A dictionary of British birds : reprinted from Montagu's Ornithological dictionary, and incorporating the additional species described by Selby; Yarrell, in all three editions, and in natural-history journals / compiled and edited by Edward Newman.

George Montagu

Date:: 1866

Credit: A dictionary of British birds : reprinted from Montagu's Ornithological dictionary, and incorporating the additional species described by Selby; Yarrell, in all three editions, and in natural-history journals / compiled and edited by Edward Newman. Source: Wellcome Collection.

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$dull ash-colour; belly dirty white; sides and vent tawny-brown. The female has less ash-colour about the head and breast. The Hedge Warbler is found in all parts of England; has a pleasing song, which it begins with the new year, if the weather is mild; breeds early, maldng a nest in Mai'ch, composed of green moss and wool, and lined uith hair, which is placed in some low evergreen shrub, thick brush, or cut hedge; fi-equenUy builds in faggot piles. The eggs are four or five in number, blue; their weight about twenty-eight grains. This bird is one of the few of the Warbler tribe that remains with us the whole year. Its food is insects and worms, but, lilce the Eedbreast, will in defect of these pick up crumbs of bread; and seems to prefer situations near the habitation of man. The Cuckoo frequently makes choice of this bu’d’s nest for the purpose of depo- siting its egg. Is said to be migratory in France, leaving that country in spring, a very few excepted. Ailsa-cock.—See Puffin. Aik. — See Auk, Blackbilled; and Ea- zorbiU [or rather—Auk, Eazorbilled.] Allamotti.—See Petrel, Stormy. Allan.—See GuU, Arctic. Alp.—See Finch-bul. [Ammer, Yellow.—See Bunting, Yellow.] Amzel.—See Ouzel, Eing; and Blackbii'd. Annet.—See Kittywake. Arctic-bird.—See Gull, Arctic. Arsfoot.—See Grebe, Tippet, and Little. Assilag.—See Petrel, Stormy. Avoset.—^A genus of birds, the charac- ters of which are : BEl long, slender, very thin, depressed, bending upwards. Nos- trils narrow, pervious. Tongue short. Legs very long. Feet palmated. Back toe very smaE. Avoset, Scooping. — [Avocet, Yarrell, ii. 071; Hewitson, cxcii. 309.] Eecurverostra Avocetta, Linn. Syst. 150, 1; Gmel. Syst. ii. p. 093 ; Bris. vi. p. 538, t. 47; Ib. 8vo, ii. p. 504; Raii Syn. p. 117, A. 1; Will. p. 240, t. 00 ; Will. Anyl. p. 321. L’Avo- cette, Buf. vui. p. 400, t. 38. Scooping Avoset, Br. Zool. ii. No. 228, t. 80; Lath. Syn. V. p. 293, 1; Ib. Sup. p. 203. Avo- cetta, Ind. Om. ii, p. 780, 1; Uo«. Br. Birds, t. GO ; Lewin, Br. Birds, \i. t. 202; Wale. Syn.ii. 1.105; Pult. Cat. Dorset, p. 10. Piwiucial: Butter-fiip; Scooper; Yelper; Picarini ; Crooked - bill; Cobler’s - awl. — The length of this species to the end of the tail is eighteen inches; to tlie end of the toes twenty-two : weight thii-teen ounces. BDl black, recuiwed at the point, flexible like whalebone; hides dusky. The upper part of the head, and half the hind pai-t of the neck black; the cheeks and whole un- der parts of the bird are pure white; outer scapulars, middle coverts of the wings, and greater quid-feathers black; the ridge of the wings, greater coverts, back, and tail white ; legs bluish gi-ey; toes webbed about half them length. The Scooping Avoset is the only species foimd in Eng- land. It breeds in the fens of Lincoln- shire, and on Eomney Marsh in Kent. In winter they assemble in smaE flocks of six or seven, and frequent our shores, par- ticularly the mouths of large rivers, in search of worms and marine insects, which they scoop out of the mud or sand. It lays two eggs about tbe size of those of a pigeon, white, tingea with green, and mai’ked with large black spots; is said to be very tenacious of its young; when dis- turbed at this season will fly round in re- peated cii’cles, uttering a note that resem- bles the word twit twice repeated. The feet of this bird seem calculated for swim- ming, but it has never been observed to take the water for that purpose. We re- member one of this species being wounded in the wing, and floating vdth the tide for near a mEe, when it was taken up aEve without ever attempting to swim; so that the palmated feet seem only intended to support it on the mud. Auk.—A genus of birds, the characters of w'hich are: BiU strong, thick, com- pressed. Nostrils linear, placed near the ■edge of the mandible. Tongue almost as long as the biU. Toes, three forward webbed; none behind. Auk, BlackbiEed.—Alca Pica, Lin. Syst. i. p. 210, 2 ; Gmel. Syst. u. p. 551. Mer- gus BeEonii, Raii Syn. p. 119, 2. Uta- mania. Will. p. 243, t. 04; Ib. Angl. p. 324. Le Petit Pengoin, Buf. ix. p. 390. Black- bEled Auk, Br. Zool. u. No. 231; Ib. fol. 137; Arct. Zool. u. No. 420; Lath. Syn. v. p. 320, 0. Alca Torda, &., Ind. Om. u. p. 793, 5. Alca minor, Bris. ri. p. 923, t. 8, f. 2; Ib. 8vo, u. p. 383; Wale. Syn. i. t. 85. Provincial: Aik or Oke. — The weight of this burd is about eighteen ounces; length fifteen inches. Tire bEl is black, of the shape and size of that of the EazorbiE ; smooth, or void of furrow's, in some; others possess three distinct$