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
Licence: Public Domain Mark
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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![season; but neither the young of this, nor of either of the Wagtails, partake of these pai-ts of the summer plumage of their par^ts, till they commence the task of preparing for a progeny of their own the succeeding summer. Thus the young of these, and many other species of bii’ds, are at first clothed similai' to the poi-ent bii’ds in their autumnal change, and with them continue in one uniform plumage during the ensuing winter. This is a natural and common change; but similar changes ore innumerable in those birds where there is a material sexual distinction in the plumage. In such cases it is an invai’iable rule, that the young of both sexes at first appear in the dress of then- female parent, and that the male attii’e is in some the work of only a few months, while in others perhaps two or more years may be re- quii’ed to perfect it. There would be no difficulty in supposing that the old Eazor- biUs throw ofi the black feathers on the sides of the head, throat, and fore pai’t of the neck, as well as the white feathers that constitute the line from the bill to the eye, on the approach of winter, it being no- thing more extraordinary than we notice in the Wagtails, and a variety of other birds : but we cannot reconcile the circum- stance of so unusual a change, as it is re- quisite the EazorbUl should make (as before stated) to connect it with the Blackbilled Auk as one species. In some [Baillon’s Crake.—See Crake, Baillon’s.] Bald Buzzard.—See Osprey. Bald Coot.—See Coot. [Bank Martin.—See Martin, Sand.] [Barbary Partridge.— See Partridge, Bar- bary.] [Barred Woodpecker. — See Woodpecker, Lesser Spotted.] Bargander.—See Shieldrake. Barker.—See Snipe, Spotted. Barley-Bird.—See Siskin. [Bam Owl.—See Owl, White.] [ B art aile d Go dwit.—See God wit. Common. ] [Bartram’s Sandpiper.) See Sandpiper, [Bartram’s Tattler. J Bartram’s.] of the birds which are confined to those regions where, for one-half of the year- at least, the surface of the earth is covered ^rith boundless snow, an autumnal change in the plumage of both old and young takes place. Here we perceive the Ptar- migan invariably effect tins curious, and we may add most proridential change; for if the young of those birds at first assumed their sno■^^7• winter plumage, while yet the surface of the ground was not consonant with their colour, few w'ould escape the piercing eye of the Falcon or the Eagle, in the lofty and exposed situations they ai’e found to inhabit. It has therefore been wisely ordered that these should at first appear like their pai’ents in a mottled plumage, similar to the lichen-covered rocks they frequent, and continue in tliis dress till the approach of ■winter, when old and young become equally as w'hite as the sur- rounding snow. These are changes inci- dental to the habits of particular species, and are facts well known to those w'ho ex- plore the secrets of nature : br»t we caunot imagine an unnatural change of plumage, for which we have no precedent, in order to connect two species, w'hen other obsti- nate facts must infaUibly keep them dis- tinct. We shall now dismiss this subject ■with a reference to the Auk, BlackbiUed; and Guillemot, Lesser and Foolish. Awl.—See Woodpecker, Green. Bass-Cock.—See Puffin. [Batty Bird.—See Heron, Little White.] Bawkie.—See Auk, EazorbiU. Beam-Bird. — We are at a loss to find what bird Mr. WiUughby means under this denomination. He says it is found in Yorkshire, and called the.Beam-Bu’d, from its nesting under beams in out-buBdings, This gentleman, however, calls it Becca- figo, or Fig-eater. Mr. Pennant has con- sidered it as the MotaciUa Hippolais of Linnaeus; but his description, which is as follows, by no means answers to that bird. “ Less than the Blackcap. The inside of the mouth is red; the head, neck, back, and ■wings ore of an olivaceous ash-colour; the quiU-feathers darker, edged with oUve; the inner coverts of the wings yellow; breast white, tinged with yellow; the belly silvery white; the tail dusky; the legs bluish.” Pettychaps, J3r. Zool. 149. Most cei’tainly this description does not corre- spond with either the Greater or Lesser](https://iiif.wellcomecollection.org/image/b28089935_0036.jp2/full/800%2C/0/default.jpg)
