Part 54

Head large, compressed. Neck rather short. Body bulky and much depressed. Feet very short, strong, placed rather far behind; tarsus very short, compressed, anteriorly having a series of narrow scutella in its whole length, and a partial series above the fourth toe, the rest reticulated with angular and oblong scales; hind toe small, with a free membrane beneath; anterior toes longer than the tarsus, connected by reticulated membranes having a sinus at their free margins, the inner with a broad lobed marginal membrane, the outer with a thickened edge; all obliquely scutellate above; the third and fourth about equal and longest. Claws small, arched, compressed, obtuse, that of first toe very small and more curved, of middle toe largest, more depressed, and with a dilated inner edge.

Plumage short, dense, blended. Feathers on the fore part of the head extremely small, on the upper part very narrow, on the sides of the head very short, stiff and hair-like. Wings rather short, narrow, and pointed; primary quills curved, strong, tapering, the second longest, the first almost as long, the rest rapidly graduated; secondaries short, broad, rounded, excepting the inner, which are elongated, tapering, and curved outwards. Tail very short, much rounded, of fourteen stiff narrow feathers.

Bill flesh-coloured, the sides of the upper mandible and the soft frontal lobes bright orange. Iris bright yellow. Feet dull orange, the webs dusky, the claws brownish-black. The band of feathers separating the frontal lobes, and those along their upper and posterior edges, black; lower eyelid, and a forked patch on the throat, the same. The upper part of the head light purplish-grey; the hair-like feathers on the sides of the head pale bluish-green; the fore neck cream coloured; the sides and hind part of the neck, a patch on the wings, and another on each side of the rump, white. The hind part of the back, the scapulars, the larger wing-coverts, and the secondary quills, brownish-black, the latter glossed with green; primary quills and tail blackish-brown. Breast and abdomen blackish-brown; lower wing-coverts white, the outer brown.

Length to end of tail 25 inches, to end of wings 23; wing from flexure 11-1/4; tail 3-3/4; bill from the base of the tumid part 1-1/4, along the edge of lower mandible 2-5/12; tarsus 1-3/4; middle toe 2-10/12, its claw 4/8.

Adult Female. Plate CCLXXVI. Fig. 2.

The Female differs greatly from the male. The bill is shorter, its tumid basal lobes narrow and not ascending perpendicularly, so that the forehead is low as in most Ducks. The feathers of the head and upper part of the neck are small, soft, and uniform. The colour of the bill is pale greenish-grey; the iris dull yellow; the feet dull ochre. The head and neck are pale greyish-yellow, with small lines of brownish-black. The feathers of the back are brownish-black towards the end, with yellowish-grey edges, the scapulars brownish-red on the margins. The quills and tail-feathers are deep greyish-brown; the recurved secondaries broadly edged externally with yellowish-grey. The fore part of the lower neck and breast, the sides, and lower tail-coverts, have a central mark and submarginal band of brownish-black, the middle of the breast scarcely spotted, being of the general colour of the lower parts, which is pale yellowish-brown.

Length to end of tail 20 inches, to end of wings 17; wing from flexure 10-1/2; tail 3-3/4; bill from the separation of the lobes 1-1/4; tarsus 1-8/12; middle toe 2-1/2, its claw 4/8.

HUTCHINS’S GOOSE.

_ANSER HUTCHINSII_, RICHARDSON.

PLATE CCLXXVII. ADULT.

In the first article in this volume, that of the Canada Goose, in which I have described the habits of that bird at considerable length, I had occasion to allude to a small species called by the gunners of Maine the Winter or Flight Goose, which they described to me as resembling the large and common kind in almost every particular except its size. Although it was not my good fortune while there to meet with the bird spoken of by men who were well acquainted with it, I have no doubt that it is the very species which has been named in honour of Mr HUTCHINS, and that its periodical appearance along our eastern coast will ere long be fully established. This is the more to be expected as Dr RICHARDSON informs us that it is abundant about Hudson’s Bay, where it was long mistaken for the Brent, or an emaciated Canada Goose. In the mean time, having been presented with a specimen of the bird in question by my highly esteemed and gallant friend Captain JAMES CLARK ROSS, I have embraced the opportunity thus offered, of laying before you a representation, the first I believe that has yet appeared, of HUTCHINS’s Goose.

For fifteen months, rendered trebly long and wearisome by heavy and difficult marches, under the most distressing feelings, that most amiable and accomplished traveller, carried with him many specimens of rare birds, with the view of contributing to the advancement of our knowledge. Would, Reader, that you could sympathize with me in the feelings of pride and pleasure with which I call him friend. May his name be as extensively known as his worth deserves!

Some weeks after my drawing was finished, and when I had arrived in Edinburgh, I had the gratification of receiving a long and most interesting letter from him, of which I present you with an extract. “I have very great pleasure in having it now in my power to offer to your acceptance the specimen of this interesting species from which your drawing was taken. It was the child of my solicitude, and my constant companion during a long and tedious journey, after the abandonment of our ship, until our being received on board the Isabella, an interval of fifteen months; and this will account in a great measure for the miserable plight in which the specimen first came into your hands. I will dispose of it according to your wishes, and am most happy to place it in the hands of one who knows so well how to appreciate the interesting associations connected with it.

“These birds arrived in flocks about the middle of June, in the neighbourhood of Felix Harbour, and soon dispersed in pairs to their breeding place. At Igloolik, the only place where we had before met with them, their nests were found in the marshes near the sea; but on this occasion several pairs constructed their nests on a ledge of rock near the foot of a high precipice; immediately above them the Dovekies, Loons, several species of Gulls, and near its summit, the Jer-Falcon and Raven, built their nests.

“From three to four eggs were found in each nest, of a pure white, and of an oval form, measuring 3.1 inches by 2.1, and weighing from 1800 to 2000 grains.

“The female bird is smaller than the male. To the measurements given by Dr RICHARDSON, which are very accurate, we may add that its extent of wings is fifty inches, and that it averages about four pounds and a half of weight. Its flesh is of a most exquisite flavour.”

ANSER HUTCHINSII, HUTCHINS’S BARNACLE GOOSE, _Swains. and Richards._ Fauna Bor. Amer. part ii. p. 470.

Adult. Plate CCLXXVII.

Bill shorter than the head, higher than broad at the base, somewhat conical, depressed towards the end, rounded at the tip. Upper mandible with the dorsal line sloping, the ridge slightly flattened at the base, convex in the rest of its extent, the sides sloping, the edges soft, the oblique internal lamellæ about thirty; the unguis roundish, convex. Nasal groove oblong, parallel to the ridge, filled by the soft membrane of the bill; nostrils medial, lateral, longitudinal, narrow-elliptical, open, pervious. Lower mandible straight, with the angle very long, narrow and rounded, the edges with about forty oblique lamellæ.

Head small, oblong, compressed. Neck long and very slender. Body full. Feet short, stout, placed behind the centre of the body; legs bare a little above the joint; tarsus short, a little compressed, covered all round with angular scales, those behind smaller; hind toe very small, with a narrow membrane, third the longest, fourth considerably shorter, but longer than second; all reticulated above at the base, but with narrow transverse scutella towards the end; the three anterior connected by reticulated webs, the outer with a thick margin, the inner with the edge more dilated. Claws small, arched, rather compressed, except that of the middle toe, which is bent obliquely inwards and depressed, with a curved edge.

Plumage close, blended on the neck and lower parts of the body, compact on the upper. The feathers of the head and neck very narrow, of the back very broad and abrupt, of the breast and belly broadly rounded. Wings long; primaries strong, curved, the second longest, but the first and third almost as long, the rest rapidly graduated; secondaries long, rather narrow, rounded. Tail short, slightly rounded, of sixteen rounded feathers.

Bill, feet, and claws black. Iris brown. Head and two upper thirds of the neck glossy black. A large subtriangular patch of white on each side of the head and neck. The general colour of the upper parts is brownish-grey, the feathers margined with paler; of the lower parts pale greyish-brown, margined with yellowish-grey; the abdomen and lower tail-coverts white; the hind part of the back brownish-black. The primary quills and tail-feathers are deep brown.

Length to end of tail 25 inches, extent of wings 50; wing from flexure 16-3/4; tail 5-3/4; bill along the back 1-1/2, along the edge of lower mandible 1-1/2; tarsus 2-1/2; middle toe 2, its claw 4/12. Weight 4-1/2 lb.

In the Fauna Boreali-Americana, the tail-feathers are stated to be fourteen. In my specimen they are sixteen, and it is probable that the full number is eighteen, as the two middle ones seem to be wanting.

SCHINZ’S SANDPIPER.

_TRINGA SCHINZII_, BREHM.

PLATE CCLXXVIII. MALE AND FEMALE.

Although I have met with this species at different times in Kentucky, and along our extensive shores, from the Floridas to Maine, as well as on the coast of Labrador, I never found it breeding. Indeed, I have not met with it in the United States excepting in the latter part of autumn and in winter. Those procured in Labrador were shot in the beginning of August, and were all young birds, apparently about to take their departure. My drawing of the two individuals represented in the plate was made at St Augustine in East Florida, where I procured them on the 2d December 1831. I have always found these birds gentle and less shy than any other species of the genus. They fly at a considerable height with rapidity, deviating alternately to either side, and plunge toward the ground in a manner somewhat resembling that of the Solitary Sandpiper. When accidentally surprised, they start with a repeated _weet_, less sonorous than that of the bird just mentioned. They search for food along the margins of pools, creeks and rivers, or by the edges of sand-bars, and mix with other species.

TRINGA SCHINZII, _Ch. Bonaparte_, Synops. of Birds of the United States, p. 249.—Amer. Ornith. vol. iv. p. 69. pl. 24. fig. 2. Winter.—_Swains. and Richards._ Fauna Bor. Amer. part ii. p. 384.

SCHINZ’S SANDPIPER, _Nuttall_, Manual, vol. ii. p. 109.

Adult Male in winter. Plate CCLXXVIII. Fig. 1.

Bill about the length of the head, slender, subcylindrical, straight, compressed at the base, the point slightly enlarged and rather obtuse. Upper mandible with the dorsal line straight, excepting at the tip, the ridge narrow and convex, broader and flattened towards the end, the sides sloping, the edges rather obtuse. Nasal groove extending to near the tip; nostrils basal, linear, pervious. Lower mandible with the angle long and extremely narrow, the dorsal line straight, the sides sloping outwards, the tip a little broader than that of the upper.

Head rather small, oblong, compressed. Neck of moderate length. Body rather slender. Feet rather long, slender; tibia bare a third part of its length; tarsus compressed behind, covered anteriorly and posteriorly with numerous scutella, which scarcely leave any intermediate space; hind toe extremely small; the rest of moderate length, slender, the fourth slightly longer than the second, the third longest; all free, there being only a very slight rudimentary web between the third and fourth, flat beneath, slightly marginate with rather pointed scales. Claws small, slightly arched, compressed, rather acute, that of the third toe much larger, with the inner edge dilated.

Plumage very soft, blended on the lower parts, the feathers distinct above. Wings very long, pointed; primaries tapering, obtuse, the first longest, the second almost equal, the rest rapidly graduated; outer secondaries incurved, narrow, obliquely sinuate at the end of the outer web, the inner rounded and extending beyond the outer; inner secondaries very narrow, tapering to a point, reaching, when the wing is closed, to about half an inch from its tip. Tail of moderate length, nearly even, but with the two middle feathers exceeding the rest, the number of feathers twelve.

Bill and feet dusky. Iris brown. The general colour of the upper parts is brownish-black, each feather edged with yellowish-grey, the scapulars with light red. Wing-coverts greyish-brown, the shaft black; primary and secondary coverts tipped with white; quills brownish-grey, darker towards the tips, the inner primaries and outer secondaries more or less edged and tipped with white; the tail-coverts white with a dusky spot, excepting the two central, which are blackish, with a few greyish-white markings. Tail-feathers light grey, the two middle brownish-black towards the end. Sides of the head, fore neck, anterior part of breast and sides greyish-white, with small lanceolate central brownish-black spots; the rest of the lower parts white.

Length to end of tail 7-1/12 inches, to end of wings 7-7/12, to end of claws 7-9/12; extent of wings 14-3/4, bill along the back (10-1/2)/12, along the edge of lower mandible 11/12; wing from flexure 4-(10-1/2)/12; tail 2-2/12; tarsus 11/12; middle toe (9-1/2)/12, its claw 2/12.

Adult Female in winter. Plate CCLXXVIII. Fig. 2.

The Female is similar to the male, but a little smaller.

In some individuals, about six of the middle tail-coverts are black, the lateral barred with white and dusky.

THE SANDWICH TERN.

_STERNA CANTIACA_, GMEL.

PLATE CCLXXIX. ADULT AND YOUNG.

On the 26th of May 1832, while sailing along the Florida Keys in Mr THRUSTON’s barge, accompanied by his worthy pilot and my assistant, I observed a large flock of Terns, which, from their size and other circumstances, I would have pronounced to be Marsh Terns, had not the difference in their manner of flight convinced me that they were of a species hitherto unknown to me. The pleasure which one feels on such an occasion cannot easily be described, and all that it is necessary for me to say on the subject at present is, that I begged to be rowed to them as quickly as possible. A nod and a wink from the pilot satisfied me that no time should be lost, and in a few minutes all the guns on board were in requisition. The birds fell around us; but as those that had not been injured remained hovering over their dead and dying companions, we continued to shoot until we procured a very considerable number. On examining the first individual picked up from the water, I perceived from the yellow point of its bill that it was different from any that I had previously seen, and accordingly shouted “A prize! a prize! a new bird to the American Fauna!” And so it was, good Reader, for no person before had found the Sandwich Tern on any part of our coast. A large basket was filled with them, and we pursued our course. On opening several individuals, I found in the females eggs nearly ready for being laid. The males, too, manifested the usual symptoms of increased action in the organs distinctive of the sex. I felt a great desire to discover their breeding grounds, which I had the pleasure of doing in a few days after.

The vigour and activity of this bird while on wing afforded me great pleasure. Indeed its power of flight exceeds that of the Marsh Tern, which I consider as a closely allied species. While travelling, it advances by regular sharp flappings of its wings, which propel it forward much in the manner of the Passenger Pigeon, when, single and remote from a flock, it pushes on with redoubled speed. While plunging after the small mullets and other diminutive fishes that form the principal part of its food, it darts perpendicularly downwards with all the agility and force of the Common and Arctic Terns, nearly immersing its whole body at times, but rising instantly after, and quickly regaining a position from which it can advantageously descend anew. Should the fish disappear, as the bird is descending, the latter instantly recovers itself without plunging into the water. Its cries are sharp, grating, and loud enough to be heard at the distance of half a mile. They are repeated at intervals while it is travelling, and kept up incessantly when one intrudes upon it in its breeding grounds, on which occasion it sails and dashes over your head, chiding you with angry notes more disagreeable than pleasant to your ear.

How many days these birds had been laying, when I discovered the key on which they breed, I cannot say; but many of them were still engaged in depositing their eggs, and none were as yet sitting on those which, being three together, seemed to form the full complement. They had been dropped on the sand, at short intervals, with scarcely any appearance of a hollow for their reception. In some instances they were laid at the foot of a scanty tuft of grass; but all were fully exposed to the heat of the sun, which at this time I thought almost sufficient to cook them. The eggs varied as much in colour as those of the Arctic Tern and Foolish Guillemot, and were equally disproportionate to the size of the bird, their average length being two inches and one-eighth, their greatest breadth one inch and three and a half eighths. They are of an oval form, but rather sharp at the larger end. The ground colour is yellowish-grey, varying in depth, and all more or less spotted, blotched, or marked with different tints of umber, pale blue, and reddish. But to describe them with absolute precision seems to me impossible, and until you see my plates of eggs, I strongly recommend to you to inspect the valuable and accurate delineations published by my friend W. C. HEWITSON, Esq. of Newcastle-upon-Tyne, among which you will find not less than three excellent representations of the eggs of the Sandwich Tern. That gentleman describes them as being “mostly two” for each pair of birds, and “sometimes three,” on the islands on the coast of Northumberland, where he found this species breeding in numbers. The eggs were so abundant and close together, that, to use his own words, “we were obliged carefully to pick our steps in order to avoid treading upon them; they were either on the grass as it grew, or upon a small quantity gathered together for that purpose.” I add that these eggs are most capital eating.

I never saw the Sandwich Tern on any other portion of our coasts than between the Florida Keys and Charleston, and from whence it first came there, or how it went thence to Europe, is an enigma which may perhaps never be solved. On asking the Wreckers if they had been in the habit of seeing these birds, they answered in the affirmative, and added that they paid them pretty frequent visits during the breeding season, on account of their eggs as well as of the young, which, when nearly able to fly, they said were also good eating. According to their account, this species spends the whole winter near and upon the keys, and the young keep separate from the old birds.

STERNA CANTIACA, _Gmel._ Syst. Nat. Sp. 15.—_Temm._ Man. d’Ornith. part ii. p. 735.

STERNA BOYSII, _Lath._ Ind. Ornith. vol. ii. p. 806.

SANDWICH TERN, _Nuttall_, Manual, vol. ii. p. 276.

Adult Male. Plate CCLXXIX.

Bill longer than the head, slender, tapering, compressed, nearly straight, very acute. Upper mandible with the dorsal line slightly arched, the ridge rather broad at the base, very narrow towards the tip, the sides sloping at the base, slightly convex and nearly perpendicular towards the end, the edges sharp and inflected, the tip very acute. Nasal groove extending to a little beyond the middle of the bill and deflected towards its edge; nostrils basal, linear, direct, pervious. Lower mandible with the angle very narrow and acute, extending nearly to the middle, the dorsal line beyond it straight, the sides convex, towards the end more erect, the ridge very narrow, the tip extremely acute.

Head of moderate size, oblong; neck of moderate length; body slender. Feet very small; tibia bare for a considerable space; tarsus very short, anteriorly scutellate, laterally and behind reticulated; toes small, slender, the first extremely small, the third longest, the fourth about the same length, the second much shorter, all scutellate above, the anterior connected by reticulated webs of which the margins are deeply concave. Claws arched, compressed, acute, that of hind toe very small, 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; the feathers on the occiput and upper part of hind neck pointed and elongated. Wings very long, narrow and pointed; primary quills tapering, the outer slightly curved inwards at the end, the first longest, the rest rapidly graduated; secondary short, broad, incurved, rounded, the inner proportionally longer and narrower. Tail rather long, deeply forked, of twelve feathers, the outer tapering to a point.

Bill black, excepting the tips, which are yellow; inside of the mouth deep blue. Iris brown. Feet black. The upper part of the head, occiput and part of hind neck bluish-black. Sides of the head, neck all round, and the rest of the lower parts white, the breast frequently tinged with pink. The fore part of the back, the scapulars and the upper surface of the wings pale greyish-blue; the tips and the greater parts of the inner webs of the scapulars, and quills white, as are the rump and the tail; the four outer quills blackish, but covered with light grey down, on the outer webs and over a considerable extent of the inner, their shafts white.

Length to end of tail 15-3/4 inches, to end of wings 16-8/12; to end of claws 12-3/4; extent of wings 33-3/4; wing from flexure 12-1/4; tail 6; bill along the back 2-1/4, along the edge of lower mandible 2-10/12; tarsus 1-(1/2)/12; middle toe (9-1/2)/12, its claw 5/12. Weight 6-1/2 oz.

The Female is similar to the Male.

The young, after the first moult, are of a light greyish-blue colour on the upper parts, the feathers tipped and banded in an undulating manner with brownish-black; the upper part of the head and the hind neck are of the latter colour, but mottled with white. The quills are as in the adult, the tail grey, with irregular brownish-black markings towards the tips of the feathers. The lower parts are also pale grey, but much lighter than the upper. The bill and feet are black, but the tip of the former has not yet assumed a yellow tint.

THE BLACK TERN.

_STERNA NIGRA_, LINN.

PLATE CCLXXX. ADULT MALE AND YOUNG.