the earliest ages, as the symbol of stupidity. Their sight is sharp and
piercing, and they enjoy a remarkable delicacy of hearing. Their sense
of smell, moreover, may be compared to that of the Crow. Their
watchfulness seems never at fault. When they either sleep or eat, one of
their number is placed as a sentinel. With neck stretched out and head
in the air, it scrutinises the distant horizon in every direction,
ready, at the slightest alarm, to give a signal of danger to the rest of
the flock.
The flight of Wild Geese indicates no slight degree of intelligence.
They place themselves in two slanting lines, forming a < shaped angle,
or sometimes in a single line, if the flock is not very numerous. This
arrangement allows each bird to follow the main body with the least
possible amount of resistance, and at the same time to keep its rank.
When the individual which leads the flight begins to be fatigued, it
takes its place in the rear, each bird in its turn leading the flock.
These birds are too numerous to travel in large flocks; it would appear,
therefore, as if they fixed upon some points where they separate in
order to distribute themselves over various countries. In Europe Wild
Geese come principally from Asia. On their arrival here, the flocks
disperse themselves over different districts. In our land they make
their appearance towards the beginning of winter, and depart towards the
end of April. Formerly they are said to have been abundant, and to have
been even permanently resident; now they are rare, and are seldom known
to breed with us. On their arrival they resort to open pastures and
cultivated fields, feeding on the roots of aquatic grasses, young corn,
clover, and other green herbage. On an alarm being given by the sentinel
on watch, they all erect their necks, run forward, and, uttering their
loud, grating cry, spring into the air, departing with a heavy,
measured, and lofty flight. According to Temminck, "the Wild Goose
inhabits the seas, coasts, and marshes of eastern countries, seldom
advancing northward beyond the fifty-third degree; it is abundant in
Germany and in Central Europe; occasionally, in its migrations, it halts
in small numbers in Holland." Those which visit France are the
harbingers of the frost; and when they make an early appearance, it is
well known that the winter will be a severe one.
Although they live little in the water, Wild Geese repair every evening
to the ponds and rivers in their neighbourhoods to pass the night; so
that the Wild Goose only takes to the water when the Wild Duck is
leaving it. These birds are very difficult to shoot in consequence of
their lofty flight, from which they only descend when they see the water
on which they are to pass the night. Even then their excessive caution
renders nearly useless all the stratagems of the sportsman. The attempt
is sometimes made to take them in the evening with nets, the wild ones
being attracted by means of tame Geese, which are trained to act as
decoys.
The Ostiacs, on the banks of the Obi, in Siberia, pile up the snow, and,
with the addition of branches, construct small huts. Near these they
place some stuffed birds in the water; the Wild Geese dart on these and
peck them to pieces. While thus busily occupied, they can easily be shot
or taken with nets.
But the most curious and difficult mode of capturing them is that
followed by the adventurous inhabitants of St. Kilda, a little islet on
the west coast of Scotland. Wild Geese of several species make their
nests there in large flocks at the foot of the sea-washed rocks which
surround the island. It is very doubtful if the Wild Goose, _Anser
ferus_, is found among these. Both for strength and economy, the
inhabitants use a cord made of thongs of twisted cow-hide covered with
sheep-skin. With a rope of this description, two men climb to the top of
a cliff; there they fasten themselves to either end of the cord; then
one lets himself down over the face of the cliff, and the other clings
to the rugged points above. The first man fills a sack with the eggs,
and suspends by their claws as many goslings as he can hang to various
parts of his person. When he has made his collection, his companion
hoists him up by main force, twisting the cord round his own body after
the manner of a windlass.
This aërial and dangerous sport is very productive. A cow-hide rope
forms a large portion of the dowry of a St. Kilda girl, and very often
it is the sole dependence of a household. The hardy sportsmen have so
much coolness and nerve, that accidents very rarely happen.
The Bean Goose (_Anas segetum_) of most authors differs from the
preceding in being somewhat smaller, and having the bill more slender,
although not much shorter; the hind part of the back is also dark brown.
In its habits it closely resembles the Wild Goose, for which it has
probably been frequently mistaken. Vast flocks of this species frequent
the northern waters, such as Montrose Bay, the mouth of the Findhorn,
and especially the inland waters of Ross and Sutherland--thirty or forty
pairs having their nests annually on Lake Laighal.
The Domestic or Common Goose (_Anser sylvestris_) has been made the
source of great utility and profit. It appears to be the civilised
offspring of the Wild Goose, to which it bears the same proportions as
other tame animals bear to their prototypes. Mr. Yarrell was of opinion
that the White-fronted Goose (_Anser albifrons_) has concurred, with the
_Anser ferus_, in producing our domestic race.
In our poultry-yards the Domestic Goose begins, in the month of March,
to lay from eight to twelve eggs. When they remain on the nest longer
than usual, they are about to "sit." Incubation lasts for a month. No
birds are more easily reared than goslings; they issue from the shell
full of life, and covered with a delicate down. It is, however,
necessary to keep them shut up for the first few days; if the weather
permits, they may soon be released. Their first food is a paste formed
of barley roughly ground, mixed with bran, moistened, and boiled in
milk, with the addition of a few chopped-up lettuce leaves. When at
large, it is necessary to keep them carefully from hemlock and other
poisonous plants.
Our ancestors, the Celts, the Gauls, and the Franks, reared a large
number of these birds, and carried on a considerable trade in them,
especially with Italy. Pliny, in his "Natural History," relates that he
has seen immense droves of Geese, which were making their way towards
Rome from different districts of Gaul, but especially from the
country of the Morini (now forming the departments of the Nord and
Pas-de-Calais). The conductors of these feathered flocks were in the
habit of placing the tired ones in front, so that, being pushed forward
by the whole column behind them, they were forced to move on in spite of
themselves. In the present day, numerous flocks of Geese are driven in
the same manner into Spain from the French departments of Lot, Dordogne,
Lot-et-Garonne, Gers, Tarn, &c.
The Goose, in its coarse and somewhat democratic condition, was good
enough food for the Romans of the republic; but at a later period, when
the people became more refined in their tastes, they invented a
barbarous method of fattening it. By depriving them of water, movement,
and light, an extraordinary development of the liver was produced, which
gave them a particularly savoury flavour. This invention--the triumph of
modern gastronomy--dates as far back as the days of Augustus and Varro;
indeed, two persons of consular dignity disputed the honour of being its
originator.
In order to fatten Geese in this way, an abundant supply of food is
administered, at the same time depriving them of light and exercise.
This food consists of balls made up of maize and wheat, with which the
poor creatures are crammed three times a day. In some countries they
force whole grains of maize down their throats. At the end of about four
or five weeks the fattening process is perfect. This is at all events
considered to be the case when the wretched Palmipede exhibits signs of
suffocation. This is certainly a cruel method of feeding; nevertheless,
it is only by this plan that the delicious fat and plump livers so much
appreciated by epicures can be obtained. The liver undergoes an
alteration which in the end must prove fatal to the bird; in fact, it
assumes enormous development; and the epicures, who hold it in such high
favour, regard as a dainty this diseased liver!
The introduction of the Turkey has led to the culture of the Goose being
more neglected in Europe; nevertheless, the latter bird is a source of
prosperity at the present day in many parts of France, and in many a
rural district in England. In ancient times there was no entertainment
or family festival without the traditional Goose smoking on the board.
In England the Goose is still considered a festival bird. A custom
intimately associated with their national history still dictates that
every true Englishman should partake of Goose on Michaelmas Day.
The flesh, and especially the fat of the Goose, keeps perfectly when
salted down. In parts of the world, in this state it is much employed
for culinary purposes. The enormous succulent livers which are found in
these precious birds after their forcible fattening are used to make the
delicious Strasbourg pies. Those of Nérac, as well as those of Toulouse,
are made more of Ducks' livers, for the latter birds can be fattened in
very nearly the same way as the Goose.
The down and feathers of Geese are objects of considerable trade. Before
the invention of steel pens, the only implement that was used for
writing was the quill plucked from the wing of the Goose. Great care was
necessary in _dressing_ them. This was done by passing the barrel of the
quill through hot ashes, or plunging it into boiling water, with other
clarifying processes.
From under the neck, the wings, and the breast of the birds, the down is
taken. This operation takes place every two months, from March until
autumn.
Geese are certainly not so stupid as they are usually said to be. The
following facts will perhaps enable us to appreciate the moral qualities
which distinguish them:--
In Scotland a Goose became so attached to its master, that it followed
him about everywhere, just like a dog. One day this gentleman, after
mixing with the crowd which was moving about the town he resided in,
went into a barber's shop to get shaved. The faithful bird had followed
him, and waited at the door until his master came out, in order to
attend him in his subsequent movements, and then accompanied him back to
his home. This intelligent creature could recognise its master's voice,
although clothed in any disguise.
In Germany a Gander was in the habit of leading an old blind woman to
church every Sunday. It guided her by the skirt of her dress, always
conducting her to the seat in the church which she usually occupied.
Afterwards it returned into the churchyard to browse upon the grass.
When the service was over, it waited, just like a faithful dog, to take
charge of its mistress. One day, when the minister called upon her and
found her from home, he expressed his astonishment that the poor blind
woman should venture out alone. "Ah, sir," replied her daughter, "we
have no fears about her--the Gander is with her." Our blind people would
make their fortune if they could replace their traditional dog by a
guide of this novel kind.
The _Bernicle_, or Tree Geese, are so called from a foolish tradition
of the Middle Ages of their being produced from the barnacle shell
which attaches itself to ships' bottoms and timber floating in the
sea. They differ from the true Geese in having the head smaller,
the bill shorter and more conical, the breast-feathers much larger,
and in the predominance of black in their plumage, bills, and feet.
The plumage is full, very soft, and close. There are several species
of _Bernicla_, which some recent writers have formed into a genus
under that somewhat inappropriate name, the best-known species
being the White-faced or Bernicle Goose, _Anser leucopsis_, Temminck,
and the Black-faced or Brent Goose, _Anser bernicla_, of the
same author.
THE WHITE-FRONTED BERNICLE GOOSE.
ENGLISH SYNONYMS.--Bernicle Goose: Selby, Montagu. White-faced Bernicle
Goose: McGillivray. Common Bernicle: Jenyns. Clukis: Selby.
LATIN SYNONYMS.--_Anas bernicla_: Linn. _Anas erythropus_: Latham.
_Anser leucopsis_: Temminck, Jenyns. _Anser bernicla_: Selby. _Bernicla
leucopsis_: Bonaparte, McGillivray.
FRENCH SYNONYM.--_Oie bernache._
In its winter plumage this is a beautiful Goose, much smaller than those
just described, but with a full body, long neck, and a small, oblong,
and compressed head, with soft glossy plumage well blended on the head,
neck, and breast. It occurs in considerable flocks in the Outer
Hebrides, where it arrives in October, and remains till April. A large
flock of these birds sitting lightly on the water, advancing with
elevated necks, presents a very beautiful spectacle. Nor are they less
handsome on the wing as they shoot through the air, now arranged in long
undulating ranks, at one time extending in the direct line of their
flight, at another flying obliquely, or at right angles to it, and
again mingling altogether under some unexplained impulse. Their voice,
as it proceeds from a large flock at some distance off, is clear and
shrill, producing a pleasant harmony.
The Brent Goose, or Black-faced Bernicle, is much smaller than the
_Anser leucopsis_, and easily distinguished from it by the face and head
being entirely black. They seem to have visited our shores in great
numbers in former years. In the years 1739-40 these birds were so
abundant on the French coast that the people rose _en masse_ to destroy
them, and so numerous on the Kentish coast that many were taken in a
starving condition. Mr. McGillivray met with large flocks of them in
Cromarty Bay, Beauley Firth, and Montrose Basin. Mr. Selby observed them
as constant visitors on the shallow waters between Holy Island and the
mainland, and other parts of the coast.
[Illustration: Fig. 98.--White-fronted Bernicle Goose (_Anser
erythropus_).]
THE SWAN (_Cygnus_).
The Swan, which belongs to the family of Lamellirostral Palmipedes, has
been an object of admiration in all ages for its noble and elegant
proportions, the graceful curvature of its neck, its small and shapely
oval head, its beak so prominent at the base, the gracefully-swelling
rotundity of its body, its plumage so abundant in down, and its colour
of purest white of the species with which we are most familiar, and is
the finest and largest of all our aquatic birds. On the water it is a
picture of elegant ease; it swims apparently without effort, and with
great rapidity; on the wing it rises to a great height, but on shore its
walk is slow and cumbersome. It is found in Europe, Asia, and America;
and in Australia the Black Swan, for ages the _rara avis_ of the poets,
is very abundant. In the wild state it lives on the lakes, rivers, and
sea-coasts of both hemispheres, feeding on such seeds, leaves, roots,
water-insects, frogs, and worms as come in its way. In its domestic
state it is the charm and ornament of our lakes and rivers; but, except
in some few instances, it is only kept for show, being jealous and cruel
in disposition, and incapable of being tamed.
[Illustration: Fig. 99.--Swans (_Cygnus olor_).]
The ancients thought the voice of the Swan musical and harmonious, and
its gracefully-rounded form and stately neck inspired many poets, who
have described it as the bird of gods and goddesses. The poetical
imagination of the Greeks, in short, associated their most agreeable
ideas with its name. It was one of their pleasing fictions that in dying
and breathing out its last sigh, the Swan celebrated its death by a
melodious song; or, as Eloy Johanneau has it--
"Le Cygne, à la fin de la vie,
Fait entendre un touchant accord,
Et d'une voix affaiblie
Chante lui-même en mort."
Buffon himself has drawn the portraiture of this bird in words more
poetical than true:--"The Swan," he says, "reigns over the water by
every claim which can constitute an empire of peace, grandeur, majesty,
and kindness.... He lives more in the character of a friend than a
monarch amid the numerous tribes of aquatic birds, all of which seem
willingly to place themselves under his rule."
The great naturalist certainly allowed himself to be led away by his
enthusiasm, and perhaps by his classic recollections; for the Swan,
although elegant and majestic in form, and graceful in its movements on
the water, is clumsy and awkward when on land; it is, besides, spiteful
and quarrelsome. It attacks every animal, and even man. The Swans in the
gardens of the Luxembourg at Paris had taken an aversion to all the
keepers, and whenever they saw one, they all came out of the water in
order to pick a quarrel with him.
The principal strength of the Swan does not lie in its beak, but
in its wings--a most effective offensive weapon, of which it takes
every advantage. In spite of its bad qualities, however, the Swan is
the most ornamental of all our aquatic birds. Its beak is flesh
colour, edged with black, and its plumage white as snow.
Its song, or rather its cry, is indeed far from being harmonious.
It is a dull and harsh sibilation, not at all agreeable to listen to.
Some of the poets, however, have not believed the fable which
attributes to these birds a sonorous and melodious voice. Virgil
perfectly well knew how hoarse the note of the Swan really was--
"Dant sonitum rauci per stagna loquacia cycni."
Lucretius also says--
"Parvus cycni canor."
THE WHOOPING SWAN.
ENGLISH SYNONYMS.--Whistling Swan: Montagu, Selby, Jenyns. Whooping
Swan: McGillivray. Wild Swan: Hooper, Elk.
LATIN SYNONYMS.--_Anas cygnus ferus_: Linn. _Anas cygnus_: Latham,
Temminck. _Cygnus ferus_: Selby, Jenyns. _Cygnus musicus_: Bonaparte,
McGillivray.
FRENCH SYNONYMS.--_Cygne à bec jaune_: Temminck. _Cygne sauvage_ of
authors.
This is, in all probability, the Swan so celebrated among the ancients.
It is found in the northern regions of Europe and Asia; residing in
summer within the Arctic circle, and migrating southwards and visiting
Holland, France, and the British Islands in winter, although
occasionally breeding in the north of Scotland. Southward, it extends to
Barbary and Egypt; eastward, it wanders as far as Japan. The note of the
Wild Swan is a sort of whoop, uttered several times in succession--a
hoarse, hard, and rather discordant cry--and this has given it the name
we have adopted; for it is difficult to imagine the grounds on which the
Prince of Canino gave it the name of _Cygnus musicus_.
The peculiar organic distinction of the Swan is the great length of the
neck, consisting of twenty-three vertebræ, and the cavity in the sternum
for the reception of the trachea, which is admirably described by Mr.
Yarrell as descending the passage between the two branches of the forked
bone called the merrythought to a level with the keel of the
breast-bone, which is double, and receives the tube of the trachea
between its two sides, which here turns upon itself after traversing the
whole length of the keel, and passes upwards and forwards, and again
backwards, till it ends in the vertical bone where the two bronchial
tubes go off, one to each lobe of the lungs. This is the apparatus
through which the cry is produced, which is variously described as a
whistle, a whoop, or a song, according to the fancy of the writer. They
fly at a great height when on a migratory journey, and in a wedge-like
figure, uttering this note as they proceed, and when heard at a distance
it is not unmusical. Mr. McGillivray listened to a flock of Wild Swans
coming in from the Atlantic after a gale: their clear, loud, and
trumpet-like cries delighted him as they sped their way in lengthened
files; but they were too far off for him to decide whether or not they
were of this species.
From six to eight eggs, of a greenish white, the female lays, and the
incubation lasts about six weeks. The cygnets are at first covered with
a grey down, and do not put on their adult plumage until the third year.
Swans care but little for concealing their broods, as they feel
confident of their power to protect them against every enemy. They will
fight even with the Eagle itself, harassing it with beak and wings,
until the marauder is glad to make a more or less honourable retreat.
In the protection of their young they display extraordinary courage. On
one occasion a female Swan was sitting on the bank of a river, when she
perceived a fox swimming towards her from the opposite bank. Thinking
that she would be better able to defend herself in her natural element,
she took to the water and went to meet the enemy which was threatening
her brood. She soon reached him, and, springing upon him with much fury,
gave him such a violent blow with her wing that the fox was disabled,
and consequently drowned.
The male Swan is equally with the female attentive to the young brood,
and watches them with a rare devotion. He carries them about on his
back, takes them under his wings to warm them, and never abandons them
while they are still young. It is a beautiful sight to see him gliding
over the water at the head of his young flock, looking far ahead with an
inquisitive eye, and prepared to sweep away any opposing obstacle;
whilst the mother keeps some distance behind, ready to protect the rear.
How much, too, are they to be admired as they sail majestically over the
surface of some solitary lake! If you hide yourself behind the thick
reeds so that they have no suspicion of your presence, you may see these
noble birds bending their necks into the most graceful curves, plunging
their heads into the water, catching it up in their bills, and
scattering it behind them, the drops falling round their bodies in
glittering rain; or when, beating the water with powerful wing, stirring
up a foamy wave, you may behold them all on a sudden, they will briskly
spring up and glide majestically over the surface of the water, cleaving
it before them with their graceful bodies as the ploughman opens a
furrow in the ground with his ploughshare.
Sometimes, however, these elegant birds engage in terrible combats with
one another, which often lead to the death of one of the contestants.
The Domestic Swan, a more civilised and well-informed bird, does not
push matters quite so far; but Wild Swans, which live in the regions of
the North--in the lakes of Iceland and Lapland--hold sanguinary
tournaments in honour of their fair ones. A combat between two Swans is
a duel to the death, in which both adversaries display not only
unequalled strength and fury, but also considerable skill and
perseverance. The strife will sometimes last several days, and does not
terminate until one of the foes has succeeded in twisting his neck round
that of his enemy, and has been able to hold him down under water long
enough to drown him.
But let us turn from this warlike spectacle and admire the Swan at the
moment when, impelled by the stimulus of love, it displays all the
graces with which nature has endowed it. Their long and supple necks
entwine with one another like garlands of snow, their plumage swells up
with gentle undulations, and they display all the splendour of their
beauty.
The Swan is certainly conscious of its good looks and grace, for it is
constantly busying itself either in cleansing or polishing its feathers.
Besides, it unites the useful and the ornamental, by extirpating the
weeds which stagnate at the bottom, and by thus transforming what would
be a nasty pool into a clear sheet of water.
These birds do not afford good sport with the gun, being unapproachable.
In Iceland and Kamtschatka, Swan-hunting takes place during the season
of moulting, because the birds are then unable to fly. Dogs trained to
this sport chase and run them down; the birds, being soon worn out with
fatigue, are easily killed with sticks.
The Russians have another mode of killing Swans. When the snows melt,
they allure them by means of stuffed Geese and Ducks. The Swans dart
furiously on these decoys. The sportsmen, hidden in a hut constructed of
branches of trees and heaps of snow, at short range easily shoot them.
The flesh of the Swan is very indifferent in flavour. Our fore-fathers
ate it, but merely from ostentation, for it was only served up on the
tables of the greatest nobles. At the present day, the city of Norwich
has a preserve for Swans, which are only eaten at the municipal feasts,
or sent as presents to distinguished individuals. In these cases, the
birds being young and tenderly fed, are by no means, if properly cooked,
a dish to be despised. The inhabitants of the frozen regions of the
extreme north, even with their imperfect system of _cuisine_, do not
entirely disdain it; but the cause for this is apparently something
analogous to the philosophical saying, "as there are no thrushes, we eat
blackbirds."
[Illustration: Fig. 100.--Black Swans (_Cygnus atratus_).]
The river Thames is remarkable for the number of Swans which live on it.
The greater quantity of them belong to the Queen; the others chiefly to
the Vintners' and Dyers' Companies of the City of London; but we never
heard that these feast their guests on the noble birds. Deputations from
the companies make an annual visit to their preserves, called
Swan-hopping, or capering--that is, catching the cygnets, and marking
them in the presence of the royal swanherd with the distinguishing brand
of the society to whom the parent bird belonged.
* * * * *
Two species of Swans were recognised by Linnæus; but later naturalists,
and notably the Prince of Canino, record four species known in
Europe--namely, _Cygnus olor_, _C. immutabilis_, _C. musicus_, and _C.
Bewickii_--besides the American species, namely, _C. americanus_ and _C.
buccinator_. There is another species, peculiar to Australia, which is
entirely black: efforts have been made successfully to naturalise it in
Europe.
THE BLACK SWAN (_Cygnus atratus_).
SYNONYMS.--_Anas Plutonia_: Shaw. _Chenopis_: Wagler.
We here give a representation (Fig. 100) of the Black Swan of Australia.
This bird, which has now become so common in our ornamental waters, in
some respects resembles the White species; it is all black, except a few
of the secondary feathers, which are white. In a state of nature, the
Black Swans are generally seen in flocks of eight or nine floating on
lakes. When disturbed, they fly in single file, and are so shy that it
is very difficult to get within gunshot when in captivity. Their note is
less harsh than that of the Whooping Swan.
THE FRIGATE BIRD (_Fregata_, Ray).
ENGLISH SYNONYM.--Man-of-war Bird: Sloane.
LATIN SYNONYM.--_Tachypetes_: Vieillot.
The Frigate Bird is principally characterised by a strong, robust,
trenchant bill, longer than the head, with mandibles hooked at the
point; nostrils linear; orbits naked; throat dilatable; the front of the
neck bare of feathers; wings very long and narrow, first two feathers
longest; tail lengthy and forked; feet short; toes united by a membrane
deeply notched.
The Frigate Bird spreads its wings to the extent of three yards; its
power of flight is, therefore, very great. It inhabits the tropical seas
of both the Old and New World, and navigators assure us that they have
met with it two or three hundred leagues from any shore. When a
hurricane arises they mount up far above the storm, and remain in these
empyrean regions until it is again fine weather. In consequence of their
immense expansion of wing, they can sustain themselves in the air for
days together without taking or requiring rest.
Their sight is so piercing that, at a distance far beyond that which
would render them invisible to us, they can perceive the flights of
_Exocoeti_, or Flying Fish. From their elevated situation, they dart
down upon their winged prey, which has relinquished its native element;
and, keeping their neck and feet in a horizontal position, and thus
grazing the waves, they grasp their victim, which little expected to
meet with an enemy in the element which it sought for safety. It is no
unusual thing for it to rob the Gannet of the fish which it has just
caught: the unfortunate bird thus acts as purveyor to this sea-robber.
The Frigate Bird is of such a combative temperament, and has such an
unbounded confidence in its strength, that it is not afraid to defy even
man. It has been known to dash at a sailor, and to snatch at the fish
which he held in his hand. M. de Kerhoënt, a French navigator, relates
that, during a residence at the Island of Ascension, a perfect cloud of
Frigate Birds surrounded his crew. They hovered about, a few feet above
the coppers of the open-air kitchen, in order to carry off the meat,
without being intimidated in the least by the presence of his followers.
Some of them approached so near that M. de Kerhoënt knocked down one of
the impudent intruders with a blow of his stick.
When these birds have thoroughly feasted on fish, or any other of the
marine creatures which constitute their food, they take flight
landwards, and proceed to perch upon a tree, in order to digest their
food in peace.
They assemble in large flocks on the islands where they are accustomed
to breed. In the month of May they begin to repair their old, or
construct new nests. They pluck off small dry branches with their beaks,
and with these pieces of stick crossed and recrossed a foundation is
formed. These nests are suspended from trees which hang over the water,
or are placed on rocks in desert islands, overhanging the sea; in them
they lay two or three eggs, said to be of a carnation colour dotted with
crimson.
These birds are common in the Brazils, in the Island of Ascension, at
Timor, the Ladrone Islands, and the Moluccas: in fact, they are to be
found in most tropical countries. Navigators, struck with the lightness
of their flight and their slender shape, have given them the name they
bear, thus comparing them with the fleetest and most elegant of
men-of-war. Sir Hans Sloane, who saw numbers of them at Jamaica,
describes them under the name of Man-of-War Birds. "They fly," he says,
"like Kites, look black, are very large-winged in proportion to their
size, and they fight with Sea Gulls for their prey." They are eminently
raptorial. Ray speaks of their eagle eye, vulturine claws, and cat-like
gliding movements, their immense extent of wing, and their dashing
swoop.
* * * * *
The Palmipede we are about to notice received from Linnæus the
mythological name of Phaeton, in allusion to the son of Apollo and
Clymene, who is said to have made an audacious attempt to drive the
chariot of the Sun.
PELICANS.
The _Pelicanidæ_, which Mr. Gray makes his sixth and last family of
Palmipedes, includes Cuvier's Totipalmes, or birds having the hind-toe
united to the others by a single membrane. This extensive family
comprehends the Tropic Birds (_Phaeton_), the Anhingas (_Plotus_), the
Boobies (_Sula_), the Cormorants (_Phalacrocorax_), and the Pelicans
(_Pelicanus_).
The group comprehends those birds which have the base of the bill
denuded of feathers, the nostrils mere slots, in which the opening is
scarcely perceptible; the skin of the throat more or less capable of
distension; the tongue small. Some of the group are large and heavy
birds, but they are all gifted with powerful wings; they are, at the
same time, good swimmers.
THE TROPIC BIRD (_Phaeton_).
SYNONYMS.--_Lepturus_: Moehr. _Tropicoliphus_: Leach. Tropic Bird:
Sloane, Catesby, and others.
These birds are well known to navigators as the harbingers which
foretell the approach to the Tropics. They are distinguished
by two long, slender tail-feathers, whence their French name of
Paille-en-Queue. They are gifted with great length of wing, which, with
their feeble feet, proclaims them formed especially for flight. They are
accordingly swift and untiring on the wing, heedlessly going far out to
sea; forming, as Lesson remarks, a well-defined and purely geographical
group, their homes being in rocky islands, to which they usually return
every night. Nevertheless, he frequently met with them in sea-tracks far
from any land, possibly they having been swept, by the sudden squalls
and hurricanes so frequent in equatorial seas, beyond their natural
limits.
[Illustration: Fig. 101.--Tropic Bird (_Phaeton æthereus_, Linn.).]
The Common Tropic Bird, _Phaeton æthereus_, seems to confine itself,
according to this writer, to the Atlantic Ocean, stopping on the
confines of the Indian Ocean; the other species, _Phaeton Phoenicurus_,
seeming to belong further eastward, both meeting in nearly equal numbers
at the Mauritius and other islands of the same group. Their flight is
described as calm, quiet, and composed of frequent strokes of the wing,
interrupted by sudden falls. The bird is about the size of a Partridge,
with red bill and markings under the lower mandible; in general
appearance it resembles the Gulls, but has longer and more powerful
wings; the legs and feet are vermilion red, the latter webbed; the tail
has two long, narrow feathers. One of their breeding-places is the
Bermudas, where the high rocks which surround the island are a
protection from the attacks of the fowler. _P. Phoenicurus_ is a larger
bird, being thirteen inches from the bill to the root of the tail; the
long tail-feathers being red of the deepest hue.
The appearance of this bird announces, as we have said, that the
navigators have entered the torrid zone, as this bird rarely goes beyond
the limits of this region. It sometimes, however, pushes out to sea to a
distance of a hundred leagues. When they are fatigued, aided by their
large webbed feet, they rest upon the waves. Like many other ocean
birds, their peculiar organisation prevents them settling from choice on
the ground. They are, therefore, compelled to skim continually over the
water, in which they feed upon the fish and mollusks, which form their
principal food. When they are on the shore, the immense spread of their
wings induces them to choose some elevated spot for a perch, such as the
top of a tree or the summit of a rock. Worn out by fatigue, if they
settle on the water, they are forced to wait until they are lifted up on
the crest of a wave before they can again take flight. Their mode of
flying is rather curious, for they communicate to their wings a kind of
quivering motion, as if overcome by exhaustion.
These birds seek some remote and solitary islet for the purpose of
breeding. They build their nests in holes in lofty trees, or in the
clefts of rocks, but always in some position difficult of access. They
lay two or three eggs. The young ones, when just hatched, owing to their
dazzling-coloured down, bear a considerable resemblance to powder-puffs.
There are three species of the Phaeton--the Red-tailed Phaeton (_Phaeton
Phoenicurus_), with white plumage, shaded with a light rose-coloured
tint, having the two long feathers of the tail of a red hue. It inhabits
the seas of India and Africa, Madagascar, the Isle of France, and the
Pacific Ocean. The White-tailed Phaeton (_Phaeton æthereus_), with white
plumage, with the two long feathers in the tail white. It is a native of
the Atlantic Ocean. The Yellow-beaked Phaeton (_Phaeton flavirostris_)
is distinguished by the colour of its beak. It is a native of the
islands of Bourbon and Mauritius.
THE DARTER (_Anhinga_).
SYNONYMS.--_Plotus_: Linn., Klein, Scopoli. _Anhinga_: Brisson,
Temminck. _Darter_ of English and American writers.
[Illustration: Fig. 102.--Darter (_Anhinga_, Levaillant).]
The Darter (Fig. 102) has a straight and pointed bill, with
indentations at the point, turned in a backward direction. Its head is
slender and cylindrical, and forms the termination of a slim and
excessively long neck, which gives it much the resemblance of a serpent
grafted on a bird. In all its movements this neck is the counterpart of
the reptile, and imitates its undulations; therefore, in the United
States it has received the name of the "Serpent-Bird." They are untiring
swimmers and excellent divers. When any danger threatens them, they dive
completely under water, and do not reappear until they have found some
tufts of reeds in which to hide, even should the distance be as much as
one thousand feet from the spot where it disappeared. These birds are of
a wild and suspicious nature, confining themselves to solitary places.
They perch upon trees which grow by the sides of a pool or river, in
order to dart upon any unfortunate fish which comes within their reach,
which they seize with extraordinary address, swallowing it whole if not
too large. If they cannot manage this, they carry it to a rock, where
they dismember it with their beak and claws.
The Anhinga builds its nest on the topmost branches of trees,
constructing it of dried twigs and reeds, and lining it inside with a
thick layer of down.
Only two species of the Anhinga are known: the _Anhinga (Plotus)
Levaillantii_, a native of Africa, the plumage of which is black from
the breast to the tail; and the Black-bellied Darter (_Plotus
melanogaster_), an American species.
Levaillant, in his usual lively manner, relates that he was induced to
visit a rich proprietor in the Canton of the Twenty-four Rivers by a
tempting description he received of two extraordinary birds which
haunted the vicinity. They frequented a particular tree, and baffled him
more than once by their skill; but at length he got within shot, and
killed both of them right and left. He describes them as diving for
fish. When they caught a small one it was swallowed; when a large one,
it was carried to a rock or the trunk of a tree, when the bird, fixing
it beneath its feet, picked it to pieces with its bill. Though the water
is its favourite element, it is on trees and rocks, he tells us, that it
establishes its nest and brings up its young, taking care to place the
nest so that the young may be precipitated into the water as soon as
they are able to swim, or when the safety of the family requires it.
THE GANNET (_Sula_).
SYNONYMS.--Solan Goose, Booby; _Fou de Bassan_ of the French.
The Gannet is a massively-made bird, not of graceful shape; it is larger
than a Duck, and has white plumage.
They have obtained the name of "Booby" from the supposed stupidity
which, rightly or wrongly, is attributed to them; for if a man finds one
of these birds standing in his way, the creature offers no resistance,
but will allow itself to be killed rather than abandon its position. The
Frigate Bird, with audacious rapacity, when it observes the Gannet catch
a fish, swoops down upon it and compels it to disgorge its prey. Their
somewhat imperfect organisation explains this habit of non-resistance.
The shortness of their legs and the excessive length of their wings
prevent them escaping from their enemies when on shore, nor have they
sufficient power of flight to avoid them in the air. But when they are
aloft they soar wonderfully, with their necks stretched out, the tail
expanded, and the wings almost motionless. Although they are strong on
the wing, they do not venture very far from shore, consequently they are
never met with more than twenty leagues at sea. Their appearance,
therefore, is considered by the mariner as an indication of the
proximity of land. In their flight they frequently skim over the surface
of the sea, catching such fish as swim near the top. The skin of their
throat is so readily distended that they can swallow their prey whole.
The Gannet is also an excellent diver, for it is able to remain more
than a minute under water when in pursuit of a favourite prey.
[Illustration: Fig. 103.--Gannet (_Sula Bassan_).]
These birds are found in every part of the globe, giving the preference,
however, to tropical countries; still they are plentiful in the
Hebrides, in Norway, Scotland, and are even found as far north as
Kamtschatka and the Gulf of Bothnia, according to Acerbi. But when
residents of high latitudes, they migrate southward on the approach of
cold weather. In the winter season they frequent the coast of Cornwall,
and are found, in fact, in every part of the British and Irish Channel,
generally keeping out at sea. They are constant attendants on the large
quantities of herrings and pilchards that frequent our coast late in
autumn.
This bird takes its prey by darting down on it with great velocity; yet
it does not appear to dive--swimming, it floats upon the water with the
buoyancy of a gull, not submerged, as is the case with the Shag and
Cormorant.
Three species of them are known: the Solan Goose, or Gannet (_Sula
Bassan_), which is very common on the Bass Rock, a small islet in the
Firth of Forth, and on the northern islands--this is the only European
species; the Common Gannet (_Sula dactylatra_), vulgarly called "Mouche
de Velours"--this is smaller than the preceding, and is found in the
Island of Ascension; the Brown Gannet (_Sula fusca_), which inhabits
South America.
THE CORMORANT (_Phalacrocorax_).
ENGLISH SYNONYMS.--Cormorant: Willoughby, Albin, Montagu. Great
Cormorant: Bewick, Yarrell. Crested Cormorant: Bewick. Cormorant: Shaw,
Latham, Lewin, Walcot, Pultney. Provincial: Great Black Cormorant, Cole
Goose, Skart, Green Cormorant, Norie.
LATIN SYNONYMS.--_Carbo carboranus_: Meyer. _Pelicanus carbo_: Linn.,
Latham, Gwellin. _Corvus aquaticus_: Ray, Willoughby. _Phalacrocorax_:
Brisson, Temminck, Cuvier, Bonaparte. _Halicus_: Illiger. _Hydrocorax_:
Vieillot.
The Cormorant is distinguished by a bill straight and compressed, the
upper mandible curving downwards, and forming a hook at the termination;
lower mandible inserted in a small membrane extending under the throat;
feet strong, short; toes three before and one behind, united by a
membrane; nail of the middle toe serrated; wings moderate, the first
quill longer than the second, the whole being blackish; the upper part
of the back and wings ashy brown, or bronzed in the middle, bordered by
a large band of glossy greenish black.
The Common Cormorant (Fig. 104) has a massive and rather awkward body,
feet short and drawn back to the abdomen, the head flattened and small,
the guttural pouch very small. Their bulk varies, according to the
species, from the size of a Goose to that of a Teal. On the south coast
of England they are large birds, Pennant having weighed one which
exceeded seven pounds, and measured three feet four inches. Their
blackish plumage has given the idea of some resemblance existing between
them and the Crow; hence their name, "Cormorant," from _Corvus vorans_,
which signifies a voracious Crow.
[Illustration: Fig. 104.--Cormorant (_Phalacrocorax carbo_, Gould).]
These birds have a wide geographical distribution, being found in all
parts of the globe, and always on the sea-coast or at the mouths of
rivers. They are excellent swimmers and clever divers, pursuing with
extraordinary rapidity the fish on which they feed.
The Cormorant swallows its prey head first; and if it happens to catch
it by the wrong end, it will throw it up in the air, and seize it again
in its bill as it descends in the proper position. When it has caught an
eel, a good half-hour sometimes elapses before it can succeed in
swallowing it. It may be seen making the most violent efforts to swallow
its prey; and just at the moment when one would think that the slippery
morsel was successfully absorbed, the fish suddenly reappears again from
the depths of its living sepulchre, still straggling to escape; the
Cormorant re-swallows it again; the eel still resists, and increases its
efforts to escape; worn out at last by its prolonged and useless
efforts, the victim is finally compelled to resign itself to its fate.
The appetite of the Cormorant is insatiable. The havoc which it commits
in rivers is very great, for one day's consumption frequently amounts to
six or eight pounds of fish: these it pursues principally under water,
for it is an expert diver, and most successful in its search for its
prey. In consequence of the skill displayed by the Cormorant in fishing,
and the ease with which it is tamed, it is reared in a semi-domestic
state in certain parts of Eastern Asia. The Chinese and Japanese are the
nations who best know how to utilise the habits of these birds. When
thus used a ring is placed round their necks to prevent them swallowing
their prey, before turning them loose in waters which abound with the
finny tribes. The Cormorants, trained to obey their master's voice, and
balked in their attempts to swallow by the ring round the neck, bring to
their owner all fish they capture. Sir George Stanton, in his embassy to
China, having reached Len-tze, famed for its breed of these birds, found
them to be a species somewhat resembling the Common Cormorant, described
by Dr. Shaw as a Brown Cormorant with white throat, the body whitish
beneath, spotted with brown; the tail rounded; irides blue, and bill
yellow; which he named _Phalacrocorax sinensis_. "On a large lake," Sir
George says, "close to this part of the canal, and to the eastward of
it, are thousands of small boats and rafts built entirely for this
species of fishery. On each boat or raft are ten or a dozen birds,
which, at a signal from the owner, plunge into the water; and it is
astonishing to see the enormous size of fish with which they return.
They appeared to be so well trained that it did not require either ring
or cord round their necks to prevent them swallowing their prey, except
when they received the permission of their master to do so, as an
encouragement for their labours."
The dexterity with which the Cormorant seizes its prey is such that if a
dead fish is thrown into the water from a distance, the bird will dive
immediately, pursuing its course in a direct line to the spot, never
failing to secure it, even before it reaches to the bottom. On shore the
Cormorant is a dull, heavy bird, and it is only in the water, and
especially while fishing, that it appears to advantage. It floats so low
in the water, and swims and dives so quickly, that it seldom fails to
capture its prey. Now on the surface, next moment below, onward it
plunges as if making an attack; then rising suddenly in some unexpected
spot after a lengthened dive, it is certain to have the unfortunate fish
in its bill.
Another peculiarity which belongs to this species is common with many
other aquatic birds--that of violently beating the water with its wings
without moving from the spot, followed by a vigorous shaking of the
whole body, with the feathers ruffled, and, at the same time, covering
itself with water. After repeating this several times with small
intervals of rest, it will retire to an elevated place on shore, where
it will remain with outspread wings until dry.
The flight of these birds is rapid and lasting; but they are as heavy
and awkward when on land as they are nimble and active in the water.
Their nature being unsuspicious and trustful, they can be easily
approached, particularly when resting after their fishing exertions.
The Cormorant is widely diffused both in the Old and New World. It is a
migratory bird, but is seen on our coast at all seasons. It breeds among
rocks on the coast, selecting crags and inaccessible places, which
sometimes are covered with their nests: these are composed of sticks and
sea-weed, in which the female deposits her eggs, generally three in
number, and which are of a whitish colour, weighing about two ounces.
In Egypt four species of Cormorants are known. The Great Cormorant
(_Carbo cormoranus_) is the size of a Goose; this species is often
domesticated, and is frequently met with in France.
THE GREEN CORMORANT, OR SHAG.
ENGLISH SYNONYMS.--Green Cormorant: McGillivray, Morris, Selby. Shag:
Montagu, Willoughby, McGillivray, Latham, Flemming. Crested Cormorant:
Morris. Crested Shag: Montagu, Selby, Jenyns.
LATIN SYNONYMS.--_Pelicanus graculus_: Linn., Latham, Montagu, Bewick.
_Phalacrocorax graculus_: Cuvier, Brisson, Rennies, Montagu,
McGillivray, Stephens, Flemming. _Phalacrocorax cristatus_: Meyer,
Temminck.
FRENCH SYNONYMS.--_Cormoran Larcup_: Temminck. _Petit Cormoran_, or
_Nigaud_: Buffon. _Cormoran Nigaud_: Figuier.
LOCAL SYNONYMS.--Black Cormorant, Crested Cormorant, Shag, Scart,
Scarer, Green Scout, and the Booby Cormorant.
This species is in weight about four pounds; the bill is dusky, and
about four inches in length; a bare yellow skin is situated along the
sides of the mouth and chin, the latter speckled with black. The whole
bird appears black at a little distance, but on nearer examination, the
head, neck, breast, and rump are of a glossy green. The feathers of the
upper part of the back, scapulars, and wing coverts are pointed, and
beautifully glossed with purple, violet, and green, each feather being
edged with a velvety black; the under part of the body is less glossed
with green; the legs are dusky black; middle claw serrated.
The female weighs over three pounds; the upper part of her body is dark,
not so densely glossed as in the male; but the margin of the feathers of
the scapulars and wing coverts is black, the under part dusky, with a
mixture of grey.
Such is Colonel Montagu's description of a pair shot from the nest, but
they vary in plumage and colour. In habit the Shag is strictly a
salt-water bird, never visiting fresh water, breeding on our rocky
coasts, where it builds a nest of stick and sea-weed. They resort to the
maritime caves of the Hebrides in such vast numbers that they literally
cover the sea to a considerable extent when on their passage from the
caves of Liuir and Toehead to their fishing-grounds in the sound. Mr.
McGillivray has counted a hundred and five in one flock. This picture
Mr. McGillivray makes the text for one of his most delightful
descriptions:--
"There is a large cave," he says, "on the west coast of Harris,
celebrated for the number of Shags which reside on it, and so lofty that
a boat can enter it to a considerable distance with lowering the masts.
When we appear off the mouth of the cave a considerable number appear
conspicuously perched on the little shelving rocks and projections,
their dusky figures strongly relieved by the whitened surface of the
rocks. Some of them fly overhead as we approach, but more drop into the
water like a stone. On looking down we see them rapidly winding their
way under the boat, swimming with outspread wings, and not at all in the
manner represented by some writers, who say that it propels itself
entirely under water by the feet and tail. Glancing aloft, we see many
Black Guillemots in the clefts; and above them is the eyrie of the
White-tailed Eagle. But our business is with the Shags, which are now
seen writhing their long necks as they gaze upon us. Presently a shot is
fired, and another; the dead birds drop on the water, the living plunge
headlong into it, many advance on the wing, but, being frightened by the
upraised oars, dart into the water.
"Advancing a little, we find that many still remain on the rocks; of
these we shoot some more. Presently some of those which had escaped
return, and perch; and we continue shooting until we have obtained as
many as we desire. After all the uproar we have created, several still
remain standing near their nests, loath to quit them. Although most of
the nests are out of reach, some are accessible. We find them generally
bulky, sometimes very scanty, formed of fuci, twigs, heath, and grass
rudely put together, made flat, or with a shallow cavity, containing
two, frequently three, sometimes four eggs, never more."
This bird has black plumage, as we have seen, is smaller than the one
preceding, and inhabits the Arctic and Antarctic regions. A bird nearly
resembling this (_Phalacrocorax Desmarestii_) is described by Temminck
and figured by Gould, a species which has been observed in Corsica, and
is of a blackish green. Montagu satisfied himself that the Crested
Cormorant was only a seasonal variety of the Common Cormorant; and
probably others of the species described, if carefully examined, would
prove to be the same. McGillivray is of opinion, however, if Mr. Gould's
figure is correct, the species must be distinct.
PELICANIDÆ.
A comprehensive group of aquatic birds presenting a uniformity of
structure quite apparent in the skeleton, and especially in the
digestive organs, of which the Pelican is the type. They are mostly
birds of large size, but of slender, elongated body, long neck, and head
generally of moderate size. The bill is long, sometimes slender, at
other times rather stout and straight; the upper mandible with the ridge
separated by grooves, and terminated in a narrow, decurved, and pointed
nail, or claw; the lower mandible elastic and extensible. The plumage is
soft and blending, on the back and wings compact and imbricated; wings
long, tail of moderate length and narrow.
The habits of the group vary considerably. Cormorants pursue their prey
much in the same manner as Mergansers and Loons; the Anhingas are
strictly territorial; the Pelicans combine the habits of both. The
Gannets fly about in quest of food, plunging upon it from on high. The
Frigate Birds range over the seas with unrivalled power of flight, and
the Tropic Birds resemble in progression the Terns. The family
comprises--
1. Pelicans.
2. Cormorants.
3. Gannets.
4. Phaetons.
5. Anhingas.
The Pelican (Fig. 105) has the bill long, straight, rather broad, and
very much depressed; upper mandible flattened, terminating in a hooked
tip much bent and compressed; lower mandible formed of two bony branches
united at the point, from which a membranous naked skin is suspended,
forming a purse, which can be distended into a voluminous bag. The
Pelicans are large, heavy aquatic birds, with great extent of wing, and
are excellent swimmers; their haunts are estuaries, the sea-coast, and
the banks of rivers, lakes, and marshes. In its habitat, whenever a fish
betrays its presence by leaping or flashing its glittering scales in the
sun, the Pelican will be seen sailing towards it.
This bird has an appetite so insatiable, and a stomach so capacious,
that, in one day's fishing, it devours as much fish as would satisfy six
men. The Egyptians have nicknamed it the "River Camel," because it can
imbibe at once more than twenty pints of water. Certainly it only makes
two meals a day; but, oh! what meals they are!
[Illustration: Fig. 105.--The Crested Pelican (_P. onocrotalus_, var.
_Orientalis_, Linn.).]
Pelicans often travel in considerable flocks, visiting the mouths of
rivers or favourite retreats on the sea-coast. When they have made
choice of a suitable place, they arrange themselves in a wide circle,
and begin to beat the water with extended wing, so as to drive the fish
before them, gradually diminishing the circle as they approach the shore
or some inlet on the coast. In this manner they get all the fish
together into a small space, when the common feast begins. After gorging
themselves they retire to the shore, where the processes of digestion
follow. Some rest with the neck over the back; others busily dress and
smooth their plumage, waiting patiently until returning appetite invites
all to fresh exertions. When thus quiescent, occasionally one of these
birds empties his well-lined pouch, and spreads in front of him all the
fish that it contains, in order to feed upon them at leisure.
This guttural pouch, which plays so important a part in the Pelican's
life, is composed of two skins, the outer one being a prolongation of
the skin of the neck; the inner one is contiguous to the coating of the
oesophagus. The tongue is small: a delicate gizzard forms one large sac
with the other stomachs.
In spite of its great size, the Pelican flies easily and to considerable
distances. It is no diver, but will occasionally dash down on fish from
a considerable height, and with such velocity that it becomes submerged;
but its buoyancy instantly brings it to the surface again. It perches on
trees, but seems to prefer rocks. When it builds a nest, it is generally
formed of coarse reedy grass, lined with softer material, placed in the
cleft of dry rocks near the water. Here the female deposits two, three,
four, sometimes five white eggs, but most frequently only two. They are
occasionally satisfied with placing their eggs in an indentation in the
ground which they have roughly lined with blades of grass.
After an incubation lasting from forty to forty-five days, the young
ones, covered with a greyish down, are hatched. The female feeds them:
she presses the hooked red point of the mandible against her breast,
which causes her to disgorge the fish it contains into the bills of the
young ones, the male performing the same operation on himself for the
benefit of his partner. This is probably the fact that has given origin
to the absurd fable that the female Pelican is in the habit of piercing
her breast in order to nourish her young with her maternal blood. The
young birds are easily tamed. It is even asserted that they are
susceptible of education, and that, like the young Cormorants, they can
be taught to fish for their masters.
The Pelican is more common in tropical regions than in temperate
climates. They are very numerous in Africa, Siam, Madagascar, the Sunda
Isles, the Philippines, Manilla, and in the Western Hemisphere they
abound from the Antilles to the northern temperate part of the South
American continent. The true Pelicans are large birds with powerful
wings, and are excellent swimmers. The pouch has extraordinary
elasticity, and is capable of containing a number of fish either for its
own consumption or the nourishment of its young. It haunts the
neighbourhood of rivers and lakes and the sea-coast, being rarely seen
more than twenty leagues from the land. Levaillant describes one of
those wonderful ornithological scenes which only occur in uninhabited
regions. At the entrance of Saldanha Bay, on the south-west coast of
Africa, after wading through the surf and clambering up the rocks, "all
of a sudden there arose from the surface of the Island of Dassen-Eyland
an impenetrable cloud, which formed, at the distance of forty feet above
our heads, an immense canopy, composed of birds of almost every kind of
water-fowl--Cormorants, Sea Gulls, Sea Swallows, Pelicans, and I believe
the whole winged tribes of this part of Africa were here assembled.
Their voices, harsh and discordant, formed a noise so unmusical that I
was every moment compelled to cover my head in order to relieve my ears.
The alarm we created was so much the more general, inasmuch as the birds
disturbed were chiefly sitting females. They had nests, eggs, and young
to defend." In this scene the Pelican, from its peculiar appearance, was
of course a prominent object. The best-known species are--1, the White
Pelican; 2, the Crested Pelican; 3, the Brown Pelican; and 4, the
Spectacled Pelican.
THE WHITE PELICAN.
ENGLISH SYNONYM.--White Pelican.
LATIN SYNONYMS.--_Pelicanus onocrotalus_: Linn., Temminck, Selby. _P.
minor_: Ruppell.
FRENCH SYNONYM.--_Pélican Blanc_: Temminck.
The White Pelican (_Pelicanus onocrotalus_) is as large as a Swan. Its
bill is about fifteen inches in length. Its plumage is white, with a
slightly rosy tint, which is brightest in the breeding season; the
pinnaries and spurious wings are black; the crest and a few feathers on
the neck yellowish.
This species received from the ancients the name of _Onocrotalus_,
because they fancied that they discovered a resemblance in its cry to
the braying of an ass. It is very common on the lakes and rivers of
Hungary and Southern Russia, as well as on the banks of the Danube. If
it is seen in France, it is purely accidental, as it is a rare visitor.
A wild rocky shore, where it can look down on the sea, is the favourite
haunt of the Pelican; but it is not uncommon for it to perch on trees.
The nest is formed of coarse reedy grass, with a lining of finer
quality; it is generally made on the ground, and is about eighteen
inches in diameter, in which it lays four, sometimes five, white eggs,
but more frequently two, slightly oblong, and alike at both ends. Fish
forms its principal food, which it captures chiefly in shallow inlets;
for it is no diver, although on the wing it dashes upon a fish
occasionally from a great height, and that with such velocity that it
submerges itself, but its buoyancy brings it immediately to the surface.
Occasionally it flies very high, but it generally just poises itself
over the water. Notwithstanding its webbed feet, it often perches on
trees--a habit which Sonnerat describes as peculiar to the female in the
evening, after having fed and protected her young during the day.
THE CRESTED PELICAN.
SYNONYMS.--_Pelicanus crispus_: Bonaparte, Temminck, Bruck. Pelican:
English authors. _P. onocrotalus_ (var. _Orientalis_): Linn, Pallas,
Dalmatian. _Riesen-pelikan_: German authors.
The Crested Pelican, in common with the White Pelican, inhabits the
south-east of Europe and Africa, and is also found in Hungary, Dalmatia,
Greece, the Crimea, and the Ionian Islands, as well as in Algeria, and,
according to some authors, it is frequently met with in China.
It has white plumage, with the exception that the ends of the feathers
of the back and wings are black. The feathers of the head and upper part
of the neck are twisted up so as to form a tolerably large tuft or
crest: hence the name it bears. Its habitat is principally the marshes
round the Black Sea, and the isles adjacent to the mouth of the Danube.
Of their habits, travellers in these regions give very interesting
descriptions. Count Mükle states that they are plentiful on the lakes of
Missolonghi, and in the marshy grounds near Thermopylæ. In situations
incredibly difficult of access, especially on floating islands, scarcely
over the water-line, they place their nests thickly together, supported
among reeds and rushes. The vicinity of these congregated nests is
rendered indescribably offensive by the foul fish they have dropped
about, and the disagreeable white dung with which all the neighbourhood
is covered.
"Time was," says Mr. W. H. Simpson, "and that not so long ago, when
_Pelicanus crispus_ lived in hundreds all the year round, from the rocky
promontory of Kourtzalari, hard by the mouth of the Acheloüs, on the
western extremity of the lagoon, near the island of Ætolico, up the
northern arm, and on the east along the great mud flats which mark the
limits of the present delta of Phidaris. Nowadays, however, a solitary
individual may be seen fishing here and there throughout the vicinity;
the remnant have betaken themselves to the islands which divide the Gulf
of Procopanisto from that of Ætolico. Here, towards the end of February
last, the community constituted a group of seven nests--a sad falling
off from the year 1838, when thirty-four nests were grouped upon a
neighbouring islet. As we approached the spot in a boat the Pelicans
left their nests, and taking to the water, sailed away like a fleet of
stately ships, leaving their preconcerted nursery in possession of the
invader. The boat grounded in two or three feet of mud, and when the
party had floundered through this, the seven nests were found to be
empty. A fisherman had plundered them that morning, taking from each
nest one egg, which we afterwards recovered. The nests were constructed
in a great measure of the old reed palings used by the natives for
enclosing fish, mixed with such pieces of the vegetation of the islet as
were suitable for the purpose. The seven nests were contiguous, and
disposed in the shape of an irregular cross, the navel of the cross,
which was the tallest nest, being about thirty inches high, the two next
in line being about two feet, and the two forming the arms being a few
inches lower, the two extremes at either end being about fourteen inches
from the ground.... The eggs are chalky, like others of the Pelicanidæ,
very rough in texture, and some of them streaked with blood."--("Ibis,"
vii. p. 395.)
THE BROWN PELICAN (_P. fuscus_).
The Brown Pelican is an American species, smaller than the preceding,
and is described at some length by Nuttall. It has the head and the neck
variegated with white and ash-colour; all the rest of the plumage of a
brownish grey, with whitish marks on the back; the pouch is of an ashy
blue, striped with a reddish hue. It is found in the Larger Antilles, on
the coasts of Peru, in Bengal, and in South Carolina.
THE SPECTACLED PELICAN (_Pelicanus conspicillatus_).
The Spectacled Pelican, which is only found in southern climates, is
thus named from the naked skin which surrounds the eye, reminding one of
spectacles by its more or less circular form. Its plumage, like that of
its congeners, is white.