Genus Tringa. T. pugnax, the ruff: these birds ap pear every spring in the fens of Lincolnshire, and other places of the north of England, where they make a con siderable article of commerce. Above six dozen have been caught in a morning in one net ; and a fowler has been known to obtain, for his own share, 40 or 50 dozen in a season. They leave this country about Michael mas. T. vanellus, the lapwing ; T. gambetta, the gam bet, is a very rare bird, but it has been occasionally shot on the coast of Lincolnshire. T. maculata, the spotted sand-piper, is a bird of passage, and very seldom seen here. T. cinerea, the ash-coloured sand-piper : these birds appear on the coasts of this kingdom, in winter, in large flocks. T. lobata, the grey pharalopc, and T. hyperborca, the red pharalope, are seldom seen on the coasts ; the same is the case with respect to T. ochropus, the green sand-piper. T. hypoleucos, the common sand piper. T. canutus, the knot ; these birds are said to de rive their name from King Canute, who was fond of them at table ; they are taken in great numbers on the coast, and fattened in the same manner as the ruffs, to which they are preferred by many people. T. cinclus, the purge ; this species comes in very large flocks on the sea coasts during winter, and leaves this country in spring. T. pusilla, the little sand-piper. T. squatarola, the grey sand-piper, is not very common. T. islandica, the red sandpiper; these birds sometimes appear in vast numbers off the coast of Essex.
Genus Charadrius. C. hiaticula, the ringed plover, frequents our shores in the summer. C. morinellus, the dottrel]. C. pluvialis, the golden plover, is met with but in small flocks, on our moors and heaths, in the win ter. C. calidris, the sanderling, is most common on the coast of Cornwall. C. oedicnemus, the stone curlew. C. himantopus,the long-legged plover, is a very rare bird in England.
Genus Recurvirostra. R. avocetta, the avocet, breed on the shores of France, and during winter make their appearance in this country.
Genus Hematopus. The only species of this genus, H. ostralegus, is frequent on most of the shores of Eng land.
Genus Fulica. F. chloropus, common water hen. F. atra, common coot. F. aterrima, greater coot.
Genus Rallus. R. crex, the rail, is a migratory bird ; it begins to be heard about the middle of March, and continues its cry during the breeding season. R. aqua ticus, the water rail. R. porzana, the spotted rail.
Order GALLIN/E. Genus Otis. O. tarda, the bus tard, is not nearly so common in England as it was for merly ; it is sometimes seen in the open country, near Dorchester ; on Salisbury plain; near Newmarket ; and on the \voids of Yorkshire. O. tetrax, the little bus tard.
Genus Pave. P. cristatus, the peacock ; and Genus Meleagris : M. gallopavo, the turkey, are domesticated in England.
Genus Phasianus. P. Gallus, the cock, will be noti ced, when we treat of the agriculture of this country. P. colchicus, the pheasant. P. pictus, the golden phea sant: birds of this species are common in most parts of England, particularly in the county of Norfolk ; the fe male will sometimes hatch her eggs in the woods of this county, if undisturbed by the male ; but the pheasant can scarcely be said to be found in a state of nature in Eng land, most of the birds being brought up in confinement, the eggs hatched under domestic fowls, and the young at a proper age set at liberty. If it were not for this method of rearing and preserving them, it is probable the breed would soon become extinct.
Genus Tetrao. T. tetrix, the black cock, is found in particular parts of the New Forest, in Hampshire, where it is preserved as royal game, and in Wales. T. lagopus, the ptarmigan, is sometimes, but very rarely, met with on the lofty hills of Wales and Cumberland. T. attagen, the red Brous, is not uncommon in the heathy and moun tainous parts of England; in Wales it is more plentiful. T. perdix, the partridge : it is observed that this bird follows cultivation, so that it is found on the inclosed common lands, where it was not wont to make its appear ance. T. coturnix, the quail ; though this bird is more extensively diffused than the partridge, it is not nearly so common in this country : it is a bird of passage, ma king its appearance here early in spring.
Order PASSERES. Genus Columba. C. oenas, the common pigeon : this is the parent stock from which C. domestica, the domestic pigeon, is derived ; C. Palum bus, the ringdove: this is the largest of the species in this country. C. turtur, the turtle dove, this is a bird of passage, arriving in England late in the spring, and de parting about the latter end of August: in no county are they so common and numerous as in Kent, where they are sometimes seen in flocks of 20 or more ; they fre quent the pea fields, in which they commit great depre dations.
Genus Alauda. A. arvensis, the sky-lark : about Christmas, immense numbers of this bird are taken and brought to the London markets; as many as 4000 dozen have been caught in the vicinity of Dunstable alone, be tween September and February. A. pratensis, the tit lark. A. minor, the lesser field lark. A. arborea, the woodlark, is not common here. A. rubra, the red lark, is common in the neighbourhood of London, but seems to be rare in other places. A. trivialis, the grass-hop per lark. A. nemorosa, the lesser-crested lark, is com mon in Yorkshire.
Genus Stzernus. S. vulgaris, the starling : in the fens of Lincolnshire, myriads of these birds collect, and break down the reeds with their weight. S. cinclus, the water ouzel.