The Living Animals of the World, Volume II: Birds, Reptiles and Amphibians, Fishes, Jointed Animals, Molluscs, etc.

Photo by W. F. Piggotf] [Leighton Buzzard. within the mark to say that at least 9,000 of CUKLEW. these inoffensive birds were destroyed during So called on account of its note. the fortnight."

Auks, Gulls, and Plovers 421

Of the SKUA-GULLS there are several species. Their coloration differs from that of the gulls just described in being confined to shades of brown. One of their most remarkable traits is that of piracy. They await their cousins the Gulls coming shoreward from the sea with newly swallowed fish, and then, giving chase, compel the gull, in order to lighten itself and escape, to disgorge its hard-won meal. So swift of flight is the skua that the ejected morsel is caught before it reaches the water.

THE PLOVER TRIBE.

BIRDS of very various size, shape, and coloration are included in this group that is to say, birds which vary much superficially, but, it must be understood, all undoubtedly closely related. In England they are to be met with almost everywhere. The seashore, the lonely moorland, the desolate marshes, the river's brink, or the woods all these shelter some one or other of the Plover Tribe. Like the Gulls, many adopt a dis- C. N. Mavroyeni]tinctive dress for the courting- Photo by WOODCOCK. season, which, however, is some- The female is larger than the male. times worn by the males only, and not by both sexes alike, as in the Gulls. One of the most striking and familiar instances of this change is seen in the GREY PLOVER. In winter the plumage of the upper-parts of this bird is dusky grey, that of the under-parts pure white; but in the spring the former is ex-changed for a beautifully variegated mantle of black and white, and the latter becomes uniformly jet-black, save the under tail-coverts, which remain white.

[ Wellington. In the DUNLIN, again, we Photo by A. H. P. C, have a similar change, the OYSTER-CATCHER O~S ITS STEST. is one of the mostupper-parts being in winter grey, Three eggs are laid in a slight hollow in the -ground. The oyster-catcher : in the wary of the Plover Tribe, and very difficult to approach.the under-parts white spring the former become black, with an admixture of rust-colour, and the latter black in so far as the breast is concerned, but the abdomen remains white. " Wading-birds," the changes In many of that section of the Plover Tribe distinguished as which take place in the spring in the plumage of the upper-parts resemble those already instanced, but the under-parts turn to a rich chestnut instead of black. This occurs in the forms known as the GODWITS, KNOTS, and SANDERLINGS, for example.

In all the instances so far quoted, both male and female are coloured alike, but, as already hinted, occasionally the change of plumage affects the male only. This is the case with the

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RUFF. The importance of this exception is still further increased by the fact that the change in coloration is accompanied by the development of a large frill around the neck, surmounted by two large tufts called " ears," and fleshy, brightly coloured warts around the beak. The coloured picture of the male in its spring dress, which will be found on another page, gives an admirable idea of the typical ruff, but it must necessarily fail to give any indication of one very remarkable fact concerning this frill and the two " ears," and for this reason no two individuals ever have these peculiar feathers of the same coloration and pattern. The range of colour is certainly not great the changes being rung, so to speak, on black, white, chestnut, bay, and ash-colour. Diversification is gained by contrasting the " ears " with the frill, and adding bars or streaks to the light coloration, fhoto by W. P. Dnndo, F.Z.S.} and purple, green, and violet reflec- DENHAM'S BUSTARD. tions to the dark. These ornaments This species, when " showing off," fills the gullet with air, having no special air-sac are donned in a surprisingly short like the great bustard. space of time, and are discarded as quickly, for they are scarcely completed by the month of May, and are thrown off again at the end of June. During the time that this resplendent livery is worn the males engage in mimic battles which may occasionally develop into real ones arranged apparently for the edification of the females, which, it seems, select as partners, at least for that season, those which please or excite' most. This power of pleasing must .. - ".-;.- '', '-. certainly be considerable, for the ruff is a polygamous

species. Formerly the ruff was a common bird in England, but the drainage of the fens and persecution have practically brought about its extermination. At least two groups of plovers have succeeded in reversing the usual order of things in the matter of sexual plumage. These are the PHALAR^PES which are British birds and the PAINTED SNIPE, in both of Photo by w. F. Piggotq [LdgUon suzzardT~ which the female is more GREAT BUSTARDS. brightly coloured and some- The cock on the right is " showing off." what larger in size than the

Auks, Gulls, and Plovers 423

male. As is the case where this reversal occurs, the duties of incubation fall mainly or entirely upon the smaller and duller male. It is interesting to note, furthermore, that only : in the painted snipe the same liveryin the phalaropes is there a seasonal change of plumage is worn all the -year round.

Many of the plovers have no seasonal change of plumage, but both male and female wear all the year round, some a more or less markedly bright-coloured livery, as the DOTTEREL and TURNSTONES, others a more sober vestment, as the CURLEWS and SNIPE, for example.

The SNIPE and WOODCOCK may be cited as especially instructive forms in this connection, showing, in regard to the beak, for instance, undoubted proof of this structural modification, the result of adaptation to the peculiar method of seeking their food. This beak constitutes an organ of touch of great sensitiveness, and is used as a probe, to thrust down into the soft soil in the search for hidden worms.

Of the three species of snipe which occur in Britain, probably the one known as the COMMON

Photo by Billingtori]

INDIAN BUSTARDS.

Bustards have very short toes, like many other birds which walk much on sandy soil.

SNIPE is most familiar; but it will, perhaps, be new to some to learn that this bird ranks as a musical performer, on account of a very extraordinary "bleating" or "drumming'' noise which it gives forth, especially during the spring of the year the season of courtship. We cannot describe this noise better, perhaps, than as an unusually high-pitched " hum," produced, it is generally held, by wind driven between the outer tail-featners by the rapid vibration of the wings as the bird descends, or rather pitches, at a fearful pace, earthwards. These feathers have the shafts peculiarly thickened; and it is interesting to note that the characteristic sound may be artificially produced if they be fastened to a stick and rapidly whirled through the air.

The snipe and woodcock are not the only members of the Plover Tribe whose beaks have undergone marked structural modifications; indeed, many instances could be cited, but two or three must suffice. In the AVOCET the beak turns upwards like an awl, and the bird is in consequence known in some places as the COBBLER'S-AWL DUCK. In one particular, however, the beak differs from an awl, tapering as it does to an exceedingly fine point. When the

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bird feeds, it walks along in shallow-water with the curved tip of the beak resting on the surface and the head moving swiftly from side to side, the jaws meanwhile being opened and closed with exceeding rapidity, and seizing instantly upon such small Crustacea and other organisms as come in their way. Although all the Plovers might be described as long-legged birds, the STILTS are quite exceptionally so, and afford evidence of modification in another direction. Relatively to the size of the body, the stilts have the longest legs of all living birds. They seek their prey by wading in shallow water, like the Avocets, to which they are closely related. One species the BLACK- WINGED STILT occasionally appears in Britain. Some other members of the Plover Tribe the JACANA of Brazil, and the WATER-PHEASANT of India, Ceylon, and China, for example have enormously long toes, as well as claws of great length. Photo by W. P. Vando] [Regent's Park. These birds are furthermore STANLEY CRANE. remarkable for the possession of for- This is a South African species. midable weapons of offence, borne on the wrist-joint of the wing, in the shape of long, sharp, and powerful spurs. Similar weapons are carried by certain plovers the EGYPTIAN SPUR-WINGED PLOVER, for instance.

CHAPTER V.

BUSTARDS AND CRANES.

r MHE Plover Tribe, Bustards, Cranes, and Rails form a large group of diverse but probably 1 closely related forms. Of the Bustards, the most interesting and important species is the GREAT BUSTARD. About a hundred years ago this magnificent bird might have been seen any day in such "favoured localities as the Yorkshire and Lincolnshire wolds, the Norfolk and Suffolk brecks," the heaths of Newmarket, or the downs of Berkshire and Wiltshire. It owes its extermination to several causes, foremost among which must be reckoned the reclaiming of waste land and its body," says Professor Newton, "renders itimproved methods of agriculture. "The bulk of a conspicuous and stately object; and when on the wing, to which it readily takes, its flight is not inferior in majesty to that of the eagle." The expanse of the outstretched wings of a great bustard is 8 feet, or even more; and the weight of the male may even exceed 35 Ibs. The female is smaller.

COMMON CRANE. [Berlin. This handsome bird used to breed in Britain till the end of the sixteenth century. 425 54

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To see the great bustard in a wild state to-day, one if one could make would have to travel to Spain. And a pilgrimage for this purpose during the birds' courting-season, some very wonderful antics on the part of the male would be witnessed. These antics make up what is really a very elaborate love-display. In this performance the bird inflates his neck with wind, draws his head closely down on to the back, throws up his tail, so as to make the most of the pure white feathers underneath, and sticks up certain of the quill-feathers of the wing in a manner that only a great bustard can. Certain long feathers projecting from each side of the head now stand out like the quills of the porcupine, forming a sort of cheval-de-frise on either side of the head, and complete the picture, which, in our eyes, savours of the ludicrous. The inflation of the neck is brought about by filling a specially developed wind-bag