Category: Science - Biology
THE PLOVERS (_Charadrii_):--The Golden Plover--The Ringed Plover--The Dotted Plovers--The Dotted Plover, or Dotterel--The Shore Plovers--The Little Shore Plover, or Little Ringed Plover--The Lapwings, or Peewits--The Peewit, or Lapwing--The Spur-winged Lapwing--The Lappeted Pe...
THE PLOVERS (_Charadrii_):--The Golden Plover--The Ringed Plover--The Dotted Plovers--The Dotted Plover, or Dotterel--The Shore Plovers--The Little Shore Plover, or Little Ringe...
2. Part 2These birds occupy the wild open parts of Europe and Asia, only occasionally visiting North-western Africa during the winter months. In Great Britain they were formerly abundant...
3. Part 3The Cream-coloured Courser is a native of Africa, and is met with in Egypt, Nubia, and Abyssinia, being most numerous in the last-mentioned country; it appears in summer along t...
4. Part 4The Golden Plovers are especially numerous in the cooler portions of the globe, becoming gradually rarer towards 57° north latitude. In England they are generally distributed, b...
5. Part 5This bird is very common in Egypt, where it usually occupies the vicinity of water; nevertheless it entirely avoids the sea-coast, but occasionally sojourns near lakes of bracki...
6. Part 6The Snipes must be regarded as natives of the north and temperate portions of the earth, although they also visit its warmest latitudes. Many species frequent swampy woods, but...
7. Part 7The CURLEW SANDPIPERS (_Limicola_) have a compact body, short neck, and small head; the beak is longer than the head, and only soft and flexible at its tip, which is broad, and...
8. Part 8These birds inhabit the north-eastern portions of Europe and Northern Asia, and are numerous upon the extensive lakes and rivers of Siberia and North America; their range, howev...
9. Part 9Great numbers of these birds visit England both during their spring and autumnal migrations, but they have never been known to breed in our island, though some few remain throug...
10. Part 10The Glossy Ibis frequents the whole of Central Europe, a large portion of Asia, and Northern Africa, and visits the central and western portions of the latter continent. During...
11. Part 11"The Hammer-heads," says Layard "are strange, weird birds, frequenting ponds, marshes, rivers, and lakes, flitting about with great activity in the dusk of the evening, and prey...
12. Part 12"The first evening it was at my house," says the above naturalist, "it walked into the hall, gazed at the gas-lamp which had just been lighted, and then proceeded to walk upstai...
13. Part 13The NIGHT HERON (_Nycticorax Europæus_) has a compact body, short, thick, broad beak, curved at its culmen, moderately high legs, broad wings, and thick plumage, which, unlike t...
14. Part 14The AFRICAN CROWNED CRANES (_Balearica_) possess a powerful body, moderate-sized neck, large head, and a strong, conical, slightly-curved bill of medium length; the legs and fee...
15. Part 15The GOLDEN RAIL, or PAINTED CAPE SNIPE (_Rhynchæa Capensis_), is of a blackish grey on the upper part of the body; the eyebrows, a stripe on the head, and another on the shoulde...
16. Part 16The HYACINTHINE PORPHYRIO (_Porphyrio hyacinthinus_) has the face and fore part of the neck of a beautiful bright blue; the hinder part of the head, neck, and belly and thighs a...
17. Part 17The FINFOOTS (_Podoæ_), a group of birds inhabiting South America and Senegal, present many difficulties in their classification, although, judging from their structure generall...
18. Part 18The SWANS (_Cygni_), from their proud looks and majestic demeanour, must ever hold a conspicuous position in the order to which they belong. Their imposing size and elegant appe...
19. Part 19Schilling expresses himself still more plainly: "When, owing to the intensity of the frost the water of the sea is frozen, and the streams everywhere converted into ice, and the...
20. Part 20The CANADA GOOSE (_Cygnopsis Canadensis_) nearly resembles the Domestic Goose in many particulars, but is recognisable therefrom by its comparatively slender body, long neck, an...
21. Part 21The head-quarters of the Nile Goose extend from Egypt to the Cape of Good Hope, and from the east coast far into the interior of Africa; along the west coast of that continent i...
22. Part 22The RUDDY SHELDRAKE, or BRAHMINY DUCK (_Casarca rutila_), represents a group possessing slender bodies, moderate-sized wings, and somewhat remarkably coloured plumage, which dif...
23. Part 23The WILD DUCK (_Anas boschas_) represents a group characterised by their powerful body, short neck, broad slightly-raised bill, which terminates in a decidedly-curved and nail-l...
24. Part 24The remarkable beak possessed by these birds is admirably suited for the use to which it is destined, its laminated sides being furnished with numerous nerves, which endow it wi...
25. Part 25This valuable Duck is met with throughout the northern regions of the globe, its range extending from Jutland to Spitzbergen, and from the west coast of Europe along its norther...
26. Part 26The WHITE-HEADED PIN-TAILED DUCK (_Erismatura leucocephala_) has the head white, with the exception of a large black patch upon the centre; a band around the neck and throat is...
27. Part 27The TERNS, or SEA SWALLOWS (_Sternæ_), are a race of middle-sized or small slenderly-built birds. Their beak is of about the same length as the head, hard, straight, or gently a...
28. Part 28The BLACK MARSH TERN (_Hydrochelidon nigra_) is of a deep rich black on the head, nape, breast, and centre of belly; the mantle is blueish grey, and the region of vent white. Th...
29. Part 29The GULLS (_Lari_) form a well-defined and distinct family, recognisable by the following characters. Although these birds vary in size, from that of a Jackdaw to that of an Eag...
30. Part 30The LESSER WHITE-WINGED GULL (_Larus leucopterus_) has the head and neck entirely pure white; the back and wings are pale grey; the primary quills, chin, throat, breast, entire...
31. Part 31In the Skuas the body is strongly built, the neck short, the head small, the beak moderately short but strong, thick, and towards the apex compressed. The upper mandible is vaul...
32. Part 32The WANDERING ALBATROSS (_Diomedea exulans_), called by some the Cape Sheep, is, with the exception of its black wings, entirely pure white. In young birds the plumage is banded...
33. Part 33"This Martin among the Petrels," says Gould, "swims lightly; but it rarely exercises natatorial power except to procure food, in pursuit of which it occasionally dives for a mom...
34. Part 34The TROPIC BIRDS (_Phaëton_), "Children of the Sun," as they were called by Linnæus, always warn the mariner by their presence that he has entered the precincts of the torrid zo...
35. Part 35"The Frigate Pelican," continues the same authority, "is possessed of a power of flight which I imagine superior perhaps to that of any other bird. However swiftly the Cayenne T...
36. Part 36The Cormorants generally make their appearance in their breeding-places in April, and set about preparing their nests with great zeal. Towards the end of the month, they lay thr...
37. Part 37THE birds belonging to this extensive order are all aquatic, and almost exclusively subsist on fishes, which they capture by diving. In conformity with this mode of life, they a...
38. Part 38"To see them from some promontory," says Mudie, "against which the air and the sea are setting full wind and tide, and driving before them myriads of herrings and other fishes,...
39. Part 39The GREENLAND DOVE, or BLACK GUILLEMOT (_Cephus grylle_), one of the best-known members of its family, may be regarded as the representative of a distinct group, and is easily r...
40. Part 40The GREAT AUK (_Alca pinguinus_ or _impennis_). This extraordinary bird occupied the northern regions of the Atlantic at the commencement of this century, but is now apparently...
41. Part 41Birds belonging to this remarkable family are inhabitants of the southern hemisphere, and there occupy a zone extending from 30° to 75° south latitude, living entirely upon the...
42. Part 42_Sub-Family_ 1.--The Social Weaver Birds (Philetaërus), i., 167; the Social Weaver Bird (P. socius), i., 167. " " 2.--The Yellow Weaver Birds (Ploceus), i., 168; the Golden Weav...
43. Part 43_Sub-Family_ 1.--The Tree Owls (Syrnium), ii., 99; the Tree Owl (S. aluco), ii., 99. " " 2.--The Night Owls (Nyctale), ii., 100; the Hairy-footed Night Owl (N. dasypus), ii., 10...
44. Part 44_Sub-Family_ 1.--The Oven Birds (Furnarius), iii., 18; the Red Oven Bird (F. rufus), iii., 18. " " 2.--The Ground Woodpeckers (Geositta), iii., 19; the Burrowing Ground Woodpeck...
45. Part 45_Sub-Family_ 1.--The Tufted Pheasants (Lophophorus), iii., 228; the Monaul, or Impeyan Pheasant (L. resplendens), iii., 229; Lhuys' Pheasant (L. Lhuysii), iii., 232. " " 2.--The...
46. Part 46_Sub-Family_ 1.--The Fishing Gulls (Larus), iv., 187; the Great Black-headed Gull (L. marinus), iv., 188; the Lesser Black-backed Gull (L. fuscus), iv., 190. " " 2.--The Ice Gul...
47. Part 4748. Part 4849. Part 49Picturesque Europe. _The British Isles._ _Vol. 1._ Containing Twelve exquisite Steel Plates from original drawings by BIRKET FOSTER, E. M. WIMPERIS, P. SKELTON, D. MCKEWAN, W. L...
50. Part 50Cassell's Brehm's Book of Birds. Translated from the Text of Dr. BREHM, by Professor T. RYMER JONES, F.R.S. With upwards of 400 Engravings, and numerous full-page Coloured Plate...