Chapter XXIX: Part 29

One afternoon, about sunset, the vehicle halted at my lodgings, and the conductor intimated that he was anxious to proceed as quickly as possible. A trunk, a couple of guns, and such other articles as are found necessary by persons whose pursuits are similar to mine, were immediately thrust into the wagon, and were followed by their owner. The conductor whistled to his steeds and off we went at a round pace over the loose and deep sand that in almost every part of this State forms the basis of the roads. After a while we overtook a whole caravan of similar vehicles moving in the same direction, and when we got near them our horses slackened their pace to a regular walk, the driver leaped from his seat, I followed his example, and we presently found ourselves in the midst of a group of merry wagoners, relating their adventures of the week, it being now Saturday night. One gave intimation of the number of “Sheep-heads” he had taken to town, another spoke of the Curlews which yet remained on the sands, and a third boasted of having gathered so many dozens of Marsh Hen’s eggs. I inquired if the Fish Hawks were plentiful near Great Egg Harbour, and was answered by an elderly man, who with a laugh asked if I had ever seen the “Weak fish” along the coast without the bird in question. Not knowing the animal he had named, I confessed my ignorance, when the whole party burst into a loud laugh, in which, there being nothing better for it, I joined.

About midnight the caravan reached a half-way house, where we rested a while. Several roads diverged from this spot, and the wagons separated, one only keeping us company. The night was dark and gloomy, but the sand of the road indicated our course very distinctly. Suddenly the gallopping of horses struck my ear, and on looking back we perceived that our wagon must in an instant be in imminent danger. The driver leaped off, and drew his steeds aside, barely in time to allow the runaways to pass without injuring us. Off they went at full speed, and not long after their owner came up panting, and informed us that they had suddenly taken fright at some noise proceeding from the woods, but hoped they would soon stop. Immediately after we heard a crash; then for a few moments all was silent; but the neighing of the horses presently assured us that they had broken loose. On reaching the spot, we found the wagon upset, and a few yards farther on were the horses quietly browsing by the road side.

The first dawn of morn in the Jerseys in the month of June, is worthy of a better description than I can furnish, and therefore I shall only say that the moment the sunbeams blazed over the horizon, the loud and mellow notes of the Meadow Lark saluted our ears. On each side of the road were open woods, on the tallest trees of which I observed at intervals the nest of a Fish Hawk, far above which the white-breasted bird slowly winged its way, as it commenced its early journey to the sea, the odour of which filled me with delight. In half an hour more, we were in the centre of Great Egg Harbour.

There I had the good fortune to be received into the house of a thorough bred fisherman-gunner, who besides owning a comfortable cot only a few hundred yards from the shore, had an excellent woman for a wife, and a little daughter as playful as a kitten, though as wild as a sea-gull. In less than half an hour, I was quite at home, and the rest of the day was spent in devotion.

Oysters, though reckoned out of season at this period, are as good as ever when fresh from their beds, and my first meal was of some as large and white as any I have eaten. The sight of them placed before me on a clean table, with an honest and industrious family in my company, never failed to afford more pleasure than the most sumptuous fare under different circumstances; and our conversation being simple and harmless, gaiety shone in every face. As we became better acquainted, I had to answer several questions relative to the object of my visit. The goodman rubbed his hands with joy as I spoke of shooting and fishing, and of long excursions through the swamps and marshes around.

My host was then, and I hope still is, a tall strong-boned muscular man, of dark complexion, with eyes as keen as those of the Sea-eagle. He was a tough walker, laughed at difficulties, and could pull an oar with any man. As to shooting, I have often doubted whether he or Mr EGAN, the worthy pilot of Indian Isle, was best; and rarely indeed have I seen either of them miss a shot.

At day-break on Monday, I shouldered my double-barrelled gun, and my host carried with him a long fowling-piece, a pair of oars, and a pair of oyster-tongs, while the wife and daughter brought along a seine. The boat was good, the breeze gentle, and along the inlets we sailed for parts well known to my companions. To such naturalists as are qualified to observe many different objects at the same time, Great Egg Harbour would probably afford as ample a field as any part of our coast, excepting the Florida Keys. Birds of many kinds are abundant, as are fishes and testaceous animals. The forests shelter many beautiful plants, and even on the dryest sand-bar you may see insects of the most brilliant tints. Our principal object, however, was to procure certain birds known there by the name of Lawyers, and to accomplish this we entered and followed for several miles a winding inlet or bayou, which led us to the interior of a vast marsh, where after some search we found the birds and their nests. Our seine had been placed across the channel, and when we returned to it the tide had run out and left in it a number of fine fishes, some of which we cooked and ate on the spot. One, which I considered as a curiosity, was saved and transmitted to Baron CUVIER. Our repast ended, the seine was spread out to dry, and we again betook ourselves to the marshes, to pursue our researches until the return of the tide. Having collected enough to satisfy us, we took up our oars, and returned to the shore in front of the fisherman’s house, where we dragged the seine several times with success.

In this manner I passed several weeks along those delightful and healthy shores, one day going to the woods to search the swamps in which the Herons bred, passing another amid the joyous cries of the Marsh Hens, and on a third carrying slaughter among the White-breasted Sea Gulls, by way of amusement sometimes hauling the fish called the Sheep-head from an eddy along the shore, or watching the gay Terns as they danced in the air, or plunged into the waters to seize the tiny fry. Many a drawing I made at Great Egg Harbour, many a pleasant day I spent along its shores; and much pleasure would it give me once more to visit the good and happy family in whose house I resided there.

THE BARNACLE GOOSE.

_ANSER LEUCOPSIS_, BECHST.

PLATE CCXCVI. MALE AND FEMALE.

Several old gunners on the coast of Massachusetts and Maine, who were Englishmen by birth, assured me that they had killed Barnacles there, and that these birds brought a higher price in the markets than the Common Brent Geese. The Prince of Musignano states in his Synopsis that they are very rare and accidental in the United States, and Mr NUTTALL says that they are “mere stragglers” there. For my part, I acknowledge that I never met with one of them, either along the coast or in the interior, although I have seen beautiful mounted specimens in various parts. Being neither anxious to add to our Fauna, nor willing unnecessarily to detract from it, I have figured a pair of these birds, with the hope that ere long, the assertions of the gunners, and those of the authors above mentioned, may be abundantly verified by the slaughter of many geese. In the mean time I must further confess my ignorance of the habits of the Barnacle.

Mr SELBY thus speaks of it in the second volume of his Illustrations:—“The Bernicle is amongst the number of our winter visitants, annually resorting in vast numbers, upon the approach of autumn, to the western shores of Britain, and to the north of Ireland. Upon the Lancashire coast, the Solway Frith, &c. it is very abundant; frequenting the marshy grounds that are occasionally covered by the spring-tides, and such sands as produce the sea-grasses and plants upon which it feeds. Upon the eastern and southern shores of Britain it is of rare occurrence, its place being supplied by its nearly allied congener, the Brent Goose (_Anser Brenta_); which again is as rarely seen upon the opposite coast of the island. Like the rest of the genus, the Bernicle is a very wary bird, and can only be approached by the most cautious manœuvres. It is sometimes shot by moonlight, when it comes on the sands to feed, by persons couched on the ground, or from behind any occasional shelter in such places as the flocks are known to frequent. Its flesh is sweet and tender, and highly esteemed for the table. Upon the approach of spring it leaves our shores for more northern countries, and by the middle of March the whole have retired.” It is known to breed in Iceland, Spitzbergen, Greenland, &c. as well as in Lapland, the northern parts of Russia, and northern Asia. It also inhabits Hudson’s Bay and other polar districts of the American continent. During its equatorial or winter migration, it is abundant in Holland, France, and parts of Germany.

The eggs, which I describe from specimens deposited in the rich museum of the University of Edinburgh, measure two inches and seven-eighths by one inch and seven-eighths, and are of a uniform yellowish-cream colour.

I have represented an adult male in spring, and a female of the preceding year.

ANAS ERYTHROPUS, _Linn._ Syst. Nat. vol. i. p. 197.—_Lath._
Ind. Ornith. vol. ii. p. 843.

ANSER LEUCOPSIS, _Ch. Bonaparte_, Synopsis of Birds of the
United States, p. 377.

BARNACLE GOOSE, _Nuttall_, Manual, vol. ii. p. 355.

Adult Male in Spring. Plate CCXCVI. Fig. 1.

Bill much shorter than the head, higher than broad at the base, somewhat conical, slightly depressed towards the end, narrowed and rounded at the tip. Upper mandible with the dorsal line sloping, the ridge broad and flattened, the sides sloping, the edges soft and obtuse, the oblique marginal lamellæ short, transverse, about thirty on each side, besides minute anterior ones; the unguis roundish, convex, striato-denticulate on the inner edge. Nasal groove elliptical, commencing at the base and extending to the middle of the bill, parallel to the ridge, filled by the soft membrane of the bill; nostrils lateral, submedial, longitudinal, narrow-elliptical, open, pervious. Lower mandible straight, with the angle very long, rather wide, and rounded, the sides sloping rapidly upwards, the edges soft and obtuse, with about thirty-eight distinct lamellæ on an inflected plane.

Head small, oblong, compressed. Neck rather long and slender. Body full, slightly depressed. Feet short, stout, placed a little behind the centre of the body; legs bare a little above the tibio-tarsal joint. Tarsus short, a little compressed, covered all round with angular reticulated scales, which are smaller behind. Hind toe extremely small, with a very narrow membrane; third toe longest, fourth a little shorter, but longer than second all the toes reticulated above at the base, but with narrow transverse scutella towards the end; the three anterior connected by a reticulated membrane, the outer with a thick margin, the inner with the margin extended into a two-lobed web. Claws small, arched, rather compressed, except that of the middle toe, which is bent obliquely outwards, depressed, with a curved edge. Wings of moderate length, with an obtuse protuberance at the flexure.

Plumage close, rather short, compact above, blended on the head, neck, and lower parts of the body. The feathers of the head and neck very narrow, of the back very broad and abrupt, of the breast and belly broadly rounded. Wings when closed extending about an inch and a quarter beyond the tail, acute; primaries very strong, curved, the second longest; secondaries long, broad, rounded. Tail very short, rounded, of sixteen stiff rounded and acuminate feathers.

Bill, feet, and claws black. Iris dark hazel. Anterior part of the head, including a broad space above the eye, the sides of the head, and the throat, white; the feathers margining the bill, and a line from the bill to the eye, curving below the lower eyelid, and running along the upper, brownish-black. Neck all round glossy black, of which colour are the anterior or dorsal feathers, the scapulars, and the wing-coverts, towards their extremities, while their bases are ash-grey, and their terminal margins white. The shorter feathers on the middle of the back are similar; those on the rump and the tail-feathers deep black. The quills are greyish-black, darker towards the tips, the outer webs more or less tinged with ash-grey. The breast, sides, and abdomen greyish-white, the upper feathers of the sides with more grey; the upper and lower tail-coverts, and the sides of the rump, pure white.

Length 27 inches, extent of wings 4 feet 8 inches; bill along the ridge 1-1/2, in depth at the base 10/12, in breadth 9/12; tarsus 2-10/12, middle toe and claw 2-10/12; wing from flexure 17; tail 6; the feet extend beyond the tail 3-1/2 inches. Weight 4 lb. 1 oz.

Adult Female. Plate CCXCVI. Fig. 2.

The Female, which is much smaller, has the same colours, the black parts being tinged with brown, and the tints generally duller.

Length 23-1/2 inches, extent of wings 4 feet 4 inches; the feet extend beyond the tail 2-1/2 inches. Weight 2 lb. 9 oz.

THE HARLEQUIN DUCK.

_FULIGULA HISTRIONICA_, BONAP.

PLATE CCXCVII. MALE AND FEMALE.

I have the pleasure of presenting you with three figures of the Harlequin Duck, one a male in all the perfection of its spring plumage, the bird having attained complete maturity, another male two years old, and an adult female shot in the pairing season. No figures of the adult male or of the female have, I believe, hitherto been published.

To the south of the Bay of Boston the “Lord and Lady Duck” is rarely seen on our coast; but from that neighbourhood it becomes more plentiful as you proceed eastward; and, on reaching Maine and the entrance of the Bay of Fundy, you may see it at any period of the year among the rocky islands there. It breeds on the Seal, White Head, and Grand Manan Islands, and along the coast of Nova Scotia, Cape Breton, Newfoundland, and Labrador. Many, however, proceed much farther north, for specimens were obtained by Captain JAMES CLARK ROSS in the highest latitudes visited by him. It is extremely attached to certain localities, from which it rarely wanders unless greatly molested, and it thus remains about the islands, or the parts of the coast on which it breeds, unless it be forced off by very severe weather in winter. Few persons shoot it for its flesh; not that it is inferior as food to other deep-diving ducks, but because it is comparatively small, and difficult to be obtained. Not only is it at all seasons remarkably shy and vigilant, but even if approached when on rocks, it plunges into the water the moment its keen eye catches a glance of you, dives with all the agility of the Black Guillemot, and seldom rises within shot. If you shoot at it when passing on wing, even should it be beyond reach, it plunges into the water the moment it perceives the flash,—a habit which is also occasionally observed in the Black Guillemot. It being usually found in flocks of one or two families, or of from twelve to fifteen individuals, some one always acts as a watchful sentinel, whose single note of alarm is sufficient to induce the whole to move off without hesitation. Notwithstanding all this vigilance, however, my party procured a good number of them at different times, by lying in wait for them under cover of some rocks, in the neighbourhood of which they were known to alight at certain hours of the day, to bask in the sun and dress their plumage. On these occasions a shot seldom failed to kill several, for they fly compactly and alight close together.

On the 31st of May 1833, I found them breeding on White Head Island, and other much smaller places of a similar nature, in the same part of the Bay of Fundy. There they place their nests under the bushes or amid the grass, at the distance of twenty or thirty yards from the water. Farther north, in Newfoundland and Labrador, for example, they remove from the sea, and betake themselves to small lakes a mile or so in the interior, on the margins of which they form their nests beneath the bushes next to the water.

The nest is composed of dry plants of various kinds, arranged in a circular manner to the height of two or three inches, and lined with finer grasses. The eggs are five or six, rarely more, measure two inches and one-sixteenth by one inch and four-and-a-half eighths, and are of a plain greenish-yellow colour. These measurements differ a little from those of an egg sent to me by my friend Mr HEWITSON of Newcastle-upon-Tyne, and which had been found in Ireland by Mr ATKINSON. After the eggs are laid, the female plucks the down from the lower parts of her body, and places it beneath and around them, in the same manner as the Eider Duck and other species of this tribe. The male leaves her to perform the arduous, but no doubt to her pleasant, task of hatching and rearing the brood, and, joining his idle companions, returns to the sea-shore, where he moults in July and August. The little ones leave the nest a few hours after they burst the shell, and follow their mother to the water, where she leads them about with the greatest care and anxiety. When about a week old she walks with them to the sea, where they continue, in the same manner as the Eiders. When discovered in one of these small inland lakes, the mother emits a lisping note of admonition, on which she and the young dive at once, and the latter make for the shores, where they conceal themselves, while the former rises at a good distance, and immediately taking to wing, leaves the place for a while. On searching along the shores for the young, we observed that, on being approached, they ran to the water and dived towards the opposite side, continuing their endeavours thus to escape, until so fatigued that we caught four out of six, When at sea, they are as difficult to be caught as the young Eiders.

The flight of the Harlequin Duck is rapid and generally straight. At sea it flies at a small height, but when flying over the land, or even when approaching it, should there be any suspicion of danger, it rises to a considerable height. Its food consists of shrimps, small fishes, roe, aquatic insects, and mollusca, which it procures by diving. The flesh is dark, and generally tastes of fish, but that of the female is good during the period of her sojourn on the fresh-water ponds.

The male takes three years to acquire his full plumage, although many individuals breed in the second year. The female is perfect in the second spring. Dr RICHARDSON, in the Fauna Boreali-Americana, describes a male killed on the eastern declivity of the Rocky Mountains, whence it appears that at times it goes far inland; and it is very probable that its habits differ greatly in different localities.

ANAS HISTRIONICA, _Linn._ Syst. Nat. vol. i. p. 204.—_Lath._
Ind. Ornith. vol. ii. p. 849.

HARLEQUIN DUCK, ANAS HISTRIONICA, _Wils._ Amer. Ornith.
vol. viii. p. 139. pi. 72, fig. 4.

FULIGULA HISTRIONICA, _Ch. Bonaparte_, Synops. of Birds of
the United States, p. 394.

CLANGULA HISTRIONICA, HARLEQUIN DUCK, _Swains. and Richards._
Fauna Bor. Amer. part ii. p. 459.

HARLEQUIN DUCK, _Nuttall_, Manual, vol. ii. p. 448.

Adult Male in summer. Plate CCXCVII. Fig. 1.

Bill much shorter than the head, comparatively narrow, deeper than broad at the base, slightly depressed towards the end, which is rounded. Upper mandible with the dorsal line straight and sloping to the middle, then nearly straight, towards the tip decurved, the ridge broad and flat at the base, convex towards the end, the sides convex, the edges soft, with about thirty-five oblique internal lamellæ, the unguis large and elliptical. Nostrils subbasal, elliptical, very large, pervious, nearer the ridge than the edge. Lower mandible flat, with the angle long, rather narrow, rounded, the dorsal line slightly convex, the edges with about forty lamellæ, the unguis elliptical.

Head rather large, compressed. Eyes of moderate size. Neck of ordinary length, thick. Body large, depressed. Wings rather small. Feet very short, placed rather far behind; tarsus very short, compressed, having anteriorly in its whole length a series of small scutella, and above the outer toe a few broad scales, the rest covered with reticular angular scales. Hind toe very small, with a free membrane beneath; anterior toes longer than the tarsus, connected by reticulated membranes, having a sinus on their free margins, the inner with a narrow lobed marginal membrane, the outer with a thickened edge, the third and fourth about equal and longest, all covered above with narrow scutella. Claws small, arched, obtuse, that of first toe very small, of third largest, and with an inner thin edge.

Plumage dense, soft, blended. Feathers on the fore part of the head very small and rounded, on the upper part of the head slightly elongated, on the neck narrow, on the other parts broad and rounded. Wings rather short, narrow, pointed; primary quills curved, strong, tapering, and pointed, the first and second about equal, and longest, the rest rapidly graduated; secondary short, broad and rounded. Tail very short, cuneate, of sixteen strong tapering feathers.

Bill light yellowish-olive, the tips of the unguis lighter. Iris reddish-brown. Feet light blue, the webs greyish-black, the claws whitish. A broad band from the base of the bill to the occiput bluish-black, margined behind with light yellowish-red, before with white, that colour forming a broad triangular spot on the cheek anterior to the eye. Sides of the head, and neck all round, purplish-blue; a spot of white behind the ear, a curved line on the side of the neck, a complete ring of white below the middle of the neck, with a curved band of the same colour anterior to the wing. All these white markings broadly edged with deep black. The fore part of the back light purplish-blue, the hind part gradually deepening in tint, so as to become almost black, of which colour is the rump all round. Scapulars chiefly white; wing-coverts purplish-blue, as are the alula and primary coverts, the quills dark greyish-brown, the tail greyish-black, a small white spot near the flexure of the wing; a band of white across the wing, formed by the tips of the secondaries, of which the inner have their outer webs principally of the same colour. Fore part of the breast purplish-blue, hind part and abdomen greyish-brown, sides light red; a lateral spot of white near the root of the tail.

Length to end of tail 17-1/4 inches, to end of wings 14-1/2, to end of claws 16-1/2; extent of wings 26-1/2; wing from flexure 7-3/4; tail 3-1/2; bill along the back 1-1/12 along the edge of lower mandible 1-1/2; tarsus 1-4/12; middle toe 2, its claw 4/12. Weight 1-1/2 lb.

Male in the second year.

The young male, after the first moult, is greyish-brown on the back and wings, light brownish-grey beneath. The head and neck are of a dull leaden blue, the upper part of the head darker. The white spot before the eye is mottled with grey, the line extending over the eye obscure, and the edging of the occiput faint reddish-brown. The two white marks exist on the sides of the neck, but are merely edged with darker blue; there are slight indications of the white collar, and the band before the wing is marked, but much smaller than in the adult. The quills are dark brown, but the secondaries are not tipped with white, of which there are but slight indications on the scapulars. The upper tail-coverts are blackish, the tail bluish-grey, lighter at the end. The bill is dusky, the feet of a leaden tint.

Male in the third year. Plate CCXCVII. Fig. 2.

After the second moult, the male has greatly improved in colouring, although the tints are not nearly so pure as in the old bird. The hind part of the back is still brown, as are the wing-coverts; the sides are dark brownish-grey, with undulated yellowish-red bars. The white collar is not yet complete, but all the white markings on the neck are edged with black; the fore part of the breast is dull grey, the middle yellowish-grey, spotted with bluish-grey. The white bar on the wing is still wanting; the rump is glossy bluish-black, the tail nearly of the same tint.

Adult Female. Plate CCXCVII. Fig. 3.

The principal colour of the female is greyish-brown, deeper on the head and rump, lighter on the fore neck, and mottled with greyish-white on the breast. The quills are dark brown edged with lighter, the tail blackish-grey. There is a large whitish spot mottled with grey before the eye, and another of a purer white behind the ear. Bill and feet dull bluish-grey. Iris brown.

Length to end of tail 16 inches, to end of wings 13-1/2, to end of claws 15-1/2; extent of wings 24-1/4; wing from flexure 8-1/4; tail 3-1/2; bill along the back 1-10/12, along the edge of lower mandible 1-1/2; tarsus 1-1/4; middle toe 2, its claw 4/12 Weight 1-1/4 lb.

THE RED-NECKED GREBE.

_PODICEPS RUBRICOLLIS_, LATH.

PLATE CCXCVIII. MALE AND YOUNG.

I have found this species along the coast from New York to Maine, in the winter season, when old and young were generally in about equal number. At Boston I procured several specimens. On the Bay of Fundy, and among the islands at its entrance, I saw these Grebes already in their spring plumage, it being then the beginning of May. On one occasion our boat was rowed over an eddy in which a pair had dived in search of food. On emerging they were only a few yards distant; but, although several guns were fired at them, they escaped unhurt, for they instantly dived again, passed under the boat at the depth of about a yard, and did not rise until at a safe distance. None of us could conceive how they had managed to elude us, for as they were so near, the shot threw up the water in its course, and I had expected to find them completely mangled.

Although I have seen this species far up our salt-water bays, I never observed it on any of the southern fresh-water ponds or rivers. Dr RICHARDSON states, in the Fauna Boreali-Americana, that it “is very common in the fur countries, frequenting every lake with grassy borders.” M. TEMMINCK says “that they inhabit rivers, lakes, and the borders of the sea, but in greater number on fresh-waters; are tolerably common in different parts of Europe; feed on small fish, fry, amphibious reptiles, insects, and vegetables; form their nests of the same materials, and place it in the same situations as the Crested Grebe, and lay three or four eggs.” An egg lent me by my esteemed friend Mr YARRELL, measured two inches in length by one inch and a quarter in breadth, and was of a uniform pale greenish-white.

PODICEPS RUBRICOLLIS, _Lath._ Ind. Ornith. vol. ii. p.
783.—_Ch. Bonaparte_, Synopsis of Birds of the United States,
p. 417.—_Swains. and Richards._ Fauna Bor. Amer. part ii.
p. 411.

RED-NECKED GREBE, _Nuttall_, Manual, vol. ii. p. 253.

Adult Male. Plate CCXCVIII. Fig. 1.

Bill about the length of the head, straight, rather slender, compressed, acute. Upper mandible with the dorsal line straight and slightly sloping to the middle, then slightly convex, the ridge convex, the sides sloping, towards the end erect and convex, the edges acute and inflected. Nasal groove extending to the middle of the mandible; nostrils subbasal, linear-elliptical, pervious. Lower mandible with the angle long and extremely narrow, the dorsal line ascending and straight, the sides erect, slightly convex, the edges sharp, inflected, the tip narrow, very acute.

Head of moderate size, oblong, compressed. Neck long and slender. Body depressed. Feet large, placed very far behind; tibia feathered almost to the joint; tarsus short, extremely compressed, anteriorly with a narrow scutellate ridge, laterally with very broad scutella, posteriorly with a narrow ridge having a double row of small prominent scales. Hind toe very small, with an inferior small membrane; fore toes long, the outer longest, scutellate above, united at the base by short webs, externally margined with narrowish, internally with broad, lobe-shaped expansions, which are marked with parallel oblique lines, and crenate on the edges. Claws flattened, that of the middle toe broadest, with an extremely thin broad terminal edge.

Plumage of the head and neck very soft and downy, of the breast and sides silky and highly glossed, of the abdomen and rump downy, of the upper parts imbricated, but with loose edges. Wings small; primaries much curved, the first longest, the second almost equal, the inner secondaries extending beyond the first primary when the wing is closed. Tail a small tuft of loose feathers. On the head is a tuft of elongated feathers on each side behind the eye, and those of the posterior part of the cheek are also elongated.

Bill brownish-black, bright yellow at the base. Iris carmine. Tarsi and toes greenish-black externally, yellow on the inner side, the edges of the lobes dusky. Upper part of the head greyish-black, lower part ash-grey, with a white line from the base of the lower mandible to beyond the eye. Hind part of the neck, and upper parts generally, greyish-black; the feathers edged with pale brown; the edge of the wing and the outer secondaries white. The fore part and sides of the neck rich brownish-red; the breast and sides are of a silvery white, faintly marked with grey.

Length to end of rump-feathers 18-3/4 inches, to end of wings 16-1/2, to end of claws 24; extent of wings 32; wing from flexure 7-1/4; bill along the back 1-8/12, along the edge of lower mandible 2-3/8; tarsus 2; outer toe 2-1/2, its claw 1/4. Weight 23 oz.

Young after first moult. Plate CCXCVIII. Fig. 2.

Bill bright yellow, the ridge of the upper mandible dusky. Iris pale yellow. Feet as in the adult. The upper part of the head blackish-grey, the hind neck, and the upper parts generally, of the same colour, but darker towards the rump; the edge of the wing and the outer secondaries greyish-white, the latter grey towards the end. The lower parts greyish-white.

THE DUSKY PETREL.

_PUFFINUS OBSCURUS_, CUV.

PLATE CCXCIX. MALE.

On the 26th of June 1826, while becalmed on the Gulf of Mexico, off the western shores of Florida, I observed that the birds of this species, of which some had been seen daily since we left the mouth of the Mississippi, had become very numerous. The mate of the vessel killed four at one shot, and, at my request, brought them on board. From one of them I drew the figure which has been engraved. The notes made at the time are now before me, and afford me the means of presenting you with a short account of the habits of this bird.

They skim very low over the sea in search of the floating bunches of marine plants, usually called the Gulf Weed, so abundant here as sometimes to occupy a space of half an acre or more. In proceeding, they flap their wings six or seven times in succession, and then sail for three or four seconds with great ease, having their tail much spread, and their long wings extended at right angles with the body. On approaching a mass of weeds, they raise their wings obliquely, drop their legs and feet, run as it were on the water, and at length alight on the sea, where they swim with as much ease as ducks, and dive freely, at times passing several feet under the surface in pursuit of the fishes, which, on perceiving their enemy, swim off, but are frequently seized with great agility. Four or five, sometimes fifteen or twenty of these birds, will thus alight, and, during their stay about the weeds, dive, flutter, and swim, with all the gaiety of a flock of ducks newly alighted on a pond. Many gulls of different kinds hover over the spot, vociferating their anger and disappointment at not being so well qualified for supplying themselves with the same delicate fare. No sooner have all the fishes disappeared than the Petrels rise, disperse, and extend their flight in search of more, returning perhaps in a while to the same spot. I heard no sound or note from any of them, although many came within twenty yards of the ship and alighted there. Whenever an individual settled in a spot, many others flew up directly and joined it. At times, as if by way of resting themselves, they alighted, swam lightly, and dipped their bills frequently in the water, in the manner of Mergansers.

I preserved the skins of the four specimens procured. One of them I sent to the Academy of Natural Sciences of Philadelphia, by Captain JOHN R. BUTLER, of the ship Thalia, then bound from Havannah to Minorca. Two others were presented to my excellent friend Dr TRAILL, on my first becoming acquainted with him at Liverpool.

I found the wings of this species strong and muscular for its size, this structure being essentially requisite for birds that traverse such large expanses of water, and are liable to be overtaken by heavy squalls. The stomach resembles a leather purse, four inches in length, and was much distended with fishes of various kinds, partially digested or entire. The œsophagus is capable of being greatly expanded. Some of the fishes were two and a half inches in length, and one in depth. The flesh of this Petrel was fat, but tough, with a strong smell, and unfit for food; for, on tasting it, as is my practice, I found it to resemble that of the porpoises. No difference is perceptible in the sexes.

While on board the United States’ Revenue Cutter the Marion, and in the waters of the Gulf Stream opposite Cape Florida, I saw a flock of these birds, which, on our sailing among them, would scarcely swim off from our bows, they being apparently gorged with food. As we were running at the rate of about ten knots, we procured none of them. I have also seen this species off Sandy Hook.

PROCELLARIA OBSCURA, _Lath._ Ind. Ornith. vol. ii. p. 828.

PUFFINUS OBSCURUS, _Ch. Bonaparte_, Synops. of Birds of
the United States, p. 371.

DUSKY PETREL, _Lath._ Synops. vol. iv. p. 416.—_Nuttall_,
Manual, vol. ii. p. 337.

Adult Male. Plate CCXCIX.

Bill about the length of the head, straight, somewhat cylindrical, the tips curved. Nostrils tubular, separate, inclosed in a horny sheath, and dorsal, the outline straight, curved on the unguis, the sides nearly erect, convex, the edges sharp, hard, and inflected, the tip decurved, strong. Lower mandible straight, the angle very narrow and extending nearly to the tip, the dorsal line beyond it decurved, the sides convex and inclining inwards, the edges sharp and inflected.

Head of moderate size. Neck of ordinary length; body ovate. Feet stout; tibia bare a short way above the joint; tarsus of moderate length, rather stout, reticulate; hind toe a very slight knob, with a small conical claw; fore toes long, slender, connected by reticulated webs with concave margins, the outer toe slightly longer than the third. Claws small, slightly arched, compressed obtuse.

Plumage soft, full; the feathers rounded, those of the back and wings rather compact. Wings long; primaries tapering, rounded, the first longest, the rest rapidly graduated; secondaries of moderate length, rounded. Tail rather short, much rounded, of twelve feathers.

Bill light blue, the tips black, mouth light blue. Edges of eyelids light blue, iris bluish-black. Outside of tarsus and toes indigo-black, inside and webs pale yellowish-flesh-colour; claws bluish-black. The upper parts are sooty black, the lower pure white.

Length to end of tail 11 inches, to end of wings 10-1/2, to end of claws 11-1/4; extent of wings 26-1/2; bill along the back 1-4/12, along the edge of lower mandible 1-3/4; tarsus 1-1/2; outer toe 2, its claw (2-1/2)/12.

THE GOLDEN PLOVER.

_CHARADRIUS PLUVIALIS_, LINN.

PLATE CCC. ADULT IN SPRING AND IN WINTER, AND VARIETY.

The Golden Plover spends the autumn, winter, and part of the spring, in various portions of the United States, appearing in considerable numbers both along the coast and in the interior, and not unfrequently on our highest grounds. A much greater number, however, proceed in severe winters beyond the limits of our Southern States, and the partial migrations of this species are much influenced by the state of the weather. They are more abundant along the sea shores of the Middle and Eastern Districts, from the middle of April to the beginning of May, whereas in autumn they range over the interior, and more especially the western prairies. In the early part of May they congregate in immense flocks, and commence their journey toward more northern regions, where they are said to breed.

The account which WILSON gave of this species refers in part to the “Bull-headed Plover,” _Charadrius helveticus_, although his figure cannot be mistaken for that of the latter, even in its first autumnal dress. But the Editor of the second edition of WILSON’s work has rejected the Golden Plover as an American Bird, although he might have frequently seen it in the very markets of Philadelphia. The Prince of Musignano corrected this error, in his valuable “Observations on the Nomenclature of WILSON’s Ornithology.” Mr SELBY, in speaking of the Golden Plover, gives it as his opinion, that the bird so called in America, differs from that of Europe. This opinion, however, I cannot consider as correct, as I have seen and examined the Golden Plovers of both countries, and have found their manners, tone of voice, and appearance, precisely similar.

This bird moves on the ground with sprightliness. When observed, it often runs with considerable rapidity to some distance, suddenly stops short, nods once or twice, vibrating its body at the same time, and if it should imagine itself unnoticed, it often lies down and remains crouched until the danger is over. At the time of their departure from the north, and while on the sands or mud-bars on the sea shore, they often raise their wings as if to air them for a few moments. While searching for food, they move in a direct manner, often look sideways toward the ground, and pick up the object of their search by a peculiar bending movement of the body. They are frequently observed to pat the moist earth with their feet, to force worms from their burrows. In autumn they betake themselves to the higher grounds, where berries as well as insects are to be met with, and where they find abundance of grasshoppers.

When travelling to a considerable distance, the Golden Plover flies at the height of from thirty to sixty feet, in a regular manner, with considerable velocity, the flock, when large, forming an extended front, and moving with regular flappings, an individual now and then uttering a mellow note. Before alighting they often perform various evolutions, now descending and flying swiftly over the ground, then curving upwards or sidewise, closing and extending their ranks, until the sportsman is often tired of watching them, and, after all, the flock, just when he expects it to alight, may suddenly shoot off and fly to a distance. When they alight within shooting distance, the moment their feet touch the ground is the critical one, for they are generally in a compact body, and almost immediately afterwards they disperse. I have often observed them while flying from one place to another, suddenly check their course for a moment or two, as if to look at the objects below, in the manner of Curlews.

While at New Orleans, on the 16th of March 1821, I was invited by some French gunners to accompany them to the neighbourhood of Lake St John, to witness the passage of thousands of these birds, which were coming from the north-east, and continuing their course. At the first appearance of the birds early in the morning, the gunners had assembled in parties of from twenty to fifty at different places, where they knew from experience that the Plovers would pass. There stationed, at nearly equal distances from each other, they were sitting on the ground. When a flock approached, every individual whistled in imitation of the Plover’s call-note, on which the birds descended, wheeled, and passing within forty or fifty yards, ran the gauntlet as it were. Every gun went off in succession, and with such effect that I several times saw a flock of a hundred or more reduced to a miserable remnant of five or six individuals. The game was brought up after each volley by the dogs, while their masters were charging their pieces anew. This sport was continued all day, and at sunset, when I left one of these lines of gunners, they seemed as intent on killing more as they were when I arrived. A man near the place where I was seated had killed sixty-three dozens. I calculated the number in the field at two hundred, and supposing each to have shot twenty dozen, forty-eight thousand Golden Plovers would have fallen that day.

On inquiring if these passages were of frequent occurrence, I was told that six years before, such another had occurred immediately after two or three days of very warm weather, when they came up with a breeze from the north-east. Only some of the birds were fat, the greater number of those which I examined being very lean; scarcely any had food in their stomach, and the eggs in the ovaries of the females were undeveloped. The next morning the markets were amply supplied with Plovers at a very low price.

I have again applied to my friend WILLIAM MACGILLIVRAY for an account of the manners of this species during the breeding season, which I now lay before you.

“The Golden Plover is in many parts of Scotland, but especially in the Northern Highlands, and in the Hebrides, a very common bird. When the weather begins to improve towards the end of spring, these birds may be seen flying over the shores or fields in their vicinity, at a great height, in loose flocks, which now extend into a wide front, now form irregular angular lines, move with a quiet and regular flight, frequently emitting their peculiar soft notes, and at times uttering a singular cry, somewhat resembling the syllables _courlie-wee_. These flocks are leaving their winter haunts and returning to the inland moors, over which they disperse in pairs. In the beginning of May, should you traverse one of the dreary heaths, you will often hear the plaintive cry of the Plover, mingling, perhaps, with the feeble cheep of the Dunlin, or the loud scream of the Curlew. Before you have advanced to any considerable distance, there may come up and alight on some mossy knoll beside you, a male, clad in his beautiful summer vesture of black and green. You may approach him within ten paces if you are inclined, and in some districts it would be easy for one to shoot many dozens of them in a day at this season. After incubation has commenced, the females seldom make their appearance on such occasions. Whether the males assist their mates at that time or not, they certainly do not forsake them. The nest is a slight hollow in a tuft of moss, or on a dry place among the heath, irregularly strewed with fragments of withered plants. The eggs, of which the full number is four, are placed, as usual in this genus, with their small ends together. They are much larger and more pointed than those of the Lapwing, being at an average two inches and one-twelfth in length, and an inch and a-half in their greatest transverse diameter. The shell is thin and smooth, of a light greyish-yellow or cream-colour, irregularly spotted, dotted and patched with dark brown, and sometimes having a few light purple spots interspersed, the markings larger towards the broadest part. The young leave the nest immediately after they burst the shell, and conceal themselves by lying flat on the ground. At this period, the female evinces the greatest anxiety for their safety, and will occasionally feign lameness to entice the intruder to pursue her. I have several times seen one fly off to a considerable distance, alight in a conspicuous place, and tumble about as if in the agonies of death, her wings flapping as if they had been fractured or dislocated. The eggs are delicious, and the young birds when fledged not less so.

“When the young are able to fly, the Plovers collect into flocks, but remain on the moors until the commencement of winter, when they advance towards the pasture lands, and in severe weather betake themselves to the low grounds near the shores. During continued frosts, they feed on the sands and rocky shores at low water, and in general during the winter remain at no great distance from the sea.

“When a flock alights at this season on a field, the individuals disperse, run about with great activity, and pick up their food. Sometimes one finds them so tame that he can approach within fifteen yards, and I have often walked round a flock several times in order to force them together before shooting. In windy weather they often rest by lying flat on the ground, and I have reason to think that at night this is their general practice. In the Hebrides I have often gone to shoot them at night by moonlight, when they seemed as actively engaged as by day, which was also the case with the Snipes; but I seldom succeeded in my object, it being extremely difficult to estimate distances at night. The numbers that at this season frequent the sandy pastures and shores of the Outer Hebrides is astonishing.

“The Golden Plover, although occasionally addicted to wading, evidently prefers dry ground, in which respect it differs essentially in habits from the _Totani_ and _Limosæ_. It frequently probes the moist sands, and in summer the dry cow dung on the moors and upland pastures is seen perforated by its bill. It affords delicious eating, and in my opinion is scarcely inferior in this respect to the Woodcock.”

CHARADRIUS PLUVIALIS, _Linn._ Syst. Nat. vol. i. p.
254.—_Lath._ Ind. Ornith. vol. ii. p. 740.—_Ch. Bonaparte_,
Synopsis of Birds of the United States, p. 297.

GOLDEN PLOVER, CHARADRIUS PLUVIALIS, _Wils._ Amer. Ornith.
vol. vii. p. 71. pl. 59. fig. 5., Winter.—_Nuttall_, Manual,
vol. ii. p. 16.

Adult Male in Spring. Plate CCC. Fig. 1.

Bill shorter than the head, straight, subcylindrical. Upper mandible with the dorsal line straight and slightly sloping for two-thirds of its length, then bulging a little and curving to the tip, which is rather acute, the sides flat and sloping at the base, convex towards the end, where the edges are sharp and inclinate. Nasal groove extended along two-thirds of the mandible, filled with a bare membrane; nostrils basal, linear, in the lower part of the membrane, open and pervious. Lower mandible with the angle long, narrow, but rounded, the sides at the base sloping outwards and flat, the dorsal line ascending and slightly convex, the edges sharp and involute towards the narrow tip.

Head of moderate size, oblong, rather compressed, the forehead rounded. Eyes large. Neck rather short. Body ovate, rather full. Wings long. Feet rather long, slender; tibia bare for a considerable space; tarsus rather compressed, covered all round with reticulated hexagonal scales; toes slender; the hind toe wanting; third or middle toe longest, fourth considerably longer than the second, all scutellate above and marginate, the outer connected with the middle toe by a membrane as far as the second joint; claws small, compressed, slightly arched, slender but obtuse at the end, the inner edge of the middle claw dilated.

Plumage soft, blended, slightly glossed, the feathers rounded. Wings long and pointed; primary quills tapering, the first longest, the second a little shorter, the rest rapidly graduated; outer secondaries short, broad, obliquely rounded, inner tapering and elongated. Tail rather short, rounded, of twelve rounded feathers.

Bill black. Iris brown. Feet bluish-grey. The upper part of the head, the fore part of the back, and the scapulars are beautifully variegated with brownish-black and bright yellow, the latter in spots along the edges of the feathers. The hind part of the back greyish-brown, variegated with yellow of a duller tint; the tail brown, barred with white. The wings are hair-brown, the smaller coverts spotted with yellowish-white, the primary coverts and secondaries tipped with white. The inner secondaries like the scapulars. Part of the forehead, the loral space, a band over the eye, and the throat, are greyish-white; the sides of the neck and body variegated with brown, dull white and yellowish. The breast and a broad band down the fore-neck, are brownish-black, the latter margined on each side with white. Axillar feathers, and lower tail-coverts white.

Length to end of tail 10-1/2 inches, to end of wings 10-1/4, to end of claws 11-1/2; extent of wings 22-3/8; wing from flexure 7; tail 3-2/12; bill along the back 11/12, along the edge of lower mandible 1-2/12; bare part of tibia 8/12; tarsus 1-7/12; middle toe 1-1/12, its claw 4/12. Weight 5-1/2 oz.

Adult in winter. Plate CCC. Fig. 2.

The black on the lower parts is peculiar to the breeding season; and after the autumnal moult, they become of a light greyish colour, spotted and streaked with deep grey. In other respects the plumage is similar to that described above.

Length to end of tail 10-3/4, to end of claws 11-7/8; extent of wings 22-5/8. Weight 4-1/2 oz.

Light coloured variety. Plate CCC. Fig. 3.

Bill and feet greyish-blue. Iris deep brown. Upper part of head and back mottled with black and pale yellow; wing-coverts greyish, with white and dusky spots, as are the sides of the head and the throat; a broad band of white over the eye; fore part of neck pale grey, fading into pale cream colour and white; the breast and fore-neck with large spots of black.

This individual was killed in the breeding season.

REMARKS ON THE FORM OF THE TOES OF BIRDS.

Although naturalists have laboured, more especially since the time of the great LINNÆUS, who gave an impulse to the study of natural history unparalleled in that of any other science, to make us acquainted with animals of every class; and although much has been done by them in ornithology in particular, it requires little knowledge to be enabled to say with truth that a great deal more remains to be done. To take an apparently trivial example, let us look to the tips of the toes of birds, and we shall no doubt find much that is curious, and much that has been entirely overlooked. The examination of those parts was suggested to me by the following occurrence.

On the 21st of March 1816, while I was residing at Henderson in Kentucky, great flocks of Golden Plovers happening to be passing from their winter toward their summer haunts, I procured a good number of them. While engaged in drawing a fine specimen, I observed something beneath the claws, which induced me to look more particularly to that part of the toes, when I found there what might be called a second but smaller claw, equally horny with the part properly so called. I examined several others, and, finding them all alike in this respect, I mentioned the circumstance to a friend, who agreed with me in thinking it very curious. Since that period I have generally, on procuring a bird of any kind, looked to its toes, and I have found many species, both of the genus _Charadrius_ and of other Grallæ, similarly supplied with double claws.

Although I use this term, however, let it not be supposed that I consider the parts in question as really subsidiary or secondary claws; for as they are not furnished with a central bone, or process either from the last phalanx or that next to it, they cannot be truly considered as such, however much they may sometimes resemble them.