near their breeding places. They also manifest great ingenuity in protecting their nests, by feigning lameness, and using every stratagem to divert the attention of their invader. The structure of the tringide is especially adapted for wading in shallow water, though they occasionally swim and dive; and Mr. Hewetson, when in Norway, was surprised by seeing a curlew alight on the top of a pine tree, and frequently afterwards pass from tree to tree, uttering its loud note. Their long legs are, by no means adapted for perching, which must consequently be a very Their power of diving is, however, more fre

rare occurrence.

quently exercised.

The authors of the catalogue of the Norfolk and Suffolk birds, quoted by Mr. Yarrell, say 'Some years since, we saw a sand piper flying across a river attacked by a hawk, when it instantly dived, and remained under water until its enemy disappeared. It then emerged, and joined its companions.'

We are indebted to Mr. Yarrell, for a piece of information of which we were previously ignorant. It seems that in Scotland, a vulgar superstition existed, and may yet possibly remain in some quarters, that a peculiar species of goblin, with a long beak, infested the eaves of houses. This was called a Whaap or Whaup, a name by which the curlew is now known throughout Scotland; and it would seem, therefore, that its long beak was formerly regarded with anything but complacency. Thus, 'Sir Walter Scott refers to this connection of a long beak with a suspicious character, in his Black Dwarf', chap. ii., in a dialogue between Hobbie Elliott and Earns-cliff, in the evening on Mucklestane Moor: the former says, 'What need I care for the Mucklestane moor, ony mair than ye do yoursel, Earns-cliff? to be sure they say there's a sort o'worricows and lang nebbit things about the land, but what need I care for them?'-and this enables us to understand the fag end of a highlander's prayer, to be saved harmless, from witches, warlocks, and aw lang-nebbed things.''

The godwits (limosa) of which there are two British species, the black-tailed and bar-tailed, were formerly accounted, to use the words of Sir Thomas Browne, 'the daintiest dish in England;' and Mr. Yarrell has also quoted the testimony of Doctor Thomas Muffett, to the same purpose; who, in his 'Health's Improvement,' saith, but a fat godwit is so fine and light meat, that noblemen, yea, and merchants too, by your leave, stick not to buy them at four nobles a dozen; and even now, they are occasionally fattened by some of the Lincolnshire fenmen on bread and milk, and sent as 'dainties' to the market of London, whose epicurean 'noblemen and merchants,' however, do not as formerly, regard them so highly.'

The ruff (machetes pugnax), derives its English appellation from the long plumose feathers, springing from the occiput and throat, which adorn the male during the breeding season, and form, when raised, a large ruff round the head. The female, or reeve as it is called, is much smaller than the male, and is destitute of the feathers which render its mate so conspicuous. Mr. Yarrell has followed Cuvier, and other naturalists, in arranging this species in a separate genus, which he justifies by a reference to the peculiarities of the structure and habits of the ruff. These are by no means inconsiderable. In addition to the possession of the long neck-feathers, the males differ from allied species, by the great variations which occur in the colour of their plumage, scarcely two of them being found alike. This is very singular, as although considerable varieties in colour are always manifested by domesticated races of animals, it is not often the case with species in their natural state. The ruffs, too, are polygamous; and, as their scientific appellation implies, are remarkable for pugnacity. Montagu states, that'their actions in fighting, are very similar to those of a game cock: the head is lowered, and the beak held in a horizontal direction; the ruff, and indeed, every feather more or less distended, the former sweeping the ground as a shield to defend the more tender parts; the auricles erected, and the tail partly spread; upon the whole assuming a most ferocious aspect. When either could obtain a firm hold with the bill, a leap succeeded, accompanied by a stroke of the wing; but they rarely injured each other.'

Of the family rallide, the common corn-crake, or land rail, may be instanced as a familiar example. Its peculiar call note is well known, and may be imitated, by 'passing the edge of the thumb-nail, or a piece of wood along the line of the points of the teeth of a small comb; and so similar is the sound, that the bird may be decoyed with it within a very short distance.' Mr. Jesse, the author of the interesting Gleanings in Natural History,' relates a remarkable instance of the corn-crake feigning death, when exposed to danger. One having been captured by a dog was brought to a gentleman, at whose feet it lay so perfectly motionless, that he was convinced it was dead. Having placed it in his pocket he felt it struggling to escape, but on being withdrawn it appeared as lifeless as before. Subsequently on his retiring to a distance, it carefully raised its head, looked round and decamped at full speed. The moor hen (gallinula chloropus), has the toes bordered through their whole length, with a narrow membrane; assisted by which, it swims and dives with great facility; and thus connects the rallide with the family next to be noticed.

The lobipedidæ, or lobe-footed birds, are the last group of the

grallatores. As their name implies, they have the toes provided with lobe-shaped membranes. They are consequently aquatic in their habits, and form a connecting link, between the wading and swimming birds; at which last great division of the feathered tribes we have now arrived.

The natatores, or water birds, the denizens of the sea, the rivers, and the lakes, may easily be distinguished as an order, by their webbed feet, from which peculiarity of structure, they have by some naturalists been designated, palmipedes. Their entire organization is especially adapted for swimming and diving, and though most of the species can take long flights, yet the element in which they chiefly live, and procure their food, is the water; and some of these birds (alca), have the wings constructed very much like the fins of a fish, and are therefore totally unable to rise in the air. Our readers need not be told that the domesticated water fowl, the ducks and geese, are typical examples of this order, and are included in the first division or family (anatide) of the natatores.

The domesticated goose is believed to have been derived from the wild grey-legged goose, (anser ferus.) Mr. Yarrell, also, from the structure of the windpipe and other characteristics, is of opinion that the white-fronted goose (a. albifrons) has had some share in establishing our present race. The degrading influence of domestication is at once seen when we contrast the heavy well-fed and clumsy geese of our farm yards with their untamed relatives, which in large flocks soar high above our heads, forming in their course those various figures and angles that render them so conspicuous an object. Amongst the rarest of the British species are the red-breasted goose, (a. ruficollis,) which chiefly inhabits the extreme northern districts of Asia and Siberia, and the Egyptian goose, (a. Egyptiacus,) a remarkable bird, and believed to be the vulpanser of the ancients. On this subject Mr. Yarrell quotes Mr. Salt, the Egyptian traveller, who, in his Essay on the Phonetic System of Hieroglyphics, observes: 'Horus Apollo says, Filium volentes significare vulpanserem pingunt; and adds a reason for it that holds good to this daythat the old geese stay with their young in the most imminent danger, at the risk of their own lives, which I have myself frequently witnessed. Vulpanser is the goose of the Nile, and wherever this goose is represented on the walls of the temples in colours, the resemblance may be clearly traced.' Several flocks of the Egyptian goose have been observed in these islands. The Canada goose, (a. Canadensis), which in its wild state is not common in this country, is the most abundant species of the tribe in the United States, where it is frequently domesticated. Wilson, when speaking of their migrations, says, 'the

tracts of their vast migratory journeys are not confined to the sea coast or its vicinity. In their aerial voyages to and from the north, these winged pilgrims pass over the interior on both sides of the mountains as far west at least as the Osage river. It is highly probable that they extend their migrations under the very pole itself, amid the silent desolation of unknown countries, shut out since creation from the prying eye of man by everlasting and insuperable barriers of ice. That such places abound with their suitable food, we cannot for a moment doubt; while the absence of their great destroyer, man, and the splendours of a perpetual day, may render such regions the most suitable for their purpose.' Wilson mentions an instance of a Canada goose which, having been wounded in the wing, was taken by a farmer and placed amongst his domesticated geese, and in a short time it became perfectly tame and familiar. When, however, its wing was healed, and at the period of migration, a flock of its congeners were seen soaring above in their long passage to the north, the captive spread its wings, mounted into the air and joined the winged pilgrims' aloft. the succeeding autumn, as they returned to their winter quarters, the farmer, noticing a flock passing over his head, was surprised to see three of the geese detach themselves from the rest, and after wheeling round several times alight in the middle of the yard. These proved to be the lost captive, and her offspring, which, having reared them in the icy regions of the north, she had brought to her former quarters. Wilson states that he has been well assured by other respectable persons of similar instances. From the length and gracefulness of its neck, and its larger size than the other geese, this species has been regarded by some authors as a swan, with which genus it is certainly closely allied; but we think Mr. Yarrell has done right in arranging it amongst the true anseres.

In

The swans (cygnus) to which the species last noticed forms a natural transition, are an interesting group, whose elegant form, domestic habits and graceful motions, when swimming, render them a distinguished ornament of many a fair sheet of water in the parks and pleasure grounds of the nobles of our land. They have been the theme of poets of all ages, and Mr. Yarrell quotes in their praise the lines of Milton

The swan with arched neck

Between her white wings mantling, proudly rows
Her state, with oary feet.'

Mr. Yarrell has, on the authority of Lord Braybrooke, related a very remarkable instance of sagacity manifested by a female swan on the small stream at Bishop's Stortford. She was sit

ting on four or five eggs, and was observed to be very busy in collecting weeds, grasses, &c. to raise her nest; a farming man was ordered to take down half a load of haulm, with which she most industriously raised her nest and the eggs two feet and a half; that very night there came down a tremendous fall of rain, which flooded all the malt shops, and did great damage. Man made no preparation, the bird did. Instinct prevailed over reason; her eggs were above, and only just above the water.' Mr. Yarrell accounts for birds thus foreseeing rain by their susceptibility to electrical changes in the atmosphere, the feathers with which their bodies are covered being readily affected by electricity.

In the first division or genus (anas) of the true ducks are arranged the shoveler, gadwall, pintail, bimaculated duck, wild duck, garganey, teal, and the wigeons. The birds in this division frequent fresh water, and feed upon aquatic plants, worms, insects, &c. which they procure in ditches, and about the shallow margins of ponds. The males, for a time during the summer change in the colour of their plumage very remarkably, so as to become more or less like the females. The adaptation of this alteration in colour to their habits has been suggested by Mr. Gould, who has remarked that it occurs commonly in the males of those species that more especially breed in marshes, among reeds, and generally takes place at the period of incubation, and he therefore asks, May it not serve as a protection to the species by rendering the fostering parent less conspicuous at this critical period than he would be were he to retain the gay nuptial dress, which would present so strong a contrast to the sombretinted vegetation among which it is necessary for him to remain, until the young are able to provide for themselves? Mr. Yarrell, however, is not satisfied with Mr. Gould's suggestion, as he remarks that as soon as the females begin to sit, the males leave the entire care of the brood to them, and associate together in small flocks. We are disposed to believe, notwithstanding, that this peculiar change of colour has reference to the habits of the males at that season of the year, and is intended as a means of protection. Their plumage in their 'nuptial dress' is very gorgeous, and it is to be regretted that Mr. Yarrell's engravings, although exceedingly well executed, can scarcely give an idea of its beauty and elegance.

A single pair of the American wigeon (a. Americana) were detected by Mr. Bartlett in a London market during the winter of 1837-38, and besides these specimens, no others are known to have occurred in England. In America, the species is very common along the whole coast from Florida to Rhode Island, but it is most abundant in Carolina. A remarkable peculiarity