The Natural History of Ireland: Revised and enlarged by Howard SaundersReeve, Benham and Reeve, 1851 - Zoology |
From inside the book
Page 227
... tern ( Sterna hirundo ) , blackish ; rock - dove ( Columba livia ) , whitish - brown . The irides of a young cuckoo , of adult arctic terns and kittiwakes , shot on the 12th of July , 1833 , at the Skerries , off Portrush , were of a ...
... tern ( Sterna hirundo ) , blackish ; rock - dove ( Columba livia ) , whitish - brown . The irides of a young cuckoo , of adult arctic terns and kittiwakes , shot on the 12th of July , 1833 , at the Skerries , off Portrush , were of a ...
Page 270
... arctic terns showed little timidity ; but the large Sandwich species kept at a great distance , screaming loudly . Its flight is exceedingly beautiful , outrivalling even that of the buoyant Roseate , by its sudden turns and rapidity ...
... arctic terns showed little timidity ; but the large Sandwich species kept at a great distance , screaming loudly . Its flight is exceedingly beautiful , outrivalling even that of the buoyant Roseate , by its sudden turns and rapidity ...
Page 272
... arctic terns . It is well remarked by Sir Wm . Jardine , that " All the terns are very light , and the body being comparatively small , the expanse of the wings and the tail so buoys them up , that , when shot in the air , they are ...
... arctic terns . It is well remarked by Sir Wm . Jardine , that " All the terns are very light , and the body being comparatively small , the expanse of the wings and the tail so buoys them up , that , when shot in the air , they are ...
Page 273
... terns indiscriminately as they came within shot , we procured one of the roseate , one of the common , and eight of the arctic species . I could distinguish the roseate when on wing from the other two by its colour and by its note ...
... terns indiscriminately as they came within shot , we procured one of the roseate , one of the common , and eight of the arctic species . I could distinguish the roseate when on wing from the other two by its colour and by its note ...
Page 274
... arctic . Of terns generally , I perceived a great diminution of numbers since 1827 ; but the roseate , which , as before , I readily distinguished by the call , & c . , was , com- pared with the numbers of the other species , much more ...
... arctic . Of terns generally , I perceived a great diminution of numbers since 1827 ; but the roseate , which , as before , I readily distinguished by the call , & c . , was , com- pared with the numbers of the other species , much more ...
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.