YELLOW BUNTING. THIS is one of the most abundant species of our British Birds, and is to be seen in every part of the kingdom, frequenting, for the most part, hedge-rows and the neighbourhood of cultivated fields and farm-yards. The length of the yellow bunting is about seven inches. The male is a very handsome bird-the yellow on his head resembling often in brightness that of the canary, and the rest of his plumage is elegantly mottled, though of sober colours. The female has much less yellow about the head, and her colours are in general much less bright. The young birds have no yellow on the head until after their first moult in the autumn, and the head is patched with dusky black. The yellow bunting, or yellow hammer, as it is also called, builds a compact and pretty nest, thus described by the poet Grahame, in his poem on the "Birds of Scotland:" "Up from that ford a little bank there was The eggs are of a pale purple white colour, much streaked and speckled with dark reddish brown. The nest is usually placed either upon or very near the ground, at the foot of a hedge, or the side of a bank. It is compacted of roots, moss, or hair. In one instance the yellow bunting has been known to lay her eggs ou the ground without any nest; and in another a nest was placed at an elevation of seven feet from the ground, among the branches of a broom. In winter these birds flock together with chaffinches, greenfinches, and others, and visit with them the stackyard of the farmer, in quest of the grain which may there be picked up. In general they roost either on or very near the ground; but in severe weather they resort for shelter to bushes and evergreen shrubs. They are considered very good eating, as indeed grain-eating birds may be expected to be; and in Italy great quantities of them are caught, and sold for the table. The note of this species is not a very musical one, being only one sound repeated a few times in quick succession, and then drawn out to a considerable length. The song is heard in spring and summer, especially during warm sunny days in June; and the male bird, who takes turns with the female in sitting on the nest, has been heard to sing while in that situation. The young are able to fly the first or second week in June, which is about a fortnight from the time of their being hatched. The yellow bunting is common throughout the whole of Europe. KANGAROO. was THE kangaroo is a native of Australasia. But before describing the form and habits of this singular quadruped, we shall relate the circumstances attending its first discovery, as detailed by Dr. Shaw. This was in 1770, when the celebrated navigator, Captain Cook, stationed for a short time on that part of the coast of New Holland which is now called New South Wales. "On Friday, June 22nd.," says Captain Cook, "a party who were engaged in shooting pigeons for the use of the sick of the ship, saw an animal which they described to be as large as a greyhound, of a slender make, and extremely swift." The following day the same kind of animal was seen by a great many other people. On the 24th. it was seen by Captain Cook himself; who, walking at a little distance from the shore, observed a quadruped, which he thought bore some resemblance to a greyhound, and was of a light mouse-colour, with a long tail, and which he should have taken for a kind of wild dog, had not its extraordinary manner of leaping, instead of running, convinced him of the contrary. Mr. Banks also obtained a view of it, and immediately concluded it to be an animal perfectly new and undescribed. Some time after, this gentleman, accompanied by a small party, had an opportunity of chasing two with his greyhound, which the kangaroo, by its bounding leaps over the high grass, soon outstripped. It was not long, however, before one was shot; and the scientific associates in this expedition of discovery were then fully gratified. |