t
202 RBD--HEAUBD DUCK.
and claw ; second toe 1]g, its- claw third toe 2^,, its claw ;
fourth toe 265, ftl elaw . Weight 2 | lb.
Adult Female. • l'late CGCXXII. Kis
. 2. •
The female has the hill of a dusky bluish-grey, with a broad band
of black at thex-nd, and a narrow transverse blufulnfr, narrower than
in the male." Iris ijrt&ftfi' Fart-stain the male,- the head and upper
part of the neck dull reddish-brown,« darker above, and lighter on the
fpre parfrof the ©heeks and along a streak behind the eye. The-rest
of the neck all -round, and the upper parts in -general, are dull.greyishbrown,
the feathers paler at their extremity ; the flanks; and fori' part:
of the -flock dull reddish-brown, the feathers, tooadly, tipped with pale
greyish-brown« The wings are as in the male, hut of a darker tint,
and-•-without undulations- Tin- tail- as in the male. or.wingcoverts
light grey, those in the middle white ; middle of breast greyishwhite,
hind part of abdomen light brownish-grey.
: Length to> end- of tail 21 inches, to end of claws 23^; extent of
wings »¿f Weight 2 lb. 7 02.
The following account of the digestive organs-is taken from a British
specimen, an adult male, examined by Mr MACGILLIVRAY in March
388®.
- > The" tongue is X inch and 10 twelfths long, 65. twelfths, broad, its
sides furnished with-two series- of bristly filament*. The oesophagus,
is. 11 inches'-long, with a diameter oi* nearly 5 twelfths.-at the top, 8
twelfths at the lower part.of the neck. The •prov.mtricuiu.s has a diameter
of 9 twelfths ; its glandules -are cylindrical,- and 2 twelfths long.
The stomach" is an extremely powerful-gizzard-, .of-an elliptical form,
compressed, oblique, its length 2^ inches, its breadth 1} ; its lateral
muscles more than-half an inch thick ; ^*hevcuti(;ular coat rather thin,
but very tough, Slightly rugous, with two circular; thicker parts opposite
the centres of the lateral .muscles. . The upper part forms a small
sae, from which the duodenum comes off ; the pylorus without valve.
The intestine'is & feet 4 inches long, narrowest in its upper -part
where its diameter is 4 twelfths* widest at the middle, where it is 6J
twelfths, near the cceca, ¡¿^i tipha rectum is 5-J inches long, its diameter
6 twelfths; the caeca 7 inches lomgjj.nearly--cylindrical, 4 twelfths in
diameter, a little narrower at the commencement.
<1 203 )
B L A C K SKIMMER OR RAZOR-BILLED SHEARWATER.
lltirNCliors xiuiu, LINN.
• J'T.ATK CiX'.XXni. MAI.E.
! Tills bird, fíiié of the most singularly «¡dotfed by nature, is a constimfrC.
aidént .m ¡ill the sandy and mitrshy shores of our mon! southern
«tàfes; from south Cürolina t.. the Sabino Hiver, and doubtless .also in
Texas, wl.oro I fiitfnd it ipiitt abundant in «fe'beginning of spring.
At this Season parties of Black Skimmers extend their movements eastward
as far as the stods of I-o.ig MSndlBëyo« which however I have
not'soon them. Ind.ifd-in Massachusetts and M a i n e - « bird is known
Only to Siich navigators as have observed it hi th'é southern and tropical
rëgiOniîï- '* ' r r ' • ' • u
To study its habits therefore, the naturalist must seek the extensivo
sand-bài?si «stttaries, and mouths » the rivers of our Southern
States, and enter th.; smuoiisnïayous intersecting the broad marshes)
along'their coasts. There, during the. warm sunshine of the winter
dayij you will see thousands of Skimméi-s, covered as it wore with their
„!„„,',„' manflèsj ' peaceably lying beside each other, and so crowded
together as to present to your eyd the appearance of an immense black
{¡all accid.mt.ally spread on the sand. Such times' arc « f i r hours of
féstj ana I believe of sleep, as, although partially diurnal, and perf
i d y able' tiV discern dangé'V day, they rarely feed then, unless
m weather be cloudy. Oh thé Sainé sands, 'yet apart from thorn,
ipia-1 numbfer's of our common ' Black-headed Gulls may be seen enjoying
the same-comfort in secuïïty. Indeed the Skimmers axe rarely at
Such times found oí siuid or gravel banks which are not separated
M& the#ex4¿Uóurinf shores by some'broad and deep piece of water.
I think I .-an ' s a ® vehtiirc to say that in such places, and at the
period mentioned, I have Seen riot fewer than ten thousand Of these
birds in à single flock. Should yoü now attempt to approach them,
ybu will fed that as soon as you hàvè readied within twice thé rang«,
ÔÏ your long duck-gun, tie crowded Skimmers simultaneously rise on