Ad99998 04 083a/eng
Merkwürdige Vögel
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Birds. LXIV. Vol. IV. No. 81., REMARKABLE BIRDS., e « sc h?a: r*F tf« cfo g * US* De f« tiowe itjié. diurne, nous es ‘e belle variété li le Iure anglaii c8 ‘ de ce Canard ei est couverte d'nne e vert et blanche. ileur jaune I cotes de la tète. rentre blanc,. laie trouvent h ir fingi plumetret sont pin« se de petites » i a apporte cette; elle eu Jî $ ! pu parvenir *, Fig. 1. The Chinese Kingsfisher. (Alcedo atricapilla.), -I his beautiful bird is an inhabitant of China and dbout 10 inchcs long. Its back and wings are of a fhiuing violet colour; the breast and forepart of the neck are white; the belly of a dirty yellow caft., Fig. 2. The ground-parrot. (Psittacus terrestris.), This fine bird belongs to the new discoveries which the English have made butlately in New-Holland. It never exceeds the size of a turtle-do ve. The chief colour of its plumage is green, the bacjc and wings being markerl b) feveral transverse 9tripes of black. The ontfide fea'hers of the tail which is clubfhaped and tapering to a point, are of a reddish colour and also croffed by feveral transverse stripes of black; the legs are by far more flender than those of other parrotsî thé discriminating character of this fine bird coufifts in its living on the ground, for it never resides on trees, but, contrary to the euftom of other parrots, it runs, like a quail, continually on the ground, catching insects and Caterpillars on which it generally lives. From this habit its narae is derived., Fig. 3. The crested Chinese duck. (Variety.) (Anas galericulata. Var.), This beautiful duck belongs even in its native countries China and Japan to the rare kinds of birds; it is pretty dear, and generally kept as an ornament in the gardens oi the Chinese Mandarins (a Chinese Nobleman or first Magiftrate). We are hère made acquainted with a beautiful variety of the Chinese duck, represented in one of the most fplendid english éditions. A gênerai defeription of the-kind has been made in N. l6 of this Volume. The plumage of the present species or rather variety is beautifully peneilled; a superb creft of violet, green and white feathers rifes on the top of the head and the sides are adomed with fui vous tufts intermixed with white. The colour of the breast is violet, that of the belly white. Tvvo plumes of feathers anfing between the wings give the bird a peculiar aspect, they are formed by the inward yellow-red back-feathers which stand erect in the form of little fails. Many of the crefted Chinese ducks have been brought to England, but ail the attempts to make them hatch have proved unfuccess fui; probably a consequence of tlieir extraordinary delicacy.
