igeon.—Cinerous; rump white; band on the wings, and tip of the tail blackish. The varieties are, however, very numerous, and not easily reducible to distinct descriptions. Some of the more remarkable are, the rock, Roman, Barbary, Jacobine, flaker, tumbler, carrier, horseman, and turner pigeons. From 14 to 15 inches long. Inhabits and is domesticated in almost every part of Europe and Asia, and lays from nine to eleven times a year. Though only two eggs are laid at a time, at the expiration of four years, the produce and descendants of a single pair may amount to nearly 15,000. A composition of loam, old rubbish and salt, will not only entice birds of this species to remain in a required spot, but will even decoy those belonging to other places, and is therefore prohibited by law. The carrier pigeon is easily distinguished from the other varieties, by a broad circle of naked white skin round the eyes, and by its dark blue or blackish colour. The bird is conveyed from its home to the place whence the information is intended to be sent; the letter is tied under its wing, and it is let loose. From the instant of its liberation, its flight is directed through the clouds, at an amazing height, to its home, and it darts onward in a straight line to the very spot from which it was taken, by virtue of some faculty or instinct which it is very difficult to explain. To measure their speed with some degree of exactness, a gentleman some years ago, on a trifling wager, sent a carrier-pigeon from London, by the coach, to a friend at St Edmund's-bury, and along with it a note, requesting that the pigeon, two days after its arrival there, might be thrown up precisely when the town-clock struck nine in the morning. This was accordingly done, and the pigeon arrived in London, and flew into the Bull Inn in Bishop's-Gate Street, at half an hour past eleven o'clock of the same morning, having flown 72 miles in two hours and a half.

Great crowned Indian pigeon.—Bluish; cinereous above; orbits black; crest; shoulders ferruginous. Size of a turkey. Inhabits New Guinea.

Lesser crowned pigeon.—Eyelids white; hind head with a red gold crest; breast and belly violet; back, rump, and tail green; legs yellow; hind toe unarmed. Size of the common pigeon. Inhabits Malacca.

Ring dove.—Cinerous; tail feathers black on the hind part; primary quill feathers whitish on the outer edge; neck white on each side; bill yellowish; cere red and fleshy; irides yellowish; head, back, and wing coverts bluish; rump and throat pale ash; breast claret colour; belly and vent whitish; neck above and at the sides green gold, with a white crescent on each side; feet rough as far as the toes. Weighs about 20 ounces; length eight inches. Inhabits Europe, and rarely Siberia. From its living in woods, and building in trees, it is not uncommonly called wood pigeon. It seems to be originally a native of this island, and probably migrates no farther than from the northern to the southern parts of it. Early in spring it begins to pair, at which time the male is observed to fly in a singular manner, alternately rising and falling in the air. It forms a nest of a few small sticks loosely put together. Its common food is grain and seeds of all kinds, acorns and beech-nuts, and in default of these, turnip-greens, and young clover, or even green corn, and ivy berries. Various attempts to domesticate this species have proved unsuccessful.

Green turtle.—Breast-green above, purple-violet beneath. Near eight inches long. Inhabits Ambona.

Turtle dove.—Tail feathers tipped with white; back Turtur-gray; breast flesh coloured; a spot of black feathers, tipped with white, on each side of the neck; bill brown; irides yellow; crown olive-ash; front and chin nearly white; scapulars and coverts reddish-brown, spotted with black; throat and breast claret coloured; belly and vent white; two middle tail feathers dusky brown, the end and exterior side of the outermost feathers white. Subject to several varieties. About 12 inches long. Inhabits Europe, China, and India. Visits the southern parts of England in the spring, and leaves them in the beginning of September. Is very shy and retired, breeding in thick woods, and netting on high trees. Is very destructive to fields of peas.

B. Tail long and wedged.

Passenger pigeon.—Orbits naked and fangmine; breast rufous. From 15 to 16 inches long. Inhabits North America, migrating southward in December in quest of food. The multitudes which pass in hard winters are truly astonishing, as they fly by millions in a flock, and literally intercept the light of the sun. As soon as one flock has passed, another succeeds; and these movements sometimes continue for three days without intermission. Their favourite food is acorns; but they not only eat the fruit of various kinds of trees, but also corn and rice, of which they are very unsparing in the course of their passage.

Black-winged pigeon.—Body livid; wings black. Inhabits Chili.

Marginated turtle.—Breast red; tail feathers tipped Margina-with black, and edged with white; bill horny; irides rufous; front and chin reddish brown; lores white; hind head bluish-ash colour; a black spot under the ears; body above brown; shoulders spotted with black; rump cinereous; throat and breast rosy; two middle tail feathers blackish; the rest ash colour. Ten inches long. Native of America.

Bantam pigeon.—Orbits naked and flesh coloured; Bantam-neck, breast, and flanks, waved with black and white. Size of the wry-neck. Inhabits Java.

Gen. 76. Alauda, Lark.

Bill cylindrical, subulated, straight; the mandibles equal, and a little gaping at the base; tongue bifid; hind claw straight, and longer than the toe. Field, or sky lark.—Outer webs of the two middle tail feathers white, middle ones ferruginous on the inner side; body above varied with blackish, reddish-gray, and whitish; reddish-white beneath; bill and legs black; throat spotted with black. A variety sometimes occurs that is wholly white, another which is black-brown, and a third, which is found in Russia, and distinguished by its very long legs. This well-known species is about seven inches long, and inhabits Europe, Asia, and Africa. It is most common in the open and upland cultivated districts in which corn abounds, and is rarely seen on extended moors at a distance from arable land. The nest is placed on the ground, among grass or corn, and is formed of dry grass and other vegetable stalks, and lined with fine dry grass. The eggs are generally four, rather larger than those of a tit-lark, and of a dirty white, blotched and spotted with brown. The sky lark begins to breed in May, and will lay as late as September, if its first nests are destroyed. The incubation lasts a fortnight, and two broods are usually produced in the course of the year. When hatched, the mother watches over them with the most tender solicitude and affection. They are first fed with worms and insects; but after they are grown up, they live chiefly on seeds, herbage, and most other vegetable substances. They are easily tamed, and become so familiar as to eat off the table, and even alight on the hand. The lark becomes tuneful early in spring, and continues so during the summer. His song is chiefly heard in the morning and evening; and he is one of those few birds that chant their mellownotes on the wing. We need scarcely remark, that he mounts almost perpendicularly, and by successive springs into the air, where he hovers at a great height, and whence he descends in an oblique direction, unless threatened by some ravenous bird of prey, or attracted by his mate, when he drops down to the ground like a stone. When he first leaves the earth, his notes are feeble and interrupted, but, as he rises, they gradually swell to their full tone. These birds cease their strains in winter, when they assemble in flocks, grow fat, and are taken in multitudes by the bird-catchers. Four thousand dozens have been taken in the neighbourhood of Dunstable, between September and February; and Kepler informs us, that the excise on larks alone produces about 900l. a year to the city of Leipzig, whose neighbourhood is celebrated for larks of a peculiarly delicate flavour.

Tit lark.—Greenish-brown, outer webs of the two outermost tail feathers white; eyebrows with a white line; bill black; body white beneath; breast ochreous yellow, with oblong black spots; legs yellowish. Length nearly five inches and three quarters. Inhabits Europe, and is very common in most parts of this island, though it seems partial to barren situations, and occurs both in mountainous and low swampy places. In Scotland, it is almost the only bird which frequents the extensive heath tracts on which it breeds. It has a fine note, and sings either fitting in trees, or on the ground.

Leffer field lark.—Reddish-brown, spotted beneath; chin and belly white; throat and breast obscure yellow; legs brownish; wing coverts edged with white; quill feathers dusky, the outer web of the first edged with white, the others with yellowish-green; hind claw short, and sometimes hooked. Somewhat larger than the preceding, with which it has been often confounded. It visits this country in spring, but is rarely seen till the beginning of May; is not plentiful, and chiefly affects enclosed situations. From the beginning of May till July, it may be seen mounting in the air in a fluttering manner, at the same time uttering a twittering note, and then descending to some neighbouring tree with motionless wing and the tail thrown up. It then sings sweetly, but never when rising. It generally nests in the high grass or green wheat, and lays four eggs of a dirty bluish white, thickly blotched, and spotted with purplish brown.

Wood lark.—Head surrounded by a white annular fillet; body varied like the arvensis; legs flesh coloured. Weighs about eight drams; length six inches. Inhabits Europe and Siberia, and is met with, though sparingly, in various parts of Britain. It sings delightfully on wing, but rarely when sitting on the ground, though sometimes when perched on a tree. Its song is much more melodious than that of the sky lark, but does not consist of so great a variety of notes; but then it frequently sings in the night, and through most of the year, except in the months of June and July. It does not ascend in the air perpendicularly, and continue hovering and singing in the same spot, like the sky lark, but will sometimes soar to a great height, and keep flying in large irregular circles, singing with little intermission; and will thus continue in the air for an hour together. It is an early breeder, the eggs being sometimes found in the nest in the beginning of April.

Red lark.—Brown; orbits blackish; two outermost tail feathers white. About the size of the sky lark. Inhabits North America, and is sometimes found near London.

Malabar lark.—Wings and tail dirty brown colour, with reddish edges; bill black; crest long, brown and tipped with white; chin and belly reddish white; feathers of the back, and coverts of the wings, brown; the edge reddish towards the tip, and marked with a white spot; legs reddish. Five inches and a half long. Native of Malabar.

Grasshopper lark, or grasshopper warbler.—Tail feathers brown, the outer one half white, the second with a white wedged tip; wings with two whitish lines; bill dusky; legs whitish; lores white; body greenish-brown above, feathers dusky in the middle, yellowish-white beneath; breast dirty white; tail longish, and somewhat wedged. Length five inches and a half; weight about three drams and a quarter. Inhabits Europe. Though not plentiful in Britain, it perhaps appears to be much less from its extreme thyness, and its habit of concealing itself among furze and thick hedges. Its fingural note resembles the chirping of the larger species of crickets.

Rock lark.—Olive brown, varied with blackish; yellowish beneath; sides of the neck and breast with brownish spots; outermost tail feathers obliquely half whitish, second whitish at the tip. Upwards of seven inches long. In its song, manner of flying, and general habits, is much allied to the tit-lark. Inhabits some of the rocky shores of England, and seems to subsist chiefly on marine insects.

Leffer crested lark.—Tail feathers black, the two outermost white on the outer edge; head crested; legs red; body pale brown. Inhabits Europe and Siberia, and is Calandra lark.—Outermost tail feathers totally white without, second and third tipped with white; pectoral band brown. Seven inches and a quarter long. Inhabits Italy and Russia. Builds on the ground. Sings sweetly, and imitates the notes of other birds.

Gen. 77. Sturnus, Stare, or Starling.

Bill subulate, angular, depressed, somewhat blunt; the upper mandible entire, and somewhat open at the edges; nostrils surrounded with a prominent rim; tongue notched and pointed.

Common starling.—Bill yellowish; body black, with white dots; quill feathers and tail dusky; the former edged with yellow on the outer side, the latter with dirty green; lesser coverts edged with yellow, and slightly glossed with green; legs reddish-brown. Male shining with purple, green, and gold. There are several varieties. Weight about three ounces; length eight inches and three quarters. Found in almost every part of the old continent. It breeds in the hollows of trees or rocks, among rubbish, or in old towers, and sometimes appropriates the nest of another bird. Myriads of this species breed among the rocks in the Orkney islands, and in winter feed on the cancer pulex. Their general food is insects, earthworms, seeds, berries, &c. They migrate in flocks, and are very noisy. In confinement it may be taught to mimic various sounds, and even to speak. So attached are they to society, that they not only join those of their own species, but also birds of a different kind; and are frequently seen in company with redwings, fieldfares, and even with pigeons, jackdaws, and owls. They chatter much in the evening and morning, both when they assemble and disperse.

Water-ousel, or crane.—Black; breast white; chin white; tail black; belly ferruginous; legs pale blue before, black behind. Length seven inches and a half. Inhabits Europe and northern Persia. Is shy and solitary, and rarely to be seen, except on the banks of rivers and streams of water. It is not unfrequent in the mountainous parts of Scotland and Wales, and in some districts in Devonshire. In these places it breeds, and continues the whole year. The nest is very large, formed externally of moss and water plants, and lined with dry oak leaves, resembling that of the wren, with a dome or covering. It is usually placed in some mossy bank, impending on the water, and contains five or six eggs of a transparent white. "A pair of these birds," says Mr Montagu, which had for many years built under a small wooden bridge in Caernarvonshire, we found had made a nest early in May. It was taken, but had no eggs, although the bird flew out of it at the time. In a fortnight after they had completed another nest in the same place, containing five eggs, which was taken; and in a month after we took a third nest under the same bridge with four eggs; undoubtedly the work of the same birds, as no others were seen about that part. At the time the last was taken, the female was sitting, and the infant quitted her nest, plunged into the water, and disappeared for a considerable time; at last she emerged at a great distance down the stream. At another time we found a nest of this bird in a steep projecting bank over a rivulet clothed with moss. The nest was so well adapted to the surrounding materials, that nothing but the old bird flying in with a fish in its bill would have led to a discovery. The young were nearly full feathered, but incapable of flight, and the moment the nest was disturbed, they fluttered out and dropped into the water, and to our astonishment, instantly vanished; but in a little time made their appearance at some distance down the stream; and it was with difficulty two out of five were taken, as they dived on being approached.

The aquatic habits of this bird have not escaped the notice of ornithologists, some of whom speak of their flying under water. If, indeed, the wings being in motion can be called flying, it certainly does; but this is no more than is common to all diving birds, which, in pursuit of fish, or to escape danger, always use their wings to accelerate their motion. In this case, however, the wings are not extended, for that would retard their progress; but it is affected by short jerks from the shoulder joint. Whether these birds can run at the bottom of the water, as some have asserted, is much to be doubted, as it is requisite all birds should use a considerable exertion to keep them under water, by reason of their specific gravity being so much less. It is certainly a most curious and singular circumstance, that a bird, not apparently in the least formed for diving, should pursue its prey under water, living chiefly on small fish and aquatic insects. It cannot, however, swim on the surface."

Green starling.—Green above; bluish beneath; a tuft viridis of black and white feathers on the front and chin. Inhabits China.

Wattled starling.—Bill and legs black; a pendent carunculae orange wattles at each angle of the mouth. Male black, with the back and wing-coverts ferruginous. Female rufly-brown, with very small wattles. Ten inches long. Inhabits New Zealand.

Collared starling.—Blackish-brown, spotted with brown; flanks rufous; chin white, spotted with brown. Size of the fieldfare. Inhabits Switzerland and Italy. Is solitary, wags its tail, feeds on seeds, sings with a very weak voice, and builds in the ground, or in clefts of rocks.

Gen. 78. Turdus, Thrush.

Bill somewhat straight; upper mandible a little bending and notched near the point; nostrils naked or half covered with a small membrane; mouth ciliated with a few bristles at the corners; tongue jagged.

Most of the numerous species of this genus feed on berries, especially those of the juniper; and many of them are excellent songsters.

Mistle thrush.—Back brown; neck spotted with white; bill yellowish; body whitish-yellow beneath, with spots brown on the chin and white beneath; quill and tail feathers brown, with paler edges; the three outermost tipped with white; legs yellow; claws black. Weight near five ounces; length 11 inches. Inhabits the woods of Europe. It is by no means plentiful in Britain, and appears to be less so in winter. It begins to sing in January if the weather is mild, but ceases as soon as the thermometer sinks below 40 degrees. About about the middle of March it makes a nest in the fork of some tree, especially if covered with lichen, and seems partial to the apple tree, frequenting orchards more than other situations in spring, and never building in a bush. The nest is made of mosses, lichens, and dry leaves, lined with withered grass, and fortified on the outside with small sticks. The eggs are four or five, rarely six, of a flesh colour, and marked with deep and light rust-coloured spots. The song of this bird is louder than that of the thrush, and superior to it. Perching on the uppermost branch of a tall tree, the miffel thrush sings when its mate is making the nest, and during incubation; but becomes silent as soon as the young are hatched, and is no more heard till the beginning of the new year. If the young are taken, its song continues as before, and if the female is destroyed, it continues in song the whole summer. The miffel is very bold during the breeding season, driving other birds from the neighbourhood of its nest, and even attacking the magpie and jay. Its food is insects and berries, particularly those of the millet, which are frequently propagated after passing through the digestive organs of this bird.

Field fare.—Tail feathers black, the outermost at the inner edge tipped with white; head and rump hoary; bill yellowish, tipped with black; crown and neck olive-buff above; body buff above; quill feathers cinnamon; throat and breast yellowish-rufous; belly and vent whitish; legs blackish. Subject to three or four varieties. Length 10 inches; weight four ounces. Inhabits Europe, Syria, and Siberia. Arrives in Britain, in large flocks, about Michaelmas, and leaves us in March. It feeds on the berries of the holly, thorn, juniper, *enepetrum nigrum*, *arbutus alpina*, &c., as well as on worms and insects. In very severe weather they migrate farther south, if not prevented by a sudden fall of snow. In 1798, when a very heavy snow fell on the northern and eastern parts of England, prodigious flocks of field fares appeared in the west; but as that part of the island also was soon covered with snow, which lay on the ground for a considerable time, they became too weak to advance farther south, and thousands were picked up, starved to death. Though it builds in trees, and sits on them in the daytime, it always roosts on the ground. When a person approaches a tree that is covered with them, they continue fearless, till one at the extremity of the bough rising on its wings, utters a loud and peculiar note of alarm, when they all immediately fly, except one other, which remains till the person approaches still nearer, and then it also flies off, repeating the note of alarm. Field fares were highly esteemed by the Roman epicures, who kept them in their aviaries, and fattened them with crumbs of bread, mixed with minced figs. According to Varro and Plutarch, the flesh was sometimes bitter.

Red wing, or wind thrush.—Wings ferruginous underneath; eyebrows whitish; bill blackish; legs pale gray; body gray-brown, whitish beneath, with brown spots; sides and inner coverts ferruginous; vent white. Weight nearly two ounces and a half; length eight inches and a half. Inhabits Europe, and is a winter guest with us, appearing a few days before the preceding, migrating in vast flocks. It breeds in Sweden, Norway, &c., where it inhabits the maple woods, and sings delightfully from their highest tops. It builds in hedges or thickets, and lays six bluish-green eggs, spotted with black. In the southern countries of Europe, it does great injury to the vineyards.

Thrush or song thrush; mavis of the Scotch.—Quill feathers ferruginous at the inner base. Resembles the miffel in colour, but the inner wing-coverts are yellow, irides hazel, bill brown, and the mouth yellow within. Inhabits the woods in Europe. Weight about three ounces; length nine inches. This well-known species is generally admired for its song. Every wood and grove re-echoes with its notes, which sometimes vie with those of the miffel. The thrush frequently sings as early as February, if the weather is mild, and in March the female makes its nest, composed of dried grass and green moss externally, and plastered within with rotten wood, mixed with cow dung or clay, and so compactly as to hold water, a circumstance which, in a rainy season, sometimes proves fatal to the eggs. The latter are four or five, of a blue colour, and spotted with black at the larger end. The nest is sometimes placed on the stump of a tree, very near the ground, or against the side of a tree, and frequently in a hedge, or solitary bush. Though the thrush feeds on berries and insects in general, it is particularly fond of shellfish snails, especially of the *helix nemoralis*, whose shells it breaks by repeated strokes against a stone. It is not uncommon to find a great many fragments of shells together, as if a number had been conveyed to one particular stone for the purpose. This species breeds twice, and sometimes thrice in the year, and consequently continues long in song. Like the preceding, it is very hurtful to vineyards.

Mocking bird, or mimic thrush.—Dusky-buff above; pale ash beneath; primary quill feathers white on the outer half; bill black; irides yellow; tail four inches long; legs cinereous. Nine inches and a half long. Inhabits the moor woods of Virginia, Carolina, Jamaica, &c. In the summer is seen much more to the northward than in winter. This singular species not only possesses musical and solemn notes of its own, but can at pleasure assume the tone of every other animal in the forest, from the humming bird to the eagle, and descending even to the wolf or the raven. One of them, confined in a cage, has been heard to mimic the meowing of a cat, the chattering of a magpie, and the creaking of the hinges of a sign-post in high winds. It is said to take a pleasure in archly deceiving other birds, alluring the smaller kinds, for example, with the call of their mates, and then terrifying them with the scream of an eagle. In the warmer parts of America, it sings incessantly from March to August, both day and night, beginning with its own compositions, and frequently finishing by borrowing from the whole feathered quire, repeating its tunes with such artful sweetness as to excite both pleasure and surprise. The female frequently builds her nest in the bushes or fruit trees about houses, but is so very shy, that if a person only looks at the nest, she immediately forsakes it. It feeds on grasshoppers, different kinds of berries, &c., and is itself eaten by the Americans, who account it very delicate food.

Mocking thrush.—Back brown; breast and lateral Orpheus. tail feathers whitish; eyebrows white. Eight inches and a half long; inhabits South America, and resembles the last in its fine song and imitative notes.

Pagoda thrush.—Black; back and rump gray; vent Pagoda-white; um. white; head crested. Size of a finch. Inhabits Malabar and Coromandel, chiefly about the temples and pagodas.

Chilli thrush.—Gloomy black; bill somewhat striated; tail wedged; bill, eyes, legs, and flesh black; tail five inches long. About the size of the millet; is common in Chili, where it sings sweetly; imitates the notes of other birds, and, when tamed, the voice of man. Feeds on worms, seeds, and even on smaller birds, which it kills by perforating the skull with its bill. Congregates with starlings, and makes a nest of twigs and fibres, mixed with mud, and lined with hair. Lays three bluish-white eggs.

Rose-coloured thrush.—Pale rosy; head, wings, and tail black; hind head crested. About eight inches long. Inhabits Europe and Asia, and has been found, though very rarely, in England. As it feeds chiefly on locusts, it is held sacred by the Turks.

Musician thrush.—Reddish-brown, varied with transverse dark streaks; whitish beneath; chin, cheeks, and throat reddish-orange; a black blotch spotted with white on each side of the neck. Four inches long. Inhabits the woods of Cayenne. Is solitary; feeds on ants and other insects, and is celebrated for its sweet and variable note.

Chiming thrush.—Brown above; under parts and rump reddish-tawny; chin white; cap and cheeks white, spotted with black; eyebrows and flecks behind the eyes black. Four inches long. Inhabits the woods of Cayenne and Guiana. Its note resembles the chiming of bells.

Alarum thrush.—Brown above; white beneath; breast spotted with black; tail even; bill black above, white beneath; legs pale plumbeous. Six inches and a half long. Inhabits Cayenne. Every morning and evening, for the space of an hour, cries with a harsh loud voice, like an alarm bell.

King thrush.—Reddish-brown above, paler beneath; hind head lead-coloured; front varied with white and brown. Seven inches and a half long. Inhabits South America, near the hillocks raised by the white ants on which it feeds.

Blackbird.—Black; bill and eyelids yellow. Female, and the young male rusty black, and bill dark. There is a variety with the head white, another with the body white and black, and a third entirely white. Inhabits Europe and Asia. A well-known species, admired for its song, which is a thrill kind of whistle of various notes, calling the early days of spring. The nest is externally composed of green moss, fibrous roots, &c., having the inside plastered with earth, and then lined with fine dry grass. The female lays four or five blue eggs, thickly covered with pale ferruginous brown spots. The blackbird feeds principally on worms and shelled snails, but is also fond of insects and fruit in general. It breaks the shell of the snail with great dexterity on a stone. In confinement it readily eats crumbs of bread, and flesh either raw or prepared for the table. With us, it is never observed to migrate or to congregate, but lives solitary in woods and inclosed situations. It is easily tamed, and imitates other sounds, even that of the human voice.

Ring ouzel.—Blackish; bill yellowish; collar white. Rather larger than the blackbird. Inhabits Europe, Asia, and Africa. Is migratory in some countries, but is known to remain and breed in the mountains of Scotland and Wales. When fattened, its flesh is much esteemed. In its habits it is nearly allied to the blackbird.

Reed thrush.—Rusty brown; white tesselaceous beneath; quill feathers brown, tipped with reddish. Frequently varies in its markings. Inhabits the reedy marshes of Europe, builds a hanging nest among the reeds, and lays from five to six yellowish-white eggs spotted with brown. The male sings while the female is sitting.

Song thrush.—Greenish-black, shining with blue or violet; wings and tail black. Inhabits the Philippine islands in numerous flocks; sings very sweetly, and often lays in pigeon houses.

Gen. 79. Ampelis, Chatterer.

Bill straight, convex, somewhat incurved; each mandible notched; nostrils covered with bristles; tongue sharp, cartilaginous, and bifid; middle toe connected at the base to the outermost.

Waxen, or Bohemian chatterer.—Hind head crested; secondary quill feathers tipped with red horny appendages; bill and legs black; irides bright ruby; cheeks tawny; throat black, with a small bristly tuft in the middle; head and body reddish-buff above; ocular line and chin black; breast and belly pale purplish-bay; lesser wing-coverts brown; greater remotest from the body black, tipped with white; quill feathers black, three first tipped with white; tip next with half an inch of the exterior edge yellow; inner white; tail black, tipped with yellow. Length about eight inches; size nearly that of a starling. Inhabits Europe, Northern Asia, and America. Occasionally visits this country, migrating in flocks. In the month of February, it frequents the neighbourhood of Edinburgh, where it feeds on the berries of the mountain ash. It is supposed to breed farther north, and to build in the holes of rocks. Its flesh is excellent.

The other species of this genus are all inhabitants of the warmer parts of America.

Gen. 80. Colius, Coly.

Bill short, thick, convex above, and flat beneath; upper mandible bent down at the tip; nostrils small at the base of the bill, and nearly covered with feathers; tongue jagged at the tip; tail long and wedged.

Cape coly.—Outermost tail feathers white on the outside; body cinereous; whitish beneath. Ten inches and a quarter long. Inhabits the Cape of Good Hope.

Panayan coly.—Above yellowish ash colour; beneath rufous; breast streaked with black; head crested; bill black; legs pale flesh colour; tail very long, the feathers of which are of different lengths. Native of Panay, one of the Philippine islands.

Green coly.—Shining green; hind head and eyelids silvery black; wings and tail blackish. Twelve inches long. Inhabits New Holland.

Indian coly.—Cinereous above; rufous beneath; hind head and chin yellow; lores and naked orbits yellow. Fourteen inches long. Inhabits India.

Gen. Gen. 81. LOXIA, Grosbeak.

Bill strong, thick, convex, and rounded at the base; lower mandible bent in at the edge; nostrils small, round at the base of the bill; tongue truncated.

Crosbill, or field apple.—Mandibles crossing each other; body varying in colour; wings and forked tail brown; varies, with a reddish head and flecklet body. Male red, varied with brown and green. Female olive green, mixed with brown. Weighs about an ounce and a half; length near six inches and a half. Inhabits Europe, Asia, and America. Is not known to breed with us, but is more or less found among fir plantations from June to the latter end of the year, feeding on the feed by dexterously dividing the scales of the cones, for which purpose the bill is admirably adapted. It is sometimes found in orchards in autumn, and will readily divide an apple to get at the kernels. Many are taken with a bird-call and birdlime; and others by a horsehair noose fixed to a long fishing rod; for no intent are these birds on picking out the seeds of the cone, that they will suffer themselves to be taken by the noose being put over their head. The crosbill breeds in the northern countries early in the month of March, on the tops of the pine trees, making its hemispherical nest of twigs, and of the Sphagnum arboreum, two inches and a half thick, lining it with the lichen floridus, and stopping up the chinks with rosin. It is capable of being tamed, and in confinement climbs up the wires of a cage by the claws and beak.

Grosbeak, or hawfinch.—Cheesnut ash; wings with a white line; middle quill feathers rhombic at the tips; tail feathers black at the base of the thinner web; orbits and chin black; tail spotted with white within. The length of this species is six inches; weight about two ounces. The plumage is subject to great variety. It inhabits Europe, and usually appears in Britain in the autumn, continuing till April, and appearing in small flocks of four or five, but not commonly. It is more plentiful in France, and breeds in Burgundy in April. The nest is composed of dried fibres intermixed with liver wort, and lined with finer materials. The eggs are of a bluish green spotted with olive brown, with a few irregular black markings. This bird lives on the kernel of the almond, walnut, and cherry, breaking with the greatest ease their hard stones with its bill.

Pine grosbeak.—Wings with a double white line; tail feathers all black; head, neck, breast, and rump in the young bird, red; in the 'old yellow; female olive. Nine inches long. Inhabits Europe, Asia, and America, but is limited to the northern regions of these quarters of the globe, and especially to the pine forests. In this island it is only found in the north of Scotland, where it is also supposed to breed. It sings excellently, and during the night, but soon ceases. It builds in trees pretty near the ground a nest of small sticks, and lines it with feathers, laying four eggs. Its food is the seed of the pine.

Bullfinch.—Cinerous; head, wings, and tail black; coverts of the tail, and hindermost quill feathers white; crown black; breast cinereous; belly of the male red, of the female cheesnut. Scarcely six inches long, and liable to vary in its markings. Inhabits Europe and Siberia.

In summer it frequents woods, and in winter haunts orchards and gardens, where it preys on the young buds of the trees. It is not gregarious, but is usually observed in pairs, or in broods, and remains with us all the year, making a nest of small dry twigs, lined with fibrous roots in some thick bush, either in woods or hedges about the latter end of April or beginning of May, and laying four or five eggs of a bluish-white, speckled and streaked with purple, and rather larger than those of a linnet. The native notes of the bullfinch are few, but remarkably soft, and uttered in low a tone as to escape a common observer; the call notes are simple, but more audible. In confinement it becomes very docile, and may be taught a great variety of tunes, and even to imitate human speech. But it also acquires harsh strains with equal facility. A friend of the Comte de Buffon saw one of this species that had never heard any person whistle but carters; and it whistled with their strength and coarseness. These birds are also susceptible of strong and durable attachments. Some have been known, after escaping and living a whole year in the woods, to recognize the voice of their mistress, and return to forsake her no more; and others have died of melancholy on being removed from the first object of their attachment.

Cardinal grosbeak.—Crested; red; frontlet black; bill and legs blood red; crest, when erect, pointed. Nearly eight inches long. Inhabits North America. From the melody of its song, some of the Americans call it nightingale. In spring, and during great part of summer, it sits on the tops of the highest trees, and makes the forests echo with its song. During summer, it lays up its winter provision of maize and buck-wheat. Nearly a bushel of the former grain has been found in the retreat of one of these birds, artfully covered with leaves and small branches of trees, and only a small hole left at which the bird enters. In cages it will sing with a very short interval of silence, through the whole year.

Molucca grosbeak.—Colour brownish; the head, throat, and tail feathers are black; beneath waved white and black; bill black; hindhead, wings and legs brown; rump waved white and black. Four inches long. Inhabits the Molucca islands.

Hamburg grosbeak.—Head and neck chestnut above; hindneck, band in the middle of the white throat and rounded tail brown; back, breast, and rump yellowish-brown, spotted with black; belly, vent, and two bands on the wing-coverts white. Nearly six inches long. Inhabits the neighbourhood of Hamburg. Feeds on insects, and climbs trees like the creeper.

Greenfinch, or green grosbeak; provincially green linnet.—Yellowish-green; primary quill feathers edged with yellow; four lateral tail feathers pale yellow at the base; bill brownish; legs flesh coloured; female browner. Rather larger than the house sparrow; weight nearly eight drams; length six inches and a half. Inhabits Europe and Kamtchatka; is very common in most parts of this country in summer; becomes gregarious in winter, and associates with chaffinches and yellow hammer; but in severe weather migrates from particular districts. It is rather a late breeder. The nest is composed of small dry twigs, bents, and moss, interwoven with wool, and lined with hair and feathers. It is commonly placed among ivy surrounding a tree, or in some some thick bush. The eggs are four or five; white, speckled with rusty red at the larger end, and much like those of the linnet, but larger. The principal food of this bird is seed and grain. It is easily tamed if held on one's fingers in the dark, and heated gently. Though its native song is trifling, in confinement it will catch the notes of other birds.

**Brinifone grosbeak.**—Olive brown; throat and belly pale yellow; eyebrows yellow. Nearly six inches long. Inhabits in flocks near the Cape of Good Hope, frequents the banks of rivers, and builds a pendulous nest, with a long neck beneath, in trees and shrubs.

**Bengal grosbeak.**—Gray; crown yellow; temples whitish; belly whitish, spotted with brown. "This bird (says Sir William Jones) is exceedingly common in Hindustan: he is affonishingly sensible, faithful and docile; never voluntarily deserting the place where his young are hatched, but not averse, like most other birds, to the society of mankind, and easily taught to perch on the hand of his master. In a state of nature he generally builds his nest on the highest tree that he can find, especially on the palmrya, or on the Indian fig tree, and he prefers that which happens to overhang a well or a rivulet; he makes it of grass, which he weaves like cloth, and shapes like a large bottle, suspending it firmly on the branches; but so as to rock with the wind, and placing it with its entrance downward to secure it from birds of prey. Its nest usually consists of two or three chambers; and it is popularly believed that he lights them with fire flies, which he is said to catch alive at night, and confine with moist clay or with cow-dung. That such flies are often found in his nest, where pieces of cow dung are also struck, is indubitable; but as their light could be of little use to him, it seems probable that he only feeds on them. He may be taught with ease to fetch a piece of paper, or any small thing that his master points out to him. It is an attested fact, that if a ring be dropped into a deep well, and a signal given to him, he will fly down with amazing celerity, catch the ring before it touches the water, and bring it up to his master with apparent exultation; and it is confidently asserted, that if a house or any other place be shown to him once or twice, he will carry a note thither immediately on a proper signal being made. One instance of his docility I can myself mention with confidence, having often been an eye witness of it. The young Hindoo women at Benares, and in other places, wear very thin plates of gold called teas, tightly fixed, by way of ornament, between their eyebrows; and when they pass through the streets, it is not uncommon for the youthful libertines who amuse themselves with training these birds, to give them a signal which they understand, and send them to pluck the pieces of gold from the foreheads of their mistresses, which they bring in triumph to their lovers."

**Brown checked grosbeak.**—Dirty greenish; cinereous beneath; cheeks brown, surrounded with a yellow fringe. Inhabits Mexico, and sings delightfully.

**Philippine grosbeak.**—Brown; yellowish-white beneath; crown and breast pale yellow; chin brown. Inhabits the Philippine islands. A variety found in Abyssinia, has the tail and quill feathers greenish brown, and edged with yellow. Constructs a nest like the bengal.

**Abyssinian grosbeak.**—Yellowish; crown, temples, throat and breast black; shoulders blackish; quill and tail feathers brown, and edged with yellow; irises red; wing-coverts brown, edged with gray; legs reddish-gray. Size of the hawfinch. Inhabits Abyssinia. This bird forms a curious nest of a pyramidal shape, which is suspended from the ends of branches like the nests of some others of this tribe. The opening is on one side, facing the east; the cavity is separated in the middle by a partition of half its height; up this the bird ascends perpendicularly, and then descending on the other side, forms its nest in the further chamber. By this means the brood is defended from snakes, squirrels, monkeys, and other mischievous animals, besides being secured from the rains, which in that country last sometimes for five or six months together.

**Penfia grosbeak.**—Green; head and throat yellow; ocular band green; belly gray; vent rufous red; bill, legs, tail and quill feathers black; the last edged with green. Size of a house sparrow. Inhabits Madagascar. Constructs a hanging nest of straw and reeds, shaped like a bag with an opening beneath, on one side of which is the true nest. The bird does not choose a new situation every year, but fastens a new nest to the end of the last, so that five may sometimes be seen hanging from one another. Builds in large societies, and produces three at each incubation.

**Sociable grosbeak.**—Rufous brown; yellowish beneath; forehead black; tail short; bill black; region of the ears yellowish; legs brown. Inhabits the interior parts of the Cape of Good Hope, where they were first discovered by Mr Pateron. They build their nests in a species of mimosa, which grows to an uncommon size; and which, from its ample head and strong wide spreading branches, is well calculated to admit and support their dwellings. The tallness and smoothness of its trunk are also a perfect defence against the invasions of the serpent and monkey tribes. In one tree described by Mr Pateron, there could not be fewer than from eight hundred to a thousand nests under one general roof. Mr Pateron calls it a roof, because it resembles that of a thatched house, and projects over the entrance of the nest below in a very singular manner. "The industry of these birds (says this traveller) seems almost equal to that of the bee. Throughout the day they seem to be busily employed in carrying a fine species of grass, which is the principal material they use for the purpose of erecting this extraordinary work, as well as for additions and repairs. Though my short stay in the country was not sufficient to satisfy me by ocular proof, that they added to their nest as they annually increased in numbers; still, from the many trees which I have seen borne down by the weight, and others which I have observed with their boughs completely covered over, it would appear that this is really the case. When the tree, which is the support of this aerial city, is obliged to give way to the increase of weight, it is obvious that they are no longer protected, and are under the necessity of building in other trees. One of these deserted nests I had the curiosity to break down, to inform myself of the internal structure of it, and found it equally ingenious with that of the external. There are many entrances, each of which forms a regular street with nests on both sides, at about two inches distance from each other. The grass with which they build is called the Boorman's grass; and I believe the seed of it to be... their principal food; though, on examining their nests, I found the wings and legs of different insects. From every appearance, the nest which I dissected had been inhabited for many years; and some parts of it were much more complete than others. This, therefore, I conceive to amount nearly to a proof, that the animals added to it at different times, as they found necessary from the increase of the family, or rather of the nation or community."

Grenadier grosbeak.—Gray; bill, front and belly black; neck and rump tawny; sometimes the wings are white, and the tail is brown. Size of a sparrow; inhabits Africa, and is found chiefly in marshy and reedy grounds. The nest is formed among the reeds with small twigs, so closely interwoven with cotton, as not to be penetrated by any weather. It is also divided into two compartments, of which the upper is for the male, and the lower for the female and the young.

Among various other species which we have not room to describe, there are two or three of a very small size, which inhabit Surinam.

Gen. 82. Emberiza, Bunting.

Characters. Bill conical; mandibles receding from each other from the base downwards, the lower with the sides contracted, the upper with a hard knob within.

Niculae.

Snow bunting, snow bird, or snow flake.—Quill feathers white, the primaries black on the outer edge; tail feathers black, the three lateral ones white; bill and legs brown. Besides the varieties induced by age, sex, and climate, there are others which seem to be more permanent. In winter, the whole body, except the back and middle coverts, often becomes nearly white. Somewhat larger than the chaffinch. In summer, inhabits in vast flocks, the north of Europe, Asia, and America. In winter, migrates to some warmer climate. Breeds in some of the mountains of Scotland, where it is sometimes mistaken for the ortolan. It builds in the fissures of rocks, constructing a nest of grass and feathers, lined with the hair and wool of the arctic fox or other quadruped, and lays five eggs. It sings well, fitting on the ground, feeds on grain, and is wakeful during the night. It is taken in great numbers in winter, when it is fat, and its flesh esteemed delicate.

Tawny bunting.—Quill feathers dusky, white at the base, the last wholly black; tail feathers black, the middle ones at the edge, and three lateral ones white on each side, with a dusky spot without. Nearly seven inches long. Inhabits with the lark; but is more rare. In some places it is called sea-lark and brambling.

Mountain bunting, lesser mountain finch or brambling.—Five first quill feathers blackish-brown, the rest white, spotted with brown at the tips; tail feathers brown, three lateral ones all white on each side; bill yellow, tipped with black; head chestnut; chin white; upper part of the neck and back cinereous; breast and belly with longitudinal flame coloured spots. Found in Yorkshire, Lincolnshire, and Northamptonshire, but is not common.

Common bunting.—Brown; spotted with black beneath; orbits rufous; bill and legs brownish; quill feathers dusky; outer edges pale yellow; tail a little forked, edged with white; legs yellowish. Weight nearly two ounces; length seven inches and a half. Inhabits Europe in large flocks during the autumn and winter.

Seems partial to champaign countries, abounding with corn, and is rarely found in uncultivated parts, or in grass fields remote from arable land. While the female is employed in incubation, the male sits on the branch of a neighbouring tree, and cheers her with his rude song. The nest is placed on the ground, formed externally of straw, lined with fibrous roots or dry grass, and sometimes finished with long hairs. The eggs are from four to six, of a dirty white, spotted and veined with reddish-brown and ash-colour. These birds are sometimes brought to market, and sold for larks, to which they are little or nothing inferior, but are easily distinguished by the form of the bill, and the tooth-like knob in the roof of the mouth, by the most common observer.

Ortolan.—Quill feathers brown, the first three whitish at the edges; tail feathers brown, the two lateral ones black on the outer side; bill, naked eyelids and legs yellowish; head and neck olive-ash; chin yellowish, surrounded with a cinereous line; feathers of the back and scapulars brownish-bay, black in the middle; body reddish beneath. The female is distinguished by the head and neck being cinereous, and each feather with a narrow blackish line. Somewhat less than the yellow hammer; length six inches and a quarter. Inhabits several parts of Europe, but is not found in Britain. Ortolans are common in France, Italy, some parts of Germany, Sweden, &c., migrating in spring and autumn, when they are caught in great quantities, and fattened for the table. For this purpose, they are confined in a dark room, and fed plentifully with oats and millet. They are then killed for sale, and reckoned the most delicate of food. The ortolan will sometimes sing very prettily, its note being not unlike that of the yellow hammer, but finer and sweeter. In some parts, it makes its nest on a low hedge, in others on the ground, and constructs it carelessly, like that of the lark. The female lays four or five grayish eggs, and in general has two broods in the year.—There are five or six varieties.

Yellow hammer or yellow bunting.—Tail feathers blackish, the two outer ones on the inner edge, with a pointed white spot; bill black; crown, cheeks and body beneath yellow; eyebrows brownish; nape greenish; feathers of the neck and back blackish down the middle, rufous at the sides, and edged with gray; rump pale tawny; wings chestnut, olive or black, mostly edged with gray; lateral ones olive without; the tip edged with white; legs yellowish-brown. The weight of this species is about seven drams; length six inches. Inhabits Europe, and is one of the most common indigenous birds of this country. Its song is as little attractive as that of the common bunting, consisting only a repetition of the same note, five or six times successively, and terminating in one more lengthened and shrill. It congregates in winter, approaching housetops, and picking up scattered grains. It does not breed till late in the spring. The nest is generally placed near the ground, in some low bush or hedge, and is composed of straw and various dried stalks, lined with fine dry grass, and finished with long hair. The eggs differ somewhat in colour and size, some being nearly white, and others having a purplish hue, but all more or less marked with hair-like streaks. The number is usually three, four, or five.

Foolish bunting or foolish sparrow.—Pedophilus; head Cia. with a few blackish lines; eyebrows white. Size of the yellow yellow hammer. Inhabits Europe and Siberia. Is so tame as to be caught in any snare. Has a trilling note, like that of the yellow hammer.

Cirl bunting.—Brown; breast spotted; eyebrows pale yellow; two outmost tail feathers, with a white wedged spot; bill brownish; head olive; temples yellow; a black spot between the bill and eyes; throat black, with a yellow band; body yellow beneath; tail slightly forked, the feathers edged with gray. Female streaked with brown beneath; chin and vent white. Length five inches and a half; weight about seven drams. Inhabits France and Italy. "We first discovered this species," says Mr Montague, "near Kingbridge in the winter of 1800, not uncommon amongst flocks of yellow buntings and chaffinches, and procured several specimens of both sexes, killed in different places six or seven miles from that place. They are indigenous to Devonshire, but seem to be confined to the southern parts of that county contiguous to the coast, having found them extending as far as Teignmouth, at both of which places we found their nests; but have never observed them far inland. It generally builds in furze or some low bush; the nest is composed of dry stalks, roots, and a little moss, and lined with long hair and fibrous roots. The eggs are four or five in number, cinereous white, with irregular long and short curved lines, terminating frequently with a spot at one end; size rather inferior to those of the yellow bunting, to which it bears great resemblance. These birds pair in April, and begin laying early in May.—The female might readily be mistaken for that sex of the yellow bunting at a little distance, but is materially different when compared, especially in the chestnut colour of the upper parts of this bird. The note is also similar to that of the yellow bunting, but shorter, not so shrill, and the latter part not drawn out to such length.—It is remarkable, that so common a bird as the cirl bunting seems to be in the west of England, should have so long escaped the notice of British naturalists; but in all probability this has been occasioned by their locality. It is said to be only found on the continent in the warmer parts of France and Italy; so with us it seems confined to the milder part of England; but the winter of 1800, which was severe in Devonshire, did not force them to seek a warmer climate, but, on the contrary, they continued gregarious with other small birds, feeding their food among the ploughed lands."

Familiar bunting.—Cinereous, spotted with brown; tail feathers tipped with white; hind part of the back yellow. Size of a finch. Was found at Java by Olbreck, and was so familiar, that if the cage door was opened, it would leap on the first person's hand that was offered; if any one whistled to it, it sang very sweetly in return, and if it saw a dish of water, it went immediately and bathed in it. It was fed with rice.

Rice bunting or rice bird.—Black; crown reddish; belly black; tail feathers daggered. Six inches and three quarters long. Inhabits Cuba. These birds feed on the early crops of rice in the island of Cuba; but when the rice in Carolina begins to ripen, they quit the island, and proceed to Carolina, in amazing and destructive multitudes. They arrive there in September, while the rice is yet milky; and when it grows hard they return. The birds which thus migrate are all females; but both sexes make a transient visit to Carolina in the spring.

Reed bunting or reed sparrow.—Head black; body gray and black; outmost tail feathers with a white wedged spot; bill brown; throat and breast black; belly white, streaked with black at the sides; wing coverts and quill feathers brownish-red, black down the middle; tail feathers pointed, the eight middle ones black, two middle ones rufous on each edge, the rest on the outer only; legs brownish. Weight near five drams and a half; length five inches. Inhabits the marshy and reedy districts of Europe and southern Siberia. A brown variety occur at the Cape of Good Hope, and a white one about Altamira. "It is somewhat extraordinary," observes the intelligent ornithologist quoted above, "that the manners and habits of so common a bird should remain so long in obscurity; even modern authors tell us it is a long bird, that it sings after sunset; and describe its nest to be suspended over the water fastened between three or four reeds. There can be no doubt, however, that the nest, as well as the song of the hedge warbler, have been taken and confounded for those of this bird; for as they both frequent the same places in the breeding season, that elegant little warbler is pouring forth its varied notes concealed in the thickest part of a bush; while this is conspicuously perched above, whose tune is not deserving the name of song, consisting only of two notes, the first repeated three or four times, the last fling and more shrill. This inharmonious tune it continues to deliver with small intervals from the same sprig, for a great while together when the female is sitting. The nest is most commonly placed on the ground near water; sometimes it builds in a bush some distance from the ground; at other times in high grass, reeds, sedge, or the like, and even in furze at a considerable distance from any water; in all these situations we have met with it, but never fastened or suspended as authors have related. The nest is composed of stalks of grass, or other dry vegetable substances, sometimes partly moss, and lined with fine grass; frequently finished with long hair. The eggs, which are four or five in number, weigh about 36 grams, and are of a dirty bluish-white or purplish-brown, with numerous dark-coloured spots and veins, much resembling those of the chaffinch."

Whitewash bunting.—Black; breast red; four middle tail feathers long and pointed, two very long; bill black. The two middle tail feathers are four inches in length, very broad, and ending in a long thread; the two next are 13 inches or more in length, very broad in the middle, narrower at the end, and rather pointed; from the middle of the shaft of this last arises another long thread; the rest of the tail feathers are only two inches and a quarter long; the two middle long ones are placed somewhat vertically, appear undulated across, and are more glossy than the others; the legs are flesh-coloured. The female is wholly of a deep brown, approaching to black, but does not acquire its full plumage till the third year. This species inhabits Africa, particularly Angola. It moults in November, and also late in spring.

Shaft-tailed bunting.—Four middle tail feathers black, from nine to ten inches long, equal and feathered only at the tip; bill and legs red; body above, and vent black; body beneath and throat, temples, and orbits, rufous; neck above spotted with black. Native of Africa. Less than the linnet.

Green-headed bunting.—Brown; head and neck olive; back plate. back and wing coverts varied with brown and black; tail forked. Only two instances are recorded of this species having been found in England.

**Gen. 83. Tanagra, Tanager.**

**Characters.** Bill conical, pointed, notched, almost triangular at the base, and a little inclining at the tip.

**Red-breasted tanager.**—Black; front, throat and breast scarlet; bill black; lower mandible filvery, and convex on the hind part; front sometimes black; legs brown. Female purplish-brown; reddish beneath; wings and tail brown. Six inches and a half long. Inhabits South America, frequenting inhabited places, building a pendulous cylindrical nest, and feeding on fruits.

**Bishop tanager.**—Cineraceous; wings and tail blue without. Six inches and a half long. Inhabits Cayenne, especially about the skirts of the forests, and feeds on the lesser kinds of fruits. During night it roosts on the palm leaves.

**Jacamar tanager.**—Black violet; wings whitish beneath; tail divaricated and forked; bill and legs cinereous. Inhabits Brazil and Guiana. Is fond of newly cultivated land; haunts small trees, particularly coffee trees. The male frequently hops upwards from a branch, alighting again first on one foot, and then on the other, accompanying each leap by a note, and spreading out the tail at the same time. The nest is hemispherical, about two inches in diameter, and composed of dried herbs of a gray colour. The eggs are two in number, of a greenish-white, marked with small numerous red spots, deepest and most numerous at the large end.

**Siberian tanager.**—Black; tips of the intercapular and rump feathers fringed with white; bill short, pale, tipped with brown; tail notched at the tip; legs black. Native of Siberia; size of a thrush.

The other species, which are numerous, and not very distinctly ascertained by authors, seem to differ from one another more in their markings than their habits.

**Gen. 84. Fringilla, Finch.**

**Bill conical, straight, and pointed.**

This is a numerous and active tribe of birds, very generally dispersed over the world, and feeding principally on insects and grain.

**Lapland finch.**—Head black; body gray and black; eyebrows white; outmost tail feathers with a white wedged spot. Six inches and a half long. Inhabits Europe, Asia, and America. Runs along the ground like a lark, and sings on the wing.

**Chaffinch; provincially, beech finch, horse finch, pink, and twunk.**—Limbs black; quill feathers white on both sides, the three first without spots; two of the tail feathers obliquely white; bill white, but in spring and summer bluish, tipped with black; crown, nape, and sides of the neck hoary; temples and throat reddish; belly and vent reddish-white; wing coverts with a white blotch, the greater with a white band besides; quill feathers yellowish at the edge, and white at the base; tail a little forked; legs brown. The female wants the red on the breast and other parts. Rather less than the sparrow. Inhabits Europe and Africa. Continues with us the whole year; but the females migrate from Sweden to Holland in the autumn, leaving their mates behind, and return in the spring. This bird makes a most elegant nest of green moss, curiously fluffed with lichen, intertwined with wool, and lined with feathers and hair. It builds against the side of a tree, particularly in ivy, or in some forked branch of a bush; but particularly in apple trees overgrown with moss and lichen, and, like many other birds, adapts the materials of its nest to the surrounding colour. The eggs are four or five, larger than those of the goldfinch, of a dirty white, tinged with purple, marked with streaks and spots of dark purple. Its notes are few, and scarcely deserve the name of song. Both sexes have a monotonous call-note, which seems to express the word twunk. This species is subject to several varieties.

**Mountain finch, brambling, or bramble.**—Base of the Montifringilla; wings fine yellow beneath; bill yellowish, tipped with black; head, neck, and back black; in the female brown; the feathers edged with reddish-brown; rump, lower part of the breast and belly white; throat and upper part of the breast reddish-tawny; in the female reddish-gray; lesser wing coverts reddish; middle ones reddish-white; greater black, tipped with white; those next the body reddish at the tip; quill feathers black, edged with yellowish; tail a little forked; legs gray. Rather larger than the preceding; length about six inches. Inhabits Europe and Asia, breeding in the northern regions. Is frequently seen in large flocks in the winter, on the coasts of Kent and Sussex, when the weather is severe, when it is sometimes so exhausted as to suffer itself to be taken up. They are also found in the interior parts of the kingdom at that season, flying in company with chaffinches and yellow hammers. In hard winters, they are also frequently seen in the neighbourhood of Edinburgh. They are partial to the pine forests in the Highlands, and live on beechnuts and the seeds of other trees. They build in trees a nest formed of hypnums without, and of wool and feathers within, the female laying four or five yellowish spotted eggs. Their flesh is eatable, though sometimes bitter.

**Goldfinch or thistlefinch.**—Quill feathers black; and except the outmost marked with fine yellow in the middle; two outmost tail feathers in the middle, and the rest at the tips white; bill white, tipped with black; forehead scarlet, in the female brown; cheeks, hind head, and belly white; top of the head black; wing coverts black, in the female brown; back, rump, and breast chestnut-brown. This beautiful species, which is subject to great variety, is rather less than the chaffinch, and inhabits Europe, Asia, and Africa. It is gregarious in winter, lives to a great age, subsists chiefly on the seeds of the thistle, hemp, and capitated plants; is docile and easily tamed, and sings delightfully, even in confinement. It sometimes builds in hedges, but most commonly in trees, especially those that are evergreen. The nest is neatly constructed of bents, moss, and lichen, woven together with wool, and sometimes lined with wool, or hair covered with thistle down, or the papery of the willow. The eggs are four or five, of a bluish white, with a few small spots, chiefly at the larger end. The goldfinch readily breeds with the canary and other congenerous birds.

**Lepid finch.**—Greenish-brown; band above and beneath the eyes and chin orange; breast black. Only half the size of the canary bird. Inhabits the woods of Cuba, and sings with a weak, but very sweet note.

**Ethiopian finch.**—Deep black; irides rufous. Inhabit... habits the woods of America, feeds on fruits and seeds, is easily tamed, and sings with the feathers of the head erected.

**Calpa finch.**—Reddish-gray; front and chin white; wings and tail black. Inhabits Barbary and Abyssinia, frequents granaries in large flocks, and excels the canary bird in its song.

**Beautiful finch.**—Green above; neck cinereous; breast yellow; frontal, chin, rump, and tail red; belly with curved white spots; bill and legs red; rump and tail chestnut red. Five inches long. Inhabits Africa.

**Canary bird, or canary finch.**—Bill and body straw colour; quill and tail feathers greenish. Is now well known over Europe, into which it was brought from the Canary islands, about the beginning of the 16th century. It is somewhat longer than the siskin, and about five inches and a half in length. With us they are kept in a state of captivity, and partake of all the differences and varieties incident to that condition. Buffon enumerates 29 varieties, and more might probably be added to his list. "The breeding and rearing of these charming birds," says Mr Bevick, "form an amusement of the most pleasing kind, and afford a variety of scenes highly interesting and gratifying to innocent minds. In the places fitted up and accommodated to the use of the little captives, we are delighted to see the workings of nature exemplified in the choice of their mates, building their nests, hatching and rearing their young, and in the impassioned ardour exhibited by the male, whether he is engaged in afflicting his faithful mate in collecting materials for her nest, in arranging them for her accommodation, in providing food for her offspring, or in chanting his lively and amorous songs during every part of the important business. The canary will breed freely with the siskin and goldfinch, particularly the former; it likewise proves prolific with the linnet, but not so readily, and admits also the chaffinch, yellow bunting, and even the sparrow, though with still more difficulty. In all these instances, excepting the first, the pairing succeeds best when the female canary is introduced to the male of the opposite species. According to Buffon, the siskin is the only bird of which the male and female propagate equally with those of the male or female canaries. Great numbers of these birds are reared in the Tyrol. Four Tyrolese usually brought over to England about 1600 of them annually; and though they carried them on their backs 1000 miles, and paid 20l. for such a number, they were enabled to sell them at five shillings a-piece. It is not generally known, that the song of the canary bird is usually composed of the notes of the tit-lark or of the nightingale. Mr Barrington saw two of the species which were imported from the Canary islands, neither of which had any song; and he was afterwards informed, that a ship brought over a great many of them with the same defect. Most of those from the Tyrol have been educated under parents whose progenitors were instructed by a nightingale. Our English canary birds, however, have more of the tit-lark's than of the nightingale's notes. The canary bird lives chiefly on the seeds of *Phalaris canariensis*, *canabiss*, *myagrum*, *brassica napus*, *avena*, &c.

**Siskin or aberdeene.**—Quill feathers yellow in the middle; the first four without spots; tail feathers yellow at the base, and tipped with black; crown black; body yellowish; greenish above, breast greenish; wings green; throat brown, of the female white; head and back, in the female, greenish-ash, spotted with brown. Four inches and three-fourths long. Inhabits Europe, and is liable to several varieties. Though migratory in most places, it does not seem to observe any regular periods, as it is sometimes seen in large, and at other times in very small numbers. Buffon remarks, that the great flights happen only once in the course of three or four years. It conceals its nest with so much art, that it is extremely difficult to discover it. Kramer informs us, that in the forests bordering on the Danube, thousands of young siskins are frequently found, which have not dropped their first feathers, and yet it is rare to meet with a nest. It is not known to breed in this island; nor is it known whence they come over to us. In some parts it is called the barley bird, from its appearing when that grain is sown. Its song, though not so loud as that of the canary, is pleasing and various. It is docile and familiar in captivity, and will imitate the notes of other birds, even to the chirping of a sparrow. Like the goldfinch, it may easily be taught to draw up its little bucket with water and food. It drinks frequently, and seems fond of throwing water over its feathers. The male breeds freely with the hen canary, and is affiduous in his attention to her, carrying materials for the nest, and arranging them, and, during the time of incubation, regularly supplying her with food.

**Bearded finch.**—Pale yellow; wings green, spotted with black and red; chin bearded. Size of the canary bird. Inhabits the mountains of Chili, except in winter, when it descends into the plains. It is easily tamed, sings charmingly, and imitates the notes of other birds.

**Greater redpole or red-headed linnet.**—Chefnut brown; reddish-white beneath; wings with a longitudinal white band; tail feathers edged with white on each side; bill black; head and neck cinereous; sides yellow; middle of the belly white; tail forked, dusky, both sides edged with white. Head of the female ash-colour, spotted with black; crown and breast without the red; breast dirty yellow with black lines. Subject to considerable variety in the markings. Five inches and a half long. Inhabits Europe and America. These birds fly in flocks during winter, at which time the males have little or none of the red markings, which in the return of spring they put forth. In many parts they haunt the sea shore, and, in the breeding season, often resort to furzy commons. The nest is composed of moss and bents interwoven with wool, and lined with wool and hair. The eggs are four or five, of a bluish-white, with purplish specks and short lines. The redpole sings nearly the whole year, is very familiar, and so easily tamed, as to be cheerful in five minutes after it is taken.

**Common or brown linnet.**—Chefnut brown; whitish beneath; wings with a longitudinal white band; tail feathers edged with white on each side. Though this is usually described as a distinct species, it seems to be only a variety of the preceding.

**Lesser redpole or lesser red-headed linnet.**—Brown, varied with gray; reddish-white beneath; wings with a double white band; crown and breast red; bill and legs brown; back black, the feathers edged with chefnut; sides with narrow dusky lines; quill feathers dusky, edged with dirty white; legs dusky. Female with a saffron spot on the front. Weight about two drams and a half; length length five inches. Inhabits Europe, Asia, and America. It is gregarious in winter, when many are taken by the bird-catchers near London, &c., under the name of stone redpole. It breeds in Scotland and the north of England; building in the trunk of the alder a nest of dry sticks and wool, lined with hair and feathers, or willow down. Lays four eggs of a light bluish-green, thickly sprinkled with reddish spots, especially at the larger end.

Mountain linnet or twite.—Black, varied with reddish; whitish beneath; feathers of the lower part of the neck black in the middle; wings with a white band; rump red; feathers of the throat and breast black, edged with white; middle quill feathers edged; secondary tipped with white. Rather larger than the greater redpole; length about six inches and a half. Inhabits Europe. Is gregarious, and has much the habits of the other linnets, with which it associates.

Scarlet finch.—Bright orange; wings and even tail black; quill feathers orange at the outer edge; the primaries tipped with black; bill brownish; legs black. Four inches and a half long. Inhabits the Sandwich islands.

House sparrow.—Quill and tail feathers brown; body gray and black; wings with a single white band; bill black; crown gray; a black spot under each eye; a broad bay mark surrounding the hind part of the head; cheeks white; chin and under side of the neck black, the latter edged with white; lesser wing coverts bright bay; the last row black, tipped with white. The lower mandible of the female white, and a white line beyond each eye. The most remarkable varieties are, 1. white, 2. yellow, clouded with chestnut above, and 3. blackish. Weighs nearly seven drams; length about six inches. Inhabits Europe, Asia, and Africa. This well-known species inhabits the dwellings of the rich and the poor, and is rarely seen far from the habitation of man. It lives on seeds and fruits, and often cunningly avoids the snares that are laid for it. In autumn it is often gregarious, but more frequently so in winter. It does not sing, except when tamed, and then the male will imitate the song of a linnet, or other bird within hearing. It makes a nest conformable to the place which it chooses for incubation, whether in a hole of a wall, in thatch, under the tiles of a house, or in the nest of a martin, or other bird; but when it builds in a tree, the nest is of a large size, and covered at the top, composed of hay and straw, lined warmly with feathers and fragments of thread or worsted, bits of cloth, or any refuse material of that sort found about houses. The female lays six eggs of a whitish colour, spotted with dusky and cinnamon, and usually breeds thrice in the year. Mr Smellie relates a pleasing anecdote of the affection of these birds towards their young. "When I was a boy," says he, "I carried off a nest of young sparrows, about a mile from my place of residence. After the nest was completely removed, and while I was marching home with them in triumph, I perceived, with some degree of astonishment, both parents following me at some distance, and observing my motions in perfect silence. A thought then struck me, that they might follow me home, and feed their young according to their usual manner. When just entering the door, I held up the nest, and made the young utter the cry which is expressive of the desire of food." I immediately put the nest and the young in the corner of a wire cage, and placed it on the outside of a window. I chose a situation in the room where I could perceive all that should happen, without being myself seen. The young animals soon cried for food. In a short time both parents, having their bills filled with small caterpillars, came to the cage; and after chatting a little, as we would do with a friend through the lattice of a prison, gave a small worm to each. This parental intercourse continued regularly for some time, till the young were completely fledged, and had acquired a considerable degree of strength. I then took one of the strongest of them, and placed him on the outside of the cage, in order to observe the conduct of the parents after one of their offspring was emancipated. In a few minutes both parents arrived, loaded as usual with food. They no sooner perceived that one of their children had escaped from prison, than they fluttered about, and made a thousand noisy demonstrations of joy both with their wings and their voices. These tumultuous expressions of unexpected happiness at last gave place to a more calm and soothing conversation. By their voices and their movements it was evident that they earnestly entreated him to follow them, and to fly from his present dangerous state. He seemed to be impatient to obey their mandates; but, by his gestures, and the feeble sounds he uttered, he plainly expressed that he was afraid to try an exertion he had never before attempted. They, however, incessantly repeated their solicitations; by flying alternately from the cage to a neighbouring chimney top, they endeavoured to show him how easily the journey was to be accomplished. He at last committed himself to the air, and alighted in safety. Upon his arrival, another scene of clamorous and active joy was exhibited. Next day I repeated the same experiment, by exposing another of the young on the top of the cage. I observed the same conduct with the remainder of the brood, which consisted of four. I need hardly add, that not one either of the parents or children ever afterwards revisited the excrated cage".—Few birds are more persecuted by the farmers, and, perhaps, more unjustly so, than sparrows; as it has been proved, that they are more useful than noxious. Mr Bradley, in his Treatise on Husbandry and Gardening, shows, that a pair of sparrows, during the time that they have their young to feed, destroy, on an average, every week 3360 caterpillars. He discovered that the two parents carried to the nest 40 caterpillars in an hour. He supposed the sparrows to enter the nest only during 12 hours each day, which would cause a daily consumption of 480 caterpillars. This sum gives 3360 caterpillars exterminated weekly from a garden. But the utility of these birds is not limited to this circumstance alone; for they likewise feed their young with butterflies and other winged insects, each of which, if not destroyed in this manner, would be the parent of hundreds of caterpillars.

Tree or mountain sparrow, Hamburgh grobbeck of Montana, Latham, &c.—Quill and tail feathers brown; body gray and black; wings with a double white band; bill, chin, and spot on the ears black; head and nape bay; body above reddish-brown, spotted with black; whitish beneath; wing coverts black, edged with rufous; tail feathers blackish, edged with rufous; legs yellowish. Female without the black spots. Five inches and a half long, and rather smaller than the preceding. Inhabits Europe and North America, and is said to be very plentiful. Bill conical, straight, serrated; nostrils oval; tongue short, and obtuse; feet four-toed.

Rara phytotoma, or four-toed plant cutter.—Bill thick, half an inch long, and toothed on each side like a saw; irides brown; body ash above; paler beneath; quill and tail feathers spotted with black; tail rounded; hind toe shorter than the fore ones. Inhabits Chili, where it is not uncommon. Has a rough voice, and utters at intervals, the syllable ra, ra, very distinctly. Feeds on vegetables, digging and cutting about their roots, with its bill as with a saw, and thus making great havoc in gardens. Builds in lofty trees, in retired situations.

Gen. 86. Muscicapa, Fly-catcher.

Bill nearly triangular, notched on each side, bent in at the tip, and beset with bristles at the root; toes in most cases divided to their origin.

The birds of this genus live on insects, particularly flies. Of 92 species, two only inhabit Britain.

Paradise fly-catcher, or pied bird of Paradise.—Crested; head black; body white; tail wedged; two middle feathers very long; head, neck, and chin greenish-black; back, rump, throat, and body white beneath; wing coverts and quill feathers black, edged with white; two middle tail feathers 15 inches long; legs lead-coloured. Eight inches and a quarter long. Of this species there are several varieties. Inhabits Asia and Africa.

Fork-tailed fly-catcher.—Tail very long and forked; body black; white beneath. Fourteen inches long. Inhabits Canada and Surinam.

Soft-tailed fly-catcher.—Brown; ferruginous beneath; throat of the male blue; tail long, wedged, with loose webbed feathers. Inhabits New Holland, being found about Sidney and Botany Bay, in marshy places, abounding with long grass and rushes, which afford it a hiding place, and where, like the bearded titmouse, it is supposed to make its nest. When disturbed, its flight is very short; but it runs on the ground with great swiftness. This singular bird, which is but three inches long, is well represented in the fourth volume of the Linnaean Transactions.