O YE who have POWER,-who presume that YOUR

WILL

Is the measure that every wEAK being must fill,

.

The characters of the tribe are a subulate, angular, depressed, bluntish bill; upper mandible entire, somewhat open at the edges; nostrils surrounded with a prominent rim; tongue notched, pointed. The following are the chief.

The Vulgaris, STARE, STARLING, Shepster, Chepster, or ChepStarling, has the bill yellow, body black with white dots; the colours however vary; sometimes they are a beautiful green and purple, and sometimes white, and, it is said, occasionally black; nine inches long. Inhabits Europe, Asia, and America, and common to our own country. Exceedingly gregarious, associating during the winter months in well-arranged battalions, and sometimes with other birds not of their own tribe. The males are very pugnacious, often fighting during the pairing season for the females with much rancour, the females themselves being the while passive spectators. Their docility and the beauty of their plumage have rendered them great favourites. Their natural notes are a shrill whistle and a chattering; but they may be taught to imitate the human voice, and sing song-tunes. STERNE has immortalized this bird in his Sentimentul Journey:-"The bird flew to the place where I was attempting his deliverance, and, thrusting his head through the trellis, pressed his head against it, as if impatient. I fear, poor creature, said I, I cannot set thee at liberty.—“ No,' said the starling, I can't get out,-I can't get out.' Disguise thyself as thou wilt, still, Slavery, said I,- still thou art a bitter draught!"-Page 101, Edit. Lond. 1804.

They feed on insects and worms; but their flesh is so bitter as to be scarcely eatable. They build in ruinous edifices or the cliff of a rock, and sometimes in a hollow tree, and sometimes in the deserted nest of another bird. Eggs four or five, of a pale

Behold the naive picture, in tints strong and true,
And think not that birds were made only for you;
For You only to SING, for You only to DIE;

O think not that thus could e'er act the MOST HIGH!
Yes, SLAVERY! hath Nature, in wisdom, decreed
That who drinks of thy cup finds it bitter indeed;
All uncorrupt tastes will thy chalice refuse;
And it dash from her lips will indignant the MUSE.

green or bluish cast. This species is seen in this country throughout the year; but it is suspected that some of the tribe migrate during the summer months; I have never seen their nests in Somersetshire. It appears, however, that a great number of these birds have, for several years past, built their nests in the apertures under the lead on the top of Canonbury-tower at Islington.*

The Cinclus, WATER-OUZEL, Crake, Water-Crake, Water Crow or Piet, is above black, breast and chin white, belly ferruginons; seven and a quarter inches long; solitary; breeds in the holes of banks; inhabits Europe and Northern Persia, and found also in this country. Although the feet of this bird are not formed for diving, it is yet a most singular circumstance that it pursues its prey under water, living chiefly on small fish and aquatic insects. It sings prettily in the spring.

The Capensis or CAPE STARLING is blackish, beneath and sides of the head white; size of the vulgaris; inhabits the Cape of Good Hope. The Ludovicianus or LOUISINE STARLING is above brownish grey, beneath yellow; in size and habits similar to the common starling. Inhabits, in vast flocks, the interior regions of North America.

See Nelson's History of Islington, 2d edit. p. 237,

TO FREEDOM.

BUT approach! thou delight of the children of men!
Not less than of BIRDS, both of grove and of glen,
Fair FREEDOM! approach! not, as often of yore,
In the dark robes of terror, and hands stain'd with
gore;

O come, in thy gentleness silvery bright,

And diffuse o'er the world thy benevolent light;

Take the VIRTUES,-the maidens of PEACE, by the hand;

Let PERSUASION, not FORCE, be thy word of command;
Bring with thee affectionate Feeling and Love,
So that those who contemn be constrain'd to approve;
Let KNOWLEDGE thy constant attendant e'er be,
And MAN, become WISE, will then only be FREE.
The BIRDS, too, shall hail thee,-around thee shall
throng,-

In one loud bursting shout of symphonious song.

WATER-OUZELS, too, came, and the oft-calling QUAIL,

Pugnacious,-TEALS many, but not a LAND-RAIL; While the WIDGEONS and POCHARDS, and rich GOLDEN-EYE,

'Midst the BEAN-GEESE and BRENT-GEESE were

seen oft to fly.

Came the EIDER-DUCK also from isles of the west,

Where she dwells most secure in her soft downy nest.

She to commerce, to luxury, ministers food;

And to SLOTH lends her couches, nor wholesome nor

good:

Oh, when shall conviction, the truth flash on WEALTH,
That no road yclept Royal can lead unto HEALTH;
That LABOUR can only such happiness yield,
And such, too, which chiefly abounds in the field?

The active KING-FISHERS (13) on willows were seen, In colours most splendid, of purple and green.

(13) Order, PICÆ, (Linn.) KING-FISHER, the COMMON, the SPLENDID, the PURPLE, &C.

The genus ALCEDO, (Linn.) to which the Common Kingfisher, Alcedo ispida belongs, consists of about sixty species, all, except the first named, inhabiting the warmer regions of the globe. The characteristics of the tribe are a triangular thick, straight, long-pointed bill; tongue fleshy, very short, flat pointed; feet, in most, gressorial. It chiefly frequents rivers, and lives on fishes, which it catches with curious dexterity; swallows its prey whole, but brings up the undigested parts; thongh short winged, it flies with great swiftness; its predominant colour is blue of different shades. The following are the chief:

The Ispida, COMMON KING-FISHER or Martin-fisher, the Halcyon of the poets, is in length seven inches, weight one ounce and a half; bill black tinged with orange, two inches long. The head and body beautifully tinged with green and blue, interspersed with yellow and orange; the throat buff colour, beneath a dull orange. Found in this country most frequently about clear running streams, in the banks of which it generally takes possession of a rat's hole to deposit its eggs, which are white, seven in number, and transparent. Found also in the marshy districts of Somersetshire, and throughout

The PLOVER (14), the GOLDEN, his whistle loud blew; And the DOTTEREL and SANDERLING pass'd in review.

Europe, Asia, and Africa. DRAYTON has well characterized this bird:

Long leav'd willow, on whose bending spray
The py'd King's fisher, having got his prey,
Sate with the small breath of the waters shaken,
Till he devour'd the fish that he had taken."

Man in the Moon.

The Halcyon was feigned by the poets to breed in the sea, and that there was always a calm during her incubation; hence the term halcyon has been used poetically to imply placidity, quiet: "As firm as the rock, and as calm as the flood,

Where the peace loving halcyon deposits her brood."

Cooper.

This bird is rarely, if ever, found near the habitations of man; it prefers remote and solitary places for its abode.

The Formosa or SPLENDID King-fishER is the most beautiful of the genus, with tail short, body yellowish green; shoul ders, throat, and rump, yellow; wings and crown blue; bill yellowish horn-colour; head with a bright yellow stripe on each side; smaller wing coverts edged with yellow; legs reddish brown; a native of South America.

The Purpurea, or PURPLE KING-FISHER ;—the Alcyon, or Belted King-FISHER, of which there are four varieties;-the Chlorocephala, or GREEN-HEADED KING-FISHER;-and the Cristuta, or CREsted King-fishER, of which there are two varieties, are all that we can notice.

(14) ORDER, GRALLÆ, (Linn.) PLOVER, DOTTEREL, SANDERLING, &C.

The genus CHARADRIUS, (Linn.) or PLOVER, comprehends above forty species, chiefly inhabitants of Europe and America, of which some are gregaricus, some solitary. They have a roundish