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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$specific character has lately been discovered, not before noticed we believe. This is a small corneous spur at the end of the alula spuria; it is about half an inch long, and a little arcuated. To the ingenious Mr. Henry Boys we are indebted for the first notice of this circumstance, and have since observed it in a Swan of the first year, as well as in the older birds; but it is not easily discernible amongst the fea- thers, though sufficiently conspicuous when they are removed. The Australasian Cassowary has a similar spur at the ex- tremity of its diminutive useless wing. A female Whistling Swan shot near Bridge- water, in the year 1805, got the better of her wound, and was kept by Mr. Stone with his Geese for nearly two years, during which time she laid one egg: and we here beg leave to record our public acknow- ledgment to that gentleman for his polite- ness in presenting to us both the bird and the egg. But we must at the same time acknowledge that much is due to the kind assistance of Mr. Anstice, at whose insti- gation this acceptable present was made. This beautiful and docile bml is now alive and in high health, living with many other sorts of Ducks in the greatest harmony. Towards the spring she becomes more clamorous, and impatient of confinement; but at all times will approach those per- sons in the habit of feeding her, and mil take food from the hand, at the same time uttering those xfiaiutive and harmonious notes for which the species have been re- mai'kable, and w'hich is always attended with a singular jerk of the head. She usually carries her neck straight and erect, either upon the water or when stationary on land; but in w'alking the head is lowered, and the neck reclining over the back. In the season of love she frequently Haps along the surface of the water, and would undoubtedly fly if the precaution of annually cutting the feathers of one wing was omitted; for whatever might have been the wound that was the cause of cap- tivity, Nature has performed a perfect cure. Her nature is gentle, timid, and sociable ; will follow those with w'hom she is acquainted from one side of the mena- gerie to the other, especially ladies of the family dressed in white ; is often turned out of her course by a pugnacious male Shieldrake, and acts only offensively when food is the object,and then only where re- sentment is not expected. She eats but little grass on land, but will devour aquatic plants oecasioniillj’’; barley, however, is her principal food, and she never attempts to touch bread which is sometimes throwm to other birds; nor w'ill she devour small fish, which some of the diving Ducks greedily eat. The base of the bill in this specimen is as usual in adults, of a bright yellow. Whether from age or what other cause has not been ascertained, but the Swan differs materially in the colour of its irides ; in some they are pale yellow, in others dusky. It is evidently not a sexual distinction, since we have noticed both sexes with dark irides. If it is the effect of age, it is difficult to determine at what age the iris becomes pale, since the live Swan in our possession, whose irides are dusky, has never made any change in that part since it was taken, eight years since, and the bird was then matured, although its age could not be known. The egg is very small in proportion to the bird, being not near so large as that of a China Goose, and is regularly oval; about three inches long, and of a ferruginous-colour, with some white blotches about the middle, appearing as if artificially stained. The j oung of this species are brown in their plumage for the first year; one which we examined on the Cth of March, 1809, and which measured three feet - eight inches in length, and weighed eight pounds and a quarter, had the bin flesh-colour at the base: hides dusky. The feathers on the forehead and before the eyes dull orange; the rest of the head, and upper neck behind, brow-n : the under parts white, tinged with rufous : the lower neck behind, the upper pai-ts of the body, scapulars, coverts, and tail cine- reous-grey. [Swan Wild.—See Swan, Whistling.] Swart-Back. — See Gull, Great Black- backed. Swift.—[Yarrell, ii. 270; Hewitson, Ixv. 267.] Hirundo Apus, Lin. Sysf. i. p. 344, 0 ; Gmel. Syst. ii. p. 1020; Raii Syn. p. 72, A. 4; Will. p. 156, t. 39 ; Ind. Orn. ii. p. 582, 32 ; Bris. u. p. 512, 15 ; Ih. 8yo, i. p. 301. Le grand Martinet, Buf. vi. p. 643. Swift, Br. Zool. u. No. 171, t. 57; II). fol. 97; Arct. Zool. ii. No. 334; Will. Angl. p. 214, t. 39 ; Albin, ii. t. 55 . Lath. Syn. iv. p. 584, 34; Lewin, Br. Birds, iii. t. 126 ; Wale. Syn. t. 254; Pult. Cat. Dor- set. p. 13. Pro\’incial: Screech, or Screech Martin; Black Martin. — This species of Swallow is nearly an ounce in weight; length near eight inches; breadth about eighteen. The bill is black; irides dusky. The whole plumage is black, except the chin, which is whitish ; the wings (ire ex- tremely long in proportion, and the legs so short that it rises from the ground with difficulty; the tail is forked; legs and toes black. It has four toes, all placed forward. In this particular it deviates from one of the characters of the Swallow genus. The S^vift makes its appearance$