Identifier: birdsofamericafr01audu (find matches)
Title: The birds of America : from drawings made in the United States and their territories
Year: 1840 (1840s)
Authors: Audubon, John James, 1785-1851 Bowen, John T., ca. 1801-1856?, lithographer
Subjects: Birds Birds
Publisher: New York : Published by J.J. Audubon Philadelphia : J.B. Chevalier
Contributing Library: Smithsonian Libraries
Digitizing Sponsor: Biodiversity Heritage Library

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rapacious birds is doubtless natural enough,but it displays little knowledge of the characteristic manners of the species.No bird can better illustrate the frequent inaccuracy of the names bestowedby ignorant persons than the present, of which, on referring to the plate, youwill see a pair enjoying themselves over a brace of ducks of different species.Very likely, were tame ducks as plentiful on the plantations in our States,as wild ducks are on our rivers, lakes and estuaries, these hawks might havebeen named by some of our settlers Mangeurs de Canards. Look at these two pirates eating their dejcune u la fourchette, as it were,congratulating each other on the savouriness of the food in their grasp. Onemight think them epicures, but they are in fact gluttons. The male hasobtained possession of a Green-winged Teal, while his mate has procured aGadwal Duck. Their appetites are equal to their reckless daring, and theywell deserve the name of Pirates, which I have above bestowed uponthem.
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