rarest of our native Doves; naturalists term it _Columba turtur_, of
which its English name is simply a translation; sometimes the specific
name _auritus_--golden, is applied to it, and this well describes the
plumage of the bird, which has a rich golden tinge throughout most
parts of the plumage, the chief colours of which are brown and grey,
running off into yellow and white, flushed at places with red, and
elegantly marked with black.
With us, the Turtle Dove is migratory, generally arriving towards the
latter end of April, and departing early in September; it is pretty
much confined to the southern and eastern counties, but few specimens
having been found in Scotland. It frequents the wooded districts both
hilly and flat, flies in small flocks, and feeds on grain and seeds,
peas, of which it is particularly fond, and sometimes small slugs and
snails; being fond of drinking and bathing, it is commonly found in the
neighbourhood of streams and brooks; in such situations may its soft
note, _tur, tur_, doubtless the origin of its name, be frequently
heard, when the shy bird itself is hidden amid the thick shade of the
leafy boughs.
Mr. Morris tells us that the nest is so slight and carelessly
constructed that the eggs may frequently be seen from below; it is
generally placed at some distance from the ground, ten or twenty feet,
and is commonly well concealed among the foliage. The glossy white
eggs, two in number, and of a narrow oval form, are generally laid
about the middle of May, and the young birds come forth in sixteen or
seventeen days: there are two or three broods in the year.
The prophet Jeremiah, we may remember, speaks of this as a migratory
bird, "Yea, the Stork in the heavens knoweth her appointed times; and
the Turtle, and the Crane, and the Swallow observe the time of their
coming." The soft note of the bird is also spoken of by Solomon as one
of the signs of returning spring, "For lo! the winter is past, the rain
is over and gone, the flowers appear on the earth, the time of the
singing of birds is come, and the voice of the Turtle is heard in our
land."
PHEASANT.
COMMON OR RING-NECKED PHEASANT.
FIGURE 24.
This glorious bird is the _Phasianus Colchicus_ of naturalists, the
first term meaning a Pheasant, and the second of Colchis, the ancient
name of a country of Asia Minor, from whence it is said the bird was
originally brought into Europe, by the old Greek navigators, called the
argonauts, say some--those who in the ship Argo, sailed the seas under
the command of Jason, and went through a series of surprising
adventures connected with the bearing away of a certain _golden fleece_
from the King of Colchis, all of which are faithfully reported in the
mythology, for the admiration and belief of the credulous. Certain it
is that if Jason had not with him such a treasure as a golden fleece,
he had in the Pheasant a golden bird, if there really ever was such a
person, and he did in reality bring the splendid king of the English
preserves into Europe.
A description of the bird's gorgeous plumage we need not attempt, as
all of our readers must have seen it hanging up in the poulterer's
shops, if they have not been startled by the sudden _whirr_ of its
wings as it rose from the fern-brake or thicket at their approach, as
they wandered amid the green woods where it delights to dwell.
The nest of this bird consists of merely a few leaves placed in a
slight depression on the ground, sometimes in the open field near to a
preserve or plantation, but more frequently among the underwood, in
long grass and in hedge-rows; frequently the situation chosen is
beneath boughs that have been felled, or have fallen from the tree. The
laying of the eggs commences in April or May; incubation lasts from
twenty-four to twenty-six days; the number sat upon varies from six up
to as many as fourteen; more than this have been found in one nest, but
it was not likely to have been the produce of a single hen; the colour
of the eggs is pale olive brown, covered all over with very small dots
of a deeper tint. Poachers are ever on the look-out for these eggs, as
a sitting of them fetches a high price; they are generally, when taken
from the nest, placed under a common hen to be hatched. Some have been
found of a greyish white tinged with green. It is said that Partridges
are sometimes expelled from their nests by these birds, which will sit
upon their own eggs, and those of the rightful owner of the nest, and
hatch them all.
Generally speaking, the Pheasant is a shy wary bird, and with good
reason, being such an object of pursuit with sportsmen, as well as
unlicensed depredators; but where secured from molestation and well
fed, it becomes bold and familiar. Its general food is grain of various
kinds, peas, beans, nuts, and berries, shoots and leaves of several
plants, roots, and insects: it is particularly partial to sunflower
seeds and buckwheat.
The variety called the Ring-necked Pheasant is distinguished by a clear
ring of white round the neck; there is also a variety known as the
Bohemian Pheasant, which is of a stone-colour prettily marked and
mottled with black and brown. White and cream-coloured ones
occasionally occur.
BLACK GROUSE.
BLACK GAME. BLACK COCK. FEMALE--GREY OR BROWN HEN.
FIGURE 25.
The meaning of the generic name of this bird--_Tetrao_, is by no means
clear, neither is that of its specific name _tetrix_: are they not both
derived from the Hindostanee word _Tetur_? is the query of Morris, who
does not tell us what this _tetur_ means.
The Black Grouse, conspicuous for its large size, glossy black plumage,
forked tail, turning out like the flakes of an anchor, and noble
bearing, is, with the exception of its near relative, the Capercaillie,
or Cock of the Woods, now only to be found in some of the Scottish
forests, the largest of our native game birds. It is found chiefly in
Scotland, where it frequents those parts where there is a good growth
of underwood or heather, or other thick vegetation, and also plenty of
water, which appears to be necessary to its existence. It is also found
in many of the English counties, being tolerably plentiful in Yorkshire
and Northumberland, and about Windermere, in Westmoreland. It feeds on
juniper and most other berries, and wild fruits, heather-twigs, and
young shoots of many plants; the tops of grasses, rushes, sedge, and
buds of trees, turnip and rape leaves, and even the young fronds of the
fern.
The nest, which is placed in some marshy spot among heath, or in
plantations or hedge-rows, amid the rank vegetation, is composed of
grass or twigs, neatly laid but not woven together. The eggs are from
five to eight or ten in number; the colour is reddish yellow, in some
nearly white; they are irregularly spotted with reddish brown: they are
generally laid in May.
A fine full-grown Black Cock will weigh nearly four pounds; and the
Grey Hen, which has a sober dress of brown and grey prettily
intermixed, about half this weight. They are birds much valued as table
delicacies; and every year immense numbers are shot by eager sportsmen,
who leave the desk and the counter, the senate-house and the
drawing-room, to roam amid the Scottish moors and mountains, and
undergo fatigues and privations with an endurance and perseverance
worthy of a better cause.
RED GROUSE.
GOR, OR MOOR-COCK. MOOR, OR MUIR-FOWL. RED-GAME. RED, OR BROWN
PTARMIGAN.
FIGURES 26 & 27.
_Tetrao_, or _Lagopus Scoticus_ is the scientific name of this species;
the meaning of the first term is already explained, the second comes
from _Lagos_--a hare, and _pous_--a foot, and is given to this bird
because it has the lower joints of the leg, and even the toes,
feathered, differing in this respect from the other kinds of Grouse.
_Scoticus_ means Scotch, and indicates the country in which the species
most abounds, although it is also found in various parts of England and
Wales; it is, however, peculiar to Great Britain, and therefore the
name _Britannicus_ has been suggested as a more appropriate generic
name for it.
The Red Grouse is, perhaps, the most highly-prized of all game birds,
and the wonder is that it continues so abundant, notwithstanding the
annual slaughter which takes place in its breeding and feeding grounds,
which are mostly the open moors and hill-sides, where there is plenty
of heath and ling, and other low-growing plants of the like nature. It
is especially partial to the heather, which affords it both shelter and
food. It also feeds on various grasses and mountain berries, and grain
when its home is near cultivated districts, which it generally,
however, avoids, retiring as far as possible from the presence of man,
as though it knew and feared him as its greatest enemy.
The nest of the Muir Cock, as the Scotch call it, is formed of heather
and grass, with a few of the soft downy feathers of the bird, and is
placed in a hollow of the ground among the heath. The first eggs are
laid in March or April; they are usually six or seven in number,
although sometimes they amount to twelve and even more; they vary
considerably in colour, the ground being usually a greyish white, with
more or less of a reddish brown or yellow tinge. They are thickly
dotted or clouded with dark grey and brown; the shape is a regular
oval.
The Heath Poults, as the young are called, leave the nest directly they
are hatched, as do most of the game birds, and are very soon able to
fly. At first they lie close, and may almost be trodden upon, but they
get more wild and wary as the shooting-season advances; this commences
in August.
PTARMIGAN.
WHITE GAME, OR GROUSE. IN GAELIC, PTARMICHAN.
FIGURE 28.
Rich as is the plumage of the Red Grouse, with its beautiful markings,
and warm sienna tint, which prevails throughout every part except the
snowy legs, yet we are inclined to give the preference to this, its
close relative, for elegance of appearance. It is all over of a pure
delicate white, except just the points of the toes, the larger tail
feathers, the bill, and a patch on each side of the head, which
surrounds the eye, all of black; there is also, as in every other
species of Grouse with which we are acquainted, a semicircular patch,
like a piece of crimson velvet over each eye. The edges of the white
feathers are delicately pencilled, as we see them in the Silver
Pheasant, so that they appear perfectly distinct from each other. This
is the winter dress, according well with the snowy regions which the
bird chiefly inhabits. In summer the plumage in parts becomes brown
and yellowish grey of different shades; this dress also assimilating
well with the lichen-covered rocks of those Alpine solitudes where
the Ptarmigan must be sought. With us it is found only in the
Grampians, and others of the Scottish mountains; there it dwells in
seldom-disturbed security, feeding upon such plants as grow in these
elevated places, in winter descending lower, to obtain a better supply
of food, but never venturing into the plain.
Its eggs, which vary from seven to twelve in number, are sometimes laid
on the bare earth, under the shadow of a rock or some plant; their
colour is white, with sometimes a green, yellow, or reddish tinge; they
are blotted and spotted with dark brown. The laying does not commence
until June; incubation lasts three weeks. The young at first feed on
insects.
The scientific name of this bird is _Tetrao lagopus_, the meaning of
which has already been explained, and _Lagopus vulgaris_, that is,
common, or mutus--changeable, in allusion to the variation in the
colour of the plumage.
PARTRIDGE.
COMMON OR GREY PARTRIDGE.
FIGURE 29.
This is one of the best-known and most-esteemed of our native game
birds; its scientific name is _Perdix cinerea_, the first term meaning
a Partridge, and the last ash-coloured, the prevailing tint of the
plumage of this species being ashy grey and brown, with a reddish tinge
throughout. Beautifully marked and mottled is the dress of the plump
little Partridge, as our readers know well,--delicately barred, and
pencilled, and variegated, as if to shew what glorious effects may be
produced with two or three colours only.
Partridges are tolerably plentiful in nearly all parts of Great
Britain, where cultivation has smoothed the rugged features of the
landscape; for, unlike the Grouse, which retreat as man advances
further and further into the wilds of nature, these birds seldom go far
from the farm and the home plantations. Coveys, as the family parties
are called, are sometimes met with on the edges of moors, and they
often wander, as Mr. Morris tells us, to wastes and commons; but their
home is not there; the clover, turnip, grass, or stubble field is their
cover and resting-place; there, and in the coppice and along the
hedge-row they feed, and build their nests, if the placing a few loose
straws in a hole scratched in the ground can be called building; there
they lay their eggs, generally ten or twelve in number, although
sometimes more, and of a uniform pale greenish brown colour. Early in
the spring, from the first to the middle of February, may the not
unpleasing call--_chicurr, chicurr_--of these birds be heard; and
towards the end of May, or the beginning of June, the nest will most
likely be quite finished. The hen bird alone sits, the male keeping
watch, and, when the covey are hatched, assisting to feed and protect
them from their numerous foes. The chicks run directly they are out of
the shell, frequently with portions of it sticking to them; they are
very lively and nimble, and so escape many dangers. But one brood is
reared in the year, unless the first eggs are taken, in which case
others will be laid, and the work of incubation recommenced, although
the eggs will be less in number, and the young, it is said, weaker. It
is related by Mr. Jesse, as a curious fact, that "when young Partridges
are hatched, and have left the nest, the two portions of the shell will
be found placed one within the other." We have observed this in eggs of
the Common Fowl, and believe with the above-named naturalist that it is
done by the chicks themselves, in their efforts to escape from their
confinement.
QUAIL.
COMMON OR WANDERING QUAIL.
FIGURE 30.
The Quail can scarcely be called a common bird with us, although it may
be found occasionally in various parts of both England and Ireland, and
sometimes, though very rarely, in Scotland. It is migratory, generally
arriving in May and departing in September; some few remain throughout
the year, and scraping together a few bits of dry grass, clover, or
straw, make a rude nest in a hollow place on the ground, and there
deposit their eggs, which are of a yellowish, greenish, or reddish
white, blotched and speckled with brown. They vary in number from six
to fourteen, and even, it is said, twenty; the most common number is
ten. The period of incubation is about three weeks; the young, like
Partridges, run as soon as hatched.
The Common Quail is a plump little bird, not much unlike the Partridge
in its form, colours, and markings, but the head and throat are
curiously barred with black and white, and the distinct patch of the
latter colour beneath the chin gives the bird a very peculiar
appearance. Naturalists call this species _Perdix coturnix_, the former
term meaning a Partridge, and the latter a Quail.
This is thought by some to be the bird with which the children of
Israel were fed in the wilderness, as mentioned in the sixteenth
chapter of Exodus, and the immense flocks which pass from country to
country in the migratory seasons, render the supposition likely. It is
said in Numbers xi., 31, that "There went forth a wind from the Lord
and brought Quails from the sea;" and it is well known that the
direction of the wind will often determine the flight of these birds.
As many as one hundred thousand are said to have been taken in one day
in the kingdom of Naples after an unusually exhausting flight over the
Mediterranean; thousands of dozens are sent every year into the London
market, where they are eagerly purchased: their flesh is esteemed a
great delicacy.
Quails are desperate fighters, and in some countries are kept
especially for the cruel "sport," as it is called, which their
pugnacious propensities afford. They feed upon grain, seeds, young
leaves, and insects; and have a shrill whistling note like _whit,
whit_, which is called "piping."
BUSTARD.
COMMON OR BEARDED BUSTARD.
FIGURE 31.
If you can fancy a bird in general conformation something between an
Ostrich and a Goose, you will have a pretty fair notion of the Great
Bustard--_Otis tarda_ as naturalists call it, the first term meaning a
Bustard, and the second slow or lazy; yet lazy as he may be, this
long-legged stalker is by no means slow in his movements when once
roused to action; he runs with great swiftness, and, when he does take
wing, which he appears to do with difficulty, has a strong and
sustained flight. This is now a very rare species in Great Britain,
although once plentiful, according to old writers, who state that it
was customary with greyhounds
"To hunt the Bustards in the fens."
A tall, strong, and stately bird is this, slow and sedate in its
general manners and movements, frequenting plains, and heaths, and open
moors, where it can have a wide range of vision, and so be aware of the
approach of an enemy. The gradual extension of cultivation over its
favourite places of resort, and the incessant war waged against it by
sportsmen, anxious to bag such a noble head of game, have nearly driven
it from our island. A specimen was shot as late as January, 1856, near
Hungerford, in Berkshire.
The prevailing colours in the plumage of the Great Bustard are white or
bluish grey, and yellowish or orange brown, with black mottlings; the
legs and beak are dark horn-colour; underneath the chin is a plume of
narrow feathers, falling backwards, and partly covering the front and
sides of the neck; they are six or seven inches long, and very light
and graceful.
The Bustards are called graminivorous, but are somewhat omnivorous
feeders; mice, frogs, worms, and young birds are occasionally added to
their usual vegetable diet. We have a species called the Little
Bustard, much smaller than the one we have been describing, and also a
very rare bird. The eggs of both these species are great treasures to
collectors; those of the larger kind are like what our artist has
represented, of an olive brown colour, clouded and spotted with ash and
rust-colour. They are generally two in number, laid on the bare earth,
or in a hollow carefully lined with corn stalks or grass; the length is
nearly three inches. The eggs of the Little Bustard are more decidedly
green, with ashy or dull brown variations.
GOLDEN PLOVER.
WHISTLING, YELLOW, GREEN, GREY, OR BLACK-BREASTED PLOVER.
FIGURE 32.
Of the _Pluveline_ Birds, or Plovers, we have several species in this
country, and the one above named is the commonest. Naturalists call it
_Pluvialis aurea_, the first term meaning a Plover, and signifying
rainy, or pertaining to rain, and the last golden; or _Charadrius
pluvialis_. Of the meaning of this generic name we are obliged to
confess our ignorance; by some it is, applied to all the Plovers, and
by others to the Sand Plovers only. This Golden species is a very
remarkable bird, both in its habits and appearance; all the under parts
of the body, the breast, throat, and sides of the head up to and above
the eyes, are of a deep velvet black; then comes all round an edging of
white, which deepens into grey tinged with yellow; and then again all
over the back, pinions, tail, and top of the head, are black feathers,
beautifully bordered, and barred with what appears to be gold
embroidery. It is a nimble active bird, constantly running about on the
open plains and ploughed fields in search of food, which consists of
insects of various kinds, green corn and leaves of vegetables, small
berries, etc.; or in flying hither and thither in the air, now close to
the ground as if about to settle, and then with a sudden upward wheel
urging a strong and swift flight to some distant part of the field, or
sea shore, which is a favourite resort in winter, where the birds
collect in large flocks, uttering their wild shrill whistle, which
harmonizes well with the sounds of the winds and waves.
The Golden Plover may be found all over Britain, where it remains
throughout the year, generally resorting to the heaths, downs, or
marshes to breed. Its nest is merely a few stems of grass and vegetable
fibres laid in a slight hollow in the ground, just about large enough
to contain the eggs, which are usually four in number, of a yellowish
stone colour, blotted and spotted with brownish black. They are
generally placed with great regularity, with the smaller ends meeting
in the centre; they are laid early in June. The young leave the nest as
soon as hatched, and are able to support themselves in a month or five
weeks.
DOTTEREL.
DOTTREL. DOTTEREL PLOVER.
FIGURE 33.
This, the _Charadrius morinellus_ of naturalists, is another lively and
beautiful bird, more so, perhaps, than the species last described,
having greater variety and more distinct markings in the plumage. The
crown and sides of the head are black, with a white band proceeding
from above each eye, running down into a point, and nearly meeting
another band from the back of the head; the throat is white, tinged and
spotted with grey, which is the colour of the breast, which is divided
from the orange-coloured belly by a broad waved band of white; black
and bright yellow complete the under parts; the back, wings, and tail
are brown and black, the larger feathers being distinctly edged with
golden yellow.
"The Dotterel," says Morris, "has acquired the character of being a
foolish bird, hence its English name from the word to dote, and its
Latin one from the word _morio_--a foolish fellow." The bird was
formerly supposed to imitate the actions of the fowler, and so to fall
into the trap, instead of providing for its escape by a timely flight.
The Dotterel, which is a migratory bird, frequents open and exposed
situations, wide heaths and barren mountainous districts, where it
generally breeds. Any hollow in the ground serves it for a nest, which
is composed of a few lichens, not woven but merely laid together. The
eggs are seldom more than three in number; they are generally laid in
June; the colour is a deep yellowish brown, or it may be a fine grey,
thickly spotted, especially about the darker end, with dark or reddish
brown, and deep grey.
RINGED PLOVER.
RING, OR STONE PLOVER. RINGED DOTTEREL. SAND LARK, OR LAVROCK.
DULL-WILLY. SANDY-LOO.
FIGURE 34.
_Charadrius hiaticula_ is the scientific name of this species; we have
already confessed our ignorance of the meaning of the first term;
according to the old naturalist Pliny, it is "a bird the seeing of
which cures those that have the jaundice;" but we must say that we are
extremely doubtful if the sight of any bird included by modern
naturalists in the genus _Charadrius_ would have such a wonderful
effect. The Latin dictionary tells us that the term comes from the
Greek, and that one of its meanings is _terrÊ fissura_, which we may
translate furrowed earth; so that the name may have reference to the
bird's real or supposed habit of haunting the furrows of the ploughed
field, or the rough uneven ground of rocky shores or barren places.
With regard to the specific name _hiaticula_, we have something very
like it in English--_hiatus_, a break, an aperture, or opening; the
Latin word from which it comes is precisely similar. Why applied to
this bird cannot tell, except it be from its being chiefly found on
broken and uneven ground.