilty of the offence, and suffer the penalty. But it is provided that no defend- ant shall be convicted, unless the action shall be brought within three months after the violation of the law.* “The country selected by these exquisite birds requires a more particular description. You already understand it to be the midland and interior district of the island. The soil of this island is, generally speaking, a sandy or gravelly loam. In the parts less adapted to tillage, it is more of an unmixed sand. This is so much the case, that the shore of the beaches beaten by the ocean affords a material from which glass has been prepared. Siliceous grains and particles pre- dominate in the region chosen by the Heath-Hens or Grouse. Here there are no rocks, and very few stones of any kind. This sandy tract appears to be a dereliction of the ocean, but is, nevertheless, not doomed to total sterility. Many thousand acres have been reclaimed from the wild state, and rendered very productive to man; and within the towns frequented by these birds, there are numerous inhabitants, and among them, some of our most wealthy farmers. “But within the same limits, there are also tracts of great extent where men have no settlements, and others where the population is spare and scanty. These are, however, by no means naked deserts: they are, on the contrary, covered with trees, shrubs, and smaller plants. The trees are mostly pitch-pines of inferior size, and white oaks of a small growth. They are of a quality very fit for burning. Thousands of cords of both sorts of fire-wood are annually exported from these barrens. Vast quantities are occasionally destroyed by the fires which, through carelessness or accident, spread far and wide through the woods. The city of New York will probably, for ages, derive fuel from the Grouse grounds. The land, after having been cleared, yields to the cultivator poor crops. Unless, therefore, he can help it by manure, the best disposition is to let it grow up to forest again. Ex- perience has proved, that, in a term of forty or fifty years, the new growth of timber will be fit for the axe. Hence it may be perceived, that the reproduction of trees, and the protection they afford to Heath- * The doctor has probably forgotten a circumstance of rather a ludicrous kind, that occurred at the passing of this law, and which was, not long ago, related to me by my friend Mr. Gardiner, of Gardiner’s Island, Long Island. ‘The bill was entitled, “An Act for the preservation of Heath-Hen, and other game.” The honest Chairman of the Assembly — no sportsman, I suppose — read the title, “ An Act for the preservation of Heathen, and other game!” which seemed to astonish the northern members, who could not see the propriety of preserving Indians, or any other heathen. 258 PINNATED GROUSE. Hens, would be perpetual, or, in other words, not circumscribed by any calculable time, provided the persecutors of tt latter would be uiet. We Beneath these trees grow more dwarfish oaks, overspreading the surface, sometimes with here and there a shrub, and sometimes a thicket. These latter are from about two to ten feet in height. Where they are the principal product, they are called, in common conversa- tion, brush, as the flats on which they grow are termed brushy plains. Among this hardy shrubbery may frequently be seen the creeping vegetable named the partridgeberry, covering the sand with its lasting verdure. In many spots, the plant which produces hurtleberries sprouts up among the other natives of the soil. These are the more important; though I ought to inform you, that the hills reaching from east to west, and forming the spine of the island, support kalmias, hickories, and many other species; that I have seen azalias and andromedas, as I passed through the wilderness; and that, where there is water, cranberries, alders, beeches, maples, and other lovers of moisture, take their stations. “This region, situated thus between the more thickly inhabited strips, or belts, on the north and south sides of the island, is much woe by wagons, and intersected, accordingly, by a great number of paths. “As to the birds themselves, the information I possess scarcely amounts to an entire history. You, who know the difficulty of collecting facts, will be the most ready to excuse my deficiencies. The infor- mation I give you is such as I rely on. For the purpose of gathering the materials, I have repeatedly visited their haunts. I have likewise conversed with several men who were brought up at the precincts of the Grouse ground, who had been witnesses of their habits and man- ners, who were accustomed to shoot them for the market, and who have acted as guides to gentlemen who go there for sport. “ Bulk. — An adult Grouse, when fat, weighs as much as a barn- door fowl of moderate size, or about three pounds avoirdupois. But the eagerness of the sportsinan is so great, that a large proportion of those they kill are but a few months old, and have not attained their complete growth. Notwithstanding the protection of the law, it is very common to disregard it. The retired nature of the situation fa- vors this. Jt is well understood that an arrangement can be made which will blind and silence informers, and that the gun is fired with impunity for weeks before the time prescribed in the act. To prevent this unfair and unlawful practice, an association was formed a few years ago, under the title of the Brush Club, with the express and avowed intention of enforcing the game law. Little benefit, however, has resulted from its laudable exertions; and under a conviction that it was impossible to keep the poachers away, the society declined. At present, the statute may be considered as operating very little to- wards their preservation. Grouse, especially full-grown ones, are becoming less frequent. Their numbers are gradually diminishing, and, assailed as they are on all sides, almost without cessation, their scarcity may be viewed as foreboding their eventual extermination. “ Price. — Twenty years ago, a brace of Grouse could be bought for a dollar. They now cost from three to five dollars. A handsome . PINNATED GROUSE. 259 pair seldom se..s inthe New York market now-a-days for less than thirty shillings, [three dollars, seventy-five cents,] nor for more than forty, [five dollars.] These prices indicate, indeed, the depreciation of money and the luxury of eating. They prove, at the same time, that Grouse are become rare; and this fact is admitted by every man who seeks them, whether for pleasure or for profit. “ Amours.— The season for pairing is in March, and the breeding time is continued through April and May. Then the male Grouse distinguishes himself by a peculiar sound. When he utters it, the parts about the throat are sensibly inflated and swelled. It may be heard on a still morning for three or more miles; some say they have perceived it as far as five or six. This noise is a sort of ventriloquism. Tt does not strike the ear of a bystander with much force, but impresses him with the idea, though produced within a few rods of him, of a voice a mile or two distant. This note is highly characteristic. Though very peculiar, it is termed tooting, from its resemblance to the blowing of a conch or horn from a remote quarter. The female makes her nest on the ground, in recesses very rarely discovered by men. She usually lays from ten to twelve eggs. Their color is of a brownish, much resembling those of a Guinea Hen. When hatched, the brood is protected by her alone. Surrounded by her young, the mother bird exceedingly resembles a domestic Hen and Chickens, She frequently leads them to feed in the roads crossing the woods, on the remains of maize and oats contained in the dung dropped by the travelling horses. In that employment they are often surprised by the passengers. On such occasions the dam utters a cry of alarm. The little ones imme- diately scamper to the brush; and while they are skulking into places of safety, their anxious parent beguiles the spectator by drooping and fluttering her wings, limping along the path, rolling over in the dirt, and other pretences of inability to walk or fly. “ Food.— A favorite article of their diet is the heath-hen plum, or partridgeberry before mentioned. They are fond of hurtleberries and “cranberries. Worms and insects of several kinds are occasion- ally found in their crops. But, in the winter, they subsist chiefly on acorns, and the buds of trees which have shed their leaves. In their stomachs have been sometimes observed the leaves of a plant sup- posed to be a winter green; and it is said, when they are much pinched, they betake themselves to the buds of the pine. In convenient places, they have been known to enter cleared fields, and regale them- selves on the leaves of clover; and old gunners have reported that they have been known to trespass upon patches of buckwheat, and pick up the grains. “ Mogration. — They are stationary, and never known to quit their abode. There are no facts showing in them any disposition to migra- tion. On frosty mornings, and during snows, they perch on the upper branches of pine-trees. They avoid wet and swampy places, and are remarkably attached to dry ground. The low and open brush is pre- ferred to high shrubbery and thickets. Into these lat‘er places they fly for refuge when closely pressed by the hunters; and here, under a stiff and impenetrable cover, they escape the pursuit of dogs and men. Water is so seldom met with on the true Grouse ground, that it is necessary to carry it along for the pointers to drink. The flights of 260 PINNATED GROUSE. Grouse are short, but sudden, rapid, and whirring. I have not heard of any success in taming them. ‘They seem to resist all attempts at domestication. In this, as well as in many other respects, they re- semble the Quail of New York, or the Partridge of Pennsylvania, “ Manners. — During the period of mating, and while the females are occupied in incubation, the males have a practice of assembling, principally by themselves. To some select and central spot, where there is very little underwood, they repair from the adjoining district. From the exercises performed there, this is called a scratching-place. The time of meeting is the break of day. As soon as the light ap- ears, the company assembles from every side, sometimes to the num- er of forty or fifty. When the dawn is past, the ceremony begins by a low tooting from one of the cocks, This is answered by another. They then come forth one by one from the bushes, and strut about with all the pride and ostentation they can display. Their necks are incurvated; the feathers on them are erected into a sort of ruff; the plumes of their tails are expanded like fans; they strut about in a style resembling, as nearly as small may be illustrated by great, the pomp of the Turkey cock. They seem to vie with each other in stateliness ; and, as they pass each other, frequently cast looks of insult, and utter notes of defiance. These are the signals for battles. They engage with wonderful spirit and fierceness. During these contests, they leap a foot or two from the ground, and utter a cackling, screaming, and discordant cry. “They have been found in these places of resort even earlier than the appearance of light in the east. This fact has led to the belief that a part of them assemble over night. The rest join them in the morning. This leads to the further belief that they roost on the ground. And the opinion is confirmed by the discovery of little rings of dung, apparently deposited by a flock which had passed the night together. After the appearance of the sun they disperse. “These places of exhibition have been often discovered by the hunters; and a fatal discovery it has been for the poor Grouse. Their destroyers construct for themselves lurking holes made of pine branches, called bough houses, within a few yards of the parade. Hither they repair with their fowling-pieces, in the latter part of the night, and wait the appearance of the birds. Watching the moment when two are proudly eyeing each other, or engaged in battle, or when a greater number can be seen in a range, they pour on them a de- structive charge of shot. This annoyance has been given in so many places, and to such extent, that the Grouse, after having been repeat- edly disturbed, are afraid to assemble. On approaching the spot to which their instinct prompts them, they perch on the neighboring trees, instead of alighting at the scratching-place. And it remains to be observed how far the restless and tormenting spirit of the marks- men may alter the native habits of the Grouse, and oblige them to betake themselves to new ways of life. “They commonly keep together in coveys, or packs, as the phrase is, until the pairing season. A full pack consists, of course, of ten or a dozen. Two packs have been known to associate. I lately heard of one whose nvmber amounted to twenty-two. They are so unapt to be startled, that a hunter, assisted by a dog, has been able to shoot PINNATED GROUSE. 61 almost a whole pack, without making any of them take wing. In like manner, the men lying in concealment near the scratching-places have been known to discharge several guns before either the report of the explosion, or the sight of their wounded and dead fellows, would rouse thern to ae It has further been remarked that when a company of sportsmen have surrounded a pack of Grouse, the birds seldom or never rise upon their pinions while they are encircled: but each runs along until it passes the person that is nearest, and then flutters off with the utmost expedition. “ As you have made no inquiry of me concerning the ornithological character of these birds, I have not mentioned it, presuming that you are already perfectly acquainted with their classification and descrip- tion. In a short memoir written in 1+03. and printed in the eighth volume of the Medical Repository, I ventured an opinion as to the genus and species. Whether I] was correct is a technical matter. which 1 leave you to adjust. I am well aware that European accounts of our productions are often erroneous, and require revision and amend- mnent. This you must perform. For me it remains to repeat my joy at the opportunity vour invitation has afforded me to contribute some- what to your elegant work, and at the same time to assure you of inv earnest hope that you may be favored with ample means to complete it. “Sacer L. Mircuiny.” Duly sensible of the honor of the foregoing communication, and grateful for the good wishes with which it is concluded, I shall now, in further elucidation of the subject, subjoin a few particulars properly belonging to my own department. It is somewhat extraordinary that the European naturalists, in their various accounts of our different species of Grouse, should have said little or nothing of the one now before us, which, in its voice, manners. and peculiarity of plumage, is the most singular, and, in its flesh, the tnost excellent of all those of its tribe that inhabit the territory of the United States. It seems to have escaped Catesby during his residence and different tours through this country, and it was not till more than twenty years after his return to England, viz., in 1743, that he first saw some of these birds, as he informs us, at Cheswick, the seat of the Earl of Wilmington. His lordship said they came from America: but from what particular part, could not tell.* Buffon has confounded it with the Ruffed Grouse, the Common Partridge of New England, or Pheasant of Pennsylvania, (T'trao umbellus ;) Edwards and Pennant have, how- ever, discovered that it is a different species, but have said little of its note, of its flesh, or peculiarities ; for, alas! there was neither voice, nor action, nor delicacy of flavor in the shrunk and decayed skin from which the former took his figure, and the latter his description; and . a circumstance must be attributed the barrenness and defects of ot That the curious may have an opportunity of examining to more advantage this singular bird, a figure of the male is here given, as large as life, drawn with great care from the most perfect of several elegant specimens shot in the Barrens of Kentucky. He is repre- sented in the act of strutting, as it is called, while with mflated throat * Catesey, Car. p. 101. App. 262 PINNATED GROUSE. he produces that extraordinary sound so familiar to every one who resides in his vicinity, and which has been described in the foregoing account. So very novel and characteristic did the action of these birds appear to me at first sigut, that, instead of shooting them down, I sketched their attitude hastiiy on the spot, while concealed among ‘a brush-heap, with seven or eight of them within a short distance. Three of these I afterwards carried home with me. This rare bird, though an inhaoitant of different and very distant districts of North America, is extremely particular in selecting his place of residence ; pitching only upon those tracts whose features and productions correspond with his modes of life, and avoiding immense, intermediate regions that he never visits. Open, dry plains, thinly interspersed with trees, or partially overgrown with shrub oak, are his favorite haunts. Accordingly we find these birds on the Grouse plains of New Jersey, in Burlington county, as well as on the brushy plains of Long Island; among the pines and shrub oaks of Pocano, in North- ampton county, Pennsylvania; over the whole extent of the Barrens of Kentucky; on the luxuriant plains and prairies of the Indiana Territory, and Upper Louisiana ; and, according to the information of the late Governor Lewis, on the vast and remote plains of the Colum- bia River; in all these places preserving the same singular habits. Their predilection for such situations will be best accounted for by considering the following facts and circumstances : — First, their mode of flight is generally direct, and laborious, and ill calculated for the labyrinth of a high and thick forest, crowded and intersected with trunks and arms of trees, that require continual angular evolution of wing, or sudden turnings, to which they are by no means accustomed. I have always observed them to avoid the high-timbered groves that occur here and there in the Barrens. Connected with this fact, is a circumstance related to me by a very respectable inhabitant of that country, viz., that one forenoon a cock Grouse struck the stone chimney of his house with such force as instantly to fall dead to the ground. Secondly, their known dislike of ponds, marshes, or watery places, which they avoid on all occasions, drinking but seldom, and, it is believed, never from such places. Even in confinement this peculiarity has been taken notice of. While I was in the state of Tennessee, a person living within a few miles of Nashville had caught an old hen Grouse in a trap; and, being obliged to keep her in a large cage, as she struck and abused the rest of the poultry, he remarked that she never drank, and that she even avoided that quarter of the cage where the cup containing the water was placed. Happening, one day, to let some water fall on the cage, it trickled down in drops along the bars, which the bird no sooner observed, than she eagerly picked them off, drop by drop, with a dexterity that showed she had been habituated to this mode of quenching her thirst; and, probably, to this mode only, in those dry and barren tracts, where, except the drops of dew and drops of rain, water is very rarely to be met with. For the space of a week he watched her closely, to discover whether she still refused to drink; but, though she was constantly fed on Indian Corn, the cup and water still remained untouched and untasted. Yet no sooner did he again sprinkle water on the bars of the cage, than she eagerly and rapidly vicked them off as before. PINNATED GROUSE. 263 The last, and, probably, the strongest inducement to their preferring these plains, is the small acorn of the shrub oak, the strawberries, huckleberries, and partridgeberries, with which they abound, and which constitute the principal part of the food of these birds. These brushy thickets also afford them excellent shelter, being almost im- penetrable to dogs or birds of prey. In all these places where they inhabit, they are, in the strictest sense of the word, resident ; having their particular haunts and places of rendezvous, (as described in the preceding account,) to which they are strongly attached. Yet they have been known to abandon an entire tract of such country, when, from whatever cause it might pro- ceed, it became again covered with forest. A few miles south of the town of York, in Pennsylvania, commences an extent of country, formerly of the character described, now chiefly covered with wood, but still retaining the name of Barrens. In the recollection of an old man born in that part of the country, this tract abounded with Grouse. The timber growing up, in progress of years, these birds totally dis- appeared ; and, for a long period of time, he had seen none of’ them, until, migrating with his family to Kentucky, on entering the Barrens, he, one morning, recognized the well-known music of his old ac- quaintance, the Grouse; which, he assures me, are the very same with those he had known in Pennsylvania. But what appears to me the most remarkable circumstance relative to this bird, is, that not one of all those writers who have attempted its history, have taken the least notice of those two extraordinary bags of yellow skin which mark the neck of the male, and which constitute so striking a peculiarity. These appear to be formed by an expansion of the gullet, as well as of the exterior skin of the neck, which when the bird is at rest, hangs in loose, pendulous, wrinkled folds, along the side of the neck, the supplemental wings, at the same time, as well as when the bird is flying, lying along the neck, in the manner repre- sented in one of the distant figures on the plate. But when these bags are inflated with air, in breeding time, they are equal in size, and very much resemble in color, a middle-sized, fully ripe orange. By means of this curious apparatus, which is very observable several hundred yards off, he is enabled to produce the extraordinary sound mentioned above, which, though it may easily be imitated, is yet diffi- cult to describe by words. It consists of three notes, of the same tone, resembling those produced by the Night Hawks in their rapid descent ; each strongly accented, the last being twice as long as the others. When several are thus engaged, the ear is unable to distin- guish the regularity of these triple notes, there being, at such times, one continued bumming, which is disagreeable and perplexing, from the impossibility of ascertaining from what distance, or even quarter, it proceeds. While uttering this, the bird exhibits all the ostentatious gesticulations of a Turkey cock; erecting and fluttering his neck wings, wheeling and passing before the female, and close before his fellows, as in defiance. Now and then are heard some rapid, cackling notes, not unlike that of a person tickled to excessive laughter ; azd, in short, one can scarcely listen to then without feeling disposed to laugh from sympathy. These are uttered by the males while engaged in fight, on which occasion thes jeap up against each other, exactly in 264 PINNATED GROUSE. the manner of Turkeys, seemingly with more ma..ce than effect. This bumming continues from a little before daybreak to eight or nine o’clock in the morning, when the parties separate to seek for food. Fresh ploughed fields, in the vicinity of their resorts, are sure to be visited .by these birds every morning, and frequently also in the evening. On one of these I counted, at one time, seventeen males, most of whom were in the attitude represented in the plate; making such a continued sound, as, I am persuaded, might have been heard for more than a mile off. The people of the Barrens informed me, that, when the weather becomes severe, with snow, they approach the barn and farm-house, are sometimes seen sitting on the fences in dozens, mix with the poultry, and glean up the scattered grains of Indian corn, seeming almost half domesticated. At such times, great numbers are taken in traps. No pains, however, or regular plan, has ever been persisted in, as far as I was informed, to domesticate these delicious birds. A Mr. Reed, who lives between the Pilot Knobs and Bairdstown, told me, that, a few years ago, one of his sons found a Grouse’s nest with fifteen eggs, which he brougkt home, and immedi- ately placed below « Hen then sitting, taking away her own. The nest of the Grouse was on the ground, under a tussock of long grass, formed with very little art, and few materials; the eggs were brown- ish white, and about the size of a pullet’s. In three or four days, the whole were hatched. Instead of following the Hen, they compelled her to run after them, distracting her with the extent and diversity of their wanderings; and it was a day or two before they seemed to understand her language, or consent to be guided by her. They were let out to the fields, where they paid little regard to their nurse; and, in a few days, only three of them remained. These became extremely tame and familiar; were most expert flycatchers; but, soon after, they also disappeared. The Pinnated Grouse is nineteen inches long, twenty-seven inches in extent, and, when in good order, weighs about three pounds and a half; the neck is furnished with supplemental wings, each composed of eighteen feathers, five of which are black, and about three inches long ; the rest shorter, also black streaked laterally with brown, and of unequal lengths; the head is v1ghtly crested; over the eye is an elegant, semicircular comb of rich orange, which the bird has the power of raising or relaxing; under the neck wings are two loose, pendulous, and wrinkled skins, extending along the side of the neck for two thirds of its length; each of which, when inflated with air, resembles, in bulk, color, and surface, a middle-sized orange; chin, cream colored; under the eye runs 1 dark streak of brown; whole upper parts, mottled transversely with black, reddish brown, and white; tail short, very much rounded, and of a plain brownish soot color; throat, elegantly marked with touches of reddish brown, white, and black; lower part of the breast and belly, pale brown, marked transversely with white ; legs, covered to the toes with hairy down of a dirty drab color; feet, dull yellow; toes, pectinated ; vent, whitish ; bill, brownish horn color; eye, reddish hazel. The female is con- siderably less; of a lighter color, destitute of the neck wings, the naked, yellow skin on the neck, and the semicircular comb of yellow over the eye. BLUE-GREEN WARBLER. 265 On dissecting these birds, the gizzard was found extremely muscu- lar, having almost the hardness of a stone; the heart remarkably large ; the crop was filled with brier knots, containing the larve of some insect, quantities of a species of green lichen, small, hard seeds, and some grains of Indian corn. BLUE-GREEN WARBLER.—SYLVIA RARA. — Fic. 125. Peale’s Museum, No. 7788. VERMIVORA? RARA, —Janvine.* Sylvia rara, Bonap. Synop. p. 82.— Aud. pl. 49, male; Orn. Biog. i. p. 258. Turs new species, the only one of its sort I have yet met with, was shot on the banks of Cumberland River, about the beginning of April, and the drawing made with care immediately after. Whether male or female, Iam uncertain. It is one of those birds that usually glean among the high branches of the tallest trees, which renders it difficult to be procured. It was darting about with great nimbleness among the leaves, and appeared to have many of the habits of the Flycatcher. After several ineffectual excursions in search of another of the same kind, with which I might compare the present, I am obliged to intro- duce it with this brief account. The specimen has been deposited in Mr. Peale’s museum. The Blue-green Warbler is four inches and a half long, and seven and a half in extent; the upper parts are verditer, tinged with pale green, brightest on the front and forehead; lores, line over the eye, throat, and whole lower parts, very pale cream; cheeks, slightly tinged with greenish ; bill and legs, bright light blue, except the upper man- dible, which is dusky ; tail, forked, and, as well as the wings, brownish black ; the former marked on the three exterior vanes with white, and edged with greenish; the latter having the first and second row of coverts tipped with white. Note, a feeble chirp. * This species was discovered by Wilson, and does not seem to have been again met with by any ornithologist except Mr. Audubon, who has figured it, and added somewhat to our knowledge of its manners... “Tt is rare in the middle districts, and is only found in the dark recesses of the ine swamp. On its passage through the states, it appears in Louisiana, in April. hey are met with in Kentucky, in Ohio, upon the Missouri, and along Lake Erie.” Mr. Audubon has never seen the nest. In spring the song is soft and mellow, and not heard beyond the distance of a few paces ; it is performed at intervals, between the times at which the bird secures an insect, which it does with great expertness, either op the wing, or among the leaves of the trees and bushes. While catching it on the wing, it produces a slight, clicking sound with its bill, like Vireo. It also, like them, eats small berries, particularly towards autumn, when insects begin to fail. There seems little difference between the sexes. Such is the most important information given a Audubon. — En. 266 NASHVILLE WARBLER. ; NASHVILLE WARBLER.—SYLVIA RUFICs PILLA.—Fie. 126 Peale’s Museum, No. T789. VERMIVORA RUBRICAPILLA. — Swatnson.* Sylvia rubricapilla, Wils. Catal. — Bonap. Synop. p. 87. — Sylvicola (Vermivora) bred illay North. Zool. ii. p. 220.—The Nashville Warbler, Aud. pl. 89 ; Orn. Biog. i. p. 450. THE very uncommon notes of this little bird were familiar to me for several days before I succeeded in obtaining it. These notes very much resembled the breaking of small dry twigs, or the striking of small pebbles of different sizes smartly against each other for six or seven times, and loud enough to be heard at the distance of thirty or forty yards. It was some time before I could ascertain whether the sound proceeded from a bird or an insect. At length I discovered the bird, and was not a little gratified at finding it an entire new and hitherto undescribed species. I was also fortunate enough to meet afterwards with two others exactly corresponding with the first, all of them being males. These were shot in the state of Tennessee, not far from Nashville. It had all the agility and active habits of its family, the Worm-eaters. ; The length of this species is four inches and a half, breadth, seven inches; the upper parts of the head and neck, light ash, a little in- clining to olive ; crown, spotted with deep chestnut in small touches ; a pale yellowish ring round the eye; whole lower parts, vivid yellow, except the middle of the belly, which is white; back, yellow olive, slightly skirted with ash; rump and. tail-coverts, rich yellow olive; wings, nearly black, broadly edged with olive; tail, slightly forked, and very dark olive; legs, ash; feet, dirty yellow; bill, tapering to a fine point, and dusky ash; no white on wings or tail; eye, hazel. * Wilson discovered this species, and afterwards, in his Catalogue of Birds in the United States, changed the specific name as above. Like the last, it seems very rare; Wilson saw only three; Audubon, three or four; and a single indi- vidual was shot by the over-land arctic expedition. “ The latter was killed hopping about the branches of a tree, and emitting a creaking noise something hke the whetting of a saw.”’ The nest does not yet seem to be known. — Ep. } YELLOW-BILLED CUCKOU. 267 YELLOW-RBILLED CUCKOO.—CUCULUS CAROLINENSIS. — Fig. 127. Cuculus Americanus, Linn. Syst. 170. — Cates. i. 9.— Lath. i. 537. — Le Coucou de la Caroline, Briss. iv. 112.— Arct. Zool. 265, No. 155.— Peale’s Museum, No. 1778. COCCYZUS AMERICANUS, — Bonapanrte.* Coccyzus Americanus, sigs b Synop. p. 42. — The Yellow-billed Cuckoo, Aud. p). 2; Orn. Biog. i. p. 18. A STRANGER who visits the United States, for the purpose of examining their natural productions, and passes through our woods in the month of May or Juxe, will sometimes hear, as he traverses the borders of deep, retired, aigh-timbered hollows, an uncouth, guttural sound or note, resembling the syllables kowe, kowe, kowe kowe kowe, be- ginning slowly, but ending so rapidly, that the notes seem to run into each other; and vice versa: he will hear this frequently, without being able to discover the bird or animal from which it proceeds, as it is both shy and solitary, seeking always the thickest foliage for concealment. This is the Yellow-billed Cuckoo, the subject of the present account. From the imitative sound of its note, it is known in many parts by the * Bonaparte has preferred restoring the specific name of Linneus to that given by Catesby and Brisson, and by this it should stand in our systems. This form will represent in America the true Cuckoos, which otherwise range over the world; it was first separated by Vaillant under the French name Conec, and the same division was adopted by Vieillot, under the name of Coccyzus, which is now retained. They differ from the Cuckoos chiefly in habit, — building a regu- lar nest, and rearing their young, North America possesses only two species, our present and the following, which are both migratory. Some beautiful species are met with in different parts of the southern continent. Mr. Audubon has added little to their history further than confirming the accounts of Wilson. In their migrations northward, they move singly ; but when removin; again to a warmer latitude, they appear to be gregarious, flying high in the air, an in loose flocks, They appear to delight more in deep, woody solitudes than the true Cuckoos, or those which aperseelt nearest to the form of the European species. They, again, though often found near woods, and in richly-cl 1 countries, are fond of open and extensive heaths or commons, studded or ‘' ed with brush and forest: here Hee may expect an abundant supply of the fo- parent to their young. The gliding and turning motion when flying ina thick — \owever, is similar to that of the American Coccyzus. Like them, also, they <.e seldom on the ground; but, when obliged to be near it, alight on some hillock or twig, where they will continue for a considerable time, swinging round their body in a rather ludicrous manner, with lowered wings and expanded tail, and uttering a rather low, monotonous sound, resembling the kowe of our American bird, — Turning round and round with cutty-coo. When suddenly ee or disturbed from their roost at night, they utter a short, tremulous whistle, three or four times repeated ; it is only on their first arrival, dur- ing the early part of incubation, when in search of a mate, that their well-known and welcome note is heard; by the first of July all is silent. The idea that the Common Cuckoo destroys cxgs and young birds, like the American Coccyzus, is also entertained ; I have never seen them do so, but the fact is affirmed by most country persons, zrd many gamekeepers destroy them on this account. — En. 268 YELLOW-Bix .ED CUCKOO. name of the Cow Bird; it is also called in Virginia the Rain Crow, being observed to be most clamorous immediately before rain. This species arrives in Pennsylvania, from the south, about the twenty-second of April, and spreads over the country, as far at least as Lake Ontario; is numerous in the Chickasaw and Chactaw nations ; and also breeds in the upper parts of Georgia ; preferring, in all these places, the borders of solitary swamps and apple orchards. It leaves us, on its return southward, about the middle of September. The singular —I will not say unnatural — conduct of the European Cuckoo, (Cuculus canorus,) which never constructs a nest for itself, but drops its eggs in those of other birds, and abandons them to their mercy and management, is so universally known, and so proverbial, that the whole tribe of Cuckoos have, by some inconsiderate people, been stigmatized as destitute of all parental care and affection. Without attempting to account for this remarkable habit of the Euro- pean species, far less to consider as an error what the wisdom of Heaven has imposed as a duty on the species, I will only remark, that the bird now before us builds its own nest, hatches its own eggs, and rears its own young; and, in conjugal and parental affection, seems nowise behind any of its neighbors of the grove. Early in May, they begin to pair, when obstinate battles take place among the males. About the tenth of that month, they commence building. The nest is usually fixed among the horizontal branches of an apple-tree ; sometimes in a solitary thorn, crab, or cedar, in some retired part of the woods. It is constructed, with little art, and scarcely any concavity, of small sticks and twigs, intermixed with green weeds, and blossoms of the common maple. On this almost flat bed, the eggs, usually three or four in number, are placed; these are of a uniform greenish blue color, and of a size proportionable to that of the bird. While the female is sitting, the male is generally not far distant, and gives the alarm, by his notes, when any person is approach- ing. The female sits so close, that you may almost reach her with your hand, and then precipitates herself to the ground, feigning lame- ness, to draw you away from the spot, fluttering, trailing her wings, and tumbling over, in the manner of the Partridge, Woodcock, and many other species. Both parents unite in providing food for the young. This consists, for the most part, of caterpillars, particularly such as infest apple-trees. The same insects constitute the chief part of their ownsustenance. They are accused, and with some justice, of sucking the eggs of other birds, like the Crow, the Blue Jay, and other pillagers. They also occasionally eat various kinds of berries. But, from the circumstance of destroying such numbers of very noxious larve, they prove themselves the friends of the farmer, and are highly deserving of his protection. The Yellow-billed Cuckoo is thirteen inches long, and sixteen inches in extent; the whole upper parts are of a dark glossy drab, or what is usually called a Quaker color, w.th greenish silky reflections ; from this must, however, be excepted the inner vanes of the wings, which are bright reddish cinnamon; the tail is long, composed of ten feathers, the two middle ones being of the same color as the back ; the others, which gradually shorten to the exterior ones, are black, largely tipped with white; the two outer ones are scarcely half the length of BLACK-BILLED CUCKOO. 269 the middle ones.. The whole lower parts are pure white; the feathers covering the thighs being large, like those of the Hawk tribe; the legs and feet are light blue, the toes placed two before and two behind, as in the rest of the genus. The bill is long, a little bent, very broad at the base, dusky black above, and yellow below; the eye hazel, feathered close to the eyelid, which is yellow. The female differs little from the male; the four middle tail-feathers in her are of the same uniform drab; and the white, with which the others are tipped, not so pure as in the male. In examining this bird by dissection, the inner membrane of the gizzard, which in many other species is so, hard and muscular, in this is extremely lax and soft, capable of great distention; and, what is remarkable, is covered with a growth of fine down, or hair, of a light fawn color. Itis difficult to ascertain the particular purpose which nature intends by this excrescence ; perhaps it may serve to shield the tender parts from the irritating effects prodyced by the hairs of certain caterpillars, some of which are said to be almost equal to the sting of a nettle. BLACK-BILLED CUCKOO.—CUCULUS ERYTHROPTHALMA. — Fie. 128. Peale’s Museum, No. 1854. COCCYZUS ERYTHROPTHALMUS. — Bonapanre.* Coccyzus erythropthalmus, Bonap. Synop. p. 42.—The Black-billed Cuckoo Aud. pl. 32, ‘male and female ; Orn. Biog. i. p. 170. : Tus Cuckoo is nearly as numerous as the former, but has hitherto escaped the notice of European naturalists; or, from its general resemblance, has been confounded with the preceding. Its par- ticular markings, however, and some of its habits, sufficiently char- acterize it as a distinct species. Its general color above is nearly that of the former, inclining more to a pale ash on the cheeks and front ; it is about an inch less in length; the tail is of a uniform dark silky drab, except at the tip, where each feather is marked with a spot of white, bordered above with a slight touch of dull black; the bill is wholly black, and much smaller than that of the preceding; and it wants the bright cinnamon on the wings. But what constitutes its most distinguishing trait is, a bare, wrinkled skin, of a deep red color, that surrounds the eye. The female differs little in external appearance from the male. The Black-billed Cuckoo is particularly fond of the sides of creeks, * Wilson, I believe; deserves the credit of distinguishing this species. It is closely allied to, but differs widely, both in its habits and feeding, from its conge- ners and the true Cuckoos. In addition to shells and water insects, Audubon men- tions having found in their stomachs a small black frog, which appears after a summer shower. — Ep. A 23% 270 BLUE YELLOW-BACK WARBLER. feeding on small shell-fish, snails, &c. I have. also often found broken pieces of oyster shells in its gizzard, which, like that of the other, is covered with fine downy hair. The nest of this bird is most commonly built in a cedar, much in the same manner, and of nearly the same materials, as that of the other ; but the eggs are smaller, usually four or five in number, and of a rather deeper greenish blue. This bird is likewise found in the state of Georgia, and has not escaped the notice of Mr. Abbot, who is satisfied of its being a distinct species from the preceding. Nov dave Pay a BLUE YELLOW-BACK WARBLER.—SYLVIA PUSILLA. — Fie. 129. Parus Americanus, Linn. Syst. 341. — Finch Creeper, Catesb. i. 64. — Lath. ii. 558. — Creeping Titmouse, Arct. Zool. 423, No. 326. — Parus varius, Various-colored Little Finch Creeper, Bart. p. 292.— Peale’s Museum, No. 6910. SYLVICOLA AMERICANA. —Swatnson.* Sylvia Americana, Lath. Ind. Orn. ii. p. 520.— Bonap. Synop. p. 83. — Sylvicola pusilla, Sw. Synop. Birds of Mex. Ann. of Phil. p. 433.— Zool. Journ. No. 10, p: 169.—The Blue Yellow-backed Warbler, Aud. pl. 15, male and female ; Orn. Biog. i. p. 78. Notwitustanpine the respectability of the above authorities, | must continue to consider this bird as a species of. Warbler. Its habits, indeed, partake something of the Titmouse; but the form of its bill is decidedly that of the Sylvia genus. It is remarkable for frequenting the tops of the tallest trees, where it feeds on the small winged insects and caterpillars that infest the young leaves and blossoms. It has a few, feeble, cheruping notes, scarcely loud enough to be heard at the foot of the tree. It visits Pennsylvania from the south, early in May; is very abundant in the woods of Kentucky ; and is also found in the northern parts of the state of New York. Its nest I have never yet met with. + * This little species is four inches and a half long, and six inches and a half in breadth ; the front, and between the bill and eyes, is black; the upper part of the head and neck, a fine Prussian blue; upper part of the back, brownish yellow ; lower, ard rump, pale blue; wings and * There is nothing more annoying than the unravelling of names. That of Ameri- cana, without doubt, seems to have been the specific appellation first applied ; and if we are to adhere to any given rule in nomenclature, that should be now adopted. The present cigen has also been made typical of the group which is confined to the New World. — Ep. + According to Audubon, the nest is small, formed of lichens, beautifully arranged on the outside, and lined with the cotton substances found on the edges of different mosses ; it is placed in the fork of a small twig, near the extremity of the branch. The eggs are pure white; with a few reddish dots at the longer end. Mr. Audubon thinks two broods are raised in the year. — Ep. YELLOW RED-POLL WARBLER. Q71 tail, black; the former crossed with two bars of white, and edged with blue ; the latter marked on the inner webs of the three exterior feath- ers with white, a circumstance common to a great number of the genus; immediately above and below the eye is a small touch of white; the upper mandible is black; the lower, as well as the whole throat and breast, rich yellow, deepening about its middle to orange red, and marked on the throat with a small crescent of black ; on the edge of the breast is a slight touch of rufous; belly and vent, white ; legs, dark brown; feet, dirty yellow. The female wants both the black and orange on the throat and breast; the blue on the upper parts is also of a duller tint. YELLOW RED-POLL WARBLER.—SYLVIA PETECHIA. — Fig. 130. Red-headed Warbler, Turton, i. 605. — Peale’s Museum, No. 7124. SYLVICOLA PETECHIA. — Swainson. Lath, Ind. Orn. ii. p. 535. — Sylvia petechia, Bonap. Synop. p. 83. — Red-headed Warbler, Penn. Arct. Zool. ii. p. 401.— Sylvicola petechia, North. Zool. ii. p. 215. Tus delicate little bird arrives in Pennsylvania early in April, while the maples are yet in blossom, among the branches of which it may generally be found at that season, feeding on the stamina of the flowers, and on small winged insects. Low, swampy thickets are its favorite places of resort. It is not numerous, and its notes are unde- serving the name of song. It remains with us all summer, but its nest has hitherto escaped me. It leaves us late in September. Some of them probably winter in Georgia, having myself shot several, late in February, on the borders of the Savannah River. Length of the Yellow Red-Poll, five inches; extent, eight; line over the eye, and whole lower parts, rich yellow ; breast, streaked with dull red ; upper part of the head, reddish chestnut, which it loses in winter; back, yellow olive, streaked with dusky; rump, and tail- coverts, greenish yellow; wings, deep blackish brown, exteriorly edged with olive; tail, slightly forked, and of the same color as the wings. The female wants the red cap, and the yellow of the lower part is ae brilliant ; the streaks of red on the breast are also fewer and less istinct. 272 {VORY-BILLED :sVOODPECKER. IVORY-LILLED WOCDPECKER.—PICUS PRINCIPALIS. — Fig. 131. Picus principalis, Lynn. Syst. !. p. 173, 2.— Gimel. Syst. i. p. 425. — Picus Niger Carolinensis, Briss. iv. p. 26, 93 Id. 8vo. De 49. — Pic noir a bec blanc, Buff. vii. p. 46. Pl. enl. 690.— Kirg of the Woodpeckers, Kalm, ii, p. 85. — White- billed Woodpecker, Catesh. Car. i. 6, 16. — Arct. Zool. ii. No. 156. — Lath. Syst. ii, p. 553. — Bartram, p. 289. — Peale’s Museum, No. 1884. PICUS FRINCIPALIS. — Linn£vs.* Picus principalis, Bonap. Synop. p. 44.— Wagl. Syst. Av. Picus, No. 1.—The Tvory-billed Woodpecker, ‘Aud, pl. 66, male and female ; Orn. Biog. i. p. 341. Tus majestic and formidable species, in strength and magnitude, stands at the head of the whole class of Woodpeckers hitherto discov- ered. He may be called the king or chief of his tribe; and Nature * The genus Picus, or Woodpeckers, with the exception of the Parrots, forms the most extensive group among the Scansores, and perhaps one of the most natu- ral among the numerous divisions now assigned to the feathered race. In a former note, we mentioned the difference of form, and corresponding modification of habit, that nevertheless existed among them. Most ornithologists have divided them into three groups only, taking the common form of Woodpeckers for the type, making another of the Cildenwineed, and including in a third the very minute species which form Temminck’s genus Picumnus, but which, I believe, will be found to rank in a family somewhat different. Mr. Swainson, again, in following out the , views which he holds regarding the affinities of ine beings, has formed five Se ee our present form as typical, under the title Picus ; that of the reen Woodpecker, under Chrysoptilus ; that of the Red-headed Woodpecker, as Melanerpes ; the Golden-Wings, as Colaptes; and Malacolophus, as the Soft- crested Brazilian and Indian species. Of these forms, the northern parts of Amer- ica will contain only three: two we have had occasion already to remark upon 3 and the third forms the subject of our author’s present description — the most power- ful of the whole tribe, and showing all the forms and peculiarities of the trae Wood- pecker developed to the utmost. The Pici are very numerous, and are fistributed over the whole world, New Holland excepted ; America, however, including both continents, may be termed the land of Woodpeckers. Her vast and solitary forests afford abundance to sat- isfy their various wants, and furnish a secluded retirement from the inroads of culti- vation. Next in number, I believe, India and her islands are best stored ; then, Africa; and lastly, Europe. The numbers, however, are always greatest between’ the tropics, and generally diminish as we recede from and approach temperate or cold regions. ey are mostly insectivorous ; a few species only feed occasionally on different fruits and berries. The various Coleoptera, that form their abodes in dead and decaying timber, and beneath their bark and moss, with their eggs and large larvee, form an essential part of their subsistence. For securing this prey, digging it out from their burrows in the wood, and the peculiar mode of life incident to such pursuits, they are most admirably adapted. The bill is strong and wedge- shaped ; the neck possesses great muscularity. The tongue, — fitted by the curi- ous construction of its muscles and the os hyoides, and Jubricated with a viscous saliva, either gently to secure and draw in the weaker prey, or with great force and rapidity to dart out, and, it is said, to transfix the larger and more nimble in- sects, —joined to the short legs and hooked, scansorial claws, with the stiff, bent tail, are all provisions beautifully arranged for their wants. All the species are solitary ; live in pairs only during the season of incubation; or are met with in small flocks, the amount of the year’s brood, in the end of autumn, before they have separated. This solitary habit, ard their haunts being generally IVORY-BILLED WOODPECKER. 273 seems to have designed him a_distinguished characteristic m the su- perb carmine crest and bill of polished ivory with which she has ornamented him. His eye is brilliant and daring ; and his whole frame so admirably adapted for his mode of life and method of procur- ing subsistence, as to impress on the mind of the examiner the most reverential ideas of the Creator. His manners have also a dignity in them superior to the common herd of Woodpeckers. Trees, shrub- bery, orchards, rails, fence-posts, and old, prostrate logs, are alike interesting to those, in their humble and indefatigable search for prey ; but the royal hunter now before us scorns the humility of such situa- tions, and seeks the most towering trees of the forests; seeming par- ticularly attached to those prodigious cypress swamps, whose crowded giant sons stretch their bare and blasted or moss-hung arms midway to the skies. In these almost inaccessible recesses, amid ruinous piles of impending timber, his trumpet-like note and loud strokes resound through the solitary, savage wilds, of which he seems the sole lord and inhabitant. Wherever he frequents, he leaves numerous monuments of his industry behind him. Wethere see enormous pine-trees, with cartloads of bark lying around their roots, and chips of the trunk itself, in such quantities as to suggest the idea that half a dozen of axe-men had been at.work there for the whole morning. The body of the tree is also disfigured with such numerous and so large excavations, that one can hardly conceive it possible for the whole to be the work of a Woodpecker. With such strength, and an apparatus so powerful, what havock might he not commit, if numerous, on the most useful of our forest-trees! _And yet, with all these appearances, and much of coy eed, retired, has given rise to the opinion, entertained by many, that the life of the Woodpecker was hard and laborious, dragged on in the same unvaried tract for one purpose, —the supply of food. It has been painted in vivid’ and imaginary coloring, and its existence has been described to be painful and burdensome in the extreme ; its cries have been converted into complaints, and its search for food into exertions of no use. We cannot agree to this. The cry of the Woodpecker is wild, and no doubt the incessant hewing of holes, without an adequate object, would be sufficiently miserable. These, however, are the pleasures of the bird. The knowledge to search after food is implanted in it, and organs most admirably formed to prevent exhaustion’ and insure success, have been granted to it. Its cries, though melancholy to us, are so from association with the dark forests and the stillness, which surrounds their haunts, but perhaps, at the time when we judge, are expressive of the greatest enjoyment. An answer of kindness in reply toa mate, the calling together of the newly-fledged brood, or exultation over the dis- covery of some favorite hoard of-food, are what are set down as painful: and discontented. . . . 3 Mr. Audubon’s remarks on this splendid species, “ the King of the Woodpeck- ers,” I have transcribed at some length, as indicating the particular manner of the typical family of this great group: — a CN ty “The Ivory-billed ptnocker ‘confines its rambles to a comparatively very small portion of the Unitéd States, it never having been Seemed. in the Middle States within the ey of any person now living there. In fact, in no portion , a ea districts does the nature of the woods appear suitable to its remarkable abits. ‘ "4 : : “Descending the Ohio, we meet with this splendid bird for the first time near the confluence of that beautiful river and the Mississippi ; after which, following the wind- ings of the latter, either downwards toward the sea, or upwards in the direction of the ssouri, we frequently observe it. On the Atlantic coast, North Carolina may be taken as the limit of its distribution, altheagh now and then an individual of the spe- Q74 IVORY-BILLED WOODPECKER, vulgar prejudice against him, it may fairly be questioned whether he is at all injurious; or, at least, whether his exertions do not contribute most powerfully to the protection of our timber. Examine closely the tree where he has been at work, and you will soon. perceive that it is neither from motives of mischief nor amusement that he slices off the bark, or digs his way into the trunk},for the sound and healthy tree is the least object of his attention. The diseased, infested with in- sects, and hastening to putrefaction, are his favorites ; there the deadly, crawling.enemy have formed a lodgment between the bark and ten- der wood, to drink up the very vital part of the tree. It. is the ravages of these vermin, which the iritelligent proprietor of the forest deplores as the sole perpetrators of the destruction of his timber. Would it be believed that the larvee ofan insect, or fly, no larger than a grain of rice, should silently, and in one season, destroy some thousand’ acres of pine-trees, many of them from two to three feet in diameter, and a hundred and fifty feet high? Yet whoever passes along the high road from Georgetown to Charleston, in South Carolina, about twenty miles. from the former place, can have striking and melancholy proofs of this fact: In some places, the whole woods, as far as you can see around you, are dead, stripped of the bark, their wintry-looking arms and bare trunks bleaching in the sun, and tumbling in ruins before every blast, presenting a frightful picture of desolation. And yet ignorance and prejudice stubbornly persist in directing their indignation against the bird now before us, the constant and morta] enemy of these very ver- min; as if the hand that probed the wound to extract its cause, should be equally detested with that which inflicted it; or as if the thief- cies may be accidentally seen in Maryland. To the westward of the Mississippi, itis found in all the dense forests bordering the streams which empty their waters into that majestié river, from the very declivities of the Rocky Mountains.’ The lower parts of the Carolinas, Georgia, Alabama, Louisiana, and Mississippi, are; however, the most favorite resorts of this bird, and in those states it constantly resides, breeds, and passes a life of peaceful enjoyment, finding a profusion of food in all the deep, dark, and gloomy swamps dispersed throughout them. . . “The flight of this bird is graceful in the extreme, although seldom prolonged to more than a few hundred yards at a time, unless when it has to cross a large river, which it-does in deep undulations, opening. its wings at first to their full extent, and nearly closing them to renew the. propelling impulse. . The transit from one tree to’ another, evén should the distance be as much as a hundred yards, is performed by a single sweep, and the bird appears as if merely swinging itself from the top of the one tree to that of the other, forming an ele, aay curved line. At this moment, all the beauty of the plumage is exhibited, and strikes the beholder with pleasure. It never utters any sound whilst on wing, unless during the love season; but, at all other