But whether the timid, tall RHEA was there, As faithful historian, I cannot declare. Still, still doth the hunter, and thinks it no crime, This tribe closely pursue.-Oh, when come shall the time, is occasionally domesticated, and that the finest feathers are those obtained from the domesticated bird, from which they are cut about thrice in two years. The skin is substituted for leather by the Arabians. The flesh is said to be but indifferent food, and eaten only by the Africans. The cry of this bird is similar to that of a lion, but shorter. Various accounts of the eggs and incubation of this bird have been published; the following is the most authentic, for which I am indebted to Dr. LATHAM's work. The male is polygamous, and, as has been stated, most probably highly salacious, he being frequently found with two or three, or even five, females, who lay their eggs, which are white, in concert, to the number of ten or twelve each, which they all batch together, the male taking his turn of sitting among them; between sixty and seventy eggs have been found in one nest. The egg holds five pints and a quarter of liquid. Small oval pebbles, the size of a pea, of a pale yellow colour, are often found in the eggs; from nine to twelve of these have been found, according to Mr. Barrow, in one egg. The time of incubation is six weeks. This takes place, it is said, at different times of the year, depending upon the climate and latitude, whether north or south; it is also said that the mode of incubation is different in different places; thus, in very warm climates, the bird scarcely sits upon her eggs at all, the heat of the sun being sufficient to bring the young bird to maturity; that, as the climate increases in coldness, the female is more assiduous in her attentions. Notwithstanding its size, it is generally considered, and indeed is, a very stupid bird, displaying little intelligence or ingenuity of any kind; and, although it is occasionally ridden That man, with superior intelligence fraught, like a horse in its native climate, it is said to be very unmanageable and untractable. "O'er the wild waste the stupid ostrich strays, In devious search to pick her scanty meal, Whose fierce digestion gnaws the temper'd steel." Such statements, often made, that this bird can digest steel or iron, are founded in mistake; it is true the bird will swallow pieces of iron, but there is no evidence whatever that they are digested. The Rhea, EMEU, RHEA, AMERICAN-EMEU, or AMERICANOSTRICH, is grey above, beneath white; it has three toes on each foot, and a round callus behind. It is by far the largest bird found in the American continent, it being about six feet high; the neck is long, head small, beak flat; but, in other respects, resembles the Cassowary. Its voracity and speed are similar to the Ostrich. Found in almost every part of South America. The nest is in a large hole in the ground, often with a little The hunting of BIRDS with dogs, except as setters, is, in this country, not now, I believe, practised; it is devoutly to be hoped that the hunting of other animals will ultimately give way to a superior intelligence and the benevolent affections. The author, when a school-boy, remembers being once on a hunting excursion, and never but once; that once was, for him, sufficient: the hare was eaten up alive by the dogs! he will never forget the horror with which he beheld one of the gentlemen hunters exhibit a leg, the only part left, with the fibres still quivering. See the HOUSE-SPARROW'S SPEECH. The PARROTS, too, came, not of Afric or Ind; Yet loth their description the muse to rescind : The ATERRIMUS, prince of the Psittacid tribe ;The SCARLET rob'd LORY its name will describe; straw at the bottom, on which the eggs are laid; from sixty to eighty have been found in one nest, and hence it has been supposed that several females contribute to produce them, and that each female lays sixteen or seventeen eggs; the egg contains about two pints of liquid. The flesh of the young is reckoned good eating. It defends itself with its feet; and calls its young by a kind of biss. They are exceedingly swift, and with difficulty caught. This is a separate genus in Dr. Latham's work, and there called EMEU. The Casuarius, EMEU, CASSOWARY, or GALEATED-CASSOWARY, is brownish-black; it has three toes on each foot; helmets and dewlaps naked. From the shortness of the legs and neck, it is not so tall as the Ostrich; but its body is more heavy and clumsy. Its helmet is the most remarkable of its characteristics; it reaches from the base of the bill to the crown, is nearly three inches in height, and at the root three in thickness. The wings are still shorter than those of the Ostrich, and, of course, cannot assist the bird to fly; they are furnished with four hard pointed feathers resembling darts; the feet are also armed with large claws; it is, nevertheless, peaceable and inoffensive; never attacking others; when attacked kicks like a horse; pushing down its assailant by running against him, and grunting like swine; it is as voracious as the preceding species. Eggs nu. merous, ash-coloured, or greenish spotted, some are white, about fifteen inches in circumference one way, by twelve the other; shells more thin and brittle than those of the Ostrich. Found in the eastern parts of Asia towards the south, and the Molucca Islands; never met with out of the torrid zone. The Nova Hollandia, NEW-HOLLAND-CASSOWARY, Emeu of New South Wales, Southern Cassowary, or EMEU, is nearly as tall The BANKSIAN, black, crested, and bold COCKATOO, With side tail-feathers ting'd of a bright crimson hue, 'Midst the woods of Australia delighting to rove ;Have never been seen in an occident grove. Some few ABSENTEES to be named remain still: The uncouth DoDo (43) came not, nor JEALOUS-HORNBILL; : as the black Ostrich, being not less than seven feet ten inches high like the rest of the genus, it runs with prodigious speed; the bill is black ; head, neck, and body, covered with bristly feathers, varied with brown and grey; throat nakedish, bluish; wings hardly visible; legs brown. Inhabits New Holland, where it is hunted with dogs, the skull or the jaw of which, according to WENTWORTH, it sometimes fractures by a single kick; the flesh is good; its weight varies from sixty to one hundred and twenty pounds. It abounds with oil, which is used for leather and other purposes. The Casuarius Diemenianus, (Lath.) or VAN-DIEMEN's Land CASSOWARY, is not so large as the preceding, but much exceeds the bustard in size; its general colour is dark brown, with a tinge of blue or grey; it has neither wings nor tail; legs stout, dirty bluish; toes three, all placed forwards; flesh said to be well tasted; eggs numerous, and very delicate; inhabits Van Diemen's Land. The three last species are arranged under one genus by Dr. LATHAM. (42) ORDER, GALLINÆ, (Linn.) DoDo, the HOODED, the SOLITARY, the NAZARENE. The genus DIDUS, (Linn.) or DoDO, consists of three species only; they have the bill narrowed in the middle, with two transverse wrinkles, each mandible bent in at the tip ; nostrils oblique; face naked beyond the eyes; legs short, thick; feet cleft; wings unfit for flight; tailless. They are arranged bý As cruel as jealous, fierce conirost he; Woe, woe to the lady, if foot mark should be! (+4) Dr. Latham among the struthious tribe. Their specific characters are as follow: The Ineptus, DRONTE, or HOODED-DODO, has the head hooded; bill strong, large, and bluish, with a red spot; plumage black, waved with whitish; feathers of the rump curled, inclining to yellow; clawless; three feet long; inhabits the Isles of France and Bourbon. The Solitarius, or SOLITARY-DODO, is varied with grey and brown; feet four-toed; spurious wings, terminating in a round protuberance. Female with a white protuberance each side the breast resembling a teat; size of a turkey; never found in flocks; egg one, larger than that of a goose; time of incubation seven weeks, at which process the male and female assist in turn; the young are delicious food, for which they are hunted between March and September; inhabits the island of Rodrique. The Nazarenus, or NAZARENE Dono, is larger than the Swan; colour black, downy; lays on the ground, in a nest made of dry leaves and grass, one large egg; inhabits the Isle of France. (44) Order, Picæ, (Linn.) HORN-BILL, the PHILIPPINE, the INDIAN, the UNDULATE. The genus BUCEROS, (Linn.) or HORN-BILL, consists of twenty-seven species, chiefly inhabitants of Asia and Africa. They have a convex, curved, sharp-edged, large bill, serrate outwardly, with a horny protuberance on the upper mandible near the base; tongue short, sharp-pointed; feet gressorial. Besides feeding on fruit, they are said also to devour mice, small birds, reptiles, and even carcasses. The chief are the following: The Bicornis, or PHILIPPINE-HORNBILL, of which there are two varieties. The first, is above black, beneath white, quill feathers with a white spot; double horned at the fore part; size of a common hen; inhabits the Philippine isles. The second, |