The Natural History of Ireland: Revised and enlarged by Howard SaundersReeve, Benham and Reeve, 1851 - Zoology |
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Page 4
... sides rather before the nostrils , remainder black ; lower mandible blackish at sides and tip , yellowish horn - colour along centre , -short feathers covering the tibia tipped with rust colour . A letter from John Vandeleur Stewart ...
... sides rather before the nostrils , remainder black ; lower mandible blackish at sides and tip , yellowish horn - colour along centre , -short feathers covering the tibia tipped with rust colour . A letter from John Vandeleur Stewart ...
Page 15
... sides only of that mandible about 3 lines from the base ; the yellow colour is indeed differently disposed on the bills of all the four specimens . " Every spring and autumn since Mr. Sinclaire had these swans , they have regularly ...
... sides only of that mandible about 3 lines from the base ; the yellow colour is indeed differently disposed on the bills of all the four specimens . " Every spring and autumn since Mr. Sinclaire had these swans , they have regularly ...
Page 17
... sides of head tinged with pale rust - colour at their extremities ; tips of feathers on breast and entire under surface of belly of a rust colour , so extremely pale as to have the appearance merely of being soiled ; bill on the ridge ...
... sides of head tinged with pale rust - colour at their extremities ; tips of feathers on breast and entire under surface of belly of a rust colour , so extremely pale as to have the appearance merely of being soiled ; bill on the ridge ...
Page 22
... side of the dam : the male bird carried the * The Cygnus Bewickii , as already mentioned in reference to the individuals which have come under my own notice , is gentle at all periods of the year . I have had no opportunity of observing ...
... side of the dam : the male bird carried the * The Cygnus Bewickii , as already mentioned in reference to the individuals which have come under my own notice , is gentle at all periods of the year . I have had no opportunity of observing ...
Page 23
... sides of the ridges where potatoes were exposed to view , bringing them out and eating them . It is a common practice for the old female swan to carry her cygnets on her back on the calmest and stillest ponds , as well as under other ...
... sides of the ridges where potatoes were exposed to view , bringing them out and eating them . It is a common practice for the old female swan to carry her cygnets on her back on the calmest and stillest ponds , as well as under other ...
Common terms and phrases
adult bird adult male appeared April arctic arctic terns August autumn bean goose Belfast Bay bill black-backed bred breeding breeding-haunt brent geese brent goose cliffs coast colour common common tern Cork cormorant diving Dublin eggs feathers February feeding female fish flight flock flying frequently gannet goose grebe grey lag guillemot gull harbour head herring-gull hirundo immature inches informed Ireland island islet January Jardine June Kerry killed kittiwake lake Larne Lough Larus latter lesser black-backed gull Linn locality Lough Neagh March mentioned miles month nests nidify noticed observed obtained occasionally pair petrels plumage pochards procured puffin R. J. Montgomery razorbill remarked river Lagan rocks roseate scaup Scotland season seen Selby shooter shore shot skua species specimen stomach Strangford Lough summer teal terns toe and nail tufted ducks visited Wexford wigeon wild ducks wild-fowl wing winter yards Yarrell young birds
Popular passages
Page 351 - Moor, moor the barge, ye gallant crew ! And, gentle ladye, deign to stay ! Rest thee in Castle Ravensheuch, Nor tempt the stormy firth to-day. " The blackening wave is edged with white : To inch* and rock the sea-mews fly; The fishers have heard the Water-Sprite, Whose screams forebode that wreck is nigh.
Page 9 - Beautiful bird ! thou voyagest to thine home, Where thy sweet mate will twine her downy neck With thine, and welcome thy return with eyes Bright in the lustre of their own fond joy.
Page 198 - ... inches from the tip of the beak to the end of the tail when spread as far as possible flat.
Page 221 - They are so numerous that we have frequently seen an uninterrupted line of them extending full half way over the bay, or to a distance of more than three miles, and so close together that thirty have fallen at one shot. This living column, on an average, might have been about six yards broad, and as many deep ; so that, allowing sixteen birds to a cubic yard, there must have been nearly four millions of birds on the wing at one time.
Page 234 - I observed with concern the extraordinary affection manifested by these birds towards each other ; for, whenever one fell dead or wounded on the water, its mate or a stranger immediately alighted by its side, swam round it, pushed it with its bill as if to urge it to fly or dive, and seldom would leave it until an oar was raised to knock it on the head, when at last, aware of the danger, it would plunge below in an instant.
Page 220 - Hill, from the myriads of small birds of that name which frequent its base, and appear to prefer its environs to every other part of the harbour. " They are so numerous that we have frequently seen an uninterrupted line of them extending full half way over the bay, or to a distance of more than three miles, and so close together that thirty have fallen at one shot.
Page 351 - The search after food, as we agreed on a former occasion, is the principal cause why animals change their places. The different tribes of the wading birds always migrate when rain is about to take place...
Page 234 - July, the old ones show vast affection towards them, and seem totally insensible of danger in the breeding season. If a parent is taken at that time, and suspended by the wings, it will, in a sort of despair, treat itself most cruelly, by biting every part it can reach ; and the moment it is loosed, will never offer to escape, but instantly resort to its unfledged young...
Page 261 - Here the ganet soares high into the sky to espy his prey in the sea under him, at which he casts himself headlong into the sea, and swallows up whole herrings in a morsell. This bird flys through the ship's sailes, piercing them with his beak.
Page 370 - ... by night, and with a candle light kill abundance of them. Here are severall wells and pooles, yet in extraordinary dry weather, people must turn their cattell out of the islands, and the corn failes.