BIRDS. 109

standing all we can expect from the enquiries and perseverance of late travellers, we may safely pre- sume that much is still to be learned.

There is more difference between the feathered tribes of America and those of Europe, than is gene- rally known,—the plumage of the former being more rich and splendid; the language or music of the latter more distinctly varied, more rapturous and harmonious.

The birds most generally known in America, according to their common names, are-

Four or five kinds of owls ; the crow and raven, which are the same in kind and habits as those of Europe ; woodpeckers, of which there are five or more kinds; snow—bird, red-hooded Winter-bird, cat- bird, partridge, or grouse, ptarmigan, blue jay, king’s fisher, &c., which remain during the year; and those that migrate to other countries, or that disappear during winter, among which are—the bald eagle,large brown hawk, musquito hawk, falcon, whip-poor-will, tomtit, yellowbird, magpie, brown eagle, common hawk, martin, wild pigeon, bob-lincoln, bluebird, spring-bird, blackbird, robin, or American thrush; snipe, plover, and spotted godwait, or yellow-legs, and beachbird of the plover species; white gull, grey gull, herring gull, besides more varieties of the gull kind; crane, two descriptions; bittern, wild goose, eight or ten varieties ; brent, wild grey duck, black duck, sea- duck, dipper, widgeon, sea pigeon, or black gullemot, teal, sheldrake, 0r goosander; loon, or northern driver,