USA > Vermont > History of Vermont, natural, civil, and statistical, in three parts, with a new map of the state, and 200 engravings > Part 20
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GENUS RALLUS .- Linn.
Generic Characters .- Bill varying in length, hick at the base, and generally straight and com-
pressed ; upper mandible furrowed on each side; somewhat arched and curved at the extremity, with its base extending upwards between tho feathers of the forehead ; nostrils situated in tho furrow of the bill above its base, oblong, pervi- ous and covered at the base by a membrane ; longue narrow, acute and fibrous at the tip ; fore- head feathered ; legs small, with a naked space above the knee ; toes wholly divided ; wings moderate, rounded ; tail of 12 feathers, not ex- tending beyond their coverts. Plumage of the sexes, in general, nearly similar.
THIE VIRGINIA RAIL. Rallus virginianus .- LINNAEUS.
DESCRIPTION .- Upper part black, the feathers edged with olive brown; cheek and stripe over the eye ash; over the lores, the under eye-lid and chin white ; wing coverts chestnut ; quills deep dusky; throat, breast and belly reddish brown ; sides and vent black, with white bars ; legs and feet dusky reddish brown. Length 10, spread 14. The female a lit- tle less, and paler .- Nutt.
HisTORY .- This bird is sometimes call- ed the Clapper Rail, but more commonly the Small Mud Hen. It is met with in fresh water marshes in most parts of the United States, during the summer, but migrates to the south on the approach of winter. . With its neck stretched out and its short tail erected, it runs with great speed : but, when closely pursued, fre- quently rises upon the wing, yet seldom flies far at a time. It breeds in this state, making its nest in the wettest part of the marsh, of rushes and withered grass. The eggs, from 6 to 10, are of a pale cream color, sprinkled with brownish-red and purple. The female is so mnuch attacted to her eggs that she will sometimes suffer herself to be taken in the hands sooner than abandon them.
LOBE-FOOTED BIRDS.
This order takes its name from the cir- cumstance of the toes of the different spe- cies being, in most cases, margined with a membrane. They are aquatic in their habits, and swim and dive with facility. They live in small flocks along the sea coast, and along the shores of lakes and ponds, feeding npon fish, reptiles, worms and vegetables. The sexes are nearly alike in plnmage.
GENUS FULICA .- Briss. Linn.
Generic Characters .- Bill shorter than the head, stout, nearly straight, conical, compressed, higher than broad at base, acute at tip ; mandibles equal, furrowed each side at the base, the upper covering the margins of the lower, and spreading out into a naked membrane over the forehead ;
107
BIRDS OF VERMONT.
Скар. 8.
THE COMMON COOT.
THE PIED-BILL DOBCHICK. THE MONAPARTIAN GULL
lower, boat-like; nostrils in a furrow, medial lateral, concave, oblong, pervious, half closed by a torgid membrane ; feet moderate, far back ; naked space above the knee small ; tarsus compressed, almost edged behind ; anterior toes very long, nearly di- vided to the base, margined on each side by a broad scolloped membrane ; hind toe bearing on the ground, edged on the inner side by an entire membrane ; wings moderate, rounded, 2d and 3d primarics longest ; tail short, narrow, of 12 or 14 feathers ; sexes and young nearly alike in plu- mage.
THE COMMON COOT. Fulica americana .- GMEL.
DESCRIPTION .- Ilead and neck velvet black ; fore part of the back, scapulars and wing-coverts bluekish gray ; tertia- ries, tips of the scapulars, rump and tail- coverts clove brown, with a greenish tinge ; quills, tail and vent pitch black ; under tail coverts and tips of the secon- daries white ; bill pale horn color, with a chestnut ring near its tip; under plu- mage lead-gray ; legs and toes bluish green, the scolloped membrane mostly lead color. Length 16 inches .- Rick.
HISTORY .- The American Coot is found throughout nearly the whole continent, and seems almost indifferent to climate, regulating its migrations principally by the scarcity or abundance of food, which consists of seeds, grasses, worms, snails, insects, and small fishes. It is nocturnal in its habits, and is said to perform its mi- grations by night.
GENUS PODICEPS .- Lath.
Generic Characters .- Bill moderate, robust, hard, straight, and compressed, conically elonga- ted and acute ; upper mandible deeply and broad- ly furrowed on each side at the base, somewhat curved at tip; the lower boat-shaped ; nostrils in the furrow, basal, lateral, concave, oblong, pervi- ous, posteriorly half closed by a membrane ; feet turned outward, situated far back ; the thigh al- most hidden in the belly; tarsus much compressed; anterior toes greatly depressed, connected at the base by a membrane, forming a broad lobe round cach toe ; nails wide and flattened ; wings short and narrow; tail, none. Female similar to the male in plomage.
THE PIED-BILL DOBCHICK. Podiceps carolinensis .- LATHI.
DESCRIPTION .- Upper plumage dusky brown ; secondaries obliquely tipped with white ; a roundish black spot under the chin ; throat and cherks below brownish gray ; patch on the breast dotted or cloud- ed with brownish white and black ; bel- ly almost white, mottled under the wings and on the flanks ; romp dusky ; bill with
a broad black band around its middle, in- cluding the nostrils; legs black ; iris ha- zel. Length 14 in .- Nuttall.
HISTORY .- These birds make some stop in our waters during their fall migration, but are not known to breed in this state. They feed upon fishes and water-insects. When alarmed they conceal themselves by sinking in the water, with only the end of the bill, by which they are enabled to breathe, elevated above the surface, and this is not easily seen. From this and other singular habits they have re- ceived the name of Water-Witches.
WEB-FOOTED BIRDS.
In this order, which consists wholly of Water Birds, the bill is much varied in form; the legs short, generally placed far back ; the anterior toes wholly or par- tially connected by webs, and, in some families, all the toes are united by one membrane; the hind toe articulated; interi- orly upon the tarsus, or wholly wanting,
GENUS LARUS .- Linnaus
Generic Characters .- Bill moderate, strong, hard, compressed, with the edges sharp and corv- ed inward, a hutle bent at the tip ; nostrils lateral, longitudinal, linear, open and pervious ; feet rather slender ; tarsus nearly equal to the middle toe ; web entire to the tips of the toes ; hind toe very small and high on the tarsus : wings long and acute ; tail even, of 12 feathers. Female smaller than the male ; otherwise alike.
THE BONAPARTIAN GULL. Larus Bonapartii .- SwA. & RICH.
DESCRIPTION .-- Head bluish black ; back and upper part of the wings light lead color, or pearly gray ; neck, tail and whole under plumage pure white ; the outer edge of the first primary and the extremities of the others, black, in some cases slightly tipped with white ; in some cases the outer edge of the 2d primary is edged with a line of black ; bill shining black, nearly straight, a little turgid and notched near the tip ; inside of the mouth legs and feet light bright red ; folded wings 2 inches longer than the tail which
108
NATURAL HISTORY OF VERMONT.
PART I.
THE HERRING GULL.
THE CANADA GOOSE.
is slightly rounded. Length 15 inches, the folded wing 10; bill along the gape, 11.
HISTORY .- This beautiful Gull is often seen in small floeks in Lake Champlain, but is most plentiful in autumn, when those which have been rearing their young at the north are proceeding south- ward to spend the winter. Numbers of them are however said to breed upon the islands in lake Champlain, particularly upon those called the Four Brothers. They feed principally upon insects and are distinguished by a peculiarly shrill and plaintive ery. Their flesh is esteem- ed good food. The specimen from which our description was made, was shot, with several others belonging to the same flock, in Shelburne Bay.
THE HERRING GULL. Lurus argentatus .- BRUNN.
DESCRIPTION .- Winter plumage. Top of the head, region of the eyes, occiput, nape and sides of the neck white, each feather with a longitudinal pale brown streak ; front, throat, all the lower parts, back and tail white ; top of the back, scapulars, and the whole wing bluish ash ; primaries blackish towards the end ler- minating in white; bill ochre yellow ; orbits and iris yellow, the latter pale ; feet reddish flesh-color. Saminer plumage, with the head and neck pure white. Young blackish ash, mottled with yellow- ish rusty. Length about 24 inches .- Nuttall.
HISTORY .- The Herring Gull derives its vulgar name from the circumstance of its feeding much upon Herrings, which it catches by following the shoals. They are common to the milder parts of both continents, and are not uncommon in lake Champlain, where numbers of them breed upon the small, uninhabited islands. The Rev. G. G. Ingersoll has procured the eggs of this Gull from one of the isl- lands called the Four Brothers, situated five or six miles from Burlington. Their ground color is light olive, irregularly spotted with dull reddish-brown and dirty ash. The nest is usually made of sticks upon the ground or a roek, but Audubon found them at the Bay of Fundy, breed- ing upon low fir trees,
GENUS ANSER .- Brisson.
Generic Characters .- Bill moderate, stout, at the buse higher than broad, somewhat conie, cylindri- cal, depressed towards the point, and narrowed and rounded at the extremity ; upper mandible not cov- ering the margins of the lower; the ridge of the bill
broad and elevated; the nail somewhat orbicular, curved and obluse ; marginal teeth-short, conic and acute ; nostrils medial, lateral, longitudinal, ellip- tic, large, open und pervious, covered by a mem- brane ; tonguo thick, fleshy and fringed on the sides ; feet central, stout, webs entire ; wings mod- erule, acute ; quills strong ; tail rounded. Sexes similar in pluimage.
THIE CANADA GOOSE. Anser canadensis .- BONAPARTE.
DESCRIPTION .- Head, two thirds of the neck, greater quills, rump and tail pitch black ; back and wings broccoli-brown, edged with wood-brown ; base of the week before and the under plumage yel- lowish gray, with paler edges ; flanks and base of the plumage generally brownish- gray. A few feathers about the eye, a large kidney-shaped patch on the throat, the sides of the rump, and tail coverts, pure white; bill and feet black ; neck long. Length 41, tail 9, wing 193 .- Rich.
HISTORY .- The Wild Goose is well known in all parts of the United States as a bird of passage. In Vermont they are seen in large numbers during their spring and fall migrations, and it is not uncom- mon for them to alight in our lakes and ponds to feed and rest themselves, where they are frequently shot, but they are not known to breed within the state. Their principal breeding places are further north between the 50th and 67th parallels uf latitude. They lay 6 or 7 greenish-white eggs in a nest rudely made upon the ground. The residents about Hudson's bay depend much upon geese for their supply of winter provisions, 3 or 4,000 of them being killed annually, and barrelled up for use. In their migrations, Wild Geese usually fly in large flocks, arranged in the form of the letter >> , with the ver- tex of the angle forward. Sometimes they alight in fields and meadows, and, not unfrequently, they are compelled to alight in consequence of being bewildered and lost in thick fogs and severe storms.
109
BIRDS OF VERMONT.
CHAP. 3.
THE SUMMER, OR WOOD DUCK.
THE MALLARD.
Under such circumstances numbers of | on the rump, the fine lines on the flanks, them are frequently shot.
GENUS ANAS .- Linn.
Generic Characters .- Bill broader than high at the base, widening more or less at the extremi- ty, somewhat flattened, obtuse and much de- pressed towards the point ; marginal teeth lamel- liform, weak ; upper mandible convex, curved and furnished with a slender nail at the end ; the low - er narrower, flat, and entirely covered by the mar- gins of the upper ; nostrils basal, approaching to- gether, oval, open, pervious, and partly closed by a membrane ; tongue stout and obtuse, fringed at the sides ; neck about the length of the body ; f-et central, small, weak, web entire ; wings moder- ate acute ; quills long, Ist and 2d longest ; tail of from 14 to 16 feathers. Plumage of the sexes dif- ferent.
SUMMER, OR WOOD DUCK. Anas sponsa .- LINNAEUS.
DESCRIPTION .- Top of the head, crest, and about the eyes, different shades of green, with purple reflections ; crest and side of the head marked by two white lines, one terminating behind the eye and the other extending to the bill ; a black patch on each side of the neck ; chin, back part of the check, and ring round the neck white; lower part of the neck and breast bright chestnut-brown, spotted with white; back, scapulars, wings and tail exhibiting a play of green, purple, blue, gray, and velvet black ; a hair-like, splendent, reddish purple tuft on each side of the rump ; belly whitish ; flanks yellowish gray, beautifully waved with black, the tips of the long feathers, and also those on the shoulder, broadly barred with white and black. On most of the plumage is a play of colors with metallic lustre ; bill higher than wide at the base, narrowed towards the point, flesh color above, with a black spot between the nos- trils and at the tip; black below; tail of 14 wide rounded feathers, longer than the folded wings. Female without the tufts
with shorter crest, and less vivid plumage, mostly ofa brownish hue, Length of the specimen before me (male) 20 inches ; the folded wing 84.
IlisTonv .- The Wood Duck is one of the most beautiful birds seen in this state, and is one of the very few permanent res- idents here. Their food consists of tad- poles, insects and worms, and also of beechnuts and various kinds of berries. Their flight is rapid and graceful, and they also swim and dive well. Their sense of hearing is very quick, and when alarmed they sometimes conceal them- selves in the water, with the bill only above the surface. Their nests are upon trees, usually in the hollow of a broken and decayed trunk, or large limb, and the eggs, from 8 to 14, are yellowish white, and a little smaller than those of the com- mon hen. The young, when hatched, are carried down in the bill of the parent, and then conducted to the water. The flesh of this Duck is esteemed for food.
THE MALLARD. Anas boschas .- LINN.
DESCRIPTION .- Ilead and upper part of the neck green, with blue and dark pur- ple reflections ; collar around the neck white; feathers of the breast dark reddish chestnut, slightly edged with white; scapulars, baek and parts beneath sprink- led and waved with blackish on a white ground, much lighter towards the tail; rump and tail coverts blackish green ; sides of the rump partly, and interior of the wings wholly, white ; folded wing shorter than the tail; bill yellow; iris reddish brown ; legs orange ; Female and young brownish varied with yellowish and blackish. Length of the specimen before me, which is a male, 26 inches ; folded wing 11; bill 2.1; tarsus 1.8; longest toe 2.4; width of the bill 1.1.
HISTORY .- This is our common domes- tic duck in its wild state. It is frequent- ly seen in small flocks in lake Champlain, but is more plentiful at the south and southwest. The specimen from which the above description was made, was shot in the lake near Burlington in May 1842. It is finely preserved and is now in the museum of the College of Natural Histo- ry of the Vermont University. Their nest is made upon the borders of rivers and lakes at some distance from the wa- ter. The eggs, from 10 to 18, are bluish white. The female frequently covers her eggs when she leaves them. The young are led to the water as soon as hatched and are at once able to swimand dive with great
110
NATURAL HISTORY OF VERMONT.
PART I.
THE DUSKY DUCK.
THE BLUE-WINGED TEAL. THE GOOSANDER.
expertness. Wild ducks feed upon fish, j and the tail liver brown; sides of the aquatic insects and plants; and they fly in the form of the letter >> , with the meet- ing of the two lines directed forward.
THE DUSKY DUCK. Anas obscura .- GMEL.
DESCRIPTION .- Upper part of the head deep dusky-brown, with small streaks of drab on the fore part ; the rest of the head and greater part of the neck dull yellow- ish-white, each feather marked down the centre with a line of blackish-brown; in- ferior part of the neck and whole lower parts dusky, the feathers edged more or less broadly with brownish white ; upper parts the same, but deeper ; speculum blue, with green and amethyst-red reflec- tions ; wings and tail dusky ; the tail feathers sharp pointed ; bill greenish ash ; legs and feet dusky yellow ; female brown- er. Length 24, spread 33 .- Nutt.
HISTORY .- This Duck is said to be found only in North America. It is met with throughout the United States and British provinces, from Florida to Labra- dor, and is generally but improperly called the Black Duck. It is found alike along the sea coast, in salt marshes, and along the fresh water rivers and lakes. They breed in marshes, making their nests of' weeds, and laying from 8 to 12 eggs, which are of a dull ivory white and about the size of those of the common duck. Their voice, or quack, is also sim- ilar to that of the common duck.
THE BLUE-WINGED TEAL. Anas discors .- LINN.
DESCRIPTION .- Upper surface of the head and under tail coverts brownish black ; a white crescent from the fore- head to the chin bordered with black ; sides of the head and neck purple ; base of the neck above, back, tertiaries and tail coverts brownish-green ; fore parts mark- ed with semi-ovate pale brown bars ; les- ser wing coverts pure pale blue ; specu- lum dark green ; primaries, their coverts
rump and under wing coverts white ; un- der plumage reddish-orange, glossed with chestnut on the breast, with blackish spots ; bill bluish-black ; feet yellow. Female brownish, without the white be- fore the eye and on the rump, and the purple tint on the head and neck. Young withont the green speculum ; in other re- spects like the female. Length 18 inches.
HISTORY .- The Blue- Winged Teal in- habits, according to the season, all parts of the continent up to the 58th parallel of latitude. It arrives in this state from the south in the latter part of April, and I have before me a specimen which was shot in Winooski river, at Burlington, about the first of May, 1842. They feed upon insects and vegetables, and are said to be particularly fond of wild rice. They usually become very fat, and their flesh is highly esteemned for food.
GENUS MERGUS .- Linnaus.
Generic Characters .- Bill long, or moder- ate, straight, nearly cylindrical, slender, and broad at the base ; the edges serrated, and the teeth subulate, sharp, and inclining backwards ; the upper mandible hooked and furnished with a nail at the tip ; nostrils lateral, open, situated near the middle of the bill ; legs short, strong, placed far back; three anterior toes webbed to their points: hind toe articulated high with a broad membrane : wings moderate, aeute : Ist and 2d primaries lon- gest : tail short and rounded. Female and young ditfer considerably from the male.
THE GOOSANDER, OR SIJELDRAKE. Mergus merganser .- LINN.
DESCRIPTION .- Color of the old male above nearly black ; head and upper part of the neck greenish black, with reflec- tions ; belly white, shaded with rose col- er. Ilmmeral wing coverts blackish ; low- er part of the back and the tail ash; bill red on the sides, but black above and be- low ; iris reddish ; legs vermillion. Fe- male and young above light slate or gray- isifash, shafts of the feathers darker ; sec- ondary wing feathers and their coverts
111
BIRDS OF VERMONT.
CHAP. 3.
THE LOON.
DOMESTIC FOWL.S.
white on the posterior part ; head, crest | spotted with white, the spots squarish and neck reddish brown ; chin and upper part of the breast gray ; belly yellowish white ; wings black, 2d quill longest; bill reddish brown above, red below ; legs and fret reddish yellow ; webs brownish .- Length of the specimen before, which is a female, 25 inches ; folded wing 93 ; spread 32; bill, from the angle of the mouth, 23; tarsus 24 ; longest toe 3 inches.
Hierour .-- The Goosander inhabits the northern parts of Europe, Asia and Amer- ica, where they breed and spend the greater part of the year. On the approach of cold weather they migrate towards the south, but still many of them spend the winter in high northern latitudes. They are occasionally met with in our lakes and rivers at nearly all seasons, but are not found in Vermont in very large numbers. The specimen from which a part of the shore description was made, was shot in Winooski river Sept. 4, 1841. This fowl is very voracious, and feeds principally up- on fishes, of which the stomach of the one above described contained the fragments of several, one of which was three inches long. The rough incurved papille upon the tongue, and the sharp serratures along the edges of the bill, seem admirably adap- ted for seizing and retaining its finny prey.
GENUS COLYMHUS .- Linnaus.
Generic Characters .- Bill longer than the head, øtout, straight, nearly cylindrical, compressed, with the point subulate and acute ; the edges bent io, sharp and entire ; nostrils basal, concave, and half closed by a membrane ; feet large, placed far behiad ; libia almost drawn up into the belly ; tar- sus strong, compressed ; the three anterior toos very long, united to their tips by webs ; hind too small, touching the ground merely at the tip, uni- ted lo the outer toe by a rudimental membrane ; wings moderate ; Ist and 2; primaries longest ; tail short, roundod and composed of 18 or 20 feathers ; the sores alike in plumage.
THE LOON, OR GREAT NORTH- ERN DIVER.
Columbus glaciulis .- LINN.
and largest on the middle of the back, roundish forward, and very small towards the rump; beneath white; neck spotted with black, with a black and whitish ring ; wings brownish black above, without spots; legs black ; bill dark horn color. Length of the specimen before me to the extremity of the tail 35 inches, folded wing 14 inches, bill to the angle of the mouth 43 inches, foot to the extremity of the longest nail 53 inches. The first quill longest.
IHISTORY .- The Loon, or Great North- ern Diver, is found in the northern parts of both the Eastern and Western Conti- ment. In this country it resides princi- pally in the lakes in the interior, spend- ing nearly its whole time in the water. It dives with great facility, and is able to remain for a long time under water. Its
legs are situated so far back that it is with the greatest difficulty that it walks at all upon land. The Loon is not uncommon in our lakes and ponds, where numbers of them spend the summer and rear their yonng. Their nest is upon the ground near the margin of a pond, and somewhat elevated above the surface of the water. The eggs are about the size of those of the domestic goose, of a dark smoky olivo color, blotched with umber brown. The flesh of the Loon is tough and unpalata- ble.
DOMESTIC FOWLS.
The only birds we have in a state of per- manent domestication are the Goose, the Turkey, the Duck, the Barn-door fowl, the Peacock the Guinea Hen and the Dove.
THE COMMON GOOSE, Anas unser, which has acquired so many colors in our poult- ry yards, originated from a wild species, which is gray, with a brown mantle un- dulated with gray, and an orange colored beak. The name of the species in a wild state is Anser cinereus. Geese are kept in considerable numbers in this state, principally for their feathers.
THE DOMESTIC TURKEY, Meleagris gal- lopoco, in its wild state, has been already described on page 101. In the domesti- cated state it has acquired a variety of colors and undergone some change in form and size. Turkeys are raised for their flesh which is highly valued.
THE DOMESTIC DUCK, Anas domestica, sprang from the common Mallard Duck, Angs boschas. See page 109. The change produced in the Duck by domestication
DESCRIPTION .- Ilead and back of the neck glossy black ; back grayish black fis much less than in the two preceding
112
NATURAL HISTORY OF VERMONT.
PART I.
DOMESTIC FOWLS.
REPTILES OF VERMONT.
species. Very few of them are raised in this state, and these are kept rather for curiosity than profit.
BARN-DOOR FOWL, Gallus domesticus. This species, denominated the Cock and the Hen, varies alnost infinitely in col- ors, and very considerably in size and form, It has been in a domesticated state from time immemorial, and more or less of them are kept by almost every family in the state. Their flesh and eggs form almost indispensable articles of food ; and with suitable attention and precaution a- gainst mischief, the kerping of hens for their eggs is not unprofitable.
THE PEACOCK, Pavo cristatus. The Peacock is said to have been originally from the north of India, and to have been introduced into Europe by Alexander the Great. It is celebrated only for the mag- nificence and beauty of its plumage.
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