File:A history of British birds. By the Rev. F.O. Morris (1862) (14564261620).jpg

Identifier: historyofbritish08morr (find matches)
Title: A history of British birds. By the Rev. F.O. Morris ..
Year: 1862 (1860s)
Authors: Morris, F. O. (Francis Orpen), 1810-1893
Subjects: Birds
Publisher: London, Groombridge and Sons
Contributing Library: Smithsonian Libraries
Digitizing Sponsor: Smithsonian Libraries

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Text Appearing Before Image:
ertiaries, dark bluish grey;greater and lesser under wing coverts, white. Tail, pale bluishgrey; the shafts of the feathers white, as is the outer featheron each side; upper tail coverts, pale bluish grey; under tailcoverts, white; legs and toes, reddish black; the hind toe islengthened; the claws are long and straight; webs, blackishred. The female is like the male. The young are in the earlier stage mottled with brownishgrey. In the first year the bill is bluish black; head on thecrown, dull white, varied with pale brown and dusky streaks;a spot of greyish black behind the eye; neck and nape, white;chin, throat, and breast, white; back, dull orange brown,spotted with darker brown. Greater and lesser wing coverts,grey, tipped with pale dull orange brown; primaries, grey;tertiaries, dull orange brown, spotted with darker brown;greater and lesser under wing coverts, white. Tail, with notmuch grey; legs and toes, black. The engraving is from a drawing by John Gatcombe, Esq.,of Plymouth.
Text Appearing After Image:
43 SWIFT TERN EUPPELLS TERN. Sterna velox, Ruppell. Steriva— ? Velox—Swift. This species has occurred in Europe, in Hungary; and inAfrica is found from the Red Sea to the Cape of Good Hope. In Ireland one of these birds was shot, as recorded by tlielate William Thompson, Esq., of Belfast, in the Annals andMagazine of Natural History, at Sutton, near Dublin, in theend of December, 1846, and two others were seen in companywith it at the time. Like all the others of their class, they possess great powersof flight, and their rapid wheelings and turnings are performedwith every variety of graceful attitude. It would seem almostparadoxical to attribute superior qualities in this respect toone of these birds over others, where all are so highly gifted,but the name assigned to this Tern would appear to implythat it is kat exoken, the swift one—the swiftest of theswift, where all are swift—the lightest of the light-winged,where all are light-winged. Male; length, one foot eight inches;

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