THE LIBRARY OF THE UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA PRESENTED BY PROF. CHARLES A. KOFOID AND MRS. PRUDENCE W. KOFOID MANUAL BRITISH VERTEBRATE ANIMALS: DESCRIPTIONS OF ALL THE ANIMALS BELONGING TO THE CLASSES, MAMMALIA, AVES, REPTILIA, AMPHIBIA, AND PISCES, WHICH HAVE BEEN HITHERTO OBSERVED IN THE BRITISH ISLANDS: INCLUDING THE DOMESTICATED, NATURALIZED, AND EXTIRPATED SPECIES : THE WHOLE SYSTEMATICALLY ARRANGED. (gimn REV. LEONARD JENYNS, M.A. FELLOW OF THE LINNEAN, ZOOLOGICAL, AND ENTOMOLOGICAL SOCIETIES OF LONDON; AND OF THE CAMBRIDGE PHILOSOPHICAL SOCIETY. CAMBRIDGE: PRINTED AT THE PITT PRESS, BY JOHN SMITH, PRINTER TO THE UNIVERSITY. SOLD BY J. & J. J. DEIGHTON; AND T. STEVENSON, CAMBRIDGE; AND LONGMAN & CO., LONDON. M.DCCC.XXXV. -• u PREFACE. THE present Work contains descriptions of all the Vertebrate Animals, including the domesticated, naturalized, and extirpated species, which have been hitherto observed in the British Islands. The object of its author is to present Naturalists with a Manual in this department of our Fauna, adapted to the existing state of our knowledge, and such as shall be calculated to meet the wants of the Science in that advanced stage to which it has attained since the publication of former works of this nature. In furtherance of this end two points appeared necessary to be attended to. One was to ascertain, as far as practicable, the additions which had been made of late years to our lists of British Animals, to inquire into the respective claims of those which had been admitted into these lists previously, and carefully to distinguish between such species as have unquestionably occurred within the limits of our own Islands, or in the adjoining seas, and others of which reasonable doubts might be entertained in re- ference to this matter. The other important point, as it appeared to the author, was to take care that the descrip- tions should as far as possible be obtained from the animals themselves, and nothing inserted upon the credit of other writers which was capable of being verified by personal examination. The day is for ever gone by in which mere compilations will be thought to be of any service to the VI PREFACE. science of Zoology. So far from advancing its progress, it may be said unhesitatingly that they tend only to retard it. It is through such channels that errors already of long standing become more widely circulated, at the same time that new ones, to a greater or less extent, are in- fallibly introduced. The author who is too indolent to examine and describe for himself, has often spared himself the trouble of even investigating the nature of the materials which he has obtained from others. The consequence is, that he has perhaps blended together the descriptions of two or more perfectly distinct species, or out of one made several, or, led away by the identity of mere names, has transferred to our native animals the descriptions of exotic, nearly allied species, with which he has confounded them. After the above enunciation of the two leading points which have been borne in mind whilst preparing this work for publication, the author hopes that it will not be thought uncalled for by those for whose use and guidance it is prin- cipally intended. The latest previous work upon the same subject and conducted upon the same general plan is the " History of British Animals" by Dr. Fleming. This was completed in 1827 and published the year following, since which period a great variety of species have been added to the Fauna of this country, more particularly in the Class of Fish, though many occur in the Classes of Quadrupeds and Birds. As these additions have been already indicated in the " Systematic Catalogue" lately published by the author of the present work, it is unnecessary to dwell upon them individually. It may, however, afford interest to present a comparative view of the aggregate numbers of species in each Class, as they appear in the " British Animals" of Dr. Fleming and in the Manual now offered to the public. PREFACE. Vll The total number of Mammalia noticed by that Naturalist, excluding the domesticated and naturalized species, as well as all those not met with at the present day, is fifty-three, from which deducting three as of rather doubtful character, there remain fifty. The number of Birds, excluding in like manner the domesticated and naturalized kinds, but including Stragglers, which Dr. Fleming has only briefly alluded to and not allowed to form part of the regular numbering, amounts to two hundred and eighty-one, from which deducting seventeen as either decidedly not British or of doubtful character, there remain two hundred and sixty-four. The number of Reptiles and Amphibious Ani- mals, which are united in one Class, is fourteen, from which deducting one as a doubtful native, and two others as very doubtful species, there remain eleven. The number of in- digenous Fish amounts to one hundred and seventy, from which deducting eleven not distinct from others, one not British, and three of doubtful character, there remain one hundred and fifty-five, which added to about seven noticed only as stragglers*, gives one hundred and sixty-two. Hence it appears that the total number of truly British Vertebrata, restricting the expression in the manner above indicated, described or mentioned by Dr. Fleming, amounts to only four hundred and eighty-seven. In the present work, ex- cluding in a similar way the domesticated, naturalized, and extirpated species, as well as all those of doubtful character, the number of described Mammalia amounts to sixty-one; that of Birds to two hundred and ninety-seven ; that of Reptiles and Amphibious Animals together to thirteen; * Dr. Fleming has alluded briefly to several other species which have been included by some authors in the British Fauna, but the claims of these to be considered as true natives being extremely doubtful, they are not here taken into the account. Vlll PREFACE. that of Fish to two hundred and ten. These added together give five hundred and eighty-one as the total number, exceeding that above stated by ninety-four. But independently of these additions which have been made of late years to our native Animals, Dr. Fleming's work pro- fessing to be in a great measure only a compilation, it was thought that one which partook more of an original cha- racter, would not prove unacceptable at the present day. It must not be forgotten that two other works connected with the Vertebrate" Division of the British Fauna have appeared since the one just spoken of. I allude to the excellent " Illustrations of British Ornithology" by Mr. Selby, pub- lished in 1833, in which the number of Birds is raised to two hundred and eighty*, and the valuable " British Fishes" of Mr. Yarrell now in course of publication. But not to dwell upon the circumstance, that these works are upon totally different plans from that of the present one, the author conceives that a single volume comprising all the Vertebrate Animals which have been observed hitherto in these Islands will form a useful addition to the library of the British Naturalist, as well as prove a convenient travelling companion. A few remarks may now be made upon the particular plan which is adopted in the present work. And first, it must be stated why a deviation has been made from Dr. Fleming's method of separating from the other species, and partially excluding from the British Fauna, those animals which have occurred as Stragglers only in a few rare in- stances. The reason is founded in the impossibility of drawing any marked line where such separation shall com- * The exact number of species given by Mr. Selby is two hundred and eighty - «even, but six, if not seven, of these cannot be considered otherwise than as doubtful natives. PREFACE. IX mence. However just it may be in general terms to speak of the animals of any country under the three heads of Residents, Periodical Visitants, and Irregular Visitants or Stragglers, it must be obvious to every one that between the last two there exists so little boundary, that there are many species of which it is difficult to say whether they belong to the former, or to the latter of these divisions*. Every intermediate degree of frequency, as regards the visits of different species of Birds to this country, may be found between what constitutes an annual migration and a solitary appearance. There are some which occur most years in greater or less numbers, though not with that unerring punctuality which attends the movements of our more regular migrants ; there are others which only shew themselves at uncertain and more distant intervals; there are others, again, which have not been observed in more than a few instances ; and of these last a series might easily be made out in which such instances became con- tinually fewer, till the number was reduced ultimately to one. Now under such circumstances it is clearly impos- sible to draw the line which Dr. Fleming has attempted to point out. For this reason, in the present work, the species above alluded to are noticed exactly in the same manner as those which are permanently resident in this country, or which visit it at fixed intervals. In so doing there is no wish to raise them to a higher rank in the Fauna than they really deserve. They are still considered only as Stragglers to a greater or less extent. But if it be the object of a Fauna to present naturalists with an account * Dr. Fleming himself must have experienced some difficulty in determining what species were to be "degraded to the rank of Stragglers," judging from the circumstance, that some which he has only briefly noticed as of this character, have in fact occurred in this country oftener than, many quite as often as, others described at length in the body of his work. X PREFACE. of such animals as are to be met with in their own country, it must surely include all those which have been known to occur in it hitherto. Neither is the reason obvious why the characters, or even a detailed description, of such species, should be suppressed. If it be quite certain that they have appeared in one instance, it cannot be deemed improbable, clearly not impossible, that they may occur in other in- stances*, and should this prove to be the case, it is very desirable that the student should have the means of iden- tifying them. A line of quite as much importance, in the opinion of the author, as that on which Dr. Fleming has insisted, and one more easily drawn, though never yet attempted to be drawn with accuracy -f, is that between species, the occurrence of which in this country at one time or another there is no ground for questioning, and others whose claims to be considered as British have not yet been made substan- tially good. In distinguishing between these two classes, the author has generally been guided, at least in the case of Birds, by the fact of the existence or not of British- killed specimens in any known collection, or by the com- parative recency of the occurrence of any species, and the circumstances under which that occurrence has been an- nounced. Species which are not to be found in any of our Museums, for which no authority is known, or whose claims rest on statements made many years back, at a time when specific differences were but little attended to, he has no hesitation in saying, ought to have a separate place • Several cases might be mentioned of species, which only a few years back had occurred but in a single instance, and which have since been met with more than once. •f This is said with reference only to the Vertebrate Division of the British Fauna. Mr. Stephens lias taken great pains to draw the line spoken of in the rase of our native Insects. PREFACE. XI allotted to them as doubtful natives, and not to be mixed up with others which labour under no uncertainty of this nature. Another line which the author has attempted to draw, is that between what may be termed good or genuine spe- cies, and such as are probably not distinct from others, or which are involved in some obscurity from the circum- stance of their true characters not being well understood. In this latter division he has placed such animals as the Catodon Sibbaldi of Fleming, the Red Lark of Lewin the Lacerta cedura and L. anguiformis of Sheppard, the Comber Wrasse of Pennant, the Lesser Fork-beard of Jago (Raniceps Jago, Flem.), and a vast many others, especially amongst the Fish, all which he would designate as doubtful species ; but he has not placed in it animals, such as the Eococcetus and Hippocampus^ which are perfectly good spe- cies, as well as undoubtedly British, but of which the exact species met with in our seas or islands remains to be deter- mined *. These are often cases in which it was not sup- posed that more than one species existed, at the time of their being enrolled in the British Fauna. It must now be explained in what way these and other divisions, under which the Animals of this country may be parcelled, are distinguished in the present work. For this purpose recourse has been had to different types, and to two distinct sets of numbers. Firstly, all those well-ascer- tained, or at least genuine species, which are met with at the present day, or which have undoubtedly occurred at one time or another within the record of history, have one continuous numbering in each Class respectively, and form * If there are cases which appear exceptions to this rule, such as those of the Manatus borealis of Fleming and the Albacore of Couch, they are instances in which not only the species, but even the genus, is as yet unascertained. Xll PREFACE. what may be termed the body of the work*. These are then divided into, firstly, such as are found now existing in a truly wild state ; secondly, such as are domesticated, or, when at large, are supposed to have been originally introduced into these Islands; and thirdly, such as were indigenous in former times, but are now extirpated. In the case of the truly wild and now existing species, which of course constitute the great bulk of the Fauna, and which may be subdivided by those who please into Residents, Periodical Visitants, and Stragglers, the names and specific characters are printed in Small Pica; the synonyms and descriptions in Bourgeois. In the case of the domesticated, naturalized, and extirpated species, these types are ex- changed for Bourgeois and Minion respectively ; the first two are, however, particularly distinguished by having an aste- risk (*) prefixed to their names, the last by a dagger (•[•) in like manner. The second principal division comprises the doubtful natives and doubtful species, which terms are employed in the sense in which they have been already explained. These, although inserted in their proper places in the system, are cut off, as it were, from all those above mentioned, and marked by a distinct numbering enclosed in brackets. The types resorted to are the same as those adopted in the case of the naturalized and extirpated species, but these types are here set a little way in from the margin. By such an arrangement the attention is more readily drawn to these animals which stand in such particular need of fur- ther investigation by the naturalist. * It may be here observed, that a single species has been inserted in the body of the work as British, which perhaps is hardly entitled to be considered in that light. The author alludes to the Baleena Physalus, Linn., of the oc- currence of which in our seas, he can find no certain instance on record. He also entertains some doubts respecting the Spurns Aurata, from the circumstance of its having been so often confounded with the S. oentrodontvs. PREFACE. Xlll Some other matters remain now to be spoken of. It has been already intimated that the descriptions are as far as possible original. It may be added, that in a large number of instances they are derived from recent specimens. It must be obvious, however, that in preparing a work of this nature, there will always be many species, especially among the large marine animals, which it is impossible for any individual to describe from his own observation. In such cases, then, recourse has been had to what have ap- peared the best authorities, more especially to such persons as have published any thing original on the species in question ; and where under such circumstances the accounts of authors differ, the discrepancies are pointed out. It is believed that in almost all the above cases the name of the author, from whom any thing is borrowed, is sub- joined*, who of course is responsible for the accuracy of what is stated. Desmarest and Scoresby (the last for the Cetaceous Animals) are the authorities mostly resorted to in the Class Mammalia ; Temminck in that of Birds ; Cuvier and Valenciennes, as well as Bloch, and occasion- ally Pennant and Donovan, in that of Fish. By some it may be thought that the descriptions are too long, and run needlessly into detail. But when it is considered how many species have been overlooked from their supposed identity with others; how many, some even of the most common occurrence, have been misunderstood, and referred * A few instances occur in the Class Mammalia, in which this authority was omitted to be annexed. The cases in question are those of the Extirpated Quad- rupeds, the Common and Great Seals, the Walrus, the Red Deer, the Roe, and two or three of the Cetacea, the descriptions of which have been borrowed, partly from Desmarest, and partly from other sources. There are also three species of Birds similarly circumstanced ; the Shore Lark, the Rock Ptarmigan, and the Virginian Partridge. The description of the first is taken from Temminck and Wilson; that of the second from Sabine, and the "Fauna Boreali-Ame- ricana;" that of the third from Temminck. XIV PREFACE. to others which perhaps are not inhabitants of this country ; and that these and similar errors have arisen not merely from the imperfect, but, it must be added, careless de- scriptions which have been given of such animals, it is hoped that the pains which have been taken to render this portion of the work as complete and accurate as pos- sible, will not be thought entirely thrown away. The plan which the author has adopted in most instances, in the case of the Fish especially, which of all our British Ver- tebrata have till lately been the least attended to, and, in regard to the distinction of species, the worst under- stood, has been to describe as minutely as possible the first species in each genus, or sub-genus if it present a marked modification of form, and then, when there were other nearly allied species, to restrict himself principally to the differences which were observable in these last, with reference to the first and to one another. By this method, which is adopted from MM. Cuvier and Valenciennes, the enquirer is more readily enabled to identify the particular species he may have before him. In the Class of Birds, the different variations of plumage, arising from age and season, have been pointed out and characterized so far as they are known ; and this plan has been pursued even in the case of those species which have occurred in this country as yet only in the immature state, for the more complete guidance of our own naturalists, in the event of their being met with in the adult plumage. What has been said of the descriptions applies also to the measurements. They are to be considered as original, excepting where the name of any author stands attached to them. They have been taken with much care, in by far the larger number of instances, from recently killed specimens, and many of them are the mean results obtained from mea- PREFACE. XV suring a large number of individuals. In the Class of Birds, they are generally those of the male.) unless stated to the contrary. It may be observed that in this Class the entire length is measured from the tip of the bill to the ex- tremity of the tail; the length of the bill is estimated in two directions, firstly from the frontal feathers, following the curvature of the ridge, secondly from the gape or angle of the mouth ; the length of the tail is measured from the extremity of the longest quill to its insertion in the coccyx. Fish being very variable in size, and having no very well marked limit of growth, it was thought that the absolute dimensions of any species, would, if given, prove of little value. Hence in this Class, the author has gene- rally restricted himself to noting the average length to which the species attains; the relative proportions, which are often of great importance, being introduced into the body of the description. With reference to these propor- tions, it may be stated, that the entire length, unless men- tioned to the contrary, is always measured to the extremity of the caudal fin. The length of the head is measured from the end of the snout to the posterior margin of the gill-cover. The depth (termed the breadth in the case of the Pleuro- nectidce) is reckoned vertically from the most elevated point in the line of the back, termed the dorsal line, to the cor- responding point in the line of the abdomen, or ventral line, the dorsal and anal fins, unless mentioned to the contrary, not being included. It may be added that in computing the fin-ray formula, which is similar to that adopted by MM. Cuvier and Va- lenciennes, all the rays are included which it was possible to distinguish, on the ground that if the short rays be omitted, which often pass insensibly into the longer ones, XVI PREFACE. it were difficult to know where to begin the reckoning. The mention of this circumstance will serve to explain why the number of fin-rays as stated in this work will be often found to exceed the number given by former authors, who appear in general to have made their computation without much attempt at accuracy. The above remark, however, does not apply to the caudal fin, in which, generally, though not always, there is a tolerably well marked line of separa- tion between what may be termed the principal rays, and the accessory or shorter ones. In many instances, in which this distinction is evident, these two kinds of rays are reckoned separately. Appended to the description of each species, are a few general remarks illustrative of its habits; more especially those connected with locality, food, and propagation. It was thought that these would render the work more gene- rally useful. Many of them are the result of the author's own observation, though some are confessedly obtained from other sources. On the subject of Classification, it must be remarked that the system of no one individual author has been rigidly adhered to. Regard has been paid to what has been written on this subject by the most recent writers in each department, and all the larger groups, as well as, in most instances, their mode of collocation, have been derived from such sources. The arrangement of the Mammalia has been drawn up from a combined view of the system of Cuvier, and the systems of Gray * and MacLeay f. That of the Birds from a similar view of the system of Vigors J, and the modifications of that system as adopted by Swainson and * Ann. of Phil. vol. xxvi. p. 337. f Linn. Trans, vol. xvi. p. 1, &c. \ Linn. Trans, vol. xiv. p. 395. See also some Articles by the same author in the first and second volumes of the " Zoological Journal." PREFACE. XV11 Selby ; assistance has been also gained, in regard to the situation of a few genera, from the system of Lesson *. The arrangement of the Reptiles and Amphibious Animals is for the most part in accordance with that in the " Regne Animal" of Cuvier. The author has, however, followed Latreille and many modern naturalists in considering these groups as two distinct classes. The arrangement of the Fish is likewise similar to that in the second edition of the " Regne Animal," excepting a slight alteration in the value of the larger groups, adopted from the Prince of Musig- nano-f-. In no case must it be imagined that the order of affinities is exactly the same as the order of arrange- ment given, since, if it be true that all natural groups be circular, an opinion now generally prevalent, and one in which the author is strongly disposed to join, it is clearly impossible to preserve such a coincidence under circumstances which necessarily entail the appearance of a linear series. The author has also exercised his own judgment in the adoption of certain genera and sub-genera. With re- spect to these last, having expressed his views elsewhere j, it is unnecessary to repeat them in this place. He may simply state that he has endeavoured to acknowledge, and to act up to, the principle which he has there advocated ; although, from the ignorance in which we are upon the subject of the real value of many groups, it cannot be doubted that numerous instances occur, in which he has failed making a correct application of it. Being aware of * Traitt d' Ornithologie ; ou Tableau mtthodique des Ordres, Sous-ordres, Families, Tribus, Genres, Sous-genres et Races d'Oiseaux. Par. 1831. 8vo. •f Saggio di una Distribuzione metodica degli Animali Vertebrati. Rom. 1831. 8vo. The alteration above alluded to has been adopted by the author since the publication of his " Systematic Catalogue/' £ Loud. Mag. of Nat. Hist. vol. vi. p. 385. and vol. vn. p. 97- b XV111 1J HE FACE. the dislike which many of our own naturalists have to the adoption of sub-genera, he begs to state that they are inserted in such a manner, that any one who chooses may place them upon the same footing with the genera, or, if he be not a friend to the subdivision of the old-established groups, take no notice of them at all. Instead of prefixing the generic characters to the several genera respectively as they occur in order, they are pre- sented in a synoptic form at the head of each of the Classes, by which means a better view is obtained of the relative collocation and affinities of the larger groups. Moreover, the same kind of arrangement with respect to types pre- vails here, as that which occurs in the other part of the work. The characters of all those genera and sub-genera which contain truly wild, as well as genuine and now existing species, are printed in Small Pica and Bourgeois respectively, the names of the genera standing in LARGE CAPITALS, those of the sub-genera in SMALL CAPITALS. In the case of the domesticated, naturalized, and extirpated animals, these types are exchanged respectively, as before, for Bourgeois and Minion ; the first two, being, also in like manner, particularly distinguished by an asterisk, the last by a dagger. The same types are employed for the cha- racters of those genera and sub-genera which contain only doubtful natives or doubtful species, but these may be readily distinguished from the last by the circumstance of the names standing in ITALIC Capitals, which are large or small, as in the former instances, according as the group in question is either a genus or sub-genus. Moreover, in this division, the genera have a distinct num- bering enclosed in brackets: the sub-genera no numbering at all. It may be further observed, that the characters of the orders and families are printed in Pica, and that PREFACE. XIX here likewise the type is exchanged for one of subordinate size in the case of two families (Phasianidce and Siluridce), one containing no true natives, the other only a doubtful native. In accordance, also, with the rule before given, the former is distinguished by an asterisk ; the latter, by the name standing in ITALIC CAPITALS, and its being, as in the case of sub-genera similarly circumstanced, without a number. The specific characters, which are for the most part entirely new, have been drawn up, as far as practicable, with a view to the exact differences of species ; but the difficulty of doing this in the instance of the aquatic Birds, which are subject to such great changes of plumage from age and other circumstances, it must be confessed is very great, and has not in all cases been satisfactorily got over. In the Class of Fish, specific characters have seldom been added in the case of genera or sub-genera containing not more than one British species, or when given, bear refer- ence solely to other, nearly allied, European species ; the essential characters of those met with in other countries, in many groups, not having been hitherto determined with precision. The terms employed in characterizing the larger groups, or in drawing up the descriptions of species, have for the most part been derived from the works of Illiger*, Des- marest -j-, and Cuvier. The " Histoire Naturelle des Pois- sons" of this last author has been exclusively resorted to in the Class of Fish. To these works, the reader, to whom the terms are not familiar, is accordingly referred. * Prodromus Systematis Mammalium et Avium. Berol. 1811. 8vo. This work will be found to contain a very complete terminology with reference to the two classes of Mammalia and Birds. -j- Terminologic des Mammiferis ; prefixed to his " Mammalogie." XX PEE FACE. On the subject of Nomenclature it may be remarked that the oldest names have been adopted in most instances, unless a different one has been sanctioned by general use. As the author is of opinion that in common parlance there is no occasion to name the sub-genus, when speaking of any particular species, he has not thought it necessary to change the names of species which are the same as those of the sub-genera to which they belong. The synonyms will be found to embrace references to some of the principal writers, more especially those in our own country, who have treated of the different Classes, or of any subordinate group, or any particular species. These references have, in every instance, been examined person- ally by the author. To facilitate the inquiries of such persons, as may wish to examine for themselves on this subject, a complete list has been annexed of all those works, with their several editions, which are quoted, either for the synonyms, or for any other purpose. It has been thought proper to annex two distinct in- dexes, one containing the Latin, the other the English names. No pains have been spared to render them as complete as possible. It is believed that every name and synonym, in the above two languages, occurring in the body of the work, will be found in its proper place. It now only remains for the author to express his acknowledgments to those friends who have assisted him in this undertaking. To Mr. Yarrell in particular, he begs publicly to return his sincere thanks for the able help which he has experienced at his hands, and such as alone has enabled him to complete the work upon the plan first contemplated. This help has been especially felt upon the subject of the British Fishes. Had it not been for the very liberal manner in which that gentleman offered him PREFACE. XXI the almost unlimited use of his Manuscripts and rich col- lections, the author has no hesitation in saying that he could never have extended the Manual to that depart- ment, or presumed to enter upon a field, to which he was previously almost an entire stranger. Assistance, however, has been not the less afforded him in the other Classes. Mr. Yarrell's well-known practical acquaintance with our British Birds has enabled the author to detail more at length the changes of plumage to which some species are liable, and to correct a few errors into which previous writers had fallen on this subject. The same gentleman kindly volunteered an accurate description, accompanied by measurements, of the egg of every species, of which his extensive collection afforded specimens; thus enhancing the utility of the work by an addition, which, but for this circumstance, the author would have been unable to supply. He begs it may be distinctly understood that this portion of it is from the pen of Mr. Yarrell. To Mr. Gray, he desires to make an acknowledgment of the readiness with which he has at all times allowed him to consult the specimens in the British Museum. The same return must be made to the officers of the Zoolo- gical Society for similar liberty to examine a few specimens contained in their collection. In conclusion, the author may state that he has no intention of extending his work to the Invertebrate Divi- sion of the British Fauna. In the present advanced state of the Science, a complete Manual of all the Animals oc- curring in these Islands can only be accomplished by the united labours of many individuals. With the view, how- ever, of continuing his researches into that portion of it which is here treated of, he begs to solicit such observa- tions, notices of new or rare species, and, where it may XX11 PREFACE. not be inconvenient, specimens, as it may be in the power of any of his readers to supply. Even the Vertebrate Animals of our own country are far yet from being thoroughly understood. Much confusion prevails in se- veral groups, and, without doubt, many additional species remain to be detected. The Shrews and Bats amongst Quadrupeds ; the Cetaceous Animals ; the Wrasses, Gobies, Blennies, the Salmon Tribe, the Sharks and Rays, amongst Fish; these and other families might be pointed out, with respect to which we want more information, and which particularly invite the attention of the British Naturalist. Should any one be disposed to honour him with specimens in these or other instances, the author begs to state that they will not be reserved for his own use exclusively, but will, with the permission of the donor, be deposited in the Museum of the Cambridge Philosophical Society, which already possesses an extensive collection of British Animals, and which the author is anxious to render as perfect as possible in that department of the Fauna, to the advance- ment of which the Work now offered to the Public is directed. SWAFFHAM BULBECK, Oct. 24, 1835. THE Author takes this opportunity of expressing his grateful acknowledgments to the SYNDICS of the University Press, for their liberality in taking upon themselves the expense of printing this Work. ERRATA. PAGE LINK ERROR. 52 16 LANIID.E. 53 11 from the bottom; SYLVIID^E. 59 12 .- CERTHIID^E. 64 8 CHARADRIID^E. 126 7 vol. ii. 137 2 dele $. 160 13 European. 252 14 434 445 C. Urinator. 360 14 from the bottom, > ^ , , and elsewhere I Mackarel- CLUPEA, Linn. peritoneum. CORRECTION. LANIAD^E. SYLVIAD^:. CERTHIAD^. CHARADRIAD^E. vol. i. part ii. European. Colymbus Urinator. Mackerel. CLUPEA, Cuv. peritoneum. ALPHABETICAL LIST WORKS QUOTED. Ann. des Sci. — ANNALES des Sciences Naturelles. Paris, 1824, &c. 8vo. Ann. du Mus. — Annales du Museum d'Histoire Naturelle. Paris, 1802- 1813. 4to. 20vols. Ann. of Phil.— The Annals of Philosophy. New Series. Lond. 1821- 1826. 8vo. (Vol. 6, or 22 from the commencement, quoted.) Berkenh. Syn. — Berkenhout (J.). Synopsis of the Natural History of Great Britain and Ireland; being a Second Edition of the Out- lines, &c. Lond. 1789. 8vo. 2 vols. Bew. Brit. Birds.— Bewick (T.). A History of British Birds. Sixth Edition. Newcastle, 1826. 8vo. 2 vols. Quad. — Bewick (T.). A General History of Quadrupeds. The Figures engraved on Wood. Eighth Edition. Newcastle-upon-Tyne, 1824. 8vo. Block, Ichth — Bloch (M. E.). Ichthyologie ; ou Histoire Naturelle des Poissons. Berlin, 1785-1795. fol. 12 parts. Bon. Am. Orn. — Bonaparte (C. L.). American Ornithology; or the Natural History of Birds inhabiting the United States, not given by Wilson. Philadelph. 1825, &c. 4to. 4 vols. - Faun. Ital. — Bonaparte (C. L.). Iconographia della Fauna Italica. Rom. 1832, &c. fol. (In course of publication.) — - Syn.— Bonaparte (C. L.). The Genera of North American Birds, and a Synopsis of the Species found within the Territory of the United States. New York, 1828. 8vo. (From the Annals of the Lyceum of Natural History of New York.) Borl. Cornw.— Borlase (W.). The Natural History of Cornwall. Oxford, 1758. fol. Bowd. Brit. fr. wat. Fish.— Bowdich (Mrs. T. E.). The Fresh-water Fishes of Great Britain; drawn and described. Lond. ,1828, &c. 4to. (In course of publication.) xxvi LIST OF WORKS QUOTED. Brins. Orn. — Brisson. Ornithologia, sive Synopsis Methodica Avium, &c. Lug. Bat. 1763. 8vo. 2 vols. - Reg. An. — Brisson. Regnum Animale in classes ix. distributum, cum duarum primarum classium, Quadrupedum scilicet et Cetaceo- rum particular! divisione. Paris, 1756. 4to. Brown, Illust.— Brown (P.). New Illustrations of Zoology. Lond. 1776. 4to. Buff. Hist. Nat. — Buffon. Histoire Naturellc generate et particuliere, avec la description du Cabinet du Roi. Paris, 1750-1767. 4to. 15 vols. Bull, des Set. Nat. — Bulletin des Sciences Naturelles et de Geologic. Paris, 1824-1831. 8vo. (Vol. 4, for the year 1825, quoted.) Camb. Phil. Trans. — Transactions of the Cambridge Philosophical Society. Cambridge, 1822, &c. 4to. Child. Add. to Zool. CL— Children (J. G.). An Address delivered at the Anniversary Meeting of the Zoological Club of the Linnean Society, held Nov. 29, 1827. Lond. 1827. 8vo. Cuv. Oss. Foss. — Cuvier (G.). Recherches sur les Ossemens Fossiles. Paris, 1821-1824. 4to. 5 vols. Reg. An. — Cuvier, (G.) Le Regne Animal distribue d'apres son organisation. Paris, 1817. 8vo. 4 vols. The same. Paris, 1829. 8vo. 5 vols. (The second edition is the one quoted, unless stated to the contrary.) fy Vol. Poiss. — Cuvier et Valenciennes. Histoire Naturelle des Poissons. Paris, 1828-1833. 4to. 9 vols. (In course of publication.) Dan. Rur. Sports.— Daniel (W. B.). Rural Sports. Lond. 1801-1802. 4to. 2 vols. Daud. Hist. Nat. des Rept.— Daudin (F. M.). Histoire Naturelle des Reptiles. Paris, 1805. 8vo. 8 vols. Desm. Mammal. — Desmarest (A. G.). Mammalogie ; ou description des especes de Mammiferes. Paris, 1820-1822. 4to. 2 parts. Don. Brit. Birds.— Donovan (E.). The Natural History of British Birds. Lond. 1794-1819. 8vo. 10 vols. - Brit. Fish.— Donovan (E.). The Natural History of British Fishes. Lond. 1808. 8vo. 5 vols. - Brit. Quad. — Donovan (E.). The Natural History of British Quadrupeds. Lond. 1820. 8vo. 3 vols. Edinb. Journ. of Nat. and Geog. Sci. — The Edinburgh Journal of Na- tural and Geographical Science. Edinb. 1830, &c. Directed by W. Ainsworth and H. Cheek. 8vo. 3 vols. Edinb. New Phil. Journ. — The Edinburgh New Philosophical Journal. Conducted by R. Jameson. Edinb. 1826, &c. 8vo. LIST OF WORKS QUOTED. xxvii Edinb. Phil. Journ. — The Edinburgh Philosophical Journal. Conducted by R. Jameson. Edinb. 1819-1826. 8vo. 14 vols. Edw. Glean. — Edwards (G.). Gleanings of Natural History. Lond. 1758-1764. 4to. 3 parts. - Nat. Hist. — Edwards (G.). A Natural History of uncommon Birds, and of some other rare and undescribed Animals. Lond. 1743-1751. 4to. 4 parts. Encycl. Brit. — Encyclopaedia Britannica. Seventh Edition. Edited by Professor Napier. Edinb. 1834, &c. 4to. (In course of publication.) Faun. Bor. Am. — Fauna Boreali- Americana ; or the Zoology of the Northern parts of British America. Part second, The Birds. By W. Swainson, and J. Richardson. Lond. 1831. 4to. - Franq. — Faune Franchise, ou Histoire Naturelle, generate et par- ticuliere, des Animaux qui se trouvent en France, &c. Par MM. Vieillot, Desmarest, De Blainville, Audinet-Serville, St. Fargeau, et Walkenaer. Paris, 1824, &c. 8vo. (Incomplete.) Flem. Brit. An. — Fleming (J.). A History of British Animals, &c. Edinb. 1828. 8vo. - Phil. ZooL — Fleming (J.). The Philosophy of Zoology; or a general view of the structure, functions, and classification of Animals. Edinb. 1822. 8vo. 2 vols. Gmel. Linn. — Gmelin (J. F.). Caroli a Linne, Systema Naturae, &c. Lips. 1788, &c. 8vo. vol. i., Animal Kingdom. Gould, Europ. Birds.— Gould (J.). The Birds of Europe. Lond. 1832, &c. fol. (In course of publication.) Gray, Syn. Rept.—GTay (J. E.). Synopsis Reptilium ; or short descrip- tions of the Species of Reptiles. Part i. Cataphracta. Lond. 1831. 8vo. (No more has been hitherto published.) Grew, Rar.—Giew (N.). Musaeum Regalis Societatis ; or a Catalogue and Description of the natural and artificial Rarities belonging to the Royal Society and preserved at Gresham College. Lond. 1681. fol. Hast. Worcest.— Hastings (C.). Illustrations of the Natural History of Worcestershire, &c. Lond. 1834. 8vo. Heysh. Cumb. An. — Heysham (J.). A Catalogue of Cumberland Ani- mals. (Prefixed to the 1st volume of Hutchinsons History of the County of Cumberland. Carlisle, 1794. 4to.) Horsf. ZooL Research.— Horsfield (T.). Zoological Researches in Java, and the nefghbouring Islands. Lond. 1824. 4to. Jago. — Catalogus quorundam Piscium rariorum, quos oris CornubisB maritimis nuper observavit, et delineavit, &c. G. Jago, &c. (In Rays Synopsis Piscium, p. 162-166.) xxvih LIST OF WORKS QUOTED. Jard. and Selb. Orn.— Jardine (W.) and Selby (P. J.). Illustrations of Ornithology. Edinb. 1827, &c. 4to. (In course of publication.) Jen. Cat. of Brit. Vert. An.— Jenyns (L.). A Systematic Catalogue of British Vertebrate Animals. Cambridge, 1835. 8vo. Jesse, Glean.— Jesse (E.). Gleanings in Natural History. Second Series. Lond. 1834.. 8 vo. Journ. de Phys.— Journal de Physique, de Chimie, d'Histoire Naturelle, et des Arts. Paris, 1773-1823. 4to. (Vol. 71, the only one quoted.) Lactp Cefac.— La Cepede. Histoire Naturelle des Cetacees. Paris, 1803. 4to. - Pom. — La Cepede. Histoire Naturelle des Poissons. Paris, 1798- 1803. 4to. 5 vols. Lath. Ind. Orn. — Latham (J.). Index Ornithologicus ; sive Sy sterna Ornithologise ; &c. Lond. 1790. 4to. 2 vols. Syn. — Latham (J.). A General Synopsis of Birds. Lond. 1781- 1785. 4to. 3 vols. in 6 parts. Supp. — Supplement to the General Synopsis of Birds. Lond. 1787. 4to. Supplement n. Lond. 1801. 4to. Latr. Salam. de France. — Latreille. Histoire Naturelle des Salamandres de France, precede d'un Tableau methodique des autres Reptiles indigenes. Paris, 1800. 8vo. Leach, Zool. Misc. — Leach (W. E.). The Zoological Miscellany ; being descriptions of new, or interesting Animals. Lond. 1814-1817. 8vo. 3 vols. Leigh, Lancash. — Leigh (C.). The Natural History of Lancashire, Cheshire, and the Peak, in Derbyshire, &c. Oxford, 1700. fol. Lew. Brit. Birds.— Lewin (W.) The Birds of Great Britain, with their Eggs, accurately figured. Lond. 1789-1794. 4to. 7 vols. Linn. Syst. Nat.— Linnseus (C.). Systema Naturae, &c. Edit. 12. Holm. 1766-1768. 8vo. 3 vols. Vol. 1, Animal Kingdom. Linn. Trans. — Transactions of the Linnean Society of London. Lond. 1791, &c. 4to. LInstit. — L'Institut; Journal des Academies et Societes scientifiques de la France et de 1'Etranger. Paris, 1833, &c. 4to. Lond. fy Edinb. Phil. Mag. — The London and Edinburgh Philosophical Magazine and Journal of Science. By Sir D. Brewster, R. Taylor, and R. Philips. Lond. 1832, &c. 8vo. Lond. Quart. Journ. of Set. — The Quarterly Journal of Science, Litera- ture, and the Arts. Lond. 1816-1830. 8vo. 29 vols. Loud. Mag. of Nat. Hist. — The Magazine of Natural History, and Journal of Zoology, Botany, Mineralogy, Geology, and Meteorology. Conducted by J. C. Loudon. Lond. 1829, &c. 8vo. LIST OF WORKS QUOTED. xxix Low, Faun. Ore. — Low (G.). Fauna Orcadensis ; or the Natural History of the Quadrupeds, Birds, Reptiles, and Fishes, of Orkney and Shetland. Edinb. 1813. 4to. Lyell, Geol.—Lyell (C.). Principles of Geology, &c. Lond. 1830-183?. 8vo. 3 vols. Mac Cull. West. Isles.— Mac Culloch (J.). A Description of the Western Islands of Scotland, including the Isle of Man. Lond. 1819. 2 vols. 8vo. and 4to atlas of plates. Mem. de la Soc. de Gen.— Memoires de la Societe de Physique, et d'Histoire Naturelle de Geneve. Genev. 1821, &c. 4to. (Vol.. 3 quoted.) Mem. du Mus. — Memoires du Museum d'Histoire Naturelle. Paris, 1815-1832. 4to. 20 vols. Merr. Pin. — Merrett (C.). Pinax Rerum Naturalium Britannicarum. Lond. 1666. 8vo. Mont. Orn. Diet.— Montagu (G.). Ornithological Dictionary ; or Al- phabetical Synopsis of British Birds. Lond. 1802. 8vo. 2 vols. Supp— Montagu (G.). Supplement to the Ornithological Dictionary. Exeter, 1813. Svo. Mull. Zool. Dan.— Muller (O. F.), Zoologia Danica. Haun. 1788-1806. fol. 4 vols. Nash, Worcest.—Nzsh (T.). Collections for the History of Worcester- shire. Lond. 1781. fol. 2 vols. Newcast. Nat. Hist. Trans. — Transactions of the Natural History Society of Northumberland, Durham, and Newcastle. Newcast. 1831, &c. 4to. Nichol. Journ. — A Journal of Natural Philosophy, Chemistry, and the Arts. Lond. 1802-1813. Svo. 36 vols. (Vol. 22, for the year 1809, Nilss. Prod. Ichth. Scand. — Nilsson (S.). Prodromus Ichthyologiae Scandinavicse. Lund. 1832. Svo. Nutt. Orn. of Un. St.— Nuttall (T.). A Manual of the Ornithology of the United States and of Canada. Boston, 1832-1834. Svo. 2 vols. Osbeck, Voy. to China. — Osbeck (P.). A Voyage to China and the East Indies. Lond. 1771. Svo. 2 vols. (Translated from the German by J. R. Forster.) Paget, Nat. Hist, of Yarm— Paget (C. J. & J.). Sketch of the Natural History of Yarmouth an:l its Neighbourhood, containing Catalogues of the Species of Animals, Birds, Reptiles, Fish, Insects, and Plants, at present known. Yarmouth, 1834. Svo. Perm. Arct. Zool.— Pennant (T.). Arctic Zoology. Lond. 1792. 4to. 2 vols. xxx LIST OF WORKS QUOTED. Penn. Brit. Zoo/. — Pennant (T.). British Zoology. Fourth Edition. Loud. 1776-1777. 8vo. 4 vols. The same. New Edition. Lond. 1812. 8vo. 4 vols. (The Fourth Edition is the one quoted, unless stated to the contrary.) Phil. Trans. — Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society of Lon- don. Lond. 1665, &c. 4to. Plot, Oxfordsh.—P\ot (R.). The Natural History of Oxfordshire. Ox- ford, 1705. fol. (Second Edition.) Proceed, nf Berw. Nat. Club. — Proceedings of the Berwickshire Natu- ralist's Club. Edinb. 1834, &c. 8vo. - Zool. Soc. — Proceedings of the Zoological Society of London. Lond. 1830, &c. 8vo. Pult. Cat. Dors.— Pulteney (R.). Catalogue of the Birds, Shells, and some of the more rare Plants of Dorsetshire. From the new and enlarged Edition of Mr. Hutchin's History of that county. Lond. 1813. fol. Quart. Rev,— The Quarterly Review, vol. 47. Lond. 1832. 8vo. Ray, Syn, Av. — Ray (J.). Synopsis methodica Avium. Lond. 1713. 8vo. Syn. Pise. — Ray (J.). Synopsis methodica Piscium. Lond. 1713. 8vo. Syn. Quad — Ray, (J.). Synopsis methodica Animalium Quad- rupedum et Serpentini Generis. Lond. 1 693. 8vo. Richards. App. Parr. Voy. — Richardson (J.). Zoological Appendix to Parry's Second Voyage. 1824. 4to. Riss. Hist. Nat.— Risso (A.). Histoire Naturelle des principales produc- tions de VEurope Meridionale, et particulierement de celles des environs de Nice et des Alpes maritimes. .Par. 1826. 8vo. 5 vols. (Vol. 3, quoted.) Rces. Ran. — Roesel (A. J.). Historia Natutulis Ranarum nostratium. Nurnberg. 1758. fol. Rond. Pise. — Rondeletius (G.). De Piscibus marinis. Lug. Bat. 1554. fol. Ross, Voy. App. — Appendix to Ross's Voyage of Discovery. Lond. 1819. 4to. Sab. Supp. Parr. Voy. — A Supplement to the Appendix of Captain Parry's Voyage for the discovery of a N. W. passage in the years 1819, 1820, containing an account of the subjects of Natural History. Lond. 1824. 4to. The Birds by Capt. Sabine. Salmon. — Salmonia; or Days of Fly-fishing. By an Angler. Second Edition. Lond. 1829. 8vo. Scorcab. Arct. Reg. — Scoresby (W.). An Account of the Arctic Regions, with a history and description of the Northern Whale-fishery. Edinb. 1820. 8v:>. 2 vols. LIST OF WORKS QUOTED. xxxi Selb. Illust.-Sclby (P. J.). Illustrations of British Ornithology. Edinb. 1833. 8vo. 2 vols. Plates to the same. Eleph. fol. Shaw, Gen. Zool— Shaw (G.). General Zoology. Lond. 1800-1826. 8vo. 14 vols. (The last six volumes arg by Mr, Stephens.) Nat. Misc.— Shaw (G.). The Naturalists Miscellany. Lond. 1790, &c. 8vo. 24 vols. Sibb. Phalain.— Sibbald (R.). Phalainologia Nova; sive observationes de rarioribus quibusdam Balsenis in Scotise Littus nuper ejectis. Edinb. 1773. 8vo. - Scot. Illust.— Sibbald (R.). Scotia Illustrata; sive Prodromus Historic Naturalis, &c. Edinb. 1684. fol. Sloane, Jam.— Sloane (Hans). A Voyage to the Islands Madeira, Bar- bados, Nieves, St. Christophers and Jamaica, with the Natural History of the last of those Islands. Lond. 1707-1725. fol. Sow. Brit. M'sc— Sowerby (J.). The British Miscellany; or coloured figures of new, rare, or little known Animal subjects ; many not before ascertained to be inhabitants of the British Isles, vol. 1. Lond. 1806. 8vo. (The work was not continued beyond the frst volume.) Stew. El. of Nat. Hist.— Stewart (C.). Elements of the Natural History of the Animal Kingdom. Second Edition. Edinb. 1817. 8vo. 2 vols. Swains. Zool. III. — Swainson ( W.). Zoological Illustrations ; or original figures and descriptions of new, rare, or interesting Animals, &c. Lond. 1820-1823. 8vo. 3 vols. Temm. Man. d'Orn. — Temminck (C. J.)- Manuel d'Ornithologie, ou Tableau Systematique des Oiseaux qui se trouvcnt en Europe ; &e. Second Edition. Parts 1 & 2. Paris, 1820. Part 3. Par. 1835. 8vo. Monog. de Mamm. — Temminck (C. J.)- Monographies de Mam- malogie. Paris, 1827. 4to. Pig. et Gall. — Temminck (C. J.). Histoire Naturelle Generate des Pigeons et des Gallinaces. Amsterdam, 1813-1815. 8vo. 3 vols. Turt. Brit. Faun.— Turton (W.)- British Fauna; containing a Com- pendium of the Zoology of the British Islands. Swansea, 1807. 12mo. Linn.— Turton (W.). A General System of Nature, &c. Trans- lated from Gmelin's last edition of the Systema Naturae, by Sir Charles Linne. Swansea, 1800. 8vo. Vols. 1-4, Animal Kingdom. Vieill. Gal. Ois.— Vieillot (L. P.). La Gallerie des Oiseaux. Paris, 1825. 4to. 2 vols. Wagl. Syst. Av. — Wagler (J.). Systema Avium. Pars prima. Stutt- gard, 1827. 8vo. (Incomplete.) xxxii LIST OF WORKS QUOTED. Wern. Mew.— Memoirs of the Wernerian Natural History Society. Edinb. 1811,&c. 8vo. White, Selb.— White (G.). The Natural History of Selborne, to which are added The Naturalist's Calendar, Miscellaneous Observations, and Poems. Lond. Edit. 1813. 8vo. 2 vols. Will. Hist. Pise.— Willughby (F.). De Historia Piscium Libri Quatuor, &c. Totum opus recognovit, coaptavit, supplevit, Librum etiam primum et secundum integros adjecit, Johannes Raius. Cura Cromwelli Mortimeri, M.D. Lond. 1743. fol. Wils. Amer. Orn. — Wilson (A.). American Ornithology ; or the Natural History of the Birds of the United States. Philadelph. 1808—1814. 4to. 8 vols. Yarr. Brit. Fish.— Yarrell (W.). A History of British Fishes. Illustrated by Wood-cuts of all the species, vol. 1. Lond. 1835. 8vo. (In course of publication.) Zool. Journ.—The Zoological Journal. Lond. 1825, &c. 8vo. VERTEBRATA. VERTEBRATE animals are characterized by having the brain and principal trunk of the nervous system included in a bony articulated case, composing the skull and vertebral column. They have all red blood, and a muscular heart. The mouth is fur- nished with two jaws moving vertically. They have distinct organs of sight, hearing, smell, and taste. The limbs are never more than four in number. The sexes are in all cases separate. They are divisible into the following five classes : * With warm blood: heart with two auricles and two ventricles. I. MAMMALIA Viviparous animals, suckling their young : breathing by lungs. Body generally covered with hair, and furnished in most cases with four feet. II. AVES Oviparous animals; breathing by lungs. Body covered with feathers ; furnished with two wings and two feet. A 2 VERTEBRATA. ** With cold Hood: heart with one or two auricles, and one ventricle. III. REPTILIA — ^Oviparous animals; breathing by lungs. Body covered with scales or shelly plates. Impregnation effected by sexual union : the young undergoing no metamorphosis. 4 IV. AMPHIBIA Oviparous animals; breathing by lungs and gills. Body covered with a soft naked skin : feet without claws. Eggs impregnated after exclusion: the young undergoing metamorphosis. V. PISCES Oviparous animals; breathing by gills only. Body covered with scales, and furnished with fins instead of feet. CLASS I- MAMMALIA § i. Incisor, canine, and molar teeth all present, forming a continuous series. ORDER I. FERjE. Feet armed with strong claws : mammae abdominal : penis sheathed. * Six incisors in each jaw : grinders of three sorts. •f- Walk on the soles of the feet. 1 1. URSUS. — Lower incisors set in the same line : grinders varying in number, the three last large and tubercular: no glandular pouch under the tail. 2. MELES, — Second incisor on each side in the lower jaw placed behind the others : grinders five above and six below on each side; the first very small, the last tubercular : body low on the legs : a glandular pouch or scent-bag under the tail. -)••(• Walk on the extremities of the toes. 3. MU STELA Grinders varying in number : body very much elongated : feet short ; the toes separate : ears short and rounded. (1. MUSTELA.) Grinders five above and six below on each side : tongue smooth. (2. PUTORIUS.) Grinders four above and five below on each side; tongue rough. A2 4 MAMMALIA. 4. LUTRA. — Grinders five above and five or six below : body long : feet short, with five palmated toes : head depressed : ears very short : tongue slightly rough : tail flattened horizontally. 5. CANIS Grinders six above and seven below on each side ; the two last in each jaw tubercular : ears moderately large : tongue smooth : claws not retractile. (1. CANIS.) Pupil circular. (2. VULPES.) Pupil linear: tail bushy. 6. FELIS Grinders four above and three below on each side ; no tubercular grinder in the lower jaw : tongue armed with prickly papillae pointing backwards : claws retractile. ** Teeth various : feet short and fin-shaped, adapted to swimming ; those behind horizontal. 7. PHOCA Incisors and tusks in both jaws : grinders uniform ; each of three lobes ; the central lobe triangular, large and cutting, the anterior and posterior lobes small. 8. TRICHECHUS — No incisors or tusks in the lower jaw: tusks in the upper jaw greatly produced, directed downwards : grinders cylindrical, short, and obliquely truncated. *** Incisors varying in number : summits of the grinders with conical points : soles of the hinder feet applied to the ground. 9. TALPA Incisors six above and eight below, nearly equal: tusks large: grinders seven above and six below on each side : body very thick : fore feet short and broad, formed for digging : tail short : no external ears : eyes very minute. MAMMALIA. 5 10. SOREX. — Two middle incisors produced beyond the others ; those above bent and notched at the base : lateral incisors or false tusks very small: grinders four above and three below on each side : body covered with hair : snout attenuated : tail long. 11. ERINACEUS. — Two middle incisors produced be- yond the others, longer than the tusks; those above cylindrical, with a space between : grinders five above and four below on each side : body covered with spines : tail very short. ORDER II. PRIMATES. Claws flat and small : anterior extremities with a distinct thumb : mammae pectoral : penis free and pendulous. VESPERTILIONID^E.— Incisors varying in number ; summits of the grinders armed with sharp points : anterior and posterior extremities connected by a naked expansion of the s&in, adapted to flight: fingers very long. 12. RHINOLOPHUS — Incisors two above and four below : grinders five on each side above and below : nostrils with two foliaceous appendages, the posterior one erect : ears free ; tragus wanting. 13. VESPERTILIO Incisors four above and six below : grinders varying in number : nostrils without foliaceous appendages : ears sometimes free, sometimes united at their base ; tragus always present. (1. VESPERTILIO.) Ears moderately large, lateral, separate : grinders from four to six above, and from three to six below on each side. MAMMALIA. (2. PLECOTUS.) Ears very large, much longer than the head, with their inner edges united at the base above the eyes : grinders five above and six below on each side. (3. BARBASTELLUS.) Ears moderate, united at the base above the eyes: a flat naked space on the forehead surrounded by a membraneous edge : grinders four on each side above and below. 0 //. Incisor, canine, and molar teeth not all present, or not forming a continuous series. ORDER III. GLIRES. Incisors two in each jaw, large, and strong, remote from the grinders: tusks none: toes distinct, with small conical claws. * Furnished with strong clavicles. 14. SCIURUS Grinders simple, with tubercular summits, five above and four below on each side : upper incisors chisel-shaped ; lower ones pointed, compressed laterally : toes long, armed with sharp claws : tail long and bushy. 15. MYOXUS. — Grinders simple, their summits mark- ed with transverse ridges of enamel, four on each side above and below : hair very soft and fine : tail very long, somewhat bushy. 16. MUS.-^-Grinders simple, with tubercular summits, three on each side above and below : upper incisors wedge- shaped, lower ones compressed and pointed: tail nearly naked, annulated with scales. 17. AR VI COL A. — Grinders compound, with flat sum- mits, the enamel appearing in ridges on the surface : upper MAMMALIA. 7 incisors chisel-shaped, lower ones pointed: tail round and hairy, shorter than the body. 1 18. CASTOR. — Grinders compound, with flat summits, four on each side above and below : toes of the hinder feet palmated : tail oval, de- pressed, and covered with scales. ** Clavicles rudimentary. 19. LEPUS Two subsidiary incisors in the upper jaw immediately behind the others : grinders six above and five below on each side, the summits flat, with transverse plates of enamel : inside of the cheeks hairy : ears very large : toes five before and four behind! tail short, and turned up. * 20. CAVIA. — Grinders compound ; each with one simple and one fork-shaped plate of enamel ; four on each side above and below : toes four before and three behind: tail none. ORDER IV. UNGULATA. Teeth various: incisors and tusks often wanting in one or both jaws : grinders of one sort : toes large, covered with hoofs. * No incisors in the upper jaw ; eight in the lower : two middle toes separate : frontal bones furnished with horns: ruminate. *(• Horns hollow, growing on a bony core ; persistent. * 21. BOS. — Horns smooth; directed laterally at first, afterwards re- curved: body thick and heavy: limbs strong: tail moderately long, terminated by a tuft of hair : four inguinal mammae. * 22. OVIS. — Horns rough and angular; directed backwards and laterally, more or less spirally twisted : chin without a beard : limbs rather slender: tail moderately short: two inguinal mammse. * 23. CAPRA. — Horns rough and angular; directed upwards and backwards: chin bearded: tail short: mammae two. 8 MAMMALIA. •ff Horns bony and solid: deciduous. 24. CERVUS. — Horns branched or palmated; while growing covered with a soft velvety skin : body and limbs slender : four inguinal mammae. ** Six incisors in each jaw : two middle toes soldered in one : no horns : do not ruminate. 25. EQUUS. *** Six incisors in each jaw ; lower ones projecting forwards: four toes on each foot; two middle ones large and hoofed, lateral ones much smaller and not touching the ground. t* 26. SUS. — Tusks exserted, inclining both upwards and to one side : snout elongated, and truncated at the extremity : body covered with stiff bristles. ORDER V. CETACEA. Teeth various; sometimes entirely wanting: body fish-shaped : anterior extremities in the form of fins; posterior united, forming a flat horizontal tail. * Grinders with fiat summits : nostrils at the ex- tremity of the snout9 not acting as blow-holes: whiskers very distinct: mamma pectoral. (1.) MAN A TUS.— Grinders eight or nine on each side above and below; with two transverse ridges on the summits: no incisors or tusks in the adult state : vestiges of nails on the margins of the pectoral fins. (2.) STELLER US.— A single grinder on each side above and below ; summit flat with projecting plates of enamel : fins without vestiges of nails. MAMMALIA. 9 ** Teeth, when present, conical: nostrils opening on the crown of the head, acting as blow-holes: whiskers none: mammce near the anus. •f- Head small : blow-holes united. 27. DELPHINUS — Both jaws with numerous teeth, all simple and equal. (1. DELPHINUS.) Snout produced into a beak, broad at its base, rounded at its extremity, and separated from the forehead by a kind of furrow : a dors'al fin. (2. PHOCCENA.) Snout short and blunt; not beaked : a dorsal fin. (3. DELPHI NAPTERA.) Head blunt; snout not produced: no dorsal fin. 28. MONODON Head blunt: no true teeth; upper jaw with one, rarely two, very long straight tusks pro- jecting forwards in a line with the body : no dorsal fin. 29. HYPEROODON Snout produced: teeth gene- rally but two in number, placed in front of the lower jaw : palate studded with tubercles : a dorsal fin. •f**f* Head very large; half or one third of the entire length. 30. PHYSETER Head enormously large, truncated in front : upper jaw without whalebone or visible teeth ; teeth in the lower jaw numerous : blow-holes united. (1. CATODON.) No dorsal fin. (2. PHYSETER.) An elevated dorsal fin. 31. BALJSNA Head very large: palate furnished with whalebone : no teeth : blow-holes separate. (I. BAL^ENA.) No dorsal fin. (2. BAL^ENOPTERA.) A dorsal fin. 10 MAMMALIA. [Unsus. ORDER I. FER.E. t GEN. 1. URSUS, Linn. 1- 1. U. Arctos, Linn. (Brown Bear.) — Blackish brown: forehead convex above the eyes : snout suddenly tapering : soles of the hinder feet moderately long. U. Arctos, Desmar. Mammal, p. 163. Common Bear, Shaw, Gen. Zool. vol. i. p. 450. pi. 102. DIMENS. Length of the head and body three feet seven inches ; of the head one foot ; of the fore foot seven inches seven lines ; of the hinder foot eight inches ten lines. DESCRIPT. Body entirely covered with thick shaggy hair, varying in colour from chestnut brown to black : soles of the fore feet with their anterior half naked ; those behind naked throughout : ears short and rounded : eyes small : tail very short. Formerly an inhabitant of Great Britain ; but extirpated many centuries back. Infested Scotland (according to Pennant) so late as the year 1057. Still common on many parts of the European continent. GEN. 2. MELES, Cuv. 2. M. Taxus, Flem. (Badger.)— t-Gray above, black beneath ; a black band on each side of the head extending from the nose over the eyes to behind the ears. M. Taxus, Flem. Brit. An. p. 9. M. vulgaris, Des?n. Mammal, p. 173* Badger, Penn. Brit. Zool. vol. i. p. 85. pi. 8. no. 13. Shaw, Gen. Zool. vol. i. p. 467. pi. 106. DIMENS. Length of the head and body two feet six inches; of the head six inches eight lines; of the ears one inch four lines; of the tail seven inches. DESCRIPT. Body thick and clumsy : hair rigid and very long ; gray on the upper parts, black on the throat, breast, belly, and legs : head above white, with a longitudinal black spot on each side, which takes its origin between the extremity of the nose and the eye, and terminates behind the ear : toes five on each foot : claws long and bent : eyes very small : ears short and rounded, almost concealed in the hair : a trans- verse glandular pouch between the tail and the anus, secreting a foetid substance. Found in several parts of the kingdom, but not of very general occur- rence. Burrows in the ground, concealing itself during the day, and coming abroad at night. Feeds indiscriminately on animal and vegetable substances. MUSTELA.] MAMMALIA FEIUS. 11 GEN. 3. MUSTELA, Linn. (1. MUSTELA, Cuv.) 3. M. Foina, Linn. (Common Martin.) — Brown : throat and breast white. M. Foina, Desm. Mammal, p. 182. Martes Fagorum, Flem. Brit. An. p. 14. Martin, Penn. Brit. Zool. vol. i. p. 92. pi. 6. no. 15. DIMENS. Length of the head and body eighteen inches; of the head four inches three lines ; of the tail nine inches six lines. DESCRIPT. Hair of two sorts ; the shorter very fine and soft, and of a pale ash-colour ; the longer somewhat rigid, less abundant than the last, ash-coloured at the roots, dusky brown towards the extremity, with a tinge of chestnut red : legs and tail dusky : under parts somewhat paler than the upper : a white spot upon the throat extending itself over the under surface of the neck and anterior portion of the breast. More generally diffused than the next species, and said to prefer the vicinity of houses. Preys on poultry, game, rats, moles, &c. Breeds frequently in hollow trees, producing from three to seven young at a time. 4. M. Maries, Linn. (Pine Martin.) — Brown : throat and breast yellow. M. Martes, Desm. Mammal, p. 181. Martes Abietum, Flem. Brit. An. p. 14. Pine Martin, Penn. Brit. Zool. vol. i. p. 94. Don. Brit. Quad. pi. 13. DIMENS. Length of the head and body one foot seven inches ; of the head four inches ; of the tail ten inches. DESCRIPT. Differs from the last species in having the throat, under surface of the neck, and anterior portion of the breast, yellow : the head also shorter, the hair rather darker, and the legs a little longer. Inhabits the fir woods of Scotland : occurs also sparingly in the West of England. Builds its nest on the tops of trees, and produces from two to three young. Frequents wild situations. Preys on the smaller quad- rupeds and birds. (2. PUTORIUS, Cuv.) 5. M. Putorius, Linn. (Polecat.) — Dusky brown with a tinge of yellow ; beneath paler : some white spots about the ears and mouth. M. Putorius, Desm. Mammal, p. 177. Flem. Brit. An. p. 14. Fitchet, Penn. Brit. Zool. vol. i. p. 89. pi. 6. no. 14. Polecat, Shaw, Gen. Zool. vol. i. p. 415. pi. 98. DIMENS. Length of the head and body one foot six inches; of the head two inches ten lines ; of the ears six lines ; of the tail five inches six lines. 12 MAMMALIA YERJE. [MUSTELA. DESCRIPT. Tail proportionably shorter than in the last sub-genus: space round the mouth, and edge of the ears, white : hair on the body of two kinds; the longer sort somewhat harsh, shining, and of a dusky brown colour; the shorter more woolly, and of a yellowish or tawny white; from the mixing of these two the general tint appears brown with a slight cast of tawny yellow : the legs and tail are of a uniform dusky brown. A common inhabitant of woods and plantations in all parts of the country. Preys on game, poultry, eggs, and the smaller quadrupeds : is particularly fond of blood. Produces in the Spring from five to six young. * 6. M. Furo, Linn. (Ferret.)— Yellowish white with the eyes red. M. Furo, Desm. Mammal, p. 178. Ferret, Shaw, Gen. Zool. vol. i. p. 418. pi. 98. DIMENS. Length of the head and body one foot two inches ; of the head two inches six lines ; of the ears six lines ; of the tail five inches six lines. DESCRIPT. In general somewhat smaller than the polecat, and of a more slender shape ; the snout is also proportionably longer : colour of the fur bright yellow, here and there tinged with white ; sometimes a mixture of white, black, and tawny, with the tail entirely black. Originally a native of Africa, from whence imported into Europe. Known in this country only in a domesticated state, where it is much used in the destruction of rabbits and rats. Supposed by some to be a mere variety of the polecat ; but independently of the differences above mentioned, the circumstance of its being a native of a warmer climate seems to militate against that idea. Habits similar to those of that species. 7- M. vulgaris, Gmel. (Weasel.) — Reddish brown above ; beneath white : tail of the same colour with the body. M. vulgaris, Desm. Mammal, p. 179. Flem. Brit. An. p. 13. Common Weasel, Penn. Brit. Zool. vol. i. p. 95. pi. 7. no. 17. Shaw, Gen. Zool. vol. i. p. 420. pi. 98. DIMENS. Length of the head and body (male) eight inches three lines, (female) seven inches; of the head (male) one inch nine lines, (female) one inch six lines ; of the ears (male) four lines, (female) three lines; of the tail (male) two inches four lines, (female) two inches. DESCRIPT. Upper part of the head, neck and body, shoulders, ex- ternal and anterior portions of the fore legs, and hind legs wholly, red- dish brown tinged with yellowish ; the under parts, from the extremity of the lower jaw to the vent, white : a brown spot below each corner of the mouth. Var. ft. White, with a few black hairs at the extremity of the tail. Common everywhere in the vicinity of barns and outhouses. Devours young birds, eggs, rats, mice, moles, &c. Breeds twice or thrice in the year, and produces from four to six young at a birth. The white variety is rare. — Obs. The female of this species is constantly much smaller than the male, and is probably the animal alluded to in White's Nat. Hist, of Selb. (vol. i. p. 73.) under the name of Cane. CANIS.] MAMMALIA FER^. 13 8. M. Erminea, Linn. (Stoat or Ermine.) — Reddish brown above, beneath white ; or wholly white : extremity of the tail always black. M. Erminea, Desm. Mammal, p. 180. Flem. Brit. An. p. 13. Stoat, Penn. Brit. Zool. vol. i. p. 89. pi. 17. no. 18. Shaw, Gen. Zool. vol. i. p. 426. pi. 99. DIMENS. Length of the head and body ten inches; of the head one inch eleven lines ; of the ears six lines ; of the tail five inches. DESCRIPT. Larger than the last species, to which it is closely allied — (Summer dress.) Upper part of the head, neck, and back, as well as a considerable portion of the tail, reddish brown ; under parts white tinged with yellow; tail terminating in a tuft of black hair — (Winter dress.) Wholly white, or white with a slight tinge of yellow, the extremity of the tail excepted, which remains black — Obs. In spring and autumn these two liveries are found intermixed. Equally common with the weasel. Habits similar. GEN. 4. LUTRA, Cuv. 9- L. vulgaris, Desm. (Otter.) — Deep brown : sides of the head, throat and breast, cinereous. L. vulgaris, Desm. Mammal, p. 188. Flem. Brit. An. p. 16. Otter, Penn. Brit. Zool. vol. i. p. 92. pi. 8. no. 19. Shaw, Gen. Zool. vol. i. p. 437. pi. 100. DIMENS. Length of the head and body two feet three inches ; of the head five inches ; of the ears eight lines ; of the tail one foot four inches and a half : girth one foot four inches. DESCRIPT. Head broad and flattened : muzzle obtuse: upper lip very thick and muscular, projecting over the lower: mouth rather small: whiskers strong, nearly three inches in length : eyes small, situate one inch behind the nostrils: ears short and rounded, almost hid in the fur : hair on the body of two kinds ; the finer sort grayish white ; the longer and coarser grayish white at the roots, deep brown at the ex- tremity, the latter colour alone appearing externally : sides of the head, throat, under surface of the neck, and breast, cinereous : hair on the feet short, brown with a reddish tinge: tail dusky brown. Inhabits the banks of rivers, lakes, and marshes. Swims and dives with great facility, and is destructive to fish, on which it preys. Breeds in March : goes with young nine weeks, and produces from four to five at a birth. GEN. 5. CANIS, Linn. (1. CANIS, Flem.) * 10. C. familiaris, Linn. (Dog.)— Tail recurved. C. familiaris, Desm. Mammal, p. 190. Flem. Brit. An. p. 10. Dog, Penn. Brit. Zool. vol. i. p. 59. Shaw, Gen. Zool. vol. i. p. 273. pi. 75. DESCRIPT. Known only in the domesticated state. Varieties extremely nu- merous, offering every gradation of size, form, colour, and quality of the hair. 14 MAMMALIA FERyE. [CANIS. Primitive stock supposed to have been allied to the Shepherd's Dog, a race chiefly characterized by straight ears, long hair, and a bushy tail. Feeds principally on animal substances, and is particularly attached to carrion. Female goes with young sixty-three days, and produces from six to twelve at a time. The puppies are born blind, and continue so for the first ten days. t 11. C. Lupus, Linn. (Wolf.) — Tail straight: eyes oblique. C. Lupus, Desm. Mammal, p. 197. Wolf, Penn. Brit. Zool. vol. r. p. 75. pi. 5. Shaw, Gen. Zool. vol. i. p. 290. pi. 75. DIMENS. Length of the head and body three feet nine inches ; of the head ten inches six lines ; of the ears four inches nine lines ; of the tail one foot five inches. DESCRIPT. Larger than the dog ; the limbs stronger, and the body more mus- cular : muzzle sharp and pointed : eyes set obliquely : ears erect : tail straight and pendent ; somewhat long and bushy : fur tawny or yellowish gray, with a black streak on the fore legs in the adult state. Formerly abundant throughout Great Britain, but long since extirpated. Con- tinued in Scotland till the year 1680, and in Ireland so late as 1710. Still found in most parts of the continent. (2. VULPES, Flem.) 12. C. Vulpes, Linn. (Fox.) — Tawny brown above; white beneath : ears externally black : tail thick and bushy, tipped with white. C. Vulpes, Desm. Mammal, p. 201. Vulpes vulgaris, Flcm. Brit. An. p. 13. Fox, Penn. Brit. Zool. vol. i. p. 71. DIMENS. Length of the head and body two feet three inches ; of the head six inches ; of the ears four inches ; of the tail one foot four inches : girth one foot one inch. DESCRIPT. Muzzle sharp : head rather large, and somewhat flattened on the forehead : tusks relatively longer than in the dog, and more slender: ears erect and pointed: eyes oblique: tail very thick and bushy : fur thick and long, of a tawny or reddish brown colour : lips, lower jaw, forepart of the neck, abdomen, and inside of the thighs, white: back of the ears blackish brown; a streak of the same colour passing from the corner of each eye to the nose : extreme tip of the tail white. Varies occasionally in size and colour, as well as in the quality of the hair. Frequents woods in the vicinity of farmyards and villages. Prowls about during the night, preying on poultry, small birds, rabbits, &c. Brings forth its young under ground, and produces from three to six at a birth. GEN. 6. FELIS, Linn. 13. F. Catus, Linn. (Wild Cat.) — Yellowish gray, with longitudinal and transverse bars of black : tail annu- lated with black ; of equal thickness throughout. F. Catus, Desm. Mammal, p. 232. Flem. Brit. An. p. 15. Wild Gat, Penn. Brit. Zool. vol. i. p. 80. DIMENS. Length of the head and body (male) twenty-seven inches nine lines, (female) twenty-one inches three lines ; of the tail (male) thirteen inches six lines, (female) twelve inches four lines. PHOCA.] MAMMALIA FER^E. 15 DESCRIPT. Hair long and bushy ; gray or brownish gray above, more or less tinged with yellow; beneath paler: a longitudinal black line down the middle of the back, with transverse bars of the same colour branching out laterally in parallel waves and extending over the flanks, shoulders, and thighs ; several narrow parallel black lines on the top of the head between the ears : lips black : feet yellowish ; the soles black : tail an- nulated with black ; the tip entirely of that colour ; of equal thickness throughout its whole length, and as it were truncated at the extremity. Confined entirely to the northern parts of the island. Resides in woods ; and climbs trees with great facility. Preys on birds and small quadrupeds. Goes with young fifty-six days, and produces from four to five at a birth. * 14. F. maniculata, Riipp. (Domestic Cat.) — Tail relatively longer than in the last species, and gradually tapering to a point. F. maniculata, Temm, Monog. de Mammal, torn. i. p. 128. Domestic Cat, Penn. Brit. Zool. vol. i. p. 82. DESCRIPT. Invariably smaller than the wild cat : the head larger in proportion to the body ; the tail longer, more slender, and gradually terminating in a point : colours extremely variable. I have followed Ruppel and Temminck in referring the domestic Cat to this species, which in a wild state inhabits the North of Africa, where it was disco- vered by the former of the two naturalists above mentioned. He supposes it to have been first reclaimed by the Egyptians. GEN. 7. PHOCA, Linn. 15. P. vitulina, Linn. (Common Seal.) — Fur yellowish gray more or less marked and spotted with brown ; whiskers with the bristles undulated. P. vitulina, Desm. Mammal, p. 244. Flem. Brit. An. p. 17. Common Seal, Penn. Brit. Zool. vol. i. p. 137. pi. 12. Shaw, Gen. Zool. vol. i. p. 250. pi. 70. DIMENS. Entire length from five to six feet, sometimes more. DESCRIPT. Body elongated and somewhat conical, tapering gradually from the breast to the tail : neck very short : head large and round : muzzle broad, flat, and as it were truncated : upper lip furnished with long whiskers, the bristles of which have alternate contractions and dila- tations so as to appear of unequal thickness : incisors six above and four below, the lower ones separated in pairs by an intermediate space; grind- ers all of the false kind, on each side five above and below : no external ears : feet very short ; the toes, which are five in number, enveloped in a membrane ; claws very strong, larger on the hind than on the fore feet : hair fine and close-set, abundant on the young: colour variable; the general tint yellowish gray with different shades of brown, usually deeper on the head and back than on the sides and abdomen : tail shorter than the hind feet. 16 MAMMALIA FER.E. [PHOCA. Common on many parts of the coast, but prefers rocky shores. Swims and dives readily. Preys on fish, which it devours under the water. Breeds about Midsummer, and produces two young Obs. The Pied Seal of Pennant is probably only a variety of this species. 16. P. barbata, Mull. (Great Seal.)— Fur blackish: middle toes on the forefeet longer than the lateral ones. P. barbata, Desm. Mammal, p. 246. Flem. Brit. An. p. 18. Great Seal, Penn. Brit. Zool. vol. i. p. 136. Don. Brit. Quad. pi. 11. DIMENS. Entire length from ten to twelve feet. DESCRIPT. Teeth as in the last species : head somewhat elongated : muzzle broad : upper lip rounded, fleshy, divided into two lobes by a deep furrow ; each lobe furnished with numerous strong white bristles, semi- transparent, and curled at the ends : eyes large; irides dark hazel: auri- cular apertures larger than in the last species : fore feet rather long, with the middle toe more developed than the lateral ones ; claws of these black, horny, and curved ; those of the hind feet long and straight : body elon- gated ; when young, clothed with a long woolly fur, which after the space of fourteen or fifteen days is cast and superseded by a new covering of close short hair* : general colour dusky gray, in very old individuals black. Inhabits the coast of Scotland, and (according to Selby) the Farn Islands, but is much less common than the last species. Breeds in November. GEN. 8. TRICHECHUS, Linn. 17- T. Rosmarus, Linn. (Walrus.) T. Rosmarus, Desm.. Mammal, p. 253. Flem. Brit. An. p. 18. Arctic Walrus, Shaw, Gen. Zool. vol. i. p. 234. pi. 68. Nat. Miscell. vol. viii. pi. 276. DIMENS. Entire length from eleven to fifteen feet. DESCRIPT. Head small, rounded, obtuse: lips very thick and swollen ; upper' lip divided into two large rounded lobes, over which are scattered numerous semitransparent bristles, somewhat flattened towards their roots, and slightly pointed at their extremities : eyes small and bril- liant: auricular apertures situate very much behind: mouth small, armed with two enormous tusks bent downwards, and attaining in some individuals the length of two feet : neck short : body very thick and heavy : tail relatively longer than in the last genus : skin of a dusky hue, with a very few short, scattered, reddish hairs: hind feet very broad. Very rare in the British seas. A solitary individual shot on the east coast of Harris in December 1817: a second killed in Orkney in June 1825. Habits resembling those of the Seals. * See Selby's observations on this species in Zool. Journ. vol. n. p. 465. SOREX.] MAMMALIA FER^E. 17 GEN. 9. TALPA, Linn. 18. T. Europcea, Linn. (Mole.) T. Europsea, Desm. Mammal, p. 160. Flem. Brit. An. p. 9. Mole, Penn. Brit. Zool. vol. i. p. 128. Shaw, Gen. Zool. vol. i. p. 515. pi. 117. DIMENS. Length of the head and body five inches three lines ; of the head one inch seven lines ; of the tail one inch two lines. DESCRIPT. Body thick, ohlong, almost cylindrical : snout sharp and slender : eyes extremely small ; entirely concealed in the fur : no external ears : feet extremely short ; the anterior pair larger, very robust, and inclining sideways: claws strong, a*s long as the toes themselves. Fur very soft and silky, shining, black or deep ash-colour, according to the direction in which it is viewed, sometimes white, or yellowish white. Common in England and Scotland, but said to be unknown in Ireland. Habits subterraneous: constructs galleries beneath the surface of the soil, which it throws up at intervals in hillocks. Feeds on w'orms and insects, but principally on the former. Breeds twice in the year, pro- ducing from four to six at each birth. GEN. 10. SOREX, Linn. 19- S. AraneuS) Linn. (Common Shrew.) — Reddish brown above ; paler beneath : tail shorter than the body, somewhat square, not ciliated on its under surface. S. Araneus, Desm. Mammal, p. 149. Flem. Brit. An. p. 8. Fetid Shrew, Penn. Brit. Zool. vol. i. p. 125. Common Shrew, Shaw, Gen. Zool vol. i. p. 527. pi. 118. DIMENS. Length of the head and body two inches five lines ; of the head one inch; of the ears two lines; of the tail one inch nine lines. DESCRIPT. Somewhat variable in size and colours. Upper parts ge- nerally dusky brown, more or less deep, with a tinge of red ; under parts grayish white with a tinge of yellow : in some specimens a triangular whitish patch upon the throat: ears small, hardly showing themselves above the fur, furnished internally with two lobes or duplicatures of the skin placed one above the other and fringed with hair: incisors deep ferruginous brown*: tail varying in length, always shorter than the body, roundish approaching to square, rather stout, of equal thickness throughout and blunt at its extremity, uniformly clothed with short dusky hairs, but having no fringe along its under surface : feet much smaller than in the other species of this genus, the toes scarcely ciliated. A very common species inhabiting gardens and hedge rows. Feeds on insects, and also on vegetable substances. Possesses a strong musky odour. * In the Ann. du Mus. (torn. xvn. p. 176.) M. Geoffroy St Hilaire describes this species as having the incisors entirely white. This circumstance, together with one or two others, induce* me to suspect that the S. Araneus of the continental authors may be distinct from ours. It \s. S e< B Jstll _pri • M;<.* * n 18 MAMMALIA FEILE. [SoiiEx. 20. S. fodiens, Gmel. (Water Shrew.) — Blackish brown above ; grayish white beneath : tail two-thirds the length of the body : feet and tail strongly ciliated with white hairs. S. fodiens, Flem. Brit. An. p. 8. S. Daubentonii, Desm. Mammal. p. 150. Water Shrew, Penn. Brit. Zool. vol. i. p. 126. pi. 11. no. 33. Don. Brit. Quad. pi. 6. DIMENS. Length of the head and body three inches two lines ; of the head one inch ; of the ears two lines ; of the tail two inches. DESCRIPT. Upper parts deep brown, approaching to black; under parts pale ash gray, in some individuals silvery white; in general the two colours separated by a well-defined line ; a triangular dusky spot on the anus : snout long, somewhat depressed, emarginated at the extremity : whiskers long: eyes small, almost concealed: ears very short, not pro- jecting above the fur, furnished internally with three valves or lobes, on one of which is a tuft of white hair, giving the effect of a white spot upon the auricle : intermediate incisor teeth with the tips ferruginous : tail more slender than in the last species, quadrangular throughout the greater part of its extent, the extreme tip being flattened ; dusky, with a cilium of white hairs along its under surface: feet dusky; the toes fringed with white hairs. Weight three drachms. — Obs. English authors do not quite agree in their descriptions of this animal, from which circum- stance it would seem that it is either subject to much variation, or that there is some other indigenous species with which it has been confounded. Not uncommon in many parts of the country, inhabiting marshy dis- tricts. Swims and dives with great facility. Preys on insects : is also said to attack frogs. Produces in the Spring from six to eight young. 21. S. remifer , Geoff. ? (Oared Shrew.) — Black above; scarcely paler beneath ; throat brownish ash : tail quadran- gular at the base, flattened at the extremity, and, as well as the feet, ciliated. S. remifer, Geoff. Ann. du Mus. torn. xvn. p. 182. pi. 2. f. 1 ? Desm. Mammal, p. 152 ? Yarr. in Loud. Mag. of Nat. Hist. vol. v. p. 598. S. ciliatus, Sow. Brit. Misc. pi. 49. DIMENS. Length of the head and body three inches two lines ; of the head one inch ; of the ears two lines ; of the tail two inches one line ; of the fore foot five lines ; of the hind foot eight lines and a half. DESCRIPT. Body more thick and bulky for its length than in the last species : snout broad, and rather obtuse : feet and tail ciliated ; the latter distinctly quadrangular for two-thirds of its length, compressed towards the tip, where the hairs of the cilium become longer. Colour darker, and more uniform than that of the S. fodiens ; all the upper parts, sides of the abdomen, and region of the pubes, black ; throat, breast, and middle of the abdomen, dusky ash, with a faint tinge of yellowish ; sometimes, but not always, a white spot on the ears; incisors ferruginous at their extremities ; feet and tail dusky gray, the latter with the cilium of hairs underneath of the same colour as above. Weight three drachms fifty - one grains. This species, which has been taken in Norfolk, Cambridgeshire, and Surrey, as well as in Scotland, appears to be identical with a foreign one in the British Museum, ticketed <S. remifer: nevertheless I feel some RHINOLOPHUS.] MAMMALIA PRIMATES. 19 doubts as to its being the species originally described by Geoffroy under that name. It however approaches more nearly to it than to any other I am acquainted with. My specimen was taken in a corn-field at some distance from any water. The others have occurred in ditches. The ciliated feet and tail evidently mark it to be of aquatic habits. GEN. 11. ERINACEUS, Linn. 22. E. Europcsus. Linn. (Hedgehog.) — Ears short : spines moderately long. E. Europseus, Desm. Mammal, p. 147. Flem. Brit. An. p. 7. Common Urchin, Penn. Brit. Zool. vol. i. p. 133. Hedgehog, Shaw, Gen. Zool. vol. i. p. 542. pi. 121. DIMENS. Length of the head and body nine inches six lines ; of the head two inches eleven lines ; of the ears one inch one line ; of the tail nine lines. DESCRIPT. Body oblong, convex above, very low on the legs : head produced into a snout which is truncated at the extremity : nostrils narrow : ears short, broad, and rounded : neck thick and short : upper part of the body clothed with round sharp-pointed spines, barely an inch in length, which cross and interlace one another in all directions ; the colour of them is whitish with a black ring a little higher up than the middle : snout, forehead, sides of the head, under part of the neck, breast, and legs, covered with coarse stiff hairs of a yellowish white colour. Resides in hedges, thickets, &c. Habits nocturnal. Omnivorous; devouring roots, insects, worms, flesh, and even snakes. Becomes torpid during the Winter. Produces in the early part of the Summer from two to four young. Spines soft at birth, and all inclining backwards ; become hard and sharp in twenty-four hours. In the adult state, has the power of rolling itself into a ball to avoid danger. ORDER II. PRIMATES. GEN. 12. RHINOLOPHUS, Geoff. 23. R. Ferrum-equinum, Gmel. (Greater Horse-shoe Bat.) — Posterior foliaceous appendage lanceolate, expanding laterally at the base : ears notched on their external margins. R. Ferrum-equinum, Flem. Brit. An. p. 5. R. unihastatus, Desm. Mam- mal, p. 125. Horse-shoe Bat, Penn. Brit. Zool. vol. i. p. 147. pi. 14. DIMENS. Length of the head and body two inches five lines; of the head eleven lines and a half; of the tail one inch two lines and a half; of the ears nine lines ; breadth of the ears six lines; length of the thumb two lines and a half: extent of wing thirteen inches. DESCRIPT. Upper incisors Very small, separated from each other by a space ; lower incisors each with three lobes : ears nearly as long as the head, somewhat triangular, broad at the base, terminating upwards in an B2 20 MAMMALIA PRIMATES. [RHINOLOPHUS. acute point; the external margin notched at the base, from which point it becomes inflexed and rises into an elevated round lobe that guards the orifice of the ear and appears to act the part of the tragus, which is want- ing: nostrils placed at the bottom of a cavity close to each other, sur- rounded by a naked membrane in the form of a horse- shoe arising from the upper lip; anterior foliaceous appendage rising vertically immediately behind the nostrils, of a somewhat pyramidal form, sinuous at the mar- gins and at the apex, which last is obliquely truncated ; the posterior one situate on the forehead, placed transversely with respect to the first and standing more erect, lanceolate, expanding laterally at the base, in front of which are two small cup-shaped cavities formed by a duplicature of the skin. Colour of the fur reddish ash, inclining to gray beneath : mem- branes dusky: ears within and without slightly hairy. A locar species, inhabiting caves and buildings. Found in Bristol and Rochester Cathedrals, Dartford Powder Mills, and in some other parts of the country. 24. R. Hipposideros, Bechst. (Lesser Horse-shoe Bat.) — Posterior foliaceous appendage lanceolate, without any lateral expansions: ears deeply notched on their external margins. R. Hipposideros, Leach, Zool. Misc. vol. in. p. 2. pi. 121. Flem. Brit. An. p. 5. R. bihastatus, Desm. Mammal, p. 125. Vesper- tilio minutus, Mont, in Linn. Trans, vol. ix. p. 163. pi. 8. f. 5. DIMENS. Length of the head and body one inch four lines; of the head eight lines ; of the tail nine lines ; of the ears five lines ; breadth of the ears four lines and a half; length of the thumb two lines : extent of wing eight inches four lines. DESCRIPT. Principally distinguished from the last by its very inferior size. General appearance of the ears, nose, and foliaceous appendages similar; the anterior appendage is however less obliquely truncated at the apex, and the posterior one narrower at the base, and without the lateral expansions: the ears likewise are more deeply notched and the external margin altogether more sinuous. Fur soft and rather long; pale rufous brown above, grayish ash beneath with a tinge of yellow. Found in Wiltshire, Dorsetshire, Devonshire, Somersetshire, and also in Wales. Is often met with in company with the last species, but is considered as less common. GEN. 13. VESPERTILIO, Linn. (1. VESPERTILIO, Geoff.) 25. V. murlnus, Desm. — Ears oval, as long as the head ; tragus falciform, half the length of the auricle : fur reddish brown above ; dirty white beneath. V. murinus, Desm. Mammal, p. 134. La Chauve-souris, Buff. Hist. Nat. torn. viu. pi. 16. DIMENS. Length of the head and body three inches five lines ; of the head eleven lines ; of the tail one inch eight lines ; of the ears eleven lines and a half; of the tragus five lines ; of the thumb five lines: extent of wing fifteen inches. VESPERTILIO.] MAMMALIA PRIMATES. 21 DESCRIPT. Face almost naked: forehead very hairy: eyes rather large, with a few dusky hairs immediately above them : ears inclining backwards, as long as the head, oval, naked, grayish ash-colour exter- nally, somewhat yellowish within : tragus falciform, about half the length of the auricle. Fur above pale reddish brown ; beneath dirty white, in- clining to yellowish : flying and interfemoral membranes brownish. This must not be confounded with the V. murinus of English authors, from which it may be readily distinguished by its very superior size. It is a common species on the Continent, but apparently rare in Britain. The only indigenous specimens known were taken in the gardens of the British Museum, and are in that collection. Said to inhabit churches and buildings : never found in trees. 26. V. Bechsteinii, Leisl. — Ears oval, a little longer than the head ; tragus falciform, bending outwards at the extremity, not half the length of the auricle : fur reddish gray above; white beneath. V. Bechsteinii, Desm. Mammal, p. 135. DIMENS. Length of the head and body two inches one line ; of the head nine lines ; of the tail one inch three lines ; of the ears ten lines ; of the tragus four lines ; of the thumb four lines : extent of wing eleven inches. DESCRIPT. Allied to the last species, but distinguished by its smaller size, relatively larger ears, and remarkably slender thumb. Face almost naked : muzzle long, and conical : ears oval, somewhat longer than the head, rounded at the extremity ; tragus lanceolate, pointed, a little bent outwards towards the extremity. Fur reddish gray on the upper parts, whitish on the under. A rare species, of which specimens are in the British Museum from the New Forest. Resides constantly amongst trees, and is never found in buildings. 27. V. Natter 'eri, Kuhl Ears oblong-oval, about as long as the head ; tragus lanceolate, nearly two-thirds the length of the auricle : fur reddish gray above, white be- neath : interfemoral ample, the margin crenate on each side towards the tip, and fringed with short bristly hairs. V. Nattereri, Desm. Mammal, p. 135. DIMENS. Length of the head and body one inch eleven lines ; of the head eight lines and a half; of the tail one inch seven lines; of the ears eight lines and a half; of the tragus five lines ; breadth of the ears three lines and three quarters; of the tragus at the base one line; length of the fore-arm one inch six lines ; of the thumb two lines and three quar- ters : extent of wing ten inches eight lines. DESCRIPT. Head rather small; snout attenuated: nose a line in breadth at the extremity, slightly emarginated between the nostrils, con- vex above: all the face, excepting immediately above the nose, hairy, but the hair very thinly scattered about the eyes and chin, with a few bristly hairs longer than the others intermixed : gape extending as far as the posterior angle of the eye : a row of longish hairs on the upper lip 22 MAMMALIA PRIMATES. [VESPERTILIO. forming a moustache : a large sebaceous gland above the eye advancing towards the nose, of a yellowish white colour ; another gland on the upper lip immediately above the canine tooth, of the same colour with the rest of the face, causing a protuberant swelling at that spot, and furnished with long bristles : ears oblong-oval, rather broad, about the length of the head, the inner margin bending outwards, the external margin nearly straight, with a shallow notch about midway, nearly naked, excepting towards the base on the outside ; tragus longer than in the last species, lanceolate, curving slightly outwards towards the tip, naked : flying and interfemoral membranes naked ; the latter ample, fur- nished with a long spur*, between which and the end of the tail the margin has a crenate or puckered appearance, and is set with short bristly hairs; tip of the tail somewhat blunt and compressed, scarcely exserted for more than half a line : hind claws very strong, furnished with long hairs: thumb much smaller than in the last species. Fur long and silky, particularly about the upper part of the head and neck, of a li^ht rufous brown, approaching to reddish gray above, the tips of the hairs being of this colour, the roots dusky brown ; beneath silvery gray at the tips, black towards the roots : ears yellowish gray, the yellow tinge being most obvious within towards the base ; tragus almost entirely yellowish: flying and interfemoral membranes dusky, but the latter paler than the former. In the female, the colour of the fur on the upper parts has a more reddish tinge than in the male. This species occurs in hollow trees in the neighbourhood of buildings at Swaff ham Prior in Cambridgeshire. Mr Yarrell has received it from Colchester and Norwich. There are also specimens in the British Museum taken near London. It appears however to be very locally distributed. 28. V. Serotinus, Gmel. (Serotine.) — Ears oval-trian- gular, shorter than the head ; tragus semicordate : muzzle short, and obtuse : fur chestnut brown above ; pale be- neath. V. Serotinus, Desm. Mammal, p. 137. La Serotine, Buff. Hist. Nat. torn. vni. pi. 18. f. 2. DIMENS. Length of the head and body two inches seven lines ; of the head ten lines; of the tail one inch ten lines; of the ears eight lines; of the tragus three lines ; of the thumb three lines : extent of wing twelve inches six lines. DESCRIPT. Face almost naked : muzzle remarkably short, broad, and obtuse ; extremity of the nose one line and a half across : ears oval, approaching triangular, shorter than the head, with the inner margin bending outwards in an arcuate form, externally hairy on their basal half, naked above ; tragus semicordate, somewhat elongated, pointed at the extremity. Fur in the male of a deep chestnut brown on the upper parts, passing beneath into a yellowish gray ; that of the female said to be much brighter. Apparently a rare species in Great Britain : has hitherto only occurred in the neighbourhood of London. Is said to frequent trees, and also houses occasionally. Habits somewhat solitary. * By the spur I mean a long tendinous process from the heel of the foot which runs along the margin of the interfemoral membrane and serves to stretch it. It in fact represents the os calcis. It will be found of very different length in different species, varying from three to seven lines or more. VESPERTILIO.] MAMMALIA PRIMATES. 23 29. V. Noctula, Gmel. (Noctule.) — Ears oval-trian- gular, shorter than the head ; tragus small, arcuate, ter- minating in a broad round head : fur short, of a uniform reddish brown above and below. V. Noctula, Desm. Mammal, p. 136. Flem. Brit. An. p. 6. La Noctule, Buff. Hist. Nat. torn. vin. pi. 18. f. 1. Great Bat, Penn. Brit. Zool. vol. i. p. 146. pi. 13. no. 38. DIMENS. Length of the head and body two inches eleven lines; of the head ten lines ; of the tail one inch eight lines ; of the ears seven lines and a half; of the tragus two lines and a half; breadth of the ears six lines; of the tragus one line and a half; length of the fore-arm two inches ; of the thumb two lines and a half : extent of wing fourteen inches. DESCRIPT. Head very broad ; muzzle short and thick in the adult state, though less so than in the last species, somewhat elongated when young; nostrils tumid at the edges, slightly bilobated; forehead very hairy ; rest of the face almost naked : ears shorter than the head, somewhat triangular, rounded at the extremity ; the posterior margin folded back, with a projecting ridge internally, and a small protuberance at the base, which extends round nearly to the corners of the mouth ; tragus very small, somewhat arcuate with the bend directed inwards, terminating above in a broad round head. Fur rather short, but soft and thick, of a uniform reddish brown colour above and below: membranes dusky, with a ridge of hair along the bones of the arm. Tail shorter than the fore-arm, protruding from the interfemoral membrane to the extent of a line and a quarter. Common in many parts of the country, but only to be seen on wing during the summer months. Flight high and rapid. Habits gregarious. Retires early in the Autumn into hollow trees, and beneath the roofs of large buildings. Has a strong disagreeable smell. 30. V. Leisleri, Kuhl. — Ears oval-triangular, shorter than the head ; tragus terminating in a round head : fur long, bright chestnut above, darker beneath : under sur- face of the flying membrane with a broad band of hair along the fore-arm. V. Leisleri, Desm. Mammal, p. 138. DIMENS. Length of the head and body two inches two lines; of the head seven lines and a half; of the tail one inch eight lines ; of the ears five lines ; of the tragus two lines and a half ; breadth of the ears four lines ; of the tragus one line and a quarter ; length of the fore-arm one inch six lines and a half; of the thumb one line and three quarters: extent of wing eleven inches. DESCRIPT. Muzzle rather more elongated than in the Noctule ; nose depressed, naked, as is also the region of the eyes : ears oval-triangular, shorter than the head, broad, the outer basal margin advancing for- wards to nearly the corners of the mouth ; tragus terminating in a round head, bulging out about the middle of the external margin, slightly bend- ing inwards at the extremity, considered relatively, somewhat larger and longer than in the last species. Fur on the upper parts bright chestnut, this 24 MAMMALIA PRIMATES. [VESPERTILIO. colour occupying the tips of the hairs, the roots of which are deep brown ; under parts darker than the upper, the hair being grayish brown at the tips, dusky at bottom : flying membranes dusky ; the portion contiguous to the body very hairy ; a band of scattered hair also extends along and beneath the fore arm, about five lines in breadth : upper half of the in- terfemoral membrane both above and below likewise very hairy. Thumb short: bones of the arm and fore-arm much slenderer than in the Noctule. The only indigenous specimen which I have seen of this species is in the British Museum. It is not known where it was taken. According to Desmarest it resides constantly in hollow trees in large companies, and is attached to the neighbourhood of stagnant waters. 31. V. discolor, Natt Ears shorter than the head, oval, bending outwards, with a projecting lobe on the inner margin ; tragus of equal breadth throughout : fur above reddish brown, with the tips of the hairs white ; beneath dirty white. V. discolor, Desm. Mammal, p. 139. DIMENS. Length of the head and body two inches four lines ; of the head nine lines ; of the tail one inch five lines ; of the ears six lines and a half ; of the tragus two lines and a quarter ; of the thumb three lines : extent of wing ten inches six lines. DESCRIPT. Forehead broad and hairy ; muzzle long, and very broad ; nose thick and obtuse, measuring one line and two-thirds across the extremity : eyes very small : ears shorter than the head, rounded, oval, bending outwards and reaching almost to the corners of the mouth, with a projecting lobe near the base of the internal margin, clothed externally on their lower half with thick woolly hair ; tragus short, and nearly of equal breadth throughout. Fur on the back reddish brown, with the extreme tips of the hairs white, presenting a marbled appearance ; under- neath dirty white, with a large patch of a somewhat darker tint covering the breast and abdomen ; throat pure white. Tail protruding from the interfemoral membrane to the extent of three lines. A single individual of this species, taken at Plymouth by Dr Leach, is now in the British Museum. Said to be peculiar to houses, and never to be found in trees. 32. V. Pipistrellus, Gmel. (Pipistrelle.) — Ears shorter than the head, oval-triangular, deeply notched on their external margins ; tragus nearly straight, terminating in a blunt rounded head : fur reddish brown above ; somewhat paler beneath. V. Pipistrellus, Desm. Mammal, p. 139. Jen. in Linn. Trans, vol. xvi. p. 163. Le Pipistrelle, Buff. Hist. Nat. torn. vin. pi. 19. f. 1. Common Bat, Penn. Brit. Zool. vol. i. p. 148. DIMENS. Length of the head and body one inch seven lines ; of the head six lines ; of the tail one inch two lines ; of the ears four lines ; of the tragus two lines ; breadth of the ears three lines ; of the tragus three- VESPERTILIO.] MAMMALIA PRIMATES. 25 quarters of a line ; length of the fore-arm one inch two lines ; of the thumb one line and three quarters : extent of wing eight inches four lines. DESCRIPT. Resembling the Noctule in many of its characters but much smaller : head depressed in front, convex behind ; muzzle short in the adult state, somewhat elongated when young ; nose obtuse at the ex- tremity, and _ slightly emarginated between the nostrils; a protuberant swelling on each side of the face above the upper lip formed by a con- geries of sebaceous glands: eyes very small; above each an elevated wart furnished with a few black hairs : ears broad, oval-triangular, rather more than half as long as the head, with their external margins deeply notched about midway down : tragus half the length of the auricle, nearly straight, oblong, with a blunt rounded head : tail as long as the fore-arm. Fur rather long and silky, yellowish red on the forehead and at the base of the ears, on the rest of the upper parts reddish brown, with the lower half of each hair dusky ; on the under parts wholly dusky, except the extreme tips of the hairs which are of the same colour as above, but paler. Young specimens generally brownish gray, sometimes black, without any tinge of red. Nose, lips, ears, and membranes dusky. The most common species in this country, although for a long time confounded with the V. murinus described above. Congregates in large numbers in the crevices of old walls, decayed door-frames, &c. Resists cold more than the other species, continuing on wing till near the end of the year. Is first seen about the beginning of March. 33. V. pygmceus. Leach. (Pygmy Bat.) — Forehead with an impressed longitudinal furrow : ears a little shorter than the head, broad at the base, obtuse and rounded at the extremity ; tragus linear : fur above brown, darkest on the head and dorsal line ; paler beneath. V. pygmaeus, Leach, in Zool. Journ. vol. i. p. 560. pi. 22. DIMENS. Length of the head and body one inch two lines and a half; of the head five lines ; of the tail nine lines ; of the ears four lines : extent of wing five inches four lines. DESCRIPT. Differs from the last species in its smaller dimensions, as well as in its relative proportions. Head high; the forehead marked with a longitudinal furrow; muzzle short and obtuse, nearly of equal breadth throughout ; nostrils small, opening laterally : ears somewhat shorter than the head, broad at the base, obtuse and rounded at the extremity: anterior margin nearly straight, posterior slightly concave and convolute : tragus about half the length of the auricle, regularly linear, simple and rounded at the extremity : tail as long as the body exclusively of the head ; the tip naked, protruding one line beyond the interfemoral membrane. Fur short and delicate, dark brown on the upper parts, the colour being deepest on the head and on the highest part of the back along the spine ; inclining to gray underneath : flying mem- brane dark brown. — LEACH. A new species discovered by Dr Leach at Spitchweek, near the Forest of Dartmoor, where it is said to be extremely common. Has not hitherto occurred elsewhere. 26 MAMMALIA PRIMATES. [VESPERTILIO. 34. V. emarginatus, Geoff. — Ears oblong, nearly as long as the head, deeply notched on their external margins ; tragus half the length of the auricle, subulate, bending slightly inwards towards the tip : fur reddish gray above, ash-colour beneath. V. emarginatus, Geoff, in Ann. du Mus. torn. vm. p. 198. pi. 46. Desm. Mammal, p. 140. DIMENS. Length of the head and body two inches; of the head eight lines ; of the tail one inch five lines ; of the ears six lines ; of the tragus three lines ; breadth of the ears three lines and three quarters ; of the tragus at the base three quarters of a line ; length of the fore-arm one inch four lines ; of the thumb two lines and three quarters : extent of wing nine inches six lines. DESCRIPT. Bearing some relation to the Pipistrelle in its physiog- nomy, but distinguished from that species by its somewhat superior size. Muzzle rather obtuse ; head flattish ; face hairy, but the hair on the nose and chin thinly scattered and longer than on the other parts ; a moustache of soft longish hair on the upper lip, above which is a congeries of glands extending from the eyes to the nostrils : ears moderate, a little shorter than the head, oblong approaching triangular, rounded at the extremity, the inner margin bending outwards, the outer one sinuate and rather deeply notched about half way down; tragus half the length of the auricle, linear approaching to subulate, nearly straight but having a slight bend inwards : thumb longer and stouter than in the Pipistrelle : hind feet remarkably large and strong, much more so than in either the Pipistrelle or the next species, the toes set with bristly hairs : inter- femoral moderately ample ; the spur rather short : tail a little longer than the fore-arm, exserted for about one line. Fur long ; the hair on the upper parts with the basal half dusky, the tips reddish brown, this last colour alone appearing externally ; beneath black at the roots, ash-gray at the tips : ears and flying membrane dusky ; under surface of the inter- femoral whitish. Stated to have been found near Dover by M. A. Brongniart, and in Fifeshire by Dr Fleming. The description given above is from a speci- men in my possession taken at Milton Park in Northamptonshire. It may possibly be distinct from the true V. emarginatus of the continental authors, but it appears to approach nearer to that species than to any other I am acquainted with. Mr Yarrell has also a specimen which was taken at Islington. 35. V. mystacinus, Leisl. — Ears oblong, shorter than the head, bending outwards and notched on their external margins ; tragus half the length of the auricle, lanceolate, straight : a moustache of fine close hairs on the upper lip : fur blackish chestnut above, dusky ash beneath. V. mystacinus, Desm. Mammal, p. 140. DIMENS. Length of the head and body one inch eight lines; of the head seven lines and a half; of the tail one inch five lines; of the ears five lines and a half; of the tragus three lines ; breadth of the ears three lines and a half; of the tragus at the base one line ; length of the fore- VESPERTILIO.] MAMMALIA PRIMATES. 27 arm one inch three lines; of the thumb two lines and a half: extent of wing eight inches six lines. DESCRIPT. Head small and flattish; muzzle short ; nose swollen, with a shallow cleft in the middle ; face much more hairy than in the last species, with a few scattered hairs on the nose and chin, longer than the rest, intermixed ; a row of fine, soft, close-set hairs on the upper lip forming a conspicuous moustache; a similar row crossing the forehead: ears shorter than the head, moderately broad, oblong, rounded at the ex- tremities, curving outwards and rather deeply notched on their external margins; tragus half or rather more than half the length of the auricle, lanceolate, perfectly straight, narrowing regularly from the base upwards to the tip which terminates in a sharp point: thumb moderate: hind feet much smaller than in the last species : interfemoral with the spur of about the same length : tail longer than the fore-arm, exserted for about one line. Fur long, thick and woolly; hair dusky, approaching to black, throughout the greater part of its length, the extreme tips being reddish brown on the upper parts and ash-gray beneath : ears, flying and inter- femoral membranes dusky ; this last sometimes transversely marked on its under surface with numerous white ciliated lines. This species occurs, though rarely, in houses in Cambridgeshire. I have also received specimens from Milton Park in Northamptonshire. Mr Yarrell has others which were taken at Colchester in the caverns under the castle. Said to frequent the neighbourhood of water, and to retire into hollow trees and houses. (2. PLECOTUS, Geoff.) 36. V. auritus, Linn. (Greater Long-eared Bat) — Ears more than double the length of the head ; tragus oval- lanceolate : fur brownish gray on the upper parts ; paler beneath. V. auritus, Desm. Mammal, p. 144. Long-eared Bat, Penn. Brit. Zool. vol. i. p. 147. pi. 13. no. 40. Shaw, Gen. Zool. vol. i. p. 123. pi. 40. DIMENS. Length of the head and body one inch ten lines; of the head eight lines ; of the tail one inch eight lines ; of the ears one inch five lines ; of the tragus seven lines ; breadth of the ears nine lines ; of the tragus two lines and a half; length of the fore-arm one inch five lines ; of the thumb two lines and three quarters : extent of wing ten inches two lines. DESCRIPT. Head and face flattened ; muzzle somewhat swollen about the nose ; nostrils with their anterior and inner edges tumid, elongated posteriorly into a sort of cul de sac : eyes small : ears extremely large, more than twice the length of the head, oblong-oval, thin, and semi- transparent; the inner margin presenting a broad longitudinal fold, which doubles back nearly at right angles to the rest of the auricle and is ciliated with hair along its external and internal edges; near the base of this fold is a small projecting lobe, also ciliated; tragus long, oval-lan- ceolate, with the outer margin somewhat sinuous, the inner one straight : ears united over the head to the height of one line and a half; extending round at the base to the corners of the mouth : flying and interfemoral membranes broad and ample: tail longer than the fore-arm, the tip obtuse, protruding to the extent of three quarters of a line : forehead, and anterior surface of the connecting membrane of the ears, hairy ; posterior 28 MAMMALIA PRIMATES. [VESPERTILIO. surface of the same membrane naked. Fur long and silky, brownish gray on the upper parts, paler beneath; the hair every where dusky at the roots. A common and generally diffused species, resorting principally to the roofs of houses and churches. Flight swifter than that of the Pipis- trelle. In the living animal the ears are generally curled, the bend being directed outwards . when at rest they are sometimes wholly concealed beneath the fore-arm, the tragus alone remaining erect. 37. V. brevimanus, Jenyns. (Lesser Long-eared Bat.) Ears not double the length of the head ; tragus oval- lanceolate : fur reddish brown on the upper parts ; yellowish white beneath. V. brevimanus, Linn. Trans, vol. xvi. p. 55. pi. 1. f. 2. DIMENS. Length of the head and body one inch six lines ; of the head seven lines ; of the tail one inch two lines ; of the ears one inch ; of the tragus five lines and a half ; breadth of the ears five lines ; of the tragus two lines ; length of the fore-arm one inch two lines ; of the thumb three lines : extent of wing six inches six lines. DESCRIPT. Similar to the last in general appearance, but much smaller, and differing in its relative proportions : ears shorter with respect to the head, and rather narrower at the extremity; tragus relatively longer: bones of the hands much shorter: thumb somewhat longer: tail the length of the fore-arm ; the tip more exserted from the inter- femoral membrane, and terminating in a fine point. Fur on the upper parts reddish brown, presenting a marked contrast with that on the under which is yellowish white ; the hair everywhere of the same colour throughout its whole length, and not dusky at the roots as in the last species : ears and membranes dusky with a tinge of red. A new species first described by myself in the Linnaean Transactions as above quoted. Only one individual has as yet occurred, which is a female. It was found adhering to the bark of a pollard-willow, in Gruntey Fen in the Isle of Ely. (3. BARBASTELLUS, Gray.) 38. V. Barbastellus, Gmel. (Barbastelle.) — Ears shorter than the head, broad, triangular, notched on their external margins ; tragus semicordate : fur black, with the tips of the hairs grayish white. V. Barbastellus, Desm. Mammal, p. 145. Sow. Brit. Misc. pi. 5. Mont. Linn. Trans, vol. ix. p. 171. DIMENS. Length of the head and body two inches; of the head seven lines and a half ; of the tail one inch nine lines ; of the ears five lines ; of the tragus three lines and a half; breadth of the ears five lines; of the tragus one line and a half; length of the fore-arm one inch four lines and a half; of the thumb two lines and a half: extent of wing ten inches three lines. DESCRIPT. Muzzle short and obtuse, somewhat swollen at the ex- tremity ; a naked space above the nose extending up to the ears, sunk and hollowed out in front, with the nostrils placed in the cavity ; on each SCIURUS.] MAMMALIA GLIRES. 29 side of the face above the upper lip a large protuberant swelling covered with black hair : eyes very small, placed within the auricle and almost concealed : ears united over the head, oval-triangular, as broad as long, externally hairy, and notched on their outer margins ; tragus semicordate, very protuberant near the base of the external margin, above which it suddenly bends inward and terminates in a point; inner margin straight. Fur very long and silky, particularly on the top of the head behind the ears, blackish brown, with the tips of the hairs silvery gray on the upper parts, and ash-coloured beneath ; flying and interfemoral membranes dusky. A rare species. Has occurred in Devonshire, Kent, Northamptonshire, and Cambridgeshire. Habits more diurnal than usual with this family. Flight slow and near the ground. Resorts to buildings for retirement. ORDER III. GLIRES. GEN. 14. SCIURUS, Linn. 39- S. vulgaris, Linn. (Common Squirrel.) — Fur brownish red above ; white beneath : ears with a pencil of long hairs at the extremity. S. vulgaris, Desm. Mammal, p. 330. Flem. Brit An. p. 20. Common Squirrel, Penn. Brit. Zool. vol. i. p. 107. DIMENS. Length of the head and body nine inches ; of the head two inches one line ; of the ears nine lines and a half; of the tail (to the end of the bone) six inches six lines, (to the end of the hair) eight inches six lines. DESCRIPT. Head thick, with the cheeks rather flattened ; nose pro- minent ; the upper lip projecting considerably beyond the lower ; the first grinder in the upper jaw extremely small, consisting of a single tubercle, and disappearing altogether at a certain age; eyes black, large, and round; ears erect, moderately large, ornamented at the extremity with a tuft or pencil of long hairs : neck short : legs strong and muscular, much longer behind than before; fore feet with four long, deeply di- vided toes, and a claw in the place of a thumb; hind feet with five toes ; claws sharp and strong : tail long and bushy, with the hair spread- ing out laterally. Colour of the upper parts reddish, or bright chestnut brown, the red tint being deepest on the sides of the head and neck, the shoulders, and the external surface of the legs ; lower parts, including the under portion of the neck, breast, abdomen, and inside of the legs, white : tail the colour of the back. Common in extensive woods, residing and building in trees. Climbs and leaps with great agility. Feeds on buds, acorns, nuts, and other fruits. When at rest, often sits erect, using its fore feet as hands, with its tail turned back over the body. Produces in the Spring from three to four young. 30 MAMMALIA GLIRES. [Mvoxus. GEN. 15. MYOXUS, Gmel. 40. M. avellanarius, Desm. (Dormouse.) — Fur tawny red above ; white beneath : tail bushy, the length of the body. M. avellanarius, Desm. Mammal, p. 295. Flem. Brit. An. p. 22. Dormouse, Penn. Brit. Zool. vol. i. p. 110. Shaw, Gen. Zool. vol. ii. p. 167. pi. 154. DIMENS. Length of the head and body two inches ten lines ; of the head eleven lines and a half; of the ears four lines ; of the tail two inches eight lines. DESCRIPT. Head broad; nose blunt; eyes black, large, and pro- minent ; ears broad, oval, rounded at the extremity : body plump : hind legs not disproportionably longer than the fore ; toes four in front with the rudiment of a thumb, five behind : tail very long, somewhat flattened horizontally, thickly clothed with hair on every side. Colour of the upper parts bright tawny red ; under parts white, with here and there a yellow tinge: tail red throughout. Not uncommon in some parts of the country, frequenting woods and thick hedges. Less active than the squirrel: food similar. Builds in the hollows of trees, and produces from three to four young. Becomes torpid in the Winter. GEN. 16. MUS, Linn. 41. M. sylvaticus, Linn. (Field Mouse.) — Fur yel- lowish brown above ; whitish beneath, with a ferruginous spot on the breast : ears more than half the length of the head. M. sylvaticus, Desm. Mammal, p. 301. Flem. Brit. An. p. 19. Field Mouse, Penn. Brit. Zool. vol. i. p. 120. Wood Mouse, Shaw, Gen. Zool. vol. n. p. 58. pi. 132. DIMENS. Length of the head and body three inches nine lines ; of the head one inch one line ; of the ears seven lines ; of the tail three inches seven lines. DESCRIPT. Forehead somewhat convex ; nose blunt ; eyes black, large and prominent ; ears oblong-oval, with the anterior margin doubled in at the base, and a projecting lobe opposite to it, this last arising within the auricle near the base of the posterior margin ; whiskers very long, mea- suring one inch two lines. Upper part of the head and body, cheeks, sides, and external portion of the legs, of a tawny gray or yellowish brown colour, each hair being dusky ash from the root upwards throughout two- thirds of its length, then tawny yellow, and lastly (more particularly some longer ones than the others) black at the extremity ; under part of the head and body, and inside of the legs, whitish, with here and there a tinge of dusky ash, the hair on these parts being dusky from the root upwards the same as above, but the extremities white ; the line of separation be- tween the above colours is tolerably well defined, and the red tinge is most prevalent just at that part; there is also a faint tawny spot upon the breast: tail a little shorter than the body, more slender and tapering Mus.] MAMMALIA GLIRES. 31 than in the M. Musculus; dusky on the upper surface, whitish be- neath: toes furnished above with long white hairs extending beyond the claws. Common in gardens ; and is occasionally, though very rarely, found in houses. A larger variety, measuring four inches and a half in length, exclusively of the tail, which is four inches, is sometimes met with in woods. Resides in holes under ground, where it amasses seeds, roots, &c. on which it feeds. Produces nine or ten young at a litter. 42. M. messorius, Shaw. (Harvest Mouse.) — Fur tawny brown on the upper parts ; beneath white : ears one-third the length of the head. M. messorius, Desm. Mammal, p. 302. Flem. Brit. An. p. 19. Harvest Mouse, Shaw, Gen. Zool. vol. n. p. 62. Fig. on Frontisp. DIMENS. Length of the head and body two inches six lines ; of the head ten lines; of the ears three lines ; of the tail two inches six lines. DESCRIPT. Much smaller than the last species, and of a more elon- gated form: head narrower in proportion: eyes and ears smaller, the latter barely one-third the length of the head, with the projecting lobe at the base of the posterior margin relatively larger: tail varying in length, equalling the body, or somewhat shorter. Fur above of a bright tawny red colour, with a tinge of brown, the basal half of each hair being dusky, and the upper portion red; beneath almost pure white, the hair being of one tint throughout its whole length ; a distinct line of separation between the above colours running parallel with the sides. First found in Hampshire by White. Since met with in Wiltshire, Devonshire, Cambridgeshire, and other parts of the country. Frequents cornfields during the harvest. Nest round, composed of dry straws and grasses, and suspended at a small height from the ground. Produces seven or eight at a litter. 43. M. Musculus, Linn. {House Mouse.) — Fur dusky gray above with a tinge of yellow ; beneath cinereous : ears about half the length of the head. M. Musculus, Desm. Mammal, p. 301. Flem. Brit. An. p. 19. Common Mouse, Penn. Brit. Zool. vol. i. p. 122. pi. 11. no. 30. Shaw, Gen. Zool. vol. n. p. 56. pi. 131. DIMENS. Length of the head and body three inches two lines ; of the head eleven lines ; of the ears five lines ; of the tail two inches eleven lines. DESCRIPT. Head of a somewhat triangular form; muzzle pointed, sharper than in the M. sylvaticus : eyes and ears, especially the former, smaller than in that species ; the latter oval, rounded at the extremity, and narrower in proportion to their length : whiskers shorter : tail stouter : feet and toes, particularly those behind, shorter. All the upper parts of the body and sides, dusky gray with a faint tinge of yellow, this last colour occupying a small portion of each hair near the summit, the basal half and extreme tip being dusky ; under parts cinereous, paler than those above, likewise tinged with yellow: ears, feet, and tail, clothed with a very short fine hair ; the last dusky, of one colour above and 32 MAMMALIA GLIRES. [Mirs. below. — Obs. The colours vary a little in different specimens, and some- times individuals occur wholly white ; or white with dark spots. Found in houses and stacks. Those which occur in the latter situation are remarkable for the brightness of their colour, which has a more decided yellow tinge than in house specimens. They also sometimes attain a larger size, measuring nearly four inches in length. Feeds on various animal and vegetable substances. Breeds several times in the year, and is extremely prolific. 44. M. Rattus, Linn. (Black Rat.) — Fur grayish- black above ; ash-colour beneath : tail a little longer than the body. M. Rattus, Desm. Mammal, p. 300. Flem. Brit. An. p. 20. Black Rat, Penn. Brit. Zool. vol. i. p. 113. Shaw, Gen. Zool. vol. n. p. 52. pi. 130. DIMENS. Length of the head and body seven inches four lines ; of the head one inch ten lines ; of the ears eleven lines and a half; of the tail seven inches eleven lines. DESCRIPT. Head long ; muzzle sharp-pointed ; lower jaw very short ; eyes large and prominent ; ears oval, broad, and naked : whiskers long : fore feet with four toes, and a claw in the place of a thumb ; hind feet with five : tail longer than the body, almost entirely naked, and covered with small scales disposed in rings. Colour of the upper parts deep iron- gray, or grayish black ; those beneath dull ash-colour : feet and tail dusky. Frequents houses, and is truly indigenous ; but is now much less general than the next species. Food various. Breeds frequently in the year, producing from six to eleven at a time. * 45. M. decumanus, Pall. (Brown Rat.) — Fur above grayish brown, tinged with yellow ; beneath whitish : tail scarcely so long as the body. M. decumanus, Desm. Mammal, p. 299. Flem. Brit. An. p. 20. Norway Rat, Penn. Brit. Zool. vol. i. p. 115. Shaw, Gen. Zool. vol. n. p. 51. pi. 130. DIMENS. Length of the head and body eleven inches ; of the head two inches four lines and a half ; of the ears eight lines and a half ; of the tail eight inches four lines. DESCRIPT. Larger than the last species ; thicker and of a stronger make : muzzle not quite so sharp at the extremity : eyes large and prominent : ears as broad as long, rounded at the extremity, and almost naked : tail naked and scaly, with about one hundred and eighty rings, generally not quite so long as the body, sometimes equalling it in length. Hair on the upper parts dusky ash at the roots, and reddish yellow at the extremity, with longer hairs intermixed of a deep brown colour throughout their whole length ; general resulting tint grayish brown with a cast of tawny yellow ; under parts dirty white, inclining here and there to ash- colour. Introduced originally by shipping from Asia : unknown in England before the year 1730. Abundant now throughout the country, inhabiting houses, barns, granaries, drains, and other situations. Habits similar to those of the last species Takes occasionally to the water, and swims readily . ARVICOLA.] MAMMALIA GLIRES. 33 GEN. 17. ARVICOLA, Lactp. 46. A. amphibia, Desm. (Water Campagnol.) — Fur above dusky gray tinged with yellow ; beneath paler : tail more than half the length of the body. A. amphibia, Desm. Mammal, p. 280. A. aquatica, Flem. Brit. An. p. 23. Water Rat, Penn. Brit. Zool. vol. i. p. 118. Shaw, Gen. Zool. vol. n. p. 73. pi. 129. DIMENS. Length of the head and body eight inches four lines ; of the head one inch ten lines; of the ears five lines and a half; of the tail four inches nine lines. DESCRIPT. Head thick and blunt; eyes small; ears short, scarcely projecting beyond the fur ; incisors of a deep yellow colour, very strong, and measuring in the lower jaw half an inch in length : fore feet with four toes and the rudiment of a thumb ; hind feet with five ; these last connected for a little way at their base, but not regularly webbed : tail more than half as long as the body, covered with short scattered hairs. Fur very thick, grayish black above, or reddish brown with scattered black hairs ; beneath iron gray. Var. /3. A. ater, Macgillivray in Warn. Mem. vol. vi. p. 429. Fur of a deep black colour above and below. Frequents the banks of rivers and ditches, in which it burrows. Swims and dives readily. Feeds principally on roots and tender plants. Pro- duces in June from six to eight young. The black variety is not un- common in the fens of Cambridgeshire : it diifers in no respect but that of colour. 47. A. agrestis, Flem. (Field Campagnol.) — Fur reddish brown above ; pale gray beneath : tail one-third the length of the body. A. agrestis, Flem. Brit. An. p. 23. A. vulgaris, Desm. Mammal. p. 282. Short-tailed Mouse, Penn. Brit. Zool. vol. i. p. 123. Meadow Mouse, Shaw, Gen. Zool. vol. n. p. 81. pi. 136. DIMENS. Length of the head and body four inches one line ; of the head one inch two lines ; of the ears five lines ; of the tail one inch three lines and a half. — Obs. These dimensions are rather larger than usual. DESCRIPT. Resembles the last species, but is much smaller. Head large; muzzle blunt at the extremity; ears rounded, moderately pro- jecting, relatively longer than in the A. amphibia ; incisors white : tail not more than one-third the length of the body, sometimes less. Fur soft and silky, reddish brown mixed with dusky on the upper parts, grayish ash beneath. Common in meadows, preferring moist situations. Food seeds and roots. Is very prolific; and in certain seasons multiplies to a great extent. Nest constructed of dried grass. C 34 MAMMALIA GLIRES. [ARVICOLA. 48. A. riparia, Yarr. (Bank Campagnol.) — Fur bright chestnut-red above, ash-colour beneath : tail half the length of the body ; the hairs at the tip a little elongated. A. riparia, Yarr ell in Proceed, of Zool. Soc. (1832) p. 109. Id. in Loud. Mag. of Nat. Hist. vol. v. p. 598. DIMENS. Length of the head and body three inches four lines ; of the head one inch half a line ; of the ears five lines ; of the tail one inch eight lines. DE SCRIPT. Distinguished from the A. agrestis by its brighter and more rufous colour ; tail longer, with the hairs at the tip extending be- yond the bone ; ears rather larger, and more prominent : under parts cinereous, with a faint yellow tinge along the mesial line of the abdomen and on each side of it: tail blackish above, white beneath, the two colours separated by a well-defined line. First discovered by Mr Yarrell at Birchanger in Essex. Has since occurred in Hertfordshire, Middlesex, Berkshire, and Cambridgeshire, but is not so plentiful as the A. agrestis. Frequents hedge-bottoms and ditch-banks, also occasionally stacks of corn. Is said to construct its nest of wool. — Obs. Independently of the above external diiferences be- tween this and the last species, there are others connected with their anatomy, which will be found detailed at length in Loud. Mag. 1. c. t GEN. 18. CASTOR, Linn. t 49. C. Fiber, Linn. {Beaver.) — Fur of a deep chestnut-brown; glossy above, dull beneath. C. Fiber, Desm. Mammal, p. 277. Common Beaver, Shaw, Gen. Zool. vol. 11. p. 30. pi. 128. DIMENS. Length of the head and body two feet six lines ; of the head five inches; of the tail one foot; breadth of the tail four inches two lines. — DESM. DESCRIPT. Head short and thick, somewhat flattened at the top ; muzzle obtuse : eyes small and black : ears short, and rounded at the extremity : neck short : body thick, very convex on the back : tail depressed, broad, and of an oval form ; the surface naked and scaly. Fur of a deep chestnut-brown colour, smooth and glossy on the upper parts, more dull underneath. Formerly an inhabitant of Wales and Scotland. Observed in the former country by Giraldus de Barri in the year 1188. Not exactly known when the species was extirpated. Has occurred in a fossil state in Cambridgeshire. GEN. 19. LEPUS, Linn. 50. L. timidus, Linn. (Common Hare.) — Tawny gray, shaded with brown : ears longer than the head ; black at the tips: tail black above, white beneath. L. timidus, Desm. Mammal, p. 347. Flem. Brit. An. p. 21. Hare, Penn. Brit. Zool. vol. i. p. 98. Shaw, Gen. Zool. vol. n. p. 197. pi. 162. DIMENS. Length of the head and body twenty-one inches nine lines ; of the head four inches ; of the ears four inches ten lines ; of the tail three inches six lines. LEPUS.] MAMMALIA GLIRES. 35 DESCRIPT. Head thick and large: inside of the cheeks hairy; eyes placed laterally, large and prominent ; ears longer than the head : limbs slender, much longer behind than before : soles of the feet hairy. Fur composed of a fine down with longer hairs intermixed, of a tawny gray or rusty brown colour, the red tint prevailing in certain parts more than in others ; each individual hair gray at the roots, black in the middle, and tawny at the tip ; abdomen, inside of the thighs, and a transverse patch beneath the lower jaw, white ; ears externally cinereous towards the base of the outer margin, above that colour a black spot reaching to the ex- tremity of the auricle : tail black above, white underneath. Vox. /?. Irish Hare. Yarr. in Proceed, of Zool. Soc. (1833) p. 88. Head shorter and more rounded than in the Common Hare ; ears shorter, not equalling the head in length; limbs less lengthened; fur composed of only one sort of hair, the long dark hairs, observable in the English Hare, being wanting. Frequents chiefly open fields. Feeds entirely on vegetables, coming abroad in the evening for that purpose. Breeds frequently in the year. Goes with young thirty days, and produces from one to four, rarely five, at a time. Young born with their eyes open, and the body clothed with fur. When full grown, has been known to weigh thirteen pounds one ounce and a half. Var. /3, which is the only Hare found in Ireland, might almost deserve to be considered as a distinct species. From the shortness and inferior quality of the hair, its fur is useless in trade. 51. L. Cuniculus, Linn. (Rabbet.) — Brownish gray, mixed with tawny : ears scarcely longer than the head : tail brown above, white beneath. L. Cuniculus, Desm. Mammal, p. 348. Flem. Brit. An. p. 21. Rabbet, Penn. Brit. Zool. vol. i. p. 104. pi. 10. no. 22. Show* Gen. Zool vol. n. p. 204. pi. 162. DIMENS. Length of the head and body sixteen inches ; of the head three inches four lines ; of the ears three inches six lines ; of the tail three inches. DESCRIPT. Approaching the last species in general appearance, but with the ears and hind legs proportionably shorter : fur of a less ferru- ginous colour ; the general tint brownish gray, or dusky brown, with the nape reddish ; throat and abdomen white ; ears gray, without the black spot at the extremity ; tail dusky brown above, white beneath. In the domesticated state the colours vary extremely. Resides in holes under ground. Like the Hare, comes abroad in the evening to feed. Still more prolific than that species, breeding repeat- edly in the year, and producing from four to eight at a litter. Young blind and naked at birth. 52. L. albusy Briss. (Alpine Hare.) — Dusky gray in summer, with a tinge of tawny ; white in winter : ears shorter than the head, always black at the extremity. L. albus, Briss. Reg. An. p. 139. L. variabilis, Flem. Brit. An. p. 22. Alpine Hare, Penn. Brit. Zool. vol. i. p. 102. pi. 10. no. 21. Varying Hare, Shaw, Gen. Zool. vol. n. p. 201. DIMENS. Length of the head and body twenty-one inches six lines ; of the head four inches six lines ; of the ears three inches three lines c2 36 MAMMALIA GLIRES. [LEPUS. of the tail two inches six lines ; of the fore leg, from the olecranon to the end of the toe-nails, seven inches three lines; of the hind foot, from heel to toe, six inches. DESCRIPT. In general somewhat smaller than the Common Hare, with shorter ears and more slender legs : tail shorter. Fur in summer grayish tawny mixed with black, here and there inclining to ash-colour; in winter wholly white, with the exception of the tips of the ears, which remain always hlack. Inhabits the Scotch mountains : keeps near the summits, and never descends into the valleys, or mixes with the common species. Change of dress effected in the months of September and April; caused by an actual change of colour in the hair itself, without the shedding of the fur. — Obs. The L. variabilis of Pallas is probably a distinct species. * GEN. 20. CAVIA, Gmd. * 53. C. Cobaya, Gmel. (Guinea Pig.)— Reddish yellow, variegated with black and white. C. Cobaya, Desm. Mammal, p. 356. Variegated Cavy, Shaw, Gen. Zool. vol. n. p. 17. pi. 126. DIMENS. Length of the head and body twelve inches ; of the head three inches one line ; of the ears ten lines and a half. DESCRIPT. Body thick and short ; the neck scarcely to be distinguished from it : ears broader than long, straight, naked, transparent, partly concealed by the hair : eyes round, large, and prominent. Hair sleek and smooth ; varying in colour in different individuals ; entirely white ; or variegated with black, white, and tawny yellow. A native of Brazil ; but domesticated in Europe. Is very prolific in confinement, breeding repeatedly in the year, and producing from four to twelve at a litter. Feeds on different vegetable substances. ORDER IV. UNGULATA. * GEN. 21. BOS, Linn. * 54. B. Taunts, Linn. (Common Ox.) — Forehead flat, longer than broad : horns taking their origin from the extremities of the occipital ridge. B. Taurus, Desm. Mammal, p. 499. Flem. Brit. An. p. 24. Ox, Penn. Brit. Zool. vol. i. p. 18. pi. 2. Shaw, Gen. Zool. vol. n. pi. 208. DESCRIPT. Varying extremely in the domesticated state in size and colour, as well as in the form and direction of the horns, which last are sometimes wholly wanting. A wild breed, (Bewick, Quad. p. 38.) formerly met with in Scotland, but now extinct, said to have been characterized by their white colour, with the muzzle and ears black. Is capable of breeding at the age of two years. Goes nine months with young, and produces one, rarely two, at a time. The two central incisors are shed in the tenth month ; the adjoining ones in the sixteenth ; by the end of the third year the change is wholly completed. CERVUS.] MAMMALIA UNGULATA. 37 * GEN. 22. OVIS, Linn. * 55. O. Aries, Linn. (Sheep.) — Horns compressed, and lunated. O. Aries, Desm. Mammal, p. 488. Flem. Brit. An. p. 25. Sheep, Penn. Brit. Zool. vol. i. p. 27. Shaw, Gen. Zool. vol. n. p. 385. DESCRIPT. Varying much in size and colour : with or without horns : wool coarse or fine, long or short, according to the breed, sometimes approaching the quality of hair : tail short, or reaching below the knees. Probably not originally indigenous. Primitive stock supposed to be the Argali* (Oyis Amman, Gmel.), which is found in a wild state in the mountainous parts of Asia. Period of gestation about five months. Produces one or two at a birth, rarely more. The two middle incisors fall at the end of the first year, and are replaced by others ; the next in succession at about the age of two and a half : by the end of the third year, or soon after, all have been renewed, and the in- dividual is said to be full-mouthed. * GEN. 23. CAPRA, Linn. * 56. C. Hircus, Linn. (Goat.) — Horns edged in front, rounded posteriorly. C. Hircus, Desm. Mammal, p. 482. Flem. Brit. An. p. 25. Domestic Goat, Penn. Brit. Zool. vol. i. p. 35. pi. 3. Shaw, Gen. Zool. vol. n. p. 369. pi. 199. DESCRIPT. Subject to less variation than the Sheep. Usual colour black, white, or pied ; occasionally brown, approaching more or less to a tawny red : horns in the male, in some instances upwards of three feet long ; in the female much smaller, or wanting altogether : tail about seven inches in length ; often black. Ranges in a state of liberty on the mountains of Wales, Scotland, and Ireland, and is often domesticated ; but it is doubtful whether it be indigenous. Supposed to be derived either from the C. Ibex, Linn, or the C. JEgagrus, Gmel., the former of which species is found wild on the Alps of Europe, the latter on the mountains of Persia. Goes with young five months. GEN. 24. CERVUS, Linn. 57. C. Elaphus, Linn. (Stag> or Red Deer.) — Horns branched ; round ; diverging at the base, somewhat con- verging at the extremity. V C. Elaphus, Desm. Mammal, p. 434. Flem. Brit. An. p. 26. Stag, Penn. Brit. Zool. vol. i. p. 41. Shaw, Gen. Zool. vol. n. p. 276. pi. 177. DIMENS. Length of the body about six feet six inches ; of the horns about two feet ; of the tail seven inches : height about three feet eight inches. DESCRIPT. — Varying in size and colour: usually reddish brown in summer, with a dusky line along the spine ; in winter brownish gray ; under parts whitish: horns at first simple, afterwards branched; the number of antlers increasing with age till they amount to ten or twelve ; three of them being always directed forwards : eyes large, with a distinct lachrymal furrow: ears long and pointed : tail of moderate length. Fe- male or Hind smaller, and without horns. The young or Calf is gene- rally spotted with white, or as it is termed menilled, on the upper parts : the first indication of horns takes place during the latter part of the first year, when it is called a Knobber. * Shaw, Gen. Zool. vol. n. p. 379. pi. 201. 38 MAMMALIA UNGULATA. [CERVUS. Formerly abundant throughout the kingdom, but now chiefly confined to the Highlands of Scotland. The horns are shed in March, and re- appear in the course of the summer. Rutting season from Michaelmas to the end of November. Period of gestation rather more than eight months. Usually but one at a birth. * 58. C. Duma, Linn. (Buck, or Fallow Deer.) — Horns branched; compressed ; palmated at the top, diverging. C. Dama, Desm. Mammal, p. 438. Flem. Brit. An. p. 26. Fallow Deer, Penn. Brit. Zool. vol. i. p. 41. Shaw, Gen. Zool. vol. n. p. 282. pi. 178-9. DIMENS. Length of the body about five feet ; of the tail seven inches five lines : height about two feet ten inches. DESCRIPT. Body much smaller than in the last species ; tawny brown, with the back, flanks, shoulders, and thighs, more or less spotted with white ; a dusky line down the middle of the back ; buttocks white, bounded on each side by a descend- ing black line ; tail longer than in the Stag, blackish brown above, white beneath ; abdomen and inside of the thighs whitish : horns round at bottom, with two antlers directed forwards ; their upper portion compressed, and dilated into a broad palm, with tooth-like processes along the outer margin. Female or Doe without horns, and likewise the Fawns during the first year. Var. (3. Entirely white. Var. y. Deep brown, approaching to black. Abundant in parks and forests in a half-reclaimed state, but doubtful whether indigenous. The black variety said to have been introduced from Sweden by King James the First; the others supposed to have come from Asia. Congregate in small herds. Rutting season in the Autumn. Female goes with young eight months, and produces one or two, rarely three, at a birth. The first two central incisors shed at the age of a year and a half ; the change completed by the end of the fourth year. 59- C. Capreolus, Linn. (Roe-Buck.) — Horns branch- ed ; cylindrical ; small and erect, with furcate summits. C. Capreolus, Desm. Mammal, p. 439. Flem. Brit. An. p. 26. Roe, Penn. Brit. Zool. vol. i. p. 49. pi. 4. Shaw, Gen. Zool. vol. n. p. 291. DIMENS. Length of the body three feet nine inches; of the horns eight to nine inches ; of the tail one inch : height (in front) two feet three inches, (behind) two feet seven inches. DESCRIPT. Smaller than either of the preceding species, but of similar form. Colour variable ; the general tint yellowish gray or reddish brown, more or less deep in different individuals, sometimes dusky; each hair being ash-coloured at the roots, then black, with the extreme tip tawny yellow ; lower part of the neck, abdomen, and inside of the thighs, grayish white; contour of the anus pure white: ears long, furnished internally with long whitish hairs ; extremity of the nose dusky, with a white spot on each side of the upper lip ; chin white : horns very rugged, sulcated longitudinally, about as long as the head, with only two antlers, the first arising about the middle, directed forwards, — the second higher up di- rected backwards : no lachrymal furrow : tail very short. Summer coat much shorter and finer, and of a redder tint, than the winter one. Doe without horns. In the young Buck, the horns are plain and unbranched during the second year ; in the third year furnished with a single antler, and in the fourth year complete. Common formerly in Wales, in the North of England, and in Scotland, but at present almost confined to the Scottish Highlands. Loses its horns Sus.j MAMMALIA UNGULATA. 39 at the latter end of Autumn. Rutting season during the first half of November. Doe goes with young five months and a half, and produces in April. Two at a hirth, which are always male and female. * GEN. 25. EQUUS, Linn. * 60. E. Caballus, Linn. (Horse.) — Tail uniformly covered with long hair ; mane long and flowing : ears of moderate size : no dorsal line or transverse band. E. Caballus, Desm. Mammal, p. 416. Flem. Brit. An. p. 27. Horse, Perm. Brit. Zool. vol.i. p, 1. pi. 1. Common Horse, Shaw, Gen. Zooi. vol. 11. p. 419. pi. 214. DESCRIPT. Offering every variety of size and colour : generally bay, or chestnut- brown, more or less deep ; black, or grayish white : head long and tapering : teeth, incis. jj, can. ^ (seldom present in the mare), mol. ^, = 40: ears erect and pointed, much smaller than in the next species : a naked callosity on the inside of the fore legs above the knee ; another on the hind legs just under the knee. Probably brought originally from Asia, where the species still exists in a truly wild state. A small variety occurs in the Highlands of Scotland, and in the Shet- land Islands, half-reclaimed, but can scarcely be considered as indigenous. Period of gestation eleven months. Seldom more than one at a birth. Central incisors cast at the age of two years and a half, and replaced by permanent ones ; the adjoining pair at three and a half; the remaining ones at four and a half ; these last replaced more slowly than the others. * 61. E. Asinus, Linn. (Ass.) — Gray, inclining to reddish; with the dorsal line, and a transverse band across the shoulders, black : ears very large : tail terminating in a tuft of long hair. E. Asinus, Desm. Mammal, p. 414. Ass, Penn. Brit. Zool. vol. i. p. 13. Shaw, Gen. Zool. vol. n. p. 429. pi. 216. DESCRIPT. Smaller than the Horse, and subject to less variation than that spe- cies. Colour generally gray, more or less dark ; sometimes approaching to silvery white, obscurely spotted with stains of a reddish cast, at other times dark brown or dusky : a transverse black stripe upon the shoulders, crossing another of the same colour down the middle of the back ; these marks always more or less obvious. Head shorter and thicker than that of the horse : ears long and slouching : tail tipped with long hair : no naked callosities on the hind legs. A native of the East. Introduced into this country towards the close of the tenth century. Goes eleven months with young, and produces one at a birth. Breeds occasionally with the Horse: the hybrid production termed a Mule or a Hinny, according as the Ass is the male or female parent. GEN. 26. SUS, Linn. 1 62. S. Scrofa, Linn. (Boar.)— Tusks strong, triangular, of mode- rate length, directed to one side. S. Scrofa, Desm. Mammal, p. 389. Flem. Brit. An. p. 28. Hog, Penn. Brit. Zool. vol. i. p. 55. Wild Boar, and Common Hog, Shaw, Gen. Zool. vol.u. p. 459. pi. 221 and 222. DIMENS. (Wild Boar.) Length of the head and body three feet three inches; of the head one foot ; of the tail seven inches six lines : height about one foot nine inches. DESCRIPT. Head elongated : neck short : body thick and muscular : legs short and strong : ears rather short : eyes small : mouth large, with the upper lip pushed 40 MAMMALIA CETACEA. [MANATUS. up by the tusks : body covered with long stiff bristles, intermixed at the roots with a soft woolly hair ; the longest and strongest bristles on the back. General colour dusky gray DESM. *Var. ft. domestica. (Domestic Hog.) — In this variety the ears are longer and more or less pendulous ; the bristles more thinly scattered, and of one sort ; the tusks comparatively short ; the tail more or less twisted ; the size and colour very variable. Formerly abundant in a wild state throughout the country. Continued to inhabit the forests about London so late as the reign of Henry the Second, but it is not exactly known how soon after that period they were extirpated. In the domestic state the Sow goes with young about four months, and is very prolific, producing sometimes as many as twenty at a litter. Food extremely various. ORDER V. CETACEA. GEN (1.) MANATUS, Cuv.? GEN. (2.) STELLERUS, Cuv.? (1.) ? Manatus borealis, Flem. Brit. An. p. 29. Mermaid of the Shetland Seas, Edinb. New Phil. Journ. (1829) vol. vi. p. 57. Two instances at least are on record in which specimens of the Her- bivorous Cetacea have been observed in the British seas, but there is no satisfactory evidence by which the species can be determined, or even the genus, to which they belonged*. In the Elements of Nat. Hist, by Mr Stewart, mention is made (vol. i. p. 125.) of the carcase of one of these animals which was thrown ashore near Leith ; and in the Edinb. New Philos. Jonrn. as quoted above, there will be found some account of another individual, which occurred a few years ago off the Shetland Islands. See also Dr Fleming's Brit. An. p. 30. GEN. 27. DELPHINUS, Linn. (1. DELPHINUS, Cue.) 63. D. Delphis, Linn. (Common Dolphin.) — Jaws mo- derately produced ; nearly of equal length : teeth more than forty on each side above and below ; slender, slightly bent, pointed. D. Delphis, Desm. Mammal, p. 514. Flem. Brit. An. p. 35. Dol- phin, Penn. Brit. Zool. vol. in. p. 65. Shaw, Gen. Zool. vol. n. p. 507. pi. 229. DIMENS. Entire length from six to seven feet. DESCRIPT. Body slender, thickest in the middle, gradually tapering towards the head and tail : muzzle or beak, measured from the forehead, equalling in length the rest of the head ; much depressed, narrow, and * On this account I have introduced, in the Synoptic Arrangement of Genera, the characters of both Manatus and Stellerus Cuv., which are perhaps equally likely to occur in the British seas. At any rate they will prove useful in determining the true genus of any of these animals which may be met with hereafter. DELPHINUS.] MAMMALIA CETACEA. 41 somewhat pointed at the extremity : jaws nearly equal, the upper being slightly shorter than the lower: teeth very numerous, Jfs to §^ = 168 to 188, slender, somewhat bent inwards, sharp-pointed ; placed at equal distances from each other, and locking in between each other when the jaws are closed: eyes small, almost in a line with the mouth: blow-hole situate on the top of the head a little above the eyes : pectoral fins placed very low, in form somewhat falcate : dorsal fin pointed, taking its origin from a little beyond the middle of the back ; rather elevated, and when measured along the line of flexure, equalling one-sixth of the entire length of the body : tail crescent-shaped. Skin smooth ; of a dusky colour above, white beneath, and grayish on the sides. Met with occasionally on the British shores, but not of very frequent occurrence. Feeds on animal substances. Period of gestation said to be ten months. Produces one or two at a birth. 64. D. Tursio, Fab. (Blunt-toothed Dolphin.) — Jaws moderately produced ; the lower longer than the upper : teeth rather more than twenty on each side above and below ; straight, with obtuse summits. D. Tursio, Desm. Mammal, p. 514. Flem. Brit. An. p. 37. D. trun- catus, Mont, in Wern. Mem. vol. in. p. 75. pi. 3. Bottle-nose Whale, Hunter in Phil. Trans, for 1787. pi. 18. DIMENS. Entire length eleven feet: girth seven feet four inches: length of the mouth fourteen inches ; from the snout to the eye sixteen inches ; from the same to the pectoral fin two feet ; from the same to the dorsal four feet eight inches ; from the same to the vent seven feet three inches; length of the dorsal twenty-three inches; height of the same ten inches. DESCRIPT. Larger than the last species : lower jaw projecting further beyond the upper : teeth less numerous, H^li to HiH = 84 to 92, straight, somewhat conical, but blunt and truncated at the extremity. But little known as a British species. Hunter's specimen was caught upon the sea-coast near Berkeley, and is now in the Museum of the College of Surgeons. In the same collection is a second individual from the Thames. The one described by Montagu, which appears to have been large and aged, with the summits of the teeth more than usually truncated, was taken in the river Dart, in 1814. The measurements given above are those of a fourth individual which occurred a few years since in the river at Preston. They were obligingly sent me by Mr Gilbertson of that place. (2. PHOCCENA, Cuv.) . » 65. D. Phoccena^ Linn. (Porpesse.) — Under jaw slightly projecting beyond the upper : teeth twenty-two to twenty- five on each side above and below ; straight, compressed, and rounded at the summits. D. Phoccena, Desm. Mammal, p. 516. Flem. Brit. An. p. 33. Por- pesse, Penn. Brit. Zool. vol. in. p. 69. Shaw, Gen. Zool. vol. n. p. 504. pi. 229. DIMENS. Entire length from four feet to five feet and a half. DESCRIPT. Body elongated, gradually tapering towards the tail: snout short, rather obtuse at the extremity : under jaw somewhat longer 42 MAMMALIA CETACEA. [DELPHINUS. than the upper : teeth numerous ; from twenty-two to twenty-five in each jaw on each side, compressed, and nearly straight : eyes small, almost in a line with the mouth : blow-hole crescent-shaped, with the concavity directed forwards: pectoral fins placed low down, oval, and somewhat pointed : dorsal fin straight, triangular, rather beyond the middle of the body. Skin smooth; dusky on the back, whitish on the belly, the two colours meeting on the sides. A constant inhabitant of the British seas, often entering the mouths of rivers. Preys on mackarel, herrings, and other fish. A specimen which occurred in the London market in May 1833 was found to contain a full-formed foetus; it is probable, therefore, that they produce their young at about that period of the year. 66. D. Orca, Fab. (Grampus.) — Upper jaw projecting a little beyond the lower : teeth about eleven on each side above and below ; conical, bent at the summits : pectoral fins broad and oval. D. Orca,Flem.Brit. An. p. 34. D. Grampus, Desm. Mammal, p. 517. Grampus, Hunter in Phil. Trans. 1787, pi. 16. DIMENS. Entire length from twenty to twenty-five feet. DESCRIPT. Much larger than the last species; the body deeper and thicker in proportion to its length. Snout very short and obtuse : upper jaw somewhat longer than the lower, but this last broader than the upper : teeth unequal, conical, a little bent at the summits ; varying in number according to the age of the individual, generally about twenty two in each jaw: eyes almost in the same line with the mouth: dorsal fin nearly in the middle, very much elevated, and pointed at the extre- mity: pectorals very broad, of an oval form : tail crescent-shaped. Skin smooth ; glossy black above, white beneath, the two colours meeting on the sides but separated by a well-defined line ; an oval white spot behind each eye. Inhabits the British seas in large herds, and occasionally enters rivers. Is of a fierce and voracious disposition, preying upon the larger species of fish. — Obs. The Delphinus Gladiator and the D. ventricosus of Lace- pede, two species constituted by that author from individuals taken in the Thames, are considered by Cuvier as not really distinct from the above. 67- D. melas, Traill. (Casing Whale.) — Top of the head very convex : teeth conical, varying in number : pec- toral fins long and narrow. D. melas, Traill in Nichol. Journ. vol. xxn. p. 81. Flem. Brit. An. ?. 34. D. globiceps, Cuv. Ann. du Mus. torn. xix. p. 14. pi. 1. 2, 3. D. Deductor, Scoresby, Arct. Reg. vol. i. p. 496. pi. 13. f. 1. DIMENS. Entire length from twenty to twenty-four feet. DESCRIPT. Equalling the Grampus in size, but differing essentially from that species in the form and character of the fins ; the dorsal much shorter, the pectorals longer, narrower, and more pointed : head short and round, with the forehead remarkably convex and prominent: upper jaw projecting a little beyond the lower : teeth conical, sharp, and a little bent: varying much in number in different individuals, not visible in MONODON.] MAMMALIA CETACEA. 43 very young specimens, and falling in advanced life ; average number from twenty-two to twenty-four in all. Skin smooth, of a deep bluish black colour, with the exception of a whitish band beneath the body extending from the throat to the anus. Common in large herds oif the Orkney and Shetland Islands. (3. DELPHI NAPTERA, Lacep.) 68. D. albicans, Fab. (Beluga.) — Head blunt : teeth about nine on each side above and below ; short, with obtuse summits. D. leucas, Desm. Mammal, p. 519. Delphinaptera albicans, Flem. Brit. An. p. 36. Beluga, Barclay and Neill in Wern. Mem. vol. in. p. 371. pi. 17. Scoresby, Arct. Reg. vol. i. p. 500. pi. 14. DIMENS. Entire length from twelve to eighteen feet. DESCRIPT. Body thick in the middle, somewhat tapering towards each extremity, but more especially towards the tail : head small, blunt, and round; the forehead rising abruptly: eyes and mouth small: jaws equal : teeth in the adult state about nine on each side above and below, short, straight, slightly compressed, with obtuse summits ; those in the upper jaw falling in advanced life : a longitudinal ridge on the back sup- plying the place of the dorsal fin : pectorals short, broad, and oval. Skin smooth : colour wholly white ; sometimes with a tinge of yellow. A native of high Northern latitudes, where it is found in herds of thirty or forty together. Must be considered as a very rare visitant of the British seas. The individual described by Mr. Neill 1. c. was taken in the Frith of Forth in June 1815. GEN. 28. MONODON, Linn. 69. M. MonoceroS) Linn. (Narwhal.) — Body sub-conical, with a dorsal and ventral ridge : head obtuse, about one- seventh of the entire length. M. Monoceros, Scoresby, Arct. Reg. vol. i. p. 486. pi. 15. Flem. Brit. An. p. 37. Small-headed Narwhal, Flem. in Wern. Mem. vol. i. p. 131. pi. 6. DIMENS. Entire length, exclusive of the tusk, thirteen to sixteen feet ; circumference (at the thickest part) eight to nine feet ; length of the tusk about five feet*. DESCRIPT. Anterior half of the body nearly cylindrical; posterior half conical: this latter portion furnished with a dorsal and ventral ridge, which take their origin about three feet from the extremity, and extend half way across the tail ; the edges of the tail run in like manner six or eight inches along the body, forming ridges on the sides of the rump : head about one-seventh of the entire length ; small, blunt, and round ; the forehead very prominent, rising suddenly from the snout : mouth small; intermaxillary bones furnished each with one tooth di- rected forwards; in the female these teeth generally remain through life concealed in the sockets, not appearing externally ; in the male, that on the left side is exserted, growing to the length of several feet; * The above measurements are from Scoresby, from whose excellent work on the Arctic Regions much assistance has been derived in drawing up the characters of this species, as well as of some others of the Cetacea. 44 MAMMALIA CETACEA. [HYPEROODON. it is spirally striated from right to left, nearly straight, and tapering to a round blunt point ; very rarely, in this last sex both teeth are equally developed, and both exserted : blow-hole semicircular, situate directly over the eyes : pectoral fins short : no dorsal fin, but instead of it an irregular sharpish fatty ridge, two inches in height, extending two feet and a half along the back, nearly midway between the snout and the tail : tail divided by a notch into two lobes, which project laterally and are somewhat pointed. Prevailing colour white, or yellowish white, with dark gray or blackish spots of different degrees of intensity. Has only occurred hitherto in two or three instances on the British shores. In the Northern seas is said to be gregarious ; each sex herding separately. Feeds on sepice and other molluscous animals. GEN. 29. HYPEROODON, Lactp. 70. H. bidens, Flem. (Bottle-head.) — Teeth two only in the fore part of the lower jaw. H. bidens, Flem. Brit. An. p. 36. H. Butskopf, Lactp. Cttac. p. 319. Bottle-nose Whale with two teeth, Hunter in Phil. Trans. 1787. pi. 19. Beaked Whale, Penn. Brit. Zool. vol. in. p. 59. pi. 5. f. 1. Two-toothed Cachalot, Sow. Brit. Misc. pi. 1. DIMENS. Entire length from twenty to twenty-five feet. DESCRIPT. Body elongated ; greatest circumference in the region of the pectoral fins : forehead high, very convex, rising suddenly from the snout; this last short and depressed, terminating in a kind of beak some- what similar to that of the genus Delphinus : lower jaw rather longer and larger than the upper : teeth conical, and pointed ; only two, situate in the fore part of the lower jaw ; sometimes altogether wanting, or not appearing above the gums : palate studded with little horny eminences, considered by Cuvier as rudimentary vestiges of whalebone : eyes large, a little above the line of the lips : blow-hole crescent-shaped, with the horns of the crescent directed towards the tail : dorsal fin placed con- siderably beyond the middle of the body, but little elevated, lanceolate, pointed, inclining backwards : pectorals small, oval, in the same horizon- tal line with that of the mouth. Skin smooth and glossy, blackish lead- colour above, whitish underneath, the two colours mixing on the sides. Occasionally met with on the British shores. Hunter's specimen was taken in the Thames above London Bridge in 1783. — Obs. This species has been unnecessarily split into several by many authors : it probably embraces all the following of Desmarest's " Mammalogie;" Delphinus Chemnitzianus, D. Hunteri, D. edentulus, D. Hyperoodon, and D. Sowerbyi. GEN. 30. PHYSETER, Linn. (1. CATODON, Lacep.) 71. P. macrocephalus, Shaw. (Blunt-headed Cachalot.) — Teeth in the lower jaw from twenty to twenty-four on each side; mostly conical with obtuse summits. Catodon -macrocephalus arid C. Trumpo, Lacep. Cetac. pp. 165 and 212. C. macroceph. Flem. Brit. An. p. 39. Blunt-headed Cachalot, Penn. Brit. Zool. vol. in. p. 61. pi. 6. Spermaceti Whale, Alder- son in Camb. Phil. Trans, vol. n. p. 253. pi. 12—14. PHYSETER.] MAMMALIA CETACEA. 45 DIMENS. Entire length from fifty to sixty-three feet. DESCRIPT. Head enormously large, forming more than one-third of the entire bulk ; the hody gradually tapering "from the posterior part of it towards the tail : upper part of the snout very thick and swollen, as it were truncated in front, and overhanging considerably the lower jaw; this last of a narrow elongated form, fitting, when the mouth is closed, into a grooved cavity above : upper jaw without whalebone or visible teeth, although a few teeth may be found concealed within the gums on cutting through the integuments ; in the lower jaw from forty to forty -nine teeth (there being occasionally an odd one), entering likewise when the mouth is shut into corresponding cavities above ; the last three or four on each side smaller than the others, and somewhat hooked ; the rest projecting above the gums about two inches, cylindrical or conical, with bluntish summits ; those in front inclining backwards, those situate more behind forwards, the middle tooth on each side being nearly vertical : blow-hole single, near the extremity of the snout, and placed rather to the left of the median line : no dorsal fin ; instead of it a callous ridge commencing gradually, and terminating behind abruptly in a sort of hook-like process : pectorals small. General colour black or dusky, some- what paler beneath*. Occasionally stranded on different parts of the coast, but not of fre- quent occurrence in the British seas. The upper part of the head in this species consists of large cavities, separated from each other by a cartila- ginous substance, and filled with an oily fluid, which, in its congealed state, forms the spermaceti of commerce. These cavities are quite dis- tinct from that of the cranium which is situate beneath. (2.) P. Catodon, lAim—Catodon Sibbaldi, Flem. Brit. An. p. 39. This supposed species is too imperfectly characterized, and rests on too doubtful authority, to rank as distinct. In the opinion of Cuvier, (Oss. Foss. torn. v. p. 335.) the herd stated by Sibbald (Phalainolog. Nov. p. 24.) as having occurred at Kairston in Orkney, consisting of an hundred individuals, were probably Belugas (Delphinus albicans), some of which had lost the teeth in the upper jaw through age. Moreover Sibbald appears only to have had his account from others, and not to have seen any of the individuals himself. (2. PHYSETER, Lactp.) 72. P. Tursio, Linn. (High-Jtnned Cachalot.) — Teeth very slightly bent, with flat summits. P. Tursio, Flem. Brit. An. p. 38. P. Mular, Lacep. Cetac. p. 239. Desm. Mammal, p. 526. High-finned Cachalot, Penn. Brit. Zool. vol. in. p. 64. DESCRIPT. Said to be characterized by an erect dorsal fin, very high, and pointed at the extremity: blow-hole in front: teeth very slightly bent, with flat or obtuse summits : in other respects similar to the P. macrocephalus. But very little is known of this species. The few particulars on record respecting it are principally taken from Sibbald, who briefly describes a Cachalot with the above characters, which came on shore on the Orkney Isles in 1687. * Some parts of this description are borrowed from Alderson's account of this species, 1. c. 46 MAMMALIA CETACEA. [PHYSETER. (3.) P. microps, Linn. Flera. Brit. An. p. 38. This species, which entirely owes its existence to Sibbald's Phalain- ologia, rests upon very vague and uncertain authority. It is said to resemble the P. Tursio, excepting in having the teeth more pointed. Cuvier does not admit that there is any well-founded distinction between the two. Indeed, in his Ossemens Fossiles, (torn. v. p. 328.) he would seem to entertain some doubts with respect to the existence of either. GEN. 31. BAL^NA, Linn. (1. BALJENA, Lactp.) 73. B. Mysticetus, Linn. (Common Whale.) — Gape of the mouth arched : upper jaw with about six hundred and fifty lamina? of whalebone. B. Mysticetus, Scoresby, Arctic Reg. vol. i. p. 449. pi. 12. Flem. Brit. An. p. 33. Common Whale, Penn. Brit. Zool. vol. in. p. 50. DIMENS. Entire length averaging from fifty to sixty-five feet : greatest circumference from thirty to forty feet. DESCRIPT. One of the most bulky, but not in general the longest of the Cetaceous tribe. Body thickest in the middle, a little behind the fins, from which point it gradually tapers, in a conical form, towards the tail, and slightly towards the head : this last very large, of a somewhat tri- angular form; "the under part, the arched outHne of which is given by the jawbones, flat, and measuring sixteen to twenty feet in length, and ten to twelve in breadth : the lips, which are five or six feet high, and form the cavity of the mouth, are attached to the under jaw, and rise from the jaw-bones, at an angle of about eighty degrees, having the appearance, when viewed in front, of the letter U : the upper jaw, in- cluding the crown-bone or skull, bent down at the extremity, so as to shut the front and upper parts of the cavity of the mouth, and overlapped by the lips in a squamous manner at the sides * : " no teeth ; but the palate furnished with two extensive rows of whalebone, generally curved longi- tudinally, and giving an arched form to the roof of the mouth ; each series consists of upwards of three hundred laminae, the interior edges of which are covered with a fringe of hair : eyes remarkably small : pec- toral fins situate about two feet beyond the angle of the mouth : tail horizontal, of great breadth, and of a semilunar form ; the lateral lobes somewhat pointed, and turned a little backward. Colour black, or blackish gray, with the exception of the fore part of the under jaw and a portion of the belly, which are white. Appears to have been formerly of not unfrequent occurrence in the British seas, but must be considered in these days as an extremely rare visitant. Sibbald mentions one which came ashore near Peter head in 1682. A small one is stated to have been taken near Yarmouth, July 8, 1784-K The food of this species is said to consist principally of shrimps and molluscous animals. * Scoresby. t C. and J. Paget's Nat. Hist, of Yarmouth and its Neighbourhood. MAMMALIA CETACEA. 4? (2. BAL,ENOPTERA, Lactp.) 74. B. Physalus, Linn. (Fin-Fish.) — Pectoral skin without longitudinal folds. Balsenoptera Gibbar, Scoresb. Arct. Reg. vol. i. p. 478. Physalis vulgaris, Flem. Brit. An. p. 32. Fin-Fish, Penn. Brit. Zool. vol. in. p. 57. Fin-backed Mysticete, Shaw, Gen. Zool. vol. n. p. 490. pi. 227. DIMENS. Entire length about one hundred feet: greatest circum- ference from thirty to thirty -five feet. DESCRIPT. The longest of the Cetaceous tribe. Body more slender, and less cylindrical than that of the B. Mysticetus ; considerably com- pressed at the sides, and angular on the back : head smaller than in that species; the snout more pointed, with the jaws nearly equal; the whalebone shorter, the longest lamina measuring about four feet : a small horny protuberance, or dorsal fin, near the extremity of the back : pec- torals long and narrow. Colour pale bluish black, or dark bluish gray. Apparently of equal rarity in the British seas with . the species last described. It is included by Pennant in his British Zoology, but it is not said on what authority. 75. B. Boops, Linn. (Sharp-lipped Whale.) — Pec- toral skin with longitudinal folds admitting of dilatation : jaws pointed. Balsenoptera Jubartes, Scoresb. Arct. Reg. vol. i. p. 484. B. Boops, Flem. Brit. An. p. 31. Pike-headed Mysticete, Shaw, Gen. Zool. vol. ii. p. 492. pi. 227. Fin-Whale, Neitt in Wern. Mem. vol. i. p. 201. DIMENS. Entire length about forty-six feet: greatest circumference about twenty feet. DESCRIPT. Body very thick, and somewhat elevated, immediately over the pectoral fins; gradually tapering from that point towards the tail: head moderately large, becoming narrower towards the extremity of the snout, which terminates however in a somewhat broadish tip : lower jaw one-third of the entire length: palate with about three hun- dred laminae of whalebone on each side, the longest measuring about eighteen inches in length : dorsal protuberance or fin placed far down the back ; two feet and a half high : pectorals four or five feet long, scarcely a foot broad. Colour black above, whitish on the belly, inclining to red between the pectoral folds. Represented as being of not unfrequent occurrence in the Scotch seas ; and occasionally stranded on different parts of the English coast. There is some doubt whether the whale described and figured by Dr Johnston in the Trans, of Newcastle Nat. Hist. Soc. (vol. i. p. 6.) be referable to this species or not, as it possessed pectorals nine feet in length, being one-fourth of the length of the body. It was thrown on shore about two miles north of Berwick, in Sept. 1829. 76. B. Musculus, Linn. (Round-lipped Whale.) — Pectoral skin with longitudinal folds : margin of the under lip semicircular. Balsenoptera Rorqual, Scoresb. Arct. Reg. vol. i. p. 482. B. Mus- culus, Flem. Brit. An. p. 30. Round-lipped Whale, Penn. Brit. Zool. vol. in. p. 58. 48 MAMMALIA CETACEA. DIMENS. Entire length from seventy to eighty-six feet. DESCRIPT. Strongly resembling the last species, but said to grow to a much larger size : differs also in having the lower lip much broader than the upper, and semicircularly turned at its extremity, while the upper is somewhat sharp or pointed at the tip: gape large; longest lamina of whalebone three feet in length. Found in the Scotch seas with the preceding. Said to feed principally on herrings. Obs. The characters of the species in this sub-genus are not suffi- ciently well understood to admit of being laid down with any degree of certainty, and there can be little doubt that the species themselves have been unnecessarily multiplied. Cuvier appears to be of opinion (Regne An. torn. i. p. 298.) that even the B. Physalus may eventually turn out to be the same with the B. Boops, and that the supposed difference between them may be the result of hasty and imperfect examination. There is likewise but little dissimilarity between the B. Boops and the B. Mus- culus, and it is not as yet satisfactorily ascertained that even that little is to be depended upon as constant in all cases. With respect to the Balcena rostrata of Fabricius and Hunter (Phil. Trans. 1787. pi. 20.) which occurs not unfrequently on the British coasts, it is probably no- thing more than the young state of one of the two last mentioned ; in the opinion of Cuvier*, of the B. Boops. * See his Ostemens Fossiles (torn. v. p. 365.) which contains a valuable dissertation on the different species of the Cetacea. CLASS II. AVES. $ /. Feet formed for grasping. ORDER I. RAPTORES. Bill strong, covered at the base with a cere, hooked towards the extremity : legs strong and muscular, short, or of moderate length : toes four in number, three directed forwards and one behind; rough underneath ; armed with powerful, sharp, curved, retractile talons. I. VULTURID^.— Head and neck more or less divested of feathers : nostrils lateral, placed in the cere, oval or elongated: feet generally naked: claws moderately curved. 1. NEOPHRON — Bill long, slender, straight, hooked at the extremity ; lower mandible bending downward ; no gonys : nostrils longitudinal, lateral, situate near the ridge : fore part of the head naked ; neck feathered : feet strong, moderate, naked : wings long ; third quill the longest : tail of fourteen feathers. II. FALCONIDM.— Head feathered: nostrils la- • tend, placed in the cere> rounded or oval: legs feathered to the toes, or naked: claws strongly curved, very sharp. 2. AQUILA. — Bill long, very robust, convex or slightly angular above, straight at the base, much hooked D 50 AVES. at the tip : cere hispid : nostrils rounded, or lunulate : wings long. (1. AQUILA.) Tarsi feathered to the toes : claws unequal, grooved beneath: fourth quill longest. (2. HALI^EETUS.) Tarsi half-feathered; acrotarsia scutellated: claws unequal, grooved beneath : fourth quill longest : nostrils trans- verse. (3. PANDION.) Tarsi naked; acrotarsia reticulated with small rounded scales : outer toe reversible : claws equal, rounded beneath: second quill longest. 3. FALCO Bill short, strong, bending from the base; upper mandible strongly toothed, lower one emar- ginated : nostrils round : tarsi short and strong ; acrotarsia reticulated : wings long ; second quill longest ; first and second with the inner webs deeply notched near the ex- tremity. 4. ACCIPITER Bill short, rather strong, bending from the base : nostrils oval : tarsi slender ; acrotarsia scutellated : middle toe much longer than the lateral ones : wings short, not reaching beyond two-thirds of the length of the tail: fourth quill longest. (1. ASTUR.) Tarsi moderate ; rather robust : acrotarsia scutellated. (2. ACCIPITER.) Tarsi long and slender: acrotarsia scutellated; the sutures of the scales obsolete. 5. MILVUS Bill moderate, rather weak, bending slightly from the base, somewhat angular above: nostrils oblique, oval or elliptic : tarsi short : toes and claws weak : wings very long : tail long, and forked. (1. MILVUS.) Tarsi feathered a little below the knee; acrotarsia scutellated: fourth quill longest. (ELJNUS.) Tarsi very short, half- feathered ; acrotarsia reticulated : second quill generally the longest. 6. BUTEO Bill moderate, bending from the base : nostrils oval or roundish : tarsi partly naked, or clothed with feathers: wings long; third and fourth quills gene- rally the longest; the four first emarginated on their inner webs: tail even. (1. BUTEO.) Lore without feathers : tarsi short and strong ; naked, with the acrotarsia scutellated ; or feathered to the toes. AVES. 51 (2. PERNIS.) Lore closely covered with small scaly feathers: tarsi moderate, half-feathered; acrotarsia reticulated. (3. CIRCUS.) Sides of the head furnished with a circle of feathers approaching that of the owls : tarsi elongated, feathered a little helow the joint; acrotarsia scutellated : tail long; somewhat rounded. III. STRIGID^E.— Head large, feathered ; base of the bill clothed with stiff bristly feathers directed forwards, concealing the cere and nostrils : eyes surrounded by a circle of radiating feathers : legs feathered to the toes: outer toe reversible. 7- BUBO Bill strong, bending from the base : nos- trils oval or rounded : facial disk small and incomplete : auditory aperture small, oval, without an operculum : head furnished with large conspicuous egrets: wings moderate; third quill generally the longest, (1. BUBO.) Legs rohust, feathered to the claws. (2. SCOPS.) Tarsi feathered : toes naked. 8. OTUS Bill bending from the base : nostrils oval, oblique: facial disk complete, of moderate size: auditory conch large, the aperture covered by an operculum : egrets more or less conspicuous : wings long ; second quill longest : legs feathered to the claws. 9. STRIX Bill somewhat elongated, bending at the tip only : nostrils oval : facial disk complete and full-sized : auditory aperture large, furnished with an operculum : head without egrets : wings long ; second quill longest : tarsi feathered : toes hairy ; middle claw serrated beneath. 10. SYRNIUM Bill bending from the base: nos- trils round : facial disk large and complete : auditory aperture large, furnished with an operculum: head with- out egrets : wings short and rounded ; fourth and fifth quills longest : legs feathered to the claws. 11. NOCTUA. — Bill bending from the base: nos- trils oval : facial disk small, and generally very incom- D2 52 AVES. plete : auditory aperture small, oval : head without egrets : wings moderate; third quill longest. (1. SURNIA.) Legs and toes thickly feathered. (2. NOCTUA.) Tarsi feathered : toes either feathered or hairy. ORDER II. INSESSORES. Bill various : legs short, or of moderate length : feet adapted for perching: toes four, varying in posi- tion, flat underneath; hind toe articulated on the same plane with the fore toes : claws slender, some- what retractile, curved and acute. I. DENTIROSTRES.— Bill moderate, more or less weak, furnished with a notch or tooth on each side towards the tip: rictus armed with bristles : feet generally slender ; toes three before and one behind. (LANIIDJE.) 12. LANIUS Bill robust, convex above, much com- pressed at the sides, furnished at the base with hairy fea- thers directed forwards; upper mandible hooked at the extremity, and strongly notched : nostrils basal, lateral, nearly round, partly closed by a membrane: wings with the first quill short ; the second shorter than the third and fourth, which are longest. (MUSCICAPIDJE.) 13. MUSCICAPA. — Bill moderate, somewhat tri- angular, depressed at the base, compressed towards the tip, which is deflected ; the upper mandible emarginated : rictus armed with long stiff bristles : tarsus a little longer AVES. 53 than the middle toe : side toes of equal length : wings with the first quill very short ; third and fourth longest. (MERULIDJS.) 14. CINCLUS. — Bill rather slender, straight, rounded, compressed at the sides ; upper mandible emarginated at the tip, slightly bending over the lower one : nostrils longi- tudinally cleft, and partly covered by a membrane : tarsus longer than the middle toe : wings and tail short ; the former with the first quill very short, the third and fourth longest. 15. TURDUS Bill moderate, convex above, slightly bending towards the point, which is rather compressed ; upper mandible emarginated : rictus furnished with a few bristles: nostrils oval; partly covered by a naked mem- brane: tarsus longer than the middle toe: wings and tail moderate ; the former with the first quill extremely short, almost abortive; the second somewhat shorter than the third and fourth, which are longest. 16. ORIOLUS Bill subconic, depressed at the base; upper mandible carinated above, slightly emarginated, in- clining over the lower one : nostrils opening longitudinally in a large membrane : tarsus not longer than the middle toe: wings moderate; first quill very short ; third longest (SYLVIIDjE.) 17. ACCENTOR. — Bill rather strong, subconic, straight, acute, broader than high at the base, very much compressed in front ; upper mandible emarginated at the tip ; the tomia of both mandibles inflected : nostrils ba- sal, naked, pierced in a large membrane : tarsi strong : wings moderate; first quill very short; third and fourth longest. 18. SYLVIA Bill slender, depressed at the base, compressed in front ; upper mandible bending over the lower one, and slightly emarginated at the tip ; lower man- 54 AVES. dible straight : nostrils basal, pierced in a membrane, more or less exposed : wings short, or moderate ; first quill very short, sometimes almost abortive; third, or third and fourth, generally the longest. (1. ERITHACA.) Bill rather strong, as broad as high at the base; gonys slightly ascending : rictus with long weak diverging bris- tles: tarsi slender, somewhat elongated: wings moderate ; fourth and fifth quills longest : tail divaricated ; the tips of the feathers pointed. (2. PHCENICURA.) Bill slender, as broad as high at the base: rictus nearly smooth : tarsi moderate : wings rather long ; third and fourth quills longest : tail even ; the feathers obtuse, and ge- nerally rufous. (3. SALICARIA.) Bill very slender, broader than high at the base i rictus with long diverging bristles : tarsi moderate : wings short, and somewhat rounded ; first quill nearly abortive ; third long- est : tail cuneiform ; the tips of the feathers rounded. (4. PHILOMELA.) Bill rather strong, as broad as high at the base; gonys slightly ascending : rictus with a few short bristles : tarsi elongated : wings moderate ; third and fourth quills long- est : tail with the two middle feathers longest ; the tips of all rounded. (5. CURRUCA.) Bill rather strong, broader than high at the base ; gonys slightly ascending : rictus nearly smooth : tarsi moderate : wings moderate ; first quill nearly abortive ; third longest : tail slightly forked. (6. SYLVIA.) Bill very slender, broader than high at the base : rictus with a few longish bristles : tarsi rather elongated : wings moderate ; third and fourth quills longest : tail slightly forked ; the tips of the feathers rounded. 19. MELIZOPHILUS. — Bill very slender, short, slightly arched from the base, compressed, with the tip finely emarginated; tomia of both mandibles inflected to- wards the middle : rictus with a few bristles : tarsi strong, longer than the middle toe : wings short ; first quill very small ; third, fourth, and fifth, equal and longest : tail much elongated, cuneiform. 20. REGULUS. — Bill very slender, subulate, straight, compressed throughout its whole length ; the tomia inflected inwards : nostrils concealed by small bristly feathers directed forwards : tarsi rather long : wings with the first quill very short ; second much shorter than the third ; fourth and fifth longest : tail moderate ; divaricated, the tips of the feathers pointed. AVES. 55 21. MOTACILLA. — Bill slender, subulate, straight, earinated, angulated between the nostrils, emarginated at the tip ; the tomia of both mandibles slightly compressed in- wards : tarsus considerably longer than the middle toe : wings with the first quill extremely short; second and third longest; one of the scapulars as long as the quills: tail elongated, even. 22. ANTHUS. — Bill slender, straight, subulate to- wards the extremity, with the tomia compressed inwards about the middle ; upper mandible carinated at the base, bending downwards at the tip, and slightly emarginated : tarsus generally longer than the middle toe; hind claw more or less produced : wings with the first quill abor- tive ; second shorter than the third and fourth, which are longest : two of the scapulars as long as the quills. 23. SAXICOLA. — Bill rather strong, straight, cari- nated above, dilated at the base, advancing on the fore- head ; upper mandible emarginated, slightly bending at the tip : rictus with some stiff longish bristles : tarsi elevated ; hind claw shorter than the toe : wings with the first quill not half the length of the second; third and fourth long- est : coverts and scapulars short. 24. PARUS. — Bill strong, short, straight, subconical, slightly compressed, sharp-pointed, without any notch : nos- trils basal, round, concealed by some short bristly feathers reflected over them: tarsi robust: hind claw strongest, and most hooked : wings with the first quill of moderate length ; second shorter than the third ; fourth and fifth longest. (1. PARUS.) Bill moderate: tail slightly forked. (2. MECISTURA.) Bill very short : tail elongated, cuneiform. 25. CALAMOPHILUS.— Bill short, subconical, very slightly compressed ; the upper mandible convex above, curved at the extremity, and projecting over the lower one, which is nearly straight : nostrils covered by reflected bristles : tarsi slender : wings with the first quill very short, almost abortive; fourth and fifth longest : tail elongated, cuneiform. 56 AVES. (AMPELID^E.) 26. BOMBYCILLA. — Bill strong, short, and straight, broad at the base ; upper mandible convex above, slightly bending at the tip, and emarginated : nostrils oval, covered by small hairy feathers directed forwards : tarsus shorter than the middle toe : wings long, and pointed ; first and second quills longest ; secondaries tipped with wax-like appendages. II. CONIROSTRES.— Bill moderate or elongated, strong, more or less conic, entire or slightly emarginated: feet robust; toes three before and one behind. (FRINGILLID.E.) 27. ALAUDA Bill short, subdonic; mandibles of equal length ; the upper one convex, and slightly curved : nostrils basal, oval, covered by small bristly feathers di- rected forwards: hind claw nearly straight, longer than the toe : wings long ; first quill almost abortive ; second a little shorter than the third, which is longest : wing- coverts shorter than the quills. 28. EMBERIZA Bill short, strong, conic, sharp- pointed ; the mandibles a little distant from each other, and forming an angle at the gape, compressed in front, with the tomia bending inwards; upper mandible smaller and narrower than the lower ; palate furnished with a hard bony knob. (1. PLECTROPHANES.) Wings long, and acuminated; first and second quills longest, and nearly equal : hind claw produced, and nearly straight. (2. EMBERIZA.) Wings moderate; first quill shorter than the second and third, which are longest: hind claw short and hooked. 29. FRINGILLA Bill thick, strong, more or less perfectly conic : nostrils basal, lateral, partly concealed by short bristly feathers directed forwards : tarsi short, or AVES. 57 moderate : wings with the first three quills nearly equal ; second and third generally a little the longest : tail more or less forked. (1. FRINGILLA.) Bill straight, perfectly conic, the cone rather elongated, sharp-pointed; mandibles nearly equal, with the tomia of the lower one a little inflected : first quill a little shorter than the second and third, which are longest and equal. (2. PYRGITA.) Bill strong, conic; the culmen somewhat arched, and the tip a little obtuse ; lower mandible rather smaller than the upper: three first quills nearly equal, longer than the fourth. (3. COCCOTHRAUSTES.) Bill conic, very thick and strong ; the sides bulging, and the culmen much rounded ; lower mandible nearly equal to the upper, with the tomia inflected : wings rather long, acuminated; first and fourth quills equal, shorter than the second and third, which are longest. (4. CARDUELIS.) Bill straight, perfectly conic, the cone rather elongated, much compressed at the tip, and sharp-pointed ; upper mandible angulated at the base, and slightly sinuated: wings moderate ; first quill a little shorter than the second and third, which are nearly equal and longest. (5. LINARIA.) Bill straight, perfectly conic, short, compressed an- teriorly, sharp-pointed ; commissure straight ; wings long, and acuminated ; first three quills equal, longer than the fourth. 30. PYRRHULA Bill short and thick, the sides inflated and bulging; upper mandible convex above, ad- vancing on the forehead at the base, deflected at the tip and overhanging the lower one : nostrils concealed by hairy feathers directed forwards : wings rather short ; first quill shorter than the second, which is longest ; third and fourth nearly equal to the second. 31. LOXIA Bill moderate, strong, thick at the base, much compressed anteriorly ; both mandibles equally convex, hooked at the tips, and crossing each other when at rest ; the tomia bending inwards : nostrils round, con- cealed by bristly feathers directed forwards : wings with the first and second quills equal, shorter than the third, which is longest. (STURNID^E.) 32. STURNUS Bill moderate, straight, subconic; depressed, especially at the tip, which is rather blunt; 58 AVES. upper mandible advancing on the forehead, the edges rather dilated and extending beyond those of the lower : nostrils basal, half closed by an arched membrane : tarsus longer than the middle toe: wings long; first quill very short; second longest; the rest gradually decreasing. 33. PASTOR. — Bill subconic, compressed, slightly arched, the tip somewhat emarginated : nostrils basal, oval, partly covered by a plumose membrane : feet robust ; tarsus much longer than the middle toe : wings with the first quill very short, almost abortive ; second and third longest. (CORVID^E.) 34. FREGILUS Bill long, rather slender, arched from the base, a little compressed, subulate and pointed at the extremity : nostrils basal, oval, concealed by reflected bristles : feet robust ; tarsus longer than the middle toe : wings long ; the fourth and fifth quills longest : tail square. 35. CORVUS Bill strong, thick, convex above, com- pressed at the sides, with the tomia sharp and cutting; upper mandible slightly bending towards the tip ; lower one nearly straight: nostrils basal, oval, generally con- cealed by setaceous feathers directed forwards: wings acuminated ; first quill much shorter than the second and third ; fourth longest. (1. CORVUS.) Tail moderate, rounded. (2. PICA.) Tail long, cuneiform. 36. GARRULUS Bill rather short, strong, com- pressed, clothed at the base with feathers directed for- wards; both mandibles inclining equally towards the tip, the upper one slightly emarginated : crown feathers long, and capable of erection : wings rounded ; fifth and sixth quills longest : tail moderate, square, or slightly rounded. 37. NUCIFRAGA. — Bill long, and straight; upper mandible rounded, and longer than the lower one ; both of them terminating in a slightly obtuse and depressed point : AVES. 59 nostrils basal, round, covered by reflected feathers : wings rather acuminated ; first quill shorter than the second and third ; fourth longest : tail rounded. III. SCANSORES.— Bill various: feet short; adapted for climbing; toes four, two each > or three in front and one behind. * Bill straight, robust: feet zygodactyle. (PICIDJE.) 38. PICUS -- Bill robust, long, straight, angular, compressed, cuneated at the tip : tongue long and exten- sile, lumbriciform, the tip barbed : nostrils concealed by reflected bristly feathers : wings with the first quill very short ; fourth and fifth longest : feet robust : tail feathers stiff, and pointed at the extremity. 39. YUNX -- Bill short, straight, somewhat conical, depressed, rounded above, the tip sharp and pointed : tongue long and extensile, lumbriciform : nostrils naked, partly closed by a membrane : wings moderate ; first quill a little shorter than the second, which is longest: tail feathers soft and flexible. ** Bill generally slender : feet anisodactyle. (CERTHIID.E.) 40. CERTHIA -- Bill moderate, slender, arcuate, compressed, angulated above, sharp-pointed : tongue short : nostrils naked, partly covered by an arched membrane: wings with the first quill very short ; fourth longest : hind toe strong, and longer than the others: tail feathers stiff and pointed at the extremity, deflected. 41. TROGLODYTES. — Bill slender, slightly com- pressed, a little arcuate : nostrils basal, oval, partly covered by an arched naked membrane : wings short, and rounded ; first quill very short ; second shorter than the third ; fourth and fifth equal and longest : tail short, rounded, carried erect, 60 AVES. 42. UPUPA Bill long and slender, arcuate, com- pressed, convex above, sharp-pointed : nostrils oval, open : crown furnished with a crest : wings rather long ; the first quill very short ; fourth and fifth longest : claws short, and not much hooked : tail square at the extremity. 43. SITTA Bill moderate, rather strong, straight, compressed ; both mandibles equally inclining to the tip which is somewhat cuneated : nostrils oval, open, covered by setaceous feathers directed forwards : wings rather short ; third and fourth quills longest : hind toe strong, and length- ened : tail short, nearly even. *** Bill more or less curved: feet zygodactyle. (CUCULID.E.) 44. CUCULUS Bill as long as the head, rather compressed, moderately curved, and a little hooked at the tip : gape wide : nostrils round, surrounded by a naked and prominent membrane : wings long, acuminated : first quill short; third longest; tarsi short, feathered a little below the knee : outer hind toe partly reversible : tail long, more or less cuneated. 45. COCCYZUS. — Bill strong, arched, the culmen convex, triangular at the base, compressed at the sides and tip : nostrils basal, longitudinally cleft in a membrane : orbits naked : wings short, and concave : tarsi very long : tail long, and cuneated. IV. FISSIROSTRES.— Bill broad at the base; gape wide: wings long: feet short, and weak. * Bill strong, more or less elongated. (MEROPID.E.) 46. CORACIAS Bill moderate, robust, higher than broad, compressed, straight ; upper mandible bending at the tip : nostrils basal, linear, pierced diagonally, half closed by a plumose membrane : toes three before and one AVES. 61 behind, entirely divided : wings long, and acuminated ; first quill shorter than the second, which is longest. 47. MEROPS Bill longer than the head, triangular at the base, slightly curved, carinated above, sharp-pointed : nostrils basal, oval, open : toes three before and one behind ; the outer toe connected with the middle one as far as the second joint, the middle with the inner one as far as the first : wings long, and pointed ; first quill very short, the second longest. (HALCYONID.E.) 48. ALCEDO Bill very long, straight, quadran- gular, thick and pointed : nostrils basal, pierced obliquely, linear, almost closed by a naked membrane : toes three be- fore and one behind ; the outer toe connected with the middle one as far as the second joint, the middle with the inner one as far as the first : wings moderate ; the second and third quills equal and longest : tail short. * * Bill short and weak : gape extremely large. (HIRUNDINID^E.) 49. HIRUNDO Bill short, and much depressed; upper mandible carinated, deflected at the tip; gape ex- tending nearly to the eyes : toes three before and one be- hind ; the outer toe connected with the middle one as far as the first joint : wings very long ; first quill longest : tail forked. 50. CYPSELUS. — Bill very short, triangular, de- pressed at the base; the upper mandible deflected at the tip ; gape extending to the posterior angle of the eye : toes divided to their origin ; all directed forwards : wings ex- tremely long ; first quill a little shorter than the second : tail forked. (CAPRIMULGID.E.) 51. CAPRIMULGUS Bill very short, rather curved, broad and depressed at the base; the upper mandible de- 62 AVES. fleeted at the tip, furnished at the basal edge with strong vibrissae directed forwards; gape extending beyond the eyes : anterior toes connected by a membrane as far as the first joint ; hind toe reversible : wings long ; first quill shorter than the second, which is longest: tail rounded, or forked. $ //. Feet not formed for grasping. ORDER III. RASORES. Bill short, or moderate, convex, often furnished with a cere at the base ; upper mandible arched : wings short : legs strong and muscular, adapted for walk- ing : bind toe sometimes wanting ; when present, generally articulated high on the tarsus: claws robust, short, slightly curved, somewhat blunt. I. COLUMBID^E. — Hind toe present, articulated nearly on the same plane with the others : tarsi without spurs : tail of twelve feathers. 52. COLUMBA — -Bill moderate, straight, compressed, deflected at the tip; upper mandible covered at the base with a soft tumid membrane, in which the nostrils are situate : tarsi short, reticulated ; toes entirely divided. (1. COLUMBA.) Wings with the first quill shorter than the second, which is longest : tail even : side toes equal. (2. ECTOPISTES.) Wings pointed ; two first quills equal, longer than the third : tail long, and cuneated : side toes unequal ; the inner one longest. * II. PHASIANID^] — Hind toe present, elevated above the others : tarsi generally armed with spurs : tail of more than twelve feathers: head more or less naked. *53. MELEAGRIS.— Bill short and thick, furnished at the base with an elongated, pendulous, fleshy appendage : head and neck naked ; AVES. 63 throat with a pendulous carunculated wattle: tarsi of the male armed with spurs : tail broad, expansile, consisting of from fourteen to eighteen feathers. *54. PA VO.— Bill naked at the base, thick, convex above, deflected at the tip : cheeks partially naked : head ornamented with a crest : tarsi of the male spurred : tail of eighteen feathers : upper tail-coverts longer than the tail, broad and expansile, ocellated. *55. GALLUS.— Bill smooth at the base, thick, slightly curved : nostrils covered by an arched scale : generally an erect fleshy crest on the head; throat 'with fleshy wattles on each side of the lower man- dible: ears naked: tarsi with strong spurs: anterior toes united by a membrane as far as the first joint: tail of fourteen feathers, compressed, more or less arched, ascending. *56. PHASIANUS.— Bill short and thick, naked at the base; upper mandible very convex, with the tip deflected : nostrils basal, lateral, covered by an arched membrane : cheeks naked, adorned with scarlet papillae : ears covered : tarsi of the male spurred : anterior toes united by a membrane as far as the first joint : wings short ; fourth and fifth quills longest : tail very long, cuneated, of eighteen feathers. *57. NUMIDA. — Bill thick, covered at the base with a warty mem- brane, in which the nostrils are placed : head naked, the crown with a callous horny protuberance ; beneath the cheeks pendulous carunculated wattles : tarsi without spurs : anterior toes united by a membrane as far as the first joint : tail short, bent down, of fourteen or sixteen feathers. III. TETR AONID^E.— Hind toe short, and weak ; sometimes altogether wanting : tarsi generally armed with spurs: tail short. 58. TETRAO. — Bill short and strong, convex above, bending towards the tip : nostrils partly closed by an arched scale, concealed by the frontal feathers : eyebrows naked, adorned with scarlet papillae : tarsi feathered ; with- out spurs : wings with the first quill much shorter than the second ; third and fourth longest : tail of sixteen or eighteen feathers. (1. TETRAO.) Anterior toes naked, with pectinated margins: hind toe longer than the nail : tail broad, and slightly rounded, or lyrate. (2. LAGOPUS.) Anterior toes feathered, the margins not pecti- nated: hind toe shorter than the nail: tail nearly even. 59. PERDIX Bill short, strong, naked at the base, convex above, deflected towards the tip : nostrils basal, half closed by an arched naked scale : tarsi naked : feet with 64 AVES. four toes, naked : wings short, and concave ; the fourth and fifth quills generally longest : tail short, of from twelve to eighteen feathers. (1. PERDIX.) Bill short, and strong: orbits naked: tarsus in the male armed with a blunt tubercle : tail short, and bent down. *(2. ORTYX.) Bill thick, strong, higher than broad : orbits feathered: tarsi unarmed : wings with the first quill very short ; fifth longest : tail short or moderate, of twelve feathers. (3. COTURNIX.) Bill short, and slender: orbits feathered: tarsi unarmed : wings with the first quill longest : tail very short, almost concealed by the upper coverts. IV. STRUTHIONID^.— Hind toe wanting : tarsi without spurs: wings very short, often unfit for flight. 60. OTIS Bill moderate, subconic, nearly straight, compressed ; the upper mandible arched towards the tip : nostrils oval, open, a little remote from the base : legs long, naked above the knee; toes connected by a mem- brane at the base : wings moderate ; third quill longest. f ORDER IV. GRALLATORES. Bill various : legs moderate or elongated, slender, with the lower part of the tibia generally naked, adapted for wading : toes long, three or four in number, more or less connected by a membrane at the base, sometimes lobated. I. CHARADRIID^E.— Bill short or moderate, rarely elongated; robust or slender: legs mode- rate, or elongated : toes three, all directed for- wards ; rarely the rudiment of a fourth ; the outer and middle toes generally united at the base by a membrane. 61. CURSORIUS Bill shorter than the head, de- pressed at the base, somewhat arched and bent down to- AVES. 65 wards the tip, pointed : nostrils basal, oval, covered above by a protuberant membrane: legs long and slender: toes three, very short ; almost divided to their origin : claws very small, the middle one serrated : wings moderate ; second quill longest. 62. GEDICNEMUS. — Bill longer than the head, straight, very robust, a little depressed at the base, com- pressed laterally ; culm en elevated towards the tip ; lower mandible angulated beneath : nostrils medial, longitudinally cleft : tarsi long and slender : toes three, united by a mem- brane at the base : wings moderate ; second quill longest. 63. CHARADRIUS. — Bill shorter than the head, straight, slender, compressed, somewhat tumid and en- larged towards the tip: nasal channel extending two- thirds of its length, covered by a large membrane ; nos- trils basal, linear, pierced in the membrane : tarsi moderate, slender : toes three ; outer and middle ones connected by a short membrane ; inner toe free : wings moderate ; first quill longest. 64. VANELLUS. — Bill moderate, straight, compressed, slender at the base, tumid towards the extremity ; upper mandible slightly bending at the tip : nasal channel large, covered by a membrane; nostrils linear, pierced in the membrane : tarsi moderate, slender : toes four ; outer and middle toes connected at the base; hind toe small, and elevated : wings long and acuminated. (1. SQUATAROLA.) Nasal channel extending half the length of the bill : tarsi reticulated : hind toe rudimentary : first quill longest. (2. VANELLUS.) Nasal channel two-thirds the length of the bill : acrotarsia scutellated : hind toe moderately developed : fourth and fifth quills longest. 65. STREPSILAS. — Bill moderate, strong, nearly straight, forming a lengthened cone, with the culmen a little depressed, and the apex subtruncated ; the commis- sure slightly ascending : nasal channel half the length of the bill : toes four ; the anterior ones almost entirely di- vided ; hind toe moderately developed, touching the ground : wings long ; first quill longest. E 66 AVES. 66. CALIDRIS. — Bill moderate, straight, slender and flexible throughout, compressed at the base, depressed and dilated towards the tip : nasal groove extending nearly the whole length ; nostrils lateral, linear : tarsi moderate, slender : toes three, divided nearly to their origin : wings moderate ; first quill longest. 67. ELEMATOPUS Bill long, robust, straight, compressed, the tip cuneated : nostrils lateral, nearly basal, oblong-linear, placed in a groove : tarsi moderate, robust : toes three; the outer and middle ones connected as far as the first joint ; all the toes bordered by a narrow mem- brane : wings long ; first quill longest. II. GRUIDjE. — Bill strong, moderate or elongated: legs long : toes four in number ; the outer and middle ones united at the base by a small mem- brane; kind toe short, elevated on the tarsus. 68. GRUS. — Bill a little longer than the head, straight, compressed, deeply channelled at the base of the upper mandible on each side, the tip forming a lengthened cone : nostrils medial, placed in the lateral groove, closed behind by a membrane : head generally more or less naked : a considerable part of the tibia naked : wings moderate ; third quill longest. III. ARDEID^,.— Bill strong, elongated: legs long : feet with four toes ; anterior ones more or less united at the base ; hind toe long, rest- ing on the ground. 69. ARDEA Bill as long as, or a little longer than the head, strong, straight or very slightly inclined, thick at the base, gradually tapering towards the tip ; upper mandible channelled for about two-thirds of its length : nostrils nearly basal, placed in the groove, and partly closed by a membrane : orbits and lore naked : AVES. 67 lower part of the tibia more or less naked : middle claw with the inner margin pectinated : wings ample ; second and third quills longest. (1. ARDEA.) Bill longer than the head, the upper mandible nearly straight : occiput usually ornamented with a pendent crest : neck slender, elongated. (2. BOTAURUS.) Bill scarcely longer than the head, higher than broad at the base, very much compressed; upper mandible slightly curved : neck thick, rather short ; the feathers on the fore part loose and elongated, capable of erection ; those behind short and downy. (3. NYCTICORAX.) Bill scarcely longer than the head, higher than broad, much compressed ; upper mandible slightly curved : occi- put with three very long subulate feathers : neck thickish, rather short. 70. CICONIA. — Bill much longer than the head, straight, robust, cylindrical, acute, forming a lengthened cone ; upper mandible convex above ; under mandible in- clining a little upwards at the tip : nostrils nearly basal, open, longitudinally pierced in the horny substance of the bill : orbits naked : tarsi very long : a considerable part of the tibia naked : claws short, depressed, not pecti- nated : wings moderate ; third, fourth, and fifth quills longest. 71. PLATALEA. — Bill very long, robust, much depressed, dilated and rounded at the extremity in the form of a spatula : nostrils dorsal, oblong, open, bordered by a membrane : head and face more or less naked : tibia? semiplumed : tarsi long : the three anterior toes united as far as the second joint by a deeply cut membrane : wings moderate; second quill longest. 72. IBIS. — Bill very much elongated, slender, arcuate, broad at the base, somewhat quadrangular, the tip depressed, obtuse, and rounded ; upper mandible deeply channelled throughout its whole length : nostrils nearly basal, placed in the groove, oblong, narrow, surrounded by a membrane : face and throat more or less naked : legs long, and slender ; lower part of the tibia naked : wings moderate ; second and third quills longest. E2 68 AVES. IV. SCOLOPACID^E. — Bill long and slender; legs moderate, or elongated: toes four in num- ber; anterior ones entirely divided, or united by a small basal membrane ; hind toe weak and elevated, very rarely altogether wanting. 73. NUMENIUS Bill much longer than the head, slender, arcuate, rounded, the tip rather obtuse; upper mandible projecting beyond the lower, channelled through- out three-fourths of its length : nostrils basal, oblong- linear, placed in the lateral groove: lore, and rest of the face feathered : legs slender ; lower part of the tibia naked : anterior toes connected as far as the first joint : wings mo- derate ; first quill longest. 74. TOTANUS Bill long or moderate, slender, ge- nerally straight, rarely inclining a little upwards, soft at the base, solid and sharp-pointed at the extremity ; upper mandible channelled through half its length or more, slightly bending over the lower one at the tip : nostrils lateral, linear, placed in the groove : legs long, slender, with the lower part of the tibia naked: anterior toes, or the outer ones only, connected by a small membrane. 75. RECURVIROSTRA Bill very long, slender, weak, depressed, pointed, flexible at the tip, and consider- ably recurved ; upper mandible channelled on each side : nostrils long, linear, placed at the base of the groove : legs long and slender ; lower half of the tibia naked : anterior toes connected by a membrane as far as the second joint; hind toe very small. 76. H1MANTOPUS Bill very long, slender, atte- nuated, nearly straight, rounded, a little compressed at the tip ; mandibles channelled laterally for half their length : nostrils linear, elongated : legs very long and slender : nearly the whole of the tibia naked : outer and middle toes con- nected by a broad membrane ; hind toe wanting : wings very long; first quill longest. AVES. 69 77- LIMOSA Bill very long, slender, soft and flexible throughout, slightly recurved, depressed, the tip obtuse and somewhat dilated ; upper mandible channelled for nearly its whole length : nostrils linear, pierced in the membrane of the groove : legs long and slender ; lower part of the tibia naked : outer and middle toes connected by a membrane as far as the first joint : wings moderate ; first quill longest. 78. SCOLOPAX. — Bill very long, straight, slender, soft, the tip obtuse and dilated ; upper mandible a little longer than the lower ; both mandibles channelled for nearly two-thirds of their length : nostrils lateral, basal, linear, covered by a membrane : legs moderate, slender ; naked space on the tibia very small: wings with the first quill longest ; second nearly equal to it. (I. RUSTICOLA.) Tibia feathered to the joint : tarsi short: anterior toes entirely divided : hind claw shorter than the toe. (2. SCOLOPAX.) Lower part of the tibia naked : tarsi more elon- gated : toes entirely divided, or united at the base by an extremely short membrane : hind claw longer than the toe. (3. MACRORAMPHUS.) Lower part of the tibia naked : tarsi rather elongated : outer toe united to the middle one as far as the first joint : hind claw longer than the toe. 79. TRINGA Bill as long as, or a little longer than the head ; straight, or slightly curved, soft and flexible throughout, compressed at the base, depressed and dilated at the extremity ; upper mandible longer than the lower, with the nasal channel extending nearly to the tip : nostrils lateral, short, pierced in the membrane of the groove : tarsi moderate, or elongated : wings with the first quill longest. (1. MACHETES.) Tarsi elongated : outer and middle toes united by a membrane as far as the first joint : neck (in the male) with an ornamental ruff during the breeding season. (2. TRINGA.) Tarsi moderate : anterior toes divided to their origin : hind toe very small, 80. LOBIPES. — Bill long, slender, weak, a little de- pressed at the base, subulate at the tip ; upper mandible slightly curved, and channelled throughout : tongue slender, 70 AVES. and pointed : nostrils basal, oblong-linear, . prominent, sur- rounded by a membrane : tarsi somewhat elongated, and compressed : anterior toes rather long, bordered by narrow lobated membranes : wings with the first quill longest. 81. PHALAROPUS. — Bill as long as the head, straight, strong, broad and depressed at the base, a little compressed at the extremity ; upper mandible inclining over the lower, with the nasal channel extending the whole length : tongue short, broad, and rounded at the tip : nos- trils basal, oval, prominent, surrounded by a membrane : tarsi short and strong, scarcely compressed : anterior toes rather short, united as far as the first joint ; bordered beyond with broad and deeply scalloped membranes : wings with the first and second quills longest. V. RALLID^E.. — Sill short or moderate, rarely elongated; rather strong: body generally com- pressed : legs moderate : toes Jour ; anterior ones elongated, entirely divided, or united by a membrane at the base, sometimes pinnated. 82. GLAREOLA. — Bill short, convex, compressed towards the tip ; the upper mandible curved for half its length : nostrils basal, lateral, obliquely cleft : a small part of the tibia naked : tarsi moderate, slender : outer and middle toes connected by a short membrane ; hind toe small, and elevated : claws long, and pointed : wings very long ; first quill considerably the longest. 83. RALLUS Bill longer than the head, rather slender, very slightly arched, compressed at the base, some- what cylindrical at the tip ; upper mandible channelled for two-thirds of its length : nostrils submedial, oblong-linear, placed in the groove, partly covered by a membrane lower : part of the tibia naked : toes long, and slender ; anterior ones entirely divided : wings short, rounded ; first quill shorter than the two next, which are longest : bastard winglet with a short spur. AVES. 71 84. CREX Bill shorter than the head, somewhat thick, straight, convex above, higher than broad at the base, attenuated and compressed at the tip ; upper man- dible a little deflected ; gonys of the lower mandible ascend- ing to meet it : nostrils lateral, medial, longitudinally cleft, half closed by the membrane of the nasal channel : anterior toes long, entirely divided : wings short ; first quill shorter than the second and third, which are longest. 85. GALLINULA. — Bill shorter than the head, straight, robust, convex above, much compressed ; upper mandible expanding at the base on the forehead, forming a naked disk : nostrils lateral, medial, oblong-linear : anterior toes very long, divided to their origin, bordered by a nar- row, entire membrane : wings with the second and third quills longest. 86. FULICA Bill shorter than the head, straight, robust, somewhat convex above, compressed, thick at the base : a naked disk on the forehead : nostrils lateral, medial, longitudinally cleft : anterior toes very long, united at the base, bordered by a scalloped membrane : wings moderate ; second and third quills longest. ORDER V. NATATORES. Bill various: legs short, often placed far behind, adapted for swimming: lower part of the tibia more or less naked: tarsi compressed: toes gene- rally four ; the three anterior ones palmated, semi- palmated. or fissopalmated ; or all four united : hind toe sometimes wanting. I. ANATIDJL — Bill stout, straight, covered with a thin membranous skin; the tomia armed with lamella, or with small denticulations ; more or 72 AVES. less depressed ; the tip rounded and obtuse, fur- nished with a nail: wings moderate: legs placed in or near the equilibrium : feet four-toed., pal- mated ; hind toe free, placed high on the tarsus. * (ANSERINE.) 87- ANSER Bill as long as, or shorter than the head, higher than broad at the base, subconic; the upper mandible deflected at the tip ; the lower one flat and straight, narrower : nostrils a little behind the middle : neck of moderate length ; wings tuberculated, or spurred : legs in the equilibrium : tarsi slightly elongated. (1. ANSER.) Bill as long as the head; the tips of the lamellae exserted, appearing like sharp teeth. (2. BERNICLA.) Bill shorter than the head, somewhat slender; the edges of the mandihles concealing the tips of the lamellae. (3. PLECTROPTERUS.) Bill moderate; furnished with a fleshy tubercle at its base: wings armed with spurs. 88. CYGNUS Bill moderate, of nearly equal breadth throughout, furnished at its base with a knob or fleshy tumour, convex above; the upper mandible deflected at the tip ; the lower one flat : nostrils medial : neck very long : legs a little beyond the equilibrium : tarsi short. ** (ANATINvE.) — Hind toe simple: tarsi somewhat round. 89. TADORNA Bill shorter than the head, with an elevated tubercle at the base, depressed or concave in the middle, of nearly equal breadth throughout ; the upper mandible laterally grooved near the tip, which is slightly recurved : face and lore feathered : nostrils large, oval, a little before the base: tail even. * 90. CAIRINA.— Bill furnished with an elevated tubercle at the base ; the edges of the mandibles sinuated : face and lore covered with a naked warty skin : nostrils round, basal : wings tuberculated. 91. ANAS Bill as long as, or rather longer than the head, simple at the base, broad and depressed generally throughout its whole length, sometimes widening ante- AVES. 73 riorly : nostrils small, oval, a little before the base : tail more or less acute, sometimes elongated. (1. ANAS.) Bill longer than the head, semicylindric at its origin, depressed and very much dilated towards the tip; toraia fur- nished with long pectinated lamellae, projecting far heyond the margin : tail a little longer than the wings, of fourteen feathers, moderately acute. (2. CHAULIODUS.) Bill the length of the head, of nearly equal breadth throughout ; pectinated lamellae distinct, appearing be- low the edge of the upper mandible : tail slightly lengthened ; the two middle feathers pointed, and rather longer than the others. (3. DAFILA.) Bill full as long as the head; the upper mandible of equal breadth throughout; lamellae not projecting beyond the margin : tail of sixteen feathers, elongated, acute. (4. BOSCHAS.) Bill as long as the head, of nearly equal breadth throughout; the denticulations of the upper mandible scarcely projecting beyond the margin : tail of sixteen feathers, mode- rate, rather acute. 92. MARECA. — Bill shorter than the head, higher than broad at the base, depressed and narrowing towards the tip ; lamella? slightly projecting : nostrils small, oval, a little before the base : tail of fourteen feathers, short, acute. * 93. DENDRONESSA.— Bill shorter than the head, as broad as high at the base, towards the tip narrow and contracted : nostrils large, pervious, submedial : head with an occipital crest : tertials ornamented : tail of sixteen feathers, rounded. *** (FULIGULIN^E.) — Hind toe with a lobated mem- brane: tarsi compressed. 94. SOMATERIA Bill swollen and elevated at the base, nearly straight, extending on the forehead, where it is divided by an angular projection of feathers, narrow and obtuse anteriorly, the nail strong and hooked ; tomia set with coarse distant lamellae : nostrils small, oval, medial : tail of fourteen feathers. 95. OIDEMIA Bill short, broad, with an elevated tumour at the base, towards the tip much depressed and flattened ; the nail obtuse and rounded, slightly deflected ; lamellae coarse, widely set, scarcely projecting : nostrils oval, submedial, elevated : tail short, graduated, acute. 74 AVES. 96. FULIGULA. — Bill as long as the head, simple at the base or very slightly elevated, broad and very much depressed anteriorly, a little dilated towards the tip ; upper lamella? not projecting beyond the edges of the mandible : nostrils rather small, oblong-oval, a little before the base : wings and tail short, the latter generally of fourteen acute feathers. 97. CLANGULA. — Bill shorter than the head, ele- vated at the base, much more contracted than in the last genus, and becoming continually narrower towards the tip ; lamellae not projecting : nostrils roundish-oval, medial : tail of moderate length, graduated, the feathers semi-acute. 98. HARELDA Bill much shorter than the head, rather high at the base, slender, suddenly contracting to- wards the tip ; nail strong and arched ; upper lamellae pro- jecting considerably below the edge of the mandible : nos- trils large, oblong-linear, a little before the base : forehead high : tail of fourteen feathers ; the central pair acute, and very much elongated. **** (MERGANIN^E.) 99. MERGUS Bill short or moderate, straight, slen- der, narrow, approaching to cylindrical; upper mandible high at the base, tapering towards the tip, which is armed with a strong hooked nail ; tomia of both mandibles set with acute teeth directed backwards : nostrils oblong-oval, per- vious, medial : legs short, placed far behind : tarsi com- pressed : hind toe lobated : tail of twelve feathers, rounded. II. COLYMBID^E.— Bill slightly compressed, smooth, not covered by a membranous skin; the tomia simple, or only slightly denticulated : wings short : legs placed at the extremity of the body : tarsi very much compressed: feet four-toed, pal- mated, or fissopalmated : hind toe free. 100. PODICEPS. — Bill moderate, straight, robust, forming a lengthened cone, sharp-pointed; upper mandible AVES. 75 slightly inclining at the tip ; lower mandible with the gonys ascending : feet short ; anterior toes fissopalmated ; hind toe lobated : claws broad, and much depressed : wings with the three first quills nearly equal, and longest : tail wanting. 101. COLYMBUS Bill rather longer than the head, straight, robust, nearly cylindrical, sharp-pointed ; the tomia of both mandibles inflected ; gonys ascending : feet short ; anterior toes long, entirely palmated ; hind toe short, and lobated : claws depressed : wings with the first or second quill longest : tail very short, rounded. III. ALCID^E. — Bill very much compressed, often transversely grooved at the sides : wings short, sometimes wholly unfit for flight : legs placed at the extremity of the body : feet three-toed, entirely palmated. 102. URIA. — Bill moderate, strong, straight, convex above, much compressed at the sides, sharp-pointed ; upper mandible slightly deflected at the tip ; gonys of the lower mandible ascending ; tomia curving inwards from the base to the middle : nostrils basal, lateral, pervious, elliptic- linear, half concealed by a plumose membrane : tarsi very much compressed : wings very short ; first quill longest : tail short, of twelve feathers. 103. MERGULUS Bill shorter than the head, rather thick, convex, conical, slightly curved, covered at the base with downy feathers ; both mandibles notched at the tip : nostrils basal, lateral, round, partly concealed by a plumose membrane : wings not reaching to the tail ; first and second quills equal, and longest : tail short, of twelve feathers. 104. FRATERCULA Bill shorter than the head, thick at the base, very much compressed anteriorly, higher than long, the culmen more elevated than the crown of the head ; both mandibles arched, transversely furrowed, and notched at the tip : nostrils basal, marginal, oblong-linear, 76 AVES. almost entirely closed by a large naked membrane: wings short, narrow, and acuminated ; first and second quills equal, and longest : tail short, of sixteen feathers. 105. ALCA Bill a little shorter than the head, rather longer than high, much compressed, cultrated ; both man- dibles laterally sulcated ; upper one hooked at the extre- mity ; lower one with the gonys ascending, the mental angle prominent and rounded : nostrils marginal, nearly concealed by the advancing fronfal feathers: wings short, and narrow : tail short, of twelve to sixteen feathers. IV. PELECANID^E.— Bill strong, sometimes com- pressed; the tomia denticulated : wings long, and powerful: legs very short, in or near the equi- librium : feet with four toes, all united by one continuous membrane. 106. PHALACROCORAX.— Bill a little longer than the head, straight, compressed, culmen rounded ; upper mandible with a longitudinal furrow on each side, the dertrum distinct and strongly hooked ; lower one with the tip truncated : nostrils concealed : face and throat naked : tibia? feathered : middle claw with the inner margin denticu- lated : wings moderate ; first quill shorter than the second, which is longest : tail rounded. 107. SULA. — Bill a little longer than the head, robust, straight, large at the base, compressed and attenuated to- wards the tip ; culmen rounded ; upper mandible laterally sulcated, the tip slightly hooked: gape extending beyond the eyes : face naked : nostrils concealed : tibiae naked at bottom : middle claw with the inner margin denticulated : wings long, and acuminated ; first quill longest, or equal to the second : tail graduated. V. LARID^. — Bill without denticulations : wings very long : legs in or near the equilibrium : AVES. 77 three anterior toes united ; hind toe free, some- times represented by a simple nail, or altogether wanting1. 108. STERNA. — Bill as long as, or a little longer than the head, nearly straight, rather compressed, slender, attenuated towards the tip, sharp-pointed ; mandibles of equal length, the upper one slightly bending at the tip, lower one with the mental angle a little projecting : nostrils longitudinal, oblong-linear, pervious : feet weak, small, four- toed ; membranes deeply notched : wings long, acuminated ; first quill longest : tail generally forked. (1. STERNA.) Wings very long: tail deeply forked. (2. ANGUS.) Wings moderate : tail even. 109. LARUS Bill moderate, strong, cultrated, much compressed ; the .culmen continuous, bending downwards at the tip ; gonys obliquely ascending, straight ; mental angle strongly projecting ; tomia sharp : nostrils longitudinal, medial, oblong-linear, pervious : legs moderate : anterior toes with the membranes entire; hind toe small, high on the tarsus, rarely wanting : wings long ; first or second quill longest : tail generally even. (1. XEMA.) Tail slightly forked. (2. LARUS.) Tail even. 110. LESTRIS Bill moderate, strong, thick, rounded above, compressed towards the tip ; culmen and dertrum distinct, the latter convex and strongly hooked ; gonys straight, obliquely ascending ; mental angle projecting : nostrils immediately behind the dertrum, diagonal, nar- row, closed behind, pervious : hind toe very small, nearly on a level with the others : wings with the first quill long- est : two middle tail feathers elongated. 111. PROCELL ARIA. —Bill more or less elongated, straight, subcylindrical, depressed and dilated at the base; culmen and dertrum distinct; the latter convex, much com- pressed, and strongly hooked ; lower mandible with a longi- 78 AVES. tudinal furrow on each side : gonys concave, more or less ascending: nostrils at the extremity of an open truncated tube extending along the culmen : a simple claw in the place of a hind toe: wings long; first or second quill longest. (1. PROCELLARIA.) Bill moderate, robust ; lower mandible straight, somewhat truncated at the tip ; mental angle projecting : nostrils opening by a single orifice, the tube extending half the length of the bill : tail slightly rounded. (2. PUFFINUS.) Bill longer than the head, slender; lower mandible pointed, deflected at the tip, following the curvature of the upper ; mental angle obsolete : nostrils in a double tube ex- tending one-fourth of the length of the bill : tarsi moderate : tail rounded. (3. THALASSIDROMA.) Bill shorter than the head, slender; lower mandible pointed, deflected at the tip, following the curvature of the upper : mental angle obsolete : nostrils opening by a single orifice, the tube extending half the length of the bill : tarsi slender, elevated: tail square, or slightly forked. NEOPHRON.] . AVES. 79 ORDER I. RAPTORES. GEN. 1. NEOPHRON, Sav. 1. N. Percnopterus, Sav. (Egyptian Neophron.) — Plumage above and below white ; quills alone black : occipital feathers long, and filiform: tail cuneated. N. Percnopterus, Jard. and Selb. Orn. pi. 33. Cathartes Perc- nopterus, Temm. Man. d'Orn. torn. i. p. 8. Egyptian Neophron, Selb. Illust. vol. i. p. 4. pi. A. DIMENS. Entire length two feet seven inches : length of the bill (from the forehead) two inches six lines ; of the tarsus three inches ; of the middle toe, claw included, three inches : breadth, wings extended, five feet nine inches. SELBY. DESCRIPT. (Immature plumage.) " Bill brownish black, or horn- coloured : cere somewhat bulging at the base, and occupying half the length of the bill, wine yellow: nostrils in the middle of the cere, large and open : crown of the head, cheeks, and throat, covered with a naked skin, of a livid flesh-coloured red, with a few straggling bristly feathers between the bill and the eyes, and upon the margins of the mandibles : ears round, open, and large : occiput and nape covered with a close, thick-set white down, with small black feathers intermixed: neck clothed with long, arched, and acuminated feathers, forming a kind of ruff of a deep umber brown, tipped with cream yellow : back and scapulars cream white, the latter intermixed and varied with umber brown: lesser wing-coverts nearest the body deep umber brown, mar- gined with a paler shade ; these are succeeded by two rows of cream- coloured sharp-pointed feathers : greater coverts umber brown, varied with cream white: secondaries pale umber brown, their tips and mar- gins yellowish white : quills black : tail cuneiform, umber brown at the base, the tip yellowish white : under parts mixed with umber brown : legs strong and fleshy, of a pale yellowish gray : tarsi covered with a rough reticulated skin : middle toe with four entire scales upon the last pha- lanx; the exterior and interior each with three; hinder toe short and strong : claws blackish brown, strong, but not greatly arched." SELBY. In the adult state, the entire plumage is white ; the greater quills alone excepted, which are black. Common in Egypt, and in some parts of the Continent, but not known as a visitant in this country till 1825, in the Autumn of which year, two specimens were observed on the shores of the Bristol Channel near Kilve in Somersetshire, and one killed. From this individual, which proved to be in immature plumage, the above description was taken by Mr Selby. This species is said to feed principally upon carrion, but occasionally on lizards and other reptiles; more rarely attacks living birds and the smaller quadrupeds. Builds in the crevices and hollows of rocks. 80 AVES RAPTORES. [AQUILA. GEN. 2. AQUILA, Briss. (1. AQUILA, Cuv.) 2. A. Chrysaetos, Vigors. (Golden Eagle.) — Tail longer than the wings ; rounded at the extremity : the last phalanges of all the toes with only three scales. Falco fulvus, Temm. Man. d"0rn. torn. i. p. 38. Golden Eagle, Mont. Orn. Diet, and Supp. Selb. Illust. vol. i. p. 12. pis. 1, 1*, and 2. Bew. Brit. Birds, vol. i. p. 5. DIMENS. Entire length three feet and a half: breadth eight feet. MONT. DESCRIPT. (Adult.) Top of the head, and nape of the neck, bright rust-colour; the feathers long and acuminated: rest of the plumage dull brown, approaching to dusky : inside of the thighs, and feathers on the tarsi, light brown : tail deep gray, barred and tipped with blackish brown : bill bluish at the base, black at the extremity : irides brown : cere and feet yellow. (Young.) Plumage throughout of a uniform reddish brown: vent and under tail-coverts whitish: inside of the thighs, and feathers on the tarsi, white : tail white for two-thirds of its length from the base ; the remainder dark brown. Perfect plumage not attained till the fourth year. (Egg.) Dirty white, mottled all over with pale reddish brown: longitudinal diameter three inches; transverse diameter two inches five lines. Found principally in the mountainous parts of Scotland and Ireland : rare in England, but has been killed as far south as in Sussex. Preys on lambs, fawns, &c. as well as on the larger birds. Builds on rocks and tall trees, and lays two, rarely three, eggs. Obs. The Ring-tail Eagle (F. fulvus, Linn.) is the young of this species. (2. HALI^EETUS, Sav.) 3. A. Albicilla, Briss. (Cinereous Eagle.) — Plumage brown ; with spots of a darker tint in the immature state : tail not extending beyond the wings : all the phalanges of the toes scaled. Falco Albicilla, Temm. Man. d*0rn. tom.i. p. 49. Cinereous Eagle, Mont. Orn. Diet, and Supp. Selb. Illust. vol. i. p. 18. pis. 3, and 3*. Bew. Brit. Birds, vol. i. p. 9. DIMENS. Entire length two feet four to ten inches. DESCRIPT. (Adult.) Head, and upper part of the neck, brownish ash : rest of the plumage on the body, including the wings, brown clouded with cinereous : tail white : bill whitish : cere and feet pale yellow. (Young.) Head and neck deep brown, with the tips of the feathers somewhat paler: upper parts in general reddish brown, each feather being pale at the root and dark along the shaft: quills dusky: under parts brown, with deeper coloured spots, and here and there a few white feathers: tail whitish at the base, irregularly spotted with brown on the outer webs, the tip also being of this colour: bill bluish black, paler at the base. (Egg.) Dirty white, with a few pale red marks: long. diam. three inches ; trans, diam. two inches four lines. FALCO.] AVES RAPTORES. 81 More generally diffused than the last species. Most plentiful in Scot- land, Ireland, and in the Orkney and Shetland Isles, but is occasionally met with, particularly in the immature state, in various parts of Eng- land. Feeds principally on fish, but attacks also birds and quadrupeds. Breeds generally on the most inaccessible cliffs, and lays two eggs. Obs. The Sea Eagle (F. Ossifragus, Linn.) is the young of this species. (3. PANDION, Sav.) 4. A. Haliceetus, Meyer. (Osprey.) — Wings longer than the tail. Falco Haliaetus, Temm. Man. d'Orn. torn. i. p. 47. Osprey, Mont. Orn. Diet, and Supp. Selb. Illust. vol. i. p. 24. pi. 4. Bew. Brit. Birds, vol. i. p. 13. DIMENS. Entire length one foot eleven inches: breadth five feet four inches. FLEM. DE SCRIPT. (Adult.) Crown of the head and nape of the neck deep brown, the feathers, which are long and narrow, edged with white: a streak of blackish brown on each side of the neck, proceeding from the posterior angle of the eye, and reaching almost to the shoulders : upper parts in general deep umber-brown : under parts white, with some faint indications of a darker patch on the breast: tail-feathers transversely barred with white on their inner webs, the two middle ones excepted, which are wholly brown: bill blackish: irides yellow: cere and feet grayish blue. (Young.) Chiefly characterized by having the under parts more or less mottled; a large patch especially of tawny yellow on the breast, spotted with brown: feathers on the upper parts edged with reddish yellow. (Egg.) Reddish white ; the larger end blotched with dark red brown, the smaller end spotted with the same colour: long. diam. two inches four lines; trans, diam. one inch ten lines. Not a common species. Met with in Scotland, and in the West of England. Has occurred also in Hampshire, Hertfordshire, Norfolk, and Suffolk. Resides chiefly in the neighbourhood of large pieces of water, preying on fish. Builds on trees and rocks, and lays from three to four 3. FALCO, Linn, . 5. F. Islandicus, Lath. (Jer-Falcon.) — Plumage white, with dusky lines and spots. F. Islandicus, Temm. Man. d'Orn. torn. i. p. 17. Jer-Falcon, Mont. Orn. Diet, and Supp. Selb. Illust. vol. i. p. 36. pi. 14. Bew. Brit. Birds, vol. i. p. 15. DIMENS. Entire length (male) one foot ten inches, (female) two feet. TEMM. DESCRIPT. (Old male.) Ground of the plumage white : upper parts marked with narrow streaks of brown ; under parts with spots of the same colour, which become larger and more numerous on the sides : bill yellowish : cere and orbits livid yellow : irides brown : feet bright yellow. (Old female, and immature male.) Spots on the under parts more nu- merous ; confluent on the sides, forming transverse bars : the markings above more extended, and occupying a larger portion of the entire plumage. (Young of the year.) Upper parts of a uniform brownish F 82 AVES RAPTORES. [FALCO. ash, the white appearing only in small spots at the tips of the fea- thers : under parts with large brown spots disposed longitudinally upon a white ground : cere and orbits bluish : feet lead-colour, with a tinge of yellow. (Egg). " Spotted, of the size of a Ptarmigan's." FLEM. Occurs in the northern parts of Scotland, particularly in the Orkney and Shetland Isles ; but is of very rare occurrence in England. Sheppard mentions one that was shot on Bungay Common in Suffolk. Preys on birds and the smaller quadrupeds. Obs. The Spotted Falcon of Pennant is the young of this species. 6. F. peregrinus, Gmel. (Peregrine Falcon.) — Above bluish ash, with darker fasciae; beneath yellowish white, with brown transverse bars ; a broad black moustache : wings reaching to the extremity of the tail. F. peregrinus, Temm. Man. d'Orn. torn. i. p. 22. Peregrine Falcon, Mont. Orn. Diet, and Supp. Selb. Illust. vol. i. p. 39. pis. 15 and 15*. Bew. Brit. Birds, vol. x. p. 17. DIMENS. Entire length (male) fifteen inches, (female) seventeen inches ; from the carpus to the end of the wing fourteen inches ; tarsus two inches. DBS CRT PT. (Adult male.) Head, upper part of the neck, and a broad moustache descending from the corners of the mouth, blackish blue : rest of the upper parts bluish ash, with shades of a darker tint : throat and breast white, with a few fine longitudinal streaks ; belly, vent, and thighs, grayish white, with brown transverse bars : quills dusky, the inner webs with a series of reddish white spots : tail alternately barred with black and gray : bill bluish at the base, black at the tip : cere, space surround- ing the eyes, irides, and feet, yellow. (Adult female.) Colour of the upper plumage more dull: under parts with a faint reddish tinge. (Young.) Upper parts ash-brown, the feathers with pale reddish edges; region of the eyes, and moustaches, dusky, the latter ill-defined : throat white; rest of the under parts whitish, with large brown longitudinal spots of an oblong heart-shaped form : tail with irregular reddish bars ; the tip white : irides brown. (Egg.) Mottled all over with two shades of red brown: long. diam. two inches one line; trans, diam. one inch eight lines. Not very abundant in England : more plentiful in the northern parts of Scotland. Preys on birds. Builds on rocks, or in trees, and lays from three to four eggs. Obs. The Lanner of Pennant is the young of this species : the Falco Lanarius of Temminck is a distinct species, which has not hitherto been found in this country. 7- F. Subbuteo, Linn. (Hobby.) — Above bluish black ; beneath reddish yellow, with longitudinal streaks of brown : a broad black moustache: wings reaching beyond the ex- tremity of the tail. F. Subbuteo, Temm. Man. cTOra. torn. i. p. 25. Hobby, Mont. Orn. Diet. Selb. Illust. vol. i. p. 43. pi. 16. Bew. Brit. Birds, vol. i. p. 42. DIMENS. Entire length twelve to fourteen inches : breadth two feet to two feet three inches. FALCO.] AVES RAPTORES. 83 DESCRIPT. (Adult male.) Upper parts bluish black: under parts whitish, passing into reddish yellow, with longitudinal brown streaks : throat white : a black patch or moustache proceeding from the corners of the mouth down each side of the neck : rump, thighs, and under tail- coverts, rust-red : quills, and outer tail-feathers, barred with reddish brown on their inner webs : bill bluish black : irides reddish brown : cere, eye- lids, and feet, yellow. (Female.) Colours generally more obscure ; upper parts approaching to dusky brown; the red on the rump and thighs not so bright; the spots underneath deeper. (Young.) Plumage above dusky, all the feathers edged with reddish yellow; this last colour most pre- valent on the head : some white spots on the occiput : under parts yel- lowish white, passing into reddish yellow, with long streaks of brown : tip of the tail reddish : cere and feet greenish yellow. (Egg.) Yellowish white, speckled all over with reddish brown : long. diam. one inch eight lines ; trans, diam. one inch four lines. A summer visitant ; arriving in April, and departing in October. Preys on larks, and other small birds. Builds in tall trees, and lays from three to four eggs. 8. F. JEsalon, Gmel. (Merlin.) — Above bluish ash, beneath reddish yellow, with longitudinal dark spots : no moustache : wings reaching to two-thirds the length of the tail. F. ^Esalon, Temm. Man. d'Orn. torn. i. p. 27. Merlin, Mont. Orn. Diet. Bew. Brit. Birds, vol. i. pp. 46 and 48. Selb. Illust. vol. i. p. 51. pis. 18 and 18*. DIMENS. Entire length eleven to twelve inches : breadth two feet. DESCRIPT. (Adult male.) Upper parts, including the tail, bluish ash, with the shafts of the feathers black : throat white : under parts reddish yellow, with dark brown, oblong-oval spots : quills with the inner webs barred with white : a broad black bar near the extremity of the tail ; the tip itself white : bill bluish : irides brown : cere, orbits, and feet, yellow. (Female.) Crown of the head dusky brown, streaked with black ; nape white, with reddish brown spots: back and scapulars grayish brown, with reddish brown spots and black shafts : under parts yellowish white, with spots larger and more numerous than in the male bird : tail brown, with six or seven yellowish white bars. (Young.) Upper plumage brown, the feathers edged with red : tail dusky, with several narrow bars of red- dish brown ; the tip of this last colour : quills brownish black, spotted or barred with reddish brown : under parts as in the female. (Egg.) Mot- tled all over with two shades of dark red brown : long. diam. one inch seven lines; trans, diam. one inch three lines. Supposed to be migratory in the South of England, which it visits during the winter months. Breeds in the counties of Northumberland, Cumberland, and Westmoreland, making its nest on the ground. Preys on small birds. Obs. This is a very variable species. The male in adult plumage is the Stone-Falcon of Latham, and other authors. 9. F. rufipes, Bechst. (Red-legged Falcon ) — General plumage dark bluish gray, without spots : cere and feet F2 84? AVES RAPTORES. [FALCO, red : claws yellow : wings reaching to the extremity of the tail. F. rufipes, Temm. Man. d'Orn. torn. i. p. 33. Orange-legged Hobby, Lath. Syn. Supp. n. p. 46. Selb. Tllust. vol. i. p. 45. pi. B. Red-footed Falcon, Gould, Europ. Birds. DIMENS. Entire length ten inches six lines. TEMM. DESCRIPT. (Adult male.) Head, neck, breast, belly, and all the upper parts, dark lead-gray, without spots ; thighs, vent, and under tail-coverts, deep ferruginous : cere, orbits, and feet, bright red : claws yellow, the tips brown. (Female.) Head and neck of a uniform reddish colour, without streaks ; rest of the upper parts dusky blue ; all the feathers, except the quills, edged with bluish black; under parts deep reddish, streaked with dusky brown : thighs red : tail bluish gray, with six or seven dusky bars, the tip also of this colour : cere, orbits, and feet, orange- red. (Young.) Top of the head brown, with dusky streaks; throat and ear-coverts white; eyes encircled with black; also a small black moustache extending from beneath the eye downwards : upper parts brown, the feathers with reddish brown edges; under parts yellowish white, with longitudinal brown streaks on the breast and abdomen : thighs without spots : tail with numerous alternate bars of brown and reddish white; the tip white. (Egg.) Unknown. Three specimens of this species, unknown before as a native of this country, occurred at Horning in Norfolk, in May 1830. They consisted of an adult male, a female, and a young male in immature plumage. A fourth specimen was killed afterwards in Holkham Park, in the same county ; and a fifth in Yorkshire. Said to feed on insects. Nidification unknown. 10. F. Tinnunculus, Linn. {Kestril.) — Upper plumage reddish brown, spotted with black : cere and feet yellow : claws black : wings reaching to three-fourths the length of the tail. F. Tinnunculus, Temm. Man. d'Orn. torn. i. p. 29. Kestril, Mont. Orn. Diet. Bew. Brit. Birds, vol. I. pp. 39 and 41. Selb. Illust. vol. i. p. 47. pis. 17 and 17*. DIMENS. Entire length fifteen inches : length of the bill (from the forehead) nine lines and a half, (from the gape) ten lines and a half; of the tarsus one inch eight lines ; of the tail seven inches seven lines ; from the carpus to the end of the wing nine inches ten lines: breadth, wings extended, two feet six inches. DESCRIPT. (Male.) Crown of the head and nape bluish gray : upper parts reddish brown, with scattered black spots of an angular form : breast, belly, and thighs, white, inclining to reddish, with oblong brown spots : rump bluish gray : tail cinereous, with one broad black bar near the extremity ; the tip white : bill bluish : cere, orbits, irides, and feet, yellow. (Female.) All the upper parts reddish orange, with transverse bars of dusky brown : tail reddish, with numerous black bars ; one broad bar near the extremity, which last is reddish white. (Young.) Upper part of the head, and nape, reddish brown with dark streaks ; rest of the plumage above with numerous arrow-shaped spots: a blackish streak under each eye, arising from the corners of the mouth, and extending to the neck : tail reddish, with transverse dusky bars in both sexes, as in ACCIPITER.] AVES RAPTORES. 85 the adult female : irides brown : cere greenish yellow. (Egg.} Mottled all over with dark red brown : in some specimens blotches of red brown upon a pale reddish white ground : long. diam. one inch seven lines ; trans, diam. one inch three lines. A common species ; preying principally on mice and insects. Builds in tall trees, and lays from three to five eggs. Hatches towards the end of April or beginning of May. \ ^ GEN. 4. ACCIPITER, Willugh. w** (1. ASTUR, Vig.) 11. A. palumbarius, Will. (Goshawk.) — A broad white streak over the eye. Falco palumbarius, Temm. Man. d'Orn. torn. i. p. 55. Goshawk, Mont. Orn. Diet. Selb. Illust. vol. i. p. 29. pis. 12 and 12*. Bew. Brit. Birds, vol. i. p. 28. DIMENS. Entire length (female) two feet, (male) one-third less. TEMM. DESCRIPT. (Adult male.) Upper parts deep bluish ash-colour : a broad white streak over the eyes: under parts white, with transverse bars and fine longitudinal streaks of dark brown : tail cinereous, with four or five bars of blackish brown ; the tip white : bill bluish gray : cere greenish yellow: irides and feet bright yellow. (Adult female.) Upper parts with a brownish tinge : spots on the throat more numerous. (Young.) Top of the head and upper part of the neck reddish brown, the feathers edged with white : under parts reddish white, with long lanceolate streaks of deep brown : tail brown, with four broad bars of a darker colour ; the tip white : irides gray : cere and feet livid yel- low. (Egg.) " Skim-milk white, marked with streaks and spots of reddish brown/' SELBY. Nearly confined to the mountainous parts of Scotland, where it breeds, and is said to be a great destroyer of game. Very rare in England. Obs. The Gentil Falcon (Falco gentilis, Gmel.) is the young of this species. (2. ACCIPITER, Vig.) 12. A. fringillarius, Will. (Sparrow -Hawk.) — A white spot on the nape. Falco Nisus, Temm. Man. d'Orn. torn. i. p. 56. Sparrow-Hawk, Mont. Orn. Diet. Selb. Illust. vol. i. p. 32. pis. 13 and 13*. Bew. Brit. Birds, vol. i. p. 44. DIMENS. Entire length (male) twelve inches, (female) fifteen inches : length of the bill (from the forehead) eight lines, (from the gape) ten lines and a half; of the tarsus two inches five lines ; of the middle toe, claw included, one inch ten lines ; of the tail seven inches six lines ; from the carpus to the end of the wing nine inches three lines : breadth, wings extended, (male) two feet, (female) two feet four inches. DESCRIPT. (Adult male.) Upper parts bluish ash-colour: above the eye an indistinct pale line, conducting to a white spot on the nape : under parts white, with transverse waves of deep brown ; on the throat a few longitudinal streaks : tail grayish ash, with broad brownish black bars : bill bluish gray, the tip black : cere greenish yellow : feet and irides bright gamboge-yellow. (Female.) All the upper parts blackish brown, 86 AVES RAPTORES. [MiLVus. passing into blackish gray : throat whitish, with fine longitudinal dusky streaks ; rest of the under parts reddish white, undulated with transverse bars of dusky brown. (Young.) Upper parts brown, the feathers with pale reddish edges : some whitish spots on the shoulders : under parts yellowish white, with transverse reddish bars ; or whitish, with brown bars: irides grayish: feet livid yellow. (Egg.) Pale bluish white, blotched and spotted with dark red brown : long. diam. one inch seven lines; trans, diam. one inch four lines. Common throughout the country. Preys upon the smaller quadrupeds and birds, and is very destructive to partridges. Builds in trees, forming a shallow nest of slender twigs. Lays from three to six eggs. This species is remarkable for the great difference of size between the male and female. GEN. 5. MILVUS, Bechst. (1. MILVUS, Vig.) 13. M. Ictinus, Sav. (Kite.) — Reddish brown above ; beneath ferruginous, with dark longitudinal streaks. Falco Milvus, Temm. Man. d'Orn. torn. i. p. 59. Kite, Mont. Orn. Diet, and Supp. Selb. lllust. vol. i. p. 74. pi. 5. Bew. Brit. Birds? vol. i. p. 32. DIMENS. Entire length twenty-five inches : length of the bill (from the forehead) one inch eight lines, (from the gape) one inch eleven lines ; of the tarsus two inches two lines ; of the tail twelve inches eight lines ; from the carpus to the end of the wing twenty inches : breadth, wings extended, five feet two inches. DESCRIPT. (Male.) Head and neck grayish white, with fine streaks of dusky brown ; the feathers on these parts long, and acuminated : rest of the upper parts reddish brown; the feathers with pale edges: under parts ferruginous, with longitudinal brown streaks : tail long and deeply forked, reddish orange, with obsolete brown bars : bill yellowish brown at the base, towards the tip dusky : cere and irides yellow. (Female.) Upper plumage of a deeper brown, with less of the ferruginous tinge ; the edges of the feathers paler, approaching to white. (Young of the year.) Feathers on the head shorter, and less acuminated; bright red without streaks, tipped with white: upper parts redder than in the adult; feathers on the back and wings dusky in the centre, reddish yellow at the edges : on the lower part of the neck some large white spots. (Egg.) Dirty white; the larger end spotted with red brown: long. diam. two inches two lines ; trans, diam. one inch nine lines. Common in some parts of the country, but not generally diffused. Frequents wooded districts, and builds in trees. Food young game, and the smaller quadrupeds. Sav.) (1.) M. furcatus, Nob. Falco furcatus, Linn. Syst. Nat. torn. i. p. 129. Nauclerus furcatus, Vig. in Zool. Journ. vol. n. p. 387. Swallow-tailed Falcon, Shaw, Nat. Misc. vol. vi. pi. 204. Swal- low-tailed Elanus, Selb. lllust. vol. I. p. 77. This species, which is a native of North America, is stated by Dr Fleming (Brit. An. p. 52) as having occurred to the late Dr Walker in Argyleshire, in 1772. A second individual is said to have been taken alive in Yorkshire, in Sept. 1805. (Linn. Trans, vol. xiv. p. 583.) No British- killed specimen, however, is known to exist in any of our museums. BUTEO.] AVES RAPTORES. $>] GEN. 6. BUTEO, Nob. .'- (1. BUTEO, Bechst.) 14. B. vulgaris, Will. (Common Buzzard) — Tarsi naked : tail barred transversely throughout its whole length. Falco Buteo, Temm. Man. d'Orn. torn, i, p. 63. Common Buzzard, Mont. Orn. Diet. Selb. lllust. vol. i. p. 55. pi. 6. Bew. Brit. Birds, vol. i. p. 22. DIMENS. Entire length twenty inches six lines: length of the hill (from the forehead) one inch four lines, (from the gape) one inch six lines ; of the tarsus three inches one line ; of the tail eight inches six lines ; from the carpus to the end of the wing fifteen inches three lines : hreadth, wings extended, three feet eleven inches. DE SCRIPT. (Adult) All the upper parts, as well as the neck and breast, deep hrown: throat whitish, with a few brown streaks on the shafts of the feathers; abdomen grayish white, with longitudinal spots of deep brown : tail with about twelve transverse dusky bars, the ex- tremity slightly rounded : bill lead-colour : cere, irides, and feet, yellow. (Young.) Upper plumage brown, much varied with yellowish white and brownish yellow: throat pure white, with longitudinal brown spots; breast and belly yellowish white, with large oval stains and blotches of deep brown, prevailing most upon the breast: irides pale brownish yellow. Obs. The plumage of this species varies considerably, even in individuals of the same age : the brown above is more or less uniform, and the markings beneath more or less regular : occasionally the brown ex- tends nearly over the whole body, and the white appears only on the throat, and in transverse bars on the middle of the abdomen. (Egg.) Dirty white, spotted with pale brown : long, diam. two inches three lines; trans, diam. one inch ten lines. Of frequent occurrence throughout the country. Habits sluggish and inactive. Builds in old trees, and lays from two to four eggs. Feeds on rats, mice, moles, leverets, small birds, and occasionally on reptiles. 15. B. Lagopus, Vig. (Rough-legged Buzzard.) — Tarsi feathered nearly to the toes: basal portion of the tail white, the remainder brown. Falco Lagopus, Temm. Man. d'Orn. torn. i. p. 65. Rough-legged Falcon, Mont. Orn. Diet. Rough-legged Buzzard, Selb. lllust. vol. i. p. 58. pi. 7. Bew. Brit. Birds, vol. i. p. 20. DIMENS. Entire length twenty inches six lines: from the carpus to the end of the wing sixteen inches six lines. DESCRIPT. (Adult.) Head, upper part of the neck, throat, breast, and thighs, yellowish white, spotted and streaked with brown; back and wing-coverts deep brown, the feathers edged with reddish yellow : quills dusky ; with one half of the inner webs white, spotted with deep brown : lower portion of the abdomen deep umber-brown : rump and under tail- coverts yellowish white : tail white at the base, the remaining part brown ; the extreme tip dirty white : bill bluish black, darkest at the tip ; cere yellow; irides brown. (Young.) Upper parts more or less varied with white : a considerable portion of the abdomen whitish, spotted with 88 AVES RAPTORES. [BtiTEo. brown ; the sides with larger spots of the same colour : tail with two or three transverse bars towards the extremity: irides yellowish brown. (Egg.) Pale brownish white, blotched with darker brown: long. diam. two inches two lines ; trans, diam. one inch eight lines. A rare and only occasional visitant in this country. Has been twice killed in Cambridgeshire ; been met with also in Norfolk, Suffolk, Kent, the Isle of Wight, Gloucestershire, Northumberland, and other parts of England. Food and habits much resembling those of the last species. (2. PERNIS, Cuv.) 16. B. apivorus, Ray. (Honey Buzzard.) — Upper plumage brown, with cinereous bars on the wings : under parts white, with triangular brown spots. Falco apivorus, Temm. Man. d'Orn. torn. i. p. 67. Honey Buzzard, Mont. Orn. Diet. Selb. Illust. vol. i. p. 62. pi. 8. Bew. Brit. Birds, vol. i. p. 24. DIMENS. Entire length one foot ten inches : length of the bill (from the forehead) eleven lines, (from the gape) one inch six lines ; of the tarsus two inches three lines ; of the tail eight inches ; from the carpus to the end of the wing one foot four inches : breadth, wings extended, four feet one inch. DESCRIPT. (Adult male.) Top of the head bluish ash; upper parts of the body brown, inclining to cinereous: secondaries barred alternately with dusky brown and bluish gray : under parts whitish, with brown spots, which assume a triangular form on the breast and abdomen : tail with three transverse dusky bars : cere greenish grey : inside of the mouth, irides, and feet, yellow. (Female and young.) Forehead alone bluish ash ; rest of the upper parts pale reddish brown, with a large dusky spot in the centre of each feather : throat nearly white : fore part of the neck, breast and belly, yellowish red, with large brown spots; sometimes light brown, with reddish brown bars (Young of the year.) Upper parts like those of the adult female, but the feathers on the head, neck, and greater wing-coverts, tipped with white : quills dusky, tipped with white : throat whitish ; rest of the under parts reddish white with large brown spots, or reddish brown with a few partially white feathers intermixed, occa- sionally of a uniform pale brown with fine longitudinal dusky streaks : cere yellow : irides brown. Obs. This species appears to vary consider- ably in plumage, especially in the immature state. (Egg.) Mottled nearly all over with two shades of dark red brown, the white ground only here and there visible : long. diam. two inches one line ; trans, diam. one inch nine lines. Of rare occurrence in this country, especially in the adult state. Has been met with in Hampshire, Berkshire, Norfolk, Northumberland, and several times in Cambridgeshire. Feeds principally upon the larvae and pupae of wasps during the season in which they are to be obtained ; at other times, preys on small quadrupeds and birds. Is said to build in tall trees. (3. CIRCUS, Bechst.) 17. B. rufus, Nob. (Marsh Harrier.) — General plumage deep reddish brown : crown of the head yellowish white : wings a little shorter than the tail. BUTEO.] AVES RAPTORES. 89 Falco rufus, Temm. Man. d'Orn. torn. i. p. 69. Marsh Harrier, Selb. Illust. vol. i. p. 66. pi. 9. Moor-Buzzard, Mont. Orn. Diet. Bew. Brit. Birds, vol. i. p. 26. DIMENS. Entire length one foot seven to nine inches : breadth, wings extended, three feet eleven inches to four feet two inches. DE SCRIPT. (Adult in the fourth year.) Head and neck yellowish brown, with longitudinal darker streaks: scapulars and wing-coverts reddish hrown : first five primaries dusky lead-colour; all the second- aries and tail-feathers cinereous : rest of the plumage bright ferrugi- nous : bill black : irides reddish yellow : cere and feet yellow. (Second year.) Crown of the head, throat, and nape, straw-yellow, with fine longi- tudinal dusky streaks: rest of the body dark umber-brown, tinged beneath with rust-red: a few yellowish spots upon the wings: irides brown. (Young of the year.) Whole plumage deep chocolate-brown, inclining to yellowish on the throat, crown, and back of the head : quills, wing-coverts, and tail-feathers, tipped with yellowish brown : occasionally a few white patches on the lower part of the abdomen : irides dusky brown. (Egg.) Rather pointed: white: long. diam. two inches one line; trans, diam. one inch six lines. Common in marshy districts. Preys on water- fowl, small quadrupeds, and reptiles. Nest on the ground amongst rushes : eggs three to five in number. Obs. The Falco ceruginosus of Linnaeus is the young of this species. 18. B. cyaneus, Nob. (Hen-Harrier.) — Upper plumage (male) bluish gray, (female) reddish brown : quills dusky, without transverse bars : third and fourth primaries of equal length : wings reaching to three-fourths the length of the tail. Falco cyaneus, Temm. Man. d'Orn. tom.'i. p. 72. Hen-Harrier and Ring-tail, Mont. Orn. Diet, and Supp. Bew. Brit. Birds, vol. i. pp. 34 and 36. Selb. Illust. vol. i. p. 68. pi. 10. DIMENS. Entire length (male) one foot six or seven inches, (female) one foot eight or nine inches : length of the tarsus three inches : breadth, wings extended, three feet two to four inches. DESCRIPT. (Adult male.) Head, neck, back, scapulars, and wing- coverts, bluish gray ; rump white : quills black, whitish at the base : breast, belly, sides, under wing and tail-coverts, pure white, without spots of any kind : upper part of the tail ash-gray, whitish at the tip : bill bluish black : irides, cere, and feet, yellow. (Adult female.) Space surrounding the eyes white: upper parts of the plumage deep brown; feathers on the head, neck, top of the back, and wing-coverts, edged with rust- red : under parts pale reddish yellow, with deep orange-brown longitudinal streaks and spots: quills dusky, barred underneath with white : tail with alternate broad bars of deep brown and pale yellowish rust. Obs. The young of both sexes resemble the old female : after the first autumnal moult, the male begins to assume the adult plumage, and exhibits a mixture of ash-gray and reddish brown ; the transverse bars on the tail also gradually disappear. (Egg.) White : long. diam. one inch eight lines ; trans, diam. one inch four lines. Pretty generally distributed throughout the country, but seemingly most partial to fenny districts. Preys on small birds and quadrupeds. Makes its nest on the ground ; lays from three to five eggs, and hatches 90 AVES RAPTORES. [BUTEO. in the beginning or middle of June. Obs. The Ring-tail of English authors is the female of this species. 19. B. cineraceus, Flem. (Ash-coloured Harrier.) — Upper plumage (male) bluish ash, (female) reddish brown : third primary much longer than the others : secondaries with three black transverse bars : wings reaching to the extremity of the tail. Falco cineraceus, Mont, in Linn. Trans, vol. ix. p. 188. Temm. Man. d"0rn. torn. i. p. 76. Ash-coloured Harrier, Selb. Illust. vol. i. p. 70. pi. 11. Ash-coloured Falcon, Mont. Orn. Diet, and Supp. with Jig, Bew. Brit. Birds, vol. i. p. 37. DIMENS. Entire length seventeen inches : length of the hill (from the forehead) ten lines, (from the gape) eleven lines and a half; of the tarsus two inches three lines ; of the tail eight inches two lines; from the carpus to the end of the wing thirteen inches nine lines. Female. DESCRIPT. (Adult male.) Head, throat, breast, and all the upper parts of the body, deep bluish ash : belly, sides, and thighs, white, with longitudinal rust-coloured streaks : primaries black ; secondaries ash- gray above, paler beneath, with three transverse dusky bars, one of which is visible externally : under wing-coverts barred with reddish brown : two middle tail-feathers brownish gray ; the rest cinereous, their inner webs barred with reddish brown : bill bluish black : irides and feet yellow. (Adult female.) Crown of the head reddish brown, with dusky spots : nape yellowish red, sometimes approaching to white : above and below the eye a pale fascia : upper parts of the body deep brown, the feathers with reddish edges: lower part of the rump, and tail-coverts, white, streaked with pale orange-brown: all the under parts bright ferruginous, with the shafts of the feathers somewhat darker, appearing like fine slender streaks : tail with the two middle feathers of an uniform brown ; the rest with brown and ferruginous bars. (Young of the year.) Upper plumage much resembling that of the adult female : under parts of an uniform rust-red colour, without any spots or streaks : irides brown. (Egg.) White : long. diam. one inch seven lines ; trans, diam. one inch four lines. First discovered by Montagu in Devonshire : has since been occasion- ally met with in the North of England, and likewise in the fens of Cam- bridgeshire. Nest placed on the ground ; often amongst furze : the eggs, which are generally four in number, are hatched about the second week in June. GEN. 7. BUBO, Isid, Geoff. (1. BUBO, Cuv.) 20. B. maximuS) Flem. (Eagle Owl.) — Upper plumage variegated with black and ochre : under parts ochre-yellow, with longitudinal black spots. Strix Bubo, Temm. Man. dOrn. torn. i. p. 100. Eagle Owl, Selb. Illust. vol. i. p. 82. pi. 19. Bew. Brit. Birds, vol. i. p. 52. Great- eared Owl, Mont. Orn. Diet. OTUS.] AVES RAPTORES. 91 DIMENS. Entire length two feet. TEMM. DESCRIPT. All the upper parts elegantly varied and spotted with black, ochre-yellow, and yellowish grayt under parts ochre-yellow, with longitudinal black spots and streaks : throat white : egrets com- posed of six or eight elongated feathers, coloured like the rest of the plumage : tarsal feathers reddish yellow : bill and claws horn-colour : irides bright orange. (Female.') Rather larger than the male, and without the white throat. (Egg.) White: long. diam. two inches five lines ; trans, diam. one inch ten lines. An occasional visitant of extreme rarity in this country. According to Montagu has been shot in Yorkshire and in Sussex, as well as in Scot- land. More recently four specimens are said to have been observed on the northern coast of Donegal, Ireland. Inhabits mountainous and rocky situations, where it breeds. Food small quadrupeds, and reptiles. (2. SCOPS, Sav.) 21. B. Scops, Nob. (Scops-eared Owl.) — Plumage variegated with brown, gray, black, and rufous. Strix Scops, Temm. Man. d'Orn. torn. i. p. 103. Scops-eared Owl, Selb. Illust. vol. i. p. 92. pi. 22. Bew. Brit. Birds, vol. i. p. 67. Little-horned Owl, Mont. Orn. Diet. Supp. App. DIMENS. Entire length seven inches and a half. FLEM. DESCRIPT. Head, neck, and egrets, (the latter consisting of six or eight feathers,) brownish gray, speckled with black ; rest of the upper parts reddish ash, with spots and zigzag streaks of black and brown : under parts ash-gray, streaked and speckled with black and reddish brown: quills barred with white: tail variegated with black, brown, and white : bill black : irides yellow : toes bluish gray. (Egg.) Of a short oval form : white, with a few faint dusky specks : long. diam. one inch three lines; trans, diam. one inch and half a line. Very rare. Has been killed near York, and in one or two other parts of the country. Is probably migratory. Preys on mice and insects. Obs. The Strix pulchella of Donovan (Brit. Birds, vol. vn. pi. 165.) appears to be the same as this species. GEN. 8. OTUS, Cuv. 22. O. vulgaris, Flem. (Long-eared Owl.) — Plumage reddish yellow, variegated with gray and dusky brown : egrets elongated, composed of eight or ten feathers. Strix Otus, Temm. Man. d'Orn. torn. i. p. 102. Long-eared Owl, Mont. Orn. Diet. Selb. Illust. vol. i. p. 85. pi. 20. Bew. Brit. Birds, vol. i. p. 56. DIMENS. Entire length fourteen inches : length of the tail six inches ; of the egrets one inch three lines ; from the carpus to the end of the wing eleven inches six lines. DESCRIPT. Upper parts of a yellowish rust-colour, irregularly marked and spotted with deep brown, gray and cinereous : egrets of eight or ten black feathers, edged with yellow and white : under parts orange-yellow, with oblong and arrow-shaped streaks of dusky brown : quills and tail barred with brownish black : tarsal feathers yellow, without spots : bill 92 AVES RAPTORES. [Oxus. dusky : irides rich orange-yellow. (Female.) Throat and face white : rest of the plumage like that of the male, but much mottled in places with grayish white. (Egg.) Oval ; smooth : white : long. diam. one inch eight lines and a half; trans, diam. one inch three lines and a half. Found in wooded districts not very uncommonly. Partial to fir-planta- tions and old ivy, where it breeds early in the Spring, laying from four to five eggs : these are hatched towards the end of April. Remains with us the whole year. 23. O. Brachyotos, Fletn. (Short-eared Owl.) — Upper plumage dusky brown, edged with ochre-yellow : egrets small and inconspicuous, composed of three or four fea- thers. Strix Brachyotos, Temm. Man. d'Orn. torn. i. p. 99. Short-eared Owl, Mont. Orn. Diet, and Supp. Selb. Illust. vol. i. p. 88. pi. 21. Bew. Brit. Birds, vol. i. pp.58 and 60. DIMENS. Entire length fifteen inches : length of the bill (along the ridge) one inch three lines ; of the tarsus one inch ; of the tail six inches ; of the egrets six lines ; from the carpus to the end of the wing eleven inches eight lines : breadth, wings extended, three feet one inch. DESCRIPT. Head small: facial circle dirty white, with dark streaks radiating outwards ; immediate contour of the eyes black : egrets black, with tawny edges : head, neck, back, and wing-coverts, variegated with dusky brown and tawny yellow, the feathers being mostly edged with this last colour, with a dark spot in the centre of each : breast and belly pale orange-yellow, with brownish black streaks on the shafts of the feathers ; these streaks most abundant on the breast : vent and under tail-coverts yellowish white : quills with alternate bars of dark brown and ochre- yellow: tail barred like the quills; the two outermost feathers much paler than the others; the four central ones with dusky spots in the middle of the yellow bars : feet and toes thickly coated with downy ochreous feathers : bill dusky : irides rich golden yellow : claws black. (Egg.) Smooth : white, with "ti slight blush of red : long. diam. one inch eight lines; trans, diam. one inch three lines and a half. A migratory species, visiting England in October, and departing in April. Has been known, however, to breed in Norfolk, as well as in some parts of Scotland. Habits somewhat diurnal. Met with chiefly on moors and in open fields, often in flocks consisting of several individuals. Re- sorts to plantations in the evening to roost. Food principally the field- campagnol. Nest placed on the ground. GEN. 9. STRIX, Linn. 24. S. flammea, Linn. (White Owl.) — Upper plumage tawny yellow, variegated with gray and brown : underneath white. S. flammea, Temm. Man. d'Orn. torn. i. p. 91. White Owl, Mont. Orn. Diet. Selb. Illust. vol. i. p. 99. pi. 24. Bew. Brit. Birds, vol. i. p. 61. DIMENS. Entire length fourteen inches six lines : length of the bill (from the forehead) one inch four lines, (from the gape) one inch seven NOCTUA.] AVES RAPTORES. 93 lines; of the tarsus two inches six lines; of the tail four inches eight lines ; from the carpus to the end of the wing eleven inches : breadth, wings extended, two feet eleven inches six lines. DESCRIPT. Facial circle white: all the upper parts bright tawny yellow, variegated with fine zigzag lines of brown and gray, and sprinkled with numerous white dots : under parts pure white, or with a faint tinge of reddish yellow, occasionally speckled with a few brownish points : bill and claws yellowish white: irides bluish black. (Egg.) Dull whiter long. diam. one inch six lines; trans, diam. one inch three lines. Common in every part of the kingdom. Frequents churches and the eaves of old buildings, where it breeds, laying from three to five eggs. Habits nocturnal: comes abroad about sunset. Feeds principally on mice, but will occasionally devour other of the smaller quadrupeds : rejects the shrew. Screams in its flight, but does not hoot. GEN. 10. SYRNIUM, Sav. 25. S. Aluco, Nob. (Tawny Owl.) — Upper plumage reddish brown, variegated with black and ash-gray : scapu- lars and wing-coverts spotted with white : under parts white, with reddish bars, and longitudinal dusky streaks. Strix Aluco, Temm. Man. cTOrn. torn. i. p. 89. Tawny Owl, Mont. Orn. Diet. Selb. Illust. vol. i. p. 102. pi. 25. Betv. Brit. Birds, vol. i. p. 63. DIMENS. Entire length sixteen inches : length of the bill (from the forehead) one inch four lines, (from the gape) one inch six lines ; of the tarsus two inches; of the tail six inches eight lines; from the carpus to the end of the wing ten inches ten lines : breadth, wings extended, three feet. DESCRIPT. Head large : facial circle white, with a tinge of reddish brown : upper parts of the plumage ferruginous brown, variously marked and spotted with dark brown, black, and ash-gray : several large white spots upon the scapulars and wing-coverts, disposed in rows : under parts white, with transverse bars of reddish brown, and longitudinal dusky streaks on the shafts of the feathers : quills barred alternately with dusky and tawny brown : two middle tail-feathers of a uniform tawny brown ; the others barred like the quills : bill yellowish white : eyes very large: irides bluish black. (Female.) General colour more ferruginous than in the male, with less white : the transverse bars on the wings and tail alternately red and brown. (Egg.) Smooth: dull white : long. diam. one inch ten lines ; trans, diam. one inch six lines. Equally common with the last species, but found only in woods. Builds in the hollows of old trees, or amongst ivy, and lays four eggs, which are hatched in the beginning of April. Preys upon various small quadrupeds and birds. Comes abroad only during the night, and has a clamorous hooting note. GEN. 11. NOCTUA, Sav. (1. SURNIA, Selby.) 26. N. nyctea, Nob. (Snowy Owl.) — Plumage snow- white, more or less marked with transverse brown bars. 94 AVES RAPTORES. [Noc-ruA. Strix nyctea, Temm. Man. d'Orn. torn. i. p. 82. Snowy Owl, Mont. Orn. Diet. Supp. App. Selb. Illust. vol. i. p. 95. pi. 23. Bew. Brit. Birds, vol. i. p. 54. DIMENS. Entire length (female) two feet one inch: breadth, wings extended, five feet. Male of inferior size. SELBY. DESCRIPT. Head small : plumage above and below snow-white, more or less variegated with brown spots and transverse bars, which are largest and most conspicuous in immature birds ; in very old individuals (males more especially) these spots wholly disappear, leaving the entire plumage pure white : bill black, almost concealed by the bristly feathers at its base : irides bright orange-yellow : tail rounded, rather short, extending nearly two inches beyond the folded wings : legs and toes very thickly clothed with hair-like feathers partly concealing the claws. (Egg.) Pure white. Found in the Orkney and Shetland Isles, where it remains the whole year. Very rare in England. Has been killed in Northumberland, and even as far south as in Norfolk. In the latter county it has occurred twice. Habits said to be diurnal. Food hares, rats, mice, grouse, and other birds. Builds in rocky situations, and lays two eggs. (2. NOCTUA, Selby.) 27. N. passerina, Selby. (Little Owl.) — Tarsi fea- thered ; toes thinly covered with a few white hairs. Strix passerina, Temm. Man. cTOrn. torn. i. p. 92. Little Owl, Mont. Orn. Diet. Little Night-Owl, Selb. Illust. vol. i. p. 107. pi. 27. DIMENS. Entire length nine inches. TEMM. DESCRIPT. Facial circle mostly white : upper plumage grayish brown ; head and nape rather thickly spotted with white ; wing-coverts and sca- pulars with large irregular white spots of an oval-oblong form ; middle of the back nearly free from spots ; sides of the nape much variegated with white ; quills with a regular series of yellowish white spots on their outer webs ; tail with alternate bars of brown and yellowish white : under parts white, with oblong longitudinal spots of grayish brown ; chin and under tail-coverts free from spots : tarsi clothed with short downy white fea- thers ; longer (according to Selby) than in the next species ; toes thinly covered with a few white hairs. (Egg.) Of a short oval form : white : long. diam. one inch four lines ; trans, diam. one inch one line. A very rare and occasional visitant in this country. Has been killed in a few instances, but from having been formerly confounded with the next species, such instances can hardly be particularized with certainty. Said to frequent towers and old buildings, in which situations it breeds, laying from two to four eggs. Food, according to Temminck, mice, bats, small birds, and insects. 28. N. Tengmalmi, Selby. (Tengmalm's Owl.) — Tarsi and toes thickly clothed with downy feathers. Strix Tengmalmi, Temm. Man. d'Orn. torn. i. p. 94. Tengmalm's Night-Owl, Selb. Illust. vol. i. p. 105. pi. 26. Little Owl, Bew. Brit. Birds, vol. i. p. 65. DIMENS. Entire length eight inches four lines. TEMM. DESCRIPT. Facial circle more developed than in the last species; blackish round the eyes, and at the base of the bill ; the rest of it white, LANIUS.] AVES INSESSORES. 95 bordered externally with dark brown and small white spots intermixed: upper parts nearly similar ; liver-brown, spotted with white, but the spots on the head and nape not so numerous : the white spots on the scapulars and wing-coverts disposed more in lines : wings and tail relatively longer; the latter with interrupted white bars : under parts white ; the dark spots much as in N. passerina, but having a tendency to unite to form trans- verse bars : bill yellowish white : legs and toes thickly clothed with soft downy feathers. (Egg.) Elongated; pointed: white: long. diam. one inch four lines; trans, diam. eleven lines. Of equal rarity with the last in this country. Has been killed near Morpeth in Northumberland, and probably in other instances. Said to feed on mice and insects, and to breed in the hollows of firs. ORDER II. INSESSORES. GEN. 12. LANIUS, Linn. * Tail long; graduated. 29. L. Excubitor, Linn. (Cinereous Shrike.) — Head, neck, and back, cinereous ; a black band beneath the eyes : under parts white. L. Excubitor, Temm. Man. dOrn. torn. i. p. 142. Cinereous Shrike, Mont. Orn. Diet, and Supp. Selb. Illust. vol. i. p. 148. pi. 43. f. 1. Bew. Brit. Birds, vol. i. p. 71. DIMENS. Entire length ten inches: length of the bill (from the fore- head) eight lines, (from the gape) one inch ; of the tarsus one inch ; of the tail four inches three lines ; from the carpus to the end of the wing four inches six lines : breadth, wings extended, fourteen inches. DESCRIPT. (Male.) Upper plumage, including the head neck and back, ash gray ; scapulars, rump, and upper tail-coverts, somewhat paler : a black band beneath the eye, commencing at the base of the upper mandible, and extending beyond the orifice of the ear : under parts pure white : wings black ; primaries white at the base ; secondaries tipped with white : tail cuneiform, of twelve feathers ; the two middle ones black ; the two next tipped with white ; the others with the white por- tion gradually increasing to the outermost feather, which is almost wholly white: bill and feet black: irides blackish brown. (Female.) Upper plumage resembling that of the male, but the colours more obscure: under parts dirty white, with numerous crescent-shaped dusky lines. (Egg.) Light bluish white ; the larger end nearly covered with spots of two shades of li^ht brown and ash : long. diam. one inch one line ; trans, diam. nine lines and a half. A migratory, and not abundant species : visits this country sparingly towards the end of Autumn, departing in the Spring. Feeds on small birds, mice, insects, &c. Transfixes its prey when killed upon a thorn before devouring it. Builds in trees, and lays from five to seven eggs. 96 AVES INSESSORES. [LANIUS. ** Tail short; even, or slightly rounded. 30. L. rufus, Briss. (Wood-Chat.) — Upper plumage variegated with black, white, and ferruginous : under parts white: second quill equal to the fifth : tail slightly rounded. L. rufus, Temm. Man. d'Orn. torn. i. p. 146. Wood-Chat, Bew. Brit. Birds, vol. i. p. 377. Selb. Illmt. vol. i. p. 153. pi. 100. f. 1. Wood- Shrike, Mont. Orn. Diet. Supp. DIMENS. Entire length seven inches five lines. DESCRIPT. Forehead, region of the eyes and ears, and upper part of the back, black : occiput and nape ferruginous : scapulars white : wings black; quills white at the base; some of them also edged and tipped with white : rump gray : under parts pure white : tail with the two outermost feathers wholly white, excepting a black spot at the base of the inner web ; the two next with the black spot of larger size, and on both webs; the rest black, tipped with white; the two middle ones wholly black. (Female.) Colours more obscure: occiput and nape streaked with brown : the black on the back approaching to that colour : under parts dirty white ; the breast with transverse brown lines. (Egg.) Pale bluish white; the larger end spotted with hair-brown and ash- gray: long. diam. eleven lines; trans, diam. eight lines. Extremely rare in this country. Has been killed in the neighbour- hood of Canterbury, and near Swaffham in Norfolk. In the latter locality, it has been observed to breed more than once. Feeds on insects. Places its nest in the forked branches of bushes. 31. L. Collurio, Linn. (Red-backed Shrike.) — Back, scapulars, and wing-coverts, ferruginous : breast and flanks rose-red : second quill longer than the fifth : tail even at the extremity. L. Collurio, Temm. Man. d'Orn. torn. i. p. 147. Red-backed Shrike, Mont. Orn. Diet. Selb. Illust. vol. i. p. 150. pi. 43. f. 2. and pi. 43. f. 1, 2. Bew. Brit. Birds, vol. i. p. 73. DIMENS. Entire length seven inches : length of the bill (from the forehead) six lines, (from the gape) nine lines and a half; of the tarsus eleven lines; of the tail three inches one line and a half; from the carpus to the end of the wing three inches seven lines: breadth, wings extended, eleven inches four lines. DESCRIPT. (Male.) Crown of the head and nape ash-gray : a black band through the eyes, commencing at the base of the upper mandible, and reaching half-way down the neck : back, scapulars, and wing-coverts, ferruginous brown: rump ash-gray: quills dusky, edged with reddish brown : throat and vent white ; breast, belly, and flanks, rose-red : tail nearly even at the extremity ; the two middle feathers wholly black ; the rest white from the base through two-thirds of their length, the remain- ing portion black, except the extreme tip which is also white : bill and feet black: irides chestnut-brown. (Female.) All the upper parts dull ferruginous brown : nape and rump tinged with ash-gray : under parts grayish white ; sides of the neck, breast, and flanks, barred transversely with narrow semicircular dusky lines : tail with the outer webs of the two external feathers edged with white : the four middle ones of a uni- MUSCICAPA.] AVES INSESSORES. 97 form reddish brown. (Young.) General plumage resembling that of the adult female, but with less of the grayish tinge on the nape and rump ; upper parts here and there barred with blackish brown. (Egg.) Pointed : ground colour reddish white, spotted with darker red and ash-gray, the spots forming a band near the large end : long. diam. eleven lines ; trans, diam. eight lines. Obs. The eggs of this species vary occasionally, and are sometimes greenish white, with spots of light brown and ash-gray intermixed. A regular summer visitant, arriving in the Spring, and departing in the early part of the Autumn. Not uncommon in some parts of the country. Haunts copses, tall hedges, and furzy commons, where it builds. Nest formed of moss and wool, intermixed with grass, and lined with hair: eggs five or six. Food principally coleopterous insects. Obs. The Wood- Chat figured at p. 75 (vol. i.) of Bewick's British Birds, is only the female of this species. GEN. 13. MUSCICAPA, Linn. 32. M. grisola, Linn. (Spotted Flycatcher.) — Upper plumage brownish ash : under parts white : head and breast spotted with dusky. M. grisola, Temm. Man. d'Orn. torn. i. p. 152. Spotted Flycatcher, Mont. Orn. Diet. Selb. Illmt. vol. i. p. 141. pi. 43*. f. 1. Bew. Brit. Birds , vol. i. p. 210. DIMENS. Entire length six inches one line: length of the bill (from the forehead) five lines and a half, (from the gape) nine lines; of the tarsus seven lines ; of the tail two inches eight lines and a half; from the carpus to the end of the wing three inches four lines : breadth, wings extended, ten inches three lines. DESCRIPT. All the upper parts of the plumage brownish ash ; crown of the head obscurely spotted with dusky : throat and middle of the belly white ; sides of the neck and breast with longitudinal streaks of brown ; flanks tinged with pale orange-red : legs dusky brown. (Egg.) White tinged with blue, and mottled all over with pale reddish yellow brown : long. diam. nine lines ; trans, diam. seven lines. A migratory, and common species. Arrives in this country about the middle, or towards the latter end of May : departs in the Autumn. Fre- quents gardens. Builds in holes of trees and old walls; often in the branches of trees nailed against walls. Nest formed of bents, moss, &c. interwoven with spider's webs and a little wool ; lined with dry grass and feathers. Eggs five in number ; hatched about the second week in June. Food insects, taken on the wing. Has no song. 33. M. luctuosa, Temm. (Pied Flycatcher.) — Upper plumage black ; forehead, and under parts of the body, white. M. luctuosa, Temm. Man. a" Orn. torn. i. p. 155. Pied Flycatcher, Mont. Orn. Diet, and Supp. Selb. Illust. vol. i. p. 143. pi. 43*. f. 2, 3. Bew. Brit. Birds, vol. i. p. 206. DIMENS. Entire length five inches two lines. DESCRIPT. (Adult male in summer plumage.) All the upper parts, including the tail, deep black ; forehead and under parts pure white:' G 98 AVES INSESSORES. [MUSCICAPA. wings black; the middle and greater coverts white. (Female.) Upper parts grayish brown : the white on the forehead and wings less con- spicuous: the three outermost tail-feathers edged with white. (Young male.) Upper parts grayish brown : wings black ; coverts and scapulars broadly edged with white: tail black; the three outermost feathers edged with white on the exterior web, the white portion gradually de- creasing: under parts yellowish white, tinged with brown. (Egg.) Uni- form pale blue : long. diam. eight lines and a half; trans, diam. six lines and a half. Found in Yorkshire, and in some other parts of the North during the summer months; but is very local. Is probably a bird of passage. Habits similar to those of the last species. (2.) M. albicollis, Temm. Man. d'Orn. torn. i. p. 153. White- collared Flycatcher, Gould, Europ. Birds, part 7. Mr Gould, in his valuable work above referred to, states that he "has seen this species in a collection of British birds, and was informed that it was supposed to have been killed in England." Its claims, however, to a place in our Fauna require to be confirmed by some further authority. The general character of its plumage is very similar to that of the M. luctuosa. GEN. 14. CINCLUS, Bechst. 34. C. aquaticus, Bechst. (Water-Ouzel.) — Upper parts brown: throat and breast white: abdomen brownish red. C. aquaticus, Temm. Man. d'Orn. torn. i. p. 177. Water-Ouzel, Mont. Orn. Diet, and Supp. Bew. Brit. Birds, vol. n. p. 118. European Dipper, Selb. Iltust. vol. i. p. 172. pi. 45*. DIMENS. Entire length seven inches six lines. DESCRIPT. (Male.) Upper parts deep brown, passing into black; the feathers on the back and wings edged with ash-gray : throat, eyelids, sides and fore part of the neck, and upper part of the breast, white : lower part of the breast, and belly, brownish red : vent and under tail- coverts dusky brown : bill blackish : irides yellowish brown : legs yel- lowish. (Female.) Upper part of the head and neck cinereous brown : the red and white on the under parts less pure. (Young of the year.) Head and upper part of the neck gray : some whitish spots on the wings : the white on the under parts extending almost to the vent, and marked with transverse streaks of grayish brown. (Egg.) Pointed: white: long. diam. one inch; trans, diam. nine lines. Inhabits rocky streams, and the banks of rapid rivers, chiefly in the mountainous parts of the country, where it resides all the year. Common in the North of England, and in Scotland : found also in Wales, Devon- shire, and occasionally in other parts. Feeds on aquatic insects ; and is capable of diving. Nest on the ground, composed of moss and leaves, and arched over. Eggs four to six; hatched in May. GEN. 15. TURDUS, Linn. * Plumage brown, and spotted. 35. T. viscivorus, Linn. (Missel-Thrush.) — Lore grayish white : upper plumage cinereous brown ; wing- coverts edged with white : all the under parts spotted. TIIRDUS.] AVES INSESSORES. 99 T. viscivorus, Temm. Man, d'Orn. torn. i. p. 161. Missel-Thrush, Mont. Orn. Diet. Selb. Illust. vol. i. p. 158. pi. 44. f.l. Bew. Brit. Birds, vol. i. p. 112. DIMENS. Entire length eleven inches : length of the bill (from the forehead) nine lines, (from the gape) one inch two lines ; of the tarsus one inch three lines ; of the tail four inches ; from the carpus to the end of the wing six inches : breadth, wings extended, eighteen inches. DESCRIPT. Upper parts brown, with a tinge of ash-colour: space between the bill and the eye grayish white : all the under parts white, lightly shaded here and there with reddish yellow, and marked with deep brown spots, which are triangular on the throat and fore part of the neck, oval on the abdomen : upper wing-coverts edged and tipped with whitish : the three outermost tail feathers tipped with white : bill dusky : feet pale brown. (Young of the year.) Upper parts cinereous brown ; head, back, and scapulars, distinctly spotted with yellow and dusky, the former colour occupying the central portion, the latter the extreme tip of each feather : wing-coverts broadly tipped and edged with yellow ; quills brown, with a narrow edging of yellow : tail brown, all the feathers, except the two middle ones, tipped with white: under parts spotted much as in the adult bird : legs very pale yellowish brown. Obs. This species is subject to considerable variation of plumage. {Egg.) Greenish white, spotted with red brown ; sometimes reddish white, spotted with dark red brown : long. diam. one inch three lines ; trans, diam. eleven lines. Not uncommon in some parts of the country ; in others less frequent Haunts woods and orchards. Commences its song very early in the year; continues it till the end of May. Nest placed in the forked branches of trees ; formed of moss, wool, and coarse grass, and lined with the finer grasses. Eggs from three to five in number, incubation com- mencing early in April. Food insects, and berries, particularly those of the misseltoe. 36. T. pilarisi Linn. (Fieldfare.) — Lore black : back and wing-coverts brown ; head, neck, and rump, ash- gray : abdomen without spots. T. pilaris, Temm. Man. dOrn. torn. i. p. 163. Fieldfare, Mont. Orn. Diet. Selb. Illust. vol. i. p. 160. pi. 45. f. 1. Bew. Brit. Birds, vol. i. p. 116. DIMENS. Entire length nine inches nine lines: breadth, wings ex- tended, seventeen inches two lines. DESCRIPT. Head, nape, and lower part of the back (including the rump and upper tail-coverts), deep ash-colour : upper part of the back and wing-coverts chestnut-brown : space between the eye and bill black ; above the eyes a white streak : throat, sides of the neck, and breast, yellowish, with oblong dusky spots ; feathers on the flanks spotted with black and edged with white ; abdomen without spots : quills dusky with pale edges : tail black, the two outermost feathers tipped with whitish on their inner webs: bill yellow; the tips of the mandibles black: irides brown : feet dusky. (Female.) Head ash-colour, obscurely spotted with brown : throat whitish : feet paler than in the male bird. (Egg.) Light blue, mottled all over with spots of dark red brown. A winter visitant ; first appearing in November : remains with us till very late in the Spring, but does not breed in this country. During its stay keeps in flocks. Feeds on haws and other berries ; also on insects and worms. G2 100 AVES INSESSORES. {TURDUS. 37. T. musicus, Linn. (Song-Thrush.) — Lore yel- lowish : all the upper parts brown tinged with olive : wing- coverts edged with reddish yellow : throat without spots. T. musicus, Temm. Man. d'Orn. torn. i. p. 164. Song-Thrush, Selb. Illust. vol. i. p. 162. pi. 45. f. 2. Bew. Brit. Birds, vol. i. p. 114. Throstle, Mont. Orn. Diet. DIMENS. Entire length eight inches eleven lines : length of the bill (from the forehead) nine lines, (from the gape) one inch one line ; of the tarsus one inch five lines ; of the tail three inches four lines ; from the carpus to the end of the wing four inches four lines: breadth, wings extended, thirteen inches eight lines. DE SCRIPT. Head, and all the upper parts, brown with a slight tinge of olive : greater wing-coverts edged with orange-yellow : space between the eye arid the bill yellowish : throat pure white, without spots ; sides of the neck, and upper part of the breast, reddish yellow, with triangular dusky spots ; belly and flanks white, with oval spots : under wing-coverts pale orange-yellow: bill dusky; the under mandible yellowish at the base : feet light brown. (Egg.) Light blue, with a few black spots at the larger end : long. diam. one inch one line ; trans, diam. ten lines. Common throughout the country ; remaining with us the whole year. Feeds on berries, insects, and snails. In song from the beginning of February till the end of July. Has frequently two broods in a season, the first of which is hatched about the beginning of April, sometimes earlier. Nest placed in shrubs or low trees ; composed of moss and grass externally, plastered over within with clay and cow-dung. Eggs three to five in number. This species does not collect in flocks during the winter. 38. T. iliacus, Linn. (Redwing.) — A broad white streak above the eyes : upper parts olive-brown : under wing-coverts and flanks deep orange-red : middle of the abdomen without spots. T. iliacus, Temm. Man. d'Orn. torn. i. p. 165. Redwing, Mont. Orn. Diet. Selb. Illust. vol. i. p. 165. pi. 45. f. 3. Bew. Brit. Birds, vol. i. p. 118. DIMENS. Entire length eight inches four lines : length of the bill (from the forehead) eight lines and a half, (from the gape) one inch and half a line ; of the tarsus one inch and half a line ; of the tail three inches three lines ; from the carpus to the end of the wing four inches seven lines : breadth, wings extended, thirteen inches. DESCRIPT. All the upper parts olive-brown : a broad whitish streak above the eye, extending from the base of the bill backwards for an inch or more : space between the eye and the bill black mixed with yellow : sides of the neck, breast, and sides of the abdomen, white, with numerous large oblong dusky spots ; middle of the abdomen pure white, without spots : under wing-coverts and flanks deep orange-red : feet pale brown : bill dusky ; base of the under mandible yellowish. (Egg.) Resembling that of the Fieldfare, but smaller, with the spots less numerous. A migratory species, arriving in large flocks about the beginning of October, or rather later, but generally before the Fieldfare. Haunts pastures and hedges. Feeds principally on insects, and the smaller TURDUS.] AVES INSESSORES. 101 helices; or, when these cannot be obtained, on berries. Suffers more from very severe weather than the Fieldfare. Retires northward in the Spring to breed. (3.) T. varius, Horsf. Zoolog. Research, in Java. Linn. Trans, vol. xin. p. 149. A bird, supposed to be of this species, was shot by Lord Malmesbury in a small gorze-covert, in the parish of Heron Court in Hampshire, Jan. 24, 1828. It being a native of Java, it is not easy to conjecture by what acci- dent it could have reached this country. The plumage, however, was in very fine condition, and did not exhibit any marks of confinement. ** Plumage uniform ; the ground colour black. 39. T. Merula, Linn. {Blackbird.) — Plumage wholly black. T. Merula, Temm. Man. d'Orn. torn. i. p. 168. Blackbird, Mont. Orn. Diet. Selb. Illust. vol. i. p. 167. pi. 45. f. 4. and pi. 43. f. 4. Bew. Brit. Birds, vol. i. p. 120. DIMENS. Entire length ten inches eleven lines; length of the bill (from the forehead) eleven lines, (from the gape) one inch three lines ; of the tarsus one inch six lines ; of the tail four inches eleven lines ; from the carpus to the end of the wing five inches : breadth, wings extended, sixteen inches. DESCRIPT. (Male.) The whole of the plumage deep black: orbits, bill, and inside of the mouth, bright yellow : irides and feet dusky brown. (Female.) Upper parts dusky brown: throat pale brown, with spots of a darker tint ; breast reddish brown ; abdomen and under tail-coverts dark cinereous brown: bill and legs dusky brown. (Young newly fledged.) Upper parts dusky brown, as in the female, but with reddish streaks on the head, nape, upper part of the back, and lesser wing-coverts, occupy- ing the shafts of the feathers : throat and breast reddish brown, obscurely spotted with dusky. (Egg.) Light blue, speckled and spotted with light red brown; occasionally uniform blue without spots: long. diam. one inch two lines; trans, diam. ten lines. Equally common with the Thrush, and like that bird a constant resi- dent in this country. Food the same. Commences its song in the Spring, a little later than that species, and ceases a little earlier. Habits soli- tary. Nest formed of moss, twigs, and roots, plastered internally, and afterwards lined with the finer grasses. Eggs four or five in number; hatched the beginning of April. 40. T. torquatus, Linn. (Ring-Ouzel.) — Plumage black, edged with gray : a crescent-shaped white spot on the breast. T. torquatus, Temm. Man. d'Orn. torn. i. p. 166. Ring-Ouzel, Mont. Orn. Diet, and Supp. Selb. Illust. vol. i. p. 169. pi. 44. f. 2. Bew. Brit. Birds, vol. i. p. 122. DIMENS. Entire length eleven inches. DESCRIPT. (Male.) The whole plumage black ; all the feathers edged with ash-gray : on the upper part of the breast a large crescent-shaped gorget of pure white : bill and legs dusky. (Female.) Plumage more 102 AVES INSESSORES. [ORIOLUS, clouded with gray : the gorget on the breast smaller, not so well defined, and tinged with reddish brown and gray. In the young female the gorget is scarcely visible : in the young male it is reddish white. (Egg.} Light blue, mottled with spots of ash-gray and light brown : long. diam. one inch two lines; trans, diam. ten lines. Not a common species. Occasionally observed in small flocks about Spring and Autumn, on its passage to and from the northern and moun- tainous parts of the kingdom where it breeds. Does not winter in Eng- land. Nest placed on the ground ; in form and texture resembling that of the Blackbird. Food insects and berries. GEN. 16. ORIOLUS, Linn. 41. O. Galbula, Linn. (Golden Oriole.) — Golden yellow; lore, wings, and tail, black. O. Galbula, Temm. Man. d'Orn. torn. i. p. 129. Golden Oriole, Mont. Orn. Diet. Selb. Illust. vol. i. p. 176. pi. 35. f. 1 and 2. Bew. Brit. Birds, vol. i. p. 103. DIMENS. Entire length nine inches six lines : length of the bill (from the forehead) eleven lines and a half, (from the gape) one inch one line and a half; of the tarsus ten lines ; of the tail three inches one line ; from the carpus to the end of the wing six inches. DESCRIPT. {Male.) Bright golden yellow: space between the eye and the bill black: wings black; the outer webs of the quills edged with white; primary coverts tipped with yellow: two middle tail-feathers wholly black; the others black, tipped with yellow: bill reddish: irides red : feet black. (Female and young.) Upper parts olive-green : throat, breast, and abdomen, grayish white, tinged with yellowish, with dusky streaks on the shafts of the feathers : wings brownish black, the quills edged with pale olive-gray : tail olive with a tinge of dusky, the tips of all the feathers, except the two middle ones, yellowish white. (Egg.} White, tinged with pink, and sparingly spotted with ash-colour and liver- brown : long. diam. one inch two lines ; trans, diam. ten lines. An occasional visitant in this country, but not often met with. Has been killed in Suffolk, Norfolk, Essex, Hampshire, Devonshire, Cheshire, Lancashire, Northumberland, as well as in Scotland and Ireland. Many of the individuals occurred in the Spring. Frequents wooded districts ; feeding on berries and coleopterous insects. Nest purse-shaped, suspended from the forked branches of tall trees. Eggs four or five in number. GEN. 17. ACCENTOR, Bechst. 42. A. alpinus, Bechst. (Alpine Accentor.) — Cinereous gray, with large brown spots on the back : throat white with brown scales : abdomen grayish white mixed with reddish. A. alpinus, Temm. Man. d'Orn. torn. i. p. 248. Alpine Accentor, Selb. Illust. vol. i. p. 247. pi. D. f. 3. DIMENS. Entire length six inches eight lines. TEMM. DESCRIPT. Head, breast, neck and back, cinereous gray, with large brown spots between the shoulders : wings and tail dusky brown, varie- SYLVIA.] AVES INSESSORES. 103 gated with ash-colour ; middle and lesser wing-coverts tipped with white : throat white with brown scales ; abdomen and sides grayish white, mixed with reddish : bill yellow at the base, black at the tip : feet yellowish. (Egg.) Of a uniform bluish green, like that of the next species, but rather larger. A native of the European Alps, but has twice occurred in this country. In the first instance, a pair were observed at Cambridge by Dr Thackeray, Nov. 23, 1822, and one, a female, killed, which is at present in his collec- tion. In the second, a single individual was shot (a few years since) on the borders of Epping Forest. Said to build in the clefts of rocks, and under the eaves of houses. Food insects and seeds. 43. A. modularis^ Cuv. {Hedge Accentor.) — Crown of the head cinereous, with brown streaks : back and wing- coverts with large brown spots : throat and breast bluish gray: middle of the abdomen whitish. A. modularis, Temm. Man. a* Orn. torn. i. p. 249. Hedge Accentor, Selb. Illust. vol. i. p. 248. pi. 43*. f. 4. Hedge Warbler, Mont. Orn. Diet. Bew. Brit. Birds, vol. i. p. 244. DIMENS. Entire length five inches eight lines: length of the bill (from the forehead) five lines, (from the gape) seven lines ; of the tarsus ten lines and a half; of the tail two inches six lines; from the carpus to the end of the wing two inches seven lines : breadth, wings extended, eight inches five lines. DESCRIPT. Top of the head cinereous, with brown streaks: back and wing-coverts yellowish brown, with a large darker-coloured spot in the centre of each feather ; middle wing-coverts tipped with whitish : sides of the neck, throat, and breast, bluish gray : rump and flanks yellowish brown ; middle of the abdomen whitish : under tail-coverts brown, edged with white : bill dusky : irides hazel : feet yellowish brown. (Egg.) Of a uniform bluish green : long. diam. nine lines and a half; trans, diam. six lines and a half. Common in hedges throughout the country ; and in song the greater part of the year. Feeds principally on insects. Nest formed of moss and wool, and lined with hair : placed in shrubs and low bushes. Eggs four to six in number ; hatched early in April. GEN. 18. SYLVIA, Lath. (1. ERITHACA, Swains.) 44. S. Rubecula, Lath. (Redbreast.) — Upper parts brownish gray, tinged with olive : throat and breast bright ferruginous. S. Rubecula, Temm. Man. d'Orn. torn. i. p. 215. Redbreast, Mont. Orn. Diet. Selb. Illust. vol. i. p. 188. pi. 46. f. 2. Bew. Brit. Birds, vol. i. p. 235. DIMENS. Entire length five inches nine lines : length of the bill (from the forehead) six lines, (from the gape) eight lines and a half; of the tarsus one inch; from the carpus to the end of the wing two inches eleven lines : breadth, wings extended, nine inches two lines. 104 AVES INSESSORES. [SYLVIA. DESCRIPT. (Male.) Head, and all the upper parts of the body, grayish brown with a tinge of olive : forehead, cheeks, throat, and breast, bright ferruginous red, edged round with ash-gray : belly white : greater and middle wing-coverts sometimes tipped with pale reddish orange: irides black: feet yellowish brown. (Female.) Upper parts cinereous brown; the red on the breast not so bright, with the surrounding margin of ash-gray less conspicuous. (Young of the year.) Upper parts olive-gray, speckled with pale reddish spots : the breast faintly tinged with reddish yellow, and marked with fine transverse streaks of olive-brown. (Egg.) Ground- colour white, spotted with pale yellow brown: long. diam. nine lines and a half; trans, diam. seven lines and a half. A common and generally diffused species. Frequents gardens and woods. Feeds on insects and worms. In song nearly all the year. Nest formed of moss, dead leaves, and stalks of plants, and lined with hair ; placed on the ground, occasionally in the holes of trees and old buildings. Has often two broods in the season, the first of which is sometimes hatched as early as the end of March. Eggs five to seven in number. (2. PIHENICURA, Swains.) 45. S. Suecica, Lath. (Blue-throated Warbler.) — Upper parts ash-brown tinged with olive : throat, and fore part of the neck blue, with a central white spot. S. Suecica, Temm. Man. d'Orn. torn. i. p. 216. Blue-throated Warbler, Lath. Syn. vol. n. p. 444. Blue-throated or Swedish Redbreast, Shaw, Nat. Misc. vol. xvi. pi. 661. Blue-throated Redstart, Selb. Illust. vol. i. p. 195. pi. 100. f. 2, 3. DIMENS. Entire length five inches ten lines : length of the bill (from the forehead) five lines and a half, (from the gape) nine lines ; of the tarsus one inch and half a line ; of the tail two inches two lines ; from the carpus to the end of the wing two inches eleven lines. DESCRIPT. (Adult male.) Upper parts brownish ash, tinged with olive; a whitish streak above the eye; throat, and fore part of the neck, bright azure, in the centre of which is a pure white spot, disap- pearing in advanced age; beneath the blue a border of black, and be- yond this a broader one of red : belly, thighs, and vent, white : basal half of the tail rust-red, the remainder black ; the two middle feathers similar to the back, and of one colour throughout. (Female.) Upper parts re- sembling those of the male : throat, and fore part of the neck, white ; upper part of the breast dusky, tinged with cinereous and azure, beneath wnich is a faint indication of the transverse red band ; the rest of the under parts dirty white. (Young.) Plumage brown, spotted with whitish ; a large white space on the throat. (Egg.) Uniform greenish blue : long, diam. eight lines ; trans, diam. five lines and a half. Extremely rare in this country. A single individual killed on New- castle Town Moor, in May 1826, is now in the Museum at that place. Said to reside in forests, and to breed in the holes of decayed trees. 46. S. Phcenicurus, Lath. (Redstart.) — Bluish gray above : throat black ; breast, rump, and under tail-coverts, red : second quill equal to the sixth. SYLVIA.] AVES INSESSORES. 105 S. Phoenicurus, Temm. Man. d'Orn. torn. i. p. 220. Redstart, Mont. Orn. Diet. Selb. Illmt. vol. i. p. 191. pi. 46. f. 3. Bew. Brit. Birds, vol. i. p. 239. DIMENS. Entire length five inches seven lines : length of the bill (from the forehead) five lines and a half, (from the gape) eight lines and a half; of the tarsus eleven lines; of the tail two inches five lines; from the carpus to the end of the wing three inches : breadth, wings extended, nine inches four lines. DESCRIPT. (Adult male.) Forehead white: base of the bill, lore, cheeks, throat, and a portion of the under surface of the neck, black : head, upper part of the neck, and back, deep bluish gray : breast, rump, flanks, and under tail-coverts, bright rust-red ; tail the same, excepting the two middle feathers, which are brown : abdomen whitish : feet black. (Adult female.) Upper parts reddish gray : quills and coverts edged with reddish yellow : throat white ; in very old individuals dusky, mixed with reddish : breast, flanks, and under tail-coverts pale reddish orange : ab- domen whitish : rump rust-red : tail the same, the two middle leathers excepted, which are brown edged with red. ( Young males of the year.) Upper parts reddish ash ; no white on the forehead ; the black on the throat, and the red on the breast, variegated with white. (Egg.) Uniform grayish blue : long. diam. eight lines and a half; trans, diam. six lines and a half. A summer visitant, first appearing about the second week in April. Common in most, parts of the kingdom, but said to be rare in some of the western counties. Frequents gardens and woods, and builds in the holes of trees and old walls. Nest composed of moss, and lined with hair and feathers. Eggs five to seven in number. Young broods fledged about the second week in June. 47. S. Tithys, Scop. (Black Red-tail.) — Upper parts bluish ash : throat and breast black : rump and under tail- coverts red : second quill equal to the seventh. S. Tithys, Temm. Man. d'Orn. torn. i. p. 218. Phcenicura Tithys, Jard. and Selb. Orn. pi. 86. figs. 1 and 2. Black Red-tail, Lath. Syn. vol. n. p. 426. Tithys Redstart, Selb. Illust. vol. i. p. 193. pi. D. f. 1, 2. DIMENS. Entire length five inches three lines. TEMM. DESCRIPT. (Male.) Upper parts bluish ash : space between the eye and the bill, cheeks, throat arid breast, deep black, passing into bluish ash on the belly and sides: rump and under tail-coverts rust-red; the two middle tail feathers brown ; the others red : lower part of the abdo- men whitish: greater wing-coverts edged with pure white. (Female.) Upper and under parts cinereous, dull above, brighter beneath, passing into whitish on the lower part of the abdomen : quills and wing-coverts dusky, edged with cinereous gray : rump, tail, and under tail-coverts red- dish, not so bright as in the male. (Egg.) White : long. diam. ten lines ; trans, diam. seven lines. First added to the British Fauna by Mr Gould, who obtained a spe- cimen which was shot at Kilburn, near London, Oct. 25, 1829. (See Zool. Journ. vol. v. p. 102.) Two other individuals were procured during the Summer of 1830, one near Bristol, the other at Brighton. Common on some parts of the Continent. Habits said to resemble those of the last species. 106 AVES 1NSESSORES. [SYLVIA. (3. SALICARIA, Selby.) 48. S. Locustella, Lath. (Grasshopper Warbler.) — Upper plumage olivaceous brown, spotted with dusky : tail of one colour, long, and very much cuneated. S. Locustella, Temm. Man. d'Orn. torn. i. p. 184. Grasshopper Warbler, Mont. Orn. Diet, and Supp. Selb. Illust. vol. i. p. 199. pi. 45**. f. 1. Bew. Brit. Birds, vol. i. p. 247. DIMENS. Entire length five inches six lines : length of the bill (from the forehead) five lines, (from the gape) seven lines and a half; of the tarsus nine lines and a half; of the tail two inches three lines ; from the carpus to the end of the wing two inches four lines and a half. DESCRIPT. All the upper parts olivaceous brown, with a dusky spot in the centre of each feather, most conspicuous on the head and back : throat white, bounded by a circle of small oval brown spots ; breast and belly yellowish white ; under tail-coverts pale yellowish brown, with dusky streaks occupying the shafts of the feathers : quills and tail dusky brown, with pale olive edges : feet yellowish brown : hind claw shorter than the toe. (Egg.) Pale reddish white, speckled all over with darker red brown : long, diarn. eight lines; trans, diam. six lines. Visits this country in April, but is not generally distributed, and no where very plentiful. Haunts thickets and furzy commons, principally in damp situations, and is of shy habits, seldom exposing itself to view. Note resembling that of the gryllidce. Nest artfully concealed, placed on the ground, or in thick bushes of furze and bramble; composed of dried stalks and goose-grass, and lined with fibrous roots. Eggs six in number. Food principally small coleopterous insects. 49. S. Phragmitis, Bechst. (Sedge Warbler.) — Upper plumage olivaceous brown, tinged with yellow, and spotted with dusky : above the eye a broad white streak : tail moderate. S. Phragmitis, Temm. Man. d'Orn. torn. i. p. 189. Sedge Warbler, Mont. Orn. Diet. Selb. Illust. vol. i. p. 201. pi. 45**. f. 2. Reed Warbler, Bew. Brit. Birds, vol. i. p. 246. DIMENS. Entire length five inches five lines : length of the bill (from the forehead) five lines, (from the gape) seven lines and a half; of the tarsus nine lines and a half; of the tail two inches one line ; from the carpus to the end of the wing two inches four lines : breadth, wings extended, seven inches five lines. DESCRIPT. Top of the head, back, scapulars and wing-coverts, oliva- ceous brown, with a dark spot in the centre of each feather : neck, lower part of the back, rump and upper tail-coverts, plain yellowish brown : a broad and very distinct white streak above the eye, arising from the base of the bill, and extending the length of the head : all the under parts yellowish white, with a reddish tinge on the breast, sides, and under tail- coverts : quills brown with pale edges : tail deep yellowish brown : bill dusky above, whitish beneath : irides dark hazel : feet yellowish brown ; soles yellow. (Egg.) Greenish white ; mottled all over with yellow brown: long. diam. eight lines; trans, diam. six lines. Very abundant in marshy districts, and by the sides of rivers, visiting this country about the third week in April. Song much varied, imitative SYLVIA.] AVES INSESSORES. 107 of that of other birds ; kept up unceasingly during the breeding season, and often heard in the night. Nest generally suspended between the stems of reeds at a little distance from the ground ; composed of dried stalks, with the addition of a little moss, and lined with hair and the finer grasses. Eggs five or six in number ; hatched towards the end of May, or beginning of June. 50. S. arundinacea, Lath. (Reed-Wren.) — Upper parts plain olivaceous brown, without spots : between the bill and the eye a white streak. S. arundinacea, Temm. Man. d"0rn. torn. i. p. 191. Reed-Wren, Mont. Orn. Diet. Selb. Illust. vol. i. p. 203. pi. 45**. f. 3. DIMENS. Entire length five inches four lines : length of the bill (from the forehead) five lines and a half, (from the gape) eight lines ; of the tarsus ten lines ; of the tail two inches three lines ; from the carpus to the end of the wing two inches four lines : breadth, wings extended, seven inches five lines. DESCRIPT. Upper parts of a plain uniform olive brown without spots ; rump and tail faintly tinged with reddish : quills brown with cinereous edges : between the bill and the eye a narrow white streak, but not con- tinued above the eye as in the last species : under parts yellowish white, lightest on the throat and down the middle of the belly ; sides inclining to rufous : bill broader throughout, but especially at the base, and also somewhat longer, than in the S. Phragmitis ; in colour dusky above, yellowish beneath, and along the margin of the upper mandible : irides light hazel: feet pale brown; soles yellow. (Egg.) Greenish white, spotted and speckled with ash-green and light brown ; the markings darkest, and most numerous at the larger end: long, diara. nine lines; trans, diam. six lines and a half. Found in the same situations with the last species, but is much less plentiful, and not so generally diffused. Habits similar. Food the smaller species of libellulce, and other insects. Nest of an oblong panier-shaped form, suspended like that of the S. Phragmitis; composed of grasses and the seed-branches of the reed. Eggs four or five in number. (4.) S. Cetti, Temm. Man. d'Orn. torn. i. p. 194. According to Temminck, this species has been killed in England. It does not, however, appear to be known to pur own naturalists, nor am I aware that it is to be found in any of our British collections. (4. PHILOMELA, Swains.) 51. S. Luscinia, Lath. (Nightingale.) — Upper plumage reddish brown ; beneath, cinereous white. S. Luscinia, Temm. Man. d*Orn. torn. i. p. 195. Nightingale, Mont. Orn. Diet, and Supp. Selb. Illust. vol. i. p. 206. pi. 46. f. 1. Bew. Brit. Birds, vol. i. p. 231. DIMENS. Entire length six inches two lines : length of the bill (from the forehead) six lines, (from the gape) nine lines and a half; of the tarsus one inch one line ; of the tail two inches eight lines ; from the carpus to the end of the wing three inches two lines : breadth, wing£ extended, nine inches seven lines. 108 AVES INSESSORES. [SYLVIA. DESCRIPT. All the upper parts reddish brown : tail rust-red : breast and sides pale ash, passing into yellowish white; throat and belly whitish: quills pale dusky, edged with reddish brown : bill brown : irides hazel : feet yellowish brown. (Egg.) Uniform olive-brown: long. diam. ten lines ; trans, diam. eight lines and a half. Common in the southern, midland, and eastern counties ; rare in the western and northern. Has not been observed in Cornwall or in Devon- shire, excepting on the eastern borders. First heard about the middle or end of April: song continued till the first or second week in June. Frequents woods, copses, and tall hedges. Nest placed on or near the ground, sometimes suspended between the stems of herbaceous plants; of a very deep, oval form ; composed principally of withered leaves, and lined with fine grasses. Eggs four to six in number ; hatched towards the end of May, or beginning of June. (5. CURRUCA, Bechst.) 52. S. Atricapilla, Lath. (Black-cap Warbler.) — Top of the head and occiput deep black (male), or reddish brown (female) ; rest of the upper plumage greenish ash. S. Atricapilla, Temm. Man. d'Orn. tom.i. p. 201. Black-cap, Mont. Orn. Diet. Selb. Illust. vol. i. p. 209. pi. 46. f. 5. Bew. Brit. Birds, vol. i. p. 249. DIMENS. Entire length five inches eight lines: length of the bill (from the forehead) four lines and a half, (from the gape) seven lines and a half; of the tarsus nine lines and a half; of the tail two inches four lines ; from the carpus to the end of the wing three inches : breadth, wings extended, eight inches six lines. DESCRIPT. (Male.) Forehead, crown, and occiput, deep black: rest of the upper parts cinereous, with a slight tinge of olive-green : neck and breast grayish ash ; belly and vent grayish white : bill and feet dusky. (Female.) Crown of the head reddish brown ; rest of the plumage re- sembling that of the male but rather darker. (Egg.) Pale greenish white, mottled with light brown and ash-colour, with a few spots and streaks of dark brown : long. diam. nine lines ; trans, diam. seven lines. A common and widely dispersed species, visiting this country about the same time as the Nightingale. Song melodious, and rather powerful, heard till the middle, or occasionally the end of July. Is partial to orchards and gardens. Nest placed in a low bush ; loosely put together ; constructed of bents and dried stalks, patched on the outside with threads and cobwebs, and lined with fibrous roots and a few long hairs. Eggs five in number, on which the male sits occasionally, as well as the female. 53. S. hortensis, Lath. (Greater Pettychaps) — Upper parts grayish brown, tinged with olive : orbits white : tail of one colour. S. hortensis, Temm. Man. d'Orn. torn. i. p. 206. Greater Pettychaps, Mont. Orn. Diet. Selb. Illust. vol. i. p. 211. pi. 46. f. 4. Passe- rine Warbler, Bew. Brit. Birds, vol. i. p. 243. DIMENS. Entire length five inches ten lines : length of the bill (from the forehead) five lines, (from the gape) eight lines ; of the tarsus ten lines; of the tail two inches two lines; from the carpus to the end of the SYLVIA.] AVES INSESSORES. 109 wing two inches eleven lines : breadth, wings extended, eight inches six lines. DESCRIPT. All the upper parts cinereous brown, tinged with olive : orbits white : below the ear on each side of the neck a patch of ash-gray : throat whitish : breast and sides yellowish gray inclining to brown ; belly, vent and under tail-coverts, nearly pure white: quills and tail dusky, with pale edges : feet bluish gray. (Egg.) Greenish white ground, speckled with two shades of ash-green : long. diam. nine lines ; trans, diam. six lines and a half. Not uncommon in many parts of the country, making its first appear- ance about the beginning of May. Frequents gardens, copses, and thick hedges. Song resembling that of the Blackcap, but less powerful ; con- tinued till the middle of July. Nest of flimsy structure ; formed of the decayed stems of goose-grass, and other fibrous plants. Eggs four or five in number, very like those of the last species. — Obs. The Garden Warbler and the Passerine Warbler of Bewick are probably both re- ferable to the present species. Montagu, however, thought that the Passerine Warbler of the author just mentioned was the same as the Reed Wren. i 54. S. cinerea, Lath. (White-Throat.) — Top of the head cinereous; back and wing-coverts grayish brown inclining to rufous: under parts white; the breast tinged with rose-red : tail particoloured. S. cinerea, Temm. Man. d'Orn. torn. i. p. 207. White-Throat, Mont. Orn. Diet. Selb. Illust. vol. r. p. 213. pi. 46. f. 7. Bew. Brit. Birds, vol. i. p. 251. DIMENS. Entire length five inches ten lines : length of the bill (from the forehead) four lines and a half, (from the gape) seven lines; of the tarsus nine lines and a half; of the tail two inches eight lines; from the carpus to the end of the wing two inches eight lines : breadth, wings extended, eight inches seven lines. DESCRIPT. (Male.) Crown of the head, space between the eye and the bill, cheeks, and ear-coverts, cinereous ; rest of the upper parts cinereous brown, inclining to rufous on the back : quills dusky ; secondaries and greater coverts broadly edged with brownish red : throat and middle of the abdomen white; breast faintly tinged with rose-red; flanks and thighs reddish gray : tail deep brown ; outer feather white, except at the base of the inner web ; the next tipped with white : bill dusky above, paler beneath: irides yellowish: legs yellowish brown. (Female and young.) Upper parts more inclining to reddish brown ; breast white, without the rosy tinge ; the outer tail-feather reddish, instead of white. (Egg.) Greenish white ground, spotted and speckled with ash-colour and two shades of ash-green : long. diam. nine lines ; trans, diam. six lines and a half. Common in hedges and thickets throughout the kingdom. First seen about the third week in April. Song often exerted on wing, accompanied by peculiar jerks and gesticulations of the body. Nest similar to that of the last species; placed in low bushes, where there is thick covert. Eggs four or five in number. Young broods fledged about the end of May. 55. S. Curruca, Lath. (Lesser White-Throat.) — . Crown of the head cinereous ; back and wing-coverts 110 AVES 1NSESSORES. [SYLVIA. grayish ash, tinged with brown : under parts silvery white : tail particoloured. S. Curruca, Temm. Man. d'Orn. torn. 1. p. 209. Lesser White- Throat, Lath. Syn. Supp. p. 185. pi. 113. Mont. Orn. Diet. Bsw. Brit. Birds, vol. i. p. 253. Selb. Must. vol. i. p. 215. pi. 100. f. 4. DIMENS. Entire length five inches three lines. DESCRIPT. Crown of the head cinereous ; space between the eye and the bill, and ear-coverts, the same, but darker-coloured : rest of the upper parts grayish ash, inclining to brown : quills dusky brown, edged with cinereous : all the under parts, from the throat to the vent, silvery white : tail dusky ; outer feather white, except at the base of the inner web ; the two next faintly tipped with white : bill dusky ; the lower mandible pale at the base : irides yellowish : feet dusky lead-colour. (Egg.) White, sparingly spotted and speckled, principally at the larger end, with ash- colour and light brown : long. diam. eight lines ; trans, diam. six lines. Common in the eastern, and in some of the midland counties, making its first appearance about the same time as the last species, but apparently rare, or altogether unknown, in many parts of the kingdom. Song soft and inward ; generally ending in a shrill shivering cry, which last note is continued at intervals till near the middle of July. Chiefly frequents gardens and copses, concealing itself in the thickest covert. Nest placed in a low bush ; of very flimsy structure, composed of dry bents mixed with wool, and lined with finer grasses and a few hairs. Eggs five in number ; incubation commencing about the 20th of May. (6. SYLVIA, Selb.) 56. S. sibilatrix, Bechst. (Wood-Wren.) — Upper parts bright yellowish green : belly and under tail-coverts pure white: wings with the second quill equal to the fourth ; third and fourth with their outer webs sloped off at the extremity. S. sibilatrix, Temm. Man. d'Orn. torn. i. p. 223. Wood-Wren, Lamb in Linn. Trans. voL n. p. 245. pi. 24. Mont, in Linn. Trans. vol. iv. p. 35. Mont. Orn. Diet. Sell). Illust. vol. i. p. 224. pi. 47. f. 2. Yellow Wren, Bew. Brit. Birds, vol. i. p. 255. DIMENS. Entire length five inches three lines: length of the bill (from the forehead) four lines and a half, (from the gape)~six lines and a half; of the tarsus nine lines; of the tail two inches one line; from the carpus to the end of the wing three inches : breadth, wings extended, eight inches eight lines. DESCRIPT. All the upper parts bright yellow green : above the eye a broad streak of bright sulphur-yellow, arising on the forehead at the base of the upper mandible and terminating on the temples : sides of the head, throat, fore part of the neck, axilla?, and thighs, pale primrose- yellow ; rest of the under parts pure white : quills dusky, edged with green: tail slightly forked, extending eight lines and a half beyond the tips of the folded wings ; dusky, with each feather, except the outermost, likewise edged with bright yellow-green: bill and legs pale brown. (Egg.) White, spotted and speckled all over with dark purple, red, and ash-colour: long. diam. eight lines: trans, diam. six lines. SYLVIA.] AVES INSESSORES. Ill Common in the southern, western, midland, and some of the northern counties, but not generally diffused. In Cambridgeshire very rare. Haunts woods and tall trees ; being first heard towards the end of April or beginning of May. Note very peculiar, resembling the word twee repeated several times in succession, at first slowly, but afterwards in a hurried manner, and accompanied by a singular shake of the wings. Nest placed on the ground, of an oval form, constructed of dry grass, dead leaves, and a little moss, lined with finer grass and a few hairs. Eggs six in number. 57. S. Trochilus, Lath. (Willow-Wren.) — Upper parts pale olive-green, tinged with yellow : under tail- coverts yellowish white: wings with the second quill equal to the sixth ; the third, fourth, and fifth, with their outer webs sloped off at the extremity. v/ 1 -•*<. J 5- wveu . Wood- \NTi Ho w- wre 11 . i - . <t early part of the Spring, and appear to be" the young males of the pre- ceding year. (Egg.) White, with numerous small specks of pale red : long. diam. seven lines and a half; trans, diam. six lines. Of frequent occurrence in gardens, plantations, hedges, willow-grounds, and a variety of other situations. On the whole a much more generally diffused species than the last, but, according to Montagu, does not extencl so far westward. Song pleasing, but simple, consisting of several plain- tive notes in a regularly descending scale; heard from the middle of April Ito the beginning of July. Nest placed on the ground, nearly spherical, Jwith a small opening at the side near the top ; composed of dry grass, istalks, and other herbage, and profusely lined with feathers. Esgs five Ito seven ; hatched the end of May or beginning of June. 58. S. Hippolais, Lath. (Chijf-Chaff.) — Upper parts olive-green, 'tinged with yellow; beneath yellowish white: 110 AVES INSESSORES. [SYLVIA. grayish ash, tinged with brown : under parts silvery white : tail particoloured. S. Curruca, Temm. Man. d'Orn. torn. t. p. 209. Lesser White- Throat, Lath. Syn. Supp. p. 185. pi. 113. Mont. Om. Diet. Bew. Brit. Birds, vol. i. p. 253. Selb. Must. vol. i. p. 215. pi. 100. f. 4. DIMENS. Entire length five inches three lines. DESCRIPT. Crown of the head cinereous ; space between the eye and the bill, and ear-coverts, the same, but darker-coloured : rest of the upper parts grayish ash, inclining to brown : quills dusky brown, edged with cinereous : all the under parts, from the throat to the vent, silvery white : tail dusky ; outer feather white, except at the base of the inner web ; the two next faintly tipped with white : bill dusky ; the lower mandible pale at the base: irides yellowish: feet dusky lead-colour. (Egg.) White, sparingly spotted and speckled, principally at the larger end, with ash- colour and light brown : long. diam. eight lines ; trans, diam. six lines +V>Q rtoctoyn juirLin. .enitu* .nl* thu mifllanfl nmintif - DIMENS. Entire length five inches three lines: length of the bill (from the forehead) four lines and a half, (from the gape) six lines and a half; of the tarsus nine lines; of the tail two inches one line; from the carpus to the end of the wing three inches : breadth, wings extended, eight inches eight lines. DESCRIPT. All the upper parts bright yellow green : above the eye a broad streak of bright sulphur-yellow, arising on the forehead at the base of the upper mandible and terminating on the temples : sides of the head, throat, fore part of the neck, axillae, and thighs, pale primrose- yellow; rest of the under parts pure white: quills dusky, edged with green : tail slightly forked, extending eight lines and a half beyond the tips of the folded wings ; dusky, with each feather, except the outermost, likewise edged with bright y ellow- green : bill and legs pale brown. (Egg.) White, spotted and speckled all over with dark purple, red, and ash-colour : long. diam. eight lines ; trans, diam. six lines. SYLVIA.] AVES INSESSORES. Ill Common in the southern, western, midland* and some of the northern counties, but not generally diffused. In Cambridgeshire very rare. Haunts woods and tall trees ; being first heard towards the end of April or beginning of May. Note very peculiar, resembling the word twee repeated several times in succession, at first slowly, but afterwards in a hurried manner, and accompanied by a singular shake of the wings. Nest placed on the ground, of an oval form, constructed of dry grass, dead leaves, and a little moss, lined with finer grass and a few hairs. Eggs six in number. 57. S. Trochilus, Lath. (Willow-Wren.) — Upper parts pale olive-green, tinged with yellow : under tail- coverts yellowish white: wings with the second quill equal to the sixth ; the third, fourth, and fifth, with their outer webs sloped off at the extremity. S. Trochilus, Temm. Man. d'Orn. torn. i. p. 224. Yellow Wren, Mont. Orn. Diet. Selb. Illust. vol. I. p. 226. pi. 47. f. 3. Willow- Wren, Bew. Brit. Birds, vol. i. p. 257. DIMENS. Entire length four inches eleven lines : length of the bill (from the forehead) four lines, (from the gape) six lines; of the tarsus nine lines ; of the tail two inches three lines ; from the carpus to the end of the wing two inches six lines and a half: breadth, wings extended, eight inches. DESCRIPT. Distinguished from the last principally by its paler colour, and shorter wings ; the difference in size not very obvious. Upper parts pale olive-green, with a yellowish tinge, inclining in some specimens to cinereous : from the base of the bill a bright streak of primrose-yellow extending over each eye to the temples, but narrower than in the S. sibilatrix: all the under parts yellowish white ; the yellow tinge darkest on the breast, sides, axillse, and ridges of the wings ; palest on the middle of the belly : quills and tail brownish ash, faintly edged with olive-green ; the latter extending eleven lines beyond the tips of the folded wings, with the two middle feathers shorter than the others : base of the under mandible yellowish : feet light brown. Obs. The colour of this species, especially the intensity of the yellow tinge, varies much in different individuals. The variation, however, results more from a difference of age than of sex. The male and female are equally pale in the adult state. The yellowest birds, which are also generally the smallest, occur in the early part of the Spring, and appear to be the young males of the pre- ceding year. (Egg.) White, with numerous small specks of pale red : long. diam. seven lines and a half; trans, diam. six lines. Of frequent occurrence in gardens, plantations, hedges, willow-grounds, and a variety of other situations. On the whole a much more generally diffused species than the last, but, according to Montagu, does not extent so far westward. Song pleasing, but simple, consisting of several plain- tive notes in a regularly descending scale; heard from the middle of April to the beginning of July. Nest placed on the ground, nearly spherical, with a small opening at the side near the top; composed of dry grass, stalks, and other herbage, and profusely lined with feathers. Eggs five to seven ; hatched the end of May or beginning of June 58. S. Hippolais, Lath. (ChiJf-Chaff.) — Upper parts olive-green, -tinged with yellow; beneath yellowish white: 112 AVES INSESSORES. [SYLVIA. wings with the second quill equal to the seventh ; third, fourth, fifth, and sixth, with their outer webs sloped off at the extremity. S. Hippolais, Lath. Ind. Orn. vol. n. p. 507. S. rufa, Temm. Man. d'Orn. torn. i. p. 225. Lesser Petty chaps, Mont. Orn. Diet, and Supp. Selb. Illust. vol. i. p. 222. pi. 47. f. 1. Chiff-Chaff, Bew. Brit. Birds, vol. i. p. 258. DIMENS. Entire length four inches six lines : length of the bill (from the forehead) four lines, (from the gape) six lines and a half; of the tarsus nine lines; of the tail one inch seven lines ; from the carpus to the end of the wing two inches three lines : breadth, wings extended, seven inches three lines. DESCRIPT. Usually somewhat smaller than the S. Trochilus, \v\th the wings and tail, relatively considered, still shorter than in that species ; also to be distinguished from it by the characters of the quills above pointed out, but in colour and general appearance almost absolutely the same. Upper parts olive-green, tinged with yellow and ash-gray: be- tween the bill and the eye, and over each eye, "a narrow, faint yellowish white streak : quills cinereous brown, the outer webs edged with yellow- ish green : all the under parts, including the under tail-coverts, whitish tinged with yellow ; the yellow having a tendency on the breast to appear in streaks : axillae and under wing-coverts bright primrose-yellow : tail extending an inch beyond the tips of the folded wings : feet rather darker than in the last species. (Egg.) White, with a few specks of dark pur- plish red : long. diam. seven lines ; trans, diam. five lines and a half. Very abundant in some parts of England, but in others much less plentiful than the last species. Is one of the earliest of our summer visitants, making its first appearance about the middle, or towards the end of March. Chiefly frequents woods and tall trees, and is of rest- less habits, being always in motion in search of insects. Song consist- ing of only two, rather loud, hollow notes, resembling the words chip- chop, or chiff-chaff, which are occasionally heard till near the end of September. Nest similar to that of the last species, placed on the ground, or in very low bushes. Obs. Having compared our English <S. Hippolais with the S. rufa of Temminck*, and found them agreeing closely in all their characters, I have no hesitation in considering them as the same species. GEN. 19. MELIZOPHILUS, Leach. 59. M. provincialis^ Leach. (Dartford Warbler.) — Upper plumage deep grayish brown : throat, neck, and breast, ferruginous red. Sylvia provincialis, Temm. Man. d'Orn. torn. i. p. 211. S. Dartford- iensis, Mont, in Linn. Trans, vol. ix. p. 191. Dartford Warbler, Mont. Orn. Diet, and Supp. Selb. Illust. vol. i. p. 2 19. pi. 46. f. 6. Bew. Brit. Birds, vol. i. p. 234. DIMENS. Entire length five inches six lines. MONT. DESCRIPT. (Male.) All the upper parts dark grayish brown : cheeks cinereous: throat, neck, and breast, deep ferruginous, inclining to purple; * The comparison was made with a specimen of S. rufa named by Temminck himself, and sent by him to Mr Gould, to whose kindness I am indebted for it. REGULUS.] AVES INSESSORES. 113 sides the same, but not so bright; middle of the belly white: quills dusky ; the outer webs edged with dark cinereous, the inner with dark reddish brown : tail blackish brown ; the outer feather tipped, and edged externally, with white : bill yellowish white at the base, black at the tip : feet yellowish. (Female and young.) Colours paler : throat more or less speckled and streaked with white. (Egg.) Greenish white ground, speckled all over with olivaceous brown and cinereous; the markings most numerous at the larger end : long. diam. eight lines ; trans, diam. five lines and a half. A local species ; found in Kent, Middlesex, Hampshire, Sussex, Surrey, Devonshire, Cornwall, and a few other parts of England. Remains in this country throughout the year. Haunts chiefly downs and furzy commons. Feeds on insects. "Nest somewhat similar to that of the Whitethroat; artfully concealed in the thickest bushes. Young broods fledged in May. GEN. 20. REGULUS, Cuv. 60. R. aurocapillus, Selby. (Gold-crested Regulus.) — Upper parts greenish yellow : cheeks and region of the eyes cinereous, without any white bands : crown-feathers elon- gated, forming a bright yellow orange crest. Sylvia Regulus, Temm. Man. d'Orn. torn. i. p. 229. Gold-crested Regulus, Selb. Illust. vol. i. p. 229. pi. 47. f. 4 & 5. Golden-Crested Wren, Mont. Orn. Diet. Bew. Brit. Birds, vol. i. p. 260. DIMENS. Entire length three inches six lines: length of the bill (from the forehead) three lines and a half, (from the gape) five lines; of the tarsus seven lines and a half; of the tail one inch five lines; from the carpus to the end of the wing one inch eleven lines : breadth, wings extended, five inches six lines. . DESCRIPT. Upper parts of the plumage olive-green, tinged with yellow: feathers on the top of the head long and narrow, forming a crest, of a rich orange-yellow, the sides bordered with black: base of the bill, cheeks, throat, and region of the eyes, cinereous; the rest of the under parts the same, but with a tinge of yellow : quills dusky, edged with yellowish green; secondaries crossed by a black bar; wing-coverts dusky brown, edged with yellow and tippei with white: tail blackish brown ; the feathers edged outwardly with yellowish green, inwardly with whitish : bill black : irides hazel : feet brown. (Female.) Colours gene- rally paler : crest on the head smaller, and of a pale lemon-yellow ; the lateral edging of black narrower, and less conspicuous. (Egg.) Dull pale reddish white : long. diam. six lines ; trans, diam. five lines. Not uncommon, and generally dispersed throughout the kingdom. Does not migrate. Frequents woods and plantations, especially those of fir. Song weak and inward ; heard as early as February. Nes't gene- rally suspended from the under surface of the branches of spruce firs ; formed principally of moss, and lined with feathers. Eggs seven to ten in number. Breeds early in the year. 61. R. ignicapillus, Nob. (Fire-crested Regulus.) — Upper parts yellowish green, passing into pure yellow on the sides of the neck ; cheeks with three longitudinal streaks, one black and two white : crown-feathers elongated, of a brilliant flame-red. H 114 AVES INSESSORES. [REOULUS. Sylvia ignicapilla, Temm. Man. d'Orn. torn. i. p. 231. Fire-crested Wren, Gould, Europ. Birds, part 3. DIMENS. Entire length four inches : length of the bill (from the fore- head) four lines and a half, (from the gape) five lines and a half; of the tarsus seven lines and a half; of the tail one inch nine lines; from the carpus to the end of the wing two inches and half a line. DESCRIPT. Closely resembling the last species, but somewhat larger, with the bill longer and broader at the base. (Adult male.) Upper parts yellowish tinged with green, passing into nearly pure yellow on the sides of the neck ; crest of a brilliant flame-red, bordered in front and at the sides of the crown with deep black ; cheeks particularly distinguished by three longitudinal streaks, of which there is no indication in the R. auro- capillus ; one of these, which is black, passes directly through the eyes in a line from the base of the upper mandible to the ear-coverts; the other two are white, and are situate one above, the other beneath the eyes; forehead cinereous, with a pale reddish tinge : wings and tail the same as in the last species : under parts more approaching to white : bill black: irides deep brown: tarsi brown; toes and claws yellowish. (Female.) The longitudinal streaks on the sides of the face the same as in the male, but the colours more obscure : crest of a dull orange : sides of the neck olivaceous green, instead of yellow : in other respects the plumage of the two sexes is similar. (The young of the year before the first moult.) Only to be distinguished from those of the last species, by the longer and broader bill : cheeks cinereous, without any appearance of the longitu- dinal streaks : crest of a pale lemon-yellow, scarcely developed : forehead, and sides of the neck, cinereous : upper parts not so bright as in the adult ; under parts cinereous, tinged with yellow. A single individual of this species (a young bird of the year) was killed in a garden at Swaffham Bulbeck in Cambridgeshire, in August 1832. Since then others have been observed at Brighton by Mr J. E. Gray. Is probably to be met with in other parts of the country, though from its general resemblance to the R. aurocapillus, it is easily overlooked. Ac- cording to Temminck, this last species resides chiefly at the tops of trees; the R. ignicapilluSy more on the lower branches and in small bushes. The habits of the two in other respects, and nidification, are similar. GEN. 21. MOTACILLA, Linn. * Hind claw moderate; much curved. 62. M. alba, Linn. (Pied Wagtail.) — Plumage varie- gated with black and white. M. alba, Temm. Man. d'Orn. torn. i. p. 255. Pied Wagtail, Selb. Illust. vol. i. p. 251. pi. 49. f. 1. Bew. Brit. Birds; vol. i. p. 226. White Wagtail, Mont. Orn. Diet. DIMENS. Entire length seven inches five lines : length of the bill (from the forehead) six lines, (from the gape) eight lines ; of the tarsus eleven lines ; of the hind toe, claw included, seven lines ; of the tail three inches four lines and a half; from the carpus to the end of the wing three inches four lines : breadth, wings extended, ten inches nine lines. DESCRIPT. (Adult in summer plumage.) Forehead, cheeks, and sides of the neck, white ; crown of the head, nape, throat, breast, and upper part of the body, black ; belly and vent white : quills and greater wing- coverts edged with white: the two outer tail-feathers nearly all white: MOTACILLA.] AVES JNSESSORES. 115 the others black: bill black: irides dusky. (Winter plumage.) Throat and fore part of the neck white : a crescent- shaped black patch on the upper part of the breast : all the upper parts inclining to blackish gray. (Young of the year.) Crown of the head, and all the upper parts, ash- gray, inclining to bluish gray; wing-coverts broadly edged and tipped with white : on the upper part of the breast a crescent-shaped patch of dusky ash, the horns of the crescent extending upwards to the ears in a narrow line on each side of the neck ; throat, cheeks, under part of the neck, and lower part of the breast, dirty white : abdomen nearly pure white : quills blackish, with an oblong white spot on their inner webs. (Egg.) White, speckled with ash-colour: long. diam. nine lines; trans, diam. seven lines. A common and well-known species, frequenting pastures and newly ploughed lands, more especially those in the vicinity of water. Runs with great celerity, and occasionally wades in shallow streams in pursuit of aquatic insects. Migrates in the North of England, but is stationary in the southern counties. Nest on the ground, or in the holes of trees and old buildings ; composed of moss, fibres, and wool, and lined with hair. Eggs four or five. 63. M. Boarula, Linn. (Gray Wagtail.) — Head and back bluish gray ; rump and under parts bright yellow : tail very long. M. Boarula, Temm. Man. d'Orn. torn. i. p. 257. Gray Wagtail, Mont. Orn. Diet, and Supp. Selb. Illust. vol. i. p. 253. pi. 49. f. 2. Bew. Brit. Birds, vol. i. p. 228. DIMENS. Entire length seven inches nine lines : length of the bill (from the forehead) five lines, (from the gape) seven lines and a half; of the tarsus ten lines ; of the hind toe, claw included, six lines ; of the tail three inches ten lines ; from the carpus to the end of the wing three inches one line and a half. DESCRIPT. (Summer plumage.) Head, neck, back, and scapulars, bluish gray: above the eyes a pale streak: throat black: rump, and under parts, bright yellow, the former tinged with green : quills and six middle tail-feathers grayish black, more or less edged with yellowish white; outer tail-feather entirely white; the two next white, with a part of the outer web black : feet dusky brown. (Winter plumage.) Throat yellowish white: under parts of a paler yellow. Obs. Female at all times paler than the male. (Egg.) White, nearly covered with reddish yellow brown, varying in intensity : long. diam. eight lines and a half; trans, diara. seven lines. A regular winter visitant in the southern parts of the kingdom, but in the northern a summer visitant. Habits and nidification very similar to those of the last species. Is said to have two broods in the year, the first of which is generally fledged about the end of May. ** Hind claw elongated; but slightly curved. 64. M. yfava, Ray. (Yellow Wagtail.) — Head, and all the upper parts of the body, olive-green : streak above the eye, and under parts, bright yellow : tail moderate, H 2 116 AYES INSESSORES. [MOTACILLA. M. flava, Ray, Syn. Av. p. 75. Yellow Wagtail, Mont. Orn. Diet, and Supp. Selb. Illust. vol. i. p. 255. pi. 49. f. 3. Bew. Brit. Birds, vol. i. p. 229. DIMENS. Entire length six inches eight lines: length of the bill (from the forehead) five lines and a half, (from the gape) eight lines ; of the tarsus eleven lines ; of the hind toe, claw included, eight lines and a half; of the tail two inches eleven lines; from the carpus to the end of the wing three inches : breadth, wings extended, nine inches nine lines. DE SCRIPT. (Male.) Crown of the head, nape, and ear-coverts, pale olive-green ; back, rump, and scapulars, of the same colour but darker : over the eyes a bright yellow streak : all the under parts bright yellow : quills and coverts blackish brown, edged and tipped with yellowish white : tail dusky ; the two middle feathers edged with pale olive ; the two outer ones with the whole of their external, and a large part of their inner webs white : bill and feet black. (Female.) Upper plumage inclining more to cinereous : throat yellowish white ; the rest of the under parts yellow, but not so bright as in the male. (Young of the year.) Resembling the female, but still paler: upper parts dull cinereous, very faintly tinged with olivaceous : all the under parts yellowish white : greater and lesser coverts broadly tipped with white, forming two bars across the wings : tail as in the adult. (Egg.) White, mottled nearly all over with yellow and ash-brown : long. diam. eight lines and a half; trans, diam. six lines and a half. A migratory species, visiting this country about the end of March, or beginning of April. Frequents downs, and arable lands, and is rather less attached to water than either of the foregoing species. Nest placed on the ground ; composed of dried stalks and fibres, and lined with hair. Eggs four or five in number. 65. M. neglecta, Gould. (Blue-headed Wagtail.) — Head bluish lead-colour ; streak above the eye white : body above olivaceous green, beneath yellow. M. neglecta, Gould in Proceed, of Zool. Soc. 1832, p. 129. Id. Europ. Birds, part 3. M. flava, Temm. Man. d'Orn. torn. i. p. 260. DIMENS. Entire length six inches. GOULD. DESCRIPT. Closely resembling the last species, from which it scarcely differs excepting in the colour of the head and streak above the eye : the former, instead of being olivaceous like the rest of the upper parts, is of a fine lead gray, approaching to blue ; the latter, as well as a second streak beneath the eyes, is white. The female has the colours paler, and the eye-streaks indistinctly marked. (Egg.) "Greenish olive, with light flesh-coloured blotches." GOULD. Mr Gould has the merit of having first distinguished this from the M. flava, with which it had been previously confounded. The differences between them, he observes, do not depend upon the season, he having obtained specimens of each killed in the same month. The present spe- cies, which appears to be the only .one known to continental authors, in our own country has hitherto occurred but once. This individual, which was an old bird, was killed near Colchester by Mr H. Doubleday, in the Autumn of 1834. A pair were seen. Food and nidification similar to those of the M. flava. ANTHUS.] AVES INSESSORES. 117 GEN. 22. ANTHUS, Bechst. * Hind claw longer than the toe; very little curved. 66. A. Richardi, Vieill. (Richard's Pipit.) — Upper plumage deep brown, with lighter edges : breast spotted : tarsi very long. A. Richardi, Temm. Man. d'Orn. torn. i. p. 263. Vigors in Zool. Journ. vol.i. p. 411. pi. 14. Bew. Brit. Birds, vol. i. p. 379. Richard's Pipit, Selb. Illmt. vol. i. p. 264. pi. 100. f. 5. DIMENS. Entire length six inches seven lines : length of the hind toe, claw included, one inch. TEMM, DESCRIPT. Plumage on the crown of the head, back, and scapulars, deep olive-brown ; the edges of the feathers somewhat paler : a broad streak above the eye, temples, throat, belly and vent, pure white ; breast and sides reddish yellow, the former marked with lanceolate dusky spots : wings blackish brown ; quills and coverts broadly edged with yellowish white: tail dusky, edged in the same manner; outer feather entirely white ; the next with the greater portion white : bill somewhat stronger, and rather more elongated, than in the other species of this genus ; upper mandible brown ; lower mandible yellow : irides brown : feet yellowish : hind claw very long, almost straight. (Egg.) Reddish white ground, speckled with darker red and light brown: long. diam. ten lines and a half; trans, diam. seven lines and a half. Very rare in this country. Has hitherto only occurred in two instances, both times in the neighbourhood of London. Habits unknown. 67- A. pratensis, Bechst. (Meadow Pipit.) — Upper plumage olivaceous green, with dusky spots : neck, breast, and sides, spotted : tarsi moderate. A. pratensis, Temm. Man. d'Orn. torn. i. p. 269. Meadow Pipit, Selb. Illust. vol. i. p. 260. pi. 49. f. 4. Titlark, Mont. Orn. Diet. Bew. Brit. Birds, vol. i. p. 220. DIMENS. Entire length five inches nine lines: length of the bill (from the forehead) five lines and a half, (from the gape) eight lines ; of the tarsus ten lines and a half; of the hind toe, claw included, ten lines and a half; of the tail two inches four lines and a half; from the carpus to the end of the wing three inches : breadth, wings extended, nine inches ten lines. DESCRIPT. (Summer plumage.) Upper parts olivaceous green tinged with ash-gray ; feathers on the head, back, and scapulars, spotted with dusky: under parts yellowish white; throat, in the male, during the breeding season only, with a deep reddish tinge; sides of the neck, breast, and upper part of the abdomen, marked with blackish brown spots ; flanks with long dusky streaks: tail dusky; outer feather edged externally, and broadly tipped, with white; the next with a small white spot at the extremity : bill slender, dusky ; base of the under mandible yellowish : irides hazel : legs yellowish brown : hind claw not so long as in the last species, slightly curved. (Winter plumage.) Upper parts of a brighter, and more decided olive-green, with the dusky spots not occupying- so large a portion of the feather : under parts ferruginous yellow, and not* so much spotted. (JZgg.) Reddish white ground, mottled all over with darker reddish brown : long. diam. nine lines ; trans, diam. seven lines. 118 AVES INSESSORES. [ANTHUS. Very abundant on moors, barren heaths, and extensive fenny districts. Stays the whole year. Sings in its descent, after rising to a considerable height in the air, always returning to the ground, or to some low bush, with motionless wings and expanded tail. Nest on the ground; com- posed of dry grass, bents, and stalks of plants, patched on the outside with a small quantity of green moss, and lined with fine grasses and long horse-hair. Eggs five or six, hatched towards the end of May. Obs. The Pipit Lark of Montagu is this species in its winter plumage, after the autumnal moult. ** Hind claw about equal to the toe in length, or shorter ; much curved. 68. A. arboreus, Bechst. (Tree Pipit.) — Upper parts olivaceous green, with dusky spots: breast and sides spot- ted : wings with two transverse bars of yellowish white. A. arboreus, Temm. Man. d'Orn. torn. i. p. 271. Tree Pipit, Selb. Illust. vol. i. p. 262. pi. 49. f. 5. Field Lark, Mont. Orn. Diet. Tree Lark, Bew. Brit. Birds, vol. i. p. 218. DIMENS. Entire length six inches: length of the bill (from the fore- head) five lines and a half, (from the gape) eight lines; of the tarsus nine lines ; of the tail two inches six lines ; from the carpus to the end of the wing three inches six lines. DESCRIPT. Strongly resembling the last species, but always to be distinguished by the hind claw, which is shorter than the toe, and so much curved as to form the quadrant of a circle ; the bill is also some- what stronger, and more dilated at the base. Upper parts olivaceous green, tinged with cinereous ; the centre of each feather, more especially those on the head and back, dusky brown: lesser and middle wing-coverts tipped with yellowish white, so as to shew a double transverse bar on the wings when closed : throat almost white ; fore part of the neck, breast, and flanks, ochre-yellow, marked with dusky spots, large and oval on the breast, but assuming the form of long narrow streaks on the sides; middle of the abdomen pure white ; under tail-coverts tinged with yellow, but free from spots : tail dusky brown; the outer feather with the greater portion white ; the next only tipped with white : upper mandible wholly dusky, under mandible dusky at the tip, flesh-coloured at the base : irides hazel : legs flesh-coloured, inclining to yellowish brown. (Egg.) Grayish white ground, spotted and streaked with ash-colour and dark brown; sometimes pale purple, spotted with darker purple and dark red brown : long. diam. nine lines ; trans, diam. seven lines. A migratory species, visiting this country about the third week in April. Not uncommon in wooded districts, but rarely or never to be found in open country. Sings in its descent like the last species, but always rises from the top of some tall tree, to which it returns gra- dually, with expanded wings and tail. Song heard till the middle of July. Nest placed on the ground; formed of dry grass, patched ex- ternally with moss, and lined with the finer grasses. Eggs four or five. 69. A. petrosus, Flem. (Rock Pipit.) — Upper parts greenish brown with darker spots : breast and sides streaked with brown : above the eye a yellowish white streak. SAXICOLA.] AVES INSESSORES. 119 A. aquaticus, Temm. Man. d'Orn. torn. i. p. 265. Alauda petrosa, Mont, in Linn. Trans, vol. iv. p. 41. Rock Pipit, Selb. Illust. vol. i. p. 258. pi. 49. f. 6. Rock Lark, Mont. Orn. Diet. Field Lark, Bew. Brit. Birds, vol. i. p. 216. DIMENS. Entire length six inches eight lines: length of the bill (from the forehead) six lines and a half, (from the gape) nine lines ; of the tarsus ten lines and a half; of the hind toe, claw included, ten lines ; of the tail two inches nine lines ; from the carpus to the end of the wing three inches five lines: breadth, wings extended, eleven inches three lines. DE SCRIPT. (Adult.) Upper parts dark brown, with a tinge of olive-green ; the feathers on the back, and scapulars, obscurely marked with dusky streaks : quills and coverts dusky, edged with greenish white : above the eye a pale streak : all the under parts whitish, with longitudinal brown streaks on the sides of the neck, breast, and flanks : the two middle tail- feathers cinereous brown ; the others dusky ; the outer one being white in its greater portion, the next tipped with white: bill dusky: irides hazel : feet brown : hind claw curved, about equal to the toe in length. (Young.) The olivaceous tinge of the upper parts more conspicuous: under parts yellowish, spotted as in the adult bird: wing-coverts more broadly edged with pale cinereous brown : the white on the outer tail- feathers less pure, inclining to pale dusky. (Egg.) Greenish white ground, speckled with ash-brown, darkest at the larger end : long. diam. nine lines and a half; trans, diam. seven lines and a half. Common on rocky shores, in many parts of the kingdom, where it resides the whole year, but is never found inland. Feeds on marine insects. Song and habits somewhat similar to those of the two last species. Breeds in the clefts of rocks, sometimes at a considerable height from the ground. Nest composed of marine plants, with the addition of a little moss externally, lined with fine grass and a few long hairs. Eggs four or five ; hatched early in the Spring. GEN. 23. SAXICOLA, Bechst. 70. S. (Enanthe, Bechst. (Wheat-Ear.) — Upper parts ash-gray : forehead, throat, streak above the eyes, and basal portion of the tail, white. S. CEnanthe, Temm. Man. d'Orn. torn. i. p. 237. Wheat-Ear, Mont. Orn. Diet. Selb. Illust. vol. i. p. 181. pi. 48. f. 1. Bew. Brit. Birds, vol. i. p. 264. DIMENS. Entire length six inches six lines : length of the bill (from the forehead) six lines, (from the gape) ten lines ; of the tarsus eleven lines and a half; of the tail two inches six lines ; from the carpus to the end of the wing four inches : breadth, wings extended, twelve inches. DE SCRIPT. (Male in summer.) Upper parts of the body bluish ash : from the corners of the bill a black band, passing across the eyes, and ex- tending to the ear-coverts ; above the black, a white streak ; forehead and throat white : wings brownish black : fore part of the neck, and upper part of the breast, reddish yellow ; the rest of the under parts white : tail, with the exception of the two middle feathers which are wholly black, white for two thirds of its length from the base ; the remaining portion black: bill and feet black. (Female.) Upper parts cinereous brown, tinged with yellow : the band across the eyes brown : quills with 120 AVES INSESSORES. [SAXICOLA. pale edges : less white on the tail. (Male, after the autumnal moult.) All those parts above, which in summer are bluish gray, tinged with rufous : rump, and streak above the eye, pure white : lore pure black ; but the black on the ear-coverts tinged with rufous : wing-coverts, and secondary quills, broadly edged with rufous ; primaries tipped with red- dish white: chin white; throat, breast, and sides of the neck, decided rufous ; rest of the under parts paler, but still tinged with rufous. The female, at this season, resembles the male, but is more rufous, with the colours not so well-defined : the black streak through the eye indistinct ; the white one above it dull and inclining to rufous. (Young of the year.) General plumage closely resembling that of the female in autumn : the band across the eyes very indistinct. (Egg.) Uniform delicate pale grey blue : long. diam. ten lines and a half; trans, diam. seven lines and a half. A migratory species, making its first appearance about the end of March, and remaining till September. Common on open downs, and in uninclosed districts. Builds on the ground, under stones, or in old rabbit-burrows. Nest composed of moss and grass, and lined with wool or hair. Obs. Previously to quitting this country, it assumes the autumnal plumage, in which state it does not appear to have been noticed by Ornithologists. 71. S. Rubetra, Bechst. (Whin-Chat.) — Upper plumage dusky brown, edged with reddish yellow : streak above the eyes, a spot on the wings, and base of the tail, white. S. Rubetra, Temm. Man. d'Orn. torn. i. p. 244. Whin-Chat, Mont. Orn. Diet. Selb. Illust. vol. i. p. 183. pi. 48. f. 2. Bew. Brit. Birds, vol. i. p. 266. DIMENS. Entire length five inches : length of the bill (from the fore- head) five lines, (from the gape) eight lines ; of the tarsus ten lines ; of the tail two inches; from the carpus to the end of the wing two inches ten lines and a half; breadth, wings extended, eight inches eleven lines. DESCRIPT. (Male.) Crown of the head, nape, back, and scapulars, dusky brown, the feathers broadly edged with reddish yellow : from the base of the upper mandible a white streak, passing above the eye, and extending considerably beyond it : cheeks and ear-coverts blackish brown : throat and breast pale yellowish red, edged laterally with white ; rest of the under parts white, with a faint tinge of yellow: wings brown, with a large oblong white patch near the shoulder, and another smaller one of the same colour on the greater coverts of the primaries : rump and upper tail-coverts yellowish brown streaked with dusky : tail short ; the basal half white, the remainder dusky brown ; the two middle feathers entirely dusky : bill and feet black. (Female.) The rufous edging of the upper plumage broader and more conspicuous : less white on the wing : all the under parts yellowish white, inclining to rust-red on the breast : upper tail-coverts rust-red. (Egg.) Uniform bluish green, with specks (some very minute) of dull reddish brown : long. diam. nine lines ; trans, diam. six lines and a half. Migratory like the last species: seldom appears before the middle of April. Haunts moors and commons. Nest placed on the ground, artfully concealed, constructed almost wholly of dried grasses and stalks, the coarser parts being on the outside, and the finer blades forming a lining within. Eggs five or six in number; hatched towards the end of Mav. PARUS.] AVES INSESSORES. 121 72. S. Rubicola, Bechst. (Stone-Chat.) — Head and throat black ; back black, the feathers with reddish edges : sides of the neck, a spot on the wings, and rump, white. S. Rubicola, Temm. Man. d'Orn. torn. i. p. 246. Stone-Chat, Mont. Orn. Diet. Selb. Illust. vol. i. p. 185. pi. 48. f . 3 & 4. Bew. Brit. Birds, vol. i. p. 268. DIMENS. Entire length five inches one line : length of the bill (from the forehead) five lines, (from the gape) eight lines ; of the tarsus ten lines ; of the tail two inches ; from the carpus to the end of the wing two inches six lines : breadth, wings extended, eight inches five lines. DESCRIPT. (Male in Summer.) Head and throat black; on each side of the neck a large white spot ; back and nape black, some of the fea- thers on these parts faintly edged with reddish ; quills dusky with pale edges ; a large white spot on the greater coverts next the body : breast rust-red ; the rest of the under parts white, tinged with yellow : rump white : tail black : bill and feet black. In the winter plumage, the black on the head and throat is mixed with cinereous brown. (Female.) Head and upper parts dusky brown ; the feathers edged with yellowish red : quills and tail deep brown, with paler edges : throat dusky, with whitish and reddish spots : the white on the sides of the neck and on the wings not so conspicuous as in the male; the red on the breast paler. (Young of the year before the first moult.) Crown of the head dusky brown, with fine yellowish white streaks on the shafts of the feathers ; rest of the upper parts as in the adult female, but with a few whitish spots on the nape and top of the back : wing-coverts and scapulars broadly edged with reddish yellow; upper tail-coverts pale rust-colour: throat whitish, speckled with dusky brown. (Egg.) Pale gray blue ; the larger end speckled with dull reddish brown : long. diam. eight lines and a half; trans, diam. seven lines. Found in the same places with the preceding species, but remains throughout the year. Habits similar. Nest on the ground ; composed of moss and dry bents, and lined with hair or feathers. Eggs five or six ; hatched early in the season. GEN. 24. PARUS, Linn. (1. PARUS, Leach.) 73. P. major, Linn. (Great Titmouse.) — Head, throat, lower part of the neck, and mesial line of the abdomen, black; cheeks, and a spot on the nape, white. P. major, Temm. Man. d"0rn. torn. i. p. 287. Great Titmouse, Mont. Orn. Diet. Selb. Illust. vol. i. p. 233. pi. 51. f. 1. Bew. Brit. Birds, vol. i. p. 272. DIMENS. Entire length five inches eleven lines : length of the bill (from the forehead) five lines and a half, (from the gape) seven lines ; of the tarsus nine lines and a half; of the tail two inches nine lines ; from the carpus to the end of the wing three inches one line; breadth, wings extended, nine inches three lines. DESCRIPT. Head, throat, fore part of the neck, and a longitudinal streak down the middle of the abdomen, black : cheeks and ear-coverts, and a spot on the nape, white: back olive-green: rump bluish ash: 122 AVES INSESSORES. [PARUS. breast and belly, on each side of the black line, yellow : quills dusky ; wing-coverts bluish ash, the larger tipped with white : tail dusky ash ; the outer feather with the exterior web white; the next tipped with white: under tail-coverts white: bill black: legs lead-colour. In the female, the colours are not so vivid, and the abdominal black streak does not extend so low down. (Egg.) White, spotted and speckled with pale red : long. diam. nine lines and a half; trans, diam. seven lines. Common in woods and gardens throughout the country. Has a great variety of notes, which are heard very early in the year. Feeds prin- cipally on insects, but will also devour grain, as well as flesh. Breeds in the hollows of decayed trees, or in old walls. Nest constructed chiefly of moss, and lined with feathers. Eggs very numerous. 74. P. cceruleus, Linn. (Blue Titmouse.) — Crown blue, encircled with white : cheeks white, bordered with black, and dark blue. P. cseruleus, Temm. Man. d'Orn. torn. i. p. 289. Blue Titmouse, Mont. Orn. Diet. Selb. Illust. vol. i. p. 235. pi. 51. f. 2. Bew. Brit. Birds, vol. i. p. 276. DIMENS. Entire length four inches four lines : length of the bill four lines; of the tarsus eight lines; of the tail one inch eleven lines; from the carpus to the end of the wing two inches four lines ; breadth, wings extended, seven inches eight lines. DESCRIPT. Forehead white, the white extending backwards in the form of a narrow band above the eyes, and reaching to the occiput ; crown of the head bright blue : cheeks white, bounded above by a narrow black line commencing at the bill and passing through the eyes, beneath by another line of dark blue extending from the chin to the hinder part of the neck where it becomes broader : back yellowish green : throat, and longitudinal streak on the middle of the abdomen, deep blue ; breast and sides bright yellow : wings and tail blue ; secondaries and greater coverts tipped with white : bill and legs bluish gray. In the female, the blue colours are more obscure, and the abdominal streak not so well denned. (Egg.) White, spotted with pale red: long. diam. seven lines and a half; trans, diam. six lines. Equally common with the last species. Habits and food similar. Nest placed in the holes of trees ; formed of moss, and lined with hair and feathers. 75. P. cristatus, Linn. (Crested Titmouse.) — Crown- feathers elongated, forming a crest, black, edged with white : cheeks and sides of the neck dull white : throat, a streak on the temples, and collar, black. P. cristatus, Temm. Man. d'Orn. torn. i. p. 290. Crested Titmouse, Mont. Orn. Diet. Selb. Illust. vol. i. p. 243. pi. 43. f. 5. Bew. Brit. Birds, vol. i. p. 274. DIMENS. Entire length four inches eight lines: length of the bill (from the forehead) three lines and a half, (from the gape) five lines ; of the tarsus nine lines ; of the tail one inch eight lines ; from the carpus to the end of the wing two inches six lines. PARUS.] AVES INSESSORES. 123 DE SCRIPT. Feathers on the crown and forehead long and pointed, and capable of erection; of a black colour, edged with white: cheeks and sides of the neck dull white, speckled with black; beneath the eye, and across the ear-coverts, a black streak; throat, upper part of the neck, and a narrow line bounding the white on the sides, deep black : back, and other upper parts, greenish brown : breast and belly white, tinged with buff: bill black : feet bluish gray. The female has less black on the throat, and the crown-feathers not so much elongated. (Egg.) White, with a few spots and specks of pale red: long. diam. seven lines; trans, diam. six lines. Confined to Scotland; but stated to be not uncommon amongst the large tracts of pines in the northern parts of that country, particularly in the forest of Glenmoor. Is said to be of solitary habits, and to build in the holes of trees. 76. P. palustris, Linn. (Marsh Titmouse.) — Crown, throat, and nape, deep black : cheeks yellowish white. P. palustris, Temm. Man. d'Orn. torn. i. p. 291. Marsh Titmouse, Mont. Orn. Diet. Selb. Illust. vol. i. p. 237. pi. 51. f. 4. Bew. Brit. Birds, vol. i. p. 282. DIMENS. Entire length four inches six lines ; length of the bill (from the forehead) four lines, (from the gape) four lines and a half; of the tarsus eight lines ; of the tail two inches two lines ; from the carpus to the end of the wing two inches four lines and a half: breadth, wings extended, seven inches ten lines. DESCRIPT. Crown of the head, nape, and throat, deep black; cheeks yellowish white : upper parts of the body gray tinged with brown : wings and tail bluish gray, the edges of the feathers somewhat paler : breast and belly white, faintly tinged with grayish brown : bill black, stronger and more conical than in the next species: feet bluish gray. (Egg.) White, with a few dark red spots : long. diam. seven lines and a half; trans, diam. six lines. Not an uncommon species in woods and thickets. Has a loud shrill note, repeated quickly several times in succession, heard very early in the year. Food insects and seeds, occasionally flesh. Builds in the holes of decayed trees : nest composed of moss and the seed-down of the willow, and lined with the last mentioned material. Eggs from six to eight in number. 77- P- ater, Linn. (Cole Titmouse.) — Head, throat, and fore part of the neck, black ; cheeks, and a spot on the nape, white: two transverse white bars on the wings. P. ater, Temm. Man. a" Orn. torn. i. p. 288. Cole Titmouse, Mont. Orn. Diet. Selb. Illust. vol. i. p. 239. pi. 51. f. 3. Bew. Brit. Birds, vol. i. p. 278. DIMENS. Entire length four inches three lines : length of the bill (from the forehead) three lines and a half, (from the gape) four lines and a half; of the tarsus seven lines and three quarters; of the tail one inch seven lines and a half; from the carpus to the end of the wing two inches three lines. DESCRIPT. Crown of the head, and nape of the neck, black; the latter with a central white spot : cheeks and sides of the neck white : 124 AVES INSESSORES. [PARUS. throat and fore part of the neck black : upper parts of the body cine- reous, inclining to yellowish on the rump : greater and lesser coverts tipped with white, forming two transverse bars across the wings when closed: belly and abdomen grayish white: tail relatively shorter than in the last species, and slightly forked. The female has less white on the sides of the neck, and less black on the throat. (Egg.) White, with numerous pale red spots: long. diam. seven lines and a half; trans, diam. six lines. Not so abundant as the last species. Confined to woods and exten- sive plantations. Feeds principally on insects. Builds in holes. Nest constructed of moss and wool, and lined with hair. (2. MECISTURA, Leach.) 78. P. caudatus, Linn. (Long-tailed Titmouse.) — Forehead, crown, cheeks, and throat, white : a broad streak across the eye, nape, and back, black ; scapulars reddish. P. caudatus, Temm. Man. d'Orn. torn. i. p. 296. Long-tailed Tit- mouse, Mont. Om. Diet. Selb. Illust. vol. i. p. 241. pi. 51. f. 5. Bew. Brit. Birds, vol. i. p. 279. DIMENS. Entire length five inches nine lines : length of the bill (from the forehead) two lines and a half, (from the gape) three lines and a half ; of the tarsus eight lines ; of the tail three inches six lines ; from the carpus to the end of the wing two inches four lines : breadth, wings extended, six inches eight lines. DESCRIPT. Forehead, crown, cheeks and throat, pure white ; over each eye a broad black streak, which extends backward to the nape, where it unites with its fellow to form a broader band of the same colour down the middle of the back : sides of the back, and scapulars, rose-red : quills black ; greater coverts dusky ash ; these last, as well as the secondary quills, edged with white : belly, sides, and abdomen, whitish, tinged with red : tail cuneated, and very long ; the six middle feathers black ; the others tipped, and obliquely edged on their outer webs, with white: bill black, very short: irides brown: feet dusky. Obs. According to Temminck, it is only the female which possesses the black streak over the eyes, but as far as my observation goes it is common to both sexes, nor did I ever see a specimen in which it was wanting. Young birds have the white parts more or less mottled with brown and dusky ; and the black on the back not so deep and well-defined. (Egg.) White, with a few pale red specks; frequently quite plain: long. diam. seven lines; trans, diam. five lines. Far from uncommon in woods and shrubberies, in most parts of the kingdom. Feeds entirely on insects. Nest placed generally in thick bushes ; of a very elegant form ; long and oval, covered at top, with a small aperture at the side ; constructed principally of moss and wool, studded externally with lichens, and lined with a profusion of soft fea- thers. Eggs ten to twelve in number. The young, when Hedged, follow the parent birds till the ensuing spring. BOMBYCILLA.] AVES INSESSORES. 125 GEN. 25. CALAMOPHILUS, Leach. 79. C. biarmicus, Leach. (Bearded Titmouse.) — Crown and occiput bluish ash ; throat white ; beneath the eye a black pointed moustache. Parus biarmicus, Temm. Man. d'Orn. torn. i. p. 298. Bearded Titmouse, Mont. Orn. Diet. Selb. Illust. vol. i. p. 244. pi. 51. f. 6. Bew. Brit. Birds, vol. i. p. 283. DIMENS. Entire length six inches four lines : length of the bill (from the forehead) three lines and a half, (from the gape) five lines ; of the tarsus nine lines and a half; of the tail three inches one line; from the carpus to the end of the wing two inches three lines. DESCRIPT. (Male.) Head and occiput bluish gray: between the bill and the eye a tuft of loose pendent black feathers, forming a pointed moustache on each side of the face; throat and fore part of the neck white ; breast and belly tinged with rose-red : nape, back, and rump, light rufous orange ; scapulars paler : quills dusky, the primaries edged with white ; greater coverts deep black, edged with red on the outer webs, and with reddish white on the inner : under tail-coverts deep black : tail long and cuneated, orange-brown; the outer feathers tipped, and edged ex- ternally, with grayish white : bill orange : irides yellow : feet black. (Female.) No black moustache on the sides of the neck ; crown, and upper parts of the body, yellowish brown, spotted with dusky: under tail-coverts of the same colour with the abdomen. (Egg.) White, with a few minute specks and streaks of dark red : long. diam. eight lines and a half; trans, 'diam. six lines and a half. A local species confined to fenny districts, and extensive marshes, where there is abundance of reeds. Found near Winchelsea in Sussex, between Erith and London, and also in some parts of Gloucestershire, Lancashire, Cambridgeshire, and Norfolk. Nest placed near the ground, fixed to the stems of coarse grasses ; composed entirely of dried bents, the finer ones forming the lining. Eggs four to six in number. Said to feed on land mollusca, especially the Succinea amphibia, as well as insects. GEN. 26. BOMBYCILLA, Briss. 80. B. garrula, Bonap. (Bohemian Wax-Wing.) — Head and upper part of the body purplish red ; the feathers on the crown elongated ; throat black : secondaries and greater coverts tipped with white. Bombycivora garrula, Temm. Man. d'Orn. torn. i. p. 124. Bohemian Wax-Wing, Selb. Illust. vol. i. p. 268. pi. 34*. Bohemian Chatterer, Mont. Orn. Diet. Chatterer, Bew. Brit. Birds, vol. i. p. 98. DIMENS. Entire length seven inches eleven lines. DESCRIPT. Crown-feathers elongated, forming a pendent crest, of a pale brown purplish red colour: nostrils covered with small black feathers: throat and region of the eyes deep black : all the upper and under parts of the body purplish red, with a tinge of ash-gray, being darkest above : greater wing-coverts black, tipped with white : quills black ; some of the 126 AVES INSESSORES. [ALAUDA. primaries with a yellow, others, and all the secondaries, with a white spot at the extremity of the outer web : six or eight of the secondaries with the shafts terminating in a small, oblong, flat, cartilaginous process, of a bright red colour, and having the appearance of wax: vent and under tail-coverts reddish orange : tail black, tipped with yellow : bill and feet black: irides purplish red. In the female, there is less black on the throat, and the wax-like appendages are not so numerous : the yellow on the wings, and extremity of the tail, is also not so bright. In young birds the waxen tags do not appear at all till after the first moult ; from that time they gradually increase in number as the age of the individual advances. (Egg.) Pale blue, with a few specks of ash-gray and black : long. diam. eleven lines ; trans, diam. seven lines. A very uncommon visitant in this country; making its appearance at irregular intervals. Occasionally observed in small flocks during the winter season. Feeds on heps, and the berries of the mountain-ash. GEN. 27. ALAUDA, Linn. 81. A. alpestris, Linn. (Shore Lark.) — Upper parts reddish brown ; streak above the eye, moustache, and a broad transverse bar on the breast, black. A. alpestris, Temm. Man. cTOrn. torn. i. p. 279. Shore Lark, Wils. Amer. Orn. vol. i. p. 85. pi. 5. f. 4. Penn. Arct. Zool. vol. n. p. 84. DIMENS. Entire length six inches ten lines. TEMM. DESCRIPT. (Male.) Forehead, throat, and sides of the head behind the eyes, pale yellow ; a streak above the eye, continued over the fore- head and bounding the yellow on that part, a moustache from the cor- ners of the bill across the cheeks, and a broad transverse bar on the upper part of the breast, deep black : upper parts of the body, wing-coverts, and sides of the breast, reddish brown : quills dusky, edged internally with white: tail with the two middle feathers brown; the rest black; the outer one edged externally with white : lower part of the breast and flanks pale red : belly and abdomen white : bill and feet black. (Female.) Forehead yellowish ; crown of the head varied with black and brown ; the black parts with fine yellowish streaks : the transverse bar on the breast smaller than in the other sex ; the black feathers in the tail tipped with whitish. (Egg.) White, spotted with black. A single specimen of this Lark, the only one that has hitherto occurred in this country, was killed on the beach near Sherringham in Norfolk, in March 1830. The species inhabits the northern parts of Europe, Asia, and America. Said to frequent extensive plains, and to feed on insects and seeds. Nest placed on the ground : eggs four or five in number. (5.) A. rubra, Gmel. Syst. vol. n. p. 794. Red Lark, Lewin, Brit. Birds, vol. in. pi. 93. Mont. Orn. Diet, and Supp. App. An obscure species, if indeed it be a species, of which very little is known. Montagu says, "Taken in the Winter of 1812, near Woolwich, in a net with other larks." The specimen, however, is not in his collection in the British Museum, nor does one exist in any other with which I am acquainted. ALAUDA.] AVES INSESSORES. 127 82. A. arvensis, Linn. (Sky-Lark.) — Upper parts reddish brown ; neck and breast reddish white with dusky spots. A. arvensis, Temm. Man. d'Orn. torn. i. p. 281. Sky-Lark, Mont. Orn. Diet. Selb. Illust. vol. i. p. 273. pi. 50. f. 1. Bew. Brit. Birds, vol. i. p. 213. DIMENS. Entire length seven inches three lines : length of the bill (from the forehead) five lines and a half, (from the gape) eight lines ; of the tarsus eleven lines and a half; of the hind toe, claw included, one inch one line and a half ; of the tail two inches eight lines ; from the carpus to the end of the wing four inches four lines : breadth, wings extended, thirteen inches six lines. DE SCRIPT. All the upper parts reddish brown, with a dusky spot in the middle of each feather ; these colours palest on the nape, darkest on the head and upper part of the back : a whitish streak above the eyes ; cheeks pale yellowish brown : throat yellowish white ; fore part of the neck, and breast, tinged with reddish yellow, and spotted with blackish brown ; sides with dark streaks of this last colour ; middle of the abdomen white : quills edged externally with reddish ; the secondaries notched at their extremities : outer tail-feathers with the tip and exterior web white ; the two next simply edged with white : bill dusky ; the base of the lower mandible yellowish : feet yellowish : hind claw nearly straight, longer than the toe. (Egg.) Greenish white ground, spotted all over with darker green and ash-brown : long. diam. eleven lines ; trans, diam. eight lines and a half. An abundant, and widely dispersed species. Frequents open country, more especially arable and cultivated lands. Sings in its ascent, and also whilst suspended at a height in the air. Commences its song, in the middle of Summer, as early as two A. M. Breeds in May. Nest placed on the ground; composed of stalks and dry grasses, and lined with the finer blades. Eggs four or five in number. Occasionally two broods in the season. Congregates in large flocks during the Winter. 83. A. arborea, Linn. (Wood- Lark.) — Upper parts reddish brown : neck and breast yellowish white, with dusky spots : a distinct yellowish white band above the eyes, reaching from the bill to the occiput. A. arborea, Temm. Man. d'Orn. torn. i. p. 282. Wood-Lark, Mont. Orn. Did. Selb. Illust. vol. i. p. 276. pi. 5.0. f. 2. Bew. Brit. Birds, vol. i. p. 222. DIMENS. Entire length six inches five lines : breadth, wings extended, twelve inches six lines. DESCRIPT. Distinguished from the last species, by its somewhat smaller size, shorter tail, and very distinct yellowish white streak pass- ing from the bill above the eyes and reaching nearly to the occiput. Upper plumage light reddish brown, with dusky spots : crown-feathers long, and capable of erection : ear-coverts pale brown ; cheeks yellowish white : neck and breast yellowish white, with longitudinal dusky spots ; belly dirty white : quills dusky, slightly edged with brown ; wing-coverts tipped with white : the two middle tail-feathers brown ; the next two 128 AVES INSESSORES. [EMBERIZA. dusky ; the others black, with white tips ; the outermost of all white on the exterior web : bill brownish black ; the base of the lower mandible yellowish white : feet liesh-colour, tinged with yellowish