File:A history of British birds. By the Rev. F.O. Morris (1862) (14565511100).jpg

Identifier: historyofbritish01morr (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

View Book Page: Book Viewer
About This Book: Catalog Entry
View All Images: All Images From Book
Click here to view book online to see this illustration in context in a browseable online version of this book.

Text Appearing Before Image:
in proportion to the size of the bird: the outer andmiddle ones are united by a membrane; claws, black, or bluishblack, and not much hooked. The female is considerably larger than the male; length, twofeet four inches. Her plumage inclines more to grey andorange than his. The feathers on her head become graduallymore grey, until they fade to a pale hoary white. The young,when first fully fledged, are of a deep red, especially on theback, and the central markings of the feathers are darker andlarger than in the adult bird; the head and neck are alsodarker. The iris is yellowTsh brown ; the feathers on the backhave a tinge of purple; the bars on the tail are more distinct,and the colour of it is darker than in the old bird. After the first moult, the young birds nearly acquire theirperfect plumage. The central dark markings on the feathersbecome less, and their red edges paler with advancing age. The varieties of this species as to size and colour, thoughnot unfrequent, are unimportant.
Text Appearing After Image:
QWAT.TnW-TATLED KITE. 59 SWALLOW-TAILED KITE. Elanus furcatus, Flemino. Milvus furcatus, Jknyns. Nauclerus furcatus, Gould. Falco furcatus, Wilson. Elanus—Perhaps from Elaund—To drive or chase. Furcatus—Forked. This elegant species is very abundant in the southern andsouth-western states of America—to the extensive prairies ofthe latter of which it is ))eculiarly attached, and becomes muchless frequent towards the north, particularly on the easternside of that continent. It is found also in Peru and BuenosAyres. Two specimens only have as yet occurred in this country,driven over probably by tempestuous vrinds. One of themwas killed in the year 1772, at Balachoalist, in Argyleshire,and the other was captured in Wensleydale in Yorkshire, atShaw-gill, near Hawes, on the 6th. of September, 1805. Thepitiless pelting of a tremendous storm, and the simultaneousbuffetings of a flock of Kooks, drove it to take shelter in athicket, in which it was caught before it was able to escape.It

Note About Images