. A Book of ornithology, for youth. Embracing descriptions of the most interesting and remarkable birds in all countries, with particular notices of American birds . ticed. They are feeble and delicate in everything butthe legs, which seem to possess great vigour and energy ;and their bodies are so remarkably thin that they can passbetween the reeds like rats. The Rail is nine inches long; front, crown and chinblack; upper parts olive brown streaked with black andwhite ; the breast ash, marked with lines of white. THE CORN CRAKE. This bird is found in large numbers in the north of Eng-land and
. A Book of ornithology, for youth. Embracing descriptions of the most interesting and remarkable birds in all countries, with particular notices of American birds . ticed. They are feeble and delicate in everything butthe legs, which seem to possess great vigour and energy ;and their bodies are so remarkably thin that they can passbetween the reeds like rats. The Rail is nine inches long; front, crown and chinblack; upper parts olive brown streaked with black andwhite ; the breast ash, marked with lines of white. THE CORN CRAKE. This bird is found in large numbers in the north of Eng-land and in Ireland; and inhabits Germany, France, Italy,and as far north as Norway. It lives in high grass or THE COOT. 245 corn, where it builds a nest of a few dry plants, and laystwelve or fourteen eggs. It weighs seven or eight ouncesand measures nine inches and a half. The whole upperparts are of a rufous brown, the coverts of the wing and. tail of a fine bay, the under parts of a yellowish brown,the sides of the head inclining to ash colour. It is muchsought after for the delicacy of its flesh. It flies slowlyand with its legs hanging down. THE COOT. This bird weighs from twenty-four to twenty-eightounces. The upper parts of its plumage are black, thelower parts white. It is found in large streams remotefrom mankind, where it makes a nest of weeds, and laysit among the reeds, floating on the surface, rising andfalling with the water. The reeds among which it isbuilt keep it fast, so that it is seldom washed into the mid-dle of the stream. But when this happens, the bird sitsin her nest like a mariner in his boat, and steers, with herlegs, her cargo into the nearest harbour. Here she con-tinues to sit in great tranquility, regardless of the impetu-osity of the current, and though the water penetrates her22* 246 PURPLE GALLIMJLE. nest, she hatches her eggs in that wet condition. It is aninert and timid bird and feeds in t
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Keywords: ., bookcentury1800, bookidbookoforni, booksubjectbirds, bookyear1832
