MYRMOTHERA, Illig. Temm. SCC. ANT-EATER.
This genus has been detached from Corvus and Turdus, the birds belonging to it being distinguished by their tall legs and short tail, and their addiction to the eating of ants.
At Brachyura, Corvus Brachyurus, Lin. Short-tailed Ant-Eater, Short-tailed Crow, or Short-tailed Pie. Green above, lutcous beneath ; three black 'stripes on the head ; blue shoulders and tail-coverts, and red vent. This is a bird more beautiful in its colouring than elegant in its pro portions ; the body appearing thick, and the tail dispro. portionately short. It is a native of Ceylon, and the Molucca Isles ; is about the size of a blackbird, and ex hibits several varieties, of which the most remarkable has the head and neck entirely black, without any appearance of stripes.
M. tinnicns, Turdus tinniens, Lin. Alarum Ant-Eater, or Thrush. Brown above, white beneath ; breast clouded with dusky. Between six and seven inches in length. The female is similar in colouring to the male, but larger. The species has its name from its shrill and loud tinkling cry, which has been compared to the alarum of a clock, and is continued for nearly the space of an hour during the mornings and evenings. It is common in Cayenne, where Sonnini mentions that he often saw it, and partook of it at table, before he was aware that such a small bird was the cause of so much noise.
1111 cantans, Turdus cantans, Lin. Musician Ant Eater, Arada, or Musician Thrush. Reddish-brown above, transversely striped with dusky, whitish beneath ; a black patch, sprinkled with white dots, under the eyes ; cheeks, and lower part of the neck reddish orange. Only four inches in length. Native of the forests of Cayenne, of a solitary disposition, feeding principally on ants, and utter ing a beautiful song, which consists of tones and accents at once solemn, sweet, and tender, and vocal as the sound of the flute. At times, it also whistles in such a manner as to be mistaken for a man. As it breeds twice or thrice in the year it continues long in song; yet that song, which is rarely equalled in compass and pathos by any of the warblers of the grove, never cheers the busy haunts of men, being limited to deep and abandoned forests, so that Son nini, who was agreeably surprised by it in his lonely pere grinations, emphatically denominated this bird the musi cian of the wilderness.
tintinnabulata, Turdus t intinnabula tu 8. Lin. Turdus campanella, Steph. Chiming Ant-Eater, or Thrush. Brown above, reddish-orange beneath and on the rump ; throat white ; top of the head and checks white, spotted with black ; supercilia and stripe behind the eyes black; length of the preceding ; native of the forests of Cayenne and Guiana, but not very abundant, assembling in small flocks of six or eight, and tittering a remarkable note, which con veys the idea of a chime of three bells, and which is often continued for hours together Cixet.us, Temm. S7.c. WATER-OUZEL Bill middle-sized, sharp-edged, straight, elevated, pressed, and rounded at the extremity ; the point of the upper mandible inflected on the lower ; nostrils basal, lateral, concave, longitudinally cleft, invested by a mem brane ; head small, tapering upwards, forehead elongated, and terminating at the nostrils ; tarsus longer than the middle toe ; the first quill very short, and the third and fourth the longest.
C. aquaticus, Bech. Tem. C. Europxus, Shaw, Sturnus
Cinclus, Lin. 7'urdus cinclus, and Turdus gularis, Lath. 71•ater Ouzel, Ptnrith Ouzel, European Water Ouzel, &c. Frov. Miter Crake, Crow, or Piet, Miter Colly, Dipper, Ste. Black ; hreast white ; chin white ; belly ferruginous ; legs pale blue before, and black behind.
Phis singular species inhabits the Alps and Pyrenees, Sweden, Holland, Jutland, the Faroe Islands, Russia, Si beria, and even Kamtschatka, and the hilly districts of France, Spain, Italy, Sardinia, the north of Persia, Etc. Acerbi, indeed, denies its existence in Italy ; but his as serOn is not corroborated by either Sonnini or Vieillot. In this island it is not uncommon in its favourite haunts of h II and rock, by clear running and brisk streams, as in Set,tland and Wales. The nest is very large, and yet carefully concealed, formed, externally, of water plants and moss, and lined with dry oak leaves, in shape resem bling that of the wren, but less deep in proportion, and furnished with a dome or portico. As Colonel Montagu has seen this unusual structure, we must believe that lie has accurately stated the particulars. M. Gerardin's cor respondent, on the contrary, who furnished him with se veral breeding pairs of this species, along with their eggs, mentions, that the materials of the nests were so rudely huddled together as to be incapable of carriage. But more or less skill may, possibly, be employed, according to situation, climate, and other circumstances. It is placed in holes already excavated in the banks of rivulets, in ca vities of rocks, or in the fissures of walls, situated in the neighboUrhood of waters. The female deposits four or five eggs, of a semitransparent pure white, long, and very pointed at the narrow end. When disturbed, this bird flirts up the tail, and makes a chirping noise ; and some ornithologists, who have only heard the latter, affirm that it has no other note ; but Colonel Montagu assures us, that it sings sweetly, early in spring, and even during in tense frost. In general, however, it is not only silent, but solitary and unsocial, never consorting even with the mate, unless when breeding. Although destined to subsist on small fish and aquatic insects and their larva, it is incapable of swimming, or diving, in the manner of web-footed fowls, but walks into the water, up to the head, then lowers its wings, and continues advancing till completely immersed, moving along the bottom in pursuit oc its prey, and fre quently remaining under water for upwards of a minute at a time. In these subaqueous excursions, its plumage is not only defended by an oily varnish, but seems to be surrounded by air-bubbles, like the hydrophili and ditisci. The observations of Herbert and Gerardin, who repeatedly Nvitnesscd the manoeuvres which we have described, per mit us not to doubt of their reality. Colonel Montagu, indeed, proposes theoretical difficulties; but facts are not to be controverted by suppositions. in most countries in which it has been observed, this bird is not migratory. It is capable of flying rapidly in a straight line, and grazes the surface of water like the king-fisher. As it requires to see its prey, it never frequents water that has an oozy or slimy bottom. In France, and other countries, it is reckoned delicate eating. The Penrith Ouzel of Pennant is merely a larger variety of the present species.