Plumage compact, on the head, neck, breast, and back, shining. The
feathers of the head, neck, and back are lanceolate and acuminate;
of the breast and sides broader; of the wings small and rounded.
Wings extremely long, pointed, the first quill longest, the rest
rapidly diminishing; the secondaries very short, obliquely rounded
and acuminate, the inner long and tapering. Tail very long, deeply
forked, of twelve rounded feathers, the outer narrow and abruptly
rounded.
Bill light purplish-blue, white in the middle, the curved tips dusky.
Inside of mouth carmine; gular sac orange. Bare space about the eye
purplish-blue; iris deep brown. Feet light carmine above, orange
beneath. The general colour of the plumage is brownish-black, the
head, neck, back, breast, and sides, splendent with green and purple
reflections, the former predominating on the head, the latter on the
back. The wings are tinged with grey, the inner secondaries and tail
with brown; the shafts of the former black, of the latter brown.
I have observed in specimens which I considered to be very old, that
the gular sac was covered with pustules, similar to those found at
times around the base of the mandibles of the _Cathartes Aura_, and
which appear to be the effects of disease, occasioned by their coming
frequently in contact with putrid substances.
Length to end of tail 41 inches, to end of wings 37; to end of claws
24-3/4; wing from flexure 25, tail 18; extent of wings 86; bill along
the back 5-1/2, along the edge of lower mandible 5-7/12; tarsus 3/4;
middle toe 2-1/4, its claw 10/12. Weight 3 lb. 6 oz.
The Adult Female differs from the male in several respects. The former
has the whole plumage dark-coloured, whereas the latter has a broad
white space on the breast, that colour extending forwards along the
sides of the neck, and encircling it about the middle. The feathers
of the back are less elongated and pointed, and their lustre is much
inferior to that of the male. The dark parts also are more tinged
with brown, and most of the smaller wing-coverts are of the latter
colour.
RICHARDSON’S JAGER.
_LESTRIS RICHARDSONII_, SWAINS.
PLATE CCLXXII. MALE AND YOUNG.
This bird, though rare on the coast of the United States, visits
the shores of Massachusetts and Maine, where, during winter, it is
seen over the bays and inlets, to which various species of Gulls
also resort at the same season. It is more shy and difficult to be
approached than the Pomarine Jager. Its flight is rapid and greatly
protracted; and, like the other species of this genus, it harasses
the smaller Gulls and Terns, forcing them to disgorge their food. Dr
RICHARDSON informs us that it breeds in considerable numbers in the
barren grounds, at a distance from the coast, and that it feeds on
testaceous mollusca, which are plentiful in the small lakes of the
fur countries. I am unable to afford any information respecting its
habits; nor can I state decidedly the number of eggs which it lays,
although I have procured several of them. They measure two inches and
three-eighths in length, by one inch and five-eighths in breadth, are
of an oval rather pointed form, and have a dull greyish-yellow ground,
patched with umber and faint purple, the markings closer towards the
larger end. I am extremely doubtful as to the right which this bird
has to rank as a species distinct from _L. parasiticus_.
LESTRIS RICHARDSONII, RICHARDSON’S JAGER, _Swains. and
Richards._ Fauna Bor. Amer. part ii. p. 433.—_Nuttall_,
Manual, vol. ii. p. 319.
Adult Male in Spring. Plate CCLXXII. Fig. 1.
Bill about the length of the head, rather slender, straight, the tip
curved. Upper mandible with the dorsal line straight, toward the end
curved, the ridge broad and convex, the sides separated from the ridge
by a narrow groove, extremely narrow and convex, the edges sharp and
inflected, the tip compressed, rather obtuse. Nostrils in the fore
part of the nasal groove, nearer the tip than the base, submarginal,
pervious, linear-oblong, wider anteriorly. Lower mandible with the
angle long and narrow, a slight prominence at its extremity, beyond
which the dorsal line is straight and ascending, the sides sloping
outwards and convex, the edges sharp and inflected, the tip obliquely
truncate and rather obtuse.
Head rather small, oblong, much narrowed before. Neck of moderate
length. Body rather slender. Feet rather short, and of moderate
strength; tibia bare at its lower part; tarsus anteriorly covered
with broad decurved scutella, on the sides with oblong scales, behind
with smaller oblong prominent scales; hind toe extremely small and
elevated, the fore toes of moderate size, connected by reticulated
webs, which have their margins convex; the third toe longest, the
fourth a little shorter, the second considerably shorter; all covered
above with numerous scutella, the lateral ones margined externally
with small prominent scales directed forwards. Claws of moderate size,
curved, acute, compressed, that of third toe with a sharp inner edge.
The plumage in general is close, elastic, soft, and blended; the
feathers on the back and wings rather compact and distinct. Wings very
long, rather broad, pointed; primary quills tapering and rounded, the
first longest, the rest rapidly graduated; secondary rather short,
obliquely rounded. Tail feathers of moderate length, excepting the
two middle, which extend beyond the rest and taper to a point, the
other feathers broad and rounded, there being twelve in all.
Bill greyish-black, the upper part bluish. Iris brown. Legs and feet
black. The general colour of the plumage is of a sooty brown, the
upper part of the head, the primary quills, and the tail darker, the
breast and abdomen lighter; the shafts of the primary quills white,
of the tail feathers brownish.
Length to end of tail 18-1/2 inches, to end of wings 17; extent of
wings 40; wing from flexure 12-3/4; tail 8-1/2, the middle feathers
2-3/4 longer than the rest; bill along the back 1-4/12, along the edge
of lower mandible 1-3/4; tarsus 1-8/12; middle toe 1-5/12, its claw
4/12.
Young Bird in September. Plate CCLXXII. Fig. 2.
Bill light blue, dusky at the end. Iris brown. Tarsi and basal
portion of the toes and webs light blue, the rest black. The general
colour of the plumage is sooty brown, lighter on the neck and lower
parts; the feathers of the back are all tipped with whitish, and the
breast, sides, lower wing-coverts, abdomen, and lower tail-coverts,
are undulatingly barred with pale greyish-yellow.
Length to end of tail 15-1/2 inches, to end of wings 13-1/2, to end of
claws 13-1/4; wing from flexure 11-1/2; tail 6-1/4, the middle feathers
only 3/4 longer than the rest; bill along the back 1-1/4; tarsus 1-3/4;
middle toe and claw 1-1/2. Weight 7 oz.
THE CAYENNE TERN.
_STERNA CAYANA_, LATH.
PLATE CCLXXIII. MALE.
On reaching the entrance of the little port of St Augustine in East
Florida, I observed more Cayenne Terns together than I had ever before
seen. I had afterwards good opportunities of watching them both during
that season and the following, about the Keys. Their shyness surprised
me not a little, especially as they are very seldom molested, and it
was such that I could study their habits only with the aid of a good
glass. I found them at first in great flocks, composed of several
hundred individuals, along with Razor-billed Shearwaters, which also
congregated there in great numbers. During low water, both species
resorted to a large flat sand-bar in the middle of the channel, where
they reposed until the return of the tide, sitting close together,
in an easy posture, with their heads facing the breeze. They kept
separate, however, placing themselves in parallel lines twenty or
thirty paces asunder, and either lay flat on the sand, or stood
up and plumed themselves. My attempts to procure some of them were
always futile, for they flew off when I was yet several hundred yards
distant, and moved directly towards the sea. It was pleasing to see
the whole of these birds take to wing at the same moment, the jetty
hue of the Shearwaters contrasting with the pale blue of the Terns, and
the brilliantly-coloured bills of both species, their different modes
of flight, and their various evolutions presenting a most agreeable
sight. The Terns on these occasions constantly emitted their harsh
loud cries, while the Shearwaters moved in perfect silence. After
spending several days in unsuccessful endeavours to approach them, I
employed several boats, which advanced towards the sands at several
points, and we shot as many as we wished, for as the flocks passed
over any of the boats, several individuals were brought down at once,
on which the rest would assail the gunners, as if determined to rescue
their brethren, and thus afford subjects for them on which to exercise
their skill. We found it necessary to use large shot, the Cayenne Tern
being a strong and tough bird, the largest of the genus met with on
our Atlantic coasts. When wounded, however slightly, they disgorged
in the manner of Vultures; and when brought to the water disabled,
they at once endeavoured to make off from the shores, swimming with
buoyancy and grace, though without making much progress. When seized
they at once erected their beautiful crest, threw up the contents
of their stomach, uttered loud cries, and bit severely. One that
was merely touched in the wing, and brought ashore, through a high
surf, by my Newfoundland dog, stuck fast to his nose until forced
to relinquish its hold by having its throat squeezed, after which it
disgorged seven partially digested fishes.
Although the Cayenne Tern often searches for food over the sea, and at
times several miles from the shore, it gives a decided preference to
the large inlets running parallel to the coast of the Floridas, within
the high sandy embankments, as well as the rivers in the interior of
the peninsula. They alight on the banks of racoon oysters, so abundant
in the inlets, and are seen in company with the Semipalmated Snipe
and the American Oystercatcher, searching for food like these birds,
and devouring crabs and such fishes as are confined in small shallow
pools. These they catch with considerable agility, in a manner not
employed by any of our other Terns. While on the St John’s River,
I saw them alight on stakes, in the manner of the Marsh Tern and
the Noddy; and as I ascended that stream, I often saw them, at the
distance of seventy miles from the sea, perched in the middle of the
river, on the same sticks as the Florida Cormorants, and found them
more easily approached in the dusk than during broad daylight. Until
then I had supposed this species to be entirely oceanic, and averse
from mingling with any other.
The flight of the Cayenne Tern is strong and well sustained, although
less lively or graceful than that of the smaller species, excepting
on particular occasions. They usually incline their bill downwards,
as they search for their prey, like the other Terns, but keep at a
much greater height, and plunge towards the waters with the speed of
an arrow, to seize on small fishes, of which they appear to capture
a great number, especially of the “mullets,” which we saw moving
about in shoals, composed of individuals of different sizes. When
travelling, these birds generally proceed in lines; and it requires
the power of a strong gale to force them back, or even to impede their
progress, for they beat to windward with remarkable vigour, rising,
falling, and tacking to right and left, so as to seize every possible
opportunity of making their way. In calm and pleasant weather, they
pass at a great height, with strong unremitted flappings, uttering at
intervals their cries, which so nearly resemble the shrieking notes
of our little Parrakeet, that I have often for a moment thought I
heard the latter, when in fact it was only the Tern. At times their
cries resemble the syllables _kwee-reek_, repeated several times in
succession, and so loudly as to be heard at the distance of half
a mile or more, especially when they have been disturbed at their
breeding places, on which occasion they manifest all the characteristic
violence of their tribe, although they are much more guarded than
any other species with which I am acquainted, and generally keep at
a considerable distance from their unwelcome visitors.
On the 11th May 1832, I found the Cayenne Terns breeding on one of
the Tortugas. There they had dropped their eggs on the bare sand,
a few yards above high-water mark, and none of the birds paid much
attention to them during the heat of the day. You may judge of my
surprise when, on meeting with this Tern breeding on the coast of
Labrador, on the 18th of June 1833, I found it sitting on two eggs
deposited in a nest neatly formed of moss and placed on the rocks,
and this on a small island, in a bay more than twelve miles from our
harbour, which itself was at some distance from the open Gulf. On
another equally sequestered islet, some were found amidst a number
of nests of our Common Gull; and, during my stay in that country,
I observed that this Tern rarely went to the vicinity of the outer
coast, for the purpose of procuring food, probably because there was
an extreme abundance of small fishes of several kinds in every creek
or bay. Until that period I was not aware that any Tern could master
the _Lestris Pomarinus_, to which, however, I there saw the Cayenne
Tern give chase, driving it away from the islands on which it had its
eggs. On such occasions, I observed that the Tern’s power of flight
greatly exceeded that of the Jager; but the appearance of the Great
Black-backed Gull never failed to fill it with dismay, for although
of quicker flight, none of the Terns dared to encounter that bird,
any more than they would venture to attack the Frigate Pelican in
the Floridas.
The Cayenne Tern usually lays two eggs; in a few instances I found
only one, and I concluded that no more had been laid, as it contained
a chick, which would not have been there had the Great Gull ever
visited the nest. The eggs measure two inches and six-eighths in
length, by one inch and six and a half eighths in breadth, and are
rather sharp at the smaller end. They have a pale yellowish ground
colour, irregularly spotted with dark umber and faint purplish marks,
dispersed all over but not close. The eggs, like those of the other
species, afford good eating.
I never saw the young of this bird while small, and cannot speak of
the changes which they undergo from their first state until autumn.
Then, however, they greatly resemble the young of the Sandwich
Tern, their colour being on the upper parts of a dark greyish-brown,
transversely marked with umber, and on the lower dull white. While
in this plumage, they keep by themselves, in flocks of fifty or more
individuals, and remain separated from the old birds until spring,
when they have acquired the full beauty of their plumage, although
they appear rather inferior in size.
My surprise at finding this species breeding in Labrador was increased
by the circumstance of its being of rare occurrence at any season
along the coasts of our Middle and Eastern Districts. Nor does it
become abundant until you reach the shores of North Carolina, beyond
which it increases the farther south you proceed. It winters in the
Floridas, and along the shores of the Mexican Gulf; but I never saw
it far up the Mississippi. While on the coast of Newfoundland, on
the 14th of August, I saw several individuals on their way southward,
flying very high, and keeping up their remarkable cries.
The flesh of every species of Tern is oily, like that of the Gulls
and Jagers, and the smallest hole made by shot affords an exit to the
grease, which is apt to destroy the beauty of their elastic plumage,
so that it is very difficult to preserve them, both on account of
this circumstance, and of the quantity of oil that flows from their
bill. In no species have I found this to be more remarkably the case
than in the Cayenne Tern.
STERNA CAYANA, _Lath._ Ind. Ornith. vol. ii. p. 804.—_Ch.
Bonaparte_, Synops. of Birds of the United States, p. 353.
CAYENNE TERN, _Nuttall_, Manual, vol. ii. p. 268.
Adult Male in Spring. Plate CCLXXIII.
Bill longer than the head, stout, nearly straight, compressed, very
acute. Upper mandible with the dorsal line slightly arched, the ridge
broad and convex at the base, narrowed towards the end, the sides
convex, the edges sharp and direct, the tip acute. Nasal groove short;
nostrils basal, lateral, linear, direct, pervious. Lower mandible with
the angle very narrow, acute, extending to the middle, the dorsal
line straight, the sides slightly convex, nearly erect, the sharp
edges inflected, the tip very acute.
Head rather large, oblong; neck of moderate length and thick; body
rather slender; feet short, stout. Tibia bare for a considerable
space; tarsus short, roundish, covered all round with small scales;
first toe very small, third longest, fourth a little shorter, the
anterior connected by reticulated webs having an incurved margin;
claws slightly curved, compressed, acute, that of hind toe smallest,
of middle toe by much the largest, and having the inner edge thin
and dilated.
Plumage soft, close, blended, very short on the fore part of the
head elongated behind, rather compact on the back and wings. Wings
extremely long, narrow, and pointed; primary quills tapering but
rounded, the first longest, the rest rapidly graduated; secondary
short, rather narrow, tapering, rounded. Tail long, deeply forked,
of twelve feathers, of which the outer taper to a rounded point.
Bill bright carmine, the tips paler. Iris dark brown. Feet black. The
top of the head and occiput is greenish black; the back and wings
light greyish-blue; the primary quills bluish-grey on their outer
webs, darker on the outer part of the inner, their inner part white,
as are the ends and inner webs of the secondaries; upper tail-coverts
and tail greyish-white; all the other parts are pure white.
Length to end of tail 19 inches, to end of wings 20-1/4; extent of wings
44; wing from flexure 15; tail 7; bill along the back 2-3/4, along the
edge of lower mandible 1-11/12; tarsus 3-2/12; middle toe 1, its claw
1/2. Weight 14-1/2 oz.
The figure of the Crab in the plate was introduced on account of
its singularly bright red colour, which, when the animal is boiled,
changes to pale yellow. It is rather common along the rocky shores
of some of the Florida Keys, and is excellent eating.
THE SEMIPALMATED SNIPE, OR WILLET.
_TOTANUS SEMIPALMATUS_, TEMM.
PLATE CCLXXIV. MALE AND FEMALE.
Many individuals of this fine species spend the winter in our
Southern States, and the extent of its migration northwards is
comparatively limited. Some are occasionally seen as far eastward
as the neighbourhood of Boston, and a few have been known to breed
not far from New Bedford in Massachusetts; but beyond that state the
species may be said to be unknown. Their propensity to remain at all
seasons in the immediate vicinity of the coast is such, that they
are very seldom met with far inland, even along large rivers, on
the margins of which they might find the food they usually prefer.
I once shot one in autumn on the lower part of the Ohio, but it was
much emaciated, and I concluded that its appearance there was merely
accidental. From the mouth of the Mississippi to New York it is pretty
generally found during the breeding season; but all the individuals
betake themselves in winter to the shores of Carolina, Georgia,
Florida, and the countries bordering the Mexican Gulf. I have very
little doubt that those seen by Mr SAY on the banks of the Missouri
had accidentally visited that country, as the favourite haunts of
this species at all seasons are the salt-marshes and sea-shores. It
is well ascertained that it occurs on the western coast, and I have
seen many skins of it recently brought from the mouth of the Columbia
River. It is probably from thence that it migrates to the shores of
the Saskatchewan, where it was observed by Dr RICHARDSON along the
small saline lakes.
In the Middle States, the Semipalmated Snipe is known to every
fisherman gunner by the name of “Willet;” and from the Carolinas
southward by that of “Stone Curlew.” In the latter districts, during
autumn and winter, it resorts to the stony shores of estuaries, the
banks of racoon oysters, and the extensive salt-marshes so common
there along the coast. On the 1st of May 1832, while rambling over
some large and partially submersed islets of the Floridas called Duck
Keys, scantily covered with bushes and some mangroves, I saw a good
number of these birds in company with the Great Marbled Godwit. The
Willets were all paired and very clamorous, although we found none of
their nests. To my great surprise, I saw them alight on the bushes and
trees with as much ease as if they had been land birds, stand erect,
open their wings to the sun, and await our approach, exhibiting, when
thus perched, much less shyness than when on the ground. Until then
I had never observed such a habit in this bird, and indeed had felt
surprised at seeing the Bartram Snipe, _Totanus Bartramius_, alight
on fences and trees. Nothing of this kind is mentioned by WILSON,
who, however, speaks of both species as if he were well acquainted
with their habits. A few days after my visit to the Duck Keys, some
nests containing eggs were found on other islets not far distant.
Along the shores of the Carolinas, this species begins to lay about
the beginning of April; but in the Middle States, in New Jersey, for
example, it seldom makes its appearance before the 15th of April,
and does not begin to breed until a month later. At the approach of
the love season, the Willets shew a great degree of vivacity, ramble
much on wing, and fill the air with their sharp cries. Once mated,
they attend to the security of their eggs and brood with affectionate
care, and are silent until disturbed by the approach of some of their
numerous enemies. The sight of a Crow, a Turkey Buzzard, a quadruped
of any kind, and more especially of a gunner, at once excites the
greatest alarm; and, rising on wing, they fly above and around you at a
considerable distance, vociferating their anger with great vehemence,
and continually endeavouring to allure you away from the spot where
their treasure is concealed. Should they have young broods, they not
unfrequently alight within sight, emit clicking and querulous notes,
raise their wings upright, and run over the ground as if wounded,
moving in so pitiable a manner as frequently to excite a good feeling
towards them in the gunner, who, should he be a parent himself, is
almost sure to leave them unmolested. When much pursued, the birds
join and form a flock, the individuals of which continue to wheel
through the air, at some distance from their nests, until their enemy
has departed.
The Semipalmated Snipe is at all times a shy and wary bird, so that
in approaching it the sportsman requires to use the greatest caution.
The method which I found most effectual was to employ a well-trained
dog, and conceal myself among the rankest herbage of the marshes.
The Willets rarely failed to fly close over the dog, and as he now
and then, playfully, as it were, approached me, the birds came within
shooting distance. On such occasions, if one is brought down, another
may follow, provided the sportsman is quick; but, after being thus
shot at, the Willets generally take a long circuit, and remove towards
some clear spot near the water, where they alight and watch your
motions. The cries of one suffice to alarm all within hearing, and
you see all of them with outstretched legs and necks running away
as you approach. Often at the very instant when you are preparing
to shoot, they all rise on wing, fly across some bay or creek, and
betake themselves to the marsh, where they are safe from your pursuit.