British Birds in their Haunts Part 1

British Birds in their Haunts.

by Rev. C. A. Johns.

SYSTEMATIC ARRANGEMENT OF THE GENERA OF BIRDS

(_Numbered in accordance with the Plates and Descriptions in this Volume._)

ORDER Pa.s.sERES (PERCHING BIRDS)

Bill various; feet adapted for perching on trees or on the ground (not for grasping, wading, or swimming); toes four, all in the same plane, three before and one behind; claws slender, curved, and acute. Food, various; that of the nestlings, perhaps in all instances, soft insects.

FAMILY t.u.r.dIDae (THRUSHES)

Bill as long as the head, compressed at the sides; upper mandible arched to the tip, which is not abruptly hooked, notch well marked, but not accompanied by a tooth; gape furnished with bristles; feet long, with curved claws. Food--insects, snails and fruits.

_SUB-FAMILY t.u.r.dIDae_

Young in first plumage differ from adults in having the upper and under parts spotted.

Genus 1. t.u.r.dUS (Thrush, Blackbird, etc.) Bill moderate, compressed at the point; upper mandible notched, bending over the lower one; gape furnished with a few bristles; nostrils basal, lateral, oval, partly covered by a naked membrane; tarsus longer than the middle toe; wings and tail moderate; first primary very short or almost abortive, second shorter than the third or fourth, which are the longest. _Page 1_

2. SAXiCOLA (Wheatear). Bill straight, slender, the base rather broader than high, advancing on the forehead, compressed towards the point; upper mandible keeled, curved, and notched; gape surrounded by a few bristles; nostrils basal, lateral, oval, half closed by a membrane; first primary half as long as the second, which is shorter than the third, third and fourth longest; tarsus rather long; claw of the hind toe short, strong and curved. _Page 10_

3. PRATiNCOLA (Chats). Bill shorter and broader than in Saxicola; bristles at the gape strongly developed. Wings and tail rather short.

_Page 12_

4. RUTICILLA (Redstarts). Bill slender, compressed towards the point, a little deflected and very slightly emarginate; gape with tolerably large bristles. Nostrils basal, supernal, and nearly round. Wings moderate; the first quill short; the second equal to the sixth; the third, fourth and fifth, nearly equal, and one of them the longest.

Legs slender, the tarsus longer than the middle toe, and covered in front by a single scale and three inferior scutellae. _Page 14_

5. ERiTHACUS (Redbreast). Bill rather strong, as broad as it is high at the base, where it is depressed, slightly compressed towards the tip; upper mandible bending over the lower and notched, nostrils basal, oval, pierced in a membrane, partly hid by bristles diverging from the gape; first primary half as long as the second, fifth the longest; tail slightly forked. _Page 16_

6. DAULIAS (Nightingale). Bill rather stout, straight, as broad as high at the base; upper mandible slightly bent over at the tip; gape with a few short bristles; nostrils basal, round, pierced in a membrane; first primary very short, second and fifth equal in length, third and fourth longest; tail somewhat rounded; tarsus elongated. _Page 17_

_SUB-FAMILY ACCENTORINae_

Bill strong and broad at base; upper mandible overlapping lower and slightly notched at tip.

7. ACCENTOR (Hedge-sparrow). Bill of moderate length, strong, straight, tapering to a fine point; edges of both mandibles compressed and bent inwards, the upper notched near the tip; nostrils naked, basal, pierced in a large membrane; feet strong; claw of the hinder toe longest, and most curved; first primary almost obsolete, the second nearly equal to the third, which is the longest. _Page 20_

_SUB-FAMILY SYLVIINae_

Young on leaving nest differ slightly in colour from adults.

8. SYLVIA (Whitethroats, Blackcap, Warblers). Bill rather stout, short, not very broad at base; upper mandible decurved towards point, which is slightly emarginate; nostrils basal, lateral, oval, and exposed; gape with bristles. Wings moderate, first quill very short. Tail with twelve feathers, generally rounded. Tarsus scutellate in front and longer than middle toe; toes and claws short. _Page 21_

9. ACROCePHALUS (Reed, Marsh, Sedge, and Aquatic Warblers). Bill nearly straight, with culmen elevated, wide at base, compressed towards tip, and slightly emarginate; edges of lower mandible inflected; nostrils basal, oblique, oval, and exposed; moderately developed bristles at gape. Forehead narrow, depressed. Wings rather short, first quill minute, third usually longest. Tail rounded, rather long. Legs long; feet large and stout, hind toe strong; claws long and moderately curved. _Page 25_

10. LOCUSTELLA (Gra.s.shopper Warbler). Differs from other _Sylviinae_ chiefly in its more rounded tail and longer under tail-coverts. The late Professor Newton found the tendons of the tibial muscles strongly ossified in this genus. _Page 28_

11. PHYLLoSCOPUS (Chiff-chaff, Willow and Wood-warblers). Bill slender, rather short; upper mandible decurved from middle and compressed towards tip, which is very slightly notched; nostrils basal, lateral, oblong, partly operculate, membrane clothed with small bristle-tipped feathers, internasal ridge very thin; gape beset with hairs. Wings rather long, first quill comparatively large, third or fourth longest. Tail slightly forked, twelve feathers. Tarsus scaled in front, rather long. Toes long, claws curved. _Page 30_

_SUB-FAMILY REGULINae_

Arboreal. Each nostril covered by a single stiff feather.

12. ReGULUS (Gold and Fire-crested Wrens). Bill very slender, awl-shaped, straight, compressed; cutting edges bent inwards about the middle; nostrils partly concealed by small bristly feathers, directed forwards; first primary very short, second much shorter than the third, fourth and fifth longest; tail moderate; tarsus slender, rather long. _Page 33_

FAMILY PARIDae (t.i.tS)

Bill short, straight, conical, sharp-pointed, dest.i.tute of a notch; nostrils basal, concealed by reflected bristly hairs. Small birds, remarkable for their activity, not highly gifted with musical power, constantly flitting and climbing about trees and bushes, which they examine for small insects, suspending themselves in all att.i.tudes, feeding also on grains and fruits, and not sparing small birds when they are able to overpower them.

13. ACReDULA (Long-tailed t.i.t). Bill much compressed, both mandibles curved, upper considerably longer than lower. Eyelids with wide bare margins. Length of wing quills increases to fourth and fifth, which are longest. Tail very long, narrow, graduated, outer feathers one-third length of middle pair. Tarsus long, feet moderate. _Page 35_

14. PARUS (Great, Blue, Cole, Marsh, and Crested t.i.ts). Bill slightly compressed, upper mandible hardly longer than lower. First wing quill short, fourth or fifth longest. Tail moderate, even or slightly rounded. Tarsus moderate, feet strong. _Page 37_

FAMILY PANURIDae (Reedlings)

15. PANuRUS (Bearded t.i.t or Reedling). Bill short, subconical; upper mandible curved at tip and bending over lower one, which is nearly straight; the edges of both somewhat inflected and not notched.

Nostrils basal, oval, pointed in front and partly covered by reflected bristly feathers. Wing with ten quills, first almost obsolete, third longest, fourth and fifth nearly equal to it. Tail very long and, much graduated. Tarsus long and scutellate in front; feet stout; claws not much hooked. _Page 42_

FAMILY SITTIDae (NUTHATCHES)

16. SITTA (Nuthatch). Bill moderate, strong, and slightly conical; lower mandible ascending from angle to point. Tongue short, h.o.r.n.y tip abrupt and furnished with strong bristles. Nostrils basal, rounded, in deep hollow, covered by short feathers and hairs. Wings rather long; first quill much shorter than second, fourth or fifth longest. Tail short, flexible, broad, nearly square. Legs short, stout, tarsi scutellate; toes long, strong, hind toe especially, outer toe joined at base to middle toe; claws large, much hooked. _Page 44_

FAMILY CERTHIIDae (CREEPERS)

Bill either straight and subulate or slender, long, and curved; nostrils basal; tail never emarginate; fourth toe coalesced at first phalanx with middle toe. Princ.i.p.ally insectivorous.

17. CERTHIA (Creeper). Bill rather long, slender, compressed, decurved, pointed; nostrils basal, lateral, elongate, partly covered by membrane. Wings moderate, rounded, first feather short, fourth and fifth longest. Tail of twelve feathers, long, stiff, pointed, slightly decurved. Feet large, tarsus slender; fore toes long, united at base as far as first joint; claws moderate, but much curved; hind toe short, but with long curved claw. Plumage soft and thick, especially above. _Page 47_

FAMILY TROGLODYTIDae

18. TRoGLODYTES (Wren). Bill moderate, compressed, slightly curved, not notched, pointed. Nostrils basal, oval, partly covered by membrane. Wings short, concave, rounded; first quill rather short, fourth or fifth longest. Tail generally short; its feathers soft and rounded. Tarsus rather long and strong, middle toe united at base to outer but not to inner toe; hind toe as long or longer than middle toe; claws long, stout and curved. Plumage long and soft. _Page 48_