Linnajus
has distinguished
several species of this family; such as the Golden Eagle, the Common
Eagle, the Sea Eagle; and we will just consider these a little
separately.
several species of this family; such as the Golden Eagle, the Common
Eagle, the Sea Eagle; and we will just consider these a little
separately.
Childrens - The Creation
It embraces the Sponge, the Coral, and the Polypus.
The Sponge. This is now believed by all naturalists to be an
animal existence. It is composed of net-work fibres and tubes, finely
woven together. It is found adhering to rocks in the Mediterranean
and Indian Ocean. It is very valuable in many ways; and when
burnt is used as medicine.
The Coral. Linnaeus divides this family into several genera, and
then again into many hundreds of species. It comprises, principally,
the Tubepores (that is, Coral with tube-like pores), Madrepores (with
star-shaped pores), Millepores (similar to the former, but branched
off into many parts), Cellepores (also similar, with little hollow cells),
the name of each defining its character.
Montgomery, in his beautiful poem of the " Pelican Island," has a
great deal of interesting matter as to this branch of the Zoophyte
family.
? See Appendix.
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The Polypus or Hydra inhabits fresh water, and has the singular
power of reproducing its parts, when cut, each part becoming a
perfect whole. The Serlutaire is an extraordinary member of this
family, and emits, if the plant it is fixed on is struck, a bright light.
The Infusoria. This order embraces fourteen genera; some so
minute that they are not visible to the naked eye. Some of these
have shells; some are covered with hair; some are peculiar to the
sea; some to ponds. A good microscope will show, in a drop of
stagnant water, many of these invisible inhabitants of the deep. Our
Poet of the Seasons thus most beautifully speaks of this family:--
" Where the pool
Stands mantled o'er with green--invisible,
Amid the floating verdure millions stray,
Each liquid too, whether it pierces, soothes,
Inflames, refreshes, or exalts the taste,
With various forms abounds ;--nor is the
Stream of purest crystal, nor the lucid air,
Though one transparent vacancy it seems,
Void of their unseen people. "
Thomson.
And now, my dear children, let us proceed to the second great
division of the Fifth day, and consider--
K
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? 194
THE CREATION.
THE BIRDS THAT FLY IN THE OPEN FIRMAMENT.
TABLE OF THE ORDER OF BIRDS.
SO. LATIN NAMF8.
Accipitres
Pica;
Anseres . . .
The Hawk kind. Birds of Prey
Grallse
Gallinae . . .
Struthiores . .
Passeres. .
ColumbaB
ENGLISH NAMES.
Woodpecker . .
Goose
PROPERTIES.
Stilts . .
Fowl . .
Ostrich
Sparrow
Dove . . .
Feet adapted for climbing
Web feet
(Birds with very long|
\ necks and legs j
Domestic and wild game
With very small wings. . .
(All the birds of songi
\ belong to this order. )
Birds of Peace
4
16
13
29
13
3
Many
Ditto
Ditto
Ditto
Ditto
Few
Greatvariety
Few
Having considered rather at large, the two great orders of life that
animate the deep, another class of beings now calls for our contem-
plation. --The Fovl of Heaven. " Formed chiefly," says Dr. Mavor,
" to move or float in the element of air, all their parts are wonder-
fully adapted to their destination--light and sharp before, they
cleave the expanse of ether with the greatest facility; and swelling
gradually in the middle, they again terminate in expansive tails,
which preserve the buoyancy, and give direction to the body, while
, the fore part is cutting the air: hence they have been compared to
a vessel in the ocean. The trunk of the animal's body answering to
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? LETTER IX.
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the hold or lower part of the vessel; the head to the prow; the tail
to the rudder; and the wings to the oars. "
" The external apparatus of birds is not less an object of just
admiration than their shape and figure. The position of their
feathers tending backwards, and regularly laying over each other,
produces warmth, velocity of motion, and security. Next to their
bodies is a beautiful soft down, to protect them from the cold; and
further, to secure them from the injury of violent attrition (which
their swift flight might induce) or wet, birds are furnished with
glands, near their tail, which distil a kind of very fine oil, which
they press out with their bills, and spread over their ruffled plumage. "
This fluid varies in quantities, as the several branches of this great
family need it. The Aquatic birds abound with it; and thus, though
living in the sea, the water runs off their backs as quicksilver docs
from a table, and does not penetrate beneath, where all is warmth
and comfort.
As in the fish, so in the birds, purpose and design are manifest
through the whole of this diversified family. In some this is shown
in the form of the beak; in others, in the length of the neck; in
others, again, in the length of the legs.
Birds are faithful to their mates. Early in the spring, most of
them pair; and often both labour to build their little mansion, the
architecture of which is most beautiful, and man in vain attempts to
imitate it. Sometimes you see these beautiful little builders with a
K2
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? 196
THE CREATION.
straw, sometimes with feathers, anything they can weave into their
work; when the house is finished, then the eggs are deposited; for
all birds are oviparous; that is, they bring forth their young encased
in a shell. At the appointed season, the shell is broken, and the
little helpless strangers appear. At first they seem very dispropor-
tioned, being almost all mouth : but this is wisely ordered ; for so the
fond mother and father easily feed them; for both alike foster and
nurse their little family with the tenderest care. But a rapid increase
soon takes place; feathers grow apace; and in a few weeks the family
circle is broken up, and the young birds, fully fledged, provide for
themselves, and, as if the sweetest compact of life was gone, the
woods are no longer vocal with song,--the Nightingale ceases to
sing to its mate, and all is hushed again until the spring. It is this
that makes the solitary song of the sweet little robin-red-breast so
valued. Like a true friend, that keeps to us in summer and winter
alike, he often pours forth his sweetest strains, while all is stormy
and cheerless around.
The migration of birds is a subject full of interest. In a former
part of my letter, I noticed that the herrings also travel from the
polar to the tropical ocean; and now we are called to follow the bird
in its flight. Various are the opinions of naturalists on this subject;
but the most likely is, that the birds whose food fails in our winter,
migrate in the autumn, as the cold increases, to climes more congenial
to them; and so other birds, leaving a still colder country than our
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? LETTER IX.
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own, return to us again, when the snow covers our mountains and
valleys. Thus the Swallow forsakes us in October, and the Wild-
fowl visits us: and again, in the spring, the Swallow returns, and
the Wild-fowl hastens away to its colder regions.
If one may make a comparison, the feathered tribes seem the most
beautiful part of all animated nature; and this comparison is heightened
when, as in the case of the cardinal grosbeak and red birds, song and
plumage are combined in one. The song of this kind is so full and
melodious, that in America it is called " the Virginian Nightingale. '"
But I cannot spare more time for general description; but at once
hasten to look at this wonderful family, consisting of more than 6,000
known species. *
Linnaeus, in a beautiful and concise description, thus speaks of the
feathered tribes:--" This beautiful and cheerful portion of created
nature, consists of animals having a body covered with down and feathers
--jaws protracted and naked--two wings formed for flight--and two
feet. Birds are aerial, vocal, swift, and light. They are destitute
of external ears, lips, teeth, bladder, epiglottis, and of a diaphragm. "
Linnams divided the bird family into six orders; and took his
general characters from their bill, tongue, nostrils, caruncles, and
other naked parts. To these, another Naturalist (Dr. Latham) has
added three more orders; and we will thankfully take part of his
? Buffon, in his day, spoke of 800 that he knew ; and supposed there might he
1,000 or 1,300 more unknown.
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? 198
THE CREATION.
arrangement, and though I cannot promise to mention all the birds
comprised in the several orders, yet I hope to avoid omitting any of
consequence.
THE EIGHT ORDERS OF BIRDS.
1. Accip'Ures. --2. Pica. --3. Anseres. --4. Gralla. --5. Gattince. --6. Slruthiones. --
7. Passeres. --8. Columbce.
FIRST ORDER, ACCIPITRES. --FOUR GENERA. --MANY SPECIES.
The word Accipitres, is the Latin for Hawks. It comprehends:--
1. the Vulture; 2. the Eagle; 3. the Owl; 4. the Shrike. This
"warlike family are all carnivorous, and are well termed "birds of
prey ;" for, as the Scripture says, where the slain are, there are they.
They are distinguished by beaks hooked, strong, and notched; legs
thick and muscular; toes strong and grasping; talons long and sharp.
Then, again, their bodies are of amazing strength, and their flight
darting and swift The eye is dark and full of power.
Genus Vulture. This genus comprises the Condor and Vulture.
The Condor. This is the largest of all the birds of the heaven,
and the most formidable. Some naturalists say, that its wings are
eighteen feet in width. The Condor carries off a small deer in its
talons. It is a native of South America. The colour of the Condor
is brown. The wing feathers are enormous--some two feet in length,
and the quill half an inch in circumference.
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The King of the Vultures. Vultures in general are found in the
four quarters of the globe; but are entire strangers in our part of
Europe. They are distinguished from the Eagles by their heads and
necks being naked of feathers, only covered with a fine down. The
King Vulture is found in America, and is as large as a Turkey Cock.
A scarlet skin surrounds the eyes, and the irides have the colour and
lustre of pearls. The whole of this family are most voracious; they
follow the armies of battle, and dart upon the slain, (See Rev. xix. 17;
Isaiah xxxiv. 15. )
Second Genus. --Falco. --The Eagle. What the Lion is among
the beast of the forest, such is the Eagle with the birds of the air.
He is emphatically the king of the birds.
Linnajus has distinguished
several species of this family; such as the Golden Eagle, the Common
Eagle, the Sea Eagle; and we will just consider these a little
separately.
The Golden Eagle. This is the noblest of this noble family, the
expansion of its wings being seven feet, and its length three feet from
its beak to its tail. The body is a dark brown, beautifully shaded.
This species is found in Ireland (you remember Lugnaquilla,* in the
glen of Imale) and "Wales. The Eagle is frequently referred to in
the word of God ; and some of the illustrations drawn from it I will
mention in my next letter.
The Common Eagle. This species is found in the northern parts of
* In Irish " the Eagle's wing. " The elevation of Lugnaquilla is 3,700 feet.
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? 200
THE CREATION.
England and Scotland. They seldom come into the low countries,
for they love the mountain. The flight of the Eagle is supposed to
be higher than that of any other bird, and its vision more acute.
The sense of smell, in the whole of this order, is very delicate.
The Sea Eagle. This bird lives near the sea, and is the deadly
enemy of fish that swim near the surface, on which it darts (like the
gannet) with the swiftness of lightning.
The Falcon. Next in importance to the Eagle, is the Falcon, of
which there are several species; as the Ger-Falcon, the Peregrine
Falcon, &c. Falconry, some centuries ago, was in general use among
the nobility, as I have before mentioned; and the tameness and
obedience of these birds was wonderful; for though they were free--
absolutely free when loosed--yet having captured the prize for which
they were sent, they returned with it to their owners.
The Ger-Falcon. This is the largest of this family; the beak is
yellow and much hooked, the throat white, the plumage of the back
brown. It is found in the northern districts of Scotland.
The Peregrine Falcon is found in Scotland and Wales. It is much
like the Ger-Falcon.
The Buzzard. This bird is well known in our woods. It is a lazy,
inactive bird, remaining often on the same perch all day. It is about
four or five feet from wing to wing.
The Kite. The forked tail distinguishes this active bird, which
seems ever on the wing. It is rather larger than the Buzzard. Lord
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Bacon used to say, that when the Kite flew high, the weather would
be fine; but perhaps this is in general true of the flight of all birds.
The Goshawk. This is rather larger than the buzzard; but it is far
more active, and darts on its prey with exceeding impetuosity.
The Sparrow Hawk. This, though small, is indeed a bird of prey ;
and its screech in the woods fills one with very different emotions
from the plaintive cooing of the dove, or song of the nightingale.
This bird was in high estimation among the Egyptians; and their
god Osiris was worshipped under this emblem.
Third Genus. --Strix. --The Owl. This genus is confined to the
varied family which gives it its name j they are all birds of night.
The farmer loves to see their white wings skim his fields in the
twilight: therefore the Owl is not to be despised, but looked upon as
the farmer's friend. There are twelve species of this family.
The Eagle Owl. This bird almost equals the Eagle in size. The
head and whole body are beautifully varied with lines and spots,
black and brown. The wings are long, and tail short. This principal
species is found only in mountainous districts. He scorns mice, or
such little prey, and feeds on hares and other game.
The Horned Owl. This is a very odd and singular branch of the
family. Its horns, which distinguish it from all others, it raises or
depresses at pleasure. They consist of six feathers in each horn,
about an inch in height, yellow and black. The horned owl is found
in Wales, Cheshire, and the north of England.
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? 202
THE CREATION'.
The White Owl. This is commonly called the barn owl, and is the
best known of any of this family. At times, it snores and hisses, and
often screams dreadfully. You remember them in the avenue at
Rosanna, near Wicklow.
The Ivy or Screech Owl. This bird is the dread of the superstitious;
and if it flies by the window at night, attracted by the light, and
utters its hideous screech, it is considered a most sorrowful omen; but
all these feelings are wrong--the Christian has nothing to do with
omens; he has to do with the word of God, and that only--this unfolds
the future to him as filled with brightness to the righteous, and with
all terror to the wicked. The screech owl is mentioned in Isaiah
xxxiv. 14, and in the margin is called the " night monster," and is
among the birds that are prophesied of as building their nests in the
ruins of Idumea.
Fourth Genus. --Lanius. --Comprising the Shrike and Wood-chat.
The Butcher-bird is about the size of the blackbird; its bill is about
an inch long, and is hooked ; its toes are differently formed from those
of other birds of prey, so that naturalists have looked on the butcher-
bird as the link between the carnivorous and granivorous; that is,
between the birds that feed on flesh and those that feed on grain;
and thus its habits and food, as is always the case in God's
creation, are in conformity to its structure. The butcher-bird is very
attentive to its young, and retains the family relationship even after
the young can provide for themselves.
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SECOND ORDER.
Pica, or Pies.
Birds of the Pie kind are distinguished by a bill that seems formed
for cleaving,--legs short and strong,--bodies slender. They live on
all sorts of food, and generally breed in trees. The order Pica, com-
prises upwards of twenty-six genera; viz. the Toucan, the Motmot,
the Parrot family, in great variety, the Hornbill, the Ani, the Wattle-
bird, the Crow, Rook, Raven, Jackdaw, Jay, Roller, Oriole, Grackle,
Bird of Paradise, Barlet, Curucui, Cuckoo, Magpie, King-fisher, also
all the beautiful Humming-bird family, and a variety of others. I will
name some of the principal.
Rhamphastos. --The Toucan. This family are known by their bill,
which is enormous, sometimes much longer than their head ; it is con-
vex, and serrated, or jagged like a saw, at the edges. The beak is
very thin, or its weight would destroy the equipoise of the bird. The
chaps are a bright yellow, except the sides, which are a livid red.
The colours of the Toucan are beautiful;--black, red, and yellow. In
shape and size the Toucan and the jackdaw are something alike; it is
an inoffensive bird and easily tamed. It is a native of South America,
and is much esteemed by the natives, both for its plumage and as food.
Genus Psittacus. --The Parrot. There is a great variety in this
family,--forty-seven species, comprising the Maccaw, the largest of
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? 204
THE CREATION.
the genus, approaching the raven in size; the Cockatoo, distinguished
by its beautiful crest.
The Parrot, properly so called; the Lory, which is chiefly white,
and the Parakeet, which is the smallest of all the family, some being
not much larger than a lark; of this last species is that beautiful little
tribe called the Love-bird, so named from the strong attachment they
manifest to each other.
The distinguishing character of this genus is that the bill is hooked;
the upper mandible of which is moveable. The tongue is fleshy,
obtuse and entire; the feet are fitted for climbing, with two toes
before and two behind, and these they use in walking and eating,
with singular adroitness.
Though this beautiful bird is a native of other climes, yet it may
be said to be almost naturalized in England; not that it is so, for it
is always a prisoner.
The beauty of the plumage of this family, and their peculiar power
of imitating the human voice, has ranked the parrot as the greatest
favourite of all foreign birds ever brought to this country. When in
flocks, as I have seen them in South America, they are very noisy
and seem quarrelsome; but this may not be the case. It is said by
naturalists, that when they descend upon a field for grain, they
have always a watchman, who sits on a neighbouring tree, and if he
sees an enemy coming he sounds an alarm,--and the flock is soon gone.
Genus Corvus. --Comprising the Raven, Crow, Jackdaw, and many
others.
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The Ravm. This is the largest bird of the crow kind. The ex-
pansion of its wings is four feet. The raven is found in all climes;
and its age is said at times to reach one hundred years, some say more.
It sustains equally the warmth of the sun at the equator, and the
cold at Spitsbergen, only in the latter clime its plumage is a snowy
white. It is easily tamed. It feeds on every thing. The Scripture
speaks of the raven, not only in connexion with the ark, but also as
the instrument employed by the Lord to support the prophet; " I have
commanded the ravens to feed thee. " (1 Kings xvii. 4--6. ) This may
account for the veneration paid to this bird in some countries: in
Sweden no one dares to touch it.
The Crow. This bird must not be confounded with the rook; for
though very similar in appearance, they are altogether different in
habits: the crow feeding on carrion and all putrid offal, the rook on
worms, grubs, caterpillars, &c. The crow is an enemy to the farmer,
and visits his farm-yard to destroy; and if the hen is absent, will steal
away the chickens. The rook is the farmer's friend, and clears his
fields of enemies. In king Henry the Eighth's time there was an Act
of Parliament against crows, and each village, for ten years, was to do
what it could to extirpate them. Still they are not without use;
indeed, it is never wise to say this of any thing that God has made,
for the wisest naturalist knows, comparatively, but little of the economy
of the great living family of creation. The wings of the crow are
about two feet in expansion.
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? 206
THE CREATION.
The Hooded Crow is a bird of passage, and visits England in the
beginning of winter, and leaves it with the woodcock; in Scotland it
stays and breeds the whole year. The upper part of the body is
covered with glossy bluish feathers. It is said to feed on insects, but
if it is the same as the Scald Crow of the Irish bogs, the poor peasant
will tell you, that it will, if possible, carry off his little brood of ducks,
night after night, or, indeed, any thing it can master.
The Rook is something of the size of the crow, but there is a marked
distinction, not only in its habits, but in its bill, which is bare of fea-
thers to its eye; and this because it has to grub deep for its food
in the earth. It is very pleasant in the evening, to see them tran-
quilly sailing home with their sonorous note, in sympathy with all
around. They seem to live in happy fraternity; but strangers may
not intrude into their community, or they will be soon expelled. Our
poet Cowper, who always writes in the simplicity of nature, thus
speaks of this well-known family:--
" Nature inanimate employs sweet sounds,
But animated nature sweeter still,
To soothe and satisfy the human ear:
Ten thousand warblers cheer the day, and one
The live long night; nor those alone, whose notes
Nice fingered art must emulate in vain,
But cawing Rooks, and Kites, that swim sublime
In still repeated circles, screaming loud,
The Jay, the Pie, and e'en the boding Owl,
That hails the rising moon, have charms for me. "
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The Jackdaw is of this family. He is not a very favourite bird,
being considered of a thievish disposition. He feeds on insects, but
also on grain, and is rather dreaded than welcomed by the farmer.
The Jay. The plumage of this bird is more beautiful than that of
most of the British birds: the forehead white, striped with black;
the head covered with long feathers, which it can raise or depress at
pleasure; the neck, breast, back, and belly are of a faint purple tinged
with grey; and the wings are brilliant, with bars of blue, black, and
white. The jay is a great enemy to fruit gardens, and it will some-
times kill small birds.
The Magpie. The plumage of this bird is beautiful, and its tail
graceful; but it seems vain, ambitious, and quarrelsome. This bird
refuses nothing,--insects,--little birds, nothing goes amiss; and often-
times one sees it on the sheep's back,* apparently teazing it, though
really freeing it from troublesome insects. Thus, even the magpie
has its use in creation; and let us at least learn a lesson from it,--
" that no outward attraction can compensate for a quarrelsome, un-
kind, teazing temper:" far better to be plain and amiable, than beautiful
and cross.
Genus Paradisia; comprising a variety of species of this most
beautiful family.
The Sponge. This is now believed by all naturalists to be an
animal existence. It is composed of net-work fibres and tubes, finely
woven together. It is found adhering to rocks in the Mediterranean
and Indian Ocean. It is very valuable in many ways; and when
burnt is used as medicine.
The Coral. Linnaeus divides this family into several genera, and
then again into many hundreds of species. It comprises, principally,
the Tubepores (that is, Coral with tube-like pores), Madrepores (with
star-shaped pores), Millepores (similar to the former, but branched
off into many parts), Cellepores (also similar, with little hollow cells),
the name of each defining its character.
Montgomery, in his beautiful poem of the " Pelican Island," has a
great deal of interesting matter as to this branch of the Zoophyte
family.
? See Appendix.
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The Polypus or Hydra inhabits fresh water, and has the singular
power of reproducing its parts, when cut, each part becoming a
perfect whole. The Serlutaire is an extraordinary member of this
family, and emits, if the plant it is fixed on is struck, a bright light.
The Infusoria. This order embraces fourteen genera; some so
minute that they are not visible to the naked eye. Some of these
have shells; some are covered with hair; some are peculiar to the
sea; some to ponds. A good microscope will show, in a drop of
stagnant water, many of these invisible inhabitants of the deep. Our
Poet of the Seasons thus most beautifully speaks of this family:--
" Where the pool
Stands mantled o'er with green--invisible,
Amid the floating verdure millions stray,
Each liquid too, whether it pierces, soothes,
Inflames, refreshes, or exalts the taste,
With various forms abounds ;--nor is the
Stream of purest crystal, nor the lucid air,
Though one transparent vacancy it seems,
Void of their unseen people. "
Thomson.
And now, my dear children, let us proceed to the second great
division of the Fifth day, and consider--
K
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? 194
THE CREATION.
THE BIRDS THAT FLY IN THE OPEN FIRMAMENT.
TABLE OF THE ORDER OF BIRDS.
SO. LATIN NAMF8.
Accipitres
Pica;
Anseres . . .
The Hawk kind. Birds of Prey
Grallse
Gallinae . . .
Struthiores . .
Passeres. .
ColumbaB
ENGLISH NAMES.
Woodpecker . .
Goose
PROPERTIES.
Stilts . .
Fowl . .
Ostrich
Sparrow
Dove . . .
Feet adapted for climbing
Web feet
(Birds with very long|
\ necks and legs j
Domestic and wild game
With very small wings. . .
(All the birds of songi
\ belong to this order. )
Birds of Peace
4
16
13
29
13
3
Many
Ditto
Ditto
Ditto
Ditto
Few
Greatvariety
Few
Having considered rather at large, the two great orders of life that
animate the deep, another class of beings now calls for our contem-
plation. --The Fovl of Heaven. " Formed chiefly," says Dr. Mavor,
" to move or float in the element of air, all their parts are wonder-
fully adapted to their destination--light and sharp before, they
cleave the expanse of ether with the greatest facility; and swelling
gradually in the middle, they again terminate in expansive tails,
which preserve the buoyancy, and give direction to the body, while
, the fore part is cutting the air: hence they have been compared to
a vessel in the ocean. The trunk of the animal's body answering to
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? LETTER IX.
195
the hold or lower part of the vessel; the head to the prow; the tail
to the rudder; and the wings to the oars. "
" The external apparatus of birds is not less an object of just
admiration than their shape and figure. The position of their
feathers tending backwards, and regularly laying over each other,
produces warmth, velocity of motion, and security. Next to their
bodies is a beautiful soft down, to protect them from the cold; and
further, to secure them from the injury of violent attrition (which
their swift flight might induce) or wet, birds are furnished with
glands, near their tail, which distil a kind of very fine oil, which
they press out with their bills, and spread over their ruffled plumage. "
This fluid varies in quantities, as the several branches of this great
family need it. The Aquatic birds abound with it; and thus, though
living in the sea, the water runs off their backs as quicksilver docs
from a table, and does not penetrate beneath, where all is warmth
and comfort.
As in the fish, so in the birds, purpose and design are manifest
through the whole of this diversified family. In some this is shown
in the form of the beak; in others, in the length of the neck; in
others, again, in the length of the legs.
Birds are faithful to their mates. Early in the spring, most of
them pair; and often both labour to build their little mansion, the
architecture of which is most beautiful, and man in vain attempts to
imitate it. Sometimes you see these beautiful little builders with a
K2
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? 196
THE CREATION.
straw, sometimes with feathers, anything they can weave into their
work; when the house is finished, then the eggs are deposited; for
all birds are oviparous; that is, they bring forth their young encased
in a shell. At the appointed season, the shell is broken, and the
little helpless strangers appear. At first they seem very dispropor-
tioned, being almost all mouth : but this is wisely ordered ; for so the
fond mother and father easily feed them; for both alike foster and
nurse their little family with the tenderest care. But a rapid increase
soon takes place; feathers grow apace; and in a few weeks the family
circle is broken up, and the young birds, fully fledged, provide for
themselves, and, as if the sweetest compact of life was gone, the
woods are no longer vocal with song,--the Nightingale ceases to
sing to its mate, and all is hushed again until the spring. It is this
that makes the solitary song of the sweet little robin-red-breast so
valued. Like a true friend, that keeps to us in summer and winter
alike, he often pours forth his sweetest strains, while all is stormy
and cheerless around.
The migration of birds is a subject full of interest. In a former
part of my letter, I noticed that the herrings also travel from the
polar to the tropical ocean; and now we are called to follow the bird
in its flight. Various are the opinions of naturalists on this subject;
but the most likely is, that the birds whose food fails in our winter,
migrate in the autumn, as the cold increases, to climes more congenial
to them; and so other birds, leaving a still colder country than our
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? LETTER IX.
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own, return to us again, when the snow covers our mountains and
valleys. Thus the Swallow forsakes us in October, and the Wild-
fowl visits us: and again, in the spring, the Swallow returns, and
the Wild-fowl hastens away to its colder regions.
If one may make a comparison, the feathered tribes seem the most
beautiful part of all animated nature; and this comparison is heightened
when, as in the case of the cardinal grosbeak and red birds, song and
plumage are combined in one. The song of this kind is so full and
melodious, that in America it is called " the Virginian Nightingale. '"
But I cannot spare more time for general description; but at once
hasten to look at this wonderful family, consisting of more than 6,000
known species. *
Linnaeus, in a beautiful and concise description, thus speaks of the
feathered tribes:--" This beautiful and cheerful portion of created
nature, consists of animals having a body covered with down and feathers
--jaws protracted and naked--two wings formed for flight--and two
feet. Birds are aerial, vocal, swift, and light. They are destitute
of external ears, lips, teeth, bladder, epiglottis, and of a diaphragm. "
Linnams divided the bird family into six orders; and took his
general characters from their bill, tongue, nostrils, caruncles, and
other naked parts. To these, another Naturalist (Dr. Latham) has
added three more orders; and we will thankfully take part of his
? Buffon, in his day, spoke of 800 that he knew ; and supposed there might he
1,000 or 1,300 more unknown.
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? 198
THE CREATION.
arrangement, and though I cannot promise to mention all the birds
comprised in the several orders, yet I hope to avoid omitting any of
consequence.
THE EIGHT ORDERS OF BIRDS.
1. Accip'Ures. --2. Pica. --3. Anseres. --4. Gralla. --5. Gattince. --6. Slruthiones. --
7. Passeres. --8. Columbce.
FIRST ORDER, ACCIPITRES. --FOUR GENERA. --MANY SPECIES.
The word Accipitres, is the Latin for Hawks. It comprehends:--
1. the Vulture; 2. the Eagle; 3. the Owl; 4. the Shrike. This
"warlike family are all carnivorous, and are well termed "birds of
prey ;" for, as the Scripture says, where the slain are, there are they.
They are distinguished by beaks hooked, strong, and notched; legs
thick and muscular; toes strong and grasping; talons long and sharp.
Then, again, their bodies are of amazing strength, and their flight
darting and swift The eye is dark and full of power.
Genus Vulture. This genus comprises the Condor and Vulture.
The Condor. This is the largest of all the birds of the heaven,
and the most formidable. Some naturalists say, that its wings are
eighteen feet in width. The Condor carries off a small deer in its
talons. It is a native of South America. The colour of the Condor
is brown. The wing feathers are enormous--some two feet in length,
and the quill half an inch in circumference.
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The King of the Vultures. Vultures in general are found in the
four quarters of the globe; but are entire strangers in our part of
Europe. They are distinguished from the Eagles by their heads and
necks being naked of feathers, only covered with a fine down. The
King Vulture is found in America, and is as large as a Turkey Cock.
A scarlet skin surrounds the eyes, and the irides have the colour and
lustre of pearls. The whole of this family are most voracious; they
follow the armies of battle, and dart upon the slain, (See Rev. xix. 17;
Isaiah xxxiv. 15. )
Second Genus. --Falco. --The Eagle. What the Lion is among
the beast of the forest, such is the Eagle with the birds of the air.
He is emphatically the king of the birds.
Linnajus has distinguished
several species of this family; such as the Golden Eagle, the Common
Eagle, the Sea Eagle; and we will just consider these a little
separately.
The Golden Eagle. This is the noblest of this noble family, the
expansion of its wings being seven feet, and its length three feet from
its beak to its tail. The body is a dark brown, beautifully shaded.
This species is found in Ireland (you remember Lugnaquilla,* in the
glen of Imale) and "Wales. The Eagle is frequently referred to in
the word of God ; and some of the illustrations drawn from it I will
mention in my next letter.
The Common Eagle. This species is found in the northern parts of
* In Irish " the Eagle's wing. " The elevation of Lugnaquilla is 3,700 feet.
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? 200
THE CREATION.
England and Scotland. They seldom come into the low countries,
for they love the mountain. The flight of the Eagle is supposed to
be higher than that of any other bird, and its vision more acute.
The sense of smell, in the whole of this order, is very delicate.
The Sea Eagle. This bird lives near the sea, and is the deadly
enemy of fish that swim near the surface, on which it darts (like the
gannet) with the swiftness of lightning.
The Falcon. Next in importance to the Eagle, is the Falcon, of
which there are several species; as the Ger-Falcon, the Peregrine
Falcon, &c. Falconry, some centuries ago, was in general use among
the nobility, as I have before mentioned; and the tameness and
obedience of these birds was wonderful; for though they were free--
absolutely free when loosed--yet having captured the prize for which
they were sent, they returned with it to their owners.
The Ger-Falcon. This is the largest of this family; the beak is
yellow and much hooked, the throat white, the plumage of the back
brown. It is found in the northern districts of Scotland.
The Peregrine Falcon is found in Scotland and Wales. It is much
like the Ger-Falcon.
The Buzzard. This bird is well known in our woods. It is a lazy,
inactive bird, remaining often on the same perch all day. It is about
four or five feet from wing to wing.
The Kite. The forked tail distinguishes this active bird, which
seems ever on the wing. It is rather larger than the Buzzard. Lord
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Bacon used to say, that when the Kite flew high, the weather would
be fine; but perhaps this is in general true of the flight of all birds.
The Goshawk. This is rather larger than the buzzard; but it is far
more active, and darts on its prey with exceeding impetuosity.
The Sparrow Hawk. This, though small, is indeed a bird of prey ;
and its screech in the woods fills one with very different emotions
from the plaintive cooing of the dove, or song of the nightingale.
This bird was in high estimation among the Egyptians; and their
god Osiris was worshipped under this emblem.
Third Genus. --Strix. --The Owl. This genus is confined to the
varied family which gives it its name j they are all birds of night.
The farmer loves to see their white wings skim his fields in the
twilight: therefore the Owl is not to be despised, but looked upon as
the farmer's friend. There are twelve species of this family.
The Eagle Owl. This bird almost equals the Eagle in size. The
head and whole body are beautifully varied with lines and spots,
black and brown. The wings are long, and tail short. This principal
species is found only in mountainous districts. He scorns mice, or
such little prey, and feeds on hares and other game.
The Horned Owl. This is a very odd and singular branch of the
family. Its horns, which distinguish it from all others, it raises or
depresses at pleasure. They consist of six feathers in each horn,
about an inch in height, yellow and black. The horned owl is found
in Wales, Cheshire, and the north of England.
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? 202
THE CREATION'.
The White Owl. This is commonly called the barn owl, and is the
best known of any of this family. At times, it snores and hisses, and
often screams dreadfully. You remember them in the avenue at
Rosanna, near Wicklow.
The Ivy or Screech Owl. This bird is the dread of the superstitious;
and if it flies by the window at night, attracted by the light, and
utters its hideous screech, it is considered a most sorrowful omen; but
all these feelings are wrong--the Christian has nothing to do with
omens; he has to do with the word of God, and that only--this unfolds
the future to him as filled with brightness to the righteous, and with
all terror to the wicked. The screech owl is mentioned in Isaiah
xxxiv. 14, and in the margin is called the " night monster," and is
among the birds that are prophesied of as building their nests in the
ruins of Idumea.
Fourth Genus. --Lanius. --Comprising the Shrike and Wood-chat.
The Butcher-bird is about the size of the blackbird; its bill is about
an inch long, and is hooked ; its toes are differently formed from those
of other birds of prey, so that naturalists have looked on the butcher-
bird as the link between the carnivorous and granivorous; that is,
between the birds that feed on flesh and those that feed on grain;
and thus its habits and food, as is always the case in God's
creation, are in conformity to its structure. The butcher-bird is very
attentive to its young, and retains the family relationship even after
the young can provide for themselves.
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SECOND ORDER.
Pica, or Pies.
Birds of the Pie kind are distinguished by a bill that seems formed
for cleaving,--legs short and strong,--bodies slender. They live on
all sorts of food, and generally breed in trees. The order Pica, com-
prises upwards of twenty-six genera; viz. the Toucan, the Motmot,
the Parrot family, in great variety, the Hornbill, the Ani, the Wattle-
bird, the Crow, Rook, Raven, Jackdaw, Jay, Roller, Oriole, Grackle,
Bird of Paradise, Barlet, Curucui, Cuckoo, Magpie, King-fisher, also
all the beautiful Humming-bird family, and a variety of others. I will
name some of the principal.
Rhamphastos. --The Toucan. This family are known by their bill,
which is enormous, sometimes much longer than their head ; it is con-
vex, and serrated, or jagged like a saw, at the edges. The beak is
very thin, or its weight would destroy the equipoise of the bird. The
chaps are a bright yellow, except the sides, which are a livid red.
The colours of the Toucan are beautiful;--black, red, and yellow. In
shape and size the Toucan and the jackdaw are something alike; it is
an inoffensive bird and easily tamed. It is a native of South America,
and is much esteemed by the natives, both for its plumage and as food.
Genus Psittacus. --The Parrot. There is a great variety in this
family,--forty-seven species, comprising the Maccaw, the largest of
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THE CREATION.
the genus, approaching the raven in size; the Cockatoo, distinguished
by its beautiful crest.
The Parrot, properly so called; the Lory, which is chiefly white,
and the Parakeet, which is the smallest of all the family, some being
not much larger than a lark; of this last species is that beautiful little
tribe called the Love-bird, so named from the strong attachment they
manifest to each other.
The distinguishing character of this genus is that the bill is hooked;
the upper mandible of which is moveable. The tongue is fleshy,
obtuse and entire; the feet are fitted for climbing, with two toes
before and two behind, and these they use in walking and eating,
with singular adroitness.
Though this beautiful bird is a native of other climes, yet it may
be said to be almost naturalized in England; not that it is so, for it
is always a prisoner.
The beauty of the plumage of this family, and their peculiar power
of imitating the human voice, has ranked the parrot as the greatest
favourite of all foreign birds ever brought to this country. When in
flocks, as I have seen them in South America, they are very noisy
and seem quarrelsome; but this may not be the case. It is said by
naturalists, that when they descend upon a field for grain, they
have always a watchman, who sits on a neighbouring tree, and if he
sees an enemy coming he sounds an alarm,--and the flock is soon gone.
Genus Corvus. --Comprising the Raven, Crow, Jackdaw, and many
others.
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The Ravm. This is the largest bird of the crow kind. The ex-
pansion of its wings is four feet. The raven is found in all climes;
and its age is said at times to reach one hundred years, some say more.
It sustains equally the warmth of the sun at the equator, and the
cold at Spitsbergen, only in the latter clime its plumage is a snowy
white. It is easily tamed. It feeds on every thing. The Scripture
speaks of the raven, not only in connexion with the ark, but also as
the instrument employed by the Lord to support the prophet; " I have
commanded the ravens to feed thee. " (1 Kings xvii. 4--6. ) This may
account for the veneration paid to this bird in some countries: in
Sweden no one dares to touch it.
The Crow. This bird must not be confounded with the rook; for
though very similar in appearance, they are altogether different in
habits: the crow feeding on carrion and all putrid offal, the rook on
worms, grubs, caterpillars, &c. The crow is an enemy to the farmer,
and visits his farm-yard to destroy; and if the hen is absent, will steal
away the chickens. The rook is the farmer's friend, and clears his
fields of enemies. In king Henry the Eighth's time there was an Act
of Parliament against crows, and each village, for ten years, was to do
what it could to extirpate them. Still they are not without use;
indeed, it is never wise to say this of any thing that God has made,
for the wisest naturalist knows, comparatively, but little of the economy
of the great living family of creation. The wings of the crow are
about two feet in expansion.
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? 206
THE CREATION.
The Hooded Crow is a bird of passage, and visits England in the
beginning of winter, and leaves it with the woodcock; in Scotland it
stays and breeds the whole year. The upper part of the body is
covered with glossy bluish feathers. It is said to feed on insects, but
if it is the same as the Scald Crow of the Irish bogs, the poor peasant
will tell you, that it will, if possible, carry off his little brood of ducks,
night after night, or, indeed, any thing it can master.
The Rook is something of the size of the crow, but there is a marked
distinction, not only in its habits, but in its bill, which is bare of fea-
thers to its eye; and this because it has to grub deep for its food
in the earth. It is very pleasant in the evening, to see them tran-
quilly sailing home with their sonorous note, in sympathy with all
around. They seem to live in happy fraternity; but strangers may
not intrude into their community, or they will be soon expelled. Our
poet Cowper, who always writes in the simplicity of nature, thus
speaks of this well-known family:--
" Nature inanimate employs sweet sounds,
But animated nature sweeter still,
To soothe and satisfy the human ear:
Ten thousand warblers cheer the day, and one
The live long night; nor those alone, whose notes
Nice fingered art must emulate in vain,
But cawing Rooks, and Kites, that swim sublime
In still repeated circles, screaming loud,
The Jay, the Pie, and e'en the boding Owl,
That hails the rising moon, have charms for me. "
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The Jackdaw is of this family. He is not a very favourite bird,
being considered of a thievish disposition. He feeds on insects, but
also on grain, and is rather dreaded than welcomed by the farmer.
The Jay. The plumage of this bird is more beautiful than that of
most of the British birds: the forehead white, striped with black;
the head covered with long feathers, which it can raise or depress at
pleasure; the neck, breast, back, and belly are of a faint purple tinged
with grey; and the wings are brilliant, with bars of blue, black, and
white. The jay is a great enemy to fruit gardens, and it will some-
times kill small birds.
The Magpie. The plumage of this bird is beautiful, and its tail
graceful; but it seems vain, ambitious, and quarrelsome. This bird
refuses nothing,--insects,--little birds, nothing goes amiss; and often-
times one sees it on the sheep's back,* apparently teazing it, though
really freeing it from troublesome insects. Thus, even the magpie
has its use in creation; and let us at least learn a lesson from it,--
" that no outward attraction can compensate for a quarrelsome, un-
kind, teazing temper:" far better to be plain and amiable, than beautiful
and cross.
Genus Paradisia; comprising a variety of species of this most
beautiful family.
