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Discovering Diverse Content Through
Random Scribd Documents
one of those called Windsor, of which there were six in the cabin.
This chair was bottomed with a piece of deer's skin tightly stretched,
and afforded a very comfortable seat.
The wife now resumed her spinning, and the husband filled a jug
with the sparkling cider, and, seated by the blazing fire, was drying
his clothes. The happiness he enjoyed beamed from his eye, as at
my request he proceeded to give us an account of his affairs and
prospects, which he did in the following words:—"I will be twenty-
two next Christmas-day," said our host; "My father came from
Virginia when young, and settled on the large tract of land where he
yet lives, and where with hard working he has done well. There were
nine children of us. Most of them are married and settled in the
neighbourhood. The old man has divided his lands among some of
us, and bought others for the rest. The land where I am he gave me
two years ago, and a finer piece is not easily to be found. I have
cleared a couple of fields, and planted an orchard. Father gave me a
stock of cattle, some hogs, and four horses, with two Negro boys. I
camped here for most of the time when clearing and planting; and
when about to marry the young woman you see at the wheel, father
helped me in raising this hut. My wife, as luck would have it, had a
Negro also, and we have begun the world as well off as most folks,
and, the Lord willing, may—but, gentlemen, you don't eat; do help
yourselves—Eliza, maybe the strangers would like some milk." The
wife stopped her work, and kindly asked if we preferred sweet or
sour milk; for you must know, reader, that sour milk is by some of
our farmers considered a treat. Both sorts were produced, but, for
my part, I chose to stick to the cider.
Supper over, we all neared the fire, and engaged in conversation. At
length our kind host addressed his wife as follows:—"Eliza, the
gentlemen would like to lie down, I guess. What sort of bed can you
fix for them?" Eliza looked up with a smile, and said: "Why, Willy, we
will divide the bedding, and arrange half on the floor, on which we
can sleep very well, and the gentlemen will have the best we can
spare them." To this arrangement I immediately objected, and
proposed lying on a blanket by the fire; but neither Willy nor Eliza
would listen. So they arranged a part of their bedding on the floor,
on which, after some debate, we at length settled. The Negroes
were sent to their own cabin, the young couple went to bed, and Mr
Flint lulled us all asleep, with a long story intended to shew us how
passing strange it was that he should have lost his way.
"Tired nature's sweet restorer, balmy sleep,"—and so forth. But
Aurora soon turned her off. Mr Speed, our host, rose, went to the
door, and returning assured us that the weather was too bad for us
to attempt proceeding. I really believe he was heartily glad of it; but
anxious to continue our journey, I desired Mr Flint to see about his
horses. Eliza by this time was up too, and I observed her whispering
to her husband, when he immediately said aloud; "To be sure, the
gentlemen will eat breakfast before they go, and I will shew them
the way to the road." Excuses were of no avail. Breakfast was
prepared and eaten. The weather brightened a little, and by nine we
were under way. Willy on horseback headed us. In a few hours, our
cart arrived at a road, by following which we at length got to the
main one, and parted from our woodsman with the greater regret
that he would accept nothing from any of us. On the contrary, telling
Mr Flint with a smile, that he hoped he might some time again
follow the longest track for a short cut, he bade us adieu, and
trotted back to his fair Eliza and his happy home.
 THE VIRGINIAN PARTRIDGE.

Perdix virginiana, Lath.

PLATE LXXVI. Male, Female, and Young.

The common name given to this bird in the Eastern and Middle
Districts of our Union is that of Quail, but in the Western and
Southern States, the more appropriate appellation of Partridge is
bestowed upon it. It is abundantly met with in all parts of the United
States, but more especially towards the interior. In the States of
Ohio and Kentucky, where they are very abundant, they are to be
seen in the markets, both dead and alive, in large quantities.
This species performs occasional migrations from the north-west to
the south-east, usually in the beginning of October, and somewhat in
the manner of the Wild Turkey. For a few weeks at this season, the
north-western shores of the Ohio are covered with flocks of
Partridges. They ramble through the woods along the margin of the
stream, and generally fly across towards evening. Like the Turkeys,
many of the weaker Partridges often fall into the water, while thus
attempting to cross, and generally perish; for although they swim
surprisingly, they have not muscular power sufficient to keep up a
protracted struggle, although, when they have fallen within a few
yards of the shore, they easily escape being drowned. I have been
told by a friend that a person residing in Philadelphia had a hearty
laugh on hearing that I had described the Wild Turkey as swimming
for some distance, when it had accidentally fallen into the water. But
be assured, kind reader, almost every species of land-bird is capable
of swimming on such occasions, and you may easily satisfy yourself
as to the accuracy of my statement by throwing a Turkey, a Common
Fowl, or any other bird into the water. As soon as the Partridges
have crossed the principal streams in their way, they disperse in
flocks over the country, and return to their ordinary mode of life.
The flight of these birds is generally performed at a short distance
from the ground. It is rapid, and is continued by numerous quick
flaps of the wings for a certain distance, after which the bird sails
until about to alight, when again it flaps its wings to break its
descent. When chased by dogs, or started by any other enemy, they
fly to the middle branches of trees of ordinary size, where they
remain until danger is over. They walk with ease on the branches. If
they perceive that they are observed, they raise the feathers of their
head, emit a low note, and fly off either to some higher branch of
the same tree, or to another tree at a distance. When these birds
rise on wing of their own accord, the whole flock takes the same
course; but when put up (in the sportsman's phrase), they disperse,
after alighting call to each other, and soon after unite, each running
or flying towards the well-known cry of the patriarch of the covey.
During deep and continued snows, they often remain on the
branches of trees for hours at a time.
The usual cry of this species is a clear whistle, composed of three
notes; the first and last nearly equal in length, the latter less loud
than the first, but more so than the intermediate one. When an
enemy is perceived they immediately utter a lisping note, frequently
repeated, and run off with their tail spread, their crest erected, and
their wings drooping, towards the shelter of some thicket or the top
of a fallen tree. At other times, when one of the flock has
accidentally strayed to a distance from its companions, it utters two
notes louder than any of those mentioned above, the first shorter
and lower than the second, when an answer is immediately returned
by one of the pack. This species has moreover a love-call, which is
louder and clearer than its other notes, and can be heard at a
distance of several hundred yards. It consists of three distinct notes,
the two last being loudest, and is peculiar to the male bird. A fancied
similarity to the words Bob White renders this call familiar to the
sportsman and farmer; but these notes are always preceded by
another, easily heard at a distance of thirty or forty yards. The three
together resemble the words Ah Bob White. The first note is a kind
of aspiration, and the last is very loud and clear. This whistle is
seldom heard after the breeding season, during which an imitation
of the peculiar note of the female will make the male fly towards the
sportsman, who may then easily shoot it.
In the Middle Districts, the love-call of the male is heard about the
middle of April, and in Louisiana much earlier. The male is seen
perched on a fence-stake, or on the low branch of a tree, standing
nearly in the same position for hours together, and calling Ah Bob
White at every interval of a few minutes. Should he hear the note of
a female, he sails directly towards the spot whence it proceeded.
Several males may be heard from different parts of a field
challenging each other, and should they meet on the ground, they
fight with great courage and obstinacy, until the conqueror drives off
his antagonist to another field.
The female prepares a nest composed of grasses, arranged in a
circular form, leaving an entrance not unlike that of a common oven.
It is placed at the foot of a tuft of rank grass or some close stalks of
corn, and is partly sunk in the ground. The eggs are from ten to
eighteen, rather sharp at the smaller end, and of a pure white. The
male at times assists in hatching them. This species raises only one
brood in the year, unless the eggs or the young when yet small have
been destroyed. When this happens, the female immediately
prepares another nest; and should it also be ravaged, sometimes
even a third. The young run about the moment after they make their
appearance, and follow their parents until spring, when, having
acquired their full beauty, they pair and breed.
The Partridge rests at night on the ground, either amongst the grass
or under a bent log. The individuals which compose the flock form a
ring, and moving backwards, approach each other until their bodies
are nearly in contact. This arrangement enables the whole covey to
take wing when suddenly alarmed, each flying off in a direct course,
so as not to interfere with the rest.
These birds are easily caught in snares, common dead-falls, traps
and pens, like those for the Wild Turkey, but proportionate to the
size of the bird. Many are shot, but the principal havock is effected
by means of nets, especially in the Western and Southern States.
The method employed is as follows:
A number of persons on horseback, provided with a net, set out in
search of Partridges, riding along the fences or briar-thickets, which
the birds are known to frequent. One or two of the party whistle in
imitation of the second call-note above described, and as Partridges
are plentiful, the call is soon answered by a covey, when the
sportsmen immediately proceed to ascertain their position and
number, seldom considering it worth while to set the net when there
are only a few birds. They approach in a careless manner, talking
and laughing as if merely passing by. When the birds are discovered
one of the party gallops off in a circuitous manner, gets in advance
of the rest by a hundred yards or more, according to the situation of
the birds, and their disposition to run, while the rest of the
sportsmen move about on their horses, talking to each other, but at
the same time watching every motion of the Partridges. The person
in advance being provided with the net, dismounts, and at once falls
to placing it, so that his companions can easily drive the Partridges
into it. No sooner is the machine ready, than the net-bearer
remounts and rejoins the party. The sportsmen separate to a short
distance, and follow the Partridges, talking and whistling, clapping
their hands, or knocking upon the fence-rails. The birds move with
great gentleness, following each other, and are kept in the right
direction by the sportsmen. The leading bird approaches and enters
the mouth of the net, the others follow in succession, when the net-
bearer leaps from his horse, runs up and secures the entrance, and
soon dispatches the birds. In this manner, fifteen or twenty
Partridges are caught at one driving, and sometimes many hundreds
in the course of a day. Most netters give liberty to a pair out of each
flock, that the breed may be continued.
The success of driving depends much on the state of the weather.
Drizzly rain or melting snow are the best, for in such weather
Partridges and Gallinaceous Birds in general will run to a great
distance rather than fly; whereas if the weather be dry and clear,
they generally take to wing the moment they discover an intruder, or
squat so that they cannot be driven without very particular care.
Again, when the flocks are found in the woods, they run off so
briskly and so far, that it is difficult for the net-bearer to place his
machine in time.
The net is cylindrical, thirty or forty feet in length, by about two in
diameter, excepting at the mouth or entrance, where it is rather
larger, and at the extremity, where it assumes the form of a bag. It
is kept open by means of small wooden hoops, at a distance of two
or three feet from each other. The mouth is furnished with a
semicircular hoop, sharpened at both ends, which are driven into the
ground, thus affording an easy entrance to the birds. Two pieces of
netting called wings, of the same length as the cylindrical one, are
placed one on each side of the mouth, so as to form an obtuse angle
with each other, and are supported by sticks thrust into the ground,
the wings having the appearance of two low fences leading to a
gate. The whole is made of light and strong materials.
The Virginian Partridge is easily kept in cages or coops, and soon
becomes very fat. Attempts at rearing them from the eggs have
generally failed, probably for want of proper care, and a deficiency
of insects, on which the young feed. The ordinary food of the
species consists of seeds of various kinds, and such berries as grow
near the surface of the ground, along with which they pick up a
quantity of sand or gravel. Towards autumn, when the young have
nearly attained their full size, their flesh becomes fat, juicy and
tender, and being moreover white and extremely agreeable to the
palate, is in much request. Twenty years ago, they were commonly
sold at twelve cents the dozen; but now they are more commonly
sold at fifty cents. They suffer greatly in the Middle Districts during
severe winters, and are killed in immense numbers.
This bird has been introduced into various parts of Europe, but is not
much liked there, being of such pugnacious habits as to drive off the
common Grey Partridge, which is considered a better bird for the
table.
In the Plate I have represented a group of Partridges attacked by a
Hawk. The different attitudes exhibited by the former cannot fail to
give you a lively idea of the terror and confusion which prevail on
such occasions.

Perdix virginiana, Lath. Ind. Ornith. vol. ii. p. 650.—Ch. Bonaparte, Synops. of Birds
of the United States, p. 124.
Tetrao virginianus, Linn. Syst. Nat. vol. i. p. 277.
Quail or Partridge, Perdix virginiana, Wils. Americ. Ornith. vol. vi. p. 21. Pl. 47. fig.
2. Male.

Adult Male. Plate LXXVI. Fig. 1, 1, 1, 1.

Bill short, robust, rather obtuse, the base covered by feathers; upper
mandible with the dorsal outline curved, the sides convex, the edges
overlapping, the tip declinate; under mandible nearly straight in its
dorsal outline, arched on the edges, the sides convex. Nostrils
concealed among the feathers. Head and neck of ordinary size. Body
short and bulky. Feet of ordinary length; tarsus anteriorly scutellate,
a little compressed, spurless; toes scutellate above, pectinate on the
sides; claws arched, obtuse.
Plumage compact, glossy. Feathers of the upper part of the head
erectile into a tuft. Wings short, broad, much curved and rounded,
the fourth quill longest. Tail short, rounded, of twelve rounded
feathers.
Bill dark brown. Iris hazel. Feet greyish-blue. The forehead, a broad
line over each eye, and the throat and fore-neck, white. Lore,
auricular coverts, and a broad irregular semilunar band on the fore-
neck, more or less black. Upper part of the head, hind and lower
part of the neck all round, reddish-brown. Upper back and wing-
coverts bright brownish-red; the lower part of the back light red
tinged with yellow. Primaries dusky, externally margined with blue;
secondaries irregularly barred with light red. Tail greyish-blue,
excepting the middle feathers, which are dull greyish-yellow,
sprinkled with black. Sides of the neck spotted with white. Under
parts white, streaked with brownish-red, transversely and
undulatingly barred with black. Sides and under tail-coverts reddish.
Length 10 inches, extent of wings 15; bill along the back ½, along
the gap 7⁄12; tarsus ¼, middle toe nearly the same.

Young Male. Plate LXXVI. Fig. 2, 2.

Similar to the adult male in the general distribution of the colours;
but the white of the head and throat bright reddish-yellow, the black
of the fore-neck and sides of the head deep brown, the under parts
less pure and more dusky, and the tail of a duller grey.

Adult Female. Plate LXXVI. Fig. 3, 3, 3.

The female resembles the young male, but is more decidedly
coloured, the bill darker, the head of a more uniform and richer
reddish-yellow, the sides of the neck spotted with yellow and black.
Length 9½ inches, extent of wings 14.

Young Female. Plate LXXVI. Fig. 4, 4. 4.

The young females are somewhat smaller and lighter in their tints
than the young males.
Very Young Birds. Plate LXXVI. Fig. 5, 5, 5, 5, 5, 5, 5.
Bill brownish-yellow. Iris light hazel. The general colour of the upper
parts light yellowish-brown, patched with grey; sides of the head
dusky.
 THE BELTED KINGSFISHER.

Alcedo Alcyon, Linn.

PLATE LXXVII. Male and Female.

You must not suppose, good-natured reader, that the lives which I
try to write, are short or lengthy according to the natural dimensions
of the objects themselves; for if with the representation of a large
bird, I present you with a long history of its habits, it is merely
because that bird, being perhaps more common, and therefore more
conspicuous, I have had better and more frequent opportunities of
studying them. This happens to be the case with the bird which I
proceed to describe.
The Belted Kingsfisher!—Now, kind reader, were I infected with the
desire of giving new names to well-known objects, you may be
assured that, notwithstanding the partly appropriate name given to
this bird, I should call it, as I think it ought to have been called, the
United States' Kingsfisher. My reason for this will, I hope, become
apparent to you, when I say that it is the only bird of its genus
found upon the inland streams of the Union. Another reason of equal
force might be adduced, which is, that, although the males of all
denominations have, from time immemorial, obtained the
supremacy, in this particular case the term Belted applies only to the
female, the male being destitute of the belt or band by which she is
distinguished. But names already given and received, whether apt or
inapt, I am told, must not be meddled with. To this law I humbly
submit, and so proceed, contenting myself with feeling assured that
many names given to birds might, with much benefit to the student
of nature, become the subjects of reform.
The Belted Kingsfisher is a constant resident in the States of
Louisiana, Mississippi, Arkansas, and all the districts that lie to the
south of North Carolina. Its inland migrations along the windings of
our noble rivers extend far and wide, over the whole of the United
States. In all those portions which I have visited it also breeds,
although it returns to the south from many parts during severe
winters.
The flight of this bird is rapid, and is prolonged according to its
necessities, extending at times to considerable distances, in which
case it is performed high in the air. When, for instance, the whole
course of one of our northern rivers becomes frozen, the Kingsfisher,
instead of skimming closely over the surface that no longer allows it
to supply itself with food, passes high above the tallest trees, and
takes advantage of every short cut which the situation of the river
affords. By this means it soon reaches a milder climate. This is also
frequently the case, when it seems tired of the kind of fish that
occurs in a lake, and removes to another in a direct line, passing
over the forests, not unfrequently by a course of twenty or thirty
miles towards the interior of the country. Its motions when on wing
consist of a series of flaps, about five or six in number, followed by a
direct glide, without any apparent undulation. It moves in the same
way when flying closely over the water.
If, in the course of such excursions, the bird passes over a small
pool, it suddenly checks itself in its career, poises itself in the air, like
a Sparrow-hawk or Kestril, and inspects the water beneath, to
discover whether there may be fishes in it suitable to its taste.
Should it find this to be the case, it continues poised for a few
seconds, dashes spirally headlong into the water, seizes a fish, and
alights on the nearest tree or stump, where it swallows its prey in a
moment.
The more usual range of the Belted Kingsfisher, however, is confined
to the rivers and creeks that abound throughout the United States;
all of which, according to the seasons, are amply supplied with
various fishes, on the fry of which this bird feeds. It follows their
course up to the very source of the small rivulets; and it is not
unusual to hear the hard, rapid, rattling notes of our Kingsfisher,
even amongst the murmuring cascades of our higher mountains.
When the bird is found in such sequestered situations, well may the
angler be assured that trout is abundant. Mill-ponds are also
favourite resorts of the Kingsfisher, the usual calmness of the water
in such places permitting it to discover its prey with ease. As the
freshets are proportionally less felt on the adjoining shores, the
holes dug in the earth or sand by this species, in which it deposits its
eggs, are generally found in places not far from a mill worked by
water.
I have laid open to my view several of these holes, in different
situations and soils, and have generally found them to be formed as
follows. The male and female, after having fixed upon a proper spot,
are seen clinging to the bank of the stream in the manner of
Woodpeckers. Their long and stout bills are set to work, and as soon
as the hole has acquired a certain depth, one of the birds enters it,
and scratches out the sand, earth or clay, with its feet, striking
meanwhile with its bill to extend the depth. The other bird all the
while appears to cheer the labourer, and urge it to continue its
exertions; and, when the latter is fatigued, takes its place. Thus, by
the co-operation of both, the hole is dug to the depth of four, five, or
sometimes six feet, in a horizontal direction, at times not more than
eighteen inches below the surface of the ground, at others eight or
ten feet. At the Chicasaw Bluffs, on the Mississippi, I have seen
some of these holes more than fifty feet below the surface, but
generally beyond reach of the highest freshets. The hole is just large
enough to admit the passage of a single bird at a time. The end is
rounded and finished in the form of a common oven, to allow the
pair or the whole brood to turn round in it at ease. Here, on a few
sticks and feathers, the eggs are deposited to the number generally
of six. They are pure white. Incubation continues for sixteen days. In
the Middle States, these birds seldom raise more than one brood in
the year, but in the southern usually two. Incubation is performed by
both parents, which evince great solicitude for the safety of their
young. The mother sometimes drops on the water, as if severely
wounded, and flutters and flounders as if unable to rise from the
stream, in order to induce the intruder to wade or swim after her,
whilst her mate, perched on the nearest bough, or even on the edge
of the bank, jerks his tail, erects his crest, rattles his notes with
angry vehemence, and then springing off, passes and repasses
before the enemy, with a continued cry of despair.
I have not been able to ascertain whether or not the young are fed
with macerated food disgorged by the parents into their bills, but I
have reason to think so, and I have always observed the old ones to
swallow the fishes which they had caught, before they entered the
hole. The young are, however, afterwards fed directly on the entire
fish; and I have frequently seen them follow the parent birds, and
alight on the same branch, flapping their wings, and calling with
open bill for the food just taken out of the water, when the petition
was seldom denied.
The Kingsfisher resorts to the same hole, to breed and roost, for
many years in succession. On one occasion, when I attempted two
evenings to seize one of these birds, long after night had closed, I
tried in vain the first time. I fitted a small net bag to the entrance,
and returned home. Next morning the bird had scratched a passage
under the net, and thus escaped. The following evening I saw it
enter the hole, and having procured a stick that filled the entrance
for upwards of a foot, I felt certain of obtaining it; but before I
reached the place next day, it had worked its way out. After this, I
abandoned my attempt, although the bird continued to repose in the
same hole.
No superstitious notions exist in the United States respecting this
species. The flesh is extremely fishy, oily, and disagreeable to the
taste. On the contrary, the eggs are fine eating.
I was ready to put my pen aside, kind reader, when, on consulting
my journals, all of which are now at hand, I happened to read, that I
have seen instances of this bird's plunging into the sea after small
fry, at Powles Hook, in the bay opposite to the City of New York. I
am not aware that this is a common occurrence.

Alcedo Alcyon, Linn. Syst. Nat. vol. i. p. 180.—Lath. Ind. Ornith. vol. i. p, 257.—Ch.
Bonaparte, Synops. of Birds of the United States, p. 48.
Belted Kingsfisher, Lath. Synops. vol. ii. p. 637.—Wils. Amer. Ornith. vol. iii. p. 59,
Pl. 23, fig. 1.

Adult Male. Plate LXXVII. Fig. 1, 2.

Bill long, straight, tetragonal, tapering to an acute point, compressed
towards the end; upper mandible keeled, with the dorsal line
straight, the edges overlapping; lower mandible with the dorsal line
slightly convex, the tip ascending; gap-line extending to beneath the
eyes. Nostrils basal, dorsal, oblong, oblique, half-closed by a bare
membrane. Head large, neck short, body robust. Feet very short;
tarsus roundish, anteriorly scutellate, half the length of the middle
toe; outer and middle toes nearly equal, inner much shorter, hind
toe small; claws rather strong, arched, acute, channelled beneath.
Plumage compact. Feathers of the head long, narrow, rather loose,
pointed, and erectile, in the form of a longitudinal crest, of which the
anterior feathers are longest. Wings longish, the third primary
longest. Tail short, even, of twelve broad rounded feathers.
Bill brownish-black, light greenish-blue at the base. Iris hazel. Feet
greyish-blue; claws black. Head, cheeks, hind neck and upper parts,
generally light blue, the shaft of each feather blackish. A white spot
before the eye, and a slight streak of the same colour on the under
eyelid. Quills brownish-black, the base of the primaries barred with
white, the secondaries blue on the outer web. Two middle tail-
feathers blue, as are the outer edges of the rest, excepting the
outermost; all, excepting the two middle ones, brownish-black,
barred with white. A broad band of white across the neck, broader
anteriorly and including the chin and throat. A band of blue across
the fore part of the breast. The rest of the under parts white,
excepting the sides, which are mottled with blue.
Length 12½ inches, extent of wings 20; bill along the ridge 2, along
the gap 2½; tarsus ½, middle toe 1 1⁄12.

Adult Female. Plate LXXVII. Fig. 3.

The blue of the female is much duller. The band on the upper part of
the breast is of dull greyish blue and light red intermixed; below this
is a narrow band of white, and across the middle of the breast a
broad band of yellowish-red, of which colour also are the sides. The
rest of the under parts are white, tinged with red.
 THE GREAT CAROLINA WREN.

Troglodytes ludovicianus, Ch. Bonaparte.

PLATE LXXVIII. Male and Female.

Permit me to suggest, kind reader, that I think it always best to see

and judge of individuals in their own country. There independence
and ease are more commonly met with, and the observer is less
attended to. This being admitted, I shall give you the history and life
of the Great Carolina Wren, as studied in the State of Louisiana,
where that bird is a constant resident.
Its flight is performed by short flappings of the wings, the concave
under surfaces of which occasion a low rustling, as the bird moves to
the distance of a few steps only at each start. It is accompanied by
violent jerks of the tail and body, and is by no means graceful. In
this manner the Carolina Wren moves from one fence-rail to another,
from log to log, up and down among the low branches of bushes,
piles of wood, and decayed roots of prostrate trees, or between the
stalks of canes. Its tail is almost constantly erect, and before it starts
to make the least flight or leap, it uses a quick motion, which brings
its body almost into contact with the object on which it stands, and
then springs from its legs. All this is accompanied with a strong
chirr-up, uttered as if the bird were in an angry mood, and repeated
at short intervals.
The quickness of the motions of this active little bird is fully equal to
that of the mouse. Like the latter it appears and is out of sight in a
moment, peeps into a crevice, passes rapidly through it, and shews
itself at a different place the next instant. When satiated with food,
or fatigued with these multiplied exertions, the little fellow stops,
droops its tail, and sings with great energy a short ditty something
resembling the words come-to-me, come-to-me, repeated several
times in quick succession, so loud, and yet so mellow, that it is
always agreeable to listen to them. During spring, these notes are
heard from all parts of the plantations, the damp woods, the
swamps, the sides of creeks and rivers, as well as from the barns,
the stables and the piles of wood, within a few yards of the house. I
have frequently heard these Wrens singing from the roof of an
abandoned flat-boat, fastened to the shore, a small distance below
the city of New Orleans. When its song was finished, the bird went
on creeping from one board to another, thrust itself through an
auger-hole, entered through the boat's side at one place, and
peeped out at another, catching numerous spiders and other insects
all the while. It sometimes ascends to the higher branches of a tree
of moderate size, by climbing along a grape-vine, searching
diligently amongst the leaves and in the chinks of the bark, alighting
sidewise against the trunk, and moving like a true Creeper. It
possesses the power of creeping and of hopping in a nearly equal
degree. The latter kind of motion it employs when nearer the
ground, and among piles of drifted timber. So fond is this bird of the
immediate neighbourhood of water, that it would be next to
impossible to walk along the shore of any of the islands of the
Mississippi, from the mouth of the Ohio to New Orleans, without
observing several on each island.
Amongst the many species of insects which they destroy, several are
of an aquatic nature, and are procured by them whilst creeping
about the masses of drifted wood. Their chirr-up and come-to-me
come-to-me seldom cease for more than fifteen or twenty minutes
at a time, commencing with the first glimpse of day, and continuing
sometimes after sunset.
The nest of the Carolina Wren is usually placed in a hole in some low
decayed tree, or in a fence-stake, sometimes even in the stable,
barn or coach-house, should it there find a place suitable for its
reception. I have found some not more than two feet from the
ground, in the stump of a tree that had long before been felled by
the axe. The materials employed in its construction are hay, grasses,
leaves, feathers, and horse-hair, or the dry fibres of the Spanish
moss; the feathers, hair or moss forming the lining, the coarse
materials the outer parts. When the hole is sufficiently large, the
nest is not unfrequently five or six inches in depth, although only
just wide enough to admit one of the birds at a time. The number of
eggs is from five to eight. They are of a broad oval form, greyish-
white, sprinkled with reddish-brown. Whilst at Oakley, the residence
of my friend James Perrie, Esq. near Bayou Sara, I discovered that
one of these birds was in the habit of roosting in a Wood Thrush's
nest that was placed on a low horizontal branch, and had been filled
with leaves that had fallen during the autumn. It was in the habit of
thrusting his body beneath the leaves, and I doubt not found the
place very comfortable.
They usually raise two, sometimes three broods in a season. The
young soon come out from the nest, and in a few days after creep
and hop about with as much nimbleness as the old ones. Their
plumage undergoes no change, merely becoming firmer in the
colouring.
Many of these birds are destroyed by Weasels and Minxes. It is,
notwithstanding, one of the most common birds which we have as
resident in Louisiana. They ascend along the shores of the
Mississippi as high as the Missouri River, and along the Ohio nearly
to Pittsburgh, although they do not occur in great numbers in the
neighbourhood of that city. They are common in Georgia, the
Carolinas, Kentucky, Ohio and Indiana. A few are to be seen along
the Atlantic shores as far as Pennsylvania and New Jersey. In the
latter State I have found its nest, near a swamp, a few miles from
Philadelphia. I never observed them farther to the eastward.
The Dwarf Buck-eye, on a blossomed twig of which you observe a
pair of Great Carolina Wrens, is by nature as well as name a low
shrub. It grows near swampy ground in great abundance. Its
flowers, which are scentless, are much resorted to by the Humming
Birds, on their first arrival, as they appear at a very early season.
The wood resembles that of the Common Horse-chestnut, and its
fruit is nearly the same in form and colour, but much smaller. I know
of no valuable property possessed by this beautiful shrub.

Troglodytes ludovicianus, Ch. Bonaparte, Synops. of Birds of the United States, p.

93.
Sylvia ludoviciana, Lath. Ind. Ornith. vol. ii. p. 548.
Great Carolina Wren, Certhia caroliniana, Wils. Amer. Ornith. vol. ii. p. 61, Pl. 12,
fig. 5.

Adult Male. Plate LXXVIII. Fig. 1.

Bill nearly as long as the head, subulato-conical, slightly arched,
compressed towards the tip; upper mandible with the sides convex
towards the end, concave at the base, the edges acute and
overlapping; under mandible with the back and sides convex.
Nostrils oblong, straight, basal, with a cartilaginous lid above, open
and bare. Head oblong, neck of ordinary size, body ovate. Legs of
ordinary length; tarsus longer than the middle toe, compressed,
anteriorly scutate, posteriorly edged; toes, scutellate above,
inferiorly granulate; second and fourth nearly equal, the hind toe
almost as long as the middle one, third and fourth united as far as
the second joint; claws long, slender, acute, arcuate, much
compressed.
Plumage soft, lax, and tufty. Wings short, very convex, broad and
rounded, the first quill very short, the fourth longest. Tail rather
long, curved downwards, much rounded, of twelve narrowish,
rounded feathers.
Bill wood-brown above, bluish beneath. Iris hazel. Legs flesh-colour.
The general colour of the upper part is brownish-red. A yellowish-
white streak over the eye, extending far down the neck, and edged
above with dark brown. Quills, coverts and tail barred with blackish-
brown; secondary and middle coverts tipped with white; shafts of
the scapulars white. Throat greyish-white, under parts reddish-buff,
paler behind. Under tail-coverts white, barred with blackish.
Length 5½ inches, extent of wings 7½; bill along the ridge 5⁄4,
along the gap 11⁄12; tarsus ⅚.

Adult Female. Plate LXXVIII. Fig. 2.

The female differs from the male in being lighter above, tinged with
grey beneath, and in wanting the white tips of the wing-coverts.
This species and the Marsh Wren form the transition from
Troglodytes to Certhia, resembling the former in habits and
colouring, and the latter in the form of the bill, as well as partly in
habits.

The Dwarf Buck-eye.

Æsculus Pavia, Willd. Sp. Pl. vol. ii. p. 286. Pursh, Fl. Amer. vol. ii. p. 254.—
Heptandria Monogynia, Linn. Acera, Juss.

Leaves quinate, smooth, unequally serrated; racemes lax; generally

with ternate flowers; corollas tetrapetalous, their connivent claws of
the length of the calyx; stamens seven, shorter than the corolla. The
flowers are scarlet.
 THE TYRANT FLY-CATCHER.

Muscicapa tyrannus, Briss.

PLATE LXXIX. Male and Female.

The Tyrant Fly-catcher, or, as it is commonly named, the Field Martin,

or King Bird, is one of the most interesting visitors of the United
States, where it is to be found during spring and summer, and
where, were its good qualities appreciated as they deserve to be, it
would remain unmolested. But man being generally disposed to
consider in his subjects a single fault sufficient to obliterate the
remembrance of a thousand good qualities, even when the latter are
beneficial to his interest, and tend to promote his comfort,
persecutes the King Bird without mercy, and extends his enmity to
its whole progeny. This mortal hatred is occasioned by a propensity
which the Tyrant Fly-catcher now and then shews to eat a honey-
bee, which the narrow-minded farmer looks upon as exclusively his
own property, although he is presently to destroy thousands of its
race, for the selfish purpose of seizing upon the fruits of their
labours, which he does with as little remorse as if nature's bounties
were destined for man alone.
The Field Martin arrives in Louisiana, from the south, about the
middle of March. Many individuals remain until the middle of
September, but the greater number proceed gradually northwards,
and are dispersed over every portion of the United States. For a few
days after its arrival, it seems fatigued and doleful, and remains
perfectly silent. But no sooner has it recovered its naturally lively
spirits, than its sharp tremulous cry is heard over the fields, and
along the skirts of all our woods. It seldom enters the forests, but is
fond of orchards, large fields of clover, the neighbourhood of rivers,
and the gardens close to the houses of the planters. In this last
situation, its habits are best observed.
Its flight has now assumed a different manner. The love-season is at
hand. The male and female are seen moving about through the air,
with a continued quivering motion of their wings, at a height of
twenty or thirty yards above the ground, uttering a continual,
tremulous, loud shriek. The male follows in the wake of the female,
and both seem panting for a suitable place in which to form their
nest. Meanwhile, they watch the motions of different insects, deviate
a little from the course of their playful rounds, and with a sweeping
dart secure and swallow the prey in an instant. Probably the next
sees them perched on the twig of a tree, close together, and
answering the calls of nature.
The choice of a place being settled by the happy pair, they procure
small dry twigs from the ground, and rising to a horizontal branch,
arrange them as the foundation of their cherished home. Flakes of
cotton, wool or tow, and other substances of a similar nature, are
then placed in thick and regular layers, giving great bulk and
consistence to the fabric, which is finally lined with fibrous roots and
horse-hair. The female then deposits her eggs, which are from four
to six in number, broadly ovate, reddish-white, or blush colour,
irregularly spotted with brown. No sooner has incubation
commenced, than the male, full of ardour, evinces the most daring
courage, and gallantly drives off every intruder. Perched on a twig
not far from his beloved mate, in order to protect and defend her, he
seems to direct every thought and action to these objects. His snow-
white breast expands with the warmest feelings; the feathers of his
head are raised and spread, the bright orange spot laid open to the
rays of the sun; he stands firm on his feet, and his vigilant eye
glances over the wide field of vision around him. Should he spy a
Crow, a Vulture, a Martin, or an Eagle, in the neighbourhood or at a
distance, he spreads his wings to the air, and pressing towards the
dangerous foe, approaches him, and commences his attack with
fury. He mounts above the enemy, sounds the charge, and
repeatedly plunging upon the very back of his more powerful
antagonist, essays to secure a hold. In this manner, harassing his
less active foe with continued blows of his bill, he follows him
probably for a mile, when, satisfied that he has done his duty, he
gives his wings their usual quivering motion, and returns exulting
and elated to his nest, trilling his notes all the while.
Few Hawks will venture to approach the farm-yard while the King
Bird is near. Even the cat in a great measure remains at home; and,
should she appear, the little warrior, fearless as the boldest Eagle,
plunges towards her, with such rapid and violent motions, and so
perplexes her with attempts to peck on all sides, that grimalkin,
ashamed of herself, returns discomfited to the house.
The many eggs of the poultry which he saves from the plundering
Crow, the many chickens that are reared under his protection, safe
from the clutches of the prowling Hawks, the vast number of insects
which he devours, and which would otherwise torment the cattle
and horses, are benefits conferred by him, more than sufficient to
balance the few raspberries and figs which he eats, and calculated
to insure for him the favour and protection of man.
The King Bird fears none of his aërial enemies save the Martin; and
although the latter frequently aids him in protecting his nest, and
watching over the farm-yard, it sometimes attacks him with such
animosity as to force him to retreat, the flight of the Martin being so
superior to that of the King Bird in quickness and power, as to
enable it to elude the blows which the superior strength of the latter
might render fatal. I knew an instance in which some Martins, that
had been sole proprietors of a farm-yard for several seasons,
shewed so strong an antipathy to a pair of King Birds, which had
chanced to build their nest on a tree within a few yards of the
house, that, no sooner had the female begun to sit on her eggs,
than the Martin attacked the male with unremitting violence for
several days, and, notwithstanding his courage and superior
strength, repeatedly felled him to the ground, until he at length died
of fatigue, when the female was beaten off in a state of despair, and
forced to seek a new protector.
The King Bird is often seen passing on the wing over a field of
clover, diving down to the very blossoms, and reascending in
graceful undulations, snapping his bill, and securing various sorts of
insects, now and then varying his mode of chase in curious zigzag
lines, shooting to the right and left, up and down, as if the object
which he is pursuing were manœuvring for the purpose of eluding
him.
About the month of August, this species becomes comparatively
mute, and resorts to the old abandoned fields and meadows. There,
perched on a fence-stake or a tall mullein stalk, he glances his eye in
various directions, watching the passing insects, after which he darts
with a more direct motion than in spring. Having secured one, he
returns to the same or another stalk, beats the insect, and then
swallows it. He frequently flies high over the large rivers and lakes,
sailing and dashing about in pursuit of insects. Again, gliding down
towards the water, he drinks in the manner of various species of
Swallow. When the weather is very warm, he plunges repeatedly
into the water, alights after each plunge on the low branch of a tree
close by, shakes off the water and plumes himself, when, perceiving
some individuals of his tribe passing high over head, he ascends to
overtake them, and bidding adieu to the country, proceeds towards a
warmer region.
The King Bird leaves the Middle States earlier than most other
species. While migrating southwards, at the approach of winter, it
flies with a strong and continued motion, flapping its wings six or
seven times pretty rapidly, and sailing for a few yards without any
undulations, at every cessation of the flappings. On the first days of
September, I have several times observed them passing in this
manner, in detached parties of twenty or thirty, perfectly silent, and
so resembling the Turdus migratorius in their mode of flight, as to
induce the looker-on to suppose them of that species, until he
recognises them by their inferior size. Their flight is continued
through the night, and by the 1st of October none are to be found in
the Middle States. The young acquire the full colouring of their
plumage before they leave us for the south.
The flesh of this bird is delicate and savoury. Many are shot along
the Mississippi, not because these birds eat bees, but because the
French of Louisiana are fond of bee-eaters. I have seen some of
these birds that had the shafts of the tail-feathers reaching a quarter
of an inch beyond the end of the webs.
I have placed a male and a female Field Martin on a twig of the
Cotton-wood Tree. This plant is very appropriately named, for not
only are the grape-like bunches of seeds filled with a beautiful soft
cottony substance, but the wood can scarcely be sawed on account
of the looseness of its inner fibres. It grows to a great height and
size, particularly along the shores of the Mississippi and Ohio, and in
all alluvial grounds to the west of the Alleghany Mountains. It is
principally used for fire-wood and fence-rails, but is of indifferent
quality for either purpose.

Muscicapa tyrannus, Briss. vol. ii. p. 391.—Ch. Bonaparte, Synops. of Birds of the
United States, p. 66.
Lanius tyrannus, Linn. Syst. Nat. vol. i. p. 130.—Lath. Ind. Ornith. vol. i. p. 81.
Tyrant Shrike, Lath. Synops. vol. i. p. 184.
Tyrant Fly-catcher, Muscicapa tyrannus, Wils. Amer. Ornith. vol. ii. p. 66. Pl. 13. fig.
1.

Adult Male. Plate LXXIX. Fig. 1.

Bill of moderate length, rather stout, subtrigonal, depressed at the
base, straight; upper mandible with the dorsal outline nearly
straight, and sloping to near the tip, which is deflected and acute,
the edges sharp and overlapping; lower mandible with the back
broad, the sides slanting, the end slightly declinate. Nostrils basal,
lateral, roundish, partly covered by the bristly feathers. Head rather
large, neck stout, body ovate. Feet rather short; tarsus covered
anteriorly with a few scutella, compressed, acute behind, about the
same length as the middle toe; toes free, scutellate above; claws
arched, compressed, acute.
Plumage soft, blended, glossy. Basirostral bristles long, directed
outwards. Feathers of the head narrow, elongated, and erectile,
forming a short longitudinal tuft. Wings rather long, the second and
third quills longest. Tail rather long, even, of twelve broadly
acuminate feathers.
Bill black. Iris dark brown. Feet greyish-blue. The general colour of
the upper parts is dark bluish-grey, the head darker. Feathers along
the middle of the crown forming a rich flame-coloured patch,
margined with yellow. Quills brownish-black, as are the coverts,
which, together with the secondary quills, are externally margined
and tipped with dull white. Tail brownish-black, deeper towards the
end, each feather largely tipped with white, of which colour also is
part of the outer web of the lateral feathers. Under parts greyish-
white, throat and fore-neck pure white, the breast tinged with ash-
grey.
Length 8¼ inches, extent of wings 14½; bill along the ridge 7⁄12,
along the gap 1.

Adult Female. Plate LXXIX. Fig. 2.

The female is duller in colouring; the upper parts being lighter and
tinged with brown, the under parts more dusky, the orange spot on
the head smaller and not so bright, and the white tip of the tail less
pure and not so extensive.
 The Cotton-wood.

Populus candicans, Willd. Sp. Pl. vol. iv. p. 806. Pursh, Fl. Amer. vol. ii. p. 618. Mich.
Arbr. Forest. de l'Amer. Sept. vol. iii. Pl. 13.—Diœcia octandria, Linn. Amentaceæ,
Juss.

This species of Poplar is distinguished by its broadly cordate,

acuminate, unequally and obtusely serrated, venous leaves; hairy
petioles, resinous buds, and round twigs. The leaves are dark green
above, whitish beneath. The resinous substance with which the buds
are covered has an agreeable smell. The bark is smooth, of a
greenish tint.
 THE PRAIRIE TITLARK.

Anthus pipiens.

PLATE LXXX. Male.

I shot two of these birds whilst traversing one of the extensive

prairies of our North-western States. Five of them had been running
along the foot-path before me, for some time. I at first looked upon
them as of the Common Brown Titlark species (Anthus Spinoletta),
but as they rose on the wing, the difference of their notes struck
me, and, shooting at them, I had the good fortune to kill two, which
I discovered, on examination, to be of a new and distinct species,
although in the general appearance of their plumage they were very
nearly allied to the Brown Titlark. The rest I pursued in vain, and
was forced to abandon the chase on account of the approach of
night, and the necessity of preparing for rest after a long walk.
The flight of the Prairie Titlark is irregular, and performed by jerks,
although greatly protracted, when the bird is pursued or frightened.
At short intervals these birds plunged through the air, came towards
the ground, and flew close over the prairie, as if about to alight, and
again rising, made a large circuit. In this manner they continued all
the time I saw them on wing. Whilst on the ground they ran briskly,
vibrating their tail, whenever they stopped, and picking up the
insects near them.
The notes of the Prairie Titlark are clear and sharp, consisting of a
number of tweets, the last greatly prolonged. The two individuals
which I procured proved to be males. They seemed to be in
imperfect plumage, it being then the month of October, and the
crescent on their breast not being so distinctly defined at the
surface, as it was deeper among the feathers. Of their mode of
nestling, and other habits, I can say nothing, as I never happened to
meet with another individual of the species.

Anthus pipiens.

Male. Plate LXXX.

Bill straight, slender, compressed, acuminate; upper mandible
carinated at the base, rounded on the sides, the edges inflected
towards the tip, which is slightly decimate and notched; lower
mandible ascending in its dorsal outline. Nostrils basal, lateral,
elliptical, half closed above by a membrane. The general form
slender. Feet of ordinary length; tarsus slender, compressed; toes
free; claws of the fore toes arched, compressed, acute, of the hind
toe very long, subulate-compressed, nearly straight.
Plumage soft, blended. Wings of ordinary length, first, second, and
third quills longest, the secondaries notched at the tip. Tail long,
emarginate.
Bill dark brown, the under mandible orange at the base. Iris hazel.
Feet brownish-black. The general colour of the upper parts is dull
olive-brown; a brownish-white line over the eye; auricular coverts
blackish. Under parts pale yellowish-grey; an obscure lunule of
brownish-black on the fore neck, the lower part of which, and the
sides, are streaked with dark brown, and tinged with reddish-brown.
Length 6½ inches, bill along the ridge ½, along the gap ¾; tarsus
⅚, middle toe ¾, hind toe ¾.
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