New Complete and Universal Natural History, of All the Most Remarkable Quadrupeds, Birds (Paperback)

This historic book may have numerous typos and missing text. Purchasers can download a free scanned copy of the original book (without typos) from the publisher. Not indexed. Not illustrated.1821 Excerpt: ... stance it is named.--They both feed by the sea shores, and sides of large rivers. Sandpiper. (Tringa.') There are at least forty varieties of this genus; among which, besides the two preceding, are the puno, and the turnstone. The sandpiper is a small bird, seldom exceeding the size of a thrush, at least in England, and some of them are not bigger than a sparrow. In the milder climates there ate larger species, 'such as the green, the spotted, the red, and the gambol pipers, many of which have been seen as large as pigeons. The sandpiper of England weighs about two ounces; it has a brown head, streaked with a glossy green, and the breast and belly quite white. The bill is straight and slender, about an inch and a half long; the nostrils small, and the.tongue slender. The toes are divided or slightly connected at the base by a membrane: the hinder toe is short and weak. The whole of this tribe have a shrill pipe, or whistle from which they derive their name, and which they constantly make use of. Water-hen. (Gallinula. PI. 43.) This race is considered by naturalists as the tribe which unite the web-footed kind with those of the crane species; for although they have long legs and necks like the latter, yet by being furnished with a slight membrane between their toes, they are enabled to swim like the former; the principal of them are the water hen, or gallinule, and the coots; these, though placed in different classes by those who are fond of nice distinctions, may be said, perfectly to resemble each other in figure, feathers, and habits; they both have long legs, with thighs almost bare of hair or feathers: their necks are rather long in proportion; their wings short, as are their bills, which are very weak; their general colour black, and their forehead bal...