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CONTENTS.

CATCHERS (Captantes).—Continued.

PAGE

THE HAWKS (Accipiter):—The Laughing Hawk—The Double-toothed Hawk—The Sparrow Hawk—The True Hawk, or Gos Hawk. The SINGING HAWKS (Melierax):—The True Singing Hawk—The Serpent Hawk 1-7

RAPTORIAL BIRDS.

THE EAGLES (Aquila):—The Tawny Eagle—The Golden Eagle—The Imperial Eagle—The Spotted Eagle. The DWARF EAGLES (Hieraëtos):—The Booted Eagle—The Dwarf Eagle. The WEDGE-TAILED EAGLES (Uroaëtos):—The Bold Wedge-tailed Eagle. The HAWK EAGLES (Pseudaëtos, Eudolmaëtos, or Asturaëtos):—Bonelli's Hawk Eagle. The HOODED EAGLES (Spizaëtos):—The Martial Hooded Eagle—The Tufted Eagle. The DESTROYING EAGLES (Pternura):—The Urutaurana. The BRAZILIAN EAGLES (Morphnus):—The Crested Brazilian Eagle—The Harpy Eagle. The SEA EAGLES (Haliaëtos):—The Sea Eagle—The White-headed Sea Eagle—The African Screaming Sea Eagle—The Osprey, River Eagle, or Fish Hawk 7-31

THE KITES (Milvus):—The Short-tailed Kite. The GLIDING KITES (Elanus):—The True Gliding Kite. The HOVERING KITES (Ictinia):—The Mississippi Kite. The CROOKED-BILLED KITES (Cymindis):—The Buzzard Kite—The Syama or Baza 31-37

THE TRUE KITES:—The Black Kite—The Govinda—The Parasite Kite—The Red or Royal Kite—The Swallow-tailed Kite. The CHELIDOPTERI:—The Dwarf Swallow-tailed Kite. The FIELD KITES, or HARRIERS (Circus). The MEADOW KITES (Strigiceps):—The Blue Kite or Hen Harrier—The Kite of the Steppes, or Pallid Harrier—The Meadow Kite, or Ash-coloured Harrier—The Reed Kite, or Marsh Harrier. SPOTTED KITES (Spilocircus):—Jardine's Spotted Kite 37-47

THE BUZZARDS (Buteo). The SNAKE BUZZARDS (Circaëtos):—The Snake Buzzard. The CRESTED BUZZARDS (Spilornis):—The Bacha—The Honey Buzzard, or Wasp Kite—The Crested Honey Buzzard—The Rough-legged Buzzard—The Common or Mouse Buzzard—The Red-winged or Grasshopper Buzzard—The Tesa—The Caracolero, Snail Buzzard, or Hook-beaked Buzzard—The Urubitinga 47-56

THE VULTURE FALCONS (Polyborus):—The Chimango—The Vulture Buzzard—The Carancho or Traro. SCREAMING BUZZARDS (Ibicter):—The Ganga—The Secretary or Crane Vulture 56-64

THE VULTURES (Vulturidæ):—The Bearded Vulture. The TRUE VULTURES (Vultur). The CONDORS, or WATTLED VULTURES (Sarcorhamphus):—The Condor—The Californian Condor—The King of the Vultures. The GOOSE VULTURES (Gyps):—The Tawny Goose Vulture—The Sparrow-hawk Goose Vulture. The CRESTED VULTURES:—The Cowled Vulture—The Variegated or Crested Vulture. The EARED VULTURES (Otogyps). The RAVEN VULTURES (Catharta):—The Scavenger or Egyptian Raven Vulture—The Monk Vulture—The Urubu or Turkey Buzzard—The Gallinazo 64-84

THE OWLS (Striginæ).

THE DAY OWLS (Surnia):—The Sparrow-hawk Owl—The Snow Owl. The STONE OWLS (Athene):—The Stone Owl Proper. The BURROWING OWLS (Pholeoptynx):—The Brazilian or Rabbit Owl—The Prairie Owl. The SPARROW OWLS (Microptynx):—The European Sparrow Owl. The Eared Owls, or UHUS (Bubo):—The Uhu—The Short-eared Uhu—The Milk-white Uhu—The Virginian Uhu—The Brown Fish Owl—The Woodland Owl—The Marsh Owl. The DWARF EARED OWLS (Scops):—The Dwarf Eared Owl 84-99

THE NOCTURNAL OWLS:—The Tree Owl—The Hairy-footed Owl. The VEILED OWLS (Strix):—Kirchhoff's Veiled Owl—The Flame Owl, or Barn Owl 99-103

THE GAPERS (Hiantes).

THE SWALLOWS (Hirundo). The TRUE SWALLOWS (Cecropis):—The Chimney Swallow—The Senegal Swallow—The Thread-tailed Swallow—the Martin or Roof Swallow 104-111

THE MOUNTAIN or SHORE SWALLOWS (Cotyle):—The Rock Swallow—The Sand Martin—The Ariel Swallow. The WOOD SWALLOWS (Atticora):—The Striped Wood Swallow. The SAILOR SWALLOWS (Progne):—The Purple Swallow 111-115

THE SWIFTS (Cypselus). The TREE SWIFTS (Dendrochelidon):—The Klecho. The SALANGANES (Collocalia):—The Salangane Proper—The Kusappi. The PRICKLY-TAILED SWIFTS (Acanthylis):—The White-throated Prickly-tailed Swift—The Dwarf Swift—The Palm-tree Swift—The Steeple Swift—The Alpine Swift 115-124

THE NIGHT JARS, or GOATSUCKERS (Caprimulgus):—The Nacunda. The TWILIGHT NIGHT JARS (Chordeiles):—The Night Falcon—The Common Goatsucker—The Resplendent Goatsucker. The BRISTLED NIGHT JARS (Antrostomus):—The Whip-poor-Will. The AFRICAN NIGHT JARS (Scotornis). The LYRE-TAILED NIGHT JARS (Hydropsalis):—The Lyre-tailed Night Jar. MACRODIPTERYX:—The Long-winged Macrodipteryx—The Streamer-bearing Night Jar, or "Four Wings." The GIANT GOATSUCKERS (Nyctibius):—The Ibijau, or Earth-eater—The Guachero, or Oil Bird. The OWL SWALLOWS (Podargus):—The DWARF OWL SWALLOWS (Ægotheles):—The True Dwarf Owl Swallow. The GIANT OWL SWALLOWS (Podargus):—The Giant Owl Swallow. The FROG-MOUTHS (Batrachostomus):—The Plumed Frog-mouth 124-140

THE SINGING BIRDS (Oscines).

THE TOOTH-BEAKED SINGING BIRDS (Dentirostres). The SHRIKES (Lanius):—The Sentinel Butcher Bird, or Great Grey Shrike—The Southern Shrike—The Grey, or Black-browed Shrike. The BUTCHER BIRDS PROPER (Enneoctonus):—The Red-backed Shrike, or True Butcher Bird—The Red-headed Shrike, or Wood Chat—The Masked Shrike. The THICK-HEADED SHRIKES (Pachycephalus):—The Falcon Shrike. The BUSH SHRIKES (Malaconotus). The FLUTE-VOICED SHRIKES (Laniarius):—The Scarlet Shrike—The Flute Shrike. The HOODED SHRIKES:—The Tschagra—The Helmet Shrike. The CROW SHRIKES (Cracticus):—The Magpie Shrike. The RAVEN SHRIKES (Thamnophilus):—Vigors' Raven Shrike. The DRONGO SHRIKES (Edolius):—The King Crow, or Finga. The DRONGOS (Chaptia):—The Singing Drongo. The FLAG-BEARING DRONGOS (Edolius or Dissemurus):—The Bee King. The DRONGO SHRIKES. The SWALLOW SHRIKES (Artamius):—The Wood Shallow Shrike 140-158

THE FLY-CATCHERS. The KING or TYRANT SHRIKES (Tyrannus):—The True Tyrant Shrike, King Bird, or Tyrant Fly-catcher—The Bentevi. The FORK-TAILED TYRANTS (Milvulus):—The Scissor Bird—The Royal Tyrant. The STILTED FLY-CATCHERS (Fluvicola):—The Yiperu, or Yetapa—The Cock-tailed Fly-catcher. The CATERPILLAR EATERS (Campephaga):—The Red Bird, or Great Pericrocotus. The FLY-SNAPPERS (Myiagra). The PARADISE FLY-CATCHERS:—The Paradise or Royal Fly-snapper. The FANTAILS (Rhipidura):—The Wagtail Fantail. The TRUE FLY-CATCHERS (Muscicapa):—The Grey or Spotted Fly-catcher. The MOURNING FLY-CATCHERS (Muscicapa):—The Black-capped or Pied Fly-catcher—The Collared or White-necked Fly-catcher—The Dwarf Fly-catcher. The SILK-TAILS (Bombycilla):—The European, or Common Silk-tail, Bohemian Chatterer, or Wax-wing 158-174

THE MANAKINS (Pipra). The ROCK BIRDS (Rupicola):—The Cock of the Rock. The TRUE MANAKINS (Pipra). The LONG-TAILED MANAKINS (Chiroxiphia):—The Long-tailed Manakin—The Tije—The Black-cap Manakin. The PANTHER BIRDS (Pardalotus):—The Diamond Bird. The BALD-HEADED CROWS (Gymnoderus):—The Capuchin Bird, or Bald Fruit Crow—The Umbrella Bird, or Umbrella Chatterer. The BELL BIRDS (Chasmarhynchus):—The Bare-necked Bell Bird—The Araponga—The True Bell Bird—The Three-wattled Bell Bird, or Hammerer. The THRUSHES (Turdidæ). The GROUND SINGERS (Humicola) 174-185

THE NIGHTINGALES (Luscinia):—The Nightingale. The HEDGE SINGERS, or TREE NIGHTINGALES (Aëaou or Agrobates):—The Tree Nightingale. The BLUE-THROATED WARBLERS (Cyanecula)—Swedish Blue-throat—White-starred Blue-throat. The RUBY NIGHTINGALES (Calliope):—The Calliope of Kamschatka. The Robin Redbreast 186-193

THE WARBLERS (Monticola). The REDSTARTS (Ruticilla):—The Black-capped Redstart—The Garden Redstart. The MEADOW WARBLERS (Pratincola):—The Brown-throated Meadow Warbler—The Black-throated Meadow Warbler. The CLIPPERS (Ephthianura):—The Wagtail Clipper. The CHATS (Saxicola):—The Fallow Chat, or Wheatear—The Eared Stone Chat and Black-throated Stone Chat. The RUNNING WARBLERS (Dromolæa):—The White-tailed Wheatear. The STONE THRUSHES, or ROCK WAGTAILS (Petrocincla):—The Stone Thrush, or Rock Wagtail—The Blue Rock Wagtail, or Blue Thrush—The Bush Warbler 193-204

THE THRUSHES (Turdus):—The Red-winged Thrush—The Red-throated Thrush—The Pale Thrush—The Siberian Thrush—The Wandering Thrush—The Hermit Thrush—Wilson's Thrush—Swainson's Thrush—Dwarf Thrush—The Soft-feathered Thrush—The Black-throated Thrush—The Ground Thrush—The Missel Thrush—The Song Thrush—The Fieldfare, or Juniper Thrush—The Redwing—The Ring Ouzel, or Ring Thrush—The Blackbird, Black Thrush, or Merle. The MOCKING THRUSHES (Mimus):—The Mimic Thrush, or Mocking Bird—The Ferruginous Mocking Bird, or Thrasher—The Cat Bird. The BABBLERS, or NOISY THRUSHES (Timalia):—The Grey Bird—Le Vaillant's Grey Bird. The TRUE BABBLERS (Timalia):—The Red-headed Babbler. The HOOK-CLAWED BABBLERS (Crateropus):—The White-rumped Babbler. The LAUGHING THRUSHES (Garrulax):—The White-tufted Laughing Thrush 204-223

THE WATER OUzels (Cinclus):—The Water Ouzel, or Dipper—The American Water Ouzel. The PITTAS, or PAINTED THRUSHES (Pitta):—The Nurang—The Pulih—The Noisy Pitta—The ANT THRUSHES (Myiothera):—The Fire Eye—The Ant King—The Tapacolo or Tualo 223-232

THE LYRE BIRD (Menura superba) 232-237

THE WARBLERS (Sylvia). The SONG WARBLERS (Sylvia). The TRUE SONG WARBLERS (Curruca):—The Sparrow-hawk Warbler—The Orpheus Warbler—The Greater Pettichaps, or Garden Warbler—The Lesser Whitethroat—The Capirote, or Black-cap—The White Throat—The Spectacled Warbler—The White-bearded Warbler—The Fire-eyed Warbler—Rüppell's Warbler—The Black-headed Fire-eyed Warbler—The Sardinian Fire-eyed Black-head—The Provence Fire-eyed Warbler, or Dartford Warbler. The TREE WARBLERS (Phylloscopus):—The Field Tree Warbler, or Willow Wren. The LEAF WRENS (Reguloides):—The Leaf Wren. The GARDEN WARBLERS (Hypolais):—The Melodious Willow Wren—The Chiff-Chaff—The Ashy Garden Warbler. The MARSH WARBLERS (Calamodytæ). The REED WARBLERS (Acrocephalus):—The True Reed Warbler. The SEDGE WARBLERS (Calamodus):—The Sedge Warbler. The GRASSHOPPER WARBLERS (Locustella):—The Grasshopper Warbler. The BUSH WARBLERS (Drymoica):—The Pinc-Pinc. The TAILOR BIRDS (Orthotomus):—The Long-tailed Tailor Bird—The Emu Wren 237-269

THE WRENS (Troglodytæ):—The Common Wren. The MARSH WRENS (Thryothorus):—The Carolina Wren—The House Wren—The Flute-player 269-274

THE PIPITS (Anthus):—The Meadow Pipit, or Meadow Titling—The Tree Pipit—The Rock Pipit, Shore Pipit, or Sea Titling—The Stone Pipit, or Fallow-land Pipit. The SPURRED PIPITS (Corydalla):—Richard's Spurred Pipit 274-282

THE WAGTAILS (Motacilla):—The White Wagtail—The Pied Wagtail—The Dhobin—The Rock Wagtail—The Mountain Wagtail. The SHEEP WAGTAILS (Budytes):—The Cow or Meadow Wagtail—Ray's Wagtail—The Velvet-headed or Sheep Wagtail—The Yellow-headed Wagtail—The Gomarita, or Garden Wagtail. The SWALLOW WAGTAILS (Enicurus):—The MENINTING 282-292

THE ACCENTORS (Accentor). The HEDGE SPARROWS, or HEDGE WARBLERS (Tharraleus, or Accentor):—The Hedge Sparrow, or Hedge Warbler—The Siberian Accentor—The Alpine Accentor 292-296

THE TITS (Parus). The CRESTED WRENS or KINGLETS (Regulus):—The Golden-crested Wren—The Dalmatian Wren—The Fire-crested Wren—The Satrap Crowned Wren—The Ruby Crowned Wren. The Penduline Titmice (Ægithalus):—The True Penduline Titmouse. The REED TITMICE (Panurus):—The Bearded Titmouse. The LONG-TAILED TITS (Orites):—The Long-tailed Titmouse. The CRESTED TITS (Lophophanes):—The Crested Tit—The Toupet Tit. The WOOD TITS (Parus):—The Great Tit—The Sombre Tit—The Cole Tit. The BLUE TITS:—The Blue Tit—The Azure Tit—The Siberian Tit—The Marsh Tit—The Carolina Titmouse—The Black-cap Titmouse 296-320

LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS.

CASSELL'S
BOOK OF BIRDS.

—♦—

CATCHERS (Captantes).—Continued.

The LAUGHING HAWK (Herpetotheres cachinnans) is a South American bird, to which we have assigned the first place, inasmuch as in some respects it resembles the Falcons; the name it bears has been given to it on account of the very peculiar sound of its loud and resonant voice. Its distinguishing characteristics are its comparatively large head, which is profusely covered with feathers, and the robust development of the hinder parts of its body. The wings when closed reach to the middle of the tail, their primaries are narrow and pointed, the third and fourth quills being longer than the rest; the tail is long, the exterior feathers somewhat shortened; the tarsi are of moderate height and strength, the toes small, and the claws remarkably short and thick; the beak is short, much compressed at its sides, and terminates in a short hook; the lower mandible is shallow, and bifurcated at its tip; the region of the eye is bare, and the body covered with long-pointed and strong-shafted feathers. In size the Laughing Hawk resembles its European congeners; the plumage is pale yellow from the top of the head to the nape, each feather having a black shaft; the bridles, nape, and cheeks are black, the mantle brown, the feathers being bordered with a lighter shade; the entire lower portion of the body and a stripe upon the neck are white, which changes into red upon the breast and legs; the upper part of the tail is black, its under portion whitish yellow, tipped with white and ornamented with six or seven grey stripes; the inner web of the brown quills which form the wings is shaded from reddish yellow to white, and edged with a delicate irregular brown line; the eye is reddish yellow, the beak black, the cere and legs are yellow.

THE DOUBLE-TOOTHED HAWK.

The DOUBLE-TOOTHED HAWK (Harpagus bidentatus) resembles the Falcons in its general form, but is recognisable by its comparatively small head, long broad tail, and short wings. The beak is very peculiar in its construction, the upper portion being excised immediately behind the hook at its tip, and the lower mandible, which terminates abruptly, has near its extremity two sharp teeth at each side; the third quill of the wings is longer than the rest, the tarsi are short, and of the same length as the toes. This bird, of which there are two species, is only found in South America.

The Guaviao, as the Double-toothed Hawk is called by the Brazilians, is thirteen and a half inches long and twenty-six inches broad; the wing measures eight inches, and the tail six inches. The plumage upon the upper part of the body is blackish grey, embellished with a metallic lustre; the under portions are reddish brown, with narrow white stripes upon the throat; the rump is also white, the quills of the wings are brown, ornamented with an irregular border, which is pure white upon the inner web; the tail is black above, brown beneath, and marked with three broad and crooked lines; the eye is light carmine, the cere greenish yellow, the beak blackish grey, and the feet of a beautiful reddish yellow. The plumage of the young is brown above and white beneath, delicately marked with undulating brown lines of various shades.

THE SPARROW HAWK.

The SPARROW HAWK (Nisus communis) is the European representative of a very numerous group distributed throughout the world. These birds (see Coloured Plate IX.) are distinguished by their elongated body, small head, and delicate beak, furnished with a very sharp hook at the extremity of the upper mandible; the wings are short, tail long, and short at its tip; the tarsi are high and weak, the toes long and slender, and armed with extremely sharp claws. The plumage varies but little in its colour. This species is about one foot long, and two broad; the wing measures seven inches and two-thirds, and the tail six inches; the female is about three inches longer and five inches broader than her mate. In the full-grown bird the entire upper portion of the body is blackish grey, the under parts are white, marked with undulating reddish brown lines; the shafts of the feathers are also of the latter hue, and brighter in colour in the male than in the female; the tail is tipped with white, and has five or six black stripes. In the young birds the upper portion of the body is a greyish brown, beneath the throat white, striped with brown; the belly and legs are ornamented with irregular spots, the beak is blue, the cere yellow, the iris golden yellow, and the feet pale yellow.

The Sparrow Hawk inhabits the whole of Europe and Central Asia; it is stationary in some parts of the latter continent, but migrates from Europe as winter approaches, and seeks a warmer climate in Northern Africa or India, appearing, according to Jerdon, in the latter country about the beginning of October, and leaving about February or March. This species makes its home principally in woodland districts, preferring such regions as are mountainous or hilly, and is more numerous in the central portions of Europe than in the extreme south. Despite the shortness of its wings, the Sparrow Hawk flies with ease and rapidity, but when upon the ground it hops in the most ungainly manner. Towards such of its feathered brethren as are larger than itself it exhibits no trace of fear, and pounces upon its prey with a dexterity and courage that will bear comparison with the demeanour of the noblest of its congeners. In these encounters, the female bird has decidedly the advantage over her mate, and can bear the brunt of a battle to which his strength would be quite inadequate. Instances have been recorded in which this Hawk has been so eager in the pursuit of its prey as to follow the victim even into a house or wagon, and we lately heard of one darting into a railway carriage when in rapid motion in order to secure its prize. Birds of all sizes, including domestic fowls, are boldly attacked; Naumann mentions having even seen a Sparrow Hawk swoop down and fasten itself upon the back of a Heron. Small quadrupeds are devoured by these birds in great numbers, and they will sometimes stoop upon hares, but whether this is done with any hope of overcoming them, or merely for pleasure, we have not been able to ascertain. In so much dread is this formidable enemy held by the objects of its attack, that on its approach some birds will throw themselves as though dead upon the ground; others will make for their hiding-place with such devious turnings from the direct path as baffle even the skilful steering of their pursuer, and then dart into the inmost recesses of some protecting bush, and thus place themselves for the time in safety. Such of the swift-flying smaller birds as do not hold the Sparrow Hawk in dread, avenge themselves by following it boldly with loud cries whenever it appears; and so annoying does this reception prove to the tyrant of the woodland, that on the approach of some species of Swallows, whose flight is too rapid to admit of revenge, it will soar at once high into the air and beat a hasty retreat to its forest glades. The prey of the Sparrow Hawk is usually conveyed to some quiet spot to be devoured at leisure; the large quills are then pulled out and the carcase devoured piecemeal, the indigestible portions, such as bones, feathers, and hair, being subsequently ejected from the mouth, collected into large balls called castings; it also frequently destroys the eggs and young of such birds as make their nests upon the ground. The voice of this species is but seldom heard except during the breeding season. The nest, which is placed in some thicket at no great elevation, is built of small branches of fir, birch, or pine trees, and the slight hollow that forms the bed for the young is lined with down from the body of the female parent. The eggs, from three to five in number, are large, and very various both in shape, colour, and size; the shell is thick, smooth, white, or greyish or greenish white, and more or less distinctly marked with spots of reddish brown or greyish blue, sometimes lying thickly together and sometimes very sparsely scattered over the surface. The female alone sits upon the eggs, and testifies the utmost solicitude and affection for her young brood, retaining her seat upon the nest in spite of repeated alarms, and doing battle with all intruders. Both parents seek the food necessary for the young family, though the female only is capable of preparing morsels delicate enough for the tender beaks of the nestlings, who, we are told, occasionally perish from hunger should they lose their mother and be left to the more clumsy ministrations of the male bird. The young are fed and instructed long after they have left the nest. Most numerous are the dangers to which the European Sparrow Hawk is exposed, for not only men, but all such birds as are more powerful than itself pursue it with unextinguishable hatred and animosity; in some parts of Asia, on the contrary, it is regarded with favour, owing to the facility with which it can be trained to hunt the smaller kinds of game, particularly Quails; in the southern districts of the Ural, according to Eversmann, large numbers caught in the summer are trained for this purpose, and after having been employed during the autumn are again let loose in order to avoid the difficulty of keeping them through the winter months. The female alone is reared for the chase, the male, when captured, being allowed to fly again, as useless. In India this bird and another species are regarded with equal favour, and are employed by the native falconers in the pursuit of Partridges, Quails, Snipes, Pigeons, and Minas.